"But... What do you mean blindsided?"
"She will challenge you," he told her. "I don't mean challenge as in a duel. I mean, she will challenge everything you say. She's been more outspoken since this all started. She is outnumbered this time by the people who respect you, and I think she knows it." He sighed, hand brushing her back. "I wanted you to be prepared for anything she might throw at you."
Nyssa nodded, appreciative that he was telling her instead of her walking into that room unaware. The thought of Soli and the stories written about her made Nyssa's stomach knot. That a warrior such as her may not think her worthy of respect she'd worked hard for.
"Does she think I will want her to bow before me because I was once a Princess?" she wondered aloud.
Nadir seemed to contemplate it. "Soli has always been threatened by anyone who is real," he said. "She believes true leadership should not show vulnerabilities. That you should only ever be strong and fearless, even in the confines of your own home and with people whom you should be able to share such things with."
The words made her eyes narrow as she remembered what he had said to her before all this—the conversation of his one past relationship.
"You were in a relationship with Soli?" she realized.
Nadir's hand paused on her back. "How could you possibly remember that?"
"I remember everything."
He sighed, silence resting between them a moment. "Yeah," he finally admitted. "Yeah, it was her."
The sadness in his gaze made her reach for his hand. She pulled his hand to her lips and pressed a lingering kiss to his knuckles. "Tell me about it."
He eyed her. "You just want me to tell you so you know how hard to glare at her tomorrow," he mocked.
Nyssa feigned surprise just as Nadir always did—clutching her chest, mouth dropping. "I would never," she lied.
He looked like he would laugh. "Liar," he accused.
She smiled, the muscles of her face beaming with such a thing back on her lips. "Definitely," she said. She pulled her knees into her chest, sighing as she watched him watching her, his fingers moving delicately in circles at the small of her back. And the mere act of his eyes on her again made her heart warm.
"Back on your beach," she whispered.
Nadir met her smile, and he squeezed her hand. "Home," he corrected.
It was well into the night before either went to sleep. So much they wanted to catch up on, to learn about each other, talking as though they didn't have all the time of the rest of their lives, but intent on hearing the other's voice and every whisper of their being.
She had told Lex she wanted to get back into training, even if it was just footwork and balancing since she couldn't use her arm yet. She didn't care. She was ready to get out there and fight. She wanted her body back to match with the confidence of her mind.
Every moment would be a struggle and a nightmare, but she could do it. She could build herself back, better than before, and she would somehow learn to control her fire and let the creatures in.
She asked Nadir if he would go with her to the Forest and see the Noctuans before the Deads ended. She wanted to face them again, try to reach them since she'd been able to communicate with the sea serpent the week before. She had heard the noise of the Ulfram's howls, and this time, its howl comforted her instead of making her panic. A comfort of the home she thought she might be hidden from for the rest of her days.
She felt closer to the land than ever now that she'd been without it. Life at the Umber— life athome— was slowly feeling more and more real with every day.
But the one ache still in her heart was having not heard anything about her brother. She could remember seeing him in her mind the day of her escape.
She hoped he was okay.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
“THIS SMILE ON your face, my boy,” Sutor, the seamstress, mocked at Nadir with a sideways stare. “I don’t know that I’ve ever seen such delight in your eyes.”
He'd brought Nyssa to be measured for new clothes as he said he would, and Nyssa found herself mesmerized by the sight of all the fabrics in Sutor's tent.
Nadir chuckled under his breath as he leaned against the doorframe. “Come off it, Soot. You can’t tell all my secrets. You never know when princesses might use them as leverage later,” he added with a wink at Nyssa.
Sutor stepped up and wrapped her arm around Nyssa then, the bountiful woman making Nyssa feel even smaller next to her. "Come, girl. Naddi, out of here," she shooed him.
Nadir gave Nyssa a proud once over that made her smile despite herself, and he left from inside. She could hear him chatting with someone outside, his laugh bouncing in the air and echoing with the rest of the people busily walking around their market.
