Aya’s body felt heavy as she settled under the sheets of her bed.
At least she could find some small comfort in Gianna’s promise that Tova would be cared for. She could only hope that when they met with the Council, they’d learn something to help in Lena’s search for the supplier.
It wasn’t enough to stop her from wondering … when this was all over – when Aya found a way to use whatever was inside of her and return home – would Tova forgive her for leaving?
Aya kicked off the covers as she shifted in the bed. Even with every window and door open, the heat felt oppressive. Her head throbbed. The sparkling wine had left her mind feeling full and empty all at once, the small morsels of food she’d managed settling uneasily in her stomach after her vomiting this afternoon.
She shuddered as she thought of what happened in the temple. Her affinity had never felt like that. And when she’d tried to persuade Aidon …
Broken.
Her affinity felt broken.
Something had changed after the market. It was as if her well of power was a festering wound that prodded her frustration and anger until they were always right there beneath the surface; close enough to cloud her clarity and rationale.
That anger that she’d felt when she’d attacked Will … she was no stranger to rage. But this time, it latched onto her, its vice grip nearly more than she could control.
And Aya knew that nothing was more important than her keeping control.
She rolled in the bed again, her pulse pounding a steady beat in her throat. Will had written to Natali when they arrived. What awaited her when they responded to the request to visit the libraries?
She told herself the faster she learned how to wield her power, the sooner she could return home …
And yet part of her hoped they’d take their time.
You’re just avoiding the truth they’ll bring you.
Aya frowned at the bitter thought.
No. Sheneededtime with the Council. She still wasn’t sure what to make of Will, or the tension that had descended on him when they’d arrived in the city. She wasn’t about to let him investigate the Council without her. And she’d be able toget to know Aidon too. To learn what made the prince tick, and how he could assist in gaining the alliance.
Thiswas what she was meant to do. Gather information. Track sources. Pick marks and slip through their defenses.
This was what the gods had blessed her with.
Anything else felt more like a curse.
30
‘Youhadbeen complaining about things getting boring around here,’ Peter whispered to Aidon as the prince pinched the bridge of his nose.
They sat at the long rectangular table in the circular meeting room of the Council building, the oak-paneled walls bathed in the afternoon sunlight that streamed in from the second-story windows. They had been in session for hours despite it being their second gathering since Aya and Will arrived two weeks prior.
Trahir’s Merchant Council smelled blood.
They were relentless in trying to renegotiate Tala’s trade terms given the upheaval in the kingdom. Aidon wasn’t sure he agreed with their tactics. If war was truly coming, surely they had more important things to argue about. But his father, though he disagreed with Dominic’s directive, wouldn’t take kindly to Aidon’s interruption. Aidon was here for one reason only – and it was the woman who sat across from him, her expression bored as she traced a line in the table.
‘You must understand,Prince, that given the situation in Tala, we have our …reservationsabout the current trade agreements,’ Avis said to Will, his deep voice rumbling across the space, disdain dripping from every syllable. A flush crawled up his peachy cheeks as the arguments wore on.
Will leaned back in his seat, the wood creaking as he tilted onto two legs. ‘If anything, Avis, I’d expect you’d want to increase your orders. Or are Trahir’s armies well and truly stocked?’
The councilor’s face went red, his blond hair glinting in the sunlight as he glared at the Enforcer. Aidon’s jaw clenched at the murmurs that ran down the table. He didn’t need Tala spreading fear amongst his people – or questioning his armies’ abilities.
Next to him Peter sighed, his skin looking wan in the fading lamplight. Even his wavy hair, normally perfectly combed to the side, looked awry. Peter ran a hand along his broad jaw as his eyes narrowed at Will. ‘I thought your intentions were to maintain the agreements we’ve been preparing.’
Will grinned. ‘They are. But you and yours seem keen on renegotiating, so perhaps we should do the same.’
Aidon cut a glance to Aya. She was slouched in her chair, her fingers toying with a thread on her white sleeveless top. One look down the table told him no one else paid her any mind. Aidon suspected it was exactly what she wanted; for the Council to think her no more than disinterested and unqualified while she soaked in each and every detail.
