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My breath caught.
"Kaiya, I'm sorry —" Jaiel's silken voice grated against my skin.
I gripped the blanket tighter around my waist and stared down as something hot and heavy boiled inside my chest, twisting tighter with every breath.
"Two years," I ground out, lifting my gaze to meet his. "Two fucking years."
His cheeks flushed slightly, and he cast a longing look at the door. "I'm sorry, Princess. I —"
"How could you?"
He looked conflicted for a moment, searching for the words. But he straightened his back and met my eyes. "I've never pretended to be anything I'm not, Princess. I lie for a living. If you thought something else — well, that's on you."
My jaw dropped. GODS. He was SUCH a bastard!
"OUT," I shouted, pointing at the door. "If you care so fucking little, get OUT of here."
He wavered for a moment, blue eyes searching my own. Then tightened his lips and strode out, the door slamming behind him.
"That-a-girl." the older woman said from the chair next to the bed.
Hells! I'd forgotten she was even in the room! My cheeks heated and my anger deflated instantly. "I'm sorry — I …"
"Not at all, dear," she interrupted, clicking her tongue as she grabbed a pile of clothes. "Those two claim to be men, yet they act like boys. This'll do them both some good." She looked at the door, shaking her head. "Liam hasn't been the same since his parents died, and the prince can always do with a good shaking."
Liam. That's right … He was Liam, not Eli. Was anything he told me true?
She wrapped me in a hug. "I'm sorry my dear."
My shoulders loosened a bit, and I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Come now," she strode to the door, then turned back. "If you'd like to join us downstairs, lunch should be ready in about thirty minutes. Jaiel and my grandson won't be joining us, but there are others who are eager to see you again."
My heart twisted as the door closed for the third time this morning.
Others?
Chapter 21
Kaiya
Who wanted to see me?
I desperately fought the urge to pull the covers back over my head and go to sleep. Surely I'd wake up and all this mess would have just been another bad dream …
But we didn't have time for that.
Reluctantly, I took in the red sandstone walls, the silken fabric of the bedding, and the ornate carvings on the door, and groaned. Lying to myself was pointless. This mess was too real, too unexpected. Too painful to be a dream. Just thinking about the lies made my blood boil and sharp prickles burned the back of my eyes.
My gaze caught on my bag sitting beside the closet opposite me. Could I get away with leaving the village now and doing the mission alone?
No.
I might be stubborn, but I wasn't stupid.
If the reports from Frexin were correct, I'd need both Jaiel and the support team's help.
But I couldn't go back to the almost-friendship we'd had on the ship. He'd lied to me for two years, and then said I should have expected it …
