Page 13 of The Blade in the Ashes
“How are you?” Hyrax asked me, slicing off a section of boar and placing it atopmyplate. “Caldrius explained that you have been taking time to adjust to your new circumstances.”
My new circumstances. I almost laughed and demanded that he clarify what exact circumstances he thought I was adjusting to—the loss of my friends and family, the decimation of my kingdom, or the absence of my magic?
Perhaps all of the above.
“Her power will return,” Caldrius insisted next to me, his tone sharper than I’d ever heard him take with Hyrax before. I glanced at him from my periphery, but he seemed entirely focused on the food he was serving himself.
Hyrax glanced between us before nodding. “Of course. Of course, it will. In time. Though I am sorry you have to experience the lapse at all.”
A burst of tangy blood covered my tongue as I bit down on the inside of my cheek.
Time.
Truthfully, it was his fault I had lost my power in the first place. Pasnia, his wife, hadstolenit from me to free him from the Underworld. And now, without my magic, there was no one in this realm strong enough to challenge him.
I doubted he felt sorry for that at all.
“Still,” Hyrax continued, moving on to bring vegetables onto my plate. “You are well?”
He glanced up at me, hands stilling as he waited for my answer. Beside me, Caldrius’ movements halted as well, both men frozen and awaiting my response.
I thought of Iris briefly and the ease with which she could adopt another personality.
“I am well,” I lied through a soft smile, hoping the words seemed more genuine than they felt. “Caldrius was right in saying it is a change. Losing your magic is like forgetting how to breathe. It's painful, confusing, and utterly unnatural. You must forgive me if I needed time to cope with that.”
His brows furrowed, and he jerked forward, as if he might reach out towards me, but he dropped his hand when Caldrius cleared his throat sharply. The two men shared a glance before Hyrax nodded stiffly and grasped onto the potatoes, pulling them towards me as well.
“I can fix my own plate!” I blurted, staring wide-eyed at the food even as I felt a flush of irritation coloring my cheeks.
Caldrius stiffened, and Hyrax looked down at the bowl in confusion, gaze snapping from the potatoes to my plate to my face and back as if he hadn’t even realized he’d been doing it.
Then, his eyes darkened so rapidly that a chill ran up my spine.
“I was only trying to help you, dear. Most people would be grateful to have a father like that.”
Caldrius didn’t even breathe next to me as his arm wrapped casually around the back of my chair.
“I told you she’s rather independent, my Liege,” Caldrius quipped, one edge of his smile quirking up.
He kept his voice light, his posture relaxed, but somehow, I had come to learn Caldrius’ body language. He didn’t keep his tension in his shoulders like most. No, his fingers betrayed him. He curled them up repeatedly, as if he were stretching them, but they were locked and ready.
“You say that as if it’s an insult,” I muttered, glancing at the fingers that once again tapped against the table.
It was only once Hyrax relaxed back into his seat and started fixing his own plate that Caldrius rested his full attention on me.
His brow lifted, his smile turning positively wicked. “Not at all.”
We finished serving ourselves and began eating in a somewhat awkward silence. Caldrius didn’t seem to have anything to say, I had no idea what to say, and Hyrax… well, Hyrax seemed more than content simply to stare at the two of us. Every so often I would catch him glancing at the bands on my hands and smiling appreciatively.
“Forgive me for not being a wonderful conversationalist this evening.” He dabbed at his mouth with an ivory napkin. “I find myself just grateful for your company. I had been getting worried that you were being overly petulant.”
I choked on my wine.Overly petulant?As if I were no better than a spoiled child with my favorite toy taken from me?
He had destroyed my home, taken over my kingdom, banished my friends, and stolen my magic. I had every right to be more than a littlepetulant.
Hyrax’s gaze locked on me, measuring and assessing, and I felt the presence of his power all around us like another tangible presence in the room.
Caldrius stretched his fingers again.
