Page 21 of Blood Weaver
I snorted derisively. “You’re the chief’s son. Your plans are all the same.”
He gazed at me intently. “No, Leila … or should I say, Princess Lyanna. Our plans arenotthe same.”
We stared at each other in silence; each weighing our options and assessing our trustworthiness. No matter what Ronan said, he was a Crimson Clan member. I could never trust him.
He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. “I know what you must think of the Crimson Clan, but you have to understand that I amnotmy father. I don’t want war, bloodshed, or chaos.”
My gaze hardened. “Yet, you've indulged in all three by siding with Keldara.”
His face contorted with frustration. “I’ve been raised a certain way, with a certain mindset. But there are things you don’t know—”
“I don’t care if I’m the most ignorant person in the world, Ronan. Keldara invaded my home! I’ll never forgive them for that, or anyone associated with them. So make your decision, whether you’re taking me back to the Grasslands or not, because I’ll warn you now, Ronan … you won’t take me alive.”
His expression hardened. “I won’t let you kill yourself, Leila. So you can forget about that notion.”
“Try me,” I threatened.
“Fine,” he sighed. “You don’t want to believe me and are dead set on making me the villain? Then that’s what I’ll be.” He took a step toward me. “Don’t even think about leaving the Central Plains, princess. I’ll hunt you to the ends of Asteria,” he growled. With that, he spun on his heels and stormed out of my clinic.
After Ronan left last night,I hardly slept a wink. The simple fact that my decade-long secret had been exposed made me sick to my stomach. I didn’t know what to do. I was torn between packing my things and running or staying put as Ronan said. The last thing I wanted was to be on the run for the rest of my life. Especially when I didn’t know what was so dangerous in Valoria.
Deciding I wasn’t up for seeing any clients today, I closed the clinic and walked to the Tea House, enjoying the respite of the early morning hour and the quiet streets it afforded. The pain in my shoulder was still there, but it was better since I changed the bandages.
The instant I crossed the Tea House’s threshold, a delicate bouquet of floral aromas invaded my senses and imbued my body with instant relaxation. Coming here was the perfect remedy. I was still patting myself on the back for having such an enlightened notion as I made my way upstairs when I came face to face with Caelan, nearly bumping into him on the steps.
“Oh … good morning.” He looked down at me, surprised to see me up and about. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” I answered with a tight smile.
“Are you here for the storyteller?” he asked. I nodded. “They said he should be here in thirty minutes. Today’s story is about the Nine Tailed Fox Demon of the Crimson Clan.”
“Oh, okay,” I said. “I’ll uh … see you—”
“Would you care to join me?” he interrupted. “I have a table right over there,” he said as he pointed to a table with the best view of the stage.
Feeling unexplainably awkward, I replied, “Sure, thank you,” and followed him to his table. We sat down and a pot of tea instantly appeared, alongside two delicate cups. “Wow, I’ve never had such great service here.” I glanced around warily. “Not that the service is bad, but I usually have to wait.”
“Well, Iamthe prince,” he said with a chuckle. After an uncomfortable silence that felt interminable, Caelan spoke again. “I still don’t understand why you saved me last night,” he muttered. “It doesn’t make sense.”
I nodded. “I know. Aside from the fact that you’re the Prince of Eldwain, you, uh … well, you remind me of someone I used to know. I guess I just—”
His brows shot up. “Oh! Is it someone from Eldwain?”
I bit my bottom lip nervously. “Yes.”
“Are you still friends?”
It took me a moment to answer his question, since I wasn’t sure. “Not really. We … lost touch.”
He leaned back in his chair, looking smug and with a renewed sense of purpose. “Well, if you’d like, when I return to Eldwain, I can look for him. I mean, youaremy savior and all.” His teasing grin reminded me so much of the boy I once knew.
I chuckled. “That is very true.” I took a sip of my tea to give me time to gather my thoughts. “So … you’ve been looking for the lost princess all this time?” I asked hesitantly.
He sipped his tea and nodded, then gently set the cup down. “I have.”
“Why?” I blurted. The instant the word left my lips, I realized it probably came out wrong.
Caelan peered over at me. “Because she’s my soulmate,” he answered honestly.
