Page 42 of A World of Ruins

He gives me a farewell nod as Faye comes up beside him, looking tiny next to his height. Arlayna then bids me goodbye before I watch the three of them depart from the infirmary.

Rydan’s whistle catches the attention of Aerians trying to rest. He doesn’t seem to notice their glares. ‘That tension.’ He shakes his head, eyes wide. ‘Looks like the princess wants some of the guards—’

‘Don’t finish that sentence.’ I glower. ‘Besides, Arlayna knows she can’t be with him.’

Rydan chuckles, his brows rising as if he knows a secret that I don’t. ‘Oh, I wasn’t talking about her.’

I frown and he winks at me, his brown eyes sparkling with mirth.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Ambrose.’ He walks up to the doorway and looks over his shoulder at me. ‘Unless you feel like joining me in bed later, which I perfectly understand—’

I throw my pillow at him, though he perfectly manages to dodge it and leaves me here with the rest of the Aerians.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

I wake up the next day with a new positive outlook towards Darius and me. Most will think I am stupid to try to go back to the dungeons and visit him, but avoiding him won’t help our situation any better.

After the princesses left with the Galgr, Freya, Link and Illias all tried to dissuade me from going through with it, not to mention Idris’s reaction when he found out the actual truth of what happened between Lorcan and Darius. But instead of arguing with me, he left the room with a whispering grumble about how he was getting too old for this.

When I descend the steps into the dungeons and walk along the hallways, I see Darius lying on his back, knees up and his forearm draped over his eyes as I arrive outside his cell. I spot the mark on his abdomen again, and I remember how I told Freya about it after what happened yesterday. She said it was a linking rune and promised to investigate it with Leira and Aelle as a way to break his connection with Aurum. But time is moving fast, and I am wondering how long we have left until Aurum comes in search of the stones and Darius.

‘Do you usually stare at people without saying a word, Goldie?’

I blink over at Darius, though he still doesn’t seem to move his arm away from his eyes. ‘And are you always this perceptive?’

His laugh wraps around my throat like a lover’s grip, making it hard to swallow. ‘Your scent is quite powerful.’ He sits up andturns to look at me. The small window above him casts a shadow over his face. ‘Reminds me of a jasmine flower.’

I roll my bottom lip between my teeth. ‘Is that so?’

He slowly nods, narrowing his eyes as he rises to his feet. Striding towards me, it’s as if he forgets there’s a barrier between us. He inspects the metal bars with furrowed brows and shakes his head, turning away from me. ‘So, what will we be doing today? A nice stroll around the palace? Perhaps a visit to the main towns? Or, my favourite, eating a fine meal with the Aerian warriors? I must say I do quite fancy some mutton with a nice tankard of ale to accompany it.’

His sarcasm is duly noted. I hate him being here as much as he does.

Sighing, I want to tell him how sorry I am, but I am no better than everyone else who keeps him locked up here.

‘Hello, Darry!’

Oh, Solaris, no.

I glance to my right, where Tibith is now waving animatedly at Darius. Panic swirls in my chest, anticipating that Darius will react in a way that will upset Tibith.

Yet when he whirls around, his head slants to the side in curiosity, and he smiles. ‘Hello, and you are?’

‘Do you not r-remember me?’ Tibith twirls around before puffing out his chest with confidence. ‘I am Tibith, your greatest friend and thieving partner, as you like to say!’

My lips peel back into a grin, and when Darius laughs, all my worries seem to float away.

Darius kneels and leans forward as if about to let Tibith in on a secret. ‘Tell me . . . Tibith, right?’ A nod from Tibith has Darius continuing. ‘If you are mygreatestfriend, what are some things I enjoy doing?’

Tibith beams. ‘That is easy! You like to steal bread with me; you don’t like sleeping on beds, so you give me all the cushionsto sleep on; and you enjoy spending time with Miss Nara without wearing any clothes—’

‘I think he gets it, Tibith.’ My cheeks flush with mortification, but Darius looks at me and cocks an eyebrow.

A smirk forms in the corner of his mouth. ‘Had you started with that, Goldie, I would have been much more willing to comply.’

My lips twist in disapproval, but that only makes Darius chuckle as I turn away from him and crouch down. ‘Come on, Tibith.’ I jerk my head in the direction of the stairs.

His ears droop and I know that means he is disappointed. ‘But I want to stay with Darry.’

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