It’s not like the prince was trying to manipulate Brela into giving the information by being kind or sharing those books with her—he genuinely wanted to do that—but they were leaving in less than a day and he knew none of the details she had given were accurate. He didn’t like the idea of walking into Valisea without some idea of what to expect, which is why he had made sure the day’s schedule had been cleared. He’d be spending it alone with Cason, Brela, Farrah, and Elias. No one else.
Today would be a delicate balance for Serill; between playing the role of a prince and one of a friend. He wanted to give Brela reason to trust him without compromising his strength as royalty. The minute he had to remind her of his status and what he could do to her, the game would be over. He’d do it if he had to, but they’d lose their advantage in Valisea. He’d make her into a true enemy, and possibly lose all hope of learning what Anfroy was doing at the wall.
Hopefully he’d played his cards right with Cason—leaving that book knowing that Cason hated when Serill left messes—and that his captain had used the opportunity to talk with Brela in the library last night. He needed those two on common ground rather than trying to kill each other, and bonding over books and knives was the best he could do to push Cason in her direction. Serill had made his mind up about Brela the minute he met her, but he needed his captain to gain that trust as well. He needed it with all of them.
Hells, Serill had made progress with Farrah just from their short sparring match in the courtyard yesterday, and that might have been the bigger challenge. It had surprised him when she had ordered him around on the trip to Aelstow as if he wasn’t a prince. She’d threatened Cason, even, and fiercely protected her friends in front of the King of Severina, even if it meant her death.
It was… refreshing, actually. Most women tried to flatter the prince with hair flips and cleavage. That woman had tried to kill him with a blade of ice, then asked for his help wielding a sword without shame, even if he could sense her hesitation about having him so close.
Elias… well, he hadn’t quite figured him out yet. Or at least where the prince stood in his graces. He knew the man was just as loyal and protective as Farrah, and just as wild as Brela.
He wondered how they’d found their way together. After hearing their story about Roulant and some of the casual things Brela had mentioned, he knew it would be interesting. Dark, most likely, but it had created a powerful bond.
Serill was leaned back casually, sipping his tea and studying an old map of Valisea on the dining table. He’d been waiting for twenty minutes before Cason finally joined him for food. The man seemed to be standing taller, and that was saying something for the fire wielder who typically walked with his chin held high, even if his features were dark.
The captain offered a polite bow to Serill before snagging a clean towel from the dining table and throwing it behind him. Brela caught it with a snarl, baring her teeth before flashing him an obscene gesture with her other hand. Cason laughed in response—actually laughed—but Serill wasn’t laughing.
“Four hells, Cason. What did you do to her?” the prince grumbled as he studied the assassin. She had a streak of blood on her sleeve and a small stain where the throwing knife was sheathed in her corset belt as if she’d been cleaning it of blood.Herblood, considering the towel she now had in her left hand was stained red. So much for those two getting along.
His captain only shrugged as he settled into his seat. “That wasn’t me this time. It seems our assassin might not be as in control over her…bladeas we first thought.”
Brela stuck her tongue out as she glared his direction, though her voice was more purr than anger. “Perhaps my demonstration of skill with this knife last night wasn’t thorough enough. Come over here, dragon.”
Silence fell as they stared at each other across the room, the heat so uncomfortable that Serill was pretty sure they forgot he was sitting there.
He cleared his throat and motioned for Brela’s hand, even though she didn’t break eye contact. Brela grinned toward the captain and revealed her palm to Serill, a near identical slice along her hand to the one Cason had gotten in the forest.
Four hells, had he thrown the knife at her like she had done to him?
The cut healed under his touch, Brela’s fingers twitching under his grip. She still didn’t tear her gaze away from Cason.
The prince sighed. “It worries me that I can’t tell if you two are flirting or being serious.”
“Both. Definitely both,” Farrah sang from the doorway, Elias a step behind her. She strolled in, gave Brela a kiss on the cheek, wiggled her eyebrows, and then turned to Serill. She slapped a silver coin on the table in front of him.
“What is this for?” Serill asked, watching Farrah slide into the seat across from him.
Elias shrugged and pointed between Cason and Brela. “You won.” He tossed another silver at Serill before pressing a kiss to Brela’s temple and joining Farrah at the other side of the table.
He’d won… what? Serill glanced between Cason who had gone completely still, cheeks flushed, and Brela who was holding in a laugh. The captain had been lighter when he walked in this morning. In fact, until now, Serill would have said that his friend was in a good mood.
Oh.Oh.
“Finally,” Serill breathed, earning snorts from Elias and Farrah.
Cason groaned and pressed his palms into his face. “Can we change the subject?”
“Yes, please,” Brela said, sharing a few hand gestures with her friends, including one that was not friendly at all. After a moment she shrugged and dropped into her chair, nodding toward the map in front of Serill. “That’s not your father’s map.”
“No, it’s not. It’s mine,” Serill said. He could have sworn Cason sighed in relief at the shift of focus. Serill met Brela’s gaze. “We need to know where we are going and what we’re going to face, Brela. I can’t help if you aren’t honest with me.”
All that light emotion seemingly sucked out of the room in an instant.
Elias leaned forward, dark green eyes narrowed. “Forcing her to go back to Valisea is the opposite of helping her.”
Brela hid whatever reaction she had to that statement by shoving an apple into her mouth. The prince could have sworn Farrah shifted her hand under the table to brush against Brela’s leg.
Serill shook his head and spoke to Brela. “I would like to still be alive at the end of this trip, and seeing as you haven’t tried to die or kill your way out of the castle, I would guess you have similar feelings.”
