Chapter 48
AIMILIA
“Ithink you’ll find I am working to find the best solution for all of the parties involved in this, including you. A little gratitude wouldn’t be out of place.”
Aimilia had thought the agony she’d been in the last few months was the worst she’d ever experienced. Then Gavril came through those gates with a Sordes she-wolf on his horse and in his cloak.
Reality was finally settling in. How could it not after the dinner she’d just attended with the royal family?
“Marcella. My wife. That’s her name.”
And then Gavril had had the gall to look directly at her as he drove the dagger in deeper, reminding her that it wasn’t her.
But Aimilia loved Gavril the way she breathed, so she’d voiced her support as delicately as she could even though every second sitting beside him and seeing another woman’s name on his wrist clawed at the already tattered shreds of her heart.
She was so sick of crying. It had been all she’d done as of late, but she couldn’t seem to stop. Not until there was no water left in her to cry out.
Aimilia had cried herself dry again, sitting in her room at the palace, curled up in a chair beside the window. After being discovered last time, she wasn’t eager to go find somewhere else to cry. The last thing she needed was to see Nikias in this state.
She was tired of being sad.
Aimilia stared at the moon shining above Areator, its light striking her face.
No.
She had made Gavril a promise that night she would be his ally, but when tomorrow came he would have to deal with the Aimilia whose heart he’d broken.
Midnight came and went.
Aimilia’s fury began to bubble up in her veins.
How dare he?
She didn’t care what he might have said to his parents to cover his tracks. All that mattered was the fact that there was now a she-wolf taking Aimilia’s place. Gavril had chosen a she-wolf over her.
She’d been his closest friend, his most loyal and staunchest defender for years. She’d loved him down to the depths of her soul and showed it with every breath she breathed.
And he chose to throw that all away for the first she-wolf who threw herself at him.
A knock sounded on her door. Aimilia blinked. Who would possibly be there so late? If it was Gavril—
“Commander? Are you awake?”
Nikias?
As if the night couldn’t be any stranger. Not only had he invited her to be his companion at the royal family’s dinner, but he was at her door so late at night? What was he thinking?
Aimilia scrambled out of her chair and hurried to the door. She pulled it open, catching herself on it, looking up at Nikias in the darkness. His black chiton and cloak made it hard to even see him in it. She kept her voice low. “What are you doing here?”
Nikias gestured to her room. “I’ll explain if you let me in. The longer you leave me standing out here, the more likely someone might see.”
There was a familiar echo to his words and she scowled at him as she backed away, letting him in the way he had once let her into his study when she’d come to him for help.
That time before her graduation tournament felt like a lifetime ago.
A short brief period where everything seemed perfect, at least for her.
Those afternoons with Gavril and Nikias, where she and Nikias were united over something for once, sparring and planning, it all might as well have happened to someone else.
“You better have a good reason for being here,” Aimilia said as she shut the door behind Nikias, pressing herself against it.
Nikias stepped into her room, eyes quickly scanning over it. Not that there was much to see. Aimilia had some possessions, but nothing too extravagant. Finally, Nikias turned, casting a light rune and setting it to the wall to help illuminate the room. He said, “Of course I do.”
Aimilia crossed her arms. “Then get to it. If you don’t explain, I’m going to begin to think you’re here of your own volition just to see me.”
Something flashed in Nikias’ otherwise marble expression. “And what if I am? Is seeing you not a good enough reason?”
Aimilia let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Please, if you’re going to lie to me, at least make it a believable one.”
“I’m here because I need your help.”
Aimilia shook her head. “No, you don’t.”
Nikias blinked at her, lips twitching. He said, “And here I thought you would be crowing about your victory, finally hearing me say that.”
Aimilia pushed off the door with her foot. Her sandals had long been discarded and the soles of her feet pressed against the cold stone. “What could you possibly need my help for?”
Nikias shifted his head and said, “Well, to be more precise, Gavril needs your help.”
Her hand cut through the air. “Come on, you already used that one when you convinced me to come to dinner. How many times do you think that will work on me?”
Nikias raised an eyebrow, his words coming out bitter and biting. “You’re in love with him. It’ll always work on you.”
