Page 135 of The Prince's Mage

Then arms were around her, and Marcella had the air squeezed out of her lungs. She sputtered as Aimilia was wrapped around her, saying in Marcella’s tongue, “Stupid girl. Reckless! Should have warned about insanity.”

Marcella wasn’t sure if Aimilia meant Marcella should have warned Aimilia about her insanity or Hypatia’s. Or both.

Aimilia was shaking and Marcella quickly wrapped her arms around her and hugged the other girl tightly. Marcella muttered, “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”

Aimilia buried her head into Marcella’s shoulder, and she could feel it start to dampen with tears. “Did what I could. Don’t know about the rest. But thank you for sparing me.”

Marcella gently rubbed Aimilia’s shoulder as the other girl desperately tried to muffle her relieved, terrified cries in Marcella’s shoulders and Gavril’s cloak. She said, “You have been a good friend. I would not be able to live with myself if I let Hypatia torture you just to spare Gavril.”

Aimilia shuddered. “It wouldn’t have been an option if Nikias hadn’t made me come. Now I don’t know how long we have.”

“We will deal with that problem when it comes,” Marcella whispered. She looked up to see Gavril batting away Nikias’ hands, but there was a small smile on his face. Nikias, however, always had one eye on Hypatia.

“—be having words before we get home,” Nikias said, pulling his hands back.

Marcella knew that was an empty threat. Nikias wasn’t going to be in a state to have words with anyone on the way back to Areator.

Marcella looked over her shoulder to Hypatia.

Would she even be going back to Areator? She and Gavril hadn’t really had the chance to talk about what it would be like if they succeeded.

Konstantin had promised she would have a place in Montis, but after she’d just threatened Hypatia’s life… It would be a risk to be anywhere amongst the clans.

Presuming Gavril’s father didn’t come in and tear their peace to shreds. Marcella looked over at Nikias as he stepped back to let Aimilia throw her arms around Gavril and check him over herself. Was Nikias doing this for nothing?

Marcella could see Aimilia whispering in Gavril’s ear, most likely about the king. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Nikias’ voice.

“Marcella.”

Marcella whipped around to see Nikias had stepped up next to her. Him calling her by her name couldn’t be good.

Nikias closed his eyes and took a deep breath as Marcella kept an eye on Gavril and Aimilia. She knew all she needed to do was twitch and she’d catch their attention and they’d put a stop to this, but considering what the man was about to walk into because of her, she felt she should at least hear what he wanted to say.

“Thank you.”

What?

At her silence, he let out a long, slow breath and said, “Thank you. For making Hypatia choose me. For keeping him safe. I do not like it, but I know this was not fully your doing. I… I do owe you my life. Several times over. I was fully expecting Gavril would kill me after I had you arrested. I was at peace with it. And yet your escape, and now this…”

But before he could say anything else, hands slammed on the table behind them. Marcella jerked to see Hypatia lifting her hands and batting Konstantin’s hands away and she said, “Ready to sign?”

Nikias brushed past Marcella and moved to the documents without another word. Marcella darted back over to Gavril, who quickly wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in while Aimilia pulled away and looked back to watch Nikias sign the treaty.

She held her breath as the quills moved across the paper. First Nikias’ signature. Then Hypatia’s.

She dropped the quill to the table and said, “While I would love to make you wait in dreadful anticipation, the High Priest and my husband insist we get started so that we can move on to peace.”

“Wise men. It’s a shame they’re saddled with you.”

The shame and horror on Konstantin’s face was poorly disguised. Her adopted brother was not good at hiding his feelings.

“Getting short with me isn’t going to make this any better for you. Come along, I’m not going to get any of the nice things in here filthy with your blood.” Hypatia headed for the exit of the tent, waving to be followed.

Gavril moved to follow as Nikias walked out after her, and Marcella and Aimilia were right on his heels. The High Priest and Konstantin were behind them and the rest of the Inimicus and clan parties after them.

Hypatia was striding across the camp to a clan healer’s tent. Gavril hurried to his brother’s side, but he was completely stone faced.

Hypatia came to a stop in front of the tent, lifting the flap and saying, “Whenever you’re ready.”

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