A few people began to murmur, looking around at each other.
"To whoever has taken it, please, please do us all a favor and return it. We are doing OK here. They've given us shelter, food. That's more than any of us could have hoped for. They are willing to live with us in peace. A knife is not worth everything we'd lose if it isn't in the training area when Lex gets back."
It doesn't feel like enough. They knew the risks, they still took the knife.
"And if that knife isn't returned, I will personally go to the king and let him know that he is free to search both us and our rooms when he gets back. He might just throw us all out. But if he doesn't, if his men tear this place apart until they find whoever has taken it, I hope you will understand that the rest of us will not stand with you. If he catches you, you will face the consequences by yourself with no protest from me. Or anyone else, for that matter. I hope you know that."
There. That felt threatening enough.
The next few days pass faster than any others have, but perhaps it only seemed that way to Aria. She'd barely slept the past few nights. Her anxiety was at an all-time high.
She'd been by the training area every morning and every night since Lex had left. Hoping, praying that the knife would appear.
At dinner on the day of the king’s return, they go directly to the throne room. Too afraid to stop by the training area to check for the knife. Aria felt like her stomach was in knots, making it hard for her to eat. But Mara sat beside her, told her to eat. So she tried.
About half an hour into the meal, the door opened, and Lex walked through. Everyone's quiet. Aria's heart rate speeds up, fear courses through her veins. She curses herself for not checking for the knife before dinner.
He walked to the front of the room and turned to face them. People get up and bow before him. Aria and the others do the same. She peeked up at him, the temptation making it too hard to stop herself. He looked a little tanner, like he'd spend a lot of time outdoors. He was clean and dressed in his dark clothes, the shiny crown on his head.
He caught her staring only a few seconds after she looked up. Her eyes dropped to the floor. His face looked impassive, emotionless as usual.
"Rise," he said and then sat down in his chair. Someone brought him food and drink. Aria kept waiting for him to say something. But he didn't. The longer he sat there, the more nervous she grew. The anticipation was making her sick.
Grace had joined him at some point. She and Lex were discussing something, their voices low, and their heads bowed. Aria strained to listen, to catch a single word, but she couldn't. Not with all the chatter going on around her.
Lex looked up and caught her staring again. She quickly looked away, but she heard him get up. He was at her side before she knew it. Everyone at their table went quiet.
"Take a walk with me," he said, putting his hand out. Aria didn't want to take it; she didn't want to get up at all. But she figured that she didn't really have a choice. So she put her hand in his.
Chapter 9
His hand was rough, his fingers calloused. But it was warm. He let go a second after she rose to join him.
They walked in silence, and this time he led her through the back doors and into the garden. It was dark, but the moonlight was bright enough to light up the path.
"Did-did you have a nice trip," she asked, mostly because she didn't know how else to break the silence. To her surprise, Lex smiled.
"I did," he said. "And did you have a nice week without me?"
She tried not to roll her eyes. "Yes, I did," she said, looking straight ahead.
"I figured you would," he said. She could feel his gaze on her.
They walked in silence again. Once they got to the little bench where she'd sat a few days ago, he sat down. She sat down next to him but made sure there were a few feet of space separating them.
"So, the knife has mysteriously made its way back into the training area," he said.
Thank god.
"Whatever you said must have been compelling enough for whoever had taken it to return it before I got back."
"I guess so.”
The look on his face filled her with dread, though, something about it made him look terrifying. Dangerous.
"Even though the knife has been returned..." he began.
Her blood ran cold.
"This situation has made it clear that I can't trust your people. And by that extension, that I can't trust you," he said, looking over at her.
"But...but they returned it. They were probably just scared. And after what we've been through...can't you understand that?"
"Yes, I can understand that. But your people aren't in danger here. I'd like to think that I've been kind to you since you’ve been here. I've provided food, shelter. I'm not threatening you; I'm not hurting any of you. And despite that, someone took it upon themselves to steal a weapon."
She didn't know what to say to that.
"I'm not really sure how to go about the situation. Part of me wants to let it slide, chalk it up
