Chapter 11
AIMILIA
“We received another raven.”
Aimilia froze halfway through the door at Marcella’s voice. Aimilia had already had her mouth open, ready to catch Gavril and Marcella up on everything that had happened and beg Gavril to find some way to also judge the entrance exams so she could have an ally, but that was going to have to wait.
“You have? What did she say?” Aimilia closed the door behind her and hurried into Gavril and Marcella’s quarters.
“She wasn’t happy with our answer, that much was clear even in her words.” Gavril huffed from his spot, lying back on the bed hands over his face. Marcella leaned against the bedpost.
“She said our knowledge wasn’t good enough.” Marcella’s voice deepened and her face twisted as she mimicked Hypatia, even though they were already identical. “‘What would we know holed up in the Academy?’ She wants to know if Nikias knows anything.”
“And she can’t have Konstantin write to Nikias about it?” Aimilia asked.
Gavril uncovered his face and turned to face Aimilia. “Do you think Nikias would tell Hypatia’s husband anything either? Especially when asking implies they are having trouble with the Elemens. Plus with Nikias—” His voice devolved into a groan.
“Were things easier or harder when the two of them were trying to kill each other?” Aimilia asked, coming over to join Marcella as Gavril swung up into a sitting position.
“Might be harder now to keep them from going back to killing each other,” Marcella muttered.
“Look, you know I’m always ready to commit treason and risk my neck for you two.
I’m just sorry Nikias won’t let me near anything that matters so I’m useless, especially stuck here in Areator.
” Aimilia glanced at the window. “The only good thing about it is that you two are at least here in my misery with me.”
Marcella and Gavril exchanged a look Aimilia really didn’t like.
“No. No! Don’t tell me—”
“Look, the only way we might be able to sort out whatever has Hypatia in enough of a tizzy to keep writing us is if we see her ourselves and bring her some form of news. Not to mention, we might not have a choice in the matter—” Gavril cut himself off again as Marcella stepped forward and took Aimilia’s hands.
“Will you help us?”
Aimilia squeezed her hands. “Always, but how much help can I be when Nikias is keeping me here to toy with me as revenge?”
“Come with us to convince Nikias that Gavril and I must go see Hypatia and bring her news from us about the Elemens, or lack thereof.”
Aimilia pulled her hands back. Had Marcella lost her mind? “And how does that help you? If anything, you should be asking me to be on the other end of the city.”
Gavril pushed off the bed, raising an eyebrow.
“You know I support you wholly and completely against Nikias, and not to bring up the dreaded topic again, but he was willing to marry you. Surely you don’t still doubt just how highly he thinks of your opinion even if you two are always getting into spats—usually instigated by you, again, he deserves it. ”
Aimilia laughed, leaning back against the sill.
“Please, Nikias has never once respected anything I’ve had to say to him.
He proposed because he wants a woman who can make babies for him and not completely ruin the kingdom.
I just happened to be the first one standing in front of him when he came to that decision and he read my guilty conscience as feelings for him. ”
Marcella threw her hands up and muttered, “Blind.”
Aimilia glared at her while Gavril said, “Look, it pains me to tell you this, but it’s true. Nikias does respect you and your input, even if it doesn’t look like it. I’ve heard it from his mouth myself.”
Aimilia scoffed. “Please, when would he ever have said anything complimentary about me?”
“Last year, when he was trying to convince me to give up on Marcella. I was working on the Heart and he gave a whole spiel about you. It was the first time I’d ever heard him say so many good things about you.”
Aimilia raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so he started saying nice things about me when I was doing what he wanted me to? Of course he was. Let me guess, he tried to argue his way into getting what he wanted by making me look like the practical option?”
Gavril glanced at Marcella, shifting back and wincing a little. “Basically.”
Aimilia dug her nails into her arm to distract herself from the way the scars still lingering on her heart flared at the reminder she hadn’t been enough for him.
“And Nikias was just as unconvincing to you as he was to me. But fine. If you two insist, I’ll go, but I really don’t think having me there to help you plead your case is a wise move.
Not even taking into account the disastrous proposal, but the three of us are the trio responsible for everything that occurred a few months ago which resulted in the woman you want to go visit torturing Nikias.
Do you really want to risk reminding Nikias of that? ”
“I will risk it.” Marcella’s accent thickened with her voice. “Please, come.”
Marcella practically threw Aimilia at the door to Nikias’ study, forcing her to knock. “Nikias?”
There was the sound of a chair moving on the other side of the door and a choked, “Aimilia?”
“Obviously.”
She moved for the doorknob, but it was already flying open and she nearly fell into Nikias’ chest. Thankfully she caught herself on the frame, looking up at him.
Nikias tilted his head as he looked down at her. “What are you doing here?”
Aimilia didn’t like how close he was, or the fact that he was only looking at her and hadn’t even seen his brother standing in the hallway as well.
She took a step back and gestured to Gavril and Marcella. “We are here to speak to you. Do you have a minute? It’s important.”
Nikias’ gaze flickered from her to Gavril and Marcella, and the light in his eyes dimmed. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
Aimilia shot Marcella a pointed look. The three of them were trouble to Nikias. Marcella said, “Probably not, but it is important.”
Gavril placed his hand on Marcella’s shoulder, squeezing it.
Nikias stepped back with a long sigh and gestured for them to come in. Aimilia hurried in since the sooner they started, the sooner it was over. Marcella and Gavril came in after and as Nikias shut the door she heard him mutter something about “too good to be true.”
