Page 25 of The Duke and the Disciple

Rahn frowned. “Once cooler heads prevail, they’ll know how ludicrous the accusation is.”

Aesylt winced but nodded. “Thank you for telling me.” She took another sip before setting her tea aside. “I suppose visiting Val is out of the question.”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Where are Imryll and Aleksy?”

“In their apartments. Tas and Teleria are with them. Everyone is safe.”

“Everyone inside, you mean.” She contorted and tucked her legs under her. “Why weren’t you there this morning?”

Rahn glanced again at the window. The thinning crowd provided some relief, but he’d never seen such fear as he’d witnessed in the eyes of the villagers when they’d stormed Fanghelm, desperate for answers and consolation... anxious and afraid of the repercussions the entire village would suffer as a result of the unprecedented event. “I was outside for a morning stretch when the carts came up the hill. Drazhan sent me back with several of his men to help secure the keep. He didn’t allow me the opportunity to tell you myself. I’m sorry if my absence caused you any distress.”

Aesylt picked at the fresh bandage on her arm. “In Vjestik culture, wulves are omens. Messengers. Everyone will try to decipher their message, and the guessing, the supposition, will bring this village into civil war if Drazhan can’t get a handle on it.”

Rahn studied the tight flex in her cheeks, where her dimples bedded, and the same motion at her temples as she must have bitten down on her tongue. Her questions so far had skirted the one she should have asked, the one he knew she wanted to. “Your brother offered to have Val convalesce here at Fanghelm, where the Wynter vedhmas could set him to rights, but the Barynovs wouldn’t hear of it. They won’t even dispatch their own vedhmas. They’re refusing any healing at all, until they have answers. The irony is Valerian is the only one who can provide them.”

“I didn’t ask about Val.”

“I know.”

“They’ve branded me a koldyna.”

Rahn breathed out. “I know.”

“There is nothing worse to the Vjestik. We take it so seriously, even accusing someone is a crime, without proof.”

“Well, they can’t prove it, can they? Because you aren’t a koldyna, Aesylt.”

She looked down at her hands, her head shaking. “Whatever the wulves are playing at, it has nothing to do with me.”

“We both know men are rarely rational when they’re afraid,” he said. “When Valerian wakes, he may be able to fill in the missing pieces of this strange tale.”

“I just don’t understand...” Aesylt bowed forward and raked her hands through her hair. “Nothing like this haseverhappened before.”

“All things can be explained eventually,” Rahn said. “And heads will clear in time.” Even as he said the words, he wasn’t sure he believed them. Drazhan Wynter was not a man who feared anything, but when he had placed his sister into Rahn’s arms, the men’s eyes connecting for the briefest moment, Rahn had seen pure terror there.

“You don’t even believe that,” Aesylt said, scoffing.

“Read my mind, did you?” he said lightly.

“I need to go find my brother.” She pushed forward, trying to rise, but fell back with a swoon.

Rahn shifted quickly to the settee, one arm behind her in case she lost her bearing again. “He wants you here. Whatever’s going on out there, he needs to focus without worrying if you’re in danger.”

“Didn’t take you for a Drazhan fan,” she muttered but then relaxed, leaning against him with a defeated sigh. She pulled her knees to her chest with a shivering sigh. “This is a proper mess.”

Rahn nodded, exhausted. Whatever sleep he’d garnered at the observatory had been used up in the past hour. “It seems so.”

“You know how I know it’s a mess? Drazhan askingyouto lock yourself away with me. Oh the scandal if others find out.”

His brows lifted. “It’s not a scandal if there’s nothing to talk about.”

“You think that ever stops a wagging tongue? Why do you think we’re in this mess?”

“It’s just until he can clear the trouble at the gates. He’ll be back soon.”

She looked up at him, her crystalline eyes heavy and dark. A soft pause scored the air between them. “I had an idea for how we can solve your curricula problem.”

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