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Vanarré was located at a wedge point along the border, within Yafae’s boundary but a mere hour’s walk from Zrynia on one side and Kachek on the opposite. It had once been used as a military post, long before Aric’s time, but when war had ceased it had transitioned fairly naturally into a trade-stop. It was also where the majority of Yafae’s refugees came through.
Aric was amazed none of Denham’s reports indicated it had yet been attacked.
Harald huffed out a sigh, his own irritation sparking in his eyes. “Yes, I spoke to the Vanarré office. But I don’t know what you expect us to do. We don’t have an emergency response team in place to monitor theentirewall.”
Aric arched a brow at the older man’s tone and moved calmly to claim a seat on the sofa facing the desk. He crossed one leg over the other. “We both know that wasn’t what I tasked you with,” Aric said. “While it’s important to analyze the state of the wall near the additional invasion sites, our primary goal is to protect our people.”
Harald leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over his chest. “Says the man who brought a refugee from the attacking nation into my office this morning.”
Aric narrowed his eyes. “You will refrain from mentioning Rochelle again.” Harald opened his mouth to respond to that declaration, but Aric continued before he could lose his temper. “Have the Vanarré staff call on aid from the soldiers in the area if necessary. We need multiple teams of inspectors and armed soldiers to be ready to depart by morning.”
Harald smacked a palm on his desk. “If it’s such an emergency, why has it been covered up until now?”
“Your need to know the politics of the situation is not my concern,” Aric said. He kept his tone tight and matched the older male’s glare with ease. “I was asked to come to you in hopes of determining a cause and a solution, as promptly and quietly as possible. Any other information you crave will have to wait until those goals are achieved.”
Harald scoffed and dropped back in his chair. A severe frown bent his lips. “So I’m just supposed to fall in line and jump like a good little soldier, then. Has the King forgotten I’mnota soldier?”
Aric let his magic rise inside him until he could feel it vibrating along his flesh, knowing that sensation meant his eyes would be glowing even in the well-lit office. “I would advise you mind your words, Harald.”
“Yes, yes,” Harald said. “The Sentry is ever King Jensen’s loyal lapdog.” He waved a hand as if swatting a fly. “What more do you want of me? I spoke to the entire council. We’ve reached out to our preferred inspectors. Teams take time to put together, and more time still to travel.”
Aric drummed his fingers over his raised knee, mostly in an effort to release some fraction of energy even as he pushed his magic back down. “I believe I’ve been clear on what I expect of you, Harald.” He stilled his hand. “And it is not for you to take your time cherry-picking your favorite inspectors, let alone to wait for their availability or for the ones located in the heart of the kingdom to travel to their border area of choice. That’s why it’s anemergency. Deal with what you have and figure out how to use it.”
Harald shot to his feet, eyes wide with indignation. “You would dare speak down to me? You have no idea how hard I work—”
Aric stood as well and tucked his hands into his pockets. “Yes. I can see you work quite hard at justifying your comfortable, morally questionable, lifestyle. You’ve made it clear your kingdom’s peril is an inconvenience you can only tolerate for the benefit of your personal freedoms.” He stepped closer and hardened his voice. “Now letmebe clear. I don’t care. I’m here, discussing this with you, because you are the Head of the Border Council. I was willing to offer you and your council that respect. But there is a job which needs doing and I will see it done, whether you cooperate or compel me to dump you in a holding cell for treason. That choice, and that choice alone, is yours.”
Harald’s fists shook at his sides and his nostrils flared. “Your audacity is galling, Vardanyan. You are not untouchable. Perhaps you should remember that.”
Aric hummed and turned for the door. They weren’t going to get anywhere further in this conversation. “I’ll be calling Vanarré myself by hour’s end,” he said. A flicker of under-satisfying magic pulled the door open for him. “I hope you’ll have come to your senses and given them the updated information by then.” For the sake of the kingdom, his words were true. But there was a part of him that hoped otherwise, because he knew if he came to in any way detain Harald Lamont, the nobleman’s son would intervene. And then he’d have his opportunity to vent his frustration on Lennart, too.
He ignored the older man’s outraged shout and teleported himself back to his room at the Seaside Sleeper. He was supposed to be working—another Yafaen border town could come under invasion any day—and yet he could hardly drag his focus away from Rochelle.
He was used to witnessing grief and pain, and he’d recognized some of that in her sporadically in the months she’d been staying with him. But the sight of her huddled up and sobbing beneath the staircase that morning had unnerved Aric in a way he hadn’t felt in years, if ever in his current life. He blamed that unsettled feeling, that driving need to calm and reassure her, on why he’d touched her the way he had. So familiarly. As if they were closer than they were and he had any right whatsoever to kiss her soft skin.
Aric pulled the scarf from around his neck and tossed it toward the bed with a self-derisive scoff. Perhaps Harald was only half to blame for their latest confrontation. He pushed the thought down and strode to the door, simultaneously extending his senses to verify who was where within the building.
Rochelle was downstairs, seemingly keeping Tora company in the kitchen.
His lips twitched and he took himself toward the staircase as he wondered if he’d find her with her long, yellow hair pulled back as she stubbornly scrubbed something clean. By hand. She’d done that once, her first week at the estate, and Tinsley had nearly fainted at the sight. It had taken Aric aback a little, too, but for other reasons. He hadn’t seen someone manually clean a surface of any kind since he was a very different man, in a very different place.
Of course, that was the way she knew, since she’d never been taught magic before.
That was not the sight that awaited him when he rounded the corner into the kitchen, however. He’d heard Tora’s animated voice carrying down the hall, so he was unsurprised to find the woman talking away as she stirred something in a bowl over the counter. He rested his shoulder against the doorframe and let his gaze settle on Rochelle, who sat at the long oval table with a cup between her hands. She seemed captivated by Tora’s tale of fishing adventures.
“And I’m telling you,” Tora continued as she set down the bowl and reached for something to pour it in, “the entire boat would’ve capsized if it weren’t for my boys! I don’t even know where they learned that sort of magic, but their eyes were bigger than their heads, thinking they could reel in a whole whale like that!”
Aric grinned. The story got more dramatic every time he heard it.
“That sounds a little terrifying,” Rochelle said. She pulled her mug closer to her chest. “Did they cut the whale go, then? How did they feed everybody?”
“They really didn’t have much choice,” Tora said. She paused to cough as flour tumbled too quickly from a bag and filled the air in front of her with dust. A wave of her hand and a touch of magic blew the dust out the partially open window. “They were so dejected when they came back, nearly drowning at sea and still failing to catch enough to get their town through the winter. They really thought we’d all starve.”
Aric finally let out a quiet chuckle. “Yes. It’s really a shame they didn’t think to use that energy to simply burn all the snow off the main roads.”
Rochelle jumped in her seat, her startled half-exclamation drowned out by Tora’s simultaneous, boisterous laughter.
“Well, yes, that did prove more helpful!” Tora said, turning enough to flash a grin in his direction.
