CHAPTER XV
NEW ALLIES
I didn’t talk to Keane for the rest of the night.
In fact, I had to turn my back to him at the edge of the bed when he joined, not even wanting to look at him.
The brothers continued their conversation after Alanna left, apprising Troy of everything that has happened since our trip to Red Falls and what the Ancient had in store for the Old World.
I sat completely quiet through it all, not even caring that Troy looked at me with a new-found awe after hearing of my relationship with Hirovale.
I found myself disconnected from the rest of the talk, remaining just as silent as Elena was as the family moved through their issues.
Two conversations were not brought up during the full of the conversation, however.
Both brothers didn’t mention what Esme told them of Renate’s past with her father and Zander.
I don’t know if too much had been said last night to try to approach the conversation or if they truly didn’t care enough about it, but the subject was not just not brought up.
My own personal conversation with Troy did not happen as well, another problem that was pushed to another day.
It was all I could do but sit up swiftly in my chair once the family concluded, moving quickly to my room as I shut the door firmly behind me.
Both Keane and Desmond stayed up late with themselves, no doubt talking about everything that transpired.
I don’t think I’d ever forgive them for the way they treated Alanna.
They were so quick to jump to suspicion, acting first and thinking later, that they actually threatened violence to get her to talk.
Wasn’t that exactly the kind of emotion Hirovale warned me about?
I couldn’t look Keane in the eyes this morning, just moved in silent anger as I laughed internally at how quickly our anger had switched.
I was the one who now left him in the room behind me, hearing him call my name with a heavy sigh before I left the cottage.
Both Holis and Canon were in the stables when I arrived, as were the Warrior and Knowledge soldiers and Troy’s own small set of traveling companions from Woodlands, all of them getting ready to depart.
I don’t know if it was the anger on my face or the new anguish that graced it once I noticed that Alanna’s horse was already gone, but all of the men quickly moved out of my way and let me saddle Millie in silence.
Stormfall was swift to fly atop my girl when I pushed my forehead against her neck in more anger. If Desmond did anything to hurt Alanna while they were gone, that would be the end of everything for me. Trust would be completely broken.
Do him and Keane know that their actions last night set a wedge in all the past travels with our group?
If we couldn’t even trust each other after everything we’d been through, then what were we even doing traveling together now?
It was almost reminiscent of the way they handled their ambush of Holis and Mana back in Fumagalli. I hated it.
Alanna, to her benefit, took the onslaught in stride. It was apparent that she believed her brother was dead.
“Alexis,” a cool voice makes me jump off Millie.
“Ancients, Troy,” I scowl and turn towards him.
The Prince narrows his blue eyes on me from his stance at the stall opening. Holis stands next to him, the look he me sends asking if I want him to remain.
“It’s fine, Holis,” I sigh, “my chat with the Prince is long overdue.”
Holis stares at me with his blue-green eyes, features quiet before he gives a small nod.
“I’ll be just around the corner.”
“Thank you.”
Troy watches Holis walk away, analyzing the Discerni quietly before his eyes come back to mine. He takes a small step towards Millie and rests a hand on her back.
“He was a part of your original crew, yes? The one that started with my father?”
“Yes,” I nod, analyzing the Prince myself.
Troy is clad in the full gear of Woodlands, wearing a pale green tunic that has silver etchings down the arms and chest. The collar at his neck is high, cutting against his angular jaw and the small blonde beard that now graces the bottom half of his face.
His features are still sharp, angles perfectly matching his cool blue eyes and the short blonde hair that rests on top of his head.
He stands quietly next to Millie, eyes landing on the black ring on my finger that’s gripping her mane.
“You sent a man to follow me, Troy,” I glance at him hard, ready to air my grievances.
“A friend,” he corrects, eyes flicking to mine.
“You seem to have an awful choice in friends.”
“You have no idea…”
I turn hard towards the Prince, letting him know what I thought of his so-called friend.
“He deserved to die.”
“For what crime?” Troy shakes his head in small disbelief, “traveling within his Kingdom?”
“For the things he believed about humans, Troy,” I glare at him. “For the things you told him about me. We had just been set upon by the Leviathans. He knew of them, knew of the Aireals and their interest in me. He was another man in the long list of those looking into me, because of you.”
