At the insult, a hint of a sparkle returns to his eyes. ‘Any chance I can have a hug?’ he asks. ‘I could really do with a hug.’
‘Sure thing.’ As I approach him to do just that, I hear the creaking on the stairs. ‘Sounds like Llin is done with the healer. Group hug time?’
‘Definitely. Can Ijust get one with you first?’
‘Of course, my friend.’
As he engulfs me in his arms, my head rests against his chest and I’m struck by a feeling I haven’t felt in such a long time. Safety.
It reminds me of the hugs that Ruben would give Kay and the others in the slums. His embraces – his warmth – were a gift he was always happy to offer, and not once did he ever ask for anything in return. That’s how it feels now. Like Benny expects nothing from me but friendship and a moment of comfort. His body is wrapped in tension and it’s no wonder. He’s lost so many people.
And so we stay there, holding each other, not even noticing when the door opens.
‘Sorry, I didn’t think I’d be interrupting anything.’ Jonas’s voice is sharper than shards of glass.
The ward doesn’t stop him, given how he’s the one who set it, but I would have thought he’d have at least knocked. Still, I flash him a smile, relieved that he managed to climb the stairs by himself. But he doesn’t see it. His eyes are locked on Benny with a look that would rival some of Zara’s.
‘You’re not interrupting,’ I tell him as I move out of Benny’s embrace. ‘Benny just came to say he’s accepted the High Priestess’s offer to be excused from the second trial.’
‘Is that right?’ Jonas’s jaw twitches. I might be overthinking it, but I sense some serious hostility coming from him. Maybe he’s still in pain.
‘How’s the leg?’ I ask. ‘Did they fix it up?’
Jonas’s eyes linger on Benny for a fraction longer before he finally turns to me.
‘Mostly. Still painful, but they said it’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.’ That’s all the attention I get before his eyes are back on Benny again. ‘Would you mind excusing us for a minute? There’s something I need to talk to Rose about.’
‘Sure, no worries. I get it. More alone time for you.’ Benny flashes me a grin. ‘Thanks again.’
‘You don’t have to thank me. We all did our part,’ I remind him firmly. If Llin hadn’t caught me, I would be with Mortidem right now.
Jonas’s eyes follow Benny out of the room, and a single vein bulges across his forehead.
‘Shut the door behind you,’ he calls, even though he’s only a couple of steps away from the door himself. Still, Benny does as he’s asked.
Silence cocoons the room, perforated only by the creaking sound ofBenny’s footsteps retreating down to the dorm floor. Only when they’ve faded into nothing does Jonas speak again. ‘Is there something going on I should know about? With you two?’
‘What?’ The laugh that escapes my lungs comes out far louder than anticipated. ‘With Benny. Are you serious? He’s just a friend.’
‘That looked like very close friends.’
‘Well, we are.’ I hear the edge in my voice, but seriously, Jonas and I shared one kiss, and now he’s acting all possessive? I don’t have the headspace to deal with this. ‘What did you want, Jonas? Or did you just come to lecture me about the people I choose to spend time with?’
His eyes widen. ‘No, of course not. I came to see you. To talk to you. And because …’ He inhales, places his hands on my waist and pulls me towards him. My body stiffens slightly before relenting and shifting closer to him. ‘I’m sorry about the way I yelled at you earlier.’ His voice is quiet, nervous.
‘It’s fine. Forget it. You were in pain.’
‘The leg was nothing compared to how it felt when I thought something was going to happen to you.’ He slips his hand into mine. ‘You know, I never told you this before, but our parents talked about us getting betrothed when we were older.’
‘Really?’ Surprise curls my lips into an unnaturally rigid smile.
‘Yeah,’ he says. ‘I often thought about what we would have become if you hadn’t left.’
A tingle of tension takes hold. ‘You make it sound like we had a choice.’
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean that. I was just trying …’ His voice fades into the ether, but his hands remain on my waist, and he pulls me even closer. ‘Rose, when the next trial comes, please try not to put yourself in danger. For me.’
‘It doesn’t work like that, Jonas.’ My tone has a hard edge to it, yes, but I don’t get why he’s finding this so difficult to understand. ‘I was just doing what had to be done.’
