He wasn’t well.He needed sleep, a healer, something.River was right.Fucking stupid River.
“Well, hello,” came a voice that made Kai’s blood run cold.
He fell like a stone, his knees crushing the leafy undergrowth.Kai peered out from behind the tree, his face twisting with fury to see Nalu ahead.
Go away, he willed with every inch of him.This is my ward.My island.My property.
Nalu stooped – which was rich, considering Lina was his height – to see Lina’s bowed face.He chuckled when she turned away from him.
“Don’t be shy,” he said, all affectionate.He curled a strand of her hair around his forefinger.“I’ve seen you once or twice.Lady Ione’s attendant, are you?What’s your name, little bird?”
Lina murmured something.Curtseyed, turned again.Nalu stepped in front of her and leaned against a tree, the predatory glint in his eye a sharp contrast to the lazy, casual grin.
Kai crept forward, still concealed by the trees and undergrowth.
Mine, he thought, his gorge rising when Nalu grabbed Lina’s arm, stopping her from skirting past him.Oseidos is mine.Lina, whatever she’s hiding, is mine.It’s all mine.
“Please,” Lina snapped, her free hand fisting at her side.“Lady Ione is expecting me.”
Nalu didn’t let her go.“Then we’ll meet after.Tonight.You’re staying in the acolytes’ building?”
Closer, closer.Close enough to see the muscle in Lina’s jaw ticking.She squared her shoulders, sounded nearly like Ione, proud and grave, as she whispered, “Unhand me.”
Nalu laughed.“Or what?”A huge hand wrapped around Lina’s jaw, forced her to face him.He frowned, his eye darting, taking her in.Whatever he saw amused him, made his mouth widen into a slow, vindictive smile.“Who are you?”he asked, although his tone told Kai that he already knew.
Lina lurched away, out of his grip.“No one,” she said, striding around him.
A trunk of water formed at Nalu’s raised hand, whipping after her.It twined around her wrist, hauling her back; Lina spun on her heels, one hand lifted, fingers splayed like a claw.Painted on her face was a sightless, thoughtless terror that Kai knew too well.
And then, fire.
There it was.Kai beamed, vindication warming his thundering heart.
Nalu dropped the water and staggered back, hollering, one hand flying to cover his face.Lina too careened a few steps, sheet-white, looking down at her own hands and then hiding them in the folds of her dress.She said something Kai couldn’t hear and looked this way, that, still retreating step by trembling step.
Nalu straightened.Released a ragged, livid breath.
Leaves rustled and a branch snapped, and suddenly Kai was in the middle of the path.Distracted, Nalu turned and lowered his hand, a patch of skin from his face sticking to it.He grinned – ah, back-up!– and Lina bolted.
Kai moved automatically.Icy wardstrings rose up, tangling around Lina’s arms and legs, pinning her in place.She struggled, sparks bursting from her fingertips, but Kai tightened the ward until she stilled.
“Good work.”Nalu’s hands shook as he washed the blood from them.Although Nalu still smiled, Kai could almost taste the agony of the oozing burn shooting across his brother’s cheek.“Help me bring her to Archpriest Saros.”
He threw his shoulders back and strode up the hill, taking his time, making Lina suffer the fear of his approach.
And gods, did it feel good when Kai’s wardstrings trapped him, too.
A snare ward this absolute could only be held for a short time, so Kai buried his nerves, buried the knowledge of what Nalu would do after, and rushed to him.He grabbed Nalu’s forehead in one shaking hand and held him still, peering into the burn, studying the curling, melted edges of flesh.He summoned a wisp of water.
Kai’s healing ability was the root of the deep, vicious hatred between them.He was careful, then, and held his breath as he soaked the wound with his magic, let healing water seep into every crevice of it.He squinted, scanning the mending flesh, pouring every ounce of concentration into preventing a scar.
“There.”Thrill and fear rose in his lungs.He bit back a mad grin.“Healed.”
Nalu choked on a response.“What – ”
“No scar.”Kai opened his arms, gesturing out at the empty path, the silent trees.“No witnesses.No proof.”
Nalu visibly processed that.“Are – are youinsane– ”
