“Rhya.”
“All right,” I grumble, knowing he is not about to let the topic drop. “He said there are threats against me. So many of them, you redirected some of his troops to the city as extra protection.”
“And?”
“And”—I force out the word—“he may have implied he won’t be too shaken up when, eventually, one of Efnysien’s flunkies manages to bypass all that extra protection and removes me from your life. Permanently.”
“Fucking bastard!”
“Penn—”
“He’s furious because I went over his head with the army. He’s taking it out on you. That’s all this is. Don’t pay him any mind.”
“Then I’m not in danger?”
His hesitation is telling. “Rhya—”
“I am!” I shake my head in disbelief. “Gods, Penn, were you going to tell me?”
“No.”
“No?” I explode. “After Gower, I knew there were threats, I knew there was danger—more, even, than you wanted to admit. But this…How could you keep something like this from me?”
“Because I have it under control. We’ve doubled the perimeter guards at the towers around the capital—all across the plateau, in fact. The trade roads have checkpoints. Everyone who’s come in or out of the city in the past week has been stopped for questioning and searched for weapons. The main tunnel into Caeldera is sealed shut with stone doors so thick, it would take a troll to breach them. Not to mention, I’ve just topped off the wards with so much power, I’m surprised I’m still conscious.” The words come out in a harsh clip. “You are safe. I made certain of it.”
“You still should have told me—”
“I wanted you to enjoy your first Fyremas!” he barks, stopping my protests. His voice softens a shade as he stares at me. “I wanted you to have one night—just one godsdamned night—where you could enjoy yourself. If I’d told you about the threats, it would’ve sucked all the light right out of your eyes. I’ve seen enough of that. I…You…You deserved more. I wanted to give you more. Is that so difficult for you to comprehend?”
“I…I don’t…” I swallow hard, trying to find the right words as our gazes hold for a prolonged moment. My hand flutters uselessly up to my chest, pressing not against my Remnant but against my heart. It seems to be skipping beats. “Thank you,” I finish lamely.
“You’re welcome,” he mutters.
We both tear our eyes away from each other at the same moment, looking back out over the city. The fireworks are exploding in rapid succession now, arcing like colorful ribbons across the atmosphere in a grand finale designed to stun the senses. I fix mysights on them, struggling to steady my breathing. I do not even bother trying to calm my racing pulse.
“Was that all?”
My brows shoot up my forehead, brushing the heavy diadem. “What?”
“Yale. Was that all he said?”
Heat flushes into my cheeks as Yale’s voice echoes inside my head.
He is in love with you.
I am a bad liar.
I know this.
I lie anyway.
“Yes, that’s all he said.”
The air goes static. The longer the falsehood floats there between us unaddressed, the more the tension mounts. I feel I might combust out of my skin. Eventually, I can no longer stand it. Pushing away from the parapet, I turn to leave. “I’m sorry I interrupted your solitude. I’ll go now—”
His hand on my arm is a vise, stopping me in my tracks. I do not dare draw breath as he tugs me around to face him. His gaze is the molten shade of fossilized amber—and I the helpless creature trapped within, impossibly frozen in place.
“Tell me what else Yale said.”