Chapter 44
AIMILIA
Aimilia spent the whole night tossing and turning. Hypatia’s premonition haunted her, but not as much as almost kissing Nikias did.
Was Nikias right?
Had she wanted to do it just because she was grieving and lonely and he was there? Was it just because now she could admit, at least quietly to herself, that she found him particularly attractive?
Of course, she’d always acknowledged that he’d been handsome, but that was different from what she felt now.
It wasn’t just that he was handsome. He’d risked himself in order to save one of their men.
He’d used his own body as a shield for her.
He’d found that little girl and healed her, comforting her and thinking no one was watching.
He was a powerful mage and a very skilled commander, even though he didn’t often have opportunities to show it.
When they were at the estate, he’d never once gone after Hypatia. He’d never tried to get revenge on her or to one up her. Even now he kept his distance. Could it really be true that he let go of that desire for revenge? For Faustina? For himself?
Taking a beating because he wouldn’t even consider marrying anyone else…
In the early dawn light, Aimilia gave up on sleep and laid on her back, lacing her hands together and pressing them against her stomach. Heat rushed to her cheeks.
Yes, she couldn’t deny she was very attracted to a man like that.
Aimilia’s heart began racing all over again as Nikias’ words haunted her. She reached up and fiddled with her braid. She should have asked how long.
How long had he thought she was beautiful? How long had he been thinking about her hair?
The way he’d held her… How he had admitted to just how much he wanted her…
Aimilia pushed herself out of her cot and began pacing the small room she was in, hoping the movement would help her shake off her thoughts.
“Isn’t it obvious?”
No. It wasn’t obvious. It couldn’t be. It still didn’t make any sense to her.
It shouldn’t matter how beautiful he thought she was, or how much he admired her skill as a mage, that still wasn’t enough for any sane man to continue to pursue her after everything she’d said to him, and with his parents’ distinct, very physical disapproval, it just didn’t make sense.
There was nothing obvious about any of this to her.
And then, as soon as the thought struck her, Aimilia could almost see her.
Faustina’s ghost hovered in the corner of Aimilia’s eye, appearing like Aimilia’s thoughts had summoned her.
Not that she or anything was really there, but Aimilia remembered her so clearly that she could see her and almost feel her presence.
Because it was obvious. Not the way Nikias’ love for Faustina had been obvious.
Aimilia’s heart slowed and the flush that had overcome her eased. That was what didn’t make sense.
Aimilia didn’t understand how Nikias could say any of these things after he’d already had Faustina.
As Aimilia conjured her up in her mind, she couldn’t stop all the comparisons, despite the fact that Nikias had said he never should have made them. It didn’t matter.
Aimilia had said several times that she was second best to no one, but it was the biggest lie she’d ever told.
She was second best to Faustina, and in their youth Nikias had never let her forget it.
And then Aimilia was second best to Marcella, and Gavril’s adoration of her ensured Aimilia would never forget it.
For as beautiful as Nikias claimed he found Aimilia now, she would never be as beautiful as Faustina had been. For as much as Nikias claimed to admire Aimilia’s skill as a mage, that didn’t mean anything, because Nikias had never wanted Faustina for her skills as a mage.
And even if Faustina hadn’t been perfection incarnate then, she was now.
Nikias and Faustina hadn’t been married long before she died.
She’d died beautifully, tragically young.
All of Nikias’ memories of her would be from that short time.
To him, she would always be that beautiful, perfect woman that he’d loved first and last and above all others.
How could anyone compete with that?
But… Aimilia blinked and Faustina was gone. Nikias hadn’t once brought her up of his own volition.
What did it mean?
Aimilia didn’t know. All she knew was the fact that despite years of hating him and loving his brother, despite the things she’d seen him do with her own eyes, despite the fact that she had refused his proposal, Aimilia was falling in love with Nikias.
It didn’t make any sense. He wasn’t anything like Gavril, whom she had spent years loving before. But Nikias didn’t seem like the man he had used to be. Had he truly changed?
Aimilia pressed her hand over her heart. If that’s what this was… If this wasn’t simply physical attraction, and she was actually falling in love with him, where did that leave her?
It couldn’t be possible. It shouldn’t be possible.
Aimilia didn’t know how she had let this happen. She’d sworn to him that she would never marry him. She’d promised that she wouldn’t let anything change that. But there she was.
And she could no longer answer herself. She was terrified, nonetheless. If she was right, and what she was experiencing was falling in love again, would that really be so bad?
Aimilia couldn’t find an answer, not before it was time to leave. She would have to figure this all out later. They had already been delayed too long.
