“If she is going to manipulate me, then why do you trust her?” I had expected him to be angry at my impolite question, instead he only spoke quietly to me.
“I trust her because of what she has done to redeem herself. I trust her because, out of all of my siblings, she is one who has stood by me. She may not be the best in character, but she is the best on word. So for now, I will trust her.”
Ilyan’s voice had strengthened into that commanding tone I had grown so used to. I fought the urge to sink into my sweater and hide from him. Instead, I took a deep breath and looked at him firmly.
“So you will trust her with every bit of information about me, but you will not give me the same information?” I tried to keep my voice level but I was not sure it worked. My anger flared with each word. The darkness in Ilyan’s face faded away, but I barely noticed.
“I have not told her everything about you, only enough that she understands my position.”
“Which is...?” I prompted, but Ilyan only raised an eyebrow at me.
“I will tell you when you are ready, Siln?.” Ilyan said simply, which only added to my frustration.
“Why can’t I be ready now?”
“Because I am not the one to tell you.”
“Then who is?” I spat, my hands slamming hard against the countertop.
“You will know him when you meet him.” Ilyan’s voice raised to match mine, and I cowered, slinking away from him. I was fuming a bit too much, even for my taste.
I hated that he was keeping something from me. I hated that he treated me like an all important piece of his life but wouldn’t tell me why. I hated that he didn’t trust me. I slammed down into one of the chairs around our tiny table, burying my head in my arms.
“Siln?, do not be upset with me.” I felt his hand rest on the back of my head, his fingers moving through my hair. I ignored the contact, holding as still as I possibly could. “You will know all soon enough, and then the weight of the world will be on your shoulders.”
I turned my head to look at him, his tall frame crumpled a bit so he could meet me at eye level.
“Is that why you are keeping things from me Ilyan, because of ‘the weight of the world?’”
“You already have so much pain in your heart, Siln?. I do not want to add to that. I only wish to see happiness in your soul. And when the time comes for your knowledge to change, I will be there to help you carry it.” I didn’t know whether to be grateful or scared, but I smiled all the same. Ilyan’s hand moved from my hair to trace my mark, his sad smile melting me.
“You are beginning to sound like Ovailia when I removed her from her post.”
Ovailia being stripped of her power did not sound like a party I wanted to be invited to. Knowing how much Ovailia felt she was entitled to, taking away the power she had scraped into her possession would mean trouble.
“Glad I’m not in Prague. I don’t know what would be worse, Ovailia in charge, or Ovailia mad because she is not in charge.”
Ilyan smiled as he poured me a glass of orange juice from a jug. Ilyan never ate anything processed, which meant I never ate anything processed, which means pulp free orange juice and fruit loops were a casualty of my past. I sighed at the memory.
“Ovailia not in charge is worse. She tends to snap and act out when she doesn’t feel respected.”
“As opposed to…?” I opened my hands in question. Ovailia was always snapping and acting out.
“My point exactly.”
I grimaced, suddenly glad I was safe and hidden in our little apartment since I was the one responsible for her dethroning.
“Poor Wyn.” I said
“Poor Talon.” Ilyan agreed. “I wouldn’t worry. If anyone can rein in Ovailia’s temperament when I am not there, it’s Talon. Although, he may be calling a bit more than Ovailia does.”
Ilyan set three bowls on the table filled with honey covered strawberries, boiled greens, and berries wrapped in dandelion leaves. I grabbed a blackberry and began to untangle it from the leaf it was wrapped in. Ilyan looked at me like I had brought Fruit Loops into the house, but I ignored him. I could eat the leaf separately, but with the berry it made my stomach spin.
“You’re never going to gain enough strength to defeat Edmund if you don’t eat the food I give you.” He was using that voice again. Ugh.
“Ilyan, you sound like my Mother.” I said without thinking. My heart thumped uncontrollably, a flash of her crumpled body on the kitchen floor racing to the forefront of my memory. Ilyan didn’t seem to notice the pain in my face, which was probably for the better.
“Well someone has to look out for your well-being.” He was dead serious and pushed the sickly looking bowl of boiled greens in my direction. I always steered clear of his boiled greens. They looked like cat vomit.
“Might as well be ‘My Protector’ then,” I said a bit acidly, sliding the bowl back to him.