“You were up all night.”
“I was.”
Guilt fell heavily, finally stirring the words on her tongue. “I knew going to Grim and Maya for help but not you was low, but I was afraid you’d say no, and then I’d have to blatantly go against you. Doing it this way… It was easier.”
Aidan gave a barely there nod, his gaze hard, but said nothing.
Gods. He was going to make her say it. She pulled at the cloth napkin in her lap. “I’m sorry, okay? It was shitty.”
He loosed a sigh. “And so was that apology.”
Her head shot up. “I’m trying!”
His hands hit the table. “Then tryharder.”
“I don’t know how! I’ve never apologized!” The words burst from her mouth in a sudden yell.
Aidan’s lips curled in satisfaction as he rested his elbows on the table, perfectly calm in the face of her storm. “It’s just a muscle, Thorn. I’m not particularly natural at it myself, but I’ve had practice. Now try again.”
As pompous as he was being, she liked that idea. Anyone could learn to use a muscle. A weak muscle didn’t make you horrible or bad—it simply created an imbalance, and that could be addressed. She took a sip of her coffee. “I think I have a lot of relational muscles I’ve never used.”
An honest smile broke through his grumpy facade, and a flush of warmth ran through her at the sight of him tired, rumpled, and half-slumped over the dining table, but smiling at her.
She cleared her throat delicately. “I amsorryfor not trusting you and making you worry.”
“Thank you. Will you tell me about the instructions from the fates?”
Her ankle pulsed angrily, but she ignored it, only flinching a little. “They said the death voyage is the space between me and the crown, and that thetapestry remains untied.Basically, they don’t trust me and sent me off to the temple to get killed.”
Aidan made an annoyed sound in the back of his throat. “Manipulative little dictators. No two death voyages have been the same, but the one thing they have in common is the fates making sure the new queen will bend to their whims.”
Elysia’s brow quirked. He’d never been quite so direct in his feelings about the fates. “I knew getting to the water would be tough, but…” Her cheeks pinked as she trailed off. “After seeing the temple and the acolytes on the grid, I didn’t think there was a chance in the realms they could keep up with me. They look like they just sit around staring at their own reflections and stealing people’s money all day.”
Aidan’s shoulders shook. “So arrogant.”
Elysia didn’t bother to defend herself given how thoroughly she’d been humbled. “So, what exactly did you all see? I assumed I didn’t have a tail since the reaper prayer failed.”
His jaw worked, his gaze homing in on her swollen ankle and the smattering of road rash decorating her skin. “We had eyes on you in the temple up until you were dragged back and Oren arrived.”
She cringed and looked away. She’d hoped he hadn’t seen the bone-breaking and magic use. “I’m surprised you didn’t make a reaper cart me away.”
Aidan leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “To be honest, I was shocked Grim offered you the option.”
“Why? They’re following us around anyway.”
Aidan blew out a half laugh. “There are rules. Reapers are not meant to be seen or heard. And they’re absolutely not allowed to interfere. To do so goes against the laws of the living and the dead. If the fates found out, they would have punished him severely for allowing his people to act on your behalf.”
Elysia drew back, slightly shocked. “I’ve barely even spoken to him since being here. He shouldn’t have offered that—why would he do that?”
Aidan looked at her with both frustration and something softer. “You matter, and you seem to keep forgetting that.”
Sidestepping his comment, she mused on this new information. “That must have been why Oren said to tell Grim he was welcome.”
Aidan nodded even as he bristled. “And how was Oren?”
Her eyes went big as she made a face. “He turned the temple into a sinkhole, sent vines out of it, which pulledvery aliveacolytes down into its abyss, and then climbed out wearing a bearskin cape with the head as a hood.”
Aidan exhaled and stared at the ceiling. “I was an only child as a mortal, you know.”
