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He took another small step toward me, clasping my hand in his. “I missed you. Let me come to you tonight.”

“No.” The word was harsh as it flew from my mouth and I backed away from him.

“Ataliia—”

“Elric, stop.” I jerked my hand from his. “You bedded me, that’s it. I never cared for you past that and I never will.”

His face fell as my words landed. “You do not mean that.”

Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Dukovich stepped into the corridor.

Thank the fucking Gods.

“I do, Elric,” I said, stepping around him and hurrying toward Dukovich with a look on my face that saidplay along or else. “Dukovich and I have some business to attend to, so if you will excuse us . . .”

I curled my fingers around Dukovich’s bicep, pulling him in the opposite direction as I looked back to see hurt seep into Elric’s features. My stomach tightened, guilt knotting there as I tore my eyes away from him and dragged Dukovich down the corridor.

He didn’t deserve the hurt.

“Tell me, love,” Dukovich said, smirking down at me as we rounded the corner. “Will you break my heart next?”

I scoffed, tilting my chin up to him and taking a small step closer.

“You have no heart for me to break,” I answered, then tethered from the corridor.

Chapter eighteen

HYACINTH

Wewereonceagainsitting around the table in the House of High. Though, this time, there was no feigned hospitality. The silence in the room amplified the tension that felt as if it would snap at any minute and take all of our nerves with it.

My fingers tapped impatiently against the wood as I kept my gaze glued to the window, avoiding all the eyes I could feel burning through my skin. Landers slid his hand over mine, intertwining our fingers as he pulled them into his lap. I glanced over at him and he gave me a small smile of reassurance as I pushed a curl behind my ear and shifted on my cushion. His eyes nervously shot between Mara and me, his hand tightening around mine as I watched the muscle in his jaw tick.

Something was off. I knew that now with complete certainty after how he had acted in our rooms and I couldn’t place it.

But I could feel it in my bones—this wasn’t just about the war.

This was about him.

All I wanted was for him to talk to me, to open up and let me in. But recently, it felt like everyone was slowly pushing me further and further away from them.

My gaze darted to the doors at the back of the room, and I straightened my posture as the Elders entered. Each one was cloaked in deep purple robes, their hoods casting shadows over their faces. We rose from our seats, bowing our heads in reverence as they made their way around the table and settled onto their cushions with a quiet rustle of fabric.

My heart raced as I lowered myself back to the ground and watched them pull back their hoods.

We needed them to agree to our plans.

I needed them to stand behind me on my decision to wake the Fallen Ones.

A messenger stepped forward, a scroll between his hands, and I sucked in a sharp breath as he began to unroll it. An Elder’s hand shot up into the air, the same one that had spoken before and the entire room when wholly still, not a single one of us daring to breathe.

“Ithia is proud of her traditions,” the Elder started and my heart careened into my stomach. “But we must listen to when the winds shift and whisper of new ways to come. It is time the Yaldrin learn to protect themselves, learn to protect their homeland.”

A grin slid onto Mara’s face as Rilus and Sashi blanched, rage cutting into the lines of their hard expressions.

The Elder continued, his voice rough and weathered with age. “It is our decision, Takaris, that we will do what you have asked. We will give you access to our realm and we will allow our people to train, but we will not force them. Those who do not wish to train, will heal the wounded. As for the Fallen Ones, if you believe in this plan, Takaris, we will welcome them into our realm.”

Landers stilled beside me, his body tensing as the words settled into the silent room. My eyes flashed to Andrues for guidance. I didn’t know how to respond—if I wasallowedto respond.