Because instead of saying, “I’m coming with you,” he hadn’t said anything at all. He’d let the moment pass in the rush of Aria readying her things and Silas saying goodbye.
The parting with his best friend still ached.
“Come visit me in Pravusat,” Silas had said, hands in his pockets, attempting to be nonchalant. “I’ll teach you the best insults in Pravish, show you the ocean cliffs in Izili. Cat-and-crow will love it.”
“Have you told Margaret?” Baron asked.
“Meant to. But she kept going on about how good I look with the princess and how I could pass any challenge. She’s pretending hard, Gill, so I let her have it. Let her pretend one more day.” He sighed. “I should have stayed away. I knew that. I kept delaying coming home ... Over there, I can be myself, every part. Whether I slither or stand, they don’t care. Here, my only use is puffing Father’s legacy. I’d bearhistitle andhisgrandchildren, and I’d never be free of him. Never.” He nodded and finished quietly, “It was always going to end this way.”
End.How Baron hated the word. He had an ending with hisparents, an ending with his best friend. Now he faced one with the girl he loved.
He couldn’t let Aria go to Northglen alone. At the same time, he couldn’t pretend to be useful when he’d proven his use quite clearly—Aria was still cursed. She would die while he carried the power to save her.
Just like his mother. Just like his father.
Huxley shut himself in his room for the night, grumbling about the party. Corvin had already snuck off, presumably to fly after feeling caged at the event. Baron expected Leon to go feed the herd of stray cats congregating around the back door.
Instead, he settled into the couch next to Baron. Leon rarely sought company, but perhaps he’d sensed that Baron could use the comfort.
At least until he spoke.
“How many times have I told you,” Leon drawled slowly, “not to be an idiot?”
Baron sighed and headed for the stairs. Undeterred, Leon stalked right along behind. When Baron reached his room and tried to close the door, the boy shouldered in all the same.
“Leon,” he warned.
“Don’t ‘Leon’ me,Guillaume. Just because you don’t like to hear it straight.”
“What I’d like is a moment’s peace. It’s been a long day, one without sleep.”
“You don’t needsleep. You made Lady Highness a bottle of wake-up wine with a snap, and that’s the least of what you can do. So why haven’t you broken her curse yet? I saw you in that hallway, floundering.”
“Let me assure you I am incapable in every way. I am under-experienced, under-skilled, and, if that weren’t enough, under siege.” He gave Leon a pointed look.
Leon scowled. “Don’t you care about her?”
Baron braced his palms flat on the dresser top, shoulders hunched. He could still see Leon in the mirror, and he looked away.
“I’d expect this more from Corvin than you,” he said at last.
“For once, he and I agree.”
“What perfect timing.”
Rubbing one hand over his face, Baron closed his eyes against a growing headache. His own mind echoed Leon’s accusation.Don’t you care about her?
He did.
Which made it hurt all the more, like lemon squeezed over a wound already bleeding.
“She’s going to Northglen,” Leon said. “Maybe she never comes back, or she comes backdoublycursed, or Morton just cuts to the chase and stabs her with a kitchen knife. You have to do something!”
Baron turned. “And maybe I get us both killed, don’t you understand? If Widow Morton doesn’t kill me, the king will, either for breaking house arrest or failing his challenge. And I can’tdoanything to save Aria. That’s the problem.”
Leon growled low in his throat.
Baron sighed again. He filled his washbasin from the pitcher beside it, though splashing his face did nothing to calm the storm inside. Not even the song of magic could reach him through the thunder.
