“General.” She offered him a small smile; her gaze flicking to the younger Horvol brother. Pyetar was staring at her, eyes remote.
“I was supposed to give this back to you.” She held up the waterskin to Pyetar, trying her best to appear ignorant of the violence in the lines of their bodies. “And I was hoping Pyetar could walk the wall with me so I can share some ideas for raid defense, since he’s a captain now. I was hoping I could be useful again.” She was careful to keep most of her attention on Karvek as she spoke, gauging his reaction with each word.
Karvek walked toward her, each step tightening the tension between them. He didn’t stop until he was right in front of her, tilting his head toward her ear.
“You want to be useful,” he said just for her. “See if others can appreciate you the way I do?”
Her gut tightened. She’d said something wrong. “You’re the only one I want to impress.”
For a moment, she thought Karvek was going to see right through her. He stared down at her so intensely she couldn’t help but swallow. His eyes tracked the movement of her throat. But then he stepped back.
“Go.” He reached for the chipped crystal glass at his side.
Iryana backed toward the door, only turning when she confirmed Pyetar was following.
Pyetar was silent as they left the estate, but she could feel the intensity of his gaze on her back.
Once they were out in the open air, Iryana sighed, feeling a wave of relief. But that relief quickly dissipated when Pyetar finally spoke.
“Why did you do that?” His voice was full of anger and confusion. “Did you think you were protecting me? Or are you still trying to get closer to Karvek?”
“I was repaying a favor,” she replied shortly, staring straight ahead instead of meeting his gaze. “We’re even now.”
Pyetar groaned. “Don’t try to protect me. It will only make things worse. I know what it’s like to live under Karvek’s thumb, Iryana.”
Iryana stared straight ahead as she made a beeline for the closest stairs up to the wall walk.
“I wasn’tprotectingyou,” she corrected when he caught up. He just sighed again.
When they reached the platform, Iryana stopped and leaned on the wooden parapet, looking out over the abandoned city. With the sun setting and shadows stretching between buildings that were once shops and homes, she could almost imagine people returning home from work.
Pyetar came up beside her, standing a few feet away—his arms crossed and jaw set in a scowl. He gazed out at the city as well, but Iryana knew he was watching her out of the corner of his eye.
“Wouldn’t things be easier if you did what he wanted?” Iryana asked, frustrated by how much the way Karvek talked to him bothered her. “Maybe you’d even learn more about this war he’s starting.”
Pyetar frowned, watching his hands as they slid over the top of the wooden rampart. There was something too open about his expression, like he wasn’t reining it in. “My brother will never be satisfied. There’s a noose around my neck, and the only thing keeping it away from my throat is my hands. Sure, my hands are raw and bleeding, but if I stop pushing back, that brief moment of relief will let him tighten the noose even further.”
Iryana froze. Panic bubbling up.
“Why are you telling me this?” she asked, her voice tight. Of all the people in the fort, why would he choose to burdenher?
Pyetar glanced over, merely shrugging a shoulder. He looked tired. “I don’t know. Figured you might understand…”
His voice trailed off as he looked away again, and Iryana felt something stir inside her chest. She stood abruptly and gripped the palisade harder.
Karvek was a monster, and Pyetar wanted to fight him, but that didn’t make Pyetar a good person. The sympathy welling within her was unnecessary. He wanted her out of the brigade. He didn’t believe in her anymore than she did herself, and he’d hurt her family. Would do it again. She needed to remember that.
“Why don’t you just leave?”
His entire body stiffened, and his voice was hard as stone when he responded. “I can’t.”
“Okay,” was all she could say. She didn’t want to argue with him, didn’t want to push him to bare more of his soul to her. Didn’t want to understand him more than she was already starting to.
As the sun set further, Pyetar’s body slowly relaxed again.
“You know you don’t need to impress him, right?” he asked gently. “He’s only using you.”
It was Iryana’s turn to stiffen, even though Pyetar was wrong. She did need to impress Karvek, it was the best path to initiation into the brigade and being forged in the metal well. And it was more than that now; if Karvek was going to fight for more territory, her family could use what warnings and information she could give them while she was here. Iryana had learned little to tell Hadima in their occasional messages, but a warning would help when the time came.