“And look where it got me.” Aimilia’s hands fell to her sides with a slap. “So much for what you said about Gavril finally proposing when he returned. Well, I suppose you weren’t entirely wrong, you were just wrong that it would be to me.”
“This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. This wasn’t my plan.” Nikias’ eyes fell to her bare wrist. “You know that.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter what either of us planned on now.” Aimilia crossed her arms again, burying it in the folds of her peplos.
“You can’t give up on him. You love him too much for that. And he loves you. How could he not? You—” Nikias cut himself off abruptly, instead just taking in a sharp breath.
When he didn’t continue, she asked, “Why do you care anyway?”
“Aimilia, there are no two people more furious about what has happened than the two standing in this room right now. You’re not the only one who lost when Gavril came through those gates with that she-wolf,” Nikias snapped, eyes burning as he took a step toward her.
Aimilia didn’t like that look in his eyes, but she wouldn’t be cowed.
Her own fury held her in place. “And? It’s over.
Don’t you see it was over the second Gavril caught that girl?
Of course I’m furious, and of course I don’t want Gavril to just get away with this, but what am I supposed to do?
” Her voice broke, but she had no tears left.
She spoke more softly this time. “It doesn’t matter what excuses he gives to justify himself. It’s over.”
Nikias shook his head, and he stepped closer. Aimilia’s breath flew out of her lungs as Nikias said, “Not yet it’s not.”
“For you maybe!” Aimilia laughed.
He grabbed her arm and held her in place, green eyes dark as his voice lowered.
“My brother brought back the wrong girl, a she-wolf who will be the greatest agony he will ever know. The demon who killed my wife got away and by now she’s married, and she’s getting the life she stole from me.
All I have is a she-wolf who looks like her in my palace, taunting me with the same face that took my wife from me and laughed.
Do you think I will ever know peace again? ”
Aimilia couldn’t run if she wanted to. The intensity in his eyes wouldn’t let her. And… she didn’t want to.
“What are you proposing?”
“A way for us both to get what we want.” His other hand came up and held her by the other shoulder. There was something almost earnest in his voice as he said, “If you do this with me, I will give you everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Aimilia’s throat tightened as she whispered, “Gavril is the only thing I’ve ever wanted.”
His grip tightened and he stared at her, her words hanging between them in the silence, punctured only by Nikias’ breaths. He stared down into her eyes, and Aimilia had no idea what could be in them that would require so much study.
Was he judging the truth of her words? If there was only one thing Nikias knew about her, it should be her love for Gavril. It was burned into her soul, so deep she could live a thousand years without seeing him again and still it would be within her.
After loving him, there was no loving anyone else.
Nikias had to see in her eyes her love for Gavril was cut from the same cloth as his love for Faustina.
They would both go to their graves never loving another.
“Then…” Nikias’ grip eased. “That is what you will get. I am promising you now, Aimilia, I will do everything in my power to give you what you want.” He swallowed. “Undeserving of you as he might be right now, if my brother is who you want… I will make sure you get Gavril back.”
“How? He’s married. There’s no undoing what’s been done.”
“Trust me. I have a plan, and when all of this is over, Gavril will be grateful we saved him before this she-wolf destroys him completely. He’ll see how loyal you are, and when he sees how much you love him, even through this, he will be on his knees begging for your forgiveness and your hand.
He’ll break out of the spell this she-wolf has over him, and nothing will ever make him doubt his love for you ever again. ”
Aimilia wanted to believe him more than she’d ever wanted to believe a word out of Nikias’ mouth before.
But…
“What about what you want?”
Nikias stared at her, and she’d never seen that look in his eyes before.
She couldn’t identify it. It certainly wasn’t the annoyance he usually looked at her with.
There was so little distance between them, but it cut through what little there was.
Had Aimilia ever been this close to Nikias before?
With the way he was looking at her it was hard to remember. It was hard to even think.
Her heart raced in her chest. Had Nikias ever looked at anyone this way?
“Aimilia… I want…” His hand came up around the religo scars on his wrist as he didn’t break her gaze. His voice was husky and ragged as he said, “It doesn’t matter what I want. The woman I love is wholly out of my reach. Since I cannot have what I desire, I will have justice in its place.”