Kyvar watched me for a moment and when I was about to bare my fangs in his direction and tell him to either work or get out, he made a rumbling sound in his chest and his wing tapped the floor rapidly. “Jacqueline’s a reasonable female. When the battle wave has worn from her mind, she’ll be yours again.” There was pain in his eyes and I knew he must miss Tatiana’s bright presence.
“I was cruel to her before we left for the exchange. And then seeing us killing her own kind...” I bore my fangs into my bottom lip until I tasted blood. “She will desire to escape. Again.” And I couldn’t allow her to go back to them. She wasn’t my enemy anymore. She was one of my own, she was… so much more. And her kind had just declared war.
“Give her a reason to stay, a reason to trust you again. What she witnessed was terrible. But she knows war is brutal. Show her the side of you she’d actually live with every day. The side of our kind that nurtures and worships our females.”
I grunted noncommittally. I would not force her to endure me if she was still so scared of me after the physician saw to her. “Go rest, I’ll need you sharp tomorrow.”
“And you, Vorazyr?”
I met his gaze with a hard one of my own. “I will be here, making plans to fix the costly mistake I made in trying to deal with the Consortium on a civilized level.”
Kyvar knew me well enough to leave without arguing further.
I worked until rays of pale orange light warmed my office. Throughout the night, Vuldrex had popped in to leave cups of hichta, what the humans called tea, as well as keeping a platter of food full.
I stretched my wings and rolled my neck with a deep sigh as I wondered how Jacqueline was.
“Did you even sleep?” Thyra’s eyes were tight as she stepped in.
“You’re up early.”
“Arrazyl.” her tone was anything but longsuffering.
“No, I’ve been working.”
“Get some rest, please? We all need you to be at one hundred percent right now, and no one can function without adequate sleep. Besides, now Kyvar can follow through with whatever orders you left for him and review whatever your plans are. He doesn’t need you here telling him what he can see for himself via the hologram.”
I rubbed my face and stood. “You’re right. I have one more thing to attend to and then I will rest for a couple of hours.”
“Will that one more thing be going to see Jacqueline?”
“I will see you later, sister. I sent a few instructions to your tablet, so please review them. The city needs you now more than ever.” I paused before passing her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Ineed you now more than ever. Thank you for your help.”
She smiled softly and trilled. I squeezed her shoulder and left the room. I would go speak with Kyvar and Captain Pythel and then rest. One of the requests I had left Thyra was to check on Jacqueline and spend some time with her.
Because I wouldn’t be.
Chapter 34
“Luuciyn will arrive the day after tomorrow, and Zyroth the day after that. Please check that everything is prepared for them in the vorazka and for their warriors in the visitor housing.” Vuldrex strode next to me, trilling as I spoke.
“Yes, Vorazyr. I will get it done.” He clapped his wings and launched himself into the air.
I turned down the hall to my office. My sister was coming out of it and she didn’t look happy.
“Problem?” I asked as we met in the hall.
“Why haven’t you gone to see Jacqueline?”
“I’m sure you’ve been enough of a comfort.” I tried to step around her, but she flared her wings out and blocked the hall.
“Arrazyl,” she pressed a soft hand to my arm. “Why?”
“She needs to rest right now.” I said impatiently. “I have urgent matters that require my attention, Thyra.” I stepped past her.
“Are you afraid of how she’ll respond to you?” Her words caused me to freeze in my tracks. My wing rippled. She gripped my forearm. “She needs you more than ever right now. You staying away is hurting her worse. She may not give you the reaction you want initially, but she needs you. Your strength. To know that you care, to know that she’s safe.You’re the only one who can do that for her. She cries herself to sleep, the little sleep that she gets. Kyvar visited her, but her skin got all white and she trembled with him in the room even though she tried to hide it.” She squeezed my arm and let her hand drop. “Go to her.” She left with a flap of her wings to propel her down the hall.
I stood where she’d left me. My chest ached at the thought of Jacqueline scared. It was true, I couldn’t bear to see her shrink from me, or look at me with disgust, which was why I’d avoided her for three days, blaming it on the work I was doing.
