Page 165 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile

Chapter 36

Lessia

“And where have you been?” Lessia teased as Frelina leaned her elbows on Lessia’s knees, resting her chin in her hands as she looked up at her.

“I’m sure you already know,” Frelina mumbled, pink creeping over her cheeks. “Raine asked us to come say hi to his friends, unless you plan on sitting here all night.”

Lessia grinned at her sister as she let Frelina drag her off the barrel she’d been planted on for far too long, and they rushed their steps to catch up with Loche and the soldier walking straight-backed beside him.

When they had a few steps left, Lessia leaned into Frelina. “Is he good to you?”

Frelina raised a brow, and Lessia had to laugh at the look in her eyes.

“I guess I know better than to ask that.” Lessia laughed again as they fell into step with Loche, and more happiness warmed her gut when her sister elbowed her, a smile brightening her features.

Like Merrick, Raine wasn’t sunshine and rainbows but dark clouds and storms, although he must be doing something right if he could lighten Frelina’s steps almost to skips.

Their giggles quieted when voices drifted toward them, amplified over the water, and Lessia couldn’t help the prickle of irritation that crawled over her scalp when she recognized the voice of Iviry, the flirtatious Fae she’d met in the tavern on Midhrok, over the rest.

Her upper lip had curled even before they circled the bend of the ship, and Iviry’s flame-like hair shone like burnt gold in the moonlight ahead.

“A Rantzier, Raine. Out of all people?” Iviry and Raine stood with their backs to where Lessia and the rest approached, with Merrick ahead of them and a group of Fae unloading weapons from a smaller ship behind him.

Lessia felt Frelina stiffen beside her, and she disliked Iviry even more as her sister slowed her strides.

“It’s not like that,” Raine muttered. “She’s… a distraction.”

A hiss shot through Lessia’s teeth, and she was about to storm up to smack Raine’s and Iviry’s thick heads together when Frelina grabbed her hand.

“Don’t.” Frelina’s eyes were hard as they held on to Lessia’s. “Just leave it.”

Lessia shook her head, locking eyes with Loche over Frelina, and she noted that even his jaw flexed as he moved his glare to the Fae ahead.

That damned…

“Who is she?” Frelina demanded under her breath.

Merrick had just noticed them approaching, and Lessia hurried to whisper, “Iviry. We don’t like her.” It was childish and probably unfair, but she couldn’t help it.

As she uttered the name, the fiery-haired Fae spun around, and her eyes went wide as she took in the group, licks of crimson that mirrored Raine’s hair weaving up her neck.

Yes, you should be fucking ashamed,Lessia thought as she moved closer to her sister while Merrick overtook Iviry and Raine to meet them.

Raine’s eyes were also wide when he turned around, and she noted them fixing on her sister, something passing between them every step as they reached the group. But while his eyes softened at the same time as her sister relaxed, Iviry’s gaze seemed to get wider and wider, her hand flying to her chest as if she needed to calm her heart.

Lessia gave Merrick a meaningful look when he slung an arm over her shoulders, and when he followed it, he stilled, pulling both Lessia and Frelina to halt about three or four feet away from Raine and the annoying female.

Loche also stopped, his confused gaze meeting hers before he asked, “What’s going on?”

Merrick laughed, actually laughed, in the strained silence.

Then Raine followed, his deep chuckle making Loche’s dark brows pull down as low as Lessia expected her own were.

Her sister also looked bewildered as Raine closed the distance between them, offering Frelina his arm as he got out between snickers, “Come on, let’s get some water and I’ll tell you.”

Frelina shrugged at her as she let Raine lead her away, and Lessia turned to Merrick, her hands flying out in a questioning gesture. Merrick didn’t respond to her silent question; he only tilted his head to Iviry, who remained still as a statue as she stared at them.

No…