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Arianna stopped studying the fibers and pushed through her waning energy to stare into Niall’s gray eyes. Such beautiful gray eyes. They drew her in, made her think of the sky right before summer rain. His wet hair hung down in his face and she studied the locks, transfixed for a moment by all the colors that made up hair she’d only ever thought of as blond. It was so much more, like a sunset had been woven into the strands.
“Arianna.”
“Fine. I’ll eat.”
His eyes widened. “Great. I’ll have the cooks prepare something in the—”
“No.” Niall fell silent. “Right here. And you’ll find me the books.”
His face turned grave again, but he nodded. “As you wish, my Lady.”
It took Niall less than five minutes to find the volumes she needed, and a steaming bowl of potato soup appeared moments after that. Arianna’s mouth watered at the smell of it and the considerably large chunk of bread on the side.
She took the book first and began flipping through the pages, but the words were blurring and her head pounded as if someone had bested her in a sparring match.
“Please, eat something,” Niall said gently, then sat down beside her. She imagined what they must look like. A Lord of Pádraigín and the Queen of Alastríona both seated on the floor of the library with a small pile of books and a bowl of soup.
Arianna took the warm bowl in her hands and raised it to her lips. One sip and heat flowed through her, welcome and filling. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. Ellie had all but forced things down her throat, but Arianna had not tasted them, not really. They were pale and cold and dull. This was full of color and promise.
Strength. She needed strength if she wanted to find Rion and understand what was happening. She needed to read about pseudo bonds and real bonds and find out exactly what it all meant. She knew a bond had to solidify, but did that mean it could also fall apart as hers and Rion’s had done?
Before Arianna knew it, the bowl was empty. Her stomach twisted and she closed her eyes, fighting to keep the contents down.
“Good?” Niall asked.
“I think I ate too fast.”
He chuckled a bit. “Yes, well, have some bread and see if that helps your stomach.”
She obeyed, refusing to look at him. What did he think of her like this? What did any of them think? This was worse than the time Rion had outright left her. At least then she’d known where he was. Now, she didn’t know if he was suffering, hiding, or still running despite her wanting him to return.
“Thank you,” Arianna said once her stomach had calmed down.
Niall held a book in his hand. She hadn’t realized how closely he sat to her until now, nor had she considered that she was dressed in nothing more than a night dress. It covered her body, but it was far from the garb a queen might wear in the presence of her subjects. And Niall hadn’t bothered to berate her about it.
“You were a slave.” He already knew that, but Arianna found his eyes on the scars of her wrist. She didn’t bother hiding them.
“Yes.”
“To him?”
Her heart jolted with a fresh wave of pain and Arianna sat the bread down. It had turned to ash in her mouth. “For a while.”
Niall seemed to straighten slightly. His jaw worked, but he kept his expression neutral. “Did he ever . . . hurt you?”
He had. His magic had grazed her skin. Cut her hand. Held her still within its clutches. But she couldn’t voice those things now and certainly not to Niall. Instead, Arianna said, “He ignored me most of the time.”
Niall seemed to wait for more before saying. “I’d love to listen to your story, if you ever feel inclined to share it.”
Niall picked up another book and for some reason, Arianna added, “Talon almost killed him once.” Niall froze. “I saved him.”
He ran one hand across gold lettering. “Is that what started the bond?”
Arianna shook her head. “My father tried to execute him and I—” She gripped her shirt, right over her aching heart. “I felt it. I could feel him being torn away from me and I knew what he was.”
Silence filled the space again. “I’m sorry for the pain you’re suffering.”
Seconds later the library door burst open and Ellie stormed through. Her gaze roamed the aisles until they landed on Arianna. She outright glared at Niall, but he didn’t return it.
