Relief coursed through me. I cleared my throat. “It became clear that something else was going on shortly after we arrived to Grymia. Ryak approached me one day. He made threats—against Kiron, against my own family, promising that their lives would be destroyed, my brother’s career over—if I didn’t do what they wanted. He asked me that day how many eggs there were in the hatchery.” Alaryk’s gaze narrowed. “Obviously I understand why he asked thatnow. But at the time, I just thought it was to test me, to test if I would do what they wanted. Because…the thought of stealing Elthika eggs? From the Karag? How foolish do you have to be?”
“Some of the biggest fools in history have been leaders of their people,” Alaryk told me. “You’d be surprised by what weak kings are willing to do for power—and the lengths to which they’ll go to attain it.”
I still didn’t understand the madness of it.
“You didn’t know that Nevin was planning to break out Ryak? Or that they had gotten to Dresnar?”
I gasped softly. “No.I saw Dresnar on the cliff that day, and I knew how hurt you’d be once you found out his betrayal. After Ryak killed Gethrin, I only saw Nevin once more. He came here to the courtyard”—I swept my hand behind me, to the far corner—“and he asked what you were planning to do with Ryak. I…I told him that it was very likely you’d execute him. Nevin asked me when. And I said I didn’t know. That was the last I saw of him before that night. I swear it to you, Alaryk. And that’s all that I told him.”
He nodded, squeezing my hand.
I took in a deep breath. “And that night…they’d already gotten to Brune when they told me to go get the eggs. They were going to kill him. He was still alive, but barely. They threatened my family again. And I felt hopeless. I felt scared.”
“I wish you had come to me. Before all this,” he murmured, leaning over the wall to press his lips to my face, to take the sting from his words. “I wish you could’ve trusted me, Amaia. You know I would’ve protected you.”
I shook my head. “I wanted to. But I had my family to think about. You don’t understand. Dakkar’s different. TheDothikkar’s power in the city—it’s frightening. Even up until recently, if you showed heartstone magic, you disappeared overnight. He had that kind of power. The only ones with the strength to stand up to him are theVorakkar, the horde kings. But they live out on the wildlands with their people. Most just keep their heads down. And I feared for my family—if I disobeyed theDothikkar. I feared what his retaliation might be.”
“I understand,” Alaryk murmured. “You were right to be afraid.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I never wanted to deceive you, to lie to you.”
My eyes met his in the darkness. I bit my lip, debating my next words.
“Youdidhurt me that night, Alaryk,” I said quietly. “Deeply. But I want you to know that what I feel for you…it had nothing to do with them. What I was sent here for.”
“I know,” he growled, his gaze flashing. He pressed even closer to the wall, his hand cupping my chin. “I’m sorry, Amaia. Let me make amends. Let me prove that you can trust me again.”
“How?”
He bit out a sharp exhale. He went quiet for a moment, his thumb sweeping over my cheekbone. “Only with time, I suppose. I know that’s not the answer you want. But it’s the only one I can give.”
Itwouldtake time. We’d both made mistakes, grave ones that would be difficult to come back from.
But…
I wanted to try with him. We both did. That was the most important thing, if we were both willing to move past this, to build a future together, to see where this path, and all the others that would come, would lead us.
And so I turned my head to press my lips to his palms. His breath caught in his throat.
“I never thought that I would find you here,” I murmured, similar to the words I’d said to him that night, when everything had changed. “That I would care for you as I do. That I would…”
My heart was thudding rapidly in my chest, and I took in a deep breath.
“Can I show you?” I asked, feeling my magic rise.
Alaryk’s eyes narrowed when he felt me. I felt the barrier that he was sustaining to keep the bond dampened, a constant efforton his part. Just as I could feel a bit of his relief at not needing to hold it when he let it fade.
And I let it unleash inside me, everything I’d kept so tightly locked away and hidden and tamped down. My respect for him, my desire for him…
My love for him.
He closed his eyes when it hit him. When he felt it swell in his chest, as tears pricked my own eyes. I’d never been a crier. I’d cried more times in the Arsadia than I thought I ever had in Dakkar. But they came so easily for him because I didn’t feel like I had to pretend. He wanted to see all of me, every little place I’d kept in the dark. He demanded it.
I whispered, “I’d never given much thought to love. I was so focused onhiding. But with you, I feel like I don’t have to hide anymore. You see all of me.”
His eyes were glowing when they fastened on me. His face was unreadable, but the bond was lit up like a star storm, bright and beautiful.
My smile was wobbly. I was officially turning into one of those weepy, sappy females, but I didn’t care. Not a single bit when it came to Alaryk.
