CHAPTER NINE
IN THE WEEK that followed, Aydra tried to stick close to her youngers. When Dorian found out Aydra was taking Nyssa to the Forest, he argued wanting to go with them, but Aydra insisted he stay with Rhaif so he could help in case another Infi infiltrated their streets.
“He will be useless if another finds its way here,” she told him. “He wouldn’t know what to do with it.”
“Then perhaps he should learn,” Dorian argued.
“That’s why you’re staying,” Aydra insisted. “Let Rhaif deal with the inner workings and small things. You deal with the criminals and punishments. Nyssa will be the one to take over what Rhaif does eventually. But she needs to learn these creatures. You never know when you might need them as allies.”
“Wouldn’t we have to go through the Venari for that?” Dorian asked.
“It’s a good thing you’re friends with him then, isn’t it?”
Dorian huffed amusedly and shook his head. “I suppose.”
As for the information Aydra had hoped to find out about what was happening with her brother, she never did. Reports came to her every night from both Corbin and Lex, but neither heard anything out of the ordinary that would have prompted his attitude as of late. He was more held up in his study than usual.
The first she truly spoke to him was the morning of her departure.
“Do you think you’ve packed enough?” Lex mocked as she hoisted Aydra’s bag on her shoulder.
“You told me a month on the road,” Aydra argued. “What did you expect?”
“I expected you to wash clothes, not bring all of them,” Lex said as they exited Aydra’s room.
Aydra paused and threw one of the bags back into her room. “Very well. Have you checked on my younger this morning?” Aydra asked her.
“I did. She and Dorian are meeting us out at the gates.”
“Did she have on actual riding clothes or—”
“Where are you going?”
The sound of Rhaif’s voice made them stop in their tracks. Aydra tightened her hand around the knife on her belt and turned around. Lex tensed at her side and turned with her.
“My Queen—”
Aydra held a soft hand up to stop her from stepping in front of her. She straightened her riding gloves up on her hands and swallowed hard at the sight of his stare.
“Lex and I are taking Nyssa out to the Forest for training. She is behind,” Aydra told him shortly.
He stepped towards them, hands pushed behind his back. He gave Lex a nod, and muttered a quick, “Leave us, Second,” to her.
Lex didn’t move.
Aydra didn’t lose her stare with her brother. “Lex, wait for me at the gates. Make sure Nyssa is ready.”
Lex’s gaze narrowed, and she turned away from Rhaif to stand at Aydra’s shoulder. “Are you—”
“The gates, Lex,” Aydra demanded.
Lex’s nostrils flared, but she did not argue. She turned on her heel, and as her footsteps grew quieter and quieter down the hall, the siblings didn’t move. The sound of the waves outside turned to white noise in Aydra’s ears, and she almost didn’t find her voice.
Rhaif’s weight shifted, and she watched as he began to fumble with his hands, something she hadn’t seen him do in years.
“You’ve avoided me for two weeks,” Aydra said, eyeing his nervous figure. “What is it you suddenly want?”
“I wanted to apologize.”
