“I didn’t realize how bad it was,” she admitted into the silence. She stared unseeingly at some point between them, and for a moment, she looked so young. Innocent, even.
Like she was just another person his age, fighting to stay alive in a world that was ruthless.
“It was the day of the fights,” Dauphine continued. “I had kept track of the opponents, of course.” Of course. Any gambler worth their salt would do their due diligence. “But anyone can substitute in for a fighter if they truly want to.It hardly happens in the higher tiers, not with the danger it presents. But it’s not unheard of.”
Dauphine’s throat bobbed. “Luc took the opponent’s place. I didn’t know until he was lining up on the far side of the ring.”
There was a heaviness to the second part of her confession, the guilt on her face like peering into a mirror. Aidon had been haunted with shoulds for months.
He should have known Dominic was planning something.
He should have known Viviane was entangled with the Bellare.
He should have known Josie was hurting more than she had let on in the months since.
He should have done something about it.
“I suppose his intention was to make me choose,” Dauphine continued. “The money from the winnings, or his life.”
“I take it he’s not a fighter?”
Dauphine chuckled, the sound heavy and sad. “He’s a Terra.”
“I’ve met several Terra who could bury me alive.”
“Not Luc,” Dauphine said with a shake of her head. “He doesn’t use his affinity to destroy. He only uses it for beauty. Not like us.”
Us.
Aidon hated how easily she accepted his power, how she didn’t think of him as anything different or strange. It felt like baring a part of himself he wasn’t ready for anyone to see.
He avoided her gaze, looking instead at the flowers lining the shelves on the wall. When he finally was ready to face her again, he found her watching him.
“He apprentices for a florist in the market. He’ll take over the shop one day.”
Pride was woven through her words. Pride andwistfulness, like she was speaking of a future she would never be a part of.
“What happened at the fight?” Aidon prodded.
“Hm?”
“With your Zeluus.”
Dauphine leaned back against the cushions, her legs crossing in the seat. “Will happened. He recognized my brother and jumped into the ring to take his place. The fight was underway before Luc could object.”
A sad smile twisted at her lips, her green eyes distant with the mix of reminiscing and alcohol. “It was the first and only time I’ve seen Will Castell beaten to a bloody pulp.”
Aidon frowned. “Why would he do that?”
Dauphine chewed on the inside of her cheek before finally shrugging. “I’ve told myself for years it’s because he’s wanted something to hold over my head. And maybe it is.” She shot a pointed look at Aidon, as if his presence was proof of that enough. Willhadleveraged their past after all, hadn’t he? How long had he been waiting to play this card?
“But now,” Dauphine sighed, “I’m afraid it’s far worse than that.”
“Oh?”
She slumped over in her seat again, her head lolling over the tufted arm. “I think, despite how hard he fights it, Will is a good person. Why else would I decide to help you three?” Her face softened as she looked across the room at Aidon. “He loves her, doesn’t he? The Second Saint?”
Aidon considered his glass, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. “I think Will might love Aya more than anyone has ever loved another person.” He set his glass down with a decidedthunk. “She was used by her queen. She was taken from Dunmeaden. Whatever happened the other week in Sitya…she’s not what they say she is. Aya would sacrifice herself in aheartbeat if it meant saving our realm. And Will would sacrifice the realm if it meant saving Aya.”