“But that’s just it, Alexis,” he counters, “he was only just looking into you.”
I shake my head at him. “No Troy, it’s not just that. The things he said of humans… anyone with that kind of mindset should not be allowed to roam Disce freely, especially if they are only looking into a human.”
Troy takes a deep breath, watching me in his Discerni coolness. I keep my eyes trained on him, daring him to deny my sentiment.
“When did this start?” he asks.
“When did what start?”
“This anger within you, Alexis. This violence. I heard what you did to Esme. Everyone heard.”
“She deserved to die as well,” I reply steadily, holding his gaze.
“When?” he presses.
“Recently, Troy,” I glare back at him, “nearly around the same time I found out that you had been using me.”
Troy’s body goes completely still.
“You purposely sought me out,” my voice is quiet and full of anger, “you purposely put yourself in my life.”
The Prince’s features turn hard, hand gripping the back of Millie’s saddle. But his eyes remain steady and thoughtful, almost calm as he replies with no denial in his voice.
“Initially, yes, I did seek you out. I was curious about you and about my father’s interest in you. But not towards the end, Alexis. Never towards the end. I looked forward to our meetings in Bardot.”
My hand tightens in Millie’s mane as I stare back at him in genuine disbelief.
That can’t be true. We still met in secret.
You liked it, though, my mind reminds me.
I did. And now I can’t help but wonder, after everything I learned last night, if the secrecy was because Troy was looking out for himself. Was he hiding from those who would seek to harm him for being intimate with a human?
“Did you summon at all?” my voice goes quiet.
There’s no misunderstanding what my question is referencing.
“What?” he scowls, blue eyes glaring into mine, “no, Alexis, never. Those feelings were our own. I wouldn’t do that to you.”
“But you have,” I take a step towards him. “You knew me, Troy, when you purposely put yourself in front of me. You knew what I went through in Etter. You used your summoning on me when I was a girl. Did you never think to share that with me? To tell me the truth?”
“To what end? To see you run off to Woodlands and hurt yourself in revenge? No,” he shakes his head, “you were fine in Bardot, Alexis, happy. You had a good life there.”
“Common decency would be a great end,” I throw my hands up angrily, “or perhaps just a conversation of trust between two people. I told you things about myself, Troy! I talked to you about my non-remembrance of half my life. I trusted you! I gave you that trust in more ways than one and the whole time you knew everything about me while you feigned that you didn’t! ”
Ancients, I feel like such a fool. Just thinking about it makes me disgusted.
“But you’re wrong about my happiness in Bardot,” I sigh, trying to calm myself, “it was fading. I needed more, needed to see more. My own curiosity would have made its way to Woodlands eventually, with or without Keane. It would have been nice to have a friend with me when that time came...”
“I would have gone with you, Alexis,” he takes a timid step forward. “I told you that night at your room.”
No.
He doesn’t get to do that. Doesn’t get to be nice right now.
Isn’t that what he does? Stormfall peers at me from atop Millie, just like Isham. They tell you what you want to hear.
He seems genuine though, no? I turn to the Bird of Ash for help.
Hmm.
“It was too late,” I shake my head at the Prince, “and might I remind you that you also used your summoning on me that night.”
“I couldn’t get a read on you,” he replies, “that travel changed you. You were not the same person when you returned to Bardot. Everyone could see it.”
“No,” I chuckle. “I wasn’t.”
A small silence spreads between the two of us, gripping the stall as we stand staring at the other.
“You can’t want this, Alexis,” he says calmly, eyes moving back to my hand. “I saw the way he was with you last night. Completely possessive. A quick marriage? Even quicker children? A man holding you back from defending your friend? Is that the life you want?”
“Don’t bring him into this, Troy…”
“Why not? Everything that has changed about you started once you met him.”
“No,” I glare at him coolly, “everything began to change when your father set me on my travels two years ago. I yearned for more, Troy. My true self was already pushing through the contentment that you summoned into me. The girl you met from Etter eleven years ago was always there. She never left.”
“That girl couldn’t even look at another Woodlands Discerni without wanting to hurt them,” he replies.
“For good reason!” I look at him in disbelief.
The two of us stand in more silence, watching the other carefully. Millie pushes her head against my shoulder, her nose giving me an affectionate sniff as I run a hand up her neck.