Abaddon's Mark

Chapter Forty

"But why am I here?" Theon protested for the second time.

"It was your idea," Luk said, settling in Theon's seat at Theon's desk in Theon's study.

If anyone else had attempted to use his study, he would have killed them at the suggestion. As it was, he was afraid to try Luk, afraid to bring up the council's decision and what it meant for them.

Afraid of what had changed between them.

Which was, perhaps, how he had been roped into the little talk with Nendan. The uncomfortable meeting between Lord Lugh and Luk Pan, for Lord Lugh spoke down to Luk as if he had no more rank than the common man. He spoke plainly at first and, when Luk questioned without becoming defensive, he received instruction.

Lord Lugh worried that Graydon was developing a complex. That he craved acceptance too much and might put himself or others in danger if it continued. Theon bristled at the idea, furious that anyone would suggest such a thing.

Luk rather calmly asked for a possible solution.

At no point had Theon agreed. He had sarcastically said, "yes, you should do that," at one point, but the context was lost on him.

"It wasn't my idea," Theon said. "I simply suggested Nendan had a point when he made the suggestion. Why isn't he here?"

Theon felt a little welling of pride for being able to spout a sentence that was vague enough but also on topic enough that it might fool Luk into thinking that he knew what was about to happen.

"You really want him to know that Nendan made the suggestion?"

"Yeah, no," Theon said before he even thought about it.

He sat up as the study of the door opened. Graydon walked in with a bloodied face, knuckles, and bruising starting up his ribs already. He glanced at Theon, then turned his attention to his father.

"Sit," Luk said.

Like the father in control.

"I'd really rather not," Graydon responded like the son who knew a beating was coming.

"Your knees still work?" Theon asked.

"Of course, my knees still work."

Like the petulant adolescent challenging authority. There was a time and a place and a way to do it. Then was just the appropriate time, but Graydon needed to come to heel quickly. They didn't have time, or the goodwill, to take Graydon out back and give him the beating he was angling for.

"Then you'd best sit if you'd like them to continue working," he countered.

Graydon made a face. An annoyed something, like he was thinking about how he might have won that fight if he hadn't picked a bare bones match with someone else.

Just the one, from the look of it. The trailing bruising lacked the double-sided imbalance of two against one, but blows were landed. The bruising along the ribs wasn't positioned like Theon expected. There was a hesitance to the motion.

The bare bones match had been with Andle.

The boy sat, though he cast Theon a clearly annoyed look. Like their little tiff wasn't over yet.

It was a look Theon had seen in the mirror so often that he almost laughed. Theon's attention shifted to Luk, who he gave an expectant look as well.

"Graydon," Luk sighed out. "What did you think I was doing to Naena?"

Not how that conversation was supposed to go, that much Theon knew. Lugh wanted a nice, calm conversation, but Luk started with an accusation. Theon flashed his teeth, about to redirect the thing, but then he saw the furious scowl Luk cast him. Instead, he shrank back into his chair and turned to Graydon for an answer.