20. Chapter 20
“What the hell happened to you two?” Sury called from behind Aurora, who ran into the shared common room of our guest quarters.
I wanted to laugh at the extravagance. The sitting area could fit a house for a large family with room to spare.
King Jaris’s castle was just the same. Too many rooms and a man with too high of a sense of self-importance.
Maybe that was why I couldn’t stand the sight of Ivan Beralt and didn’t care what happened to him.
He was a man, just like any other, and could die all the same.
But I knew what was at stake for the sisters and their line.
I had even offered to Ophelia that Beralt could mysteriously die from unknown causes to help speed things along and grant the lord or ladyship to someone else, someone more loyal.
Alas, even if the thought tempted her, Ophelia was determined to set Gria on the right path. To keep herself on the right path.
And I admired her more because of it.
“Were you attacked?” Aurora’s eyes scanned over Ophelia’s body as she grabbed her by the hands and led her sister over to the roaring fire.
I shut the door before shifting silently to the back of the room as Aurora turned Ophelia’s hands over, inspecting the gashes at her knuckles.
At her movements, my jaw automatically flexed as I recalled just how strong her right hook had gotten. She was learning well.
Aurora spotted me moving away and narrowed her intense gaze at me as I folded my arms across my chest. “Was it Raiders? Urthens? What happened?”
“Nothing of consequence.” I shrugged. A slight pain raced across my back where Ophelia’s foot had landed its blow close to my kidney.
It was between Ophelia and me to find her release.
To find the target she could direct her magic and power on.
Now, more than ever, I would be happy to be used as a human pell, letting her take her frustrations and confusions out on me.
Anything that would save her from losing control on anything else. Someone else.
“Nothing of consequence!” Aurora practically squeaked with annoyance. “You two waltz in here with dried blood on your faces like you’ve been to battle, and you have the gall to say nothing of consequence? Phe, even your arm has been slashed through! What the hell happened?”
I spun a wooden chair around from the table and brought it closer to the fire, sitting in it backward with my legs straddling the back.
My forearms rested across the top, facing everyone in the room.
A mirror stood off to the side, granting me my reflection.
I saw it then: the gash above my eyebrow and dried blood that settled beneath my nose.
Bruises were swelling at the top of my cheekbone and along the left side of my jawline.
My knuckles looked like hers, with deep slits and drying blood.
“It was nothing,” I replied, pride in my voice. I winced against a sharp pain in my ribs as I readjusted myself in the chair. “Just a bit of a tussle.”
“A bit of a tussle,” Aurora parroted before she turned in my direction, letting Ophelia look into the mirror.
I could read the realization on Ophelia’s face as it dawned on her why we had gotten revolting looks from the servants.
I kept telling her it was nothing and to keep walking as I pulled her along up various flights of stairs, hoping we could make it back to our shared bed before the others realized we were still gone.
My hopes on the matter were instantly shattered once we found everyone was indeed waiting on our arrival.
Flashbacks of our tussle came to mind, of Ophelia trembling in my arms as her shame crept to the surface.
She didn’t have to tell me how she felt; her speeding heart had betrayed her.
What was once the slow and steady lum-thump instantly rose to a rhythm that would threaten her very being.
I should have felt my own guilt in allowing that vile thing to come forward—just enough for me to stay in power.
Through the years I had been chained with it, I had only allowed it to take reign once or twice before, but seeing her in that state where her own control was almost gone?
I would do anything to bring her back to me.
My eyes snapped to hers. The jeweled teals sparkled brightly in the firelight, giving them an even more ethereal glow.
But what caught my attention was the increased pace of her heart.
I could hear a sob building in her chest as her comprehension continued to pour in.
Her eyes wandered over my face and body, seemingly counting my own gashes and bruises from her hands.
In the depths of my soul I knew this was not her but whatever was inside of her doing her bidding.
Her eyes welled with unshed tears as she tried saying she was sorry—but nothing escaped her mouth. If only she realized she had nothing to be sorry for, because I would gladly do what I did again. Whatever was needed to help her find control and feel steady on her feet.
Instead I gave her a look filled with an intimate promise and winked.
“All is well, moonlight.” Suddenly her cheeks grew pink at my intent and she tried to hide her smile, even as her sister continued to stare at her in disbelief.
“Ophelia just needed to find her a bit of release.” Ophelia.
So many called her by her shortened name but none felt as familiar as when her name rolled off my tongue.
“Her magic is growing stronger and building. We simply found a way for her to let go of some built-up pressure.” If she doesn’t find the right way to release it, she’s at risk of it controlling her, I wanted to say, but Ophelia had already promised she would let the others know.
She stared at me, silently thanking me for not outing her struggles. Did she not know that I had maddening faith in her? A loud pop from the fire behind made her jump.
“Now wait just a damn minute.” Sury leaned back in his chair with a lazy grin and pointed a finger at me.
“Are you telling me she did this to you?” He bounced his eyes back and forth between me and Ophelia before howling in laughter.
“She got a good piece of you. Damn. Bet that stings your self-esteem, Old Man.”
His laughter continued to roll in the background as Aurora stood in my vision once again, concern written all over her face, before she continued to assess her sister.
Aurora opened her mouth, about to speak before loud footsteps echoed down the hall and Fyom entered the common room.
“What happened? What’s with all the commotion?
” His freshly washed skin glistened against the light.
Droplets of water sprayed from his white dreadlocks as he quickly turned his head to the left and right, attempting to read our expressions.
