“Let me guess,” she continues. “I’m the problem.”
“You’reaproblem,” Hunter says bluntly.
Naia doesn’t let this ruffle her as she crosses her arms over her chest. “Fair enough.”
That throws them off just long enough to have to regain their bearings, and Dominic snorts to himself.
After a beat, Naia says more genuinely, “I’m not here to cause issues.”
“That’s up for debate,” Caleb mutters.
“I didn’t exactly plan on being sold at an auction, and it wasn’t my decision to come here,” she shoots back, throwing me a pointed look that says it all.
The others catch this, and their focus narrows on me as they piece it together. They know I was the one who brought her here…she never would’ve come willingly on her own.
“You could’ve left,” Hunter points out.
I cut in before that thought goes further, jaw tight. “She’s not leaving.”
Naia glances at me briefly again, and something flickers in her expression, surprise, maybe, but it’s gone just as fast.
“Look,” she says, exhaling slowly, as if she has already decided on something, and it puts me on edge. “You’re all going to find out eventually, so we might as well avoid the part where you pretend you don’t already suspect it.”
Caleb’s gaze sharpens. “Suspect what?”
Naia doesn’t hesitate. “I have magic.”
The space goes completely silent, and if the tension wasn’t already bad enough, it’s worse now as they digest what that means. They don’t dare to move a muscle, as if that makes a difference.
Then, Sera steps forward slightly with her eyes locked on Naia, and something quiet yet furious burns beneath the surface. “You didn’t have it before.”
Naia meets her gaze head-on. “I didn’t, but that changed, apparently.”
Something unspoken passes between them, loaded with history that I still don’t know the full story of. Whatever happened, it was enough to leave a lasting impression on Sera.
“And what exactly were you planning to do with it?” Sera asks.
Naia’s expression darkens a touch. “Whatever I need to.”
Despite being outside, it feels as if the air has been devoid of oxygen. Nobody likes that answer.
Sera doesn’t look away from her as she subconsciously tightens her hold on Fern. “You and your family tried to use me for my powers. You made my life hell.”
All eyes go to Naia at that, and I feel the shift in the group as suspicion turns into something more concrete. Something less forgiving.
Sera has been part of things longer, and after everyone supported her and Luke last time, the others are far more willing to protect her than Naia. They’ll take her side in a heartbeat, and while I understand why, it also irritates me.
Naia doesn’t deny it, since it’s not in her nature to. Her chin lifts slightly. “I did what I was told.”
“That’s your defense?” Sera asks. “Even after you fought us in Coldreach?”
I catch as something moves through Naia’s eyes, but more so, I feel how her side of the bond wavers slightly. It feels a bit like guilt, but she quickly buries it. “It’s the truth.”
“That doesn’t make it better.”
“No,” Naia agrees, voice flat. “It doesn’t.”
The silence now feels both awkward and unresolved as everyone takes a moment to gather their thoughts. Everything about this is precarious, and more than anything, I want them to stop looking at my mate like she’s a demon.
