“You just have to catch her in the right mood, I suppose,” Tarrin teased, pulling out a chair for me next to the king, then taking his seat across the table.
“And what mood might that be?” the king inquired.
“Pissy,” Tarrin said with a chuckle while filling his plate.
The king’s look shifted from amusement to concern, his features asking a silent question:Are you okay?
I nodded. I wasn’t really, or maybe I was as good as I could be. But I didn’t want to talk about it at all, let alone in front of Tarrin.
Keeping my tone light, I said, “And you hadn’t told me what a sensitive baby that one is.”
The king’s eyes widened in surprise, and then he barked a laugh, patting Tarrin hard on the back with his palm.
“You have one conversation with her, and she’s already got you pegged,” the king laughed, his levity pulling a smile from me.
I scanned the table for food I might be able to palate.
The king reached for a silver jug and poured some of its vibrantgreen contents into a glass, then handed it to me. “They made this special for you; it’s juiced fruit and vegetables.” Concern crept back into his eyes as I thanked him and accepted it.
As the glass touched my lips, a deep hunger gnawed at me. I took a tentative sip. The juice had a pleasing earthy flavor with a light sweetness to it. I dared a gulp, and it felt like taking the first spoonful of soup after recovering from the flu—pleasant, but I’d have to nurse it.
The king looked like he wanted to comment on my state but thought better of it. Instead, he said, “Allow me to formally introduce you to my second-in-command, Tarrin.”
Tarrin gave me a slight nod, and I reciprocated.
A moment later, another man entered. I recognized him; he was the third man at the cabin. Stars, all of them were large in stature, and very handsome.
“There you are,” the king said. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d make it back in time.”
“The patrol took longer than expected,” the stranger answered casually as he took the seat next to me.
“Nyleeria, this is my third-in-command, Nevander.”
“Pleasure,” Nevander said with a dip of his chin.
“The pleasure is mine,” I responded.
“Ah, so she does have manners,” Tarrin jested, and it reminded me of bantering with Eithan, which brought a smile to my lips.
“No, I’ve just used up my allotted cynicism for the day on you,” I shot back. He opened his mouth to respond, and I interjected. “But I’m sure I could find some reserves if necessary.”
Mischief danced in Tarrin’s eyes, and I held his stare, letting him know I did, indeed, have plenty in reserve. He grinned and went back to eating.
“How do you all know each other?” I asked.
The two commanders looked at the king to answer.
“I’ve known Tarrin and Nevander since I was a child.”
They looked at me as if watching for a reaction. I took them inmore carefully than before. He had known them as achild. That meant all three of them were centuries old too.
“They were with you the day you cast the immortality spell,” I said, piecing it together. Surprise flashed through both commanders’ eyes. They clearly didn’t know the king had told me.
“Yes, but we—I,” the king amended, “had no idea it would work, let alone the cost of it.” There was a tightness to the king’s voice—maybe regret?
A strained silence fell until it was palpable, and I felt like the little girl who was always on the outside looking in—never allowed in by my family. The one that had every right to think me cursed.Gods, what had I gotten them into?
Looking down at my hands, I said, “It’s okay if you don’t want to share it with me. I know I’m a stranger, and probably not what you were expecting after all those years of sea?—”
