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In the parlor, Devon sat in a large chair with green velvet upholstery. The warm colors of the fire burning in the hearth reflected off the blue jewel shades of the wallpaper.
Devon swirled the amber liquid inside the glass he held in one hand with lazy movements. “The house let you in. I can’t decide if I’m pleasantly surprised or disappointed.” He tilted his head back and swallowed his drink in a couple of gulps.
Nava propped up her hands on her hips, tapping her foot against the plush rug. “What would you have done if the house refused us entry and called upon the Crows?”
Devon shrugged. “I would thank the gods I won’t get dragged into whatever suicidal mission you’re about to embark on. It will surely get me killed. Then I’d send a get-well-soon letter to Arkimedes.”
Nava frowned. “Why a get-well-soon letter?”
“Because his hand would have been severed by the fountain’s water if the spell thought him a foe.”
Nava shot a murderous glare at Arkimedes, who at least had the decency to look abashed. “I thought you were joking when you said that.” She stalked toward Devon, her blood boiling. “And you wanted the Society to take us?”
Devon’s lips tightened into a fine line.
Arkimedes reached for her shoulder and squeezed it lightly. “I wouldn’t have risked it if I thought my loyalty was genuinely in question. Being heir to this kingdom has its benefits. The Society can’t take me—nor you—and Devon knows that.” Arkimedes’s frown deepened, and even though his voice remained level, she could feel that he was, in fact, peeved.
“Right.” Devon shook his head as if he couldn’t believe it himself.
Arkimedes’s jaw worked, and he took a deep breath to calm his temper. “And you don’t have to follow us into our suicidal mission. If you don’t want to, we can call our life debt even now.”
Devon straightened in his seat, placing his empty glass on the side table. “Really?”
The magical string that still tied Devon to Nava flickered, the life debt slowly withering as Arkimedes continued to speak. “You hurt my soulmate last year. While I no longer possess all of my memories, I do recall that.”
The room fell silent, except for the crackling of the fire. Nava’s skull prickled with nervous tension. Would they be safe if the life debt was gone? Or would Devon betray them?
“Ark…”
He raised his hand, and she closed her mouth. This wasn’t her choice, nor her life debt. Not really.
“You helped Nava escape my father last night. You deciphered the prophecy in the book I brought you, and you searched for me across the seas, although everyone else thought I was dead.” Arkimedes took a step closer to his brother, his face torn between anger and something softer that she rarely got to witness. “I would save your life again, Devon, because you’re the family I chose. I’m not forcing you to fight demons, nor die for me.”
The string pulled tighter and tighter, leaving Nava’s stomach roiling just before it snapped like a rubber band. She wheezed with the force of the recoil, bending forward as pain radiated through her chest. Then it was gone.
“Damn you!” Devon barely caught himself against his knees, visibly shaken. He buried his face in his palms. “It would be much easier to leave if you were a coward.”
“Are you going to?” Arkimedes asked.
Nava wrapped her arms around her midriff, trying to catch her breath as they waited for Devon’s response. Would he? Did she even care?
For so long, she had hated this man. Then circumstances had forced them into becoming allies. When had he turned into a friend?
“Not yet.” Devon rose from his chair in one fluid motion. If the dissolution of the life debt was hurting him as much as it was hurting her, then he was a great actor. He strode to the doorway, pausing briefly on the threshold. “After all, someone from the Society needs to be here and make sure nothing gets damaged or stolen while Celeste’s daughter is here.” His expression lacked the unfriendliness of his words.
Devon was a master at playing a part. But in the end, he had gone to the end of the world to find Arkimedes. Even a decade after his disappearance.
Nava resisted the urge to smile. Emotionally constipated men were so frustrating, yet entertaining to watch. Hopefully, this wouldn’t come back to haunt them later.
Devon ran a hand through his wavy, black hair. “I haven’t checked if the pantry is stocked. Let’s just hope there’s something to eat in this place, or this little adventure was for nothing.”
5
NAVA
An enormous limestone fireplace dominated one side of the kitchen. Thick stone columns held up its high, vaulted ceilings, and Nava shivered in the expansive cavern of a room. Devon busied himself by tending to the fire, and soon, the space warmed.
“Are you still cold?” Arkimedes asked a little while later, placing a steaming bowl of stew in front of her. “Do you want my coat?”
