“Did I question whether you’d done it?”
“No, but you looked at me funny. I suppose I can’t holdthatagainst you, since you think so little of me and aren’t interested in?—”
“I’m interested!”
I hold up my hand to silence him and finish painting the parts of the picture, which were out of his field of vision earlier.
“Let me set the record straight. I didn’t attempt to cleave off bits of anyone’s ears. However, Ididthreaten to do it, but only to sell our mating bond.” When a flash of fury hits his hooded stare, I explain, “Not only did Sofiya have the audacity to dress in Glacin-blue, but she also spent the greater part of the evening flaunting her familiarity with you. You might’ve enjoyed it, but I didn’t. The same way I didn’t enjoy being served blood. I admit I chose my outfit tonight in retaliation for your directives to act more genteel, but did that merit being paraded around like some vile creature?”
His chest heaves with breaths. “That wasn’t my intent.”
“Whatwasyour intent?”
“It was a knee-jerk reaction to your act of sedition. One I regretted the instant they brought you the blood.”
“Did you think they’d disobey you?”
“I didn’t think, because I can’t think when I’m around you. I can hardly fucking breathe.”
“Do I smell that foul?”
His jaw clenches. Relaxes. Clenches anew. “Even if ithadbeen your blood on Sofiya’s ear, I would’ve assumed you’d had a good reason for putting it there, but I couldn’t exactly say:Well done, xhina.”
“You’re right. You couldn’t have said that, since, for the last fucking time, I’m not your wife!”
He drives the heels of his palms into his eyes in exasperation.
“You know what saddens me most? The fact that I believed we were a team and that we were playing the same game—albeit, differently. But we’renota team. Teammates trust each other, and you don’t trust me.”
“I don’t fucking trust anyone, Isla! I don’t even fucking trust my own general!”
Oh.That’s…unexpected. “Well, you should trust me. Or rather, youshould have, for I want nothing from you.Nothing. Not your crown. Not your affection. Not your admiration. Not your coin. Nothing.”
“And I want everything!” he exclaims.
“No. You only want my cooperation and my people’s support.”
“No, that’s not?—”
“You had both, you know. And I guess you still have my father’s support, but you lost my cooperation when you started treating me like some untrustworthy and uncouth child.”
“Svyato’s dead! I didn’t manage to bring him back to the castle alive. That’s the only secret I’ve kept from you. Do you know why I kept it? Because I worried you’d find me a fool for not having let you go back for him yourself. For having sent a man who hated him so much that I’m still not convinced whether he found him dead or delivered the killing blow himself.I can take a bunch of humans calling me meek. I can take my sister calling me heartless. But I cannot fucking take you regarding me like either of those things.”
My head rears back. “Why in the four realms do you assume I would’ve come tothatconclusion?”
“Because you offered to go back there, and I didn’t let you. Instead, I sent my sword-happy general who had an axe to grind with Svyato.” Konstantin sinks his hands into his hair and squeezes his eyes shut. “He’s dead, Mestyla’s missing, and I have no one to blame but myself.”
No, you have your general to blame,I think. “Mestyla is truly missing?”
He nods. “I’ve tasked Aodhan with retrieving her this time.”
“I’m glad you have him. Makes leaving Glace easier on my conscience.”
His lids flip up, and he stares at me as though I’ve slapped him.
“I promise to return before winter arrives.” I slide his ring off my finger. “My absence will be good for everyone. It’ll give your constituents—and yourself—time to calm.”
“I’m calm!” he snaps.