Aimilia found a spot off to the corner and settled in to wait, hoping maybe if she wasn’t directly in his line of sight he would forget about her and just focus on Marcella and Gavril. The less Nikias thought about her the better.
Gavril kept one arm wrapped around Marcella, and Aimilia didn’t know if the distrust and anger would ever truly leave Gavril’s eyes when Marcella and Nikias were in the same room together. It had eased quite a bit, but it wasn’t gone.
The way grief clung to Nikias even years after Faustina’s death was the way Gavril’s fury clung to him now.
Like the way Marcella’s scars clung to her skin, some things couldn’t be fully erased.
Aimilia was starting to believe her guilt was going to be hers. Unfortunate, since she still believed it had been the only option they’d had in order to end the war, but that didn’t change the consequences.
Finally, Marcella and Gavril finished explaining the messages from Hypatia and their desire to go see her in person and get to the bottom of what had spurred this in the first place.
Nikias was sitting in his chair, looking at his brother and sister-in-law with that cold, marble impassivity, and yet, even as Aimilia stood off to the side her skin still crawled like he was looking at her.
“You think there’s any way to understand the demon’s actions or unhinged ramblings?” Nikias scoffed, leaning back in his chair. Aimilia couldn’t tell if the dark look in his eyes was just dark or wild as well. Could he be reasoned with?
“I think the fact that she’s writing means something,” Marcella said. “Not anything good.”
“She wants you to spy on me and gather information.” Nikias tilted his head. “Hardly the actions of an ally.”
Could they trust this composed facade?
“But not worth going to war over either.” Gavril stepped forward.
“You think she’s asking because the Stonai Elemens have been giving them trouble?” Nikias asked, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a map. He spread it out over his desk, running his finger over the border between the Stonai and the clans.
“Or she had a vision about them,” Marcella said, peering around Gavril and looking at where Desero’s lands were marked on the map.
Nikias’ lip curled up at the mention of Hypatia’s ability. “I hardly see how that is any of our concern. If the Stonai are moving in against her, she deserves it. So far, no, we haven’t had any issues with any of the Elemens. So, they’re her problem. I have plenty of my own to deal with.”
“And the treaty you signed with blood?” Gavril put his hand out in front of Marcella as he spoke.
The air in the room turned to ice as Nikias stiffened. Aimilia wished she’d chosen a spot closer to a window to throw herself out of.
“What about it?”
Nikias spoke each word like throwing a knife.
Marcella looked over her shoulder, right at Aimilia, and jerked her head. Aimilia’s eyes widened. What did Marcella want her to do?
Marcella jerked her head again for Aimilia to come forward.
She took a few steps, and Gavril and Nikias both turned and looked at her. Nikias’ hand was clenched so tightly she was expecting to see his blood any second.
“Nikias…” Aimilia swallowed. “The treaty did say we would aid the clans if they are attacked by the Elemens. And they would do the same for us.”
Nikias hand loosened and he laid his palm flat on the map, resting his other elbow on the arm of his chair.
“I am aware of that. And if they were attacked by the Stonai, we would have heard about it. Also, if the demon wants my help, she’s going to have to come to me directly, not try to use my brother and his wife to force my hand.
She knows—” Nikias shook his head and looked down at the map, his hair falling into his eyes. “This must be something else.”
Marcella pushed at Gavril’s arm, only succeeding in lowering it slightly. “All we’re asking is that you give us your approval to approach Hypatia in peace, on your behalf, to get to the bottom of it.”
Nikias twitched. What did they need Aimilia for? It was clear Nikias had a hard time arguing with Marcella. He looked sick, actually. Good. If Aimilia was going to be haunted by her guilt, then he should be too.
Nikias’ head shot up. “You two want to leave Areator?”
“We might not have much of a choice—” Gavril started, glancing so quickly at Aimilia, she herself almost missed if not for the glare the action earned him from Nikias.
“You do not need to worry about that. I have taken care of it. I will take care of it.” Nikias’ gaze also flickered to Aimilia. What were they talking about?
He looked back at Gavril and Marcella. Gavril was openly gaping at him, and Aimilia was completely lost. Nikias spoke through gritted teeth. “The two of you will always have a place in here in Areator. I will make sure of it. You will not ever need to ask that demon for anything.”
“We’re not asking her. We’re asking you,” Marcella said.
If the two of them were so convinced Aimilia could be the deciding factor for him…
Aimilia reached Nikias’ desk, one hand brushing the edge. His eyes landed on her. “Is it not better for you to have Gavril and Marcella be the ones sending you information than the other way around?”
Nikias took a long deep breath, holding it as long as he held Aimilia’s gaze before finally releasing it.
“I see your point.” Nikias turned back to Marcella and Gavril. “I will send you. After the entrance exams. Send word to that husband who is unfortunate enough to be trapped with her. I’m sure he will appreciate the attempts at diplomacy.”
Marcella clasped her hands together and smiled at Nikias while Gavril pulled her into his side. Nikias ducked his head, hair falling into his face for a moment. His hand on the desk twitched and Aimilia pulled her hand back and shifted away now that her job was done.
Nikias stared at the desk and Aimilia watched him, but he gave nothing away.
Maybe Marcella had been right. Nikias had listened to her.
She narrowed her eyes at him. What was he up to?