Page 207 of Blade of the Nightking

“You came back for me,” she breathed, her face tilting up toward his.

His hands closed around her wrists. “I need your help.”

“Of course,” she whispered. “Anything.”

“Pelaga,” he said stiffly as he peeled her hands from his chest. “We need to cross into the Tidelands.”

Confusion flickered across her face, though it seemed secondary to the fact that he had deliberately broken the contact between them.

“We?” Her gaze slid to me.

“The Eidra and I have a task to complete there.”

Her arms fell slowly to her sides. For a moment, she simply stared at me, as though only now realizing I was there. Surprise flashed across her face before her gaze snapped back to Rìan.

“Did you steal her from Aedric?” she asked, genuine horror creeping into her voice.

“No,” Rìan said gruffly.

The answer was so clipped, so entirely lacking in explanation, that I found myself irrationally annoyed on Elyndra's behalf.

She shook her head, the veil rustling softly with the movement. “The Tidelands are warded.”

“Which is why we'll be taking the Looking Glass.”

Her gaze flew back to him. “Rìan, no.”

“I didn't ask for your permission.”

“The Looking Glass was shattered after the war,” she said quickly. “No one has used it in centuries.”

Rìan's brows pulled together. “Then how do you ferry your males and females to your sister brothel in Pelaga?”

Something tightened around her eyes. “I don't. It’s been closed for over two hundred years.”

A low growl rolled through the alcove, the sound seeming far too large for the confined space.

“Is there another way in?”

She hesitated before shaking her head. “Not that I know of. Not without Thalassis's permission.”

“Very well.” Rìan turned toward the curtain and reached for the heavy fabric. “Come, Eidra.”

“Where are you going?” Lady Elyndra stepped forward, alarmed.

“If you can’t help us, you’re of no use to me.”

“Will you not stay?” she nearly wailed, clutching at the hem of his shirt. “We’ve been apart so long⁠—”

He whirled around, his hand closing around her throat. “No thanks to you,” he hissed.

Her eyes widened. “I had no choice.”

“There’s always a choice.” He released her, sending her tumbling back a step. She straightened slowly, sudden steel in her spine as she squared her shoulders to face him.

“They would have killed me. Would you have preferred that?”

“I would have protected you.”