Chapter 39 Erik
ERIK
Ifound myself thinking back to all that occurred since I first crossed the Bavadrin border a few months ago.
Every memory, every interaction with Ariana replayed in my mind as I searched for where I had gotten sloppy and stopped viewing her as the threat that she indeed was capable of being.
During her time in the Lysian lands, everything I observed led me to lower my guard.
I always harbored a sense of caution when things involved her, yet it was still not enough.
Those final hours of traveling from the Bavadrin lands after the unexpected turn of events were quiet. The trip home was uneventful. No one made a sound, not even Kole. My mood did not welcome anything other than complete and silent obedience.
Unfortunately, my brothers did not harbor the same intellect and began an assault of questions as soon as we returned.
Hours passed, and I allowed them to berate me with their opinions and demands for action.
We sat together in a large room that had been made stuffy by the bickering.
There were maps and papers with all the information we had on the Bavadrins and the Sidhe laid out on three large tables.
Much of it was outdated information from long ago.
I had the documents brought up as soon as we returned and had been looking through them till the arrival of my brothers.
That was when all planning went out the window, and an argument regarding their appetite for blood ensued.
Eventually, we called for Kole and Eislyn to be brought to the meeting.
I was most curious to hear their opinions on the situation.
They entered together, clearly noting the tension in the room.
Kole tilted his head towards Eislyn. “What is she doing here?” The disdain which usually accompanied his words towards her was missing. Or perhaps the squabbling between myself and my brothers had warped my view of disdain.
Eislyn raised an eyebrow. “I suppose your teeny tiny brain is not large enough to be of use, and so they called me for backup.” It appeared she at least had not lost her bite. Usually, a comment like that from her would send Kole fuming, but he remained oddly composed.
“That’s enough.” My voice was not loud, yet it commanded submission.
It was not my favorite idea to have Kole and Eislyn together in one room when emotions ran high. Especially when Iver was in that same room. Such an environment was typically not conducive to progress. But in this case, it was necessary.
“You two are as feisty as the day you both broke up.” Iver grinned, though I caught his eye remaining on Kole. Had he too picked up on the change and was trying to elicit a response with his words. Perhaps there indeed was something different about Kole’s demeanor towards Eislyn.
“Stop being a child,” Edmond growled, not wanting to deviate from the reason we were all gathered.
“Careful, brother.” Iver turned casually, viewing Edmond from where he sat.
“What are you going to do? Challenge me?” There was the barest hint of a growl in Edmond’s tone. His control was slipping, made clear by the way his entire body tensed.
Iver stared at Edmond with boredom, his demeanor unruffled, though he did not continue to provoke. Finally, a wise action from him. Usually, he always threw caution to the wind.
Ignoring them, I addressed Eislyn. “Ariana is gone,” I informed her what everyone else in the room already knew.
“What do you mean?” Eislyn stepped forward as if the action could clear her hearing. She likely wished to have misheard. She glanced at Kole, who kept his attention ahead, waiting for me to elaborate.
“Ariana has re-taken her city,” I informed her.
Eislyn’s jaw went slack, and in that moment of uncertainty, she again looked to Kole for answers.
I gave the barest tilt of my chin to Kole, allowing him to provide some clarification.
“Ariana is a conjuror. No Lysians were killed during this,” he informed. It was the first time in a while that they exchanged words so cordially.
Turmoil had a strange effect on relationships.
Usually, many shattered under pressure. But some grew stronger, the force turning the bond into something powerful enough to withstand the turning tides.
It was unexpected to see the two of them able to interact without their usual revulsion when blame was easy to throw, for Kole had been Ariana’s guard, and Eislyn had been training her to fight.
They both were left with plenty of ammunition to use against one another.
“What kind of conjuror?” Eislyn asked in disbelief.
Kole turned to me, for it was not something we had ever seen before.
I answered the question with what little I understood. “I am uncertain. It seemed like mist but stronger, capable of choking the air out of someone’s lungs, and capable of creating a barrier around her city.”
“Did she attack you?” Eislyn asked me, her head tilting in wonder.
“No.”
Her lips curved ever so slightly, eyes narrowing. “You attack her?”
“Not really.”
She remained silent for a moment. “Could you have killed her?”
“Yes,” I answered and felt Edmond’s gaze cut to me, his eyes filled to the brim with anger he struggled to control.
