Queen of Night

17. New and Uncertain

    Iyan jerked awake, unsure of what had startled her. Brilliant moonlight filtered through her windows. She'd only been asleep for a few hours, apparently. Another muffled thud echoed through the hallway. Iyan slipped out of bed and wrapped a blanket around herself.

    She poked her head out of her room and saw Arius' door open. Iyan covered her mouth with a hand and ran down the hall. Arius was sprawled on the floor, a very unhappy expression on his face. Iyan stifled a laugh and closed the door. The rope, still suspended from the beam, lowered to the ground.

    "Well done. Your trap almost caught me." Arius picked himself up with a grimace.

    "Which part of it didn't work?"

    "The loop didn't close around my foot fast enough." He kicked the rope aside and ran his fingers through his hair. "At least Gabriel and Esen didn't see that."

    "They probably didn't hear it either. They're out cold and so is Asena." They had returned from Orna's hours after she did. All three of them had fallen asleep within minutes of reaching their rooms.

    "A small blessing, I suppose." Arius unstrapped his sword belt and set it aside.

    Iyan sat down on his bed and pulled her blanket closer. "Did you find anything? You were gone longer than expected."

    "I tracked them all the way to Tower Dawn. That's a few miles away from their capital city. The tracks disappeared from there and I couldn't go any further without being seen. I still don't know where exactly the humans are being taken, but I'm willing to bet it's somewhere around Solis."

    Iyan faced the balcony as Arius began to remove his dirty leathers. The balcony doors were slightly ajar, letting a cool breeze enter the room. She breathed in the crisp air, mixed with Arius' scent. His room smelled of ice and smoke from a cedar log. Iyan risked a glance over her shoulder.

    Arius had his back turned to her. She was relieved to see that his wings looked much stronger than before. The few scars that had marred them were faded now. His silver swirls flashed in the moonlight.

    His tattoos were in full view, stretching across the back of his arms and legs. Iyan smirked a bit. "If you're curious about their placement, I can assure you that my ass is as pure as a newborn's," Arius chuckled.

    Iyan whipped her head around, heat flooding her cheeks. How did he know I was looking? She attempted to force her blush away. "I really didn't need to know that."

    "You were curious, though. I'm curious about something too."

    "What would that be?"

    "You had every opportunity to capture me when I was in Sybella's workroom, but you didn't. Why?"

    "I..." Iyan paused, scrunching her forehead in thought. "It never occurred to me."

    "Not even once, when you were sitting there helping treat me?" Iyan shook her head. "So you do have a heart after all."

    "I just wanted to make sure we were on a fair playing field. I didn't trap you then and you promised not to use magic to escape."

    "Hm."

    Iyan fell back against his pillows and curled her legs up towards her chest. She pulled her blanket even tighter around herself. She rolled over after a moment. Arius had replaced his leathers with an ordinary tunic and pants.

    "Are you happy here?" He asked after a moment.

    "Yes. I never apologized to you for how I behaved when we first got here. I was horrible and I'm sorry."

    "You're still horrible, but apology accepted." Arius crossed his arms, watching her. She met his midnight blue gaze. His smirk faltered briefly.

    "What is it?"

    "When I look at you now and I remember how you looked then..." he rubbed his chin with a hand. Iyan grimaced, recalling her former appearance. "When I'm reminded of that, how you looked and how you were treated, it's all I can do to stop myself from flying to Sparrowhaven and tearing that man's throat out with my bare hands."

    Arius pursed his lips and covered his mouth with a hand. "When I took them back that night, after we went after Asena, they were bleeding worse than before." He met her gaze again. "If you want them dead..."

    Iyan shook her head. "They will suffer for the rest of their lives. They can't speak or write. It will be difficult for them to work. That will teach them a lesson more than death would." She flashed him a coy smile. "I admire your motive though." Arius shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

    Iyan let her eyes close briefly. Her weariness was catching up to her. The room fell silent for several minutes. She was almost asleep when she felt Arius lift her. Iyan kept her eyes closed, even as he cradled her to his chest and carried her back to her own room.

    He set her down gently and pulled the bedcovers up to her shoulders. Iyan reached out and grabbed his hand, half opening her eyes. "I missed you," she murmured.

    Arius leaned down and kissed her cheek. "I missed you too." She closed her eyes once more and he was gone.

✦❘༻✦༺❘✦

    The next morning, Iyan was nearly convinced that she'd dreamed the entire incident. That suspicion was put to rest the minute Arius entered her room, shouting for her to get up. She tumbled out of bed in shock.

    "We've got training to make up," Arius laughed. "And you are training double time for that trap you set last night."

    Iyan groaned as he closed the door behind him. She pulled on her usual training clothes and tied her hair back in a braid. She lifted a hand to her cheek and flushed red. Iyan shook away the tingling feeling and headed out to the training grounds.

    Gabriel and Asena were already sparring at the other end of it. Arius tossed Iyan her wooden stick. She caught it and fell into her stance. "Run through the forms Gabriel taught you," Arius instructed.

    Iyan obliged him, twisting into each position as she'd been taught. Arius circled around her, saying nothing. He walked behind her and Iyan stiffened. She heard his stick hiss in the wind.

    Iyan parried the blow and ducked away from him. Arius attacked again with a laugh. "Well done. I didn't think you'd catch that."

    "Don't overestimate yourself," Iyan mocked him openly.

    "Don't underestimate me," he retorted. They began to trade blows, faster than they had before. Iyan managed to keep up with him, although he pressed her back towards the shed.

    Her eyes flickered towards the hay bale sitting beside the door. Now's my chance! She somersaulted beneath him and jumped to her feet. Iyan poked her stick in between his wings. Arius yelped and spun on his heel.

    She began to force him backwards. Arius narrowed his eyes, likely recalling the time she'd attempted this before. Iyan only attacked harder. She kicked her leg past him, swinging the shed door wide open. Her next blow drove Arius inside. Iyan yanked the door shut and grabbed her chain and locks. She secured the door and stepped back, panting.

    Her smile faltered as Arius opened a window and crawled out of the shed. He flashed her a sly grin. "I promised I wouldn't use my magic to escape. I didn't promise not to escape."

    "Arrogant Faerie bastard," she growled, rolling her eyes.

    Arius tweaked her nose, awakening a fluttery sensation in her stomach. "That name is beginning to grow on me." He strode away from the shed, balancing his wooden stick across his shoulders.

    Iyan watched him, her mouth suddenly dry. Whatever this feeling was...it was new and she wasn't sure what it meant. She picked up her stick and followed him, aware of her rapid heartbeat.