Aimilia joined the rest of the entourage in the town square, their horses loaded up and ready to go when Aimilia joined them. Nikias was already there, going over everything. His eyes lit up when they landed on her and he smiled.
He was very handsome when he smiled, even more so because he did it so rarely, and it made Aimilia a little weak in the knees, having it so blatantly directed at her. She couldn’t help her smile in return, even as her stomach spun in knots.
Was she really nervous just to see Nikias? Was she really fretting about whether she’d chosen the right braid to catch his attention?
Aimilia didn’t like this. It had been so long since she’d felt anything like this.
But, was it really so bad? Nikias really wasn’t that bad.
Aimilia quickly helped finish getting everything ready for their departure, and Konstantin and Hypatia appeared, striding out of the home that had been hosting them. Aimilia froze by her horse, holding the reins in one hand.
Hypatia looked much better this morning than she had last night. She seemed to be sufficiently recovered. Although, the deep bags under her eyes betrayed the fact that she wasn’t as well as she might want everyone to believe. She pulled away from Konstantin as Konstantin headed straight for Nikias.
Aimilia held her breath when Hypatia’s gaze landed on her. Hypatia’s premonition crept up on her. A dog barking. Falling. An explosion. What did it mean? A no-win scenario.
Hypatia came to a stop in front of her. While Hypatia was taller than Marcella, she wasn’t quite as tall as Aimilia. The curly-haired woman, who wore the face of Aimilia’s dear friend, looked up at her and said, “I’m here because my husband insisted.”
“I told him that you didn’t make me come. I went of my own volition.” Aimilia kept her voice low so Nikias wouldn’t hear.
Hypatia nodded. “Good. Then if he should ask, I apologized for dragging you into something I had no right to. But I think we both know you’d rather know something about your future than nothing.”
“I just wish I knew what to do with that information,” Aimilia admitted.
Hypatia stepped closer, looking over her shoulder at Nikias and Konstantin, who were in their own hushed conversation.
Then she looked back at Aimilia’s hand, eyes landing on the ring Nikias had given her.
“Then you have good fortune. I had another premonition about you. Or rather, when I held that ring.”
Aimilia released the reins, curling her fingers into a fist and pressing the ring into her other hand, hiding it from view. Aimilia whispered, “What? What did you See?”
“It was just a premonition, so I can’t give you anything specific.
It was this… overwhelming sense of an illusion.
I know your people are skilled with magic, but what I felt didn’t feel like an illusion of a magical sort.
The person who gave you that ring is hiding behind a facade.
Well, it may not be the person who gave it to you, but someone connected to that ring, something is not what it appears to be.
There was an intentionality behind it. Almost a sense of manipulation…
” Hypatia blinked, pulling her gaze away from the ring and back to Aimilia’s face.
The haze in her eyes faded. “I hope that helps you figure out what trap someone has in store for you.”
Aimilia’s heart dropped. All the warmth left her body. Hypatia couldn’t be—
Aimilia took a deep breath. “Thank you, I appreciate that. I will be wary.”
Hypatia smiled and said, “Good. Then my duty as a seer is fulfilled. Best of luck to you in your pursuits. I will give Gavril and Marcella your best.”
“I appreciate that. Thank you. Be careful with that Stonai.”
Hypatia lifted her chin. “We will. I’m not going to let them get the best of us. No one attacks my people and gets away with it.”
Then Hypatia swept away, but even as she walked away from them entirely, her eyes landed on her husband and Nikias. Aimilia pressed the ring into her stomach.
She watched Nikias as well. An illusion. No. Hypatia had been right at the end. It wasn’t a simple magical illusion. It was a manipulation.
Aimilia knew it certainly wouldn’t be her doing it. Of the two people connected to this ring, there was only one that had proven to be a masterful manipulator.
Aimilia didn’t learn, did she?
As she stared at Nikias, hadn’t she already seen all of this before?
This wasn’t new, was it?
No. Aimilia shook her head and turned back to her horse. Hypatia hadn’t said anything specific. She just said there was some kind of manipulation, not what it was or who it was directed at. But… There was a trap. Aimilia was going to be stuck in a no-win scenario.
And hadn’t she done this all before?
No.
She wasn’t going to let Hypatia’s vague premonitions get into her head. For all she knew, even if she believed in Hypatia’s Sight, that didn’t mean what she saw was relevant toward Aimilia right now. For all she knew, these things were fifty years in the future.
Nikias wasn’t the same man that had manipulated her before. He’d changed.
Aimilia stared at him as Konstantin walked away. Nikias directed a dark look toward Hypatia.
He’d changed, right?