I huffed a sigh.
“He’s mad at himself,” Grandma Oli — still looking like Tala — said.
Huh… so maybe it was just a stupid man thing.
I’d been impressed that Olinara had kept her disguise even after nearly dying. She’d said something about locking her form, which I hadn’t really understood.
“He cares, a lot,” she continued, but then her face screwed up, confused. “But… he’s frustrated too? I’m not sure I get that.”
“Can you read everyone that way?” I asked.
She gave a low laugh. “Live as long as I have, in the rats’ nest that is the capital, with intrigue around every corner, and you learn a thing or two about reading people.”
Sounds fun.
Not.
And I wanted to be queen?
Wait…didI want to be queen? I’d been told I was a royal, that I was the heir… but since then I hadn’t had time to think about what that meant.
Power, yes… but also responsibility… and politics.
Ick.
But if I wanted to help people as I’d always hoped… then I’d have to learn to deal with all of that, wouldn’t I?
Great.
We made it back to the residence, and a crowd of people followed us up to Rook’s room. Well, it was my room now. It hadn’t ever been a secret, but now it seemed like everyone knew where I lived.
Good thing we could slip out to the training compound if we needed to. Though… we’d need Myel for that.
My group slipped into Rook’s room, finally alone. And as I’d predicted, Myel was there waiting for us. He’d hidden in the bathroom and waited till the door was closed before coming out, to ensure no one saw him.Thenhe threw himself around me in a tight embrace.
“I was so scared… but… I knew… I did…”
“It’s okay,” I whispered, holding him, comforted in his arms. “I was scared too, I honestly didn’t know if we’d win.”
“We?” Vyns said with a grin. “Youwon. I still can’t quite believe it… but I saw it with my own eyes. All that earth you summoned, and Saldrea and Golana straining to stop it and failing. You did that.” He shook his head in awe. “Told you you were a goddess.”
I smiled.
“She is,” Myel breathed, then captured my lips in adeepkiss. When he pulled back, he sighed. “I can’t stay, I’m technically on patrol. I’ll be back later.” Yet he didn’t let me go right away. If anything he held me tighter for a second.
Huh… I’d thought his clinginess last night had come from him not having faith in me. Perhaps I’d been wrong? He seemed as needy now.
I didn’t want to ask him about it, not yet, so I let it go as he finally released me and stepped back. Only then did Inotice how tattered his clothes were, shirt and pants ripped, healing wounds on his chest and legs.
“What hap—?” I started to ask, but he’d already vanished in a puff of shadow-smoke.
He hadn’t seemed that injured, so I had to hope he was fine and looked worse than he actually was.
“What do you need?” Vyns asked, coming to me, tone soft and comforting.
Grandma Oli cut in. “I need to be somewhere else while you give her what she needs.” She winked at me and slipped into the bathroom.
That made me laugh a little, but it was a nervous thing. Fuck, I was still on edge, nerves frayed.
