“Ahnna—”
“Don’t.” She rubbed at her eyes, voice choked. “Don’t apologize, because it’s not your fault. It’s a function of who we are in this world, and I don’t blame you for it. I only want you to understand why James risking your anger—risking your cutting his throat—for my sake matters so much.”
Aren blew out a breath from between his teeth, not entirely certain how to feel about everything she’d said. “Does he have attributes other than a willingness to fistfight me, or was that all it took to win your heart?”
Ahnna gave a choked laugh. “Have youseenhim?”
“His good looks hold no weight with me. I have heard he’s a good fighter, though. Many medals for valor, which is more important than pretty eyes.”
Ahnna gave an amused snort, but then her eyes grew distant. “When I am with him, I feel like I am finally whole.”
Aren’s chest tightened with a swell of unexpected emotion, because he’d never heard his sister speak like that about anyone. Never seen that expression on her face. If it was James who made Ahnna feel like this, then Aren would do his best to like the man. Even if he was an arrogant Harendellian prick.
“Where is she?” Nana’s familiar voice filtered through the house, and Aren felt an overwhelming urge to find somewhere to hide.
Knowing that their grandmother would be in a mood after everything that had happened, Aren scrambled to his feet. “Speaking of James, I think I’ll find the man in question and see about getting to know him better. Don’t move. You should never wake a sleeping baby.”
Ahnna glared at him. “Coward.”
He grinned at her, then swiftly strode out the door of the library. Nana was half running down the hallway, and he lifted a hand in greeting and then turned to escape, nearly slamming directly into James.
“If you value your life,” he said before the prince could speak, “come with me.”
James eyed the approaching force of nature, and while he might have been willing to fistfight a king to be with Ahnna, apparently that bravery did not extend to getting in the path of Nana. “All right.”
64
Ahnna
“Ahnna?” Nana’s voice filtered throughthe house.
Ahnna held up a finger to her lips as her grandmother exploded into the library, glad to have Delia as a line of defense against the storm that was the woman who’d raised her. But Nana only stepped back into the hallway and shouted, “Lara!”
Delia did not so much as stir at the noise, and a few moments later, Ahnna heard the soft pat of boots against the floor, and Lara appeared. Her eyes were slightly puffy, and she said nothing as she took Delia from Ahnna’s arms. “He’s fine. Just a few stitches.”
“Who is fine?” Nana demanded. “Never mind. It’s the tall lad Aren escaped around the corner with, isn’t it? Let me guess: The Harendellian bastard prince has abandoned family, king, and country to fall between your skinny legs.”
Ahnna sighed. “His name is James.”
“As though his name matters. It’s his face and his cock that have you making foolish choices, you idiot girl. Stupid, reckless child.”
Normally each of her grandmother’s harsh words would be a punch to the stomach, but all Ahnna saw were the tears streaming down Nana’s wrinkled face. Not once in her life had she witnessed her grandmother cry like this. Not when Ahnna’s father had died. Not when Aren had been kidnapped. Not in any of the catastrophes thatAmelie had nursed Ithicana’s people through. Yet here she stood, sobbing so violently that Ahnna feared she might drop to the floor from heart failure. “Nana, are you well?”
“I’m fine,” her grandmother snapped through sobs. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Getting to her feet, Ahnna gripped her grandmother’s arms. “Because you’re crying.”
“Don’t be daft.” Nana wiped at her face. “I just came out of the rain, and I’m sweating because I was forced to run up that murderous hill.”
Every word came out between sobs, and Ahnna nearly fainted in shock as her grandmother flung her arms around Ahnna’s waist, clinging to her. “But you’re alive, my beautiful girl. Alive against every odd, which means there is hope left. If you are here, there is hope.”
It was suddenly hard to breathe, and Ahnna rested a hand on her grandmother’s shoulder even as she met Lara’s gaze over the old woman’s head. Lara gave her a sad smile, then said, “I’ll make sure your room is ready and find you some fresh clothes.”
Lara’s expression more than Nana’s tears filled Ahnna with unease, and her skin prickled as the library door clicked shut.
Nana had regained some of her composure, and she pushed away, wiping her face with her sleeve. “Well? Let me have a look at you, then.”
She reached up to push back Ahnna’s top lip, then ran her hands down Ahnna’s sides before making a noise of disgust. “Good God, girl. It looks like the only thing that’s whole is your teeth. When was the last time you ate a good meal? You’re skin and bones. A walking skeleton.” With practiced hands, she pulled off the remains of Ahnna’s splint and checked the break. “It’s healed, but no swordplay at least another week so the bone has time to get strong. And I meanbothsorts of swordplay.”
