Page 93 of Her Ivory Flame

“Are you going to lie to me some more?” she snapped.

“I didn’t lie to you.”

“Sure as hell feels like it.” She looked away from him, her body shaking. She was still kneeling on the stone ground, her night gown ruffling lightly in the breeze along with her loose hair.

He squatted down next to her, his full body facing her and she fought to not look at him.

“I will tell you everything,” he whispered. “Please, just look at me.”

She took a deep breath, his voice making her heart ache and could feel that thread between them pulling. Slowly she turned, her eyes finally meeting him for the first time and she tried not to shatter into a million more pieces.

The look on his face was calming, but he was in obvious distress and part of her felt guilty for it. She wasn’t going to show it, her emotional wall was up and she wasn’t going to let him back in.

“Yes, Mavros is my father,” he stated calmly, “But the story I told you was true and he killed my mother.”

She felt her stomach turn and she struggled to keep her face a blank expression.

“My mother was one of the descendants that Loki granted the Ebony Fire to. It lay dormant for centuries due to Odin’s curse, but when Mavros killed my mother it awoke in me." His voice was calm but she could see his muscles tense. “Please, come inside and we will explain all of it to you.”

He reached a hand out towards her, but she didn’t take it. The thread pulsed again but she ignored it as she stood on her own, her gown framing her body in the breeze.

He stood with her, a hint of disappointment on his face but she tried not to acknowledge it. Whatever had gone on between them was a mistake, one she was not going to let happen again. She didn’t know if her heart could take another break to it.

She followed him back inside and saw the rest of the group looking up toward her with concerned looks. They had gathered at one of the long tables and she sat down next to Xander, leaving space between them.

“How are you feeling?” Raine asked quietly.

“I’m fine,” she whispered, trying not to let her anger for the situation reflect on Raine. She had nothing to do with this, it was the others that deserved her fury.

“So, how mad are you?” Finnley asked with a joking tone, but when she glared back at him, his smile fell. “Oh, that mad huh?”

“Just hear them out.” Raine pleaded.

She stayed silent and rested her hands on the table. She would hear them out, whether she would forgive them or believe them was another story.

“Do you have any questions you want answered first?” Xander said quietly and she glanced at him curiously.

“How the fuck do you all have wings like my people?” she snarled, Xander flinching.

“I gave them the power to summon them.” Kaden started as he sat directly across from her. “They needed to be able to come and go as they pleased from here. As you know, the only way to access Mydalsa is by flight and we need to be able to make them disappear."

She didn’t look at him and kept her gaze on her fidgeting hands. It seemed logical, but she still kept her guard up.

“I was told my home, my people were all slaughtered and Mydalsa was a wasteland after the war,” she mumbled.

“Who told you that?” Finnley questioned.

“Silas.”

“Well, that is what we wanted everyone to think.” Finnley shrugged.

“He said he saw it himself and that he was up here during the war.”

She didn’t understand why Silas would have lied to her, but considering recent events, she didn’t really know what he was thinking anymore.

Kaden growled but still couldn’t bring herself to look at him, it hurt too much.

“Your warriors were slaughtered, that part was true.” Xander said next to her. “However, your people and land were never touched, we made sure of it.Hemade sure of it and we told everyone it was destroyed to keep them away.” His hand pointed to Kaden and she nodded but didn’t follow his gesture.