Ellina knew of it. She had spent time at Revalti during her legionnaire days. It was a popular meeting point for legion members, not only because of its centralized location, but because of its impenetrability. Revalti had originally been built as a getaway for the elven queen, and as such, the place was designed with security in mind—there were no windows, and only a single door.
“Why are you telling me this?” Ellina made a frustrated noise. “You have just revealed the location of your queen.”
“I am hoping that you will go to her.”
“What is to stop me from going to her and killing her?”
Raffan spoke carefully. “You could try. But you know Revalti. It is a fortress. Even if you did somehow manage to kill your sister, you would be trapped within its walls, and then Farah’s guards would killyou.”
“You speak as if that would bother you.”
The words sliced through the space between them, and for a moment, Ellina imagined that her words truly did have the power to cut, that they could carve through the skin of unspoken things and bleed out the truth.
“Actually,” Raffan said, “it would.”
Ellina’s earlier question was still in her chest. It battered against her ribs like a bird trapped in the rafters. She swallowed, finally, and gave it a voice. “My death would bother you.”
“Yes.”
“Even though you have hurt me.”
“Yes.”
“Even though youare the one who relished in my whippings, and youconspired with my sister to kill my mother, and youput a dagger in my back and landed me in that prison where—” Her throat closed. “Where I was so lost, and I—” She held her breath against the pain in her chest. “And I nearlydied.”
His voice was like sandpaper. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“BecauseIwas wrong,” he choked, then looked sharply away. When he spoke next, the words came short and quick, as if a noose was tightening around his throat, and he had only moments to gasp the words. “The way we met. You, a highborn, and me, a merchant’s son. I rose through the ranks. So young. So stupid. Hoping to catch your attention. When we were bondmated, I thought you would finally want me like I wanted you. I was shamed by your rejection. So righteous.The ways I punished you. How you let me. It was wrong, and I just—” He dropped his forehead to the bars, exhaled a hard breath. “I do not expect your forgiveness,” he said in elvish.“I do not deserve it. But I hope that you can hear the truth.” He lifted his eyes. “I am sorry.”
Ellina felt as if the floor was tilting beneath her feet. She was dizzy with his confession, dizzy with all the things she had never understood. She had been prepared for Raffan’s arrogance, for his disdain, but not for his remorse.
“I hope you will consider what I have told you about your sister,” Raffan said. “You can change things, for all of us.”
Ellina did not even attempt to reply. She needed to leave, to escape his presence before he could upend her any further. She turned towards the door.
“That human would walk to the ends of the earth for you,” Raffan called after her. “He loves you. I think he was destined to love you from the moment we found him in the forest.”
Ellina halted.
“I sometimes think about everything that came to be,” he went on. “How it was my fault, for letting you two make that foolish bargain. I wonder how different things would be if I had just killed him then.”
Ellina turned back to face Raffan. She could no longer keep the emotion from her voice when she said, “Well, I am glad you did not.”
THIRTY-ONE
Venick was waiting where Ellina had left him in the courtyard, looking ready to crawl out of his skin.
“I am fine,” she said, though he could surely see the dried tears on her cheeks.
“Come here,” he told her, and tucked her into his arms. She allowed herself to be held, inhaling his scent in deep lungfuls until she was calm again. When she finally pulled away, she did not like the way he looked: mouth drawn stiff, hands tense, as if he expected her to shatter and must be ready to catch the pieces.
“Truly, Venick. I am alright,” she insisted, smiling, hoping that he would smile back. He cupped her face instead, his expression full of something profound. It was the way one might look at a natural marvel, like the cresting of a great whale in the ocean, or a shooting star.
Shyness rose within her, occupying the space between her stomach and her heart. Foolish, that she should still feel shy after all they had already shared. And yet, Ellina was not used to being looked at this way: as if she was a miracle.
“We should find the others,” she said. “They need to hear this.”
