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My lips quirked. “You’ll be fine. Attes? Probably a different story.”
Elias chuckled. “Attes does have a way of inciting that response in others.” His eyes narrowed. “I think someone wishes to speak with you.”
I followed his gaze, finding Rhain striding toward us.
“Excuse me.” Elias bowed.
I nibbled on the inside of my lip when Elias departed, only to be quickly intercepted by Kars, then shifted my focus to Rhain.
He stopped about a foot from me. “I’d ask how you’re feeling, but…”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “Thank you for not asking.”
“And forcing you to lie?”
I nodded, now the one shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. “Oh.” I reached up, unclasping Aios’s necklace. I offered it to him. “Can you give this back to Aios? Or give it to Bele?”
Rhain stared at the silver chain. “You should be the one returning it to her.” He took the chain.
“I would like to,” I told him, glancing down at the cracked marble floor. “By the way, that’s a nifty talent you have. Communicating telepathically.”
The apples of his cheeks matched his hair. “Yeah, it’s not something I advertise. I’m not even as good at it as Kolis believes.”
I doubted that. “I’m sorry about your father and brother.”
Squinting, he nodded. His chest rose. “I wanted…I wanted to thank you for—”
“You don’t have to.”
“But I do.” His golden-brown eyes met mine. “You didn’t have to intervene to save me. You didn’t have to do anything. Yet, you did.”
I folded an arm over my waist. “I only did what anyone else would have.”
“I don’t think that’s true, Seraphena.” He stepped in closer. “I don’t know what you had to do,” he said, his voice low, “but whatever it was, I will never forget what you sacrificed.”
“It wasn’t…” I closed my eyes, knowing it was unlikely he’d believe me if I said it was nothing. “Thank you for not telling any of them about how you were freed.”
“Of course.” His gaze flickered over me. “But they would not have treated you any differently if they knew. I know they would feel what I do, only regret.”
“Regret?”
Rhain nodded. “For not seeing you as Ector did,” he said, his voice cracking. “He saw you for what you were when you first arrived in the Shadowlands.”
“Someone you didn’t want to stab?” I joked.
His too-solemn stare landed on me. “Someone who has earned our respect and admiration. Especially mine.” He looked away. Ash was heading in our direction. “But he always saw you. Always.”
Ash had.
He always saw me, even when he was angry or disappointed.
“What are you two talking about?” Ash came to my side, and Rhain moved back several feet, followed by the others.
“I was returning Aios’s necklace,” I said, my gaze moving over the faces of those I might’ve become friends with if I had more time and missing the ones not here and those no longer with us.
I wanted to see Reaver’s too-solemn and too-old eyes for such a young boy. His smile. And I wished I could hold Jadis again. Feel her weight on my chest as she slept.
Gods, it was so damn weird.
