“I don’t think they are as bad as you assume them to be,” I mumbled with frustration growing at her inability to put the past where it belonged. In the past.
“If you think that, then you’re foolish and na?ve. Do you honestly think they intend to let us walk out of here without a fight? Because if you do, then you’re much more na?ve than I’d assumed you were, Aria. They’re our enemies, and even if you don’t perceive them as a threat, I assure you, they are. I get that you are fucking their king, which you assume makes you untouchable. It doesn’t, as his predecessors before him have done, King Karnavious will turn against you the moment he’s done slaking his thirst with you. Do you think you’re the first phoenix to ever bend over and let a murderous dragon abuse them? You’re not, nor will you be, the last. But if you intend to be the queen that our people need, you’ll need to put them before your carnal, salacious needs. A queen does what is best for her people, even at the cost of her own needs or covets.” The sharp barbs cut deeply. Her narrowed, accusing stare burned into my flesh as she waited for my reply.
“Why the fuck can’t anyone keep my vagina out of their mouth?” I snapped, then winced as I heard muffled laughter.
Whatever thread holding my mood back, snapped. It was one thing to insult me, it was a whole other thing to imply I was being used. I’d have fucking known if I was. I wasn’t some star-struck teenager with a crush on a celebrity. To also insinuate that I was placing my lascivious needs above others? No, fuck that, and fuck her talking shit as if she knew me.
“Why stop there, Eva? I came here under the impression that I’d be welcomed by everyone. You yourself told me my father and his people couldn’t wait to meet me. But that’s going well for me, isn’t it? I believe you wanted me here to prevent Griffon from being deposed. Then there’s Aden, who wants to marry me so he can take the throne to see if he could use my powers! You knew what he wanted, yet you promised me I’d be safe from that archaic bullshit, which was just another lie you fed me!” I snarled, shaking as the veneer I’d worn since arriving, flaked away under the flames of my anger. My hair floated around my head and the sun marking on my forehead reflected in her eyes, which were rounded in horror.
“Oh, Eva. Did you honestly think I didn’t see the bullshit? The moment I got here, I had a rancid taste on the back of my tongue. So, which one of us is the asshole here? Me, who walked into a mess and has shitty taste in men? Or you, who knowingly walked me into a realm laden in landmines just waiting to be stepped on?” Eva swallowed before opening her mouth to argue, but she must have decided whatever she was going to say wouldn’t change my mind.
“I didn’t mean to come off so harsh, Aria,” she finally offered. “You don’t know what we’ve been through. Some of us? We lost everyone in the war. I lost everyone but my brother, who sacrificed me to save himself. Aden is my brother, but not one I cherish. Our relationship is very difficult.”
“It’s a sad story, but we all have one, Eva. You aren’t any more special than I am. I prefer you not lie to me, and I’ll respect you more if you tell me how you feel instead of talking shit behind my back.” There were a lot of things I could overlook, but lying about coming here to ease my mind wasn’t on that list and wasn’t cool. Though, I could see their side of it, too. The truth was never pretty, and it was normally hard to swallow, but that didn’t mean it was acceptable to withhold it.
Eva’s posture stiffened with annoyance. “Whatever this is, let’s get on with it. I don’t intend to stay here a moment longer than I’m forced to do so.”
“If you want to leave, I’ll help you escape,” I offered, shrugging when her eyes narrowed with frustration. “But I’m not going with you because I don’t trust you.”
The thing was that I liked Eva. I enjoyed her no-nonsense attitude. She had balls, which were needed to survive in this world. But I wouldn’t allow her to trample over me, or talk down to me. I’d been through hell to be here, which meant I wasn’t leaving until I got the answers I’d come here for.
“Your father could be hurt, or worse, dead. You’ve not asked about him once since I walked in here. Do you not even care about him?”
“I don’t know my father enough to necessarily care what happens to him. In case you’ve failed to notice? My time inside the Nine Realms has been spent being betrayed by those who I trusted and loved. You know the one person who was honest about his intentions for me from the minute I got to the Nine Realms? Knox Karnavious. Unlike those who share blood with me, who smiled at me and lied about everything that’s happened throughout my life. So, please excuse me if I don’t waste emotions on someone I don’t know and who hasn’t given me any reason to trust him.”
Okay, so he’d been an honest asshole who’d wanted to enslave me. But he’d still been honest about his intentions. He’d lied about plenty of other stuff before I’d ended up here. There’s been a bit of duplicity, but he’d told me he wasn’t letting me go. The others they were nice to my face, only to stab me in the back when I turned away.
“There’s an honest reply,” she whispered sadly. “I’m still leaving. I won’t stand around waiting for Hagen to parade Griffon’s corpse through the city streets.”
“I thought Baldrick was the one leading the coup?” I offered.
“Hagen was the one behind it. At least he is now that you disabled Baldrick and his son from being much help until they’re recovered.” Eva exhaled. “We have to go help your father.”
“Griffon isn’t dead,” Zyion’s deep, silken voice declared from the doorway. How long he’d been standing there, I had no idea. “You might not want to continue pointing out options for those enemies you’re speaking of, either. Considering they’re here.” Drawing the tapestry back, he allowed Basilius, Ronin, Kael and Acheron to enter the room before following them into the chamber. “If you choose to leave, no one will stop you. I think you might be interested in what I’m about to say, though.”