Page 82 of Heir

She sat back, chewing on a sprig of rosemary, her nonchalance too obvious to be trustworthy.

Quil eyed her narrowly. She wanted to travel on the main roads. She wasn’t sharing the true reason why.

Sufiyan’s gaze drifted over Sirsha’s shoulder. “Look who walked in.”

Quil happened to be watching her face when she caught sight of a gimlet-eyed R’zwana entering the common room, trailed by J’yan. Sirsha’s expression was unguarded for a moment, her haughty insouciance replaced by panic.

“Sirsha.” He touched her wrist, and her wild eyes flew to his. “We’re with you. You’re not alone.”

“I—” She looked confused for a moment. Then she turned away from him. He could see her putting on her mental armor as she shook back her braid and rolled her shoulders. As she wiggled her fingers mockingly at her sister. R’zwana stared back, inscrutable as stone.

Over the years, Quil sometimes wondered what kind of blood brother he’d have been if his parents had lived. His mother had been thoughtful and kind and wise. He’d have liked to have been like her. Someone his younger siblings could rely on. Someone they could trust.

Not like his father—who had stabbed his own twin in a bid for power. Or like R’zwana.

Quil’s group wasn’t the only one who’d noticed the Jaduna arrive. A table near them emptied out so quickly that the food was still steaming on the platters when they sat down, and a nervous hush fell over the common room before R’zwana turned to whisper something to J’yan, and conversation started up again.

“I thought we’d lost her,” Arelia said. “I even used a spyglass—my own creation—”

“She’s too clever to be spotted with a spyglass,” Sirsha said. “She waits until someone feels safe and then she pops up like a bleeding ghul.”

“You two will have to share a room,” Arelia said to Quil with characteristic bluntness. “You’re each other’s soul halves, after all.”

Beside her, Sufiyan elbowed Quil, smirking.

“Grow up. There are two beds,” Quil muttered, further embarrassed at the heat rising in his cheeks. “And don’t look so smug. You’ll have to room with Reli and she takesforeverin the bath. You’ll be dust before she gets out.”

Sufiyan’s grin faded and he grabbed for the room key. Arelia was faster.

“I’m assuming she’s not imprudent enough to try anything in a common room.” Arelia glanced at R’zwana. “In any case, if she did, the most I could do is throw furniture at her. I’m still working on my self-loading slingshot. I’ll excuse myself for the night.”

“Wait a minute.” Sufiyan jumped up to follow. “You can’tassumeyou get the bath first. We’ll flip for it—”

“Poor Suf.” Sirsha watched them disappear. “Is she really that bad?”

“Worse.” Quil chuckled. “But if he steals her reading material, she’ll get out quick enough.” He followed Sirsha’s gaze to her sister, who scrutinized them with a hateful fixation that even Quil, used to the venom at court, found unsettling.

Sirsha shuddered, her fingers going to her face. Her bruise was gone—Quil had applied the poultice every night. But sometimes he saw her poking at where it used to be, grimacing. She pushed her food away, glancing up at R’zwana.

“Can’t eat with her staring at me. I can practically hear her shouting that she wants to break my bones.”

See what happens if she tries.The fierceness of the thought took Quil by surprise. He cleared his throat.

“Has she always been so…”

“Murderous?” Sirsha offered him a wry smile. “We laughed as kidstoo. I tagged along after her, got into trouble for her. I’d have done anything she said, but that wasn’t enough. She got meaner. I was too naive to see it until it was too late.”

Quil felt a flash of indignation, and then, looking back at R’zwana, inspiration.

“How do the Jaduna feel about public affection? They’re more prudish than Martials, yes?”

“The only type of union is the Adah oath,” Sirsha said. “A joined couple isn’t supposed to even kiss until the ceremony is over. And behind closed doors, at that.”

“Excellent.” Quil spoke quickly, because if he didn’t, he knew he’d analyze the idea until he talked himself out of it.

“We’re going to persuade your sister to stop staring at us—and to think twice about doing it again.” He took a tendril of Sirsha’s soft, blue-black hair and pushed it behind her ear, before letting his fingers caress her cheek. Her breath hitched at his touch, and satisfaction flooded him.

“You’ll have to trust me,” Quil said. “Stand up.”

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