“There you are.”
Aimilia pushed off the wall, immediately narrowing her eyes. “How exactly did you know I was here?”
Nikias froze, then he tilted his head. “Is this not the west tower? Didn’t you mention it was your favorite spot to watch the sunset?”
She had.
But there was still something in his eyes…
“It is. But considering this is the first time I’ve been here since we arrived, you’ll have to forgive me for being a little suspicious that you also happen to find me here.”
Nikias said, “If I was looking for you and couldn’t find you anywhere else, why wouldn’t I come here first?”
He was making sense…
But Aimilia still couldn’t shake the feeling something was off. Was it just her paranoia?
“Well, what do you want? If you’re in this much of a tizzy about it, it must be important. Let’s make this quick.”
Nikias held out his hand. “I don’t like you being up here alone. My mother has targeted you twice, and I can’t trust that she won’t attempt to have something happen to you before the next trial as well. I want you to stay with me where I can protectyou, or in your room where she can’t get to you. You were right; I wasn’t doing enough to protect you before. I won’t make that mistake again.”
Aimilia needed to get rid of him, and quickly before Turpis arrived. “I appreciate the concern, but that’s not what I meant. I think I’ve proven that I’m more than capable of defending myself against anything your mother might throw at me. If anything, you’re the one who should be worried about her cornering you alone. Since we’ve been here, she hasn’t landed a scratch onme.”
Aimilia’s stomach churned as she forced the words out with a casual air, despite the fact that they were anything but. She didn’t want to bring it up, even just through implication, but her best chance at getting rid of Nikias was to use it.
What kind of monster did that make her? She would turn his shame against him, if it was convenient for her.
Nikias paled, but he didn’t immediately snap or run off like she’d expected. “I thought you wanted me to be alone with her; how else am I supposed to stand up to her? You know full well I won’t be able to do so withoutconsequences.Even so, my mother doesn’t want me dead. I can withstand anything she might have for me, but you don’t have the luxury of being her eldest, as well as the only viable heir she has to the throne.”
Aimilia glanced back at the setting sun. She needed Nikias long gone before Turpis arrived. “Noted. Still, I think I’ll be all right up here. I would like to be alone right now.”
Nikias took a step closer. “I will happily stand here in silence, if you’d like. Being alone doesn’t mean you have to be defenseless.”
“For one, I’m a Runai commander. I’m never defenseless. Secondly, within the last few weeks, I have lost not only my dearest grandfather, but another cousin of mine, that one thanks to your mother. I don’t need silence. I need solitude.”
“Your grief is all the more reason for me to stay. I’m trying to prove I’m here for you. I barely even saw you at the funeral.”
He was a persistent creature.
Nikias reached out for her again, fingertips brushing her arm as he stepped closer and lowered his voice. “Just come inside. Come with me.”
Why did he want her off this tower so badly?
She pulled her arm back. “Nikias, I told you I need to focus on the tournament right now. I can’t have you distracting me.”
Nikias’ hand settled on her forearm, thumb brushing over the soft skin. “Tell me, what makes me so distracting to you? You’re too skilled a commander for anything minor to trip you up. Maybe if I knew how I was distracting you, I’d be able to give you what you need to focus.”
She could think of one way he was distracting her right now. He pulled gently on her arm until she took a step toward him.
Then she saw his eyes flicker toward the sunset.
He said, “Talk to me, please. Tell me everything, and let me understand you.”
He was too good at this.
Aimilia, however, was not one to repeat mistakes.
She pulled her arm out of his grip and stepped back. “Why do you want me to come inside, Nikias? The view out here is lovely. Surely we could stay up here for hours, if that’s what you want.”
