Trenton looked away as he thought of a way to explain. Many Trateri words didn’t have direct translations. They encapsulated complex concepts that could be difficult to understand without knowing the culture they derived from.
“It means someone closer than family. Someone who travels the same path in life. It’s often used for those who fight by our sides.” Trenton’s face was somber. “It’s a bond that’s not easily broken. Many believe that Clark had to have known on some level what Charles planned.”
“He didn’t,” Shea said without hesitation. “I was there. Clark helped us. Charles even tried to kill him when he refused to support him.”
Trenton raised his hands in a placating motion. “I believe you, but from what I’ve seen and heard, I believe the boy has had some difficulty since.”
Shea’s face was pensive as she considered what he’d told her. She looked back out to where Clark had a slight smile on his face as he explained something to the girl sitting next to him.
Trenton’s explanation made sense. Hadn’t she experienced something similar before? People liked to gossip. They took half-truths and twisted them until they resembled something entirely new.
She hated what her friend was going through. Hated even more, that there was very little she could do to help him. Whoever was spreading lies had been very careful to make sure she didn’t catch wind of it. She suspected they’d been cautious of Clark’s other friends as well, or else someone would have done something by now.
“Shit,” she muttered. She disliked feeling useless, and that was what this situation left her feeling.
“It was a good idea to give him something to focus on,” Trenton said. “Doubly so, since it’s something the boy is fascinated with anyways.”
“Still, keep an eye on things, would you?” Shea asked. As Anateri and a Trateri born and bred, Trenton could go places she couldn’t.
“I’ll keep you informed.”
She turned back to the scene outside. Not too long ago, she would have been out there with them. She’d always liked helping others find their way and learn pathfinding. It was just her people’s tendency to keep their knowledge to themselves she objected to.
Wilhelm rounded the corner in a slight rush.
“What is it?” Shea asked, not budging from where she studied the class.
Wilhelm’s expression was urgent. “Fallon sent me to find you. They’re ready, it seems.”
Shea took a deep breath. “Finally.”
*
Fallon waited for her in front of two tall wooden doors, his Anateri arranged around him.
When Shea appeared, his head lifted and his whiskey gaze fixed on her. His masculine charisma was always like a punch in the gut, striking and shocking all at once.
She stopped next to him and looked up. “Are you prepared for this?”
He grunted, his focus already turning to what was behind those doors.
She was glad he seemed confident, even if she was a little disgruntled by it. They had no idea what they’d be facing. Not really. All they had to go on was what her father had told her, and she didn’t dare trust his words, not with something as important as Fallon’s life.
All of that waited on the other side of that door. No pressure or anything.
Fallon noticed her distraction and flashed her a conqueror’s smile. “You worry too much. I’ve told you before if they cause a problem—”
“You’ll kill them all,” Shea finished with him. “Yeah, yeah. And as I’ve told you, I doubt it will be so simple.”
He shrugged his muscular shoulders, her words bouncing off him, his face indifferent. “I’m not overly concerned. If we don’t like what they say, we can go home.”
He wouldn’t be. Not the man who had waltzed unobstructed through the Lowlands in less than a year’s time.
Shea took a deep breath. “Alright, let’s see what this has all been for.”
His feral smile set his eyes alight. Shea realized he was enjoying this. For him, the Lowlands had been a warm-up for what was to come. This was the real challenge and he didn’t intend to lose.
He gave a small signal to his men, and one stepped forward to knock on the door. Shea was unsurprised to see Caden accompanying Fallon. The two of them shared a glance, each recognizing the same worry in the other. Fallon might be unconcerned, but those around him felt slightly differently.
