“I’m aware. Amick spoke highly of her abilities in record keeping. Get to your point.”
“I don’t know exactly what she said to the High Chancellor, but whatever she called him out about, it landed her in one of those rooms. The same room you, your brothers, and Thayla faced.
“Just as you can see certain stains on soul, traumas leave different kinds of marks. I see those. I know the patterns. That night at dinner, I needed to walk away because Thayla’s reminded me so much of Lusia.”
My throat tightens to the point I can’t gulp.
“Do they still look similar?”
“No. Hers is lightening.” He drags his attention away from Thayla. “I was punished because I found Lusia after she was released from that room and I tried to help her. The High Chancellor found out and forbade me from helping anymore. I went back to her, though. I couldn’t help it. My power refused to do nothing.
“That was only day two of being out of that room and we were attempting to work through some of the fog. She couldn’t at that time, even remember why she was placed in that room. Then day three, we were caught again.”
“That’s when you were sent to Valveilious?”
“Yes, and Lusia Nighly was sent back to that room.”
My eyes close and I shake my head as I turn away from him. I pinch my lids tighter as the echoes of her prayers blare in my mind.
“You carry a guilt that isn’t yours to carry, Creed.”
“How could you possibly say that?”
“I see the difference. Guilt presents itself to me in shades of bronze. True guilt that comes from someone who is a wrongdoeris the brightest. Then it changes and fades. Guilt that’s really grief wearing a mask is the faintest.
“That appears when someone blames themselves for something they couldn’t have changed. That’s the shade that lit up behind your heart the second I said her name.”
Everything in my chest pulls tight. I attempt to lock it down, but I’m not fast enough.
Thayla’s gaze whips to me. As if she’s done playing with a toy that isn’t interesting to her anymore, she shoves Sevryn away and marches over to me.
I force my face to fall neutral and for my fucking soul to stop thrashing.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She doesn’t appreciate that one-word answer at all. “Not now.”
My look was supposed to convey the meaning ‘we have too many fucking people around.’ That isn’t how she takes it.
“Iric,” she says, giving him a tight smile.
“Thayla.” He dips his head. “I’ll leave you two.”
We silently stare at one another while he joins the others behind us. Even whatever Riven, Doren, and Kyzen are laughing about doesn’t deter her glare from mine.
“We’ll talk about this later.”
“No, we’ll talk now. Your later means long after you’ve distracted me and I’ve forgotten about it for days or even weeks.”
Yeah, I can’t deny that.
She isn’t going to let this go.
“Thayla and I are going for a walk,” I call over my shoulder.
“We’ll join.”
“No,” I bark at Kyzen, earning me a smack on the arm.
