Page 79 of Of Blood and Banes (The Arterian #2)
NOT YOUR TURN
“ W ere you out of your mind?” Sethan roars, slamming a fist down on the table. “What were you thinking?”
Everyone in the Everden community hall stops and swings their wide-eyed gazes to us.
I pluck the wine glass served to us for dinner and take a sip as I lean back in my chair. “I don’t owe you any explanations.”
As far as he knows, Archie went out to stop me from leaving. And that was when we ran into rebels and were captured. He doesn’t need to know Melaina and Archie’s situation or that Archie left because of it. It will only make Sethan think Archie is weak. And love isn’t weak.
I set my glass of wine back down before crossing my arms over my chest. “The fact of the matter is none of us died. So, I think your scolding is pointless. You can give us the verbal lashings when we fail.”
“That’s what you don’t understand. You’re bound to fail if you risk so much. It was foolish of you to run away. And for what?”
“She wasn’t the one who ran.” Archie stands up from a few seats down, his weight still shifted to his non-sprained ankle.
I throw him a glare, hoping if I stare hard enough, he’ll sit back down and be quiet. But he holds mine and Sethan’s gaze as if he’s dealing with two toddlers instead.
“I was,” Archie admits.
Melaina on the complete opposite side of the table lowers her head, twirling her fork as if she may melt into another universe.
“And why is that?” Sethan challenges, though with the way he tilts his chin up, I have a feeling he already knows.
“Because I was hurt…” Archie tosses a glance toward Melaina, his confidence breaking each second she doesn’t return his gaze, until his attention finally settles completely on her. “Melaina, please. Please, just look at me.”
She blinks, sucking her lips in before finally dragging her gaze off her plate to him. Water lines her brown eyes.
He leans slightly forward to her. “I love you. I am in love with you. And if you don’t feel the same anymore, just tell me.”
“She doesn’t,” Sethan growls.
Archie slams a fist down on the table and swipes a knife from his setting, flicking it in his expert fingers and pointing it directly at Sethan. “Stop talking. Not your turn.”
I flinch at the seriousness in his voice, but pride bubbles within my chest. A small grin pulls at my lips at the sheer shock slapped across Sethan’s features.
Archie pins his attention back on Melaina as he whispers, “I can handle it. Just tell me you don’t love me, and I’ll leave you alone. I will let you go.”
Melaina shakes her head, her chest rising and falling as she glances between Sethan and Archie before she shoves up from her chair. “I can’t,” she says with a cracking voice and bolts toward the exit.
Sethan pushes up from his chair, and Archie stabs the knife down into the table, staring Sethan down before warning, “No. You stay here. This does not concern you.”
And then he follows Melaina out.
When silence settles over our group, Sethan obeying Archie’s command, I turn back to face Sethan. “What do you know about god relics? The woman who captured us mentioned them, and she wanted to know where the Book of Magic is. Did you take any survivors for questioning?”
Sethan’s brown eyes narrow at me. But he answers, “No, there were no survivors. Your dragonfire destroyed them all. As for god relics…” He looks down at his wine glass and mindlessly runs his middle finger around the lip.
“Never heard of them. And the Book of Magic has been long lost. For more years than I can count.”