Page 41 of The Eye of the Fifth
Blood Bargain
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The Upper States, Vrethian.
Naal.
‘They dare…?They dare to make entertainment out of her execution?’
Naal watched Winvara pace the study, her face set with explosive anger. To an outsider, she was quite terrifying in this state, and Naal was quite glad there was not a weapon in sight, for Winvara had been quite the lethal soldier in her warrior days. It was a relief, truth be told, that Win’s rage was not directed at her for once.
Not that Naal was afraid of her.
Win had already smashed a vase and thrown a bottle of ink across the room, all the while her perfectly kempt hair was slowly falling from its knot. She was erratic and wild, angry and unloveable in this state.
And yet.
‘Win,’ Naal said softly.
‘They dishonour her and in doing so they dishonour this family! Does their disrespect know no bounds? Filthy humans alwaystakingwhatever they want!’
‘Surely you did not think they would give her a fair trial? The opportunity was too good for them to miss,’ Naal said incredulously. ‘You must have expected this?’
‘Are you suggesting Ineglectedmy granddaughter to the gallows?’
‘Of course not,’ said Naal. ‘Though your anger surprises me. I did not think you had any sort of relationship with Kyraena.’
‘So you took that to believe I wished my granddaughter dead?’ The blaze of fury alight in Win’s eyes could have made a grown man soil himself.
Naal, however, did not flinch. ‘I did not say that. Do not put words in my mouth.’
Win pointed a shaking finger at her. ‘And I have told you before,youdo not talk about my relationship with my own blood.’
Ignoring the empty threat, Naal said coolly, ‘Kyraena survived today. Allow yourself to feel happy about that, at least. Even if you will not see her.’
The muscles in Win’s jaw worked hard as she tried to navigate a retort. ‘She… I…of course I’m happy she survived!’she bellowed. ‘Do you truly think so little of me?’
‘I have never thought little of you, Win. Never.’
‘Stop doing that.’
‘Doing what?’
‘Talking like that,’ Win spat, and a flicker of fear crossed her features. ‘As though nothing has changed between us.’
There it was. The wild fury, the misplaced blame… that was what it all came down to. ‘Nothing did change for me, Winvara. You have known this, whether you choose to accept it or not. I feel the same now as I did the day I met you. The only thing that has changed is the greying of our hair and the wrinkling of our skin.’
Win did not smile, though of course, Naal hadn’t expected her to. After a moment of glaring, the breath heavy in her chest, Win sat down behind her desk. ‘What is to become of Kyraena? Where will you take her?’ she asked, her voice now quiet yet clipped.
Naal leaned back against the door, glad that the whirling storm was now passing. ‘We will go back to Phaenon, to the temple, and I will train her in her magic. It is volatile and turbulent… I can feel it in the air around her. She will need careful guidance.’
‘Will you tell her? Of the prophecy?’
Naal nodded slowly. ‘In time.’
‘And are you any closer to learning the rest of it?’ Win said with barely veiled condemnation.
The question set Naal’s teeth on edge. One hundred and fifty years had passed and still Gallena, nor any of the Four, had revealed to her the second half of the prophecy that Orro Myrso had overheard during the war. Win’s cynicism was not unjustified, but it was not helpful. ‘No,’ she grudgingly admitted. ‘Though I assure you, I have not grown complacent with my quest for that knowledge. Word of a new Earth Warden will travel fast. I would not put it past Empress Azar to already know of the news; her spies are everywhere, particularly here. War is coming again, Win. I do not know when nor how it will begin, but I have no doubt the Empress will act sooner rather than later. She has been sitting on this war for a long time, waiting for the right moment to ignite the fire. Kyraena will have a part to play in the battles ahead.’
