Page 12 of Daring the Drakarn Warrior Lord
"He absolutely does," Orla confirmed. "I've seen him lurking outside the training field when you're sparring."
Vega's face did something complicated. "He's not lurking. He's … strategically positioned."
"That's what lurking means," I said.
"You're one to talk." Vega pointed at me with her fork. "Darrokar nearly started a war last week because someone looked at you wrong."
"That someone was Karyseth, and she was threatening me."
"She was walking past you in a corridor."
"Aggressively." I shuddered.
Everyone laughed. Even Reika's mouth twitched.
"At least they're hot," Eden said wistfully. "That's something."
"You want a seven-foot dragon warrior?" Hawk asked. "I promise, they're not all they’re cracked up to be."
I kept my mouth shut aboutthat.
Eden sighed. "I've seen the way Khorlar looks at you. And I don't exactly see any human dudes around. And, no offense, but I don't think I'm going to fall for Lexa."
"Like I would have you." Lexa threw a piece of fruit at her.
Eden failed to dodge.
Next to her, Kira flinched.
She'd gone quiet again, pushing food around her plate without eating. Her shoulders hunched inward. Her gaze stayed fixed on nothing. I watched her fingers tighten on her fork, knuckles going white.
Lexa noticed too. She shifted closer, not obviously, just adjusting her position so she was within arm's reach. Ready.
Kira stood abruptly. "I can't." Her voice cracked. "I can't do this. I can't sit here celebrating while Larissa is?—"
She didn't finish. Just turned and fled, the door to the quarters slamming behind her.
For a moment, nobody moved. Then Lexa was up and following, her own plate abandoned. The door closed again, softer this time.
The remaining ten of us sat in heavy silence.
"Damnit," Vega said.
"She's been holding that in for weeks," Selene said. "I knew it was coming."
"We all did," Kaiya said. Her plate sat untouched now too. "How long are we supposed to pretend this is okay? That we're safe while other humans are being tortured in Ignarath?"
"We're not pretending," I said.
"Aren't we?" Vega's eyes were hard. "We're decorating. Celebrating. Acting like we've built something stable here. But we haven't. We've just gotten comfortable while people suffer. You didn't see what they're doing out there." She shuddered.
"That's not fair," Orla said quietly.
"Isn't it?" Vega stood, her movement sharp. "Kira's sister is in Ignarath. So are others. And what are we doing? Waiting for the Blade Council to decide the politics are convenient enough to mount a rescue."
I understood her anger. Felt it myself, burning in my chest alongside the food and the candlelight and the desperate attempt at normalcy. Vega was right. We were celebrating while others suffered. We were building lives while people died. The guilt of survival tasted like ash.
But I also knew that falling apart wouldn't help anyone.
