“You’re asking the wrong person. You need to talk with your brother.”
“That’s bullshit. You and I both know Sie’s too stubborn to let me go. He’s always been like that, but I can fight, Peter. I’m good. I took guard classes in Kitlarn.”
Peter was quiet for a minute, but his gaze snagged on my eye—or what was left of it. I knew it was one of the reasons Sie didn’t want me to fight, and judging from Peter’s reaction, he told him. “I’ve trained with my ability,” I added, pissed off about the whole situation. I still had my two feet, my hands… I could still hold a blade and knew how to use it, even if my peripheral vision was completely shit now.
“Why do you want to fight so badly, Little Noren?”
“Does it matter?”
Peter arched a brow like it very much did matter, but I ignored it.
“I’ll make a deal with you.” He crossed his arms over his chest, but he didn’t flat out say no, so I continued, “You’re going to be busy with Sie and Vallie, and we both know my brother is going to go after the Council—”
“What’s your point, Grey?”
“My point is you won’t be able to look out for your sister. And whatever training you’ve given her over the past couple of weeks isn’t enough.” Lilia wasn’t a fighter. Hell, half the time she could barely walk straight without tripping over her own two feet. She was just too stubborn to realize it, and unlike my brother, Peter wasn’t the type to tell someone they couldn’t do something, especially her. If Lilia wanted to fight, she was fighting.
“So let me fight,” I said. “Distract Sie so I can slip through the portal, and I promise I’ll protect her.”
“Sie compelled you not to fight.”
“No. My brother compelled me to not sign my name on the paper. He never said anything about not fighting.”
Peter groaned. “Sie’s going to murder me when he finds out.”
“I know.” I smiled, knowing I won him over. Peter was worried about Lilia. He’d been training her every day since she came to Brighta. I knew because I was keeping tabs on her, but it wouldn’t be enough. Lilia was the most uncoordinated person I’d ever met. It wouldn’t surprise me if she accidentally tripped and fell right onto someone’s sword. She needed me. She needed someone watching over her.
“So don’t let Sie find out.” I grinned.
“What are you doing here?”Lilia asked as she caught the apple I threw at her. Dinner was questionable as Dravenburg didn’t want us throwing our guts up from Kallon’s portal, and even with the nausea serums Wells handed out, we were only served bread and porridge.
“Your brother asked me to watch over you.”
She was about to bite into the apple, but stopped with the green core halfway to her lips. I forced my gaze away as they curled. “No, he didn’t.”
“He did. Like it or not, we’re fighting together.” I was relieved when Peter agreed to tell Lilia it was his idea. “I know he told you earlier today about the arrangement. If you want to fight, you have to fight with me.”
She narrowed her eyes, dropping the apple onto the grass in the process. Her blonde hair was tied back into tight braids, but she still had pieces falling out onto her cheek, and I had to fight the urge to tuck the loose strands behind her ear.
I bent down to pick up the apple, then did a slow job of wiping it off with the ends of my shirt.
I took a step toward her, then smirked as I bit into it. She did her best not to watch me, but I could feel her eyes on my throat as I swallowed. I honestly had no idea how to act in front of her anymore. My mind kept yelling at me to stop being a dick and admit everything was real, but some inner part of me kept crumbling at the idea.
So here I was, falling right back into my usual habits.
“I am capable of taking care of myself.” Her voice lost its edge, and I noticed her tugging at the sleeve of her shirt, trying to hide her zero brand from me.
I tried not to think about that day, about how helpless I felt as I watched her on the stage, and how everything got so much worse in the weeks that followed.
Dravenburg gave us all leathers to wear, and since Tennebris was in their dark season now, it would automatically feel thirty degrees colder. I stared at her arm, knowing there was a scar running from the tip of her elbow stopping at her wrist, where she was compelled to cut herself. The leather blocked most of it from view.
I gritted my teeth. “It’s not about being capable, Lilia. It’s about being smart. Everyone should have a fighting partner, someone that has their back.”
“Right,” she huffed. “And I’m supposed to believe you’ll have mine?”
“Yes,” I said, then thought better of it. “Like it or not, besides your brother, I’m the only person who knows you here. I’m the only one who cares.”
I knew she wouldn’t believe me if I told her the truth. Besides bringing her to the cabin, I’d never been nice to her before. She still thought everything was in her head. And I couldn’t blame her. I made her life hell. Why would she think any differently? My so-called friends were the sole reason she was treated so badly at school, and I did nothing to stop it.
