2. Chapter Two
Chapter Two
Nik
The commotion in the dining hall had already started to die down by the time Nik made his way with Ali and Sam beside him.
He had just been about to go for a run when Ali burst through the door of their small home and insisted he come to the dining hall with her. He’d have to get his workout in later.
“Did she say what she wanted?” Sam asked, gathering fruit from the buffet onto his plate. After he’d selected a variety of berries, he added a dollop of creamy white yogurt.
Nik opted for the sizzling sausage links and potatoes, the savory scent making his stomach growl.
Beside him, Ali grabbed a slice of buttered toast and a serving of some sort of breakfast casserole, primarily made of eggs and green herbs.
Nik held her plate while she dug in her pocket for some money.
“Nope. But if she wanted all of us together, it must be important.”
The dining hall was nearly deserted, with only a handful of people scattered throughout the vast space.
Crowds were already dispersing to go about their day, whether it be work or leisure, leaving behind empty seats.
They chose an open table on the left side of the room, close to the entrance so they could see Grace when she appeared.
Nik’s stomach growled again and this time, Sam’s echoed. He took a hasty bite, not caring if the scalding potatoes burned the roof of his mouth.
Halfway through his second helping of sausages, Grace waltzed into the dining hall holding a notebook and pencil, looking casual in jeans, a silk tank top, and a beige cardigan. She spotted them immediately and took a seat next to Sam.
“Good morning,” she said in a lyrical tone that irritated Nik for no reason.
“I wanted to talk to you all today about open work positions. Since you’ve been here for a couple weeks and have had a moment to get adjusted, I thought it was time to discuss your options.
I have some ideas picked out for you, but you may choose to go a different direction if you prefer. ”
Ali and Sam gave Grace their full attention while Nik gave a noncommittal nod.
Whatever Grace had chosen for him, he was sure it would be fine.
Now that he’d been given a fresh start, he had no idea what he wanted to do.
Who he wanted to be. He’d never had a future full of possibilities, and now that he did, he wasn’t sure what to do with it.
“I’ll start with you, Sam,” Grace said, turning in her seat to face him. “Theo said you have an interest in art?”
Sam’s face betrayed a hint of surprise, hearing that Theo had shared such information with Grace, despite how true it was. He cleared his throat. “Yes, that’s right.”
She tapped the end of her pencil against her lips.
“Unfortunately, most of our artistic positions are temporary—painting murals, designing landscapes, things like that. It’s not a steady stream of work around here.
But I’ll let you know if any short-term positions open up.
In the meantime, how do you feel about animals? ”
“Animals?” Sam repeated with skepticism.
“Yes.”
“I’d rather not be a butcher, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
Grace let out a short burst of laughter. “Not at all. Our veterinarian’s assistant had an accident and will need to be off her feet for a few months. Since she was the only assistant, we need a backup as soon as possible.”
The tension across Sam’s forehead relaxed almost instantaneously. “Oh, that does sound much better. Although I can’t say I have much experience with that sort of thing.”
Grace waved a hand. “Don’t worry. Zoe is an excellent teacher. Folks around here are used to giving hands-on training. It comes with the territory.”
Sam nodded, looking pleased with his new position. Nik couldn’t explain it, but working with animals seemed like the perfect fit for him. Perhaps it was his aversion to interacting with humans.
Grace turned her attention back to the notebook in her hands, skimming down the page. “Nik, from what I’ve heard, you’ve spent your whole life as a guard.”
Nik straightened in his seat. “That’s right.” Though he wasn’t sure what he was made for anymore. He was tired of the violence and risking his life for people who didn’t deserve it. All he wanted to do was live peacefully with Ali…and maybe have a few kids down the road.
“I was thinking with the recent uptick in rebellion activity paired with the fact that I’ll be required to attend multiple public events throughout the Rite, that you might want to be my personal guard.”
Nik drew in a breath, his shoulders going rigid. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ali staring, her lips pulled into a frown and her brown eyes full of compassion. She knew the toll it had taken on him during his last few months in Rysburg. Could he return to that life?
“I don’t know…”
Grace’s gaze flicked between the two of them, realizing she was missing something, though she couldn’t possibly know his side of the story.
She’d probably only heard Eli’s description of Nik—a heartless brute who’d manipulated his friend and ex-lover.
“Sorry. I assumed you’d want a position you were familiar with, but I can look for something else. ”
Beneath the table, his legs bounced restlessly. “What would I be responsible for?”
“I’d need someone at my side during ceremonies, parties, and each of the three rounds, of course. Someone to watch my back and prevent anything from happening. I doubt anything will, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, I suppose.”
Despite her lighthearted tone, Nik detected a subtle trace of anxiety when she spoke. She wasn’t quite as self-assured as she let on.
Relief washed over him, realizing that he wouldn’t be required to pillage or attack defenseless populations. He would only need to defend Grace when the situation called for it. Maybe he could handle that.
Nik scratched the stubble on his chin. “Can I think about it?”
“Sure,” Grace responded. “That just leaves you, Ali.”
It was Ali’s turn to sit up straight. Her enthusiasm for being part of the community was undeniably charming.
Nik briefly wondered what her life had looked like in Andus before his people had ruined it.
She deserved to be happy, and it was partially his fault that her life had turned out this way.
He shifted in his seat, unable to relax.
Grace continued, “With Gabriel accused of treason and after Nelson’s death, our council is down two members. Since I will be taking over leadership duties soon, my mother has allowed me to fill one of those positions.”
The conversation came to a halt and even the air felt stiff. There could only be one reason for Grace to bring up the council. Certainly, she didn’t mean for Ali to fill that position…
“I want you to join the council.”
