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Finnian gave a gut-rattling smirk. Clearly, he was too eager. “And miss an opportunity to one up Cassian? Absolutely not.”
Naia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. “You are still so easy to convince.”
The glint in his gaze softened, and she hated how it thawed a bit of her bitterness towards him. “If you are referring to the time Vex and Astrid convinced me to give you that ghastly necklace, I could argue how I was only a child back then.”
She scrunched her nose. “I taught you to have better sense than to believe those snakes.”
He gave a low chuckle.
Naia took him in and how different his demeanor was this time around. He’d been cold and distant with her last time, not the least bit interested in holding a conversation. Now, it seemed his guard was lowered, and despite blatantly ignoring Ronin’s presence right behind her, he was more tolerable.
Ronin shifted, the movement rustling the grass beneath his feet, as if to remind Finnian he was there.
Finnian fixed on, what was no doubt in Naia’s mind, Ronin’s glare. “It’s been a while, Mr. Kahale. Your absence from my city has been like a delightful vacation.”
“Don’t direct any comments to me,” Ronin advised brusquely.
The corner of Finnian’s lips twitched. His gaze flickered back onto Naia and regarded her with a familiar look—one she used to catch glimpses of when he was younger, during feasts, or across Mira’s long, narrow hall. A look of adoration.
It tugged at her heart and tears burned in her eyes. “Don’t you dare look at me that way, Finnian.”
An expression passed over his face, a boyish sensitivity she hadn’t seen in ages, as he grimaced. “I never wanted this for you.”
“You left me without ever looking back,” she said, attempting to control her anger from slipping into her tone. “What did you expect?”
“I wasn’t going to leave you there forever, Naia, but I needed time to become strong before facing Mother again.”
“Why did you do it then?” She clamped her jaw, the sting of his betrayal pricking the inside of her chest. “Why did you hand me to Malik?”
“Father always used to say you had it in you,” he whispered, as if the words were only meant for her to hear. “You do things in your own time, and one day, something would draw out your true power.”
A gust of rage swept through her, and her clenched fists came up in the air as she took a step, intending to punch him. She could do it without worrying about his well-being, knowing it wouldn’t cause him permanent harm. “Are you telling me you forced me into the situation with the triplets, believing I would reveal some dormant power because they threatened my freedom?”
Ronin caught her by the crook of her elbow, a swift reminder not to step over the boundary line.
“You’re not selfish enough for something like your own desires to be the catalyst. You do not care about seeking vengeance on those who wronged you, or to allow the suffering you’ve endured to provoke you.” Finnian’s eyes dropped to her stomach and then flickered over to Ronin, before finally settling on her. “You and I are the same in that we love profoundly, and we will hold on to that love forever. Eternity is all we know. We refuse to let go and we will find a way, even if we must create it. For the first time in your life, Naia, fragility surrounds you. They are as breakable as a butterfly’s wing.”
She glared at him, knowing everything he said was right.
“The second time,” she corrected, lowering her fists.
Ronin released his grasp from her arm.
Finnian scoffed. “Kaleo was unaware of your divine nature, and his death took you by surprise. You were too innocent to think Marina would murder the man.”
For a moment, she was caught off guard, surprised he knew the intricate details about Kaleo’s final moments.
Finnian intently searched her face for a beat. “How will you respond now, dear sister, with Ronin’s life on the line? When all you’ve ever had to fear is Father losing his freedom or the prospect of my pain and suffering at the hands of Mother.”
Naia spun the band around her finger in nervous loops. Mortals were as fragile as an autumn leaf on the ground, slowly perishing. How would she respond?
When she thought about it, a life force blazed awake in her veins. Whether she had the capability was not the issue. She would split the skin of the earth with her bare fists and use it as their shield before she let anything threaten the lives of those she loved.
It was astonishing to think how Finnian had turned against her, all in the name of her own interest. Because of his action, a broken trust lingered, forcing a part of her to swear to never grant him such delicate pieces of herself again. But she knew Finnian, and no matter how furious she was at him, it never made sense how he would side with Malik, the murderer of Arran, over her.
“In six months’ time, I will meet you back here.” Finnian bowed his chin slightly, conveying his promise. “If you need to get in touch with me before then, have one of Mr. Kahale’s members reach out. Or you could join the modern age and get a cellphone,” he teased.
It would certainly be more efficient, but her pride kept her from admitting such. She folded her arms and said, “I will consider it.”
