Chapter 17
Cyra
I was at the vineyard the next morning when I felt the surge of Bressen’s overwhelming relief tinged with anger reach me all the way from Tide’s End. It made me lightheaded for a second, but I caught myself before I spilled the wine I’d been tasting down the front of my shirt.
Bressen? Is everything alright? I asked into his mind.
Can you come home? he responded a second later. I finally heard from Samhail, and he has a bit of a situation.
I portaled home immediately with Surgeon and Serise, and we found Bressen in his study.
He pulled me into a long embrace as soon as I stepped through and buried his face in my hair.
I hadn’t realized just how worried he’d been about Samhail, and I hugged him back hard, letting him release his worry silently in my arms.
“What’s going on?” I asked when he pulled back. “Where’s Samhail?”
“Samhail sent a message leaf,” he said, his voice lighter than I’d heard in days. “He and the assassin found a Rown encampment in the middle of Derridan. They followed a band of soldiers back from a village the men raided, and he and the assassin attacked the encampment.”
“Gods above,” I said. “Are they alright?”
“I assume they’re both fine,” he said, “but thankfully Samhail realized the situation warranted bringing me into the loop finally. Can you open a portal there?”
He handed me the message leaf Samhail sent that included directions on where to find them.
“You won’t overreact when we get there?” I asked.
He raised a brow. “Overreact?”
“You won’t attack Talyn or Samhail?”
He gave me a look that said I was being ridiculous. “Of course I’m not going to attack Samhail.”
“Or Talyn?” I pressed.
He pursed his lips together.
“Promise me, or I won’t open this portal,” I said. Then I added into his mind, And I won’t open other things tonight.
His lips curled into a wicked grin. Do you really think that’s a promise you can keep?
It probably wasn’t, but I wouldn’t admit that.
“Promise me you won’t attack the assassin,” I said instead.
He sighed. “Fine. I promise.”
I waited a few seconds to double-check the color of his skin, but there was no red glow.
“I sent a message to Aidan as well,” Bressen said.
“What? You know he’s not actually Aidan. We can’t-”
“We have to proceed as if we don’t know Aidan isn’t Aidan,” he interrupted.
“It’s not ideal to bring him in, but at least we can control the situation this way.
We can’t give him any reason to suspect we know something isn’t right, and if he finds out we went into Derridan without telling him, it will only complicate things.
For now, we play along.” He paused. “And not a word to Samhail or the assassin just yet.”
“You’d keep this from Samhail?” I asked.
“Just for a little while,” he said. “I’m not looking forward to breaking it to him that Morland survived death yet again.”
That was fair enough. Samhail had a special hatred for Morland after the man had almost used him to kill Bressen decades ago, and Samhail hadn’t taken it well when he’d learned Morland was still alive the first time.
I didn’t envy Bressen the job of telling him it had happened again.
Or that it was my fault. I only hoped Samhail would forgive me for that part.
I nodded, then turned and opened the portal to Derridan.
The first thing I saw was Samhail’s huge form standing next to a table spread with papers.
I caught only a glimpse before he stepped back quickly away from Talyn, but it had looked like he’d had his body pressed against hers as he leaned over her.
I didn’t have time to react before Bressen stepped in front of me to block my view.
“Samhail,” he drawled, his own mask of cool collectedness back in place now that he knew Samhail was safe. “I was starting to think you forgot about us. It was a pleasant surprise to get your message.”
He was trying to keep his anger in check by dampening it behind his swagger, but I felt his rage grow as his eyes landed on the assassin, and I suddenly wasn’t so sure he’d be able to keep the promise he’d just made.
Now that he knew Samhail was safe and his relief had passed, his dark angelus side was clamoring to be set free.
The two of us stepped through the portal, followed by Surgeon and Serise, and I closed it before coming to stand next to Bressen.
Samhail eyed us both warily. “I understand you don’t agree with how I handled things,” he said to Bressen, “but I had my reasons for doing things this way.”
“I suspect I know your reasons,” Bressen said, his attention landing on Talyn again, “but what makes you think I don’t agree?”
“You sent them after us,” Samhail said, eyeing Surgeon and Serise.
Bressen smiled and inclined his head toward the gargoyles. “And you sent them back with holes in their hands. Or rather, the assassin did.”
“They deserved it,” Talyn and Samhail said at the exact same time, and my brows arched.
Behind us, the two gargoyles growled softly.
Serise was right. Something had clearly changed between Samhail and Talyn. A few days ago, he’d been ready to kill her, as Bressen had. Now the two of them seemed…close.
