Page 127 of A Dagger of Ice and Intrigue
Such a wretched pain couldn’t bring laughter, even in the Vegheara family; we’d been raised to mock the most frightening to lessen the impact, after all, and almost nothing was off limits.
“Alive and plotting too many beheadings to count,” Dax said. “He got wounded on Sanctua Sirena. Honestly, healing is the only thing keeping him from marching into Aquila and killing Silas.”
My smile widened, cracking more of the hollowness caging me. I could almost hear Uncle Maksim cursing up a storm and promising to hang Silas by the few hairs he still had on his head.
“He can’t risk it,” I said urgently. “Aquila has changed. For the worst.”
“I know.” Dax shrugged. “Don’t worry, I told him to wait for our signal before he does anything heroically unwise.”
“Dax…” A warning cut through my voice. “You’re good at what you do. Very good–”
He sighed dramatically. “I try, I try.”
“–but don’t risk your life. Aquila is dangerous.”
He took another gulp from his glass, watching me from above the rim. By the time he set it down, his smile had vanished along with his entire loose, careless attitude which had charmed andtricked the entire continent. The mischievous rogue was gone, replaced by the strategist I would never bet against.
Very few had seen this side of him–and we needed to keep it that way.
I licked my lips. I had to tell them about the trap. I had to reveal one of our own warriors had wanted to strangle me.
The truth lodged in my throat once more.
“I know,” he said. Even his voice had changed, turning as cold as the knife that could slice through marble. “But if Silas thinks he can steal your throne without consequences, he truly is as stupid as I considered him to be. With all due respect, Clara, of course.”
Clara waved him off, even as her gaze turned sadder.
I opened my mouth, but Dax shook his head. I knew too much about the famed Vegheara stubbornness to argue. “I’m not in Aquila. I’m being safe. That’s the most I can tell you while you’re in your lovely Commander’s domain.”
Of all the things I’d been excited to talk about with my cousins,hewas not among them.
“I don’t like him,” Evie pipped up. “I saw him again today, strutting around the Capital like he owned the place.”
Wait–if he’d also left the crater today, how had he been able to reach the Capital so fast?
But I was not discussing the Commander with my cousins. Because they would see me blush and ask all sorts of questions I had no answer for.
“Evie’s been working on her powers,” I announced suddenly, pointing at her portal. “She’s been doing wonderfully so far.”
A gleeful smile bloomed on Evie’s face. “I can even light candles now!”
As she rummaged for a candle in the background, the rest of my cousins sent me questioning looks.
“Mara and Fallor were idiots,” I mouthed. I wasn’t about to spill Evie’s secrets, even ones she didn’t seem all that interested in keeping hidden from the family anymore.
We watched as she excitedly lit the candle and made the flame grow with perfect control. I relaxed in my seat, basking in my family’s presence.
“That’s the Vegheara spirit,” Dax said with more patience and gentleness than I thought him capable of. “Soon enough, you might be able to crisp that Dragon of yours.”
All of a sudden, Evie got very serious, all clearing her throat and squaring her shoulders. I hated to say it, but she’d bloomed in the Blood Brotherhood Capital much more than she had back in Aquila.
“I actually wanted to ask you all about something I haven’t been able to find. Have you ever heard about the Quorilith Clan?” she said.
“That is an awful name.” Dax grimaced.
I huffed a laugh. “Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue, does it?”
Damn, it felt good to talk about such simple things.
