Mother reached us, carrying herself with the grace of an Ibarran priestess. “Seth, please.” She knelt, prostrate at his feet.
My stomach turned. Aren’t we all supposed to be equals among the Viori?
Ciaran hovered behind my mother, clearly worried, his presence solid, but that made two people on my side.
“I was attacked by a vuk. This man interfered and risked his life to save mine, killing the vuk, and injuring himself gravely.”
Seth barked out a laugh. “A vuk? Even if we were foolish enough to believe one might attack a Viori, it’s well-known they’re impossible to kill.”
Asshole.
“And yet, he did.”
Torchlight cast jagged shadows across his face. “And why would a Lirien save a Viori? What reason would he have unless you gave him one?”
The insinuation curled between us, unspoken but unmistakable. My cheeks burned. Seth didn’t need to say the word lover—everyone already understood his meaning.
“Believe whatever you want, but it doesn’t change the truth. You’d rather punish him than acknowledge any honor on his part?”
Seth’s laugh was bitter, cutting. “Honor? From a Lirien? Or are you the one mistaking his intentions? The last time I saw you, you were sneaking out of the camp. Were you meeting him then? And if he’s not a lover, then what? An accomplice?”
The words hit like a physical blow. He wasn’t just accusing me of foolishness. He was accusing me of treason.
“Enough, Seth. You know she has Pendaran blood. If what she says is true, she cannot kill him.” Mother’s long, dark tresses cascaded over her shoulders as she pleaded.
“But I can. And she is a Viori first and foremost, Lucia. You Ragnalls may have forgotten that while hanging your Pendaran and Ibarran crests.”
The Lirien drew a ragged breath. I knelt beside him to take his pulse, still carefully holding the crossbow.
Slow. Faint.
“He needs healing, Seth. Please,” I said. “My mother can heal him and, afterward, he can be held captive. The Harvest Moon is close—he can claim refuge then. If he refuses, at least I’ve fulfilled my duty.”
Soroush, the oldest council member, peered at the Lirien before turning his gaze to my mother, then to Seth. His grey, thin lips parted, tongue moistening dry skin. “It’s forbidden. Let nature take its course.”
The simple answer. Maybe even the wise one.
But I didn’t drag him through the forest to die here at my feet.
“Then I’ll heal him. I just need some supplies.” My abilities paled compared to Mother’s, but I wasn’t completely without skill.
I scanned the gathered faces, searching for an ally. Olivia’s sharp features hardened with disapproval. Soroush, however, remained calculating, his gaze flickering between Seth and me. He weighed his options. Perhaps he could be swayed.
“Seth, you know I’d never endanger the Viori. No one in this condition is a threat.”
Soroush cleared his throat, his thin voice rasping. “Seren, this is reckless. Bringing a Lirien here—did you think we wouldn’t notice?”
“I thought you’d listen,” I shot back. “I thought you’d trust me enough to hear my reasons before drawing your swords.”
Olivia’s frown deepened. “Trust is earned, not assumed.”
Their words piled on top of each other, a suffocating wall closing in. Ciaran stood at the edge of the group, stoic but alert. Ready to help, if necessary. No one else moved. No one else would step in.
Seth gave me a long, measured look. “If you’re so honorable, let the council decide your punishment.”
I tilted my head, letting a faint, mocking smile tug at my lips. “Of course, Seth. Just as soon as you explain why you needed to draw a sword on someone carrying an injured man. What are you afraid of? That I might actually have a good reason?”
Behind Seth, the other council members exchanged uncertain glances. Good. If I couldn’t beat him outright, I could at least make him look like a bully.
