The Offering

Chapter Thirty One - Alvaryn

"I haven't figured out all the details yet, but it involves talking to Dae again when she a little more sober. I don't know how she will react if we tell her the truth but I invited her to meet us in the Atrium after lunch, she won't have any lessons today. I figured you would want to be there for it as well." I turn to him, watching the dying flames from the corner of my eye. They flicker and flare but stay put.

"I'll be there."

I haven't seen him this serious in years, its concerning but also a relief. After so long keeping up his constant parade of drinking and showing this carelessness to the world I was starting to worry that maybe it was becoming permanent. That maybe he had become the arrogant self-serving asshole he showed to everyone else.

But he was still there, hidden under all his smiles and sharp words.

"She probably won't remember much from last night, at least not the details." I say softly. "I'm not sure how much to tell her."

"Well I doubt you need to tell her about how she thinks we are beautiful, but I'm sure she will be fine with hearing all the rest." Happy to hear the humour in his reply I nod.

"Should we tell her that we aren't even meant to be spending time with her at all?" I think out loud.

"Probably not." He replies agreeing with my own answer to the question. It would only make matters worse, she had enough to worry about without needing that on top of everything.

"I just can't stop thinking about how long she has been hiding with that threat hanging over her every move, while we've been bickering and behaving like selfish dickheads she's been living every day with the thought that it could be her last. And she didn't say anything." It was something I had been thinking about as well. It had been weeks since I first found her upset. But she didn't want to talk about any of it.

"She doesn't trust us with her secrets." I say, watching the sun rise in the distance. The warm orange glow filling the dark grey sky as the first day of summer makes its way into the world.

"But this is different, this shouldn't be something she has to just deal with by herself." He replies, hands fisting at his sides.

"I know, and it won't be anymore, we can make sure of that. Once we tell her that we know the truth and that we want to help, I'm sure she will want to tell us everything she has been dealing with by herself."

"And if she doesn't?" He asks turning to me, face ashen and ridden with guilt and anger.

"We will figure that out when it happens." I tell him, because I honestly had no idea, I tried not to think about that outcome. What we would do if she didn't want to tell us anything. I couldn't think of that as a viable option.

Aeris had said he couldn't just ignore the threat to Dae and while I was better at maintaining this calm and controlled exterior I knew that my own anger and rage wouldn't accept that outcome, not without knowing that we had done something, helped Dae in some way. If she refused our help, would we be forced to step in? I don't think I could stop Aeris from taking matters into his own hands, he was barely hanging on as it was.

I had expected him to be angry, upset, wanting to do something to make sure Dae was safe, but his reaction was more serious than I thought it would be. Did that mean whatever he felt for Dae was genuine? That he actually cared for her, I mean I knew there must be something to make him behave the way he has been. Maybe it was best to consider what his true feelings for Dae were at another time, like when I wasn't trying to come up with a plan with would keep Dae safe while also dealing with one of the strongest fae in our kingdom and making sure Aeris didn't just take matters into his own hands and try and find his own way to make things safe for Dae.