Page 27 of The Duke and the Disciple

“Cub.” Drazhan slammed the door and charged in. He tossed a glance at Rahn and then moved to Aesylt and knelt before her. “I’m sorry I scared you. Val is alive but gravely wounded. His pigheaded family won’t allow any vedhmas in, not even their own, and I don’t know what it means for his future. But the Barynovs are out for blood.Yourblood. And they can’t fucking have it.”

Rahn caught Drazhan’s eyes. In the quick connection, an understanding passed between them.The danger to her life is very, very real.

“I swear to you, Draz, I didn’t?—”

Drazhan reached for her face and brought it to his, pressing their foreheads taut. “I know. I know you didn’t. But the Barynovs are telling anyone who will listen that you did. It’s not safe for you beyond Fanghelm, Aes. Not right now.” He kissed her nose and stood. “Adrahn, I need something from you.”

Rahn inhaled a shaky breath and nodded. “Anything.”

He flicked a nod at Aesylt. “You and I both know this one won’t keep still unless she has something to occupy her.”

“If you’re going to talk about me like I’m not here, I’ll leave,” Aesylt snapped.

“How can I help?” Rahn asked, hiding a smirk.

“Val is out of the cohort, clearly. Nik’s family needs to maintain their neutrality. Tas has decided to move up her trip to Whitechurch. Elara is being moved to Jasika, for reasons Imryll explained, but I can’t remember now.” Drazhan swished his mouth. “So my sister is your partner now.”

Rahn squeezed the sill, nodding. The kiss hammered his thoughts from all sides.Never again.“You want Aesylt and I to continue working? Together?”

“That’s what I said.”

Imryll’s secondhand scolding came back to him. Drazhan, for all his gratitude about the matter of the tree, still saw Rahn as a threat to Aesylt’s honor. His heart sank, realizing how bad things must be for him to suggest they spend hours and hours together, alone. Drazhan must have felt the best option was to keep Aesylt occupied with something productive—and rightly presumed Rahn would have more sense than to cross a line. “If that’s what you need from me, then of course.”

“Good.” Drazhan broke his gaze and clamped a hand atop Aesylt’s shoulder with a tight smile. “Focus on your research, cub. Leave the rest to me. It will blow over.”

“I don’t get a say in this?” Aesylt asked. “You’re just going to keep deciding for me, like I’m eight?”

Drazhan’s brows furrowed. “I thought you’d be happy you get to continue.”

“It’s fine.” She crossed her arms and retreated onto the couch. “I’ll be a good little soldier, wulf. Don’t worry about me.”

Drazhan sighed. His eyes fluttered back toward Rahn. “I’ll sort this mess out. She’s your responsibility until I do.”

“Fucking archaic notions of men,” Aesylt hissed under her breath.

“What’s that?” Drazhan asked, though he’d clearly heard.

“Nothing.” Her smile was saccharine. “Don’t worry about me, frata. I have a stalwart protector here, a strong and powerfulmanto keep this little damsel from doing anything foolish.”

Drazhan shot her a bracing look and started to turn. “Ancestors be with you, Adrahn,” he muttered and stormed out. His armor echoed down the halls and then disappeared.

Rahn leaned against the window with a sigh.

“You’re relieved of Aesylt duty,” she said with a flippant shrug of one shoulder. She tossed the quilt away and jumped to her feet. “I’m going to the Barynovs to sort this out. If something happens, I’ll be sure and tell my brother it wasn’t your fault.”

“No.” Rahn massaged his throat when the word creaked.

“What did you say?”

“No.” He found his voice again. He said it again, more firmly. “You’re not going anywhere.”

Aesylt spun on him. “Excuse me?”

Rahn marched to the door, digging in his pocket for his keys as he swept by her. He locked both bolts, turned, and found her wearing a flushed glower that was part surprise and part indignant rage. “If Drazhan needs me to help keep you safe so he can work matters out with the Barynovs, then it’s what I’m going to do.” When she lifted onto her toes with a menacing glare, he didn’t back down, not even when her face was close enough for him to feel her breath. “I’m not a man who walks away from his responsibilities, Aesylt.”

“I amnot your responsibility,” she said through clenched teeth. “And we can’t continue our research anyway, can we? The other women are out of the cohort. The men too. If you think anyone is sending more to join us after what happened this morning, you don’t know the Vjestik. So who are you going to conduct practical experiments with? Yourself?”

Nothing we do here matters.

---