“I’m trying to keep him safe.”
“Are you sure? It looks like you are just trying to keep her for yourself.” I felt my muscles tense, the anger within me strong enough to overcome my breeding and rip out of me in a yell over her foolish lie.
“I’m not keeping her! I’m protecting her!” The royal fa?ade had slipped, just as Ovailia wanted. My outcry only caused the ugly sneer on her lips to increase.
“But he didn’t hurt her, did he?” Ovailia yelled as she transitioned smoothly to English.
“Ovailia, he punched her when I came into the room!” I eyed them as I moved to the side of the bed, my position and posture making it very clear I wasn’t going to give her to them.
“I didn’t see that,” Ovailia lied smoothly, the laugh that escaped Ryland’s mouth making it clear he believed her, that, like a child, he thought he had gotten away with something.
“He’s going to lie anyway, Ovailia,” Ryland said. “He’s been feeding her lies. Just as you said.” Both my and Joclyn’s heart rate increased, but for entirely different reasons. Hers had accelerated in fear at the sound of Ryland’s voice, mine in the realization of loss. My sister had played her game well. She had manipulated what was left of Ryland’s mind just enough to turn him against me. I thought I had recovered enough of him when we had talked yesterday, but now I was not so sure.
“What lies have you been telling him, Ovailia?” I said.
“Nothing much. Two can play at this game, Ilyan.” The wicked honey texture of her voice flared as she smiled at me in exhilaration.
Before anyone could say anything else, Joclyn’s heart rate increased. Her breathing picked up and her voice opened up into a howl so traumatized it wrenched through each of us. Even Ovailia looked surprised and somewhat pained. Ryland took a step forward, the desperation to comfort her evident, but I couldn’t let him. I couldn’t risk his life or put Joclyn through the pain.
He would have to be patient.
I looked at him, my eyes pleading for him to understand, begging him to give her space. He looked between Ovailia, whose wide eyes dug into him in warning, myself, and the bed, where Joclyn’s cries continued to wail before moving back against the wall. His choice was obvious.
Even though Ovailia had taken away his trust in me, his longing for Joclyn was still stronger than the weak allegiance he had for Ovailia.
Ovailia saw his choice, and I saw her pride stutter for just a moment, her head spinning toward me, her eyes flashing as her long hair swirled around her.
“You’ll regret this, Ilyan.” I barely heard her voice above Joclyn’s yells.
“I want you out, Ovailia! Leave the Abbey, and take your pathetic game with you.” I couldn’t control the level of my voice. The anger I felt at the loss of my sister hit me far deeper then I would have expected.
Ovailia left quickly, the power in my voice not giving her a chance to question. Before the door had closed, I looked to Ryland, the pain was still evident in his face at not being able to help Joclyn, and his distrust of me rang strongly in his eyes. I couldn’t trust him either, but right now, I needed to focus on Joclyn.
“Wait right outside the room, and keep the door open,” I instructed him in Czech. “I will let you see her in a few minutes.”
I did not intend to let him in to see her, not after what he had done to her face, but I needed his trust, and I needed him close. I would have to settle for some middle ground until I figured out what to do with the two damaged weapons that fate had placed in my care.
I dropped to the floor the second Ryland had left, pressing myself against it to look at Joclyn between the gap of the floor and the bed. With my full focus on her, I let my magic surge. It filled her completely as I calmed her, steadied her heart, and soothed her joints. She just looked at me with her beautiful eyes as her fear slowly dissipated.
When her heart rate was almost level, level enough not to trigger an attack, or so I hoped, I reached forward toward her, my hand extended in help, in safety. Even though I longed for it, she did not reach for me; her eyes only looked at the gesture for a moment before returning to my face, making it clear she had no interest in going anywhere yet.
I flattened myself against the floor, keeping my eyes on hers as I pressed myself against the bed frame, not able to make my body fit underneath the tiny gap.
“I’m sorry, Jos. I will make you safe. I will make you whole again,” I whispered to her, not willing to take my eyes off her, letting the safety I wanted her to feel radiate off my skin.
She just stared at me, her bright eyes shining. I could see the hope in them, the small spark as her mind worked through what I had said.
Believe it.