Aizel rolled her eyes. “He has an interesting way of carrying that out.” She dropped the sarcasm from her voice. “Have you lost any of your brothers recently?”
“No,” Erich answered. “Well, my older brother did get attacked a few weeks ago. He might be... I don’t know. I haven’t heard from them since we’ve been traveling.”
“That was Gareth. He said your father might his sons should something happen to each of them in turn. I’m so sorry.” Aizel could imagine what would be like to lose a beloved sibling.
Erich had gone quite pale. “I need to return to Iseldis and tell my father.”
Aizel nodded. “I think that would be best. He may have already targeted another one of your brothers and they need to be warned. Also, would you... tell him about us?”
“Us?” Erich looked back up at her quickly.
“Me. The Majis. My people?” Aizel further clarified her question. “Will you tell him what I’ve told you? Do you think he might...?” Her voice wavered. No Quotidian king would ever help them. He might pretend to but only to further his own gain. The Majis had nothing to offer in return, and no one did favors for free.
Erich had dropped his eyes, looking at the ground as he bit his lower lip. “I can try,” he said. “I can try to tell him. It’s just that. He hates... I don’t think he listens to me.”
Aizel let that dream fade before it even had a chance to grow roots. “But he’ll believe you about Gareth at least?”
“He’ll have to. Actually, that part might be easy. He has always been a little wary of Gareth, and his father King Gael before him. I can convince him to take precautions, although with the coming invasion, he won’t want to sever ties completely.”
“Why do you think he is targeting your family?” Aizel asked the question that had been stuck in her throat since her first visit to the marble palace.
“I have no idea. We’ve always been allies.” Erich’s expression was clouded as he looked back at her. “Wait... earlier you said Gareth wants me dead. And if you didn’t succeed... have you been plotting... are you going to?”
Aizel shook her head. She glanced up to the darkening sky as she inhaled. She had a voice now. “I was never going to actually do it. But yes, he did send me to... kill you.”
Erich sat back down on his heels, immediately breaking eye contact with her. His hand fingered the gemstone of the necklace he was still holding. “So, what you’re saying is that I was right to fear you all along?” The eyes that turned back to her were filled with distrust.
Aizel shook her head, words failing her—again. “No. Don’t turn back on that. The fear I was talking about was a different fear. You were afraid of me because I was... different from you. That was the only threat I ever posed to you.”
Erich was silent as he processed her words. “Something still doesn’t add up. If you were never going to kill me, why did you even agree to it at all? What were you doing meeting with him and whose side are you on?”
“A few Quotidian soldiers found me on the beach that day after I saved your life and they brought me all the way here to Chendas. Probably while you were out there looking for me, thinking I was the Majis sorceress.”
Erich narrowed his eyes, but the look of anger on his face didn’t seem directed at her.
“The king has... something that I want.” Aizel wanted to trust him with the whole truth.
“Your freedom?” Erich’s face remained clouded and confused.
“Something like that.” Aizel still had to save Celesta. She was returning to the marble palace no matter what, and she wasn’t going to let Erich come along and get himself killed. If he knew the full truth, he would never let her go back alone. He was too good for that. “He threatened my family if I don’t come back with proof of your death.”
“You’re going back?”
Aizel nodded.
“Let me come with you.” The confusion made way for sincerity.
Aizel smiled, both at his earnestness and her foreseeing exactly what he would do. “No. He wants you dead. You should go back to Iseldis and warn your family. Keep your brothers safe.”
“But what about you?”
“As long as I can prove you are dead, my family will be fine.” She chose her words carefully without fully answering his question. It didn’t matter what happened to her as long as Celesta was safe.
Erich nodded. “Proof that I am dead? I think we can manage that.”
Chapter 34
Erich held the reins of both horses, trying not to stare at the brilliant flashes of red the sun illuminated in Aizel’s hair. He was failing miserably.
