“Uncle, what’re you—you’re supposed to be keeping to your room.” Scolding her uncle felt odd. But with the Pillars making moves, now wasn’t the time.
“Yonlin is waking up.” He panted. “Come with me.”
The attendants let them pass with some excuses from Fritz about “ensuring none of the tainted water got on them.” There was enough chaos abounding that Eira didn’t think they had theenergy to put up much of a resistance. Together, the three of them bounded down the hall, halfway around the arena, and up the stairs they’d traveled just last night. Breathless, they were back in Fritz’s room.
“Yonlin?” Olivin was at his brother’s bedside.
Yonlin let out a soft gasp. He had yet to open his eyes.
“Give him a moment, he’s coming to, I promise you,” Fritz reassured him.
“You’re a wonder.” Olivin’s eyes were shining with gratitude.
Eira stepped away, allowing him to have a moment with his brother. Fritz followed her.
“Thank you,” Eira said earnestly.
“It’s my duty to help, and my pleasure.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the brothers. Olivin continued to hold Yonlin’s hand, speaking softly to his younger brother. “I don’t think I could’ve handled watching him die.”
“I know.” Fritz wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they stared out his window at the town. In the distance, Eira thought she saw a pack of caped riders racing through the streets, away from the coliseum. Perhaps they were shadows. Or knights. Or both.
Ducot made it to Deneya. That was what her heart said. Eira inhaled deeply and felt hopeful for the first time. The Pillars might still have the upper hand, but they wouldn’t for long. Deneya would stall their attack on the castle. Vi would get her treaty. And then nothing would stop them from bringing Ulvarth—the man who had seen Eira’s own brother murdered—to justice.
“I hear you did well today.”
“I tried.”
“I’m glad for it. Your parents got to see you shine.”
“What?” Eira pulled away from him. The optimism that had been forming in her cracked and shattered. “What did you say?”
He smiled warmly. “I didn’t want to tell you until after. I didn’t want it to distract you. I made sure they’ve been keeping to themselves and using different names for safety. You’ve nothing to fear for them.”
“I—I—” She couldn’t even form a word. She had to make several false starts before she managed, “Here?”
“They left Oparium before the start of the tournament, but bad weather stalled their ship. I didn’t want to tell you until they arrived in case they couldn’t make it in time.”
“Why?” What in the Mother’s name would possess them to take the long and dangerous journey from Oparium to Meru?
“They wanted to support you,” he said gently.
Support her.
Support her?
After all this time they thought they could just come and cheer her on as if nothing happened? Unless this was their way of trying to make amends. It certainly wasn’t well thought through. What did they really think her reaction would be? Eira’s heart began to race. After she had just told him how she didn’t feel like they’d been there for her. He’d listened the entire time, saying nothing.
Her uncle knew her well enough to see her rising panic. He squeezed her hand. “It’s all right. You don’t have to forgive them yet either, just like you haven’t me. You don’t even have to see them, if you don’t want to. But when you’re ready to face them, I’ll be there to help, if you want it.”
She was back in the room after the second trial. Ice threatened to crackle out from around her feet. But Eira kept her magic under tight control. She would show her uncle she wasn’t the girl she’d been.
“I’ll think about it.” Her voice had gone cold.
“That’s all they want.”
Eira doubted that. Her parents had come all this way. They wanted more than that. They had to. Her stomach churned and she felt sick.
