Phoebe took a moment to check in with Kat and Chris. “You two need anything?”
Katra cocked her head at her. “Stryker’s not going to hurt Urian. Why are you so worried?”
Phoebe let out a bitter laugh. “You don’t know him at all, do you?”
“I’ve known them both a lot longer than you have.”
“Then you should know how violent Stryker gets and how often he lashes out.”
Kat passed a smug look to Chris. “But not against Urian.”
“Really? On the night Urian left his brother, who was a trained soldier, to save the life of a blind Apollite woman and her children, his father almost beat him to death. But for Apollymi’s intervention, he probably would have.”
Kat gaped. “He told you this?”
“No, a friend of his did as a warning to me to never make the mistake of putting him in the crosshairs of his father’s wrath. He wanted to stress to me that while Urian constantly assures me that he’s okay and that everything will be all right, Urian is not okay and he’s playing an extremely stupid game with his life. For me.”
Damn it! Howdid they get to that boat?”
With his arms crossed over his chest, Urian stood in the council room stoically and listened to his father’s tirade. Which had to be a record for the longest rant ever. He would yawn, but in the mood his father was in, he’d probably cut his throat.
“Urian!”
He snapped his head up. “Sir?”
“How did they get past you?”
“No idea. I was in the boathouse. Checked on Jason and Bryan. They were fine at the time. Went outside because they said they heard something. Then Trates was calling for assistance around front, so I headed that way. Next thing I knew, you were screaming that they were in a boat.”
“You didn’t sense anything?”
“I couldn’t pick up any smells because of the gunpowder residue. My hearing was shot from the explosions. Same for my vision. My ears are still ringing.”
His father curled his lip. “I’m disgusted by all of you! Get out of my sight!”
Relieved to have an end tothatand still be in one piece, Urian exchanged a sideways glance with Davyn. But neither of them dared to speak until they were clear of his father’s hearing.
Davyn let out a long, slow breath. “Damn, Uri.”
“I know.”
“Hold me?”
Urian laughed before he pulled Davyn into his arms and gave him a hug. “Better?”
“No! You scared the shit out of me! Between that and your father … I don’t think I’ll ever be the same.”
“Yeah, well, I appreciate you, brother.”
“Glad someone does.”
Urian kissed his cheek before he released him. “Did everything go okay?”
“Not really. But I made do. How about on your end?”
“Not really. But I made do.” His gaze fell to the necklace around Davyn’s neck. Paris’s.
Davyn looked down at it and touched it. “I still can’t believe he’s gone.”