“Were you attacked?” His loud whisper echoed against the walls as he checked on Ophelia before striding across the room to check me.
I waved him off. “Please. We’re fine. You know we can Heal on our own,” I said, pulling out of his grip. He huffed with exaggerated annoyance before mother-henning over Ophelia, who waved him off just the same.
Sury continued to laugh as he said, “Oh no, Fyom. It’s even better. That fopdoodle over here just got beat up by his lady lover.” His smile grew even wider as he turned toward me. “Have room for one more? I wouldn’t mind landing a blow or two.”
“Only if you wish to lose a few fingers.” I smiled back cruelly.
“What?” Fyom looked back and forth between us again. “You two did this to each other?” I only shrugged as Fyom pinched the bridge of his nose with his fore and middle fingers. He sighed. “I swear the giants are punishing me by surrounding me with children.”
“Speak for yourself,” I huffed. Fyom cut me a glare.
“Fyom, it’s fine. We’re fine. I’m fine. Peiro was only helping me redirect my attention. Truly. If he didn’t step in then something worse might have happened.” Ophelia swallowed before continuing. “I… I might have put you all in jeopardy if he hadn’t intervened.”
Fyom strode over to me again and looked into my eyes, searching, then huffed. “Care to explain?”
“I did what I had to do and I won’t apologize for it,” I growled through my teeth.
Fyom shook his head and mumbled, “Fopdoodle indeed,” then straightened to stand next to the hearth.
That’s riiight, because you’d rather I take control. Tell themmm how much easier it isss to blame me for your misgivingsss and miscalculations. Tell them that I’m sssimply the scapegoat when you fuck up.
If I hadn’t allowed your power to rise, she would have done something she would have regretted for the rest of her short life, I snapped back to the maddening voice.
Don’t you realiiize, boy, that she feeds off that power?
What part of that will youu get through your thick skull?
Oncce she realizes how she can control thisss magic, it will be over for us both.
We’ll be back to being puppetsss. Do you really believe that once she hass our crossbar she’ll be different from the others?
I shook off the voice and forced myself back to the present.
“Everything is fine,” I began. “Besides, she was well rewarded for her good behavior in not taking her aggressions out on Beralt.” I smirked as Ophelia’s cheeks grew red again and her eyes widened.
“Although I feel like we all have a great reason for him losing his head, it’s regrettably in our best interest for him to keep it intact… for now.”
Silence took over as we all settled in thought before I continued. “She’s getting stronger. I can feel it. While this is good news for her controlling the—”
Ophelia cut in with worry in her eyes. “Peiro, I’m not—”
“You can and you will, Naa’n le’ya, if you want to win this war.
With Beralt more of a wild card, you all need an ace in this game now more than ever.
” I looked to everyone in the room, lingering on Aurora in hopes she understood that she might need to force her sister to do what Ophelia will refuse.
“But what might make matters worse is that it can also feel it, too. And if it’s anything like what I face, then the more powerful she gets, the more whatever is linked inside will sink its claws into her deeper.
” Everyone cast their eyes on Ophelia, causing her to shift on her feet and fidget with a loose string on her tunic.
I hoped bringing them awareness would help bring her more confidence in sharing what she faced. “If what holds me is the product of this power, then she is within its grip, and it’ll ensnare her if we’re not careful.”
“Is that why you—” Fyom started.
I shook my head and held a hand out, gesturing for him to stop. “We’re fine.”
Aurora gingerly took her sister’s hand as if she were afraid to hold too tight in case she would break. “Will you tell me what’s going on? Your eyes tend to glow brighter at times, and the silver has grown.”
Ophelia inhaled deeply, shaking off the stares. “I will be fine. All of you.” She looked at everyone around the room. “I’m in full control of this power.”
“Phe,” I warned. What was she doing? “We are all here—”
“I said I’m fine,” she said more sternly as her eyes flashed. “I will let you all know if I feel my control slipping outside of my grasp. The travel and everything… I just had some pent-up energy, that’s all.” Her smile was anything but believable.
Aurora looked at her up and down, her golden eyes narrowing. “Do you promise me, sister?” she asked softly. “You haven’t had the same amount of time, or even the training, for this power. It would make sense if you’re finding struggle—”
Ophelia quickly shook her head and grasped their clutched hands together, enclosing both of them within her own. “You don’t need to worry about me. Let’s focus on Beralt and anything I need to fix from that…encounter.”
“We can settle this more in the morning,” Fyom asserted. “Let me gather an astringent to clean your wounds and a tonic to close the gashes.” He turned to stride back toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms.
I left Ophelia and Aurora to idly chatter by the fireplace in favor of a wash, granting her the space I knew she would need to reconcile with what happened.
Sury stepped side by side with me, looking over his shoulder once the girls were out of earshot. “She’s okay, right?”
“What do you mean?” I paused outside one of the spare rooms.
Sury sighed. “Come on. We all see it. Why isn’t she telling us what’s going on? I’ve seen Phe pissy before, but not to this magnitude. I mean, it would almost be impressive if she hadn’t just threatened a lord in their court.”
“Is it salvageable?” I wanted to know for Ophelia’s sake, in case we needed another plan.
“I think so. Let him lick his wounds for a bit, but yes, I think if he gets everything that he demands, everything will be restored.” Anger was fused into those last words, and his feelings were warranted.
Who could blame him for being angry at the thought that his forefathers’ lands would soon be rewritten?
“Good.” I swiftly entered the room before Sury could inquire more.