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When he reached the dining hall, he saw that it was the same for Vanna and Altair, both of them forcing themselves to have dinner because it was how Hadwin would have wanted it. Kyria came last, and Malik forced a smile.“Marhava.”
She smiled back at him, but it was unusually timid and uncertain.“Marhava.”But instead of claiming the chair next to Malik like she usually did, she went and sat next to Altair. It was enough to have the entire family pause—-
Vanna’s gaze was suspicious.What did you do?
Malik scowled. Was this woman truly his mother? Why was it that she always seemed to think the worst of him?
“Not that I’m complaining,” Altair said gently, “but aren’t you usually seated next to Malik?”
“I need to sit beside you,” Kyria said firmly.
The three of them exchanged looks, and seeing that everyone was as bemused as he was, Malik asked, “Why do you think that?”
The little girl suddenly looked uneasy. “Just because.”
He frowned. She was hiding something, but what could it possibly be? He started to speak again, but this time Altair forestalled him with a shake of his head.
“Let it be for now,” his older brother murmured.
Malik’s first instinct was to tell his brother he knew Kyria better than anyone did, and letting her maintain a lie was not the way to handle it. But then he saw the frightened way the little girl was looking at him—-
He gave Altair a curt nod, thinking that maybe this was Kyria’s way of cheering Altair up. He told himself to let it go and smiled at Kyria. “If that’s what you want, then that’s how it should be.”
Kyria nodded unsmilingly, and then she turned to Altair. “How are you feeling now, Altair?”
“I’m doing fine, poppet.” Altair ruffled her hair. “And you?”
“I’m doing fine, too.”
Malik asked Kyria about school. She answered without looking at him and then asked Altair about his work.
And so it went, and by the time dinner ended, Malik was seething. The straw that broke the camel’s back, however, was when coffee was being served, and he heard Kyria ask, “Altair, may I sleep in your room tonight?”
In the act of taking a sip of her wine, Vanna ended up spewing it out instead.
Malik’s incredulous gaze shot to Kyria. “What did you say?”
“I w-want to sleep in Altair’s room,” the eleven-year-old girl stammered.
His gaze, now furious, swung to his older brother’s. “What the hell did you do? Did you say anything—-”
Altair’s face hardened. “Careful, brother, or I might think you’re accusing me of something—-”
“I’m damn well accusing you,” Malik growled.
Vanna stood up, crying out, “Enough, both of you!”
But neither of her sons appeared to even hear her. Chairs overturned in a loud crash as the two young sheikhs shot to their feet, fury stamped on their identical features.
“She’s a child,” Malik bit out in Rami. “I’ve never once treated her otherwise, and for you to try poisoning her against me—-”
“I never said a single word, you fool,” Altair snapped. “But if she’s doing this on her own—-”
“I said, STOP IT!” Vanna burst into tears, and the sound made both brothers whiten in silence.
Kyria tore out of her seat and ran to the older woman. She threw her arms around Vanna and started crying. “I’m s-sorry, Mama, but Papa said I should do it.”
The silence grew worse.
