I nod.
“I don’t want to say anything based on an assumption.” His tone is light, but the worry is clear and my throat closes.
“He gave me some of his power, didn’t he? Like I thought after the temple?”
“I…don’t know,Mysenta. V, Derivius, and Verlet aren’t answering me. I asked V if I should continue to teach you in the way he instructed me, but he won’t address it.”
That gives me no hope that I’m wrong and I swallow back the emotion building in my chest.
“I’m so sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m going to figure out everything I can, I swear. I’ll check on you later.”
My fists clench beneath the water as he walks out of the bathroom and I stare around, dumbfounded, as Kyzen snatches Riven’s clothes off the ground.
“Come on, Riven. Give Thayla some privacy.”
Without a complaint, joke, a glance at me, or anything, he unceremoniously jumps out of the bath, causing water to splash over the side and go everywhere.
Kyzen huffs and slings the towel from around his waist at him.
“I’ll be back after I change.”
I return his small smile with one of my own as they leave, but it slips away the second they shut the door.
The silence and now open space of my bathroom immediately overwhelm me. No part of me wants to relax in here alone or allow myself time to drift into my own thoughts.
There’s far too much to think about.
To worry about. Process.
I don’t want to deal with any of that…alone.
Muffled voices coming from my room have my eyebrows scrunching together and I don’t think twice before climbing out of the bath.
My toes grip the wet floor so I don’t bust my ass as I make my way to my door and press my ear against it. I probably should’ve learned my lesson on eavesdropping when I did it the first time but call me curious.
Plus, they’re having a discussion in my room. That automatically gives me the right to listen.
“Why is it even up here? Why didn’t she put it under her bed or something?”
What is he asking about?
“She put it up there facing the wall ’cause she felt like his eyes were watching her bed, but you gave it to her, so she wants to be able to see it. It’s important to her even if it does creep her out a little.”
I stifle the laugh that tries to escape me. They’re talking about the High Chancellor’s head statue.
Did Riven really think I would’ve gotten rid of it or something?
It’s the funniest and weirdest gift I’ve ever been given.
If it wasn’t important to me like Kyzen pointed out and didn’t make me laugh fondly every time I look at it now, I’d crush the damn thing after the shit that asshole pulled today.
“Are all of you fucking with me?”
My heart skips a beat at the pain in Riven’s voice, and I jerk away from the door. I press my ear back to it just as fast, though.
“No, we’re not. I know it might be hard for you to accept, but she cares about you. Just the way you are.”
