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I leaned forward, my forearms braced on my knees, and offered her a soft smile. “I hear you, Aella. And I understand where your worries stem from. You’re validated in that,” I assured her. I’d always made an effort to allow those here to feel like they could come to me with concerns, to be heard, and to have a voice in their home, to be the opposite of Forest’s iron fist rule.

A small breeze swept around Aella, lifting her long, textured hair in its wake, offering comfort to her in its embrace. “It’s just…are you sure that this is wise? To let the enemy inside our home?” she asked. She may be a fierce and a formidable warrior, but Aella didn’t like opposing me about decisions made regarding the Hollow.

I thought on my words carefully before answering. “The king tried to have her killed when she failed to kill me.” River looked taken aback, while Aella stared at me with a stoicism that matched my own. “I don’t know all the details, only that he had her drink poisoned with redfern at her birthday revel.He concealed the truth about her hybrid nature her entire life, and Ithink it’s safe to assume he was less than warm as a father to her growing up.” I took a deep breath to calm the surge of anger that shot through my body at the thought, only fueling my desire to kill him.

“She only learned of her origins two hours ago. And the remorse she feels for…” I trailed off, remembering the rush of overbearing guilt that sat heavy on her heart when she realized she had been killing pointlessly this entire time. It wasn’t much different than what I’d experienced when I learned the entire truth myself. “She feels duped by her father. He’s been lying to her and their people, using and controlling her for her entire life. Not only that, but he killed someone close to her and blamed me for it. You can bet she has redirected her rage at this point.”

Aella exhaled and looked away with a clenched jaw, an internal battle going on within her. The breeze picked up around her as her element responded to her conflicting emotions. The look in River’s eyes hardened, her hands balling into fists at her sides.

“I don’t expect you to trust her right away, Aella. You have every right to feel the way you do. But at this point, Gray has nowhere else to go. The Warrior Guild is hunting her now, and without connections to the militia, the black market won’t hesitate to capture her and throw her into slavery.”

“What if she throws off the balance here? This is our home, our refuge.” Aella’s hands fiddled in her lap as she worked to remain poised in the desk chair.

I offered her another gentle smile. “I don’t have the answer for that right now. All I know is we need to give her a chance to breathe for the first time. I’m sure she’s having a hard time coming to grips with everything she’s learned and experienced in recent days. Give her time to adjust to her new reality, and then we’ll play it by ear. But know that your opinions and feelings matter here. Everyone’s do. If she ever became a problem, I’d handle her myself. I may be the leader, but I’ll never be a dictator.”

Aella exhaled and then nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Chrome,” she said, her voice gentle and tinted with relief. “I’ll try to give her a chance, but she is going to have to work for my trust.”

“Noted. We’ll see if she lives up to the challenge.”

River met my gaze in solidarity, silently conveying her confidence in me. I dipped my head in acknowledgement, to which she returned.

“Is there anything else I can help you two with?” I asked them.

River chewed on the inside of her lip, highlighting the sharp features of her face. “Nope. See you in the dining hall. Is the princess coming?”

“Yes, I’ll be escorting her there shortly.”

River nodded. “Sweet. See you, then.”

Chapter 30

Gray

The dining hall led outside to a glittering swimming pool, reminding me of liquified black crystal and tempting me with the call of comfort and relaxation. The surrounding landscape was a combination of greenery and autumn shades. Climbing vines created a stunning oasis with sprawling hills and forestry in the background.

I’d grown used to the silence that accompanied me on my journey from the King’s Palace, so the loud chatter and abundance of people overwhelmed me. Despite the noise, a waterfall cascading against boulders into a pool of water acted as a balm to ease my nerves.

“Come,” Chrome said without room for argument.

I planted my feet in place, and my eyebrows rose to my hairline at his clipped and demanding tone. “Excuse me, but I’m not a dog you can bark orders at.”

Chrome looked over his shoulder, meeting my eyes. His lip angled upward in amusement. “Good.” He walked away toward an expansive table lining the wall to my right.

I scoffed, shaking my head. At the sight of so many people, my chest constricted, my palms becoming sweaty. So many unfamiliar faces who probably hated my existence more than the Kinetics did looked back at me.I slipped on my mask of indifference—my armor—feeling the stares and sensing the whispers as I weaved through tables to join Chrome.

Gazes burned into my back as my eyes widened at the amount of food displayed on the table. Savory, seasoned dishes of all types triggered an angry growl from my stomach, reminding me how hungry I was despite the turkey we’d cooked the night before.

“Do I need to be concerned the food is laced with redfern?” I asked.

Chrome stood to my left, hunched over the table as he piled his plate.

My eyes and nose were bigger than my stomach. I scooped a massive heap of buttery mashed potatoes, carrots, corn, roast beef, and any other colorful veggie that was within my arm’s reach.

A dimple I hadn’t noticed before outlined the smirk that crept up his face. A shadow coated his jaw from the lack of shaving while on our journey. But it was a good look on him. He kept his eyes on the food as he said, “Come now, little savage. I’m insulted you think I’d resort to trickery to kill you. If I wanted you dead, I’d have a blade in your chest while staring into those fake blue eyes of yours.”

I angled my head at Chrome, my heart racing at the sight of his dimpled, crooked smile. I definitely hated myself for that. My only response was a mumbled, “I don't have fake eyes.” I mindlessly plopped more food onto my plate, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. Why in the actual fuck was I blushing? Since when did I blush? “Asshole.”

“Oh, but you do,” Chrome said, that face growing ever cockier—like heknew. “The necklace?”