Eislyn’s attention dropped to the ground in thought. “I see. So, what, Kole and I are to be some sort of character witnesses for Ariana or something?” She looked back at me, and a flicker of hope passed over her before being replaced with an unreadable calm. “You want to let her go.”
Iver’s eyes brightened. “You are smart, but I am a little surprised. I thought I sensed relief from you. Do you really wish to spare the Bavadrin?”
Eislyn kept her attention on me, not even acknowledging Iver’s comment, making no attempt at answering him.
Iver’s head tilted. “Excuse me, are you ignoring me?” When she did not reply, he snorted. “That’s a bit childish.”
She turned to him then. “And here I thought one of the best ways of interacting with children was to do so on a level which they may understand.”
“Are you calling me a child?” Iver smirked.
“Am I speaking to someone else?” she snapped.
Jorn sighed. “The sooner you all focus, the sooner we can go our separate ways.” He shook his head, mumbling to himself that he could not believe he was the voice of reason.
Edmond leaned forward. “You are correct, Eislyn. You and Kole are character witnesses of sorts. Outside of Erik, the two of you have spent the most time with Ariana. Erik leans towards trusting the Bavadrin. We would like to know if you both would have chosen the same.”
“What would our answers change?” Kole asked.
“Perhaps nothing or perhaps something,” Edmond responded without actually giving an answer.
“There is talk about potentially attacking the Bavadrins and reclaiming control,” I informed them, conveying what Edmond’s and Jorn’s wish was.
“Would you kill her then? If control was taken back?” Eislyn asked.
“That is not of your concern,” Edmond stated flatly, not liking that she seemed troubled by the Bavadrin’s life being taken.
“Actually, it is,” Eislyn replied curtly. “Because despite her being a Bavadrin, I trained her. She—”
Jorn grunted a laugh, interrupting Eislyn. “C’mon, she is not Lysian. You were not actually teaching her anything.”
“And yet she learned,” Eislyn stated dryly, before turning her attention to me once more.
“You know I do not take on trainees lightly. Even though Ariana is a Bavadrin she has the drive and determination of the strongest of us. She does not give up. I would trust her at my side if we had to fight side by side against a common enemy.”
“You cannot be serious. I thought Iver was just kidding when he said you favored the girl. You, a warrior, are putting your trust in a Bavadrin!” Edmond yelled, a crazed look in his eye as if he could not fathom what was being said.
“Yes, I am,” she stated without an ounce of hesitation.
“I never thought you a fool, but this—” Edmond’s lip curved up as if he tasted something repugnant.
“You all asked for my thoughts on her. Ariana has the heart of a warrior. Of what I have been able to learn of her, she would never stand with the Sidhe.” There was a certainty to Eislyn’s words that gave me more relief than she would ever know.
“You would bet your life on this?” Jorn asked, a frown on his angular face.
“I would.” Eislyn lifted her chin defiantly.
“Would you bet Kole’s?” Iver asked. Despite everything going on, my little brother remained as intrigued by the relationship between Eislyn and Kole as he was by the decision about Ariana.
“I would,” she answered, refraining from looking at anyone but me.
I turned to Kole. “And you, what do you make of Ariana?”
“I feel betrayed, for she saw me when I never truly saw her,” he answered, and I wasn’t sure what to make of his comment.
“But I do not wish to be the first to throw the stone. If we go to war with one another, then it should be her decision, for that outcome would be better than if we were to annihilate innocent people for no reason.”
“Unbelievable,” Jorn growled, looking to Edmond, who mirrored his shock.
“You would risk your own to protect her?” Edmond ground out, his fingers wrapping around the arm of his chair, turning white from his tightening grip.
“To attack may be a greater risk if they do not intend to betray us,” Kole stated, eyes slicing to Edmond.
“I saw them on the walls of her city, archers. They had not been there when we first took control of the Bavadrin capitol, and yet somehow, they have gathered there now. They were good enough to regain control from our soldiers, injuring them if needed, but without killing. If those archers are a fraction as talented as the old stories paint them to be, then we would lose many of our own in an attack now. And for what purpose? Just to flex our muscles. Ariana knows who we are, and that we are capable of kindness. She will not turn her back on that.”
“She has burrowed into your mind, poisoning it,” Edmond stated flatly.