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“Oh.” Her head dipped so she was no longer making eye contact. Sloane had been the only Akrhyn not to treat her any differently. She didn’t know if he knew he was the sole reason she was managing to hold it together.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was subdued in the quiet of the room.
“For what?” Zahra raised her head slowly. “For being betrothed to me? For the embarrassment I have caused you? For the humiliation on your House of having to break the vow?”
Sloane sat forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “No.” He watched her as her eyes widened in surprise. “I never really cared about any of that, isn’t that why you picked me?” His eyes danced with humour.
Zahra flushed in embarrassment as she turned her head from him. “I hardlypickedyou,” she protested.
“You did though, you knew no other Akrhyn would accept your choice, not one of my family’s standing, and you used our childhood friendship to your advantage.”
“I’m quite the cunning witch,” Zahra said scornfully as she dropped her head onto her knees.
“Nah, you’re you.”
Her head snapped up to look at him, and she opened her mouth to ask him what he meant, but he was looking at her with amusement again, and it confused her. “I don’t understand.”
“You knew what you wanted, Zahra, and you made sure you got it.” Sloane shrugged. “You’ve tasted the human life, more than you probably wanted, and you’ve been hurt, but you’re Zahra Holt. Not some snivelling human who needs Akrhyn fighting for their survival in the shadows of the night.”
Zahra looked at him through narrowed eyes. “Did you just tell me toman up?”
“Does that mean stop wallowing and own your actions?” Sloane asked her curiously as he cocked his head to the side in question.
“Basically,” Zahra murmured.
“Then yes, do that.” He stood. “You are too late to train as a Sentinel, the young would embarrass you in the training room, and their parents would protest about your recent indisposedness.”
“Wow, thanks for the reminder of my shame.” Zahra glared at him as her temper warmed.
“Why are you even shamed? You lost a babe, you were abducted, you were assaulted. Yousurvived.” Sloane glared at her. “You are a survivor, by Arflyn’s grace, Zahra, stop being a victim.”
“You sound like Cord.”
“Well, that should worry us all,” Sloane joked lightly, which even got a smile from Zahra. “Do you remember Martha? The female in the kitchens, who took over the running of the House?”
“Yes, she helped me when you got us out.”
“She wants to start teaching you how to run a House,” Sloane told her as he watched her reaction.
“What House would have me?” Zahra asked bitterly as she looked away again.
“This one? Are you finished with the human, the one who was…the father?” His jaw tightened as he asked her, and he felt the familiar disappointment at the situation as a whole.
“Yes, I don’t want to see any of them again, they were not my friends, it seemed.” Zahra wiped her eyes quickly. “Sorry, I don’t even know why I’m crying over them,” she said as she shook her head at herself. “They don’t deserve my tears.”
“It’s a sad thing when you realise the truth.”
Zahra looked over at him and took in his handsome face, his kind blue eyes, his lips which were always so ready to smile. “I’m truly sorry.”
“I know.” Sloane looked down at her. “Please, consider Martha’s offer. She won’t make you uncomfortable, she won’t gossip about you behind your back. She will teach you well if you are willing to learn. You are already a good Akrhyn, you just need to remind the rest of the Houses of who you are.”
“Would it please you for me to do this?” Zahra asked uncertainly even as she felt the first fissure of hope rise within her.
“It would, because I know it is a role you would be good at, but I don’t want you to do it forme, I want you to do it because you want to do it. You, Zahra.”
“And the betrothal?”
Sloane held her gaze for a long time. It was he who broke the eye contact this time. “Is best broken, I need time,” he admitted gently. “Youneed time to learn who you are, what the last few years have taught you, have moulded you into becoming. You don’t need the safety net of me to catch you anymore.” Sloane grinned self-depreciatively. “I was an easy way out, Ribbons, you’re stronger than settling for easy. This attack proves that.”
