“You sound an awful lot like your father,” I grumbled. Lord Zlodia was always ranting about how Malovia didn’t owe its citizens anything, and how the fae needed to take responsibility for themselves instead of relying on the government. It was very annoying, merely because he never shut up about it.
“And isn’t he right?” Elijah insisted.
I shrugged, not willing to argue with him. Truda’s request hadn’t seemed like that much to ask, but she was a peasant. I’m sure Truda would work out the problem in time. She’d go to the cathedral for help, or the priestesses. It wasn’t like our country would just let her die. There were always options forthosekinds of people.
Elijah and I spent the day at the palace practicing swordplay and playing tricks on the guards. When Elijah had slipped back home, I felt lonely. It was odd for him not to be by my side, and when he was gone, I truly felt his absence.
I went down to dinner, but I found Stefan waiting for me outside the dining hall. His crossed arms and foul expression told me he wasn’t pleased.
“Is the rat around?” Stefan asked, and his tone curdled with distaste.
“He is gone,” I said. “Though I wish you wouldn’t call him that.”
“It is what he deserves,” Stefan insisted. “How he treated that girl today was simply unfair.”
“Eli is a good person. He may have some backwards views, but underneath it all, he has a pure heart. He just wishes for what is best for Malovia.”
Stefan frowned, like he did not agree. “Just be careful. I don’t trust him.”
I let out a laugh and clapped Stefan on the back. “If I can’t trust my own cousin, who can I trust?”
“The people that care about you. Family is more than blood relations,” Stefan said.
I knew as such, but knew Elijah thought differently. Perhaps Elijah had been cruel to that girl, but it didn’t mean anything. It was just a different point of view. Everyone had the right to their own opinion.
Malovia was a country unified by fae blood. Elijah believed in unity. And unity couldn’t ever be a bad thing… of which I was certain.
Even if some had to compromise.
“Ethan,what’s going on? Your emotions are all over the place.”
Alexei blinked as I rubbed my sleep-deprived eyes, and pulled myself up off my desk. Fae Psychology was my only class on Tuesday. It was taught in the library, in one of the adjoining rooms. The class was set up in a circle, square tables surrounded by shelves of books.
Alexei was in this class with me. As a griffin, he was required to take a few psychology courses. I’d signed up for this class as an elective because it sounded interesting. We sat together at one of the square tables and shared notes throughout class, because this class was tough, and if we wanted to pass it made more sense to work together.
Unfortunately, that meant I was a victim of Alexei’s prying whenever my mood was worse than fair. And after more torturous memories of my cousin, I was far from willing to discuss the hauntings that had plagued my sleep.
“Bad dreams,” I said shortly.
“About the revolution?” Alexei whispered.
“No. Just… other matters.”
The revolution was laying low, for now. We’d done our part to destabilize the country, and the crown. It was best to allow the chaos to play out for some time before we made our next move.
I felt guilty, seeing the discord our actions had caused, and knowing there were innocent Malovians out there suffering for it. Yet I knew in war, there had to be sacrifices, and things wouldn’t change in this country unless we sent it spiraling. I’d just have to deal with the remorse.
Alexei drew back. “Well, if you want to talk about it, I’m listening.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You always say that, but you don’t need to deal with these matters on your own,” Alexei insisted. “Your friends are here to help.”
His words caused me to ponder. I’d done a lot of work last semester about letting my friends in and not shouldering the burden all on my own. I didn’t wish to go backwards and start shutting them out again.
“I’ve been having dreams lately about… my cousin,” I confessed. “Elijah bothers me even in my sleep.”
“Your cousin? What’s going on?”
