Chapter 30 #2
“Are you going to see him now?”
“He died a long time ago. But I’ll visit my old naval friends. I’ve kept in touch with them over the years, and they’ll share anything with me that they think can help our search.”
“Twenty-five years is a long time to go without seeing people you call friends,” Aeliana mused. “You and Sylmar met up fourteen years ago when he left Mayvus, right? So what did you do all those years before that?”
A ghost of a smile crossed Velden’s face. “Every man should have a secret or two, shouldn’t he?”
A hand settled on Aeliana’s shoulder, and she turned to find Lukai’s eager grin.
“I can’t wait to get off this ship.”
She stiffened, unsure if she wanted to defend Gaeren’s brig for his sake or out of spite. She’d avoided Lukai for much of the rest of the voyage, partly because she’d spent so much time training and partly because she didn’t know what more to say to him.
Maybe the more she let Lukai flirt with Kendalyhn, the sooner he’d come around to wanting to break his bond with Aeliana. Besides, she still found Lukai’s direct betrayal of handing her blood over to Sylmar far less forgivable than Gaeren’s status and connection to old family feuds.
“I’m going to miss the rhythm of sailing.
” She surreptitiously stepped to the side to peek over the rail, forcing Lukai to drop his hand.
Velden stalked off toward Iris, likely pointing out all the same haunts he’d shown Aeliana, but Kendalyhn filled his empty spot, which was no surprise now that Aeliana was watching for the way she dogged Lukai.
“Seems like we have a lot of ground to cover.” For once the pessimistic woman’s irritation seemed warranted.
The silence between the three of them grew uncomfortable.
“I suppose I should gather my things,” Aeliana said.
Lukai placed a staying hand on her arm. “We’re staying on the ship at night. There’s no need.”
“Well, at least my satchel. Velden plans to take us into town right away.”
“I’ll get it for you,” he offered, stepping away before she could even protest.
Kendalyhn snorted, tucking stray strands of short dark hair behind her ears—a losing battle with the sea breeze.
She had a fierce beauty that didn’t line up with her small frame.
Aeliana pictured that fascinating incongruity being part of what had made Lukai fall in love with her in the first place.
Kendalyhn turned her glare on Aeliana. “What are you staring at?”
There wasn’t any answer that would make her happy, so Aeliana didn’t bother trying. “I know you and Lukai had a thing before I came. I’m sorry.”
Kendalyhn huffed. “You’re sorry,” she muttered.
The silence stretched, but for once it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was almost as if having that truth out in the open loosened the taut strings between them. Gaeren and Larkos eased the ship against the dock, and the sailors went into a frenzy, dropping the anchor and tying up sails.
“Will you always hate me?” Aeliana asked.
Kendalyhn gave a short laugh. “It’s an interesting question. My answer might have been yes if I hadn’t sifted Gaeren’s soul.”
Aeliana frowned. “Gaeren? What does he have to do with anything?”
“When we first found him, he was one big bundle of confusion.” She leaned forward, a sly tilt to her head.
“Loving the memory of you as a child, hating the family you represented. Hating who you should have been, but not quite sure what to think of who you actually were. Usually when I sense hatred, there’s a wall.
A desire for indifference at best in those who have integrity, an ugly desire for their enemies’ death, even pain, in those who don’t.
But he was far too curious for pure hatred. He was anything but indifferent.”
Her carefully chosen words stirred something in Aeliana’s gut.
She tried to keep the reaction hidden, but Kendalyhn was likely sifting the edges of her soul whether Aeliana wanted her in there or not, sensing her response even if she couldn’t experience it in full like she did when she had physical contact and sifted someone’s past. She was likely seeing the hope Aeliana felt, maybe misinterpreting it for something more.
Unless it was Aeliana who was misinterpreting her own confused heart.
“And now?” she asked, hating herself for succumbing to Kendalyhn’s bait.
“Now is always fuzzy. My spoke’s strength is sifting the past. But in the most recent past, he’s still confused, for different reasons.” The right side of her mouth curved in a frustrating smirk. She wasn’t going to give Aeliana any straight answers.
“I don’t understand why that changes anything,” Aeliana said. “If Gaeren doesn’t hate me, why would that make you hate me any less?”
Kendalyhn gave her a scathing look. “I don’t know if it does.
We’ll have to see how it plays out.” Her piercing gaze made Aeliana feel even more exposed than when Kendalyhn had held her palms and sifted her soul.
“The problem is, I can’t decide if I should hate you for taking away Lukai’s love for me or because you’re not loving him back. ”
Aeliana stilled, the familiar tightening in her gut almost making her nauseous.
Kendalyhn glared up at Aeliana. “If he and I can’t be happy together, at least make him happy. That would help me hate you a little less.” She stalked away, leaving Aeliana alone to wrestle with her guilt.
“Ready?” Velden called out to no one in particular, rubbing his slimy hands together. “The day is just beginning for my old friends. I hope you all know how to hold your liquor.”