“Good. Riven, how’s the construction going?”
“Same. It looks pretty sweet. We’re going to be flying in style.”
I pivot toward him. “Style really isn’t what we’re going for. Comfort and accessibility. Did you change the design?”
“Of course I didn’t. It’s exactly as you drew it out.”
I don’t believe him for a second.
I grit my teeth and move on. “If two days is the completion timeline, we’ll use that as our distraction for us to break into the High Chancellor’s office.”
“To do what?” Lambrit wheezes and I peer at Thayla.
“I thought you told me you didn’t leave out any details when you talked to them last night?”
She bats her not-so-innocent lashes at me. “Well, I didn’t leave out major things. I guess I forgot a few minor details.”
“Minor,Mysenta?” I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear as her face flames and she bites her bottom lip.
I have a foreign desire to pry it from between her teeth with my own. That baser drive has me shaking my head and moving on to fill in the blanks for Lambrit, Rose, and Yemi.
“Riven and Creed, on completion day, we’ll use that as the distraction. I’ll request that the High Chancellor accompany the two of you for the final inspection of the carriage. Without telling Ellian our intentions, inform him to keep the High Chancellor busy. Lambrit, you and Rose will be in charge of keeping an eye out from here if anyone comes looking for me. Thayla, you and Yemi will come with Kyzen and me to be our lookouts from outside the office.”
Everyone—although half of them are shocked—murmurs their agreement and voices that they have no questions.
“Very well. Everyone off to what they’re supposed to be doing.”
Lambrit and Rose say quick goodbyes, while everyone else, as in my Valtrue and Yemi, stares at me.
“Do you three have nothing to do?”
“Nope. My schedule’s clear, so I’m staying right here and helping,” Kyzen says gleefully.
“I have a few more minutes till I need to go to the healing villas.”
“Why do you have to go to the healing villas?”
Worry and curiosity mingle in Thayla’s tone. Her eyes trace Creed as though she’s searching for an injury, but that only lasts momentarily. He silently stares at her until a sigh she tries to mask as annoyance flows through her lips and she turns back to face my desk.
Kyzen and I glare at him while Riven chuckles.
Disappointment is a natural emotion for anyone. I even experience it. Probably more potently than any other feeling. I don’t like being let down. Especially if I’ve given clear instructions or have gone out of my way to seek help. I’ve come to find, though, I despise seeing her disappointed.
She hasn’t verbally expressed it, but I’ve picked up on enough cues that disappointment doesn’t surprise my Binder. She expects it. That’s why she doesn’t outwardly react to it other than the little slip of sound she made.
Mentally, she’s always ready to be let down.
I don’t want her to be prepared for us to disappoint her. As her Valtrue, and after everything we’ve already faced and will continue to, she needs to know and believe we aren’t going to disappoint her.
Creed’s unwavering stare moves to me, and I allow mine to go cold. He can read it through my eyes I don’t approve of his continued silent treatment when it comes to himself.
His lips tighten into flat lines, then his gaze moves to her. She ignores us all and continues to pretend to look over the map as the awkwardness grows. The monstrous scowl that unfortunately resembles our sperm donor’s gradually fades from his face as he takes a minute to observe her.
“A group of Plentifuls who were doing some land maintenance accidentally uprooted a fire-ivy plant. It’s poisonous and shouldn’t have been touched with their bare hands. Some healers are working on the burns it left on their skin. I have to go over there in a moment and take care of the remaining poison flowing through their blood.”
Her finger flinches and she turns her head toward him. “You can do that?”
“I can.”
