He swiveled his shoulders between us. “Well?”
If we hadn’t been in a secluded hallway, maybe he would have lowered his tone.
“Explain yourselves,” he spat and my gut soured.
“Explain yourself!” I shouted. My fists shook and shackles rattled at my sides.
Rhazien’s face twisted into a puzzled expression. Like he wasn’t aware of what I’d been through. The danger, the fear, the isolation, the loneliness. All of which was caused by the absence he deemed a diplomatic necessity, but what I’d witnessed in my vision was so far beyond the boundaries of his duties.
“Commander Thorne.” My eyes stayed locked on Rhazien’s as he spoke. His glare was sharp as a drawn sword. “I expected more after all I’ve done for you.”
“Dommik has done nothing but protect your interests,” I gritted, stepping between the men.
Rhazien might not have looked out of sorts, but he certainly wasn’t thinking clearly. To any onlookers, I was still dressed as a chambermaid. Even if I were in the fine garments I’d become accustomed to wearing, humans didn’t give orders to vampires in the Hive. Best to try to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible so we could all get out unscathed.
“I’m sure he has.” He scoffed before taking a deep inhale. “You reek of him.”
“And you—” I removed my veil, letting my hair tumble down over the rest of Alba’s gray robes “—smell like blood, whiskey, and whores.”
Rhazien leveled his commander with a deathly glare.
“He didn’t tell me anything,” I said, drawing Rhazien’s attention back to me.
“Whateverdo you mean?” he growled.
“I saw it myself,” I said with an eerie level of calm. “Everything.”
Rhazien’s jaw shifted along with his weight. He was caught and he appeared to care. Did I?
“I’m taking my leave,” I declared, not sure if I could or if he would let me.
“And where—pray tell—will you go?”
Home,I wanted to say. But the Hive wasn’t my home. Not really. Just another cage. Another prison. Another holding cell.
“Back,” I responded simply, not breaking my stare.
He arched his brow. “You mean to travel home?”
“Yes.” Hurt flashed across his face. And for a moment, I think we both wondered how we’d gotten here. “Considering I haven’t seen or heard from you for the better part of a week, I assume you will not miss me.”
It was a petty coldness I didn’t even extend to my late husband. This new sense of frustration rooted firmly in my disappointment with myself as well.
Why had I thought this would be any different? How could I have been so foolish and naïve? When was I going to learn this lesson?
People take. And take. And take.
And if I gave much more, there wouldn’t be anything left of me.
Rhazien’s mask dropped. The lines from his prominent frown were visible even through his unruly stubble, like he was finally grasping the gravity of his offenses.
“Reyva, I—” His hands found my covered shoulders and I shrunk beneath his grip. I’d seen where his hands had been, what they’d done. He felt me flinch and they fell to his sides in defeat. “Please stay.”
I lowered my gaze and shook my head.
“I’m going to fix this.”
My gaze was fixed on the stone floor beneath us. The hurt was a chasm—large, black, alluring.
