Twenty-Two
CHAPTER
“You are not coming. It is not worth the risk.” Zathrian slid his sword into the sheath on his belt. He was insistent, no matter how much I pleaded with him this morning, and he wouldn’t listen.
“Please, let me come!” I begged, blocking the doorway by standing in front of it to stop him from exiting the room.
“Aerilyn, don’t do this.”
“Please, let me come. I want to help. Please,” I pleaded, my eyes glossy from how desperate I was to go with them.
Zathrian gently pushed me aside, going through the doorway and into the next room. I followed behind, passing Mateo, Viotto, and Nevan, who were all gearing up to get ready alongside Zathrian.
“Zathrian, please,” I carried on.
“I said no, Aerilyn, and that is final.” His voice was harsh, and far louder than he ever usually spoke to me, or anyone, for that matter.
In that moment, he didn’t just remind me of the Cruel Prince, he reminded me of Neil. Zathrian turned around to face me, eyes wide, face paled. Stepping toward me, I turned away from him. “Aerilyn,” he said, I didn’t look at him.
“Aerilyn,” Zathrian repeated, lifting his hand and cupping my chin. His fingers gently squeezed my cheeks, forcing my eyes onto his. Looking up at him, I didn’t say a single word. “Get it through your head. You are staying here where you are safe and protected, do you understand?”
Silence.
“Do you understand?” Zathrian pulled me the slightest bit closer to him. Our faces were only inches apart. His eye flickered between my eyes, my lips, and back to my eyes.
“Understood,” I whispered.
Zathrian’s eyes softened, shifting his hands, he cupped my face with his palms. “Please, listen to me when I say this.” He paused.
“I am doing this to protect you. I am not saying no because I do not think you are strong enough, or that I don’t want your support.
I know that you want to help, but you cannot help by coming with us.
You can help by staying here and staying safe.
I told you before that I promised to protect you, and I intend to keep that promise.
Now, please, do not make this harder than it needs to be,” Zathrian whispered, wiping my almost tears.
“We will be back before you know it, okay?”
I sniffed, trying to force a smile on my face. “Okay.” I really didn’t want him to leave.
Zathrian pulled away, reaching for the pouch of stardust he had tied to his belt, and turned to the others. “Almost ready?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.” Viotto finished tying the laces of his boots before turning to Narcissa, who had just entered the room.
She let out a soft breath, quickly closing the distance between them with a tight embrace.
Narcissa whispered something into Viotto’s ear, and he lifted her chin with his pointer finger, almost kissing her, but Narcissa pulled away.
With her arms crossed, she stepped back, leaning against the wall with glossy emerald eyes.
“Just a minute.” Nevan buttoned up the last button of his vest.
“As ready as I can be,” Mateo replied, turning to me.
Exhaling slowly, Mateo pulled me into a tight hug.
He rested his chin atop my head, coaxing me to hug him back, which I did.
“We will be back before you know it. Celeste and the others will keep you preoccupied. I promise.” He slid his arms from around my back and to my shoulders, looking down at me. “Okay?”
“Okay,” I replied, still not convinced.
I couldn’t shake off the knots in my stomach, an impending sense of doom that lingered around me. I didn’t want to be left behind, nor did I want anything to happen to any of them.
Please be safe.
I watched as the four of them took the stardust from their pouches and simultaneously threw it to the floor.
In a blink of an eye, they were gone, and the room became quieter than it ever had been during my time residing with Zathrian’s Estate.
I loathed the quiet. My thoughts always screamed the loudest in silence.
“How about some tea?” Celeste came up from behind me and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Or we could always snort some stardust to take the edge off,” Akira suggested with a coy smirk, appearing at my other side.
People snort stardust?
“No, no, no. Absolutely not. That is a horrible idea. Zathrian would not approve. Besides, she has never done it before, and this isn’t the time for that. When they get back, maybe.” Celeste glared at her, turning back toward me again.
Akira pouted. “Don’t worry so much. They are trained and skilled warriors, they know what they’re doing. They’ll be back before we know it.”
Exhaling deeply, I nodded. I sure hoped so.
Celeste and Akira led me to the drawing room as anxiety continued to wash over me. All I could do was wait and hope that the Gods were with us during these trying times.
Please let them stay safe. Please let them come home soon.