Talyn was a beautiful woman, and Samhail had once told me gargoyles rarely passed up the chance to have sex, especially if it was with a beautiful woman. It made me think Serise had been right in her assessment.
“At least the verdict is unanimous,” Bressen said, chuckling.
We need to handle this carefully, I said into Bressen’s mind. Something is definitely going on between the two of them.
He’s fucked her, Bressen responded.
Something lurched in the pit of my stomach. I’d known the day would come that I’d have to confront the idea of Samhail taking other women to bed, but to have Bressen confirm it so bluntly…I just wasn’t prepared for that. Serise’s theory was one thing, but Bressen knew Samhail better than her.
You know that for sure? I asked. Did you read it in his mind?
I don’t need to read it in his mind. I can read it in his face and in the bulge in his pants he’s trying to hide.
I tried not to look, but my eyes flicked quickly to Samhail’s groin. I couldn’t see anything since Talyn was in front of him, but Bressen had a better angle.
All the more reason to tread carefully, I said. You may recall, unbridled lust can make men do strange things.
Bressen scoffed into my mind.
“What I think Bressen means to say,” I said finally, “is that we were worried about you, Samhail.”
“I understand,” he said, “and I apologize for worrying you, but I needed to do it this way to give you deniability.” He looked at Bressen. “As you’re aware, I can get away with things you can’t in your role as a Lord of the Triumvirate.”
“So you were protecting me?” Bressen said, crossing his arms.
“In a way,” Samhail said.
“Or were you protecting someone else?” Bressen asked, looking pointedly at Talyn.
“That’s not what I was doing,” Samhail insisted, then looked at me.
I wasn’t surprised to see a slight rosy hue bloom on his skin, as if he’d spent too long in the sun today, but I forced myself to keep my face neutral. I suspected Samhail didn’t even realize it was a lie. He’d looked at me, seeking confirmation he was telling the truth, but I couldn’t give it.
“Regardless of your motivations,” Bressen went on, “now would be a good time to tell us what in the three hells is going on.”
“I need a favor first,” Samhail said.
“Oh?” Bressen said.
“Talyn was injured in the fight against the soldiers.” Samhail turned to me. “Can you heal her?”
I opened my mouth to speak but stopped short when the resounding No from Bressen boomed in my mind.
We’ve been over this already, I replied. I won’t refuse to heal someone who’s injured.
Bressen had already tried to keep me from healing Talyn’s broken ribs the day we found her, and he’d lost that battle, as he’d lose this one.
“I’m happy to do what I can. We just need to have Lord Aidan join us first,” I said.
I turned and opened another portal behind me so Aidan could step through, followed by Maziren.
“Someone needs to start explaining now,” Aidan said as I closed the portal behind him and his captain. “What’s going on? Why are you all in Derridan?”
“I’ll explain in a minute,” Samhail said. “First, Cyra needs to-”
“Why don’t you go talk to Bressen and Aidan outside,” I suggested. “I’ll stay here and take care of Talyn.”
“No!” Samhail and Bressen both said together, and I raised a brow.
“Talyn and I will be perfectly fine here on our own. Won’t we?” I said, turning to her. “I assume you’re not planning to assassinate anyone?”
The woman frowned but nodded. “No assassinations today, my lady. I don’t mean you any harm.”
“She speaks the truth,” I told Bressen, and his mouth thinned.
Cyra-
I’ll be fine, I said, cutting off his protest. Maybe she’ll talk to me if it’s just the two of us. We were starting to become friends before all this.
I wasn’t as certain about that as I sounded, but I liked to think I’d been breaking through Talyn’s shell. She’d still tried to get into our room one night to kill me and Bressen, but maybe she wouldn’t have gone through with it. Maybe.
“Fine,” Samhail said as he turned back to Bressen. “This way.”
Bressen, Samhail, Aidan, and Maziren all left the tent, but Surgeon and Serise didn’t budge.
“Please go outside and guard the entrance,” I said to them.
The twins exchanged glances.
“My lady, I don’t think-” Serise started to say, but I cut her off.
“Talyn and I will be fine alone,” I said. “Please go guard the entrance.”
They exchanged another look but turned reluctantly and went outside.
I looked at Talyn when the flap of the tent closed behind the gargoyles, but she avoided my gaze.
“So Talyn, is it?” I asked lightly. “It’s nice to meet the real you.”
She met my eyes finally, and there was a strange mix of regret and defiance in her look.
“You have an injury I should heal?” I asked, determined not to let the awkwardness keep me from doing what Samhail had asked me to do, or what Aramis would’ve expected me to do.