His voice was solemn as he said, ‘You should have told me.’
But he didn’t press her about why she hadn’t. Perhaps there was an answer he didn’t want to hear. He considered her for a long moment, hesitation written in his gaze. ‘I meant what I said last night. You’re not alone in this. I’ll help you. The answers are somewhere.’
There were bags under his eyes, the dark purple worse than when they’d first arrived. He usually hid it easily enough behind his swaggering confidence and arrogance, but today, in the stillness and quiet of the paddock, Will looked haunted.
‘I shouldn’t have read you.’
He gave an easy shrug, the lightness of the gesture not quite reflected on his face. ‘It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t pushed you. Consider us even.’ His throat bobbed, those gray eyes still locked on her. ‘I’m sorry. That I made you doubt where my loyalties lie. For—’
He cut himself off, giving his head a small shake. ‘I’m just sorry.’
Aya stilled. She had never heard those words from him. Not once.
Will watched her warily, gauging her response.
‘Tell me about Gianna,’ was all she said.
He let out a long breath and leaned against the paddock fence, his foot resting on the rail behind him. A muscle in his jaw worked, as if he were considering his words before he spoke them. ‘You know as well as I do that Gianna wields manipulation like a knife. Thatweoften do it for her.’
The truth of his words settled heavily in Aya. Of course she knew; it had been her job for the last three years.
Will’s gaze was steady on her as he continued: ‘She’s far too cunning not to know what keeping Tova would do to you. And even if Lena found the supplier, I have no doubt she would keep Tova for as long as it suited her.’
‘Until I master my power.’ It wasn’t a question, but Will nodded his confirmation anyway. ‘You made the same threat,’ she pointed out.
‘I know.’ The words were heavy, a look of disgust twisting his features. ‘And it was despicable. I needed you to stay on that boat, and I knew that if I threatened Tova, you’d comply.’
‘Would you have acted on it?’
Will shook his head once as he stared hard at the ground, as if he couldn’t bring himself to meet her gaze. ‘But it doesn’t mean I haven’t done horrible things to get what I want.’
Aya remembered the sadness that had flooded her the night before. Perhaps there was guilt in it, too. She knew it intimately.
Silence stretched between them, too full for her to know where to break it. ‘I tried to stop it, you know,’ he finally confessed. ‘I argued with Gianna. And when she sent me down there anyway, I told Tova to scream – to act like I was questioning her. Because I knew …’ He trailed off, his gray eyes dark as he looked at her. ‘But Gianna came down to see the questioning for herself. And she brought Cleo.’
And Cleo, with her Sensainos ability, would have been able to feel Tova’s lack of pain.
Aya closed her eyes.
Gianna had scolded him in front of her for his treatment of Tova. She had made it sound as if he had overstepped and used too much force. Had lied, and for what?
Because she knew I would obey her as long as I trusted her.
‘You should have told me.’
‘Should I have done that before or after you kept trying to stab me?’ She opened her mouth to say something, but the corner of Will’s mouth lifted slightly. ‘I’m joking,’ he reassured her.
But Aya cocked her head, her brow furrowed as she took him in. ‘You let people think you’re involved with her. Why?’
Will’s face was carefully composed as he pushed off the fence. ‘That’s a tale for another day. Shall we train?’
It was a skilled evasion, but … time. It would take time, she supposed, for them to adjust to this fragile peace. To learn how to navigate its spaces and its strength.
‘Perhaps we start with the library at Maraciana,’ she answered smoothly. Because that tonic – it had worn off entirely, and she wasn’t about to test her limits on him.
Will let out a dramatic sigh. ‘I find I’m jealous of Aidon’s monopoly on your physical activities.’
‘Why do you hate him?’ The words were out of her mouth before she could take them back.
