Her face was grave as she regarded him for a long moment, her lips pressed into a firm line. Finally, she set her teacup down. ‘Nothing. There is nothing that you could give me that would change my mind.’
‘You seem to forget that I have other methods of doing so.’ He was not the boy he had been five years ago. She’d seen to that.
‘Ihadheard you’ve built quite the reputation for yourself since I last saw you. The Dark Prince of Dunmeaden.’ She observed him with a critical eye. ‘They say you’re not just second in command, but a close personal friend to Gianna as well.’
Will’s voice was hardly more than a snarl as he stood. ‘You don’t speak to me about Gianna.’
Lorna didn’t so much as flinch. ‘My mistake, Prince,’ she breathed.
The door opened with a bang, and Ryker glanced between the two of them. ‘I told you I should have stayed,’ he growled.
Lorna just smiled at the boy. ‘The prince was merely expressing his displeasure with my loyalties, son.’
Will could feel his jaw aching, his teeth grinding together so hard he thought they might break. Enough – he’d had enough.
‘One day, Lorna, you’ll have to find a way to live with yourself. Gods know you’ll have plenty of time to figure it out in the seven hells.’
Will had almost made it to his room when Aya intercepted him in the hall, Aidon following her out of her suite, a deck of cards in his hand. The prince bid her a goodnight, a jaunty grin on his lips as he nodded to Will before leaving them.
‘Your absence was noted at dinner,’ Aya said.
He didn’t care. This entire Court – no, this entire city – could burn in hells. He didn’t bother to respond, yet his silence did nothing to keep her from following him to his door. Will silently counted back from ten.
One night’s peace. That’s all he was asking for.
He tugged on the brass handle of his suite door, but Aya’s hand met the polished surface, snapping it closed.
‘Where have you been? And don’t bother saying the tavern, because I don’t smell a whiff of alcohol on you.’
‘I didn’t realize I had to run my agenda by you.’
‘You do when I’m forced to answer questions about your whereabouts. Aidon—’
‘Aidoncan mind his own damn business,’ Will interjected, whirling to face her. The prince’s name was kindling to his temper. ‘You two seem to be getting awfully comfortable together,’ he spat as he jerked his chin toward her room.
Aya’s face flushed at the implication, her brow furrowing as she glared at him. ‘You were the one who wanted information on the Court. You were the one who encouraged me to get close to him for this alliance. It’s not like you were able to sway Dominic this morning.’
His anger rose sharply, like a cresting wave. ‘Well, I don’t recall asking you to fuck him—’
Wind, hard as a wall, slammed him backward against the door, making it rattle against its hinges. Aya’s eyes were bright with cold anger as she took a single step toward him, her voice a mere hiss as she said, ‘You disgust me.’
Will winced, his body aching as he peeled himself off the wood. ‘Did you mean to do that?’
She was already stalking away.
‘Aya!’
She ducked into her room, the door closing hard enough that a sharp crack echoed through the hall.
38
Natali didn’t bother with niceties when Aya arrived in the small training room the next morning. They merely crossed their arms, their brow furrowed as they observed her. ‘Angry already?’
Aya rolled her shoulders. ‘I’m fine. Did the library share wisdom on how to not become a living torch?’
‘It gave me theories. Let’s begin.’
Aya bit back her annoyance as she shut her eyes and tried to settle herself.
