“He’s the tallest.”
“So that makes him what?” She holds her hand at chest height. “About this tall?”
“And the strongest!”
“He’s six and you’re a grown-ass woman.”
“But he’s fast!”
Laughing, she slings an arm over my shoulders. “Come on. I need to talk to you.”
My smile fading, I look at my feet. For the last two days, she’s brought up Richard wanting to see me. But the sharp pain in my chest has settled into a dull ache, and I’m not ready to rip that hole wide open again. Nor am I ready to show him my progress – mostly because there hasn’t been a lot of it.
But I know I am capable of being Raza’s queen. Of being Richard’s wife and equal. I just need time to prove it. To him. And to me.
“How is he?” I ask softly.
“He misses you.”
“Is he… spending a lot of time... with Evangeline?” My stomach twists with nausea. Has he tied her up to a beam yet? Has he told her how much trust means to him?
Is she using my fucking safe word?
Does he listen to her when she calls it?
“I don’t know,” Fabia says.
We fall into silence as we walk through the barracks. Ari waves at me – something he does every time he sees me. He is cute with his freckles and easy laugh. Pushing down my pain, I grin and wave back. He’s terrifying to watch in the square, so I’ve been trying to study his moves given he has a bad wing and can’t fly. Him and Fabia constantly go at it in a friendly way. As we pass him, she flicks him off.
“Faby, baby!” he says, pretending to grab her finger like one does a kid’s nose. Then he holds his own middle finger sideways and slides it through a hole he makes with his other hand. In and out. In and out.
“Keep dreaming, Ari.”
“Oh, I wi–” He cuts off with a small yelp.
I look over my shoulder to see Nicholas holding him by the scruff of his neck.
“Stop harassing people,” he growls before shoving him away.
Gritting her teeth, Fabia pivots to face him. “I can handle myself.”
“Clearly, but it doesn’t mean you should have to.” He walks towards us, his violet gaze never leaving hers.
Her eyes narrow.
“Have you two fucked yet? Because I really think that would help with a lot of your –” I yelp as she shoves me into the wall. Laughing, I stand back up.
Finally pulling his eyes off Fabia, Nicholas looks at me. “Someone wants to see you. I can’t say who, but I need you to follow me.”
“If it’s Richard…” I say, my smile falling.
“It’s not.”
Looking into his eyes, trusting him not to hurt me, I nod.
He gestures down the hall, but when Fabia starts to walk with us, he puts an arm in front of her.
“I’m coming –”
