Page 107 of A World of Ruins

Freya raises a brow.

I shake my head in amusement. ‘Looking out for others, I mean.’

Freya laughs, butting heads with me, and I suddenly feel for Ruvyn. He’s still young, and I assume he will eventually return to Terranos for his mother, but with Thallan ruling, I doubt he wants to cross paths with him.

‘Ambrose!’

Freya and I come to a halt. We exchange a knowing glance full of amusement before we turn and see Rydan bundling down the street. He nearly stops at one of the stalls, hesitating as if tempted by something, but ultimately declines and joins us.

‘What is it now?’ Freya asks an out-of-breath Rydan.

He holds up a finger, needing a moment as he doubles over and tries to catch his breath. ‘Your brothers—’ he wheezes. ‘And Darius—’ Another wheeze. ‘Are together.’

I stare at him.

‘As in together,together,’ he rephrases slowly, ‘giving him the almighty brotherly talk, I’m sure.’

Oh, Solaris.

‘You came all this way to tell us this?’

‘Frey Frey, do not start with me.’ He lets out an exasperated breath. ‘I overheard Idris tell Iker and Illias to be prepared to test him, which I’m assuming is not a good thing—’

My eyes widen, which only makes Freya burst out into laughter.

‘Where are they?’ I ask.

‘In one of the taverns in the city—’

I swiftly take off down the street, leaving Rydan with the words still in his mouth. ‘Stay here,’ I say to Ruvyn as I pass by him.

‘Wait,’ Rydan calls out to me. ‘What are they going to ask him?’

Questions I do not want to even imagine.

Intimate ones, threatening ones, and possibly even embarrassing ones. None of which have concerned me in the past, but now I find myself unwilling to tolerate my brothers’ attempts at superiority when faced with someone like Darius, who has a knack for saying all the wrong things just to get under someone’s skin.

I search the streets, passing by various taverns until I land on one named The Hickory and see that it is the most crowded.

Raising my brows, I enter through the wooden double doors and scan the heady-scented place. A few patrons are chatting and looking towards the far corner, so I storm over there and come across Darius, Tibith and my brothers sitting around a table with jugs of ale stacked upon others.

I blink like an absolute fool, not knowing what is happening as I stare at the four who are roaring with laughter. Even Idris is smiling.

My gaze is coated with suspicion as I near them. Tibith jumps onto the table, grinning at me. ‘What is going on?’ I demand.

Darius looks up, the side of his mouth tugging into a smile. ‘Your brothers were just telling me about the time you pretended to be Iker.’

Iker’s face is bright red from laughing. ‘It was convincing until I broke the bed trying to sneak in.’

‘It wasn’t that convincing,’ Idris grumbles, lolling his head to the side to look at him.

Still in shame at this outcome, I sink into the chair beside Idris. ‘Did you . . .’ I lean into him while staring at Iker, Illias and Darius. ‘Did you do—’

‘He passed.’ Idris smiles, already knowing what I was trying to ask.

My head snaps to Darius, his smug smile telling me everything.

‘Mr Iker asked Darry why he chose you of all people as his bride!’ Tibith lets slip out, ever so innocently.

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