Page 40 of A Frozen Pyre
Dwyn hissed. “As if I can’t keep a secret.”
“Yes, but, we…fought it out,” he said.
Ophir’s eyes widened further.
“We’re both fine,” Dwyn said seriously. “And we can talk about it more, but clearly you have somewhere to be. Where are you going?”
She looked at her feet as she said, “My father has requested my presence. It’s only Farehold’s party.”
Dwyn frowned. Without missing a beat, she said, “Tyr, go with her.”
They blinked, startled, at Dwyn’s request.
“I can do it,” Dwyn said, “but if I step into the place between things and my borrowed ability runs dry in themiddle of dinner, we might have a rather uncomfortable conversation ahead of us. You shouldn’t go alone.” She turned to Tyr and pursed her lips, tapping her fingers impatiently against where she’d folded her arms over her chest.
Tyr was quick to agree. “Yes, of course I’ll come. Is that okay, Princess?”
Ophir made a face. “You have neveronceasked my permission before invading my privacy.”
“You’re exactly right,” he agreed. “No reason to start now. And unless my ears betray me, your attendant is just about to hit two hundred and eighty-five seconds. Let’s get going.” He took a backward step into the place between things.
Dwyn closed the space between them and snatched Ophir’s hands in her own. She didn’t bother to look at where Tyr undoubtedly hovered. Dwyn gave her a squeeze just as the attendant opened the door. Ignoring the woman, Dwyn stared deeply into Ophir’s eyes as she said, “I truly am sorry for how I erupted. I was hurt, and I have a propensity for being a tad…reactionary. I’ll be here when you get back, but I just want you to know that it’s okay. Nothing has changed between us.”
She brushed Ophir’s lips lightly with her own before stepping away.
Ophir blinked in surprise.
“Princess—” came the attendant’s impatient voice.
Ophir walked wordlessly into the corridor and followed the woman to the dining room. She wasn’t surprised to be the last one to arrive. Punctuality had never been her strong suit.
“I expected armed guards,” she said. “Is no one concerned?”
“The attendants? They were just servants, Ophir,” King Eero said by way of greeting.
Everyone at the table stood as she entered. She scanned the room that she’d visited only a few times during her stay in Gwydir. The dining room was lined with floor-to-ceilingwindows in beautiful glass arches with iron detailing on one wall, and the blue-black labradorite on its opposite walls. Her eyes went first to Harland, then to her father. She noted Samael on her father’s opposite side, and the same unknown woman beside the place setting that had undoubtedly been made for Ophir.
“Come here, Ophir,” said her father.
She approached him gingerly.
King Eero wrapped her into a hug. Despite the awkward angles of his uncomfortable arms, ones that had never been familiar with hugging his daughters, he said, “I’m truly sorry for everything. I’m especially sorry for how that meeting went.”
She had nothing kind to say nor anything clever at the ready, so she remained silent.
She peered over the shoulder of the hug to see Harland waiting behind him.
Her father released her, and she took a step toward her chair. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved or irritated that she’d been seated beside Harland. Last time they’d spoken, their words hadn’t been pleasant. Their final morning in Tarkhany, she hadn’t even been able to say goodbye as he’d sipped on the rose-scented poison. He’d been unconscious before she’d escaped through the door.
“I’m glad you’re okay, Firi,” he said quietly.
“Given the murders?” she asked as he pulled out her chair.
“That, and more,” he said. Harland’s hand hovered in the place just above her arm. It flexed as he stopped himself from touching her, falling limply to his side as he took his place in the chair beside her. A reluctant part of her belly ached at the absence of his once-familiar touch.
Samael offered a cordial two-fingered wave from across the table before she turned to the woman beside her.
“I’m sorry, have we met?” she asked, confused as to why no one had introduced the stranger. The woman had sat next to the king at the first summit meeting as well, and Ophirwas just as surprised now as she’d been then that someone so unfamiliar had been included.
