Page 39 of Crown of Storm and Silence
"Choice," I repeat thoughtfully. "How noble. How utterly, devastatingly boring." My voice drops to something deadly soft. "Tell me, what exactly do you think you know about her? About what she needs?"
Sinan's face flushes red. "I know enough?—"
"Oh, but you don't," I interrupt with razor-sharp precision. "You see her smile and think you understand her light. But do you know how that light burns when she's truly passionate? Do you know she talks to the baby when she thinks she's alone?"
I lean closer, my voice dropping to a whisper that carries clearly in the morning air. "Did you know she calls out my name in her dreams?"
The explosion, when it comes, is magnificent.
Golden light erupts from Nesilhan's skin like a solar flare given physical form, so bright and sudden that both Sinan and I stumble backward with spots dancing across our vision. But this time, instead of destroying what's immediately around her, the power lances upward like a bolt of lightning.
The bronze statue in the center of the square—some long-dead mayor immortalized in metal—takes the full force of her uncontrolled magic. The figure doesn't just melt; it explodes, bronze fragments raining down like metallic snow while thunder rolls across the clear morning sky. I instinctively shield Nesilhan with my body as the cooled metal pieces patter harmlessly around us, my shadows forming a protective canopy above her head.
"Well," comes a familiar dry voice from behind us, "I see the morning entertainment has begun early today."
I turn to find Banu approaching with her characteristic swagger, surveying the smoking remains of civic property with obvious amusement. "Really, Sinan," she continues, brushing bronze dust from her sleeve, "I thought you had better survival instincts than to flirt with a woman whose husband could turn you inside out without breaking a sweat."
"Though I must say," adds another voice, rich with barely contained laughter, "watching you grovel at her feet like a lovesick puppy was quite the performance piece, Shadow Lord."
Elcin emerges from behind the fountain's remains, her golden hair catching the light with that otherworldly shimmer that makes her look almost ethereal. Her storm-gray eyes coolly assess the situation.
"Elcin," I say with resigned recognition. "I should have known you'd show up to witness my public humiliation. Did you bring refreshments to make it a proper spectacle?"
She offers a faint, wary smile. "You provide your own entertainment. I arrived in time for the aftermath."
Her gaze flicks between the destroyed statue and where I still have one possessive hand on Nesilhan's belly, taking in everything with a soldier's detachment.
"Kneeling in public squares, making grown men flee in terror, destroying civic property," she remarks lightly. "Is this how diplomacy is conducted in the Shadow Court?"
"Elcin," Nesilhan breathes, and there's recognition in her voice that makes my shadows coil with interest.
Elcin inclines her head slightly. "Hello, cousin." Her tone softens, just enough to suggest something familial. "I see you’re still attracting complicated men with strong convictions."
"I wasn't—" Nesilhan begins, but Elcin lifts a hand.
"Peace. I’m not here to interfere." She glances at me briefly. "Though I’ll admit, this one doesn’t match the usual mold."
Her tone is neutral, carefully noncommittal, but there’s a subtle edge of tension—not fear, but awareness. She's sizing me up. Taking my measure.
"Most women," I say conversationally, "aren't my wife."
"True," she replies evenly, her expression unreadable. "And most don’t have their marriages forgotten."
Before I can formulate a suitably cutting response, Emir materializes beside us with the harried expression of a man whose morning has taken several unexpected turns.
"My lord," he says carefully, "we have—" He stops mid-sentence as his gaze falls on Elcin, and I watch with interest as his usual composure cracks slightly. Banu notices his reaction and approaches with a knowing smile. Emir scoots closer to her, lowering his voice.
"She's still here?" he murmurs discreetly, his voice pitched low enough that only Banu should be able to hear. "The cousin from the Northern Reaches?"
Before Banu can answer, Elcin's voice cuts across the space between us, her tone polite but firm.
"Still very much present, yes."
She offers a slight smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. Whether it's keen hearing or practiced court awareness, she's made it clear she misses nothing.
Sinan, who has been standing frozen throughout this entire exchange, finally seems to find his voice.
"I think," he says carefully, backing away from our group with whatever dignity he can salvage, "I should leave you all to…discuss family matters privately."
