There was the sound of a chair moving on the other side of the door and a choked, “Aimilia?”
“Obviously.”
She moved for the doorknob, but it was already flying open and she nearly fell into Nikias’ chest. Thankfully she caught herself on the frame, looking up at him.
Nikias tilted his head as he looked down at her. “What are you doing here?”
Aimilia didn’t like how close he was, or the fact that he was only looking at her and hadn’t even seen his brother standing in the hallway as well.
She took a step back and gestured to Gavril and Marcella. “Weare here to speak to you. Do you have a minute? It’s important.”
Nikias’ gaze flickered from her to Gavril and Marcella, and the light in his eyes dimmed. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
Aimilia shot Marcella a pointed look. The three of them were trouble to Nikias. Marcella said, “Probably not, but it is important.”
Gavril placed his hand on Marcella’s shoulder, squeezing it.
Nikias stepped back with a long sigh and gestured for them to come in. Aimilia hurried in since the sooner they started, the sooner it was over. Marcella and Gavril came in after and as Nikias shut the door she heard him mutter something about “too good to be true.”
Aimilia found a spot off to the corner and settled in to wait, hoping maybe if she wasn’t directly in his line of sight he would forget about her and just focus on Marcella and Gavril. The less Nikias thought about her the better.
Gavril kept one arm wrapped around Marcella, and Aimilia didn’t know if the distrust and anger would ever truly leave Gavril’s eyes when Marcella and Nikias were in the same room together. It had eased quite a bit, but it wasn’t gone.
The way grief clung to Nikias even years after Faustina’s death was the way Gavril’s fury clung to him now.
Like the way Marcella’s scars clung to her skin, some things couldn’t be fully erased.
Aimilia was starting to believe her guilt was going to be hers. Unfortunate, since she still believed it had been the only option they’d had in order to end the war, but that didn’t change the consequences.
Finally, Marcella and Gavril finished explaining the messages from Hypatia and their desire to go see her in person and get to the bottom of what had spurred this in the first place.
Nikias was sitting in his chair, looking at his brother and sister-in-law with that cold, marble impassivity, and yet, even as Aimilia stood off to the side her skin still crawled like he was looking at her.
“You think there’s any way to understand the demon’s actions or unhinged ramblings?” Nikias scoffed, leaning back in his chair. Aimilia couldn’t tell if the dark look in his eyes was just dark or wild as well. Could he be reasoned with?
“I think the fact that she’s writing means something,” Marcella said. “Not anything good.”
“She wants you to spy on me and gather information.” Nikias tilted his head. “Hardly the actions of an ally.”
Could they trust this composed façade?
“But not worth going to war over either.” Gavril stepped forward.
“You think she’s asking because the Stonai Elemens have been giving them trouble?” Nikias asked, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a map. He spread it out over his desk, running his finger over the border between the Stonai and the clans.
“Or she had a vision about them,” Marcella said, peering around Gavril and looking at where Desero’s lands were marked on the map.
Nikias’ lip curled up at the mention of Hypatia’s ability. “I hardly see how that is any of our concern. If the Stonai are moving in against her, she deserves it. So far, no, we haven’t had any issues with any of the Elemens. So, they’re her problem. I have plenty of my own to deal with.”
“And the treaty you signed with blood?” Gavril put his hand out in front of Marcella as he spoke.
The air in the room turned to ice as Nikias stiffened. Aimilia wished she’d chosen a spot closer to a window to throw herself out of.
“What about it?”
Nikias spoke each word like throwing a knife.
Marcella looked over her shoulder, right at Aimilia, and jerked her head. Aimilia’s eyes widened. What did Marcella want her to do?
