Malin – Agreement #3
Once again, bile rose hot in Malin’s throat.
She would be shocked if she could leave this tent without throwing up after this conversation.
He was a monster. She desperately wanted to scorch the smirk off his face, and again, she was grateful for the amulet stopping her magic from killing yet another.
Will released a low, vibrating growl, his jaw locked in pure fury. Malin let out a long, steadying breath of warm air as she tried very hard not to elbow him on the side.
Darik blinked before sweeping into a mocking, formal bow. “Until we meet again, Duchess. Please let your mother know our agreement is complete.”
He strode away to draft his new treaties. Malin stared at his retreating back, wondering what he could have meant by his last comment.
Will’s protective grip remained locked tightly around her waist. Instead of leaning into him, she firmly peeled his arm away and stepped out of his reach.
“You let him fawn all over you,” Will growled.
Malin stared at him, pure disbelief temporarily masking her anger. “He just handed me the device to save my mother. I was managing a political alliance, Will, and then I put him in his place.” She shoved the satchel with the EMP into his arms.
“He wants you.”
“So, what if he and every man in the room wanted me. I shut him down!” she snapped, her voice rising. “But that is not actually the issue here, is it? You do not trust me. You proved that when you tried to seduce me just to rub your scent over me like I’m your property.”
Will flinched, but his jaw remained clenched tight.
“I have never given you a single reason to doubt me,” she continued, her chest heaving as the hurt finally bled through her fury.
“I believe in our marriage too much to ever betray you. The fact that you cannot see that is insulting.” She took another step back, creating a physical wall between them.
“Until you get help for these possessive instincts, we are done talking.”
She turned and walked away, fully expecting a long, silent separation. A heavy hand suddenly clamped down on her shoulder, yanking her to a halt. Decades of training took over. She seized the wrist, twisted hard, and threw her attacker flat on their back.
She glared down. Will stared back up at her from the ground. Many eyes had turned toward them, and she raced to grab her belongings by her chair and walk out of the tent, where fewer eyes would be on her.
How could he put any blame on her? She retraced her steps. What had she ever done to cause an issue? He had completely lost his mind. His territorial jealousy had crossed a dangerous line.
She had the device now. She could leave with Jacien right now, then she thought of Darik’s words about accidents. He sounded so confident. With her concerns about the attack on the Archon, she wouldn’t put anything past that snake.
She could not abandon her family, especially her father, in hostile territory. They only had a short hike to reach the vanguard troops waiting nearby. She would stay just long enough to see them secure. The very second they were safe, she and Jacien would be gone.
Swallowing the bitter knot of her anger in her throat, she walked away from the tent in total silence, barely noticing the cold and ice surrounding her.
She crossed the trampled grass of the camp, ruthlessly forcing her chaotic emotions behind a rigid, tactical wall.
She could not afford to fall apart right now.
She paced the perimeter, not wanting to get too far from safety.
A noise behind her caught her ear. She turned.
“You must be upset. I’ve been following you for a while, and you just noticed.
I may be Elven, but I’m not known for being the silent and deadly type like my cousins,” Jacien said with a smile.
“You really should dress warmer. I can see you shivering from here. I thought you had a built-in furnace. You left your coat and gloves inside.” In his hands was her waxed coat and a pair of warm leather gloves.
With a quick thanks, she put them on and removed her amulet, forcing her siphon magic back, while her flames warmed her.
“When Aldrik saw you leave, he began packing up himself. He will likely be waiting by the entrance by the time we get back,” he said, motioning to Nar and Khelek standing restlessly nearby.
She passed him a grateful smile and took a deep breath.
Sure enough, by the time they got to the entrance, Will, Aeladar, Nar, and Khelek stood waiting for her. Her father gave her a quick hand squeeze on the way out of the camp.
Malin deliberately fell into step beside Jacien, keeping her gaze firmly fixed straight ahead. Will walked a few paces away in a tense, heavy silence.
The golden light of the rising sun did nothing to ease the muddy slog of the hike, nor did it temper the bitter frustration churning in her gut.
She needed space.
She desperately needed time to process the wreckage of their marriage without him throwing their fractured bond in her face.
Until she could untangle her thoughts, complete silence was the only boundary she had left.
She planned to keep it that way until she had time to think through how she would handle the situation. She loved Will. She didn’t want the relationship or their bond to end, but her heart told her it couldn’t accept the current situation.