Heavy silence fell again, only broken when Ali let out a small laugh. “Are you serious? I’m not qualified for that at all.”
“The council’s job is to weigh options and make recommendations, and I think you’re perfectly qualified for that,” Grace countered.
“I haven’t even lived here an entire month. How could I possibly make decisions for the people in Berland?”
“That’s exactly why I want you for the position.
You’ve lived in several communities now and can bring fresh ideas to the table.
You know first-hand what works and what doesn’t.
But really, I need someone I can trust. Someone who is on my side.
Most of the council is loyal to my mother and I don’t trust them. ”
Ali’s cheeks flushed pink. “But you think you can trust me?”
“Absolutely. Eli has told me enough about you to know that you’re selfless and innovative, two characteristics that would make an excellent resource.” Reaching across the table, Grace grabbed Ali’s hands. “So believe me when I say you are exactly the kind of person I want to join my council.”
Ali blinked a few times, clearly still caught off guard by Grace’s suggestion. But to Nik’s surprise, she didn’t immediately decline. She bit her bottom lip as she contemplated the offer, and then cleared her throat. “Can I also think about it?”
It may as well have been a ‘yes.’
Grace dropped Ali’s hands and leaned back from the table with a huge grin on her face. “Of course. Take a few days to think it over and I’ll be in touch. And Sam, I’ll let Zoe know that you’re able to start right away.”
She lightly brushed Sam’s arm as she stood from the table, and their gazes followed her out of the hall before unleashing their thoughts in a torrent.
“I don’t know how I feel—”
“They’d never accept me—”
“What other animals do they have aside from horses?”
Nik and Ali turned to Sam, whose cheeks brightened as his lip turned up into a sheepish grin. “You know what? I think I’ll take a walk and let you two discuss things.”
Once the two of them were alone, Ali twisted in her seat to face Nik.
“Are you nervous?” he asked, eyeing her lap where she was wringing her hands.
“A little.”
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She brushed a hair behind her ear and took a deep breath. “Would you think I’m crazy if I said I wanted to do this?”
Nik’s brows rose. He hadn’t been expecting that.
“You don’t think I can?”
“Not at all. I just didn’t know you wanted that kind of responsibility.
We haven’t been here that long and you’re ready to take on that big of a role?
And what about Eamon and his rebels? They’ve already made attacks on Grace’s mother.
Ali, you could be putting yourself in danger by taking this position. ”
How was it possible that the job she’d been offered was somehow even more dangerous than the one Grace had selected for him? It was a twist he hadn’t seen coming at all.
Ali’s shoulders slumped. “You’re right. I probably can’t handle it.”
Damn it.
“That’s not what I meant. Of course you can handle it. You can do anything you want. I just didn’t realize this is what you wanted.”
The shadow on her face lessened a bit, and Nik breathed a sigh of relief. “I didn’t know I did either until Grace offered it. I’ve always wanted to do something more meaningful than checking fish traps or planting crops. Maybe this is it. Maybe I could have a positive influence here.”
Nik nodded. He had no doubt she’d succeed if it was what she truly wanted. Her empathy and compassion made her perfect for the job. “You should accept the position.”
She smiled and brushed his cheek with her palm, planting a chaste kiss on his lips. “And what about you? You didn’t seem thrilled at the idea of being Grace’s bodyguard.”
He let out a long sigh. “I don’t know. I thought I left that life behind. I’m not proud of who I was or the things I had to do in Rysburg. You know that.” He chanced a glance at her and recognized the sympathy in her eyes. “I don’t want it to be like that again.”
Ali took his hand and slid her fingers between his, giving him a small squeeze. “You’re not a monster, Nik. It won’t be the same. You’ll be protecting someone, not harming them.”
“But I might have to. If Grace is ever in danger, I would have to be that person again. What if I’m put in a position where I have to kill again?”
“I don’t think you will, but if it happens, then it would be out of necessity.”
Nik shook his head. “That’s exactly what I told myself before. That I had to fight and pillage because it was for the good of Rysburg. That it was for our protection. But we were never at risk.”
“It’s not the same,” Ali said.
Nik appreciated her defensiveness, but he wasn’t sure he agreed. “Isn’t it? We’re all taught to think in black and white, but one person’s savior is another’s villain. Who ultimately gets to decide?”
Ali laid her head on Nik’s shoulder. Her next words were soft. “The fact that you’re even this concerned about taking the position shows that you’re a decent human, Nik. You’re the savior in my story.”
Nik huffed a laugh. “You saved yourself, Ali.”
“Maybe. But I don’t think I would’ve fought as hard without you on the other side.”
A weight seemed to press on Nik’s shoulders and it wasn’t Ali’s head resting there. Her words made sense, but something still told him this was a bad idea.
“Are you scared?” Ali asked.
Nik shook his head. “Not of fighting. I can hold my own. I’m more scared of who I could become. I thought I had finally made it off this path, but now I’m right back where I started.”
“I don’t think you are. You’ve abandoned that path completely and now you’re paving your own. One that’s more honorable and righteous. But it’s completely up to you, Nik. I’ll support you no matter what you decide.”
Maybe she was right. Unfortunately, the only way to know was by going through with it.
“Can you promise me one thing?” he asked.
“Anything.”
“If at any point you think I’m headed in the wrong direction, will you be the one to set me straight?”
Her smile was so wide, it crinkled the corners of her eyes. “Of course, I will.”
“Looks like I’m a guard once again.”
Maybe this time, he wouldn’t blindly follow corruption. Maybe this time, he could prove his worth.