Page 33 of Wicked Thieves
“She is,” came a voice from the hall.
Anelize stilled, heard the way her breath caught as she turned to find Aeric leaning against the doorframe. He wore a slate gray tunic and black pants; the strands of his black hair were wet as if he’d just finished washing. His eyes trained firmly on her.
“Aeric, when did you arrive?” Castian asked, his relief seeped in his greeting.
“Over an hour ago.” Aeric did not tear his eyes off her as he said, “Enid is alive.”
“Really?” She made to rise from her seat before stopping herself. Relief and hope came crashing down all around her at his words.
“Yes. I saw her last night tucked in one of the cells with other Vedrans. She is unharmed. Wellyn was there as well.” Such simple words, so easily said, yet they were capable of making the bleak world around her shift entirely. The sun rising over the horizon.
“She’s alive.” Her hand went up to her chest, and his eyesroved over her before returning to her face. Their eyes locked, held each other in a brief silent reassurance.
“I have no reason to lie.”
“Oh, thank the saints. You see, Anya? This is good news,” Castian said, but she could not bring herself to look away from Aeric. It was not lost on her that he had no reason to care what she thought about him, but he had granted her a gift she would not trade for anything. For that, she was grateful. More than he would ever know.
She’s alive.
“Well, I shall leave you two to continue your discussion. Castian, don’t forget Zara’s tonic,” he said as he pushed off the doorframe.
“Anya said she would make me a different tonic,” Castian chimed, as if that would get him out of drinking Zara’s bitter medicine.
“It is late. I doubt she’ll be making you anything tonight. Drink your tonic,” Aeric drawled over his shoulder, leaving no room for discussion. “Zara will be up with supper soon. Don’t give her a reason to chastise you.”
“You treat me like such a child,” Castian muttered under his breath as he turned to reach for one of the books on his table.
The prince hardly seemed to mind as she excused herself, already preoccupied with another story.
By the time she stepped out into the hall, Aeric was down the corridor and rounding the corner before she could catch up to him. Her pace quickened as she followed, only to gasp as she slammed into a hard chest. She stumbled back a step with a curse, rubbing her forehead with a scowl.
“Looking for me?”
Aeric’s eyes were bright with amusement as he stared down at her. Anelize was by no means short in stature but standing before this man—who was at least a head taller than her—made her feel as such.
She straightened as she dropped her hand back down to her side. “About Enid.”
“What is it?” he asked, his tone soft.
“Did you speak with her in any way?”
Aeric offered, “Nothing beyond how I’d usually speak to the prisoners. The Vedran prisoners see me as the captain of the Watchmen, someone to be feared. It does not matter how I wish for them to see me, that is all they can know. Should they come to find that I am a Vedran, either they’d all try to kill me for being a traitor or give me up to the Watchmen to save themselves. Desperation drives even good men to commit unspeakable acts.”
Anelize reasoned that made perfect sense. With so much on the line, there was no room for error, none for a tender heart. That could be why Aeric was the one named captain in the first place.
Admittedly, she still couldn’t quite bring herself to see him in a better light, no matter how much the others appeared to praise him. If not for the night they’d met, she doubted she would have seen him as anything other than a Watchman, even now. Strange, how circumstances could change so much, and at the same time, not at all.
Taking that as answer enough for now, she murmured, “Thank you.”
He nodded, watching her step aside and walk past him when she heard his footsteps following behind her.
“How was training?” Her scoff made the corners of his lipstug upward when she glanced over her shoulder at him. “That bad?”
“You should really teach your friend on the importance of patience. I find him extremely lacking. No wonder he’s managed to step into the role of a Watchman.”
“Ah, the lack of restraint. It is no surprise why you two don’t get along. But you do know that the mastering of your power is dependent on you going to the castle.”
“Are you threatening me now?” she questioned flatly.
