A cup was pressed to her lips, and Iryana drank, the cool water running down her throat.
“Hey,” Tonhald whispered, pulling up one of her eyelids as he looked closer at her eyes. “We need to know what happened.”
A strangled whimper vibrated in her chest.
“Iryana? What happened?”
“He beat her,” Iryana finally managed to say.
“Who? The general?”
She nodded. “Hadima missed, and then I don’t know what happened. She didn’t get another chance, I guess.” The moment words started tumbling out, they kept going, though she had to gasp and weave every few words. “He beat her. Left her there.”
Gods, she couldn’t believe Karvek hadn’t just killed her. Hadima could have been dead so easily. Couldstilldie.
“Are you alright?”
Another nod.
“Did the general see you?”
“No.” Iryana looked down at her swollen hands. She had been prepared for Karvek to see her, to kill her. The reminder made her slightly nauseous again.
“At this rate, I see little chance of the duchess changing her mind.” It was a voice Iryana didn’t recognize.
She turned, taking in the rest of the room, her eyes locking on the strange woman standing next to her grandmother.
The woman was tall, elegant. Out of place. The rest of the Kleesolds kept glancing at the woman, fear on their faces.
“We will try again,” the First said, her voice somehow still strong.
“How?” The woman demanded. “You’ve lost another guardian. Do you have a plan?”
The First looked away, eyes finding Iryana. “We will put a new one together, Lady Dyavara.”
She meant Iryana would—the implication was clear in her grandmother’s intent stare. The thought made her stiffen. Another plan? Another attempt that would undoubtedly fall apart and hurt her family even more? No, she could not do it.
The stranger, Lady Dyavara, tsked, noting the exchange. “If you at least had an heir—that would be something. Not enough, but something.”
The stare the First had snared Iryana with did not waver. She kept staring, waiting. Somehow expecting Iryana to agree, to inevitably doom them all.
Iryana’s body was painfully tight, feeling returning to her chest just to burn. No. NO. She couldn’t. She couldn’t be what her family needed; she couldn’t protect them.
Her body protested as she stood, limbs shaking. Tonhald tried to reach for her, but Iryana stumbled out of his grasp.
“I can’t help you,” Iryana cried, the admission hurting her as much as it seemed to hurt her family.
She needed to get away from them, from everyone. She had fooled herself; she couldn’t let herself near anyone she cared about. They’d only end up dead.
At that moment, while Iryana was backing toward the door, Misha ran into the room. Her face was damp with tears.
“You’re okay.” Misha sagged with relief upon seeing her, stepping forward as if she meant to embrace Iryana.
Iryana backed away further, her entire body trembling. She couldn’t hurt Misha too.
Without waiting to hear if Hadima was all right, Iryana fled.
“Iryana!” Misha’s scream chased her out of the house and down the courtyard.
