MATURE FANTASY** He is a predator who thought he captured an ordinary girl... but her mind is sharper than any of his claws.
Ariana lives in the shadow of her monstrous father in a world barely held together by a treaty. Until her lands are invad...
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There was tension in the room. It simmered in the space between us, making its presence known yet withdrawing enough that it was difficult to pin down where it stemmed from. Ariana had entered silently with Kole by her side. She did not appear happy, but she at least seemed a bit more at ease.
I went around the table, introducing everyone by name to her. She smiled tightly and gave brief nods by way of greeting. The dinner began awkwardly, my brothers stealing glances at the Bavadrin while she did her best not to acknowledge any of it.
"So, how did the trip go?" Edmond asked casually, after taking a bite of meat.
"Fine," Ariana answered shortly.
Iver laughed lowly. "What went wrong?" His gaze moved from Ariana to me, eyes rimmed with an edge of playful challenge. He was completely undisciplined. "Well?" he probed when neither Ariana nor I leaped to answer his question.
"Ariana wanted farmers to leave their city to gather food. But the way their farming is set up, many groups would need to go, and we did not have enough Lysians to accompany them all. So Edda offered for each family to leave a loved one behind who is to be executed if any of them not return within the allotted time." I informed my brothers, hoping that shining a light on the dark cloud that seemed to envelop the room would cause it to evaporate.
"Ashes, that's one brutal old bird," Edmond commented while Iver's mouth hung open. Thankfully, it was not filled with food.
"I think I'd like to meet this old bird," Iver said once he stopped gaping.
I couldn't help but sigh. "I agreed to it."
"It seems reasonable enough," Jorn stated in support with a nod.
"I'm sure our guest thinks otherwise." Iver pointed out, his gaze lingering on Ariana who was clearly beginning to anger. Her jaw remained clenched, and she stopped eating. She stared so intensely at the table in front of her that it would have caught flame if she had my conjuring abilities.
"She does," I replied, earning Ariana's tense gaze to cut to me.
"She isn't really your guest though," Ariana said, truly speaking for the first time since dinner began. "She is a pawn. Sheis a Bavadrin, not a Lysian. She should not be trusted." Her eyes carved into me as she spoke. "She is nothing more than a means to an end."
Silence spread through the room like an angry river drowning us in its stream. Even Iver made no sound. Gone was any flicker of delight he had previously felt.
"You are more than that," I answered.
Ariana laid her fork down gently. I had not even realized she had been holding it. "Please, tell me what I am, Erik."
"You haven't exactly spent much time with her." Iver chimed in, seeming to go to Ariana's defense. Gone was any ounce of hesitation he had just shown. Back was the air of amusement.
