“I have not heard from you in over a week,” Rhaif spat. “Why have you been here near ten days now with no word if not for his kidnapping you? And where were you just now? Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?”
Aydra stared at him so intensely from the back of the horse that Rhaif’s weight shifted.
“Draven… please point me in the direction of somewhere I can speak with my brother privately,” she said through clenched teeth.
Draven’s eyes darted between the pair. “As soon as your lackeys unhand my people.”
Aydra’s jaw tightened, and she looked around them. “Unhand these people. That’s an order,” she nearly shouted. “They are good people. They’ve done nothing wrong.”
The slow rate at which the Belwarks released the Venari people made Aydra fume. Draven helped a few of them from the ground, including Balandria, before turning back to her.
“You can speak privately in my home,” he told her.
Aydra winced as she stepped down from the kneeling horse. Rhaif started to reach for her, but she swatted his hand away. “Don’t touch me,” she warned.
Draven came forward with the makeshift crutches and she took them from his hands with a nod. “I’ll help you up the stairs,” he said softly.
“I can carry her—”
“No,” Aydra said as Rhaif started to reach out for her again.
Draven tensed at her side, but she put an arm around his shoulders nonetheless. The three said nothing until they were at the top of the stair, and Draven let Aydra go by the bed so she could hold on to the post.
“I have to check on my people,” he said to her upon letting her go.
Aydra didn’t say anything, she simply gave him a nod, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew something was wrong.
Draven made a point to bump into Rhaif’s shoulder as he passed him.
“My horses could use water, Venari,” Rhaif called back. “You’ll see to it they get it.”
A low chuckle emitted from Draven, and the crude smirk on his lips when he turned made a chill run down Aydra’s spine. Draven shook his head mockingly,
“Your horses…”
Draven seized the collar of Rhaif’s shirt in his fists and lifted him up off the floor. Wind whipped the room, billowing a few of the papers off the desk and cutting around Rhaif and Draven’s figures. Aydra didn’t speak. She could see the strain in Draven’s neck and arms not to crush her brother in his bare fists.
“If you ever come into my realm threatening my people again, I’ll make sure your younger is crowned King before the sunrise,” Draven growled.
“You dare threaten me—”
“It’s no threat,” Draven uttered. “It’s a promise. On your sister’s life and the sanctity of your kingdom.”
Draven almost threw Rhaif upon letting him go. Rhaif stumbled on his feet, but caught himself on the desk. Draven towered over the Sun King’s bent figure, his fists clenching and unclenching at his side as the veins pulsed in his neck.
“Do not push me, Sun boy.”
Draven gave Aydra a short glance over his shoulder and then retreated down the steps. She could hear him shouting at the Belwarks upon reaching the bottom, telling them where they could get water for their own horses and daring them to pull another blade on any of his people.
Rhaif rubbed his throat and turned towards Aydra. “He is—”
“You dare come in here as though you are concerned for my safety after what you did to me?” Aydra cut him off. “I told you when I left that I needed time. Alone. Away from you.”
Rhaif’s jaw clenched, and he swallowed hard as he stared at her. “Yes, with your Second and your sister, neither of which is here in this Forest. You are injured. You should have sent for me as soon as it happened.”
“Why? So you could come in here and act as though you are some great hero?” She crossed an arm over her chest and shook her head. “Leave. Now. Take your men before they find themselves at the end of a canopy ambush.”
“Drae, you are hurt,” he argued. “Let me help—”
He began to reach for her again, but she flinched backwards so quickly, she fell onto the bed.
“You do not get to call me that,” Aydra managed, her body shaking. “And do not touch me.”
She saw the flash of fire blink in his eyes. “You will refuse my touching you and yet you allowed the Venari to escort you up the stairs.”
“The Venari has never put his hands on me with intentions to punish me simply because I wore a revealing dress to banquet,” she spat. “I will send word to Lex for her to meet me in the Preymoor in the morning.”
He paused and stared down at her, fists clenching and unclenching at his side. He looked as though he would say something, but she shook her head.
“Get. Out.”
His black riding cape billowed in the wind as he left down the steps.
Aydra forced her body to slow its shake. The memory of his fire flooded her core, and the pain of it pushed itself to the surface. Simply seeing him there again after this week of what felt like being in another universe caused her core to shatter. The wet of a tear dripped down her face, and she pulled her knees into her chest, allowing the pillows on the head of the bed to wrap around her as she willed her hyper breaths to even, forcing air into her lungs upon her body threatening to lapse.
She heard his voice shouting, and then the unmistakeable noise of the slew of horses they’d brought in started, and after a few moments, she could hear nothing more than the noise of the wind through the trees.
They are gone, the raven told her upon its flying in. The Venari King is coming.
Aydra wiped her face fast and sat up on the edge of the bed as Draven’s feet hit
