Page 112 of The Call of Crimson
“I’m giving you the best I can,” Ayden bites out. “My guess is someone either sees Rimor as a threat or a weakness they can exploit. It’s no coincidence they attacked right after you left the country. There were traitors in your court, and they’ve probably been working with Lennox and Meloria.”
“Are you suggesting Fae are behind this as well?” Breyla asks.
“If I were a betting male, I would say so.”
Before Breyla can ask another question, Darian appears in the room.
He’s dressed in full armor, blood splattered across the chest plate, hair disheveled, dripping in sweat.
“You called?” he grunts.
“Did you launch an attack on Caedel tonight?” Ayden asks.
“No, of course not,” Darian grunts. “I’ve been too busy dealing with the attacks on our camps and outposts to launch unsanctioned missions.”
“Truth,” I confirm.
Darian’s eyes heat, his rage palpable. “What the fuck is this?”
“Rimor’s borders were attacked tonight,” Ayden explains, “resulting in civilian death and a city burning to the ground.”
“Why does that require my presence here?” His jaw ticks. “I have more important things to attend to.”
“Breyla needed to hear from you directly that you weren’t behind the death of her people,” Ayden says.
Darian turns his furious gaze on Breyla. “Fuck you,General,” he snarls. “There are people out there who need my help. I’m genuinely sorry your kingdom was attacked and that lives were lost. Trust me, I get that better than anyone in this room.”
He stalks toward her, and Ayden intercepts him, holding a hand to his chest.
“But you could have just trusted your fucking fiancé when he said it wasn’t us,” Darian continues, voice dropping low. “Instead, you took me away from the dozens of soldiers dying slow, agonizing deaths from a poison we can’t cure.” Vitriol threads his tone, blue eyes burning into Breyla. “Our borders were attacked tonight as well, but I bet you didn’t bother to ask about that.”
Breyla looks like she’s been slapped.
Every protective instinct roars at me to come to her defense. But that’s not what she needs.
While Darian is livid, my Gift whispers that his intentions aren’t dangerous. He’s not going to hurt her—not physically, at least.
“How am I supposed to trust any of you when I’ve been lied to formonths?”Breyla grits out.
A pang of guilt racks my chest, knowing I’m part of the reason she doesn’t trust Ayden, part of why he pulled his general from the battlefield in the midst of an attack.
“I don’t know about these fuckers,” Darian growls. “And maybe it’s because I have no interest in that cunt of yours, but I have no fucking reason to lie to you. I’ve been unequivocally clear on my feelings. Everything I’ve told you is the truth, so don’t try to pin your trust issues on me. Your father got you into this fucked up situation, maybe blame him. Or these two, I don’t fucking care.”
Darian’s words hit her hard, I can see it in her eyes. She’s fighting tears. What he said didn’t just hurt; it eviscerated her. It cut deep because it’s true.
And I’m complicit.
“Fuck you, Darian,” Breyla seethes, her voice quieter than I’ve ever heard it.
“The feeling is mutual,” he says, turning to Ayden. “Fuck you, too.”
He vanishes in the next heartbeat.
Ayden sighs. “Are you happy now, Breyla?”
“No,” she says, voice trembling.
“The poison he mentioned…” My voice trails off, unsure.
