He paused, tilting his head to the side. “Why what?”
“Why did you portal twice in a row like that if you knew it would do that to you? I called for Varax, not you, and I was perfectly fine waiting for her to fly to me.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched, and he looked away. “I needed you here. We have to get started with negotiations, and that requires your presence.”
“Well, you lost just as much time as it would’ve taken Varax to fly to me and back flopping around drunk and sleeping off the effects of what you did instead. I’m going to venture to guess you knew that would happen, though.” She squared her jaw, seeking out his eyes. “So, try again. Why did you do it, Morgen?”
He shook his head and muttered, “I don’t have time for this,” before rolling off the bed.
She scowled, watching as he pulled off his shirt and traded it for a fresh one then knotted half of his hair back. He was moving too fast to feign being relaxed or uncaring now.
“You need me to cooperate, right?”
He turned, his expression flat, though the embers were bright in his eyes. “You know I do.”
“Fine, then. Answer my question, and consider it your ticket to me shutting up today while you use me for your plans.”
He scoffed. “You never shut up, Nya. I don’t expect that to stop just because I indulge your curiosities.”
The words hit her like a slap in the face. Shewastalkative, especially around him, and she had always assumed he liked listening. But maybe he had just been tolerating her all those years, biding his time until the moment was right.
“Right, of course,” she said quietly. “It doesn’t matter anyways. I’m at your disposal no matter what. You made sure of that.”
His expression clouded slightly. “You know I didn’t mean?—”
“I knowexactlywhat you meant. Let’s just get on with the manipulation for today. I’m too tired to play games.”
He didn’t reply this time, turning and walking to the door. She assumed he wanted her to follow and had just forced herselfto get off the bed when he paused, a hand braced against the cavern wall.
“I did it because I was worried. Blood binding is old magic, and there isn’t much information on how it works or what the toll can be at a distance. You were far away and had been gone for more than a day…” He sighed sharply. “I didn’t do it with the intention of hurting you.”
“Whydidyou do it?” she dared to whisper.
But apparently, she had pushed too far for now, because he didn’t respond, pushing the door open and striding into the hallway.
She caught up to him, and they walked side by side, neither of them deigning to speak to each other as he led her gods knew where. When they entered the cavernous dining hall, full of soldiers talking and eating breakfast, her steps slowed. He was heading for one of the tables in the center, and nearly every pair of eyes in the room were drifting to her—and not all of them appeared friendly. Morgen was obviously respected, but she hadn’t expected him to eat in the mess hall, nor did she like the visibility.
“Go on and sit,” Imeria said in her ear, causing her to jump. “They all know you’re married to him, and even if some of them aren’t happy about it, none of them would dare lay a finger on you.”
Nya would have rather run the other way, but she appeared to have little choice in the matter, so she gingerly slid into the spot next to Morgen. He’d already filled her plate with food, and she ate quickly, ignoring the openly hostile stares of two soldiers across from her at the table over. Morgen talked quietly to Carus, who sat on his left, Imeria occasionally interjecting from her spot across the table.
When Nya finished eating, Morgen said in her ear, “Done?”
She nodded, keeping one eye on the soldiers whispering amongst themselves as they glared at her.
“Good,” Morgen said.
She hardly had time to register what he was doing before he’d portaled behind the soldiers, punched one of them in the face, and shoved a dagger in the other’s belly in quick succession.
All at once, the dining hall fell into complete silence. Morgen snatched one of the soldier’s napkins off the table and wiped the blood from his knuckles while the soldiers groaned in pain below him.
“Anyone else whispering about secret plots to murder my wife?” Morgen’s voice boomed through the hall. “If you are, congratulations: you are at least less of an idiot than these two.” He glanced down at them, his expression twisted in disgust. “If I catch wind ofanything, you’ll both be implicated immediately, since you had the gall to think I wouldn’t hear you from a single table away. You know I value all of you, but…” He looked back at Nya and lifted a brow. “Your lives become void if you threaten hers.”
He returned to their table, this time without the portal, and offered her his hand. She took it, telling herself again and again the whole display had just been for show. It would make sense why he did it; if he allowed insubordination amongst his ranks, it would only cause larger issues down the line. He obviously understood how to gather not just an army, but loyal fighters she didn’t doubt would die for him and whatever it was they all believed in.
When they left the cavern, Carus followed them, keeping a few paces behind until Morgen led her into what appeared to be some sort of war council room. A large, circular table took up the center of the space, its surface filled with carved indents and overflowing with maps and charts, most of them unfamiliar to Nya upon first glance.
Morgen let go of her hand, and Carus sat in one of the numerous chairs scattered around the table, leaning back as he twirled a small dagger in his hands.
