As I stepped back into the cool air of Tenebris, I let out a breath. Reinforcements might come, but only if I succeeded in the impossible task ahead of eliminating my father. My people deserved stability, and for the first time in years, I felt the faintest flicker of hope knowing that I would gain the magistrates’ support and assistance. I couldn’t afford to fail.
Eldora was waitingfor me when I got back to the estate, her hands folded neatly in front of her, a practiced air of patience about her that immediately put me on edge. I sighed, already bracing myself.
“What now?” I asked, shrugging out of my coat and handing it off to one of the staff without sparing them a glance. “Let me guess. Staff drama? Or has my father taken to torturing my people again out of boredom?”
Eldora raised an eyebrow, her lips curving in that slight, knowing smile of hers. “Can’t I just say hello and visit with you from time to time?”
I snorted. “There’s always a hidden agenda with you, Eldora.”
“And yet, you keep me around.”
I didn’t dignify that with a response as I entered my office. I gestured for her to take a seat in the chair across from my desk while I sank into my own. Folding my arms, I leaned back, fixing her with a pointed look.
“All right,” I said, my tone clipped. “What’s going on?”
Eldora’s gaze softened, her usual sharpness tempered by something more genuine. “I wanted to check on you. How are you holding up?”
I scoffed, glancing toward the window. “I’m fine.”
“Really?” Her tone was skeptical, but not unkind. “Because you don’t seem fine. I get the sense that you have a lot on your mind.”
I frowned, my jaw tightening. Eldora had always been good at seeing through my carefully constructed walls, and it was both infuriating and comforting in equal measure. I tried to hold on to my usual stoicism, but her steady gaze chipped away at it like water against stone.
“Vivian,” I muttered finally, rubbing a hand over my face. “She’s getting on my last nerve.”
Eldora tilted her head to the side. “Is she? And what exactly is she doing to earn such ire?”
“She’s kind,” I said, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. “Too kind. She asks too many damn questions, sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong. And she’s… too interested in my life.”
Eldora laughed, the sound light and melodic, and it grated on my nerves more than it should have. “That sounds exactly like what a wife would do.”
I couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Maybe so.”
We lapsed into a comfortable silence, the tension in my shoulders easing just slightly. Eldora had a way of grounding me, her presence a reminder that not everyone in my life was a threat or a burden.
“I think I might be growing fond of her.”
Eldora’s gaze sharpened, her curiosity piqued. “Fond of her? That’s… unexpected. But not impossible.”
I shook my head, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the desk. “I’m not sure if it’s even possible for me. Not aftereverything. But she certainly gets under my skin in ways I can’t explain. And I hate it.”
Eldora opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, the door to my office creaked open. I turned sharply, irritation flashing, but it was quickly replaced by intrigue when one of my guards ushered in a familiar figure.
“Sir,” the guard said, his tone respectful but firm. “Your lead scientist insisted on speaking with you immediately.”
The scientist stepped forward, clutching a folder of documents to his chest. His face was pale, and his gaze darted nervously between me and Eldora.
He adjusted his glasses, then fidgeted nervously with the edge of the folder. “I have information to share with you concerning the crop incident. You won’t believe it, but the white substance was simple salt,” he said, his voice hesitant, as though he couldn’t quite believe the words himself.
“Salt?” I repeated, my tone sharp, cutting. “You’re telling me the blight on my farmland—hundreds of acres of destroyed crops—was caused bysalt?”
“Yes, sir,” he said quickly, glancing down at his notes. “It’s highly concentrated, far beyond what you’d find naturally. It had to have been introduced deliberately.”
My jaw tightened, and I leaned back in my chair, shadows curling at my feet in restless waves. My mind immediately went to the Ashen. Those coastal-dwelling bastards controlled the sea, the islands, and miles of shoreline. Who else could orchestrate an attack like this? This had been a blatant provocation meant to cripple my resources and incite a response.
Before I could voice my suspicions, the door opened abruptly. One of my guards stepped inside, his expression grim.
“Does anyone around here fucking knock anymore?”
