Ishida folded his hands behind his back. "My apologies for that display. Would you care to share a pot of tea? We all stand to benefit from . . . smoothing things over."
Agendra looked to me, waiting.
All the men in the room looked to me. I had never before stood in a room of men and been more than a ghost—a meaningless thing.
"No, thank you," I said tightly. "I would rather smooth things over with the Archdruid."
Ishida's face normally betrayed his irritation—even someone like me could read it—but today, he was impassable.
Nodding, he unclasped his hands. "I would delay your meeting until tomorrow. Let me talk sense into Sejiro." Bowing his head, he pursued the commander.
Agendra watched him leave, his eyes narrowed. With a hum, he sheathed his hammer. "You should get some rest. Follow me." He took a step and glanced back at Ferris. "You too, princeling."
"Princeling?" Ferris echoed.
Keiji chuckled. "I should get back to my post. But, Diar?" His sky—blue eyes dimmed. "Sleep with one eye open, tonight. Just in case." Bowing, he turned on his heel.
I stood rooted to the spot, hand tightening around my blade. Had Ishida always been a better man than I gave him credit for?
Never in my life had I been able to see the heart of someone, to truly read them.
Ferris touched my arm. "Are you alright?"
I didn't know Ferris, either—his truth, his past, his motives.
The rebels, their plan, their reason for choosing me . . . I should have wrung more answers from Quinn.
And I might've found them—had Ferris not intervened.
Turning toward the prince, I reminded myself of our positions.
Enemies. His help was no more genuine than Quinn's.
And it would not be long before he betrayed me.
Chapter 44
Diar
Idreamt of a burning manor, of smoke filling my lungs. Huddling in the corner of my flaming room, I waited for death.
A sword cracked through my door, forcing it open. Akemi rushed through the fire, grabbing my hand and pulling me after him.
I’d had this dream a thousand times. I knew how it would end.
Through the burning halls, we ran, lungs burning. A shadow stepped from around the corner, lithe and graceful. They drew a blade of steel from their hip and summoned a twin sword of light from the fire blazing around us.
My heart burst as I watched my brother fight to protect me. As I watched him fail.
The radiant blade plunged through his lung, spraying blood across my face. The shadow stepped over his body as it slumped, raising their steel to bring down on me.
Curling into a ball, I waited for death.
But the dream ended differently, this time. Wind rushed in circles around me, beating back the assassin. Lightning crackled along its streams. The storm itself shaped into a dragon—blazing eyes and a maw glowed from within the clouds and smoke.
The leviathan snapped its jaw open, revealing the endless tempest brewing inside. It lunged at my face.
I sat bolt upright, sweat pouring down my forehead. My chest heaved, and my vision blurred as I came to my senses.
