Page 168 of The Chains You Defy

But when she noticed Antas, her features softened with fake friendliness, allowing her beauty to shine through, and she dropped into a curtsy. “Lord Fiantas. I haven’t expected to meet you here.”

Lord? Oh my, Antas had an honorific as well? It made sense, but observing Antas’ sour expression, he wasn’t fond of his title too, not even a little.

“Lady Danartha, I informed Nayana about the arrangements my brother made for her.”

“Oh, a servant would have been sufficient. Surely, someone as significant as you has better things to do.”

“No.”

Antas’ tone could have frozen the Restless Desert, and his following declaration ignited an inferno of emotions inside my soul.

“I consider Nayana my daughter. She is not only important to my nephew but also to me.”

Fighting hard to prevent my eyes from leaking, I pinched my own arm discreetly. So often had I wondered how my life would have been different if my own father had been more like Antas, and now this fae male had declared me as his honorary offspring.

And from the warmth he regarded me with, he hadn’t only claimed this as a pretense to rile Danartha up, who glared at me as if I’d eaten her pet for breakfast.

No, he’d meant every word.

Fuck our hostile spectator. I jumped out of my chair as if I were compelled, hurried over to Antas with big strides, and hugged him, burying my face in his silky tunic.

Last time I’d embraced him—when he’d given me an heirloom as a present, one I lost to Feroy and missed dearly—he’d tensed. This time, though, he enveloped me in his arms as if this were the most natural thing to do.

“Thank you, Antas. That means the world—no, bothworlds—to me.”

“Just the truth, little one. And nothing will change my mind, no matter if you say yes or no to Dion’s courting.”

“Very touching. But I have to getthatready for the ball now, so if you excuse us, Lord Fiantas?”

Antas let go of me and spun to Danartha. “Green is not a good color on you, Lady Danartha. Harm Nayana, and my brother backing you up will not save you. You will be in trouble, not only with Dion but also with me.”

He flashed his teeth at her, and I couldn’t quite digest the aggressive display so unlike him. Seeing Antas all territorial was something else entirely.

“Lord Fiantas, that you suspect I’d stoop so low and commit an untoward act pains me. Of course, the Eachtrannach will appear well dressed, unharmed, and on time at the ball.”

“Good.” He turned around again, hugged me another time, and reluctantly left.

Taking a deep breath, I faced the fae female, who loathed me just as much as I despised her.

Gathering all my fake friendliness, I forced a smile. “Thank you, Lady Danartha, for agreeing to help me.”

“Ah, stop the pretense, Eachtrannach. Get dressed. We have to chat. Or more, I’ll talk, you’ll listen.”

Of course. I would have been a fool to believe otherwise.

The Doitean owned no chairs. As a soldier, I was used to sitting on whatever surface was available, but in this situation, I was more than uncomfortable.

Yes, there was a soft fur between me and the packed earth, but boiling heat radiated through the thin sheet, cooking me slowly. I wore way too many clothes, but I wouldn’t strip down in front of a female who wasn’t mine.

Lasair sat down on a hide across from the one I’d claimed, and although we were alone inside the tent, my senses told me that the structure was surrounded by guards with their weapons at theready.

“Speak, an Daoscarshlua. If you can convince me of your well-meaning intentions, you’ll be free to go.”

“And if I can’t, I’ll end up as your prisoner?”

“Or a solved problem for Galanta.”

The one who typically issued death threats was me, and I hated to be on the receiving end when I could do nothing to change the situation. I clamped down hard on my temper, my jaw so tense that my teeth hurt. But I had to succeed. “Whatever. So, Galrach ordered me to bring him your firestone, and I have some strong assumptions as to why. Following his command doesn’t align with my goals, yet I can’t defy him openly.”