Iryana swallowed. She’d hoped Vaneshta would ask questions, lead the conversation. She was normally so outspoken. Not today, apparently.
“I needed to sneak out, and I didn’t want anyone to know.”
“Mhmm,” was Vaneshta’s only response.
She should have just told Vaneshta all of this originally. What Karvek had done, what she was trying to do. But she’d been terrified of Vaneshta learning how much she had truly lied about and hidden from her.
There was still a chance Vaneshta would sell her out, especially after what she’d said. But she ignored that fear. Wouldn’t let it hold her back.
“I only said those things so we’d fight,” she admitted. “So I could storm off and you would be mad enough to let me. It was stupid for so many reasons.”
Vaneshta narrowed her eyes.
“I’m not good with friends. I—uh, think you know that,” Iryana said awkwardly, rubbing her arms. “It hasn’t gone well for me in the past, and I assumed it wouldn’t this time, so it—”
“So you pushed me away before itdidn’t go well?” Vaneshta cut in.
Iryana felt her cheeks redden. “I’m an awful friend. If you can even call me that. It’s not just you; I’ve been that way with everyone.”
“And?”
Could she not make this any easier?Iryana grumbled to herself. She was going to have to grovel, to beg. She could see it in Vaneshta’s rough gaze.
“And you deserve better. And I’m sorry. I didn’t trust you, and I should have. You never give up on me, and—”
“You’re forgiven,” Vaneshta interrupted her. “Now stop groveling; it’s making me uncomfortable.”
Iryana blinked. “I had a whole speech planned.”
“Spare us.”
A laugh burst out of Iryana.
But Vaneshta quickly quieted her when she bluntly asked, “What did you need to leave the mission for?”
Ah, that meant it was time for the tricky part. Iryana watched Vaneshta carefully. “I was trying to finish something, but I didn’t go about it the right way. I failed.”
“What are you trying to finish?” Vaneshta’s gaze was searing then, more serious than Iryana had ever seen her look.
“I know you don’t like the general.” She hesitated. “His plans, the new soldiers.”
“You’ve been his little pet lately,” Vaneshta accused instead of answering, but she watched Iryana carefully. “Getting close to him, running secret missions for him.”
“I have. But not for the reasons you think.”
“Oh?” She was staring too intently, so carefully.
If Iryana was reading her wrong, things would go sideways quickly.
Hoping she wasn’t making a mistake, Iryana lowered her voice, stepping closer.
“I want to overthrow Karvek.”
“Why?”
“So many reasons,” she breathed. “I saw him kill Pavoshol. It wasn’t a challenge, like he told everyone. He snuck into his rooms and stabbed him in the back.”
Vaneshta jerked slightly, but looked less surprised than Iryana expected.
