AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He suddenly wanted to know everything about her. And he didn’t see why he shouldn’t.
“How old are you?”
“Oh. I’m... I’m twenty-five.”
“Where do you live?”
“New York.”
“In a penthouse?”
“It’s a... It’s a town house.”
“How did you afford it?” New York was expensive. He knew that from reading. Unless it wasn’t true now. But he imagined that it was. He’d read books spanning many time periods. Many of them were older. So it was difficult to say what was a more modern truth sometimes. He did try to look at and remember the copyright dates. For context.
“It is expensive. I... Cairo bought my home.”
He looked at Cairo. “And what is she to you?”
“She’s the woman that’s going to help you,” said Cairo. “That’s all you need to know.”
“It is not all I need to know,” he said. “I wish to know everything.”
“I am going to begin to see about your other business,” said Cairo. “Brianna is going to care for you. While I’m away.”
“You’re going to get Ariel Hart.”
“Soon. But I’m not quite prepared for her.”
“She will pay for what her father did.”
“Do you think that is... Productive?” Cairo asked, and yet his brother was not neutral. He could see that. And ifRiyazcould see that—with his long years lacking in social interaction—then it was painfully obvious.
“I don’t care about what isproductive. I’m not even certain what that means. People use that word to talk about all that they accomplish in a day. Days... Nights... What do they matter when you live in a dungeon with no sunlight? What did they matter when you live in a dungeon without other people? You just survive. In the waves of time.”
“Yes. But out here there is the sun. Also people. And there are schedules. Which is where Brianna comes in. And we don’t have a lot of time. We need to see you ascended to the throne. We need to let the people know that they are free. I would love to give you endless time to adjust to the world around you, but even if you are acting primarily as a figurehead, we need you in figurehead shape.”
It was such a strange thing. His brother moved at an entirely different pace than he did. He wore expensive suits. His hair was cut ruthlessly short. His movements were quick and precise.
Riyaz sometimes did not move at all. He watched. He observed. He could be fast if the moment demanded it. But he did not see the point of wasting energy. Everything he did had a purpose. That was why he had set up ways to work out in the dungeon. If he was going to move, he was going to build muscle. Strength.
That seemed a reasonable aim. Riyaz had lived a life where he had little. So he had learned to economize.
Clearly, Cairo did not approach life with the same ethos. His brother was excess personified.
Was Brianna one of his excesses?
He growled again.
“What?” Cairo asked.
“I had a thought I did not like.”
“You’re going to have to not growl.”
“Why?”
“People don’t expect it.”
