Page 26 of Beneath the Flames
Nico’s eyes softened, like he wanted to help, but then, much to my dismay, a familiar voice called down the hall.“Nico!”
Both of us flinched at the sudden loudness and then Rhydian was right there, putting his hand on Nico’s shoulder.The gesture appeared protective, which struck me as odd.
“Are you harassing my servant?”he asked, the gold in his eyes flashing.
“Me?”Anger poured through my veins and my hands balled into fists.“I—”
“I came here,” Nico interrupted, and both of us pausedour verbal assaults.“I came to bring her to moon rise feast.I assumed she was probably hungry since you sent her to bed without food last night.”The words were so close to scolding that I was shocked that a servant would dare speak to his master that way.Protectiveness filled me suddenly, and I took a step toward Nico, prepared to stop Rhydian if he retaliated.I might not have known how things worked in Eroth, but Nico reminded me too much of Joey to let him get hurt by another person.
What I wasn’t prepared for was the lightest pink tint coloring Rhydian’s cheeks.
I clenched my teeth to keep my mouth from falling open.He wasn’t…mad?He wasn’t going to punish Nico for speaking to him like that?Rhydian might have been a terrible person, but at least he cared for his servant.
The blush stayed on his face for several more seconds as he rubbed the back of his neck.I refused to admit that it was evenslightlyattractive.My kidnapper wasnotattractive.
I forced my focus back to what Nico said in the first place.“Moon rise feast?”
Rhydian smirked.“I believe they call it ‘breakfast’ in your world.”
Nico jumped in to explain.“Yes, the first meal of the day in Eroth is moon rise feast, then the midday meal is mid-moon feast, and the last meal is moon set feast.”
I rubbed at the headache forming in my temple.“Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are a lot simpler,” I muttered under my breath.
Part of me wanted to refuse to eat, to refuse their food and remain outraged that I was here in the first place, but at that exact moment my stomach gave a very loud and unholy growl that instantly sent a wave of heat to my cheeks.
Nico put his hand over his mouth, stifling a giggle.
“I think that answers your question of whether she’s hungry,” Rhydian commented, amusement lacing his voice.
Nico pulled out from under Rhydian’s grip and started heading back down the hall with a wave.“Come on, we eat in the Hall of Feasts on the main floor.”
The boy disappeared around the corner without a backward glance, and I was left alone with Rhydian.I would’ve been lying if I said it didn’t have nerves prickling across my skin.And not the good kind.
I waited, expecting him to say something—banish me to my room without food after all or something—but after a few tense moments he simply waved a hand in the direction Nico had gone.
“You should eat.”
“Is your food even edible?”
Rhydian rolled his eyes.“I’m not cruel, Maren.The food is perfectly fine, better than the food in your world.”
“You’re not cruel?”I asked, bewildered.“Some would consider stealing and murder to be cruel.”
Rhydian’s scowl would have been comical if I wasn’t so upset with him.
“Still on that, are we?”
“Still—” I cut off, mouth dropping open, flabbergasted that he would dare to say such a thing.Of course I wasstill on that.I wasn’t a violent person in any sense of the word, but I suddenly, desperately, wanted to punch him in his smug face.
“I hate you,” I muttered, noticing the way his pointed ears twitched in response.They were words I had swallowed and choked on for years with my father, always waiting on the tip of my tongue.But here…maybe it was because death already loomed over my head, and there was no one that could be punished in my stead, that made me brave enough to speak thewords aloud.
His features darkened.“Good.You should.”
Rhydian stalked away in the direction Nico went, but I didn’t miss the way his hands flexed in and out of fists as he walked.
I didn’t understand him.He was so against helping me learn why he’d brought me here, and yet somehow those words had affected him—quite a lot by the rigidness of his shoulders and the angry stomp to his steps.
“Maren?”Nico’s head popped around the next corner.“Are you coming?”
