Page 223 of The Mortal Trials

For tossing Torsten out of my house and into the sea.

For bringing me here. Giving me clothes. Making me feel comfortable. Sharing your bed. Having breakfast with me.

Sitting with me the first night. Covering the fresco the next morning.

For being my ally. And my friend.

A brilliant, ornery grin forms on his lips as he lifts his cup of juice.

“What?”

His shoulders rise and fall. “Just imagining how Torsten’s face looks today.”

I snort. “Hopefully worse than mine.”

“Freyja might take her cloak back when she hears how miserably he failed.”

I quirk a brow. “Think he’ll tell her the truth?”

August thinks about it for a few breaths. “I wouldn’t lie to a goddess. Especially that one. But then again, I’m pretty sure I’m smarter than Torsten.”

“Definitely,” I laugh.

After breakfast, we walk next door.

Niall comes out of his house right as August and I are about to enter mine. He glances pointedly between us. His brows furrow at the sight of me wearing nothing but an obviously borrowed tee shirt and boxer shorts, walking home with Aymes.

He raises a hand and waves; I ignore it.

The mess is so much worse than I realized. I manage to find a pair of shorts, pluck a bra from beneath the smashed table, and even unearth a shirt before walking into the bathing room to change.

Other than some towels tossed on the floor, the bathing room is fine. I tug on my clothes, pulling my hair into a twist that probably won’t stay since I have no idea where he threw my hair ties, and walk back out when I hear August questioning Niall in a low, threatening tone.

“I had no idea,” Niall stresses, his hands up. “None.”

Niall’s expression darkens when he takes in the bruises on my throat. I walk closer and stare at him so he can see the veins that had burst in the whites of my eyes. I glanced once in the mirror just now and saw them. Now I want him to look.

My voice is rusty. “He didn’t tell you he was going after my spear?”

“No! I mean, I figured some people who didn’t get weapons would try to steal them, but he never mentioned anything. We just looked around the palaestra to see how it was equipped and laid out. Then Torsten said he was tired and asked if we’d meet him back there at midday today. When he left, I thought he was going home to shower and sleep.”

“You should ask your little friend Veronia if she knew.” I bend down to pick up the first of many pieces of splintered wood. This one used to be part of my last remaining chair.

He’s quiet for a long minute, which speaks volumes. He thinks she could have, might have, known about Torsten’s plan. And if she did, she didn’t mention it to him. Maybe she thought Niall would try to stop him or warn me. I’m not sure what he would have done if he knew what Torsten planned to do. But the other possibility is that they don’t trust Niall.

“You should be careful with the company you keep. If he’d do this to Callalie, he’ll do it to you,” August advises.

Niall bristles. “It’s not like I can choose other allies. The gods separated us!”

“Get out, Niall.” I don’t want to hear how he’s going to run back to the bastards when the sun peaks. I don’t want to hear his voice anymore.

“What?” he asks. “No, I want to help!”

“I don’t want your help. I don’t want you here. We’ve been over this. Nothing’s changed.”

He sighs and puts his hands on his hips. “Callalie.”

“Get out!” I hurl the piece of wood and it smacks the wall beside his head. “And good luck with your new friends. When you feel a blade in your back, you’ll know who put it there.”