And Bree…
As much as that brief interlude with Lore in the alley of Elfhame makes me wish otherwise, I fear he’ll never be ready.
“Communication,” Kitarni reminds me, sensing the direction my thoughts have gone. “You must tell them what you think. Be open and honest—”
“But take no shit,” Maeve finishes, appearing on the back of Drystan’s horse.
“I thought I told you to go and keep an eye on Florian,” I hiss, twisting back to look at her.
I don’t miss Drystan’s raised eyebrow as I hurriedly wrap up the little vials. Right. I never mentioned to my Guard that I’d assigned my guides to watching over my brother. Oops.
Well, what was I supposed to do? Just blindly trust he’d be fine?
Best not to accidentally mention that I sent Mab to spy on Caed.
Kitarni, already used to my guides’ interruptions, follows the direction of my gaze and inclines her head respectfully. “As I was saying. Your Guard is honourable. They will respect your wishes.”
I swallow. “You only gave me four.”
Drystan’s knuckles turn white at my implied question, but Kitarni and I both pretend not to notice.
“Part of the reason I’m leaving you early is to find Caedmon and give him both potions.”
Drystan growls. “The only potion you ought to be giving him, priestess, is poison.”
“It is Rose’s choice who attends to her during her fever,” Kitarni replies brusquely. “For prudence’s sake, it’s best he takes the contraceptive as well. I have a feeling that Caed will not stray far from her. Even with his powers bound, it’s not unreasonable to assume he’ll—”
“I don’t want him there,” I snap. “Goddess, how could anyone think I want him after all that he’s done?”
I banished him for a reason. The idea of him near me, when I’m going to be at my weakest and most vulnerable, makes me feel ill.
“Nicnevin, I apologise.” Kitarni bows. “I was unclear. I will be giving the sleeping draught to Praedra, who can slip it into his drink when the time comes. It’s completely tasteless and scentless. You said you trusted her, and I assumed you would with this as well.”
“So why bring him the contraceptive at all?” I ask.
Kitarni looks down at her lap. “Because accidents happen. If Praedra fails in her task… it’s better you are protected.”
I swallow but nod my understanding. If there’s anything worse than bringing a blameless child into war, it would be having Caed’s child. A child who—by no fault of their own—would inadvertently hand Elatha exactly what he sought to achieve by forcibly-mating me: an heir to both our peoples.
“If she fails, and Caed turns up in the cloister, the rest of us will rip him limb from limb before we let him touch Rose.” The harshness of Drystan’s tone makes the hair on the back of my neck bristle. “Provided she removes the charm on Jaro and me, which I’m sure she’ll do at her earliest opportunity.”
Remove the charm that stops them from fighting with one another? Not a chance.
“No.” The word is tart on my tongue, laced with anger that lingers from last night.
Blizzard’s head whips back, perhaps sensing his master’s shock, and I reach to pat his mane automatically.
Drystan says nothing for a long moment. “What?”
It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes, and Maeve cackles behind me. “Oh, you shouldn’t have pissed her off.” My grandmother rolls off Blizzard’s rump. “Florian’s holding out fine. I’ll report back properly later.”
Traitor. Abandoning me with him? I scratch at a new itch on my upper arm as I try to ignore the death glare I’m receiving.
“Rhoswyn,” he bites out. “Explain.”
“If I reverse it, Caed will be able to harm you and Jaro.” I have no idea who would win; in fact, I honestly don’t think any of them would. They’d probably maim one another so badly that I would be split in two trying to heal them all. “Like this, you’re all protected.” I pause, remembering how their last fight ended with my death. “Iam protected. Lore and Bree can keep me safe if Caed becomes a threat, and…” I take a deep breath and look back, forcing him to meet my eyes with his swirling amber ones for just one second. “I trust both of them to listen to what I want.”
Whereas Drystan has already proven he’ll ignore my wishes if he disagrees with them, and as much as Jaro has never said as much, he also never objected to Drystan dragging me out of Elfhame.
