Unlikely. Izzy had moved on. The last person she wanted was him.
Can’t you see the way her shoulders have hunched. The sorrow in her expression. Sheneedsus.
Maybe. But it couldn’t be him. He had learned to live without her.
This is not living.His beast growled.
“Can you tell us anything, Iz?” Shane asked, unaware of Luka’s internal battle. “If you have any answers, we would all be grateful.”
Luka grunted, perhaps a little too loudly.Hewasn’t hoping she had any answers at all. He wanted Izzy to be safe and warm at home in her bed, not anywhere near this disaster that threatened to destroy anyone even vaguely associated with it. He wanted to take Narya’s body straight to the queen, so it was clear they were treating this seriously. Then they could haul Physik General Melo out of her bed and let her do her job. And not involve Izzy.
Izabel glared at him. “What?”
Luka glared back, too unsettled by the constant churning of his beast to say anything other than the truth. “Don’t look at me.Ididn’t want you here.”
Izabel sighed and turned away, but he knew he’d hurt her. Again.
You’re such an asshole. I wishIdidn’t have to be here with you.
Luka shook his head at himself. His beast was right, he was an asshole. It was exactly why he was better off alone.
But he couldn’t leave. It was his duty—and his chosen responsibility—to save Shane from this nightmare.
And Izzy.
Her too. Like always.
And you’ve already fucked that up.
Yes. Like always.
Chapter
Four
Izabel turned backto the body, focusing on lowering the sheet so that no one could see the burn of tears in her eyes. How did Luka still manage to make her feel so bruised? So vulnerable? She should have moved on. She should have forgotten him long ago. She should have?—
“You should poison him and be done with it. I’ll help you bury him,” Cori whispered quietly in her ear.
Izabel snorted sadly and turned to hug her friend. “I missed you so much. When did you get back?”
“Yesterday. Our regiment withdrew from the border in advance of the treaty. A gesture of goodwill or some such idiocy,” Cori said, hugging her back just as tightly. “I know we haven’t been in active war for a few years now, but the animosity is still there. How do we know whether the peace we’ve had wasbecause we had soldiers watching the wall? If it was up to me….” She scrubbed her hand through her short chestnut hair. “It’s not though, is it?”
Izzy squeezed Cori’s arm. She understood her friend’s frustration all too well. “It should be up to you, Cori. You’d do a better job than any of the rest of them!”
Cori gave her a sad smile. “I hoped you’d be at the feast tonight, but since you weren’t, I planned to come to see you tomorrow and drag you away from your patients for some downtime.” Something even wearier flashed across her expression, quickly hidden. “It would have been nice to get out of here for a bit.”
Izzy forced herself not to look back at Shane. Cori had never said anything, never even hinted, but she was clearly in love with Shane. Something had happened between them. Something that sent Cori over a thousand miles away to the northern border. Izzy had asked if she wanted to talk about it, but Cori wiped away her tears and promised that one day she would be free to tell her everything, but not then.
All Izzy could do was support her friend as best she could. And she understood the need to get away. She knew what it felt like to want someone who didn’t want you back. Thank the Mother, she didn’t have to work with Luka.
Or watch him seduce half the court,her beast added flicking her tail.
That was true. Luka had almost certainly seduced half the court—he’d been entirely clear that he planned to—but at least she hadn’t had to watch.
He’ll figure it out, her beast added.Someday.
Her beast hadn’t quite given up hope. Not yet. Perhaps this would do it. Then she could finally let go and move on.
