“Of course I have.” The bite in those words had my own anger surging, a breath releasing as I tried to calm the vitriol that wanted to fall from my tongue.Men, what frustrating creatures they could be.
“Have you tried speaking to him as afriendand not as a Solerian Prince of Tavari?” His eyes flitted to me, uncertainty swirling there as I continued, “You were boys together, grew into men together, as you said before. You were equals and now you’re each in positions where the dynamic of power has shifted. He is a weapon for your father, for the throne thatyouare third in line for, Kairen. You hold a power over him that is impossible to ignore and you tossing out orders does not help the situation. Speak to him as the friend you claim he is, not the tool he’s been made into. Trust him not to cross the lines you set.”
I moved to walk away, to leave him there with that thought and the hope that he would act upon it. His voice came quiet then, a bitterness to the words. “And what of you, Potion Maker? Is it so easy to trust for you? Have you told him all your secrets yet?”
My spine straightened, when had this animosity awoken? My brows furrowed as I turned, taking in the rigidness of his body as he stood still against the siding of the ship. His golden gaze pierced through me as though I was merely a puzzle for him to work out.
“I’ve been watching you, and something about you just never seems to be quiteright.How many times did your throat burn for a drink inthe desert? What other secrets do you keep so closely that a man known for all things illegal should recognizeyouupon first glance? What is the darkness you hide?”
The words were cruel, I was sure he knew it. Meant to slash through the shields around my heart and burrow deep into the depths. And sting they did, but I would not allow it to show. My laugh was humorless.
“You once asked if I trusted you and said that some part of you wished to trust me,” I said, an eerie calmness falling over me, none of the swirling anxiety within. An emptiness that scared even myself. “Do you still feel that way?”
Silence stretched, an answer without words. His golden rings and irises flashed, had the shadows within me stirring—a hissing song of wrath and ruin.
“Trust is earned and easily broken.” I took a step closer, a line from the prophecy stark in my mind. “For fate is cruel and trust may burn—becareful, Princeling, that your insecurities don’t create a self-fulfilling end to this quest. My drink is no concern of yours, nor is my darkness or my secrets. Worry about your own first.”
He was silent as I walked away, his eyes upon my back burning like the blessed flame he carried, melting and twisting into something ugly and fearful deep within me. A Solerian Prince was not an enemy I wanted to make, but did he wish to make one of me?
My daggers slashed through the chilled night air, saltwater coating my lungs as Roan easily evaded the sharp blades, one of his own swords unsheathed and swinging lazily in his grip. His eyes were bright, themoonlight kissing his skin and that infuriating smile gracing his mouth as the shadows danced across the hollows of his face.
“Has it been too long since we’ve practiced? You’re slower than usual.”
The taunting only stoked the flame within me, the ocean beneath a hum that reverberated deep within my bones. I moved with the dip and rise of the boat, my next attack quick as I spun and slashed, sparks flying as metal slid against metal, the screech echoing across the surface of the sea. His hand flicked, the flat side of his sword hitting hard against my wrist. With a cry my fingers loosened, the dagger slipping from my grip.
Roan moved quickly, snatching it from the air and within a second it was pressed to my throat, my back against the mast of the ship. The chilling dampness of the wood soaked through my shirt as I drew a strained breath. He leaned in close, his white hair rough with the salt I knew coated it.
“Where’s your head at, little menace?”
“Lost to the sea.” I bit back.
“Do you want to talk about what you and Kairen spoke of yet?”
My laugh came tired and heavy, perhaps even cruel as I shoved him back. “You didn’t eavesdrop, Captain?”
“You think so little of me?”
“If you had, you'd know your friend thinks me a liar and drunk who doesn’t deserve to kiss the ground the oh-so-mighty Captain of the Kingsguard walks upon.”
And the most aggravating part was that he wasright.I was a liar, a liar who didn’t deserve a shred of the trust Roan gave me. Roan who stilled as soon as I spoke the words, who tensed at the hurt that coated them despite my attempt to hide it behind my ire.
“He said that to you?”
My shoulder lifted as I sheathed the blade still in my hand.
“Maybe not those exact words.”
His jaw tensed, the sheathing of his own sword a bit more aggressive than necessary as he handed my dagger back to me. “I’ll speak with him.”
Regret washed over me as I rubbed my eyes, exhaustion weighing heavy on my limbs. “No, don’t.”
He raised a brow, confusion evident as I let out a sigh. “He’s hurt you two have yet to really speak since that night. Don’t argue with him, try and fix whatever is strained between you. He wants his friend back, Roan. And I think hebelieves I’m the issue between you.”
Roan snorted, crossing his arms. “So he’s acting like a child then? Our issues aren’t about you, Syra. They’ve been building far before you came along, him burning you was just the catalyst.”
“So talk to him, you’re friends, aren’t you?” I waved my hands. “Communicate or whatever.”
He laughed at that, the sound so deep and warm that it had a reluctant smile curving my lips.
