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That she knew this wasn’t about her presence and didn’t want it to turn into that.

Unlike me, where I had made last night about my anger.

Well, if I were being fair to myself, my anger had been more about her being struck than it had been about Jericho disobeying my orders. My gaze narrowed on what I could see of her face, just the lower half. Anger flared back to life as my eyes narrowed more. The skin at the corner of her lip was red and a faint blue.

I should’ve cut off his fucking head, but that would’ve been irresponsible and reckless, at least according to Kieran.

I watched her as one of the white-robed Priests began speaking monotonously, going through the rites as if he were half-asleep. He flung salt and oil onto the pyre, the air filling with a sweet scent.

Then she moved.

Not a lot. A slight jerk as she glanced at Vikter and then back to Keal’s body. Her hands unclasped and then came back together.

At the pyre, my gaze skipped from Lieutenant Smyth to where Jansen waited, the breeze stirring his white mantle as he held a torch. He was looking at…

Vikter.

Shit.

The tradition among the guards dictated that the one who worked closest with the deceased should be given the honor of lighting the pyre, but as Vikter started to take a step forward, he stopped and returned his attention to the Maiden. I understood what she had also realized.

Vikter wouldn’t leave her unprotected.

The Maiden’s hands twisted as she shifted from one foot to the other, her stance practically vibrating with anxiety after standing so still.

I was moving before I realized what I was doing, silently cutting in and out of the guards. The fact that it was forbidden for guards other than her personal ones to approach her didn’t stop me.

Coming up behind them, I kept my voice low as I said, “I have her.”

The Maiden went incredibly still again, so much so that I wondered if she had stopped breathing. Vikter’s gaze lifted to mine. For a brief moment, I thought of what he’d said to me the other morning during training. The cold press of unease returned.

“Do you?” Vikter asked.

I moved to stand at the Maiden’s side, speaking the words that belonged to Atlantia and had since been stolen by the Ascended. “With my sword and with my life.”

Her chest rose suddenly and deeply, confirming that she did, in fact, still breathe. Thank the gods.

“The Commander tells me you’re one of the best on the Rise. Said he hasn’t seen your level of skill with a bow or sword in too many years,” Vikter said.

I already knew what he thought of all of that. He’d made it clear the morning we trained together. But I answered, nonetheless. Now wasn’t the time for me to be an asshole. “I’m good at what I do.”

“And what is that?” he countered.

“Killing,” I answered with the truth. I’d always been good at that, even before my captivity. I’d just gotten better since.

“She is the future of this kingdom,” Vikter said after a moment, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Maiden twisting her hands so fiercely it wouldn’t have surprised me if she bruised herself. “That is who you stand beside.”

Something about how Vikter said that struck a nerve. Did he say it because of who she was or what she symbolized? I wasn’t sure why it even mattered, but in that moment, it did to me. “I know who I stand beside.”

Vikter said nothing.

Then I spoke my first lie of what I was sure would be many. “She is safe with me.”

Vikter got done eyeballing me and then turned to the Maiden. I quickly realized that he was waiting for her to tell him it was okay.

Damn.

I honestly had no idea how she would handle this. I wouldn’t have known even before her little adventure at the Red Pearl, but it could go either way now. It didn’t matter that she was unaware that I knew it had been her. She knew it was me, and I imagined that was somewhat…awkward for her.

The Maiden nodded.

A little surprised, I barely caught the look of warning Vikter sent me before he turned and went to Jansen. It was another reminder that she wasn’t here for herself. She’d come to show Rylan Keal the respect he deserved. If she protested, it would’ve drawn attention and would’ve prevented Vikter from honoring the man he’d served beside.

I kept my head facing forward, but I still caught the slight turn of hers. She was looking at me. I had no idea what she saw. I’d wondered more than once how much she could see through the veil, but I felt her stare, as strange as that sounded.

She wasn’t the only one who eyed me. The Lieutenant did, too, and he looked pissed, as if he were on the verge of stalking through the guards and squirming his body between the Maiden’s and mine. But he could go fuck himself.