Nikias snapped his jaw shut while Gavril said, “Chiefess, do you not train your soldiers at only a year older?”
“Not with a bunch of rabid chimeras.”
Konstantin cleared his throat and Hypatia returned his stern look with a smile.
“Moving on, Nikias, can you tell me more about the tunnel pattern, maybe draw a map?” Konstantin asked, moving for a second table that had some paper and charcoal and ink.
“I can.”
Still, even as Nikias and Konstantin moved forward with Nikias filling him in on every excruciating detail, a tension began to crawl up Aimilia’s spine. She kept one eye on Hypatia, who was watching her right back.
What had Aimilia done to attract her interest?
And how did she get rid of it?
Nikias and Konstantin continued leaning over the table as Nikias recreated their approximation of the tunnels. Marcella leaned into Gavril and whispered something in his ear.
“Commander—What was it again?” Hypatia asked, leaning over the table, her voice dangerously soft as they were only a few feet away from Nikias and Konstantin.
Nikias was in the middle of drawing something when she spoke, and his hand twitched.
“Aimilia, Chiefess. I was part of Nikias’ delegation a few months ago. That and my firsthand experience with the attack made me the obvious choice to bring this time.”
She had no idea how long they would be at the Desero estate, and she had seen firsthand how vicious Hypatia could be. Shewasn’t going to give the woman any ammunition to use against Nikias. She’d done enough damage already. Even if the two of them were the only ones who knew exactly what that was.
Aimilia supposed, given what she’d seen, could what Hypatia have done to him been anything he hadn’t survived before at his own parents’ hands?
“That’s right. I remember you now. So very brave, aren’t you?”
The charcoal in Nikias’ hand snapped.
At Aimilia’s silence, she continued, “Volunteering to crawl through a tunnel collapse that could kill you to save a few children. Volunteering yourself to suffer at my hands for the sake of the treaty. Well, really for the sake of Gavril, right?”
Konstantin gave Nikias a new piece while directing a look to Hypatia that she ignored.
Aimilia didn’t know what she was looking for, but she didn’t really want to give it to her. “I suppose you can call that bravery, if you wish.”
“It’s easy to be brave in love, don’t you think?” Hypatia looked over to Marcella and Gavril, his hand on Marcella’s arm and listening to their conversation with a cold look.
Aimilia swallowed. Hypatia had guessed as much about her history with Gavril when she’d volunteered, but that didn’t mean she had to confirm it.
“If I may be frank, I don’t expect you to understand, Chiefess. GavrilandMarcella mean more to me than they do you. They are both my friends. It was an easy decision.”
Hypatia let out a soft laugh. “How tragic and vicious you are.”
Aimilia had no earthly clue what that meant. Had Hypatia Seen something or was she just rambling like the madwoman she was?
“Hypatia.” Konstantin’s voice contained a warning.
Hypatia ignored it. “It was a compliment. You were the one telling me I should make friends and be agreeable to our allies. She’s a perfect candidate. I like her. With all these wonderful traits, these feats of strength, bravery, and her selflessness, she’s quite impressive. She’s a very loveable person. Not everyone is, you know.”
Nikias looked like he was about to break the table in half.
Aimilia cleared her throat. “Unless I’m still needed, maybe Marcella and I could be excused so she could show me around? I’d love to see where she grew up. She’s talked so fondly about it.”
She didn’t even feel guilty about the lie. She just wanted out of this room, and hopefully her leaving would put an end to whatever Hypatia was doing and let Nikias focus.
Konstantin looked over at Nikias, who was scowling at the map he’d finally finished. “You all have traveled a good chunk of the day. Maybe it was my mistake to start immediately. Let us break, eat, and return.”
