The Judgement Of Divinity (TMOE #2)

Chapter 16: Tempting ideas

The room was completely silent as Milica sipped her cup, none of the four men knowing what to say. Lucius had interpreted her caring, kind-hearted personality to be the norm, but as her narrowed eyes looked up from her tea to inspect her company he wasn't so sure anymore.

"Is that the whole story then?" she asked, placing the cup down. "Or is there anything else I need to know?"

"Mitsa, you know I only did it for you," Ivan tried, but was met with a glare intense enough to silence him.

"I don't know how many times I've told you to stop this." She folded her arms over her belly, eyebrows furrowing but not without a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "You need to accept things, just as I have, instead of putting people in danger for a hopeless pursuit."

She then turned to Lucius, to the latter's dismay.

"And you should not agree to follow strangers into the forest in the middle of the night. I like to think Samueli has taught you that much at least?"

"Well we—we were both going anyway," Lucius defended himself with an astounding uncertainty due to the stare. "He didn't put me in danger, I was going to be in danger anyway."

He did punch me though.

"This is your way of justifying your recklessness?" Milica was unimpressed, and she let her disapproving eyes shift between her husband and Lucius. "You could have died. Don't you realise that?"

Then she turned to look at Tom and Richard, who'd happily remained quiet throughout the conversation.

"And you..." Her frown let up just a little, and she sighed. "... Well, I have no idea who you are, but you look quite roughed up so please help yourselves."

She gestured down at the table where she'd, despite the early time of day, placed a tray of assorted cookies.

"And while I understand your worries, Ivan, I can't just stand by and have you do these things." She switched attention to her husband again. "What if you had actually died? From the sounds of it—"

"Are there chocolate in these?" Richard asked, pointing down at the tray and pursing his lips as Milica gave him an exasperated look.

"... No."

Richard slowly picked up a wheat coloured cookie as if concerned the woman would attack him. To make matters more awkward, she then stared at Tom long enough for him to grab a cookie as well.

"He really would have died," Lucius added to Milica's earlier sentence, receiving a devastating scowl from Ivan but he'd still rather make sure his actions were justified. "So please don't be upset by the outcome."

"I'm clearly very upset, but it's not about that cursed potion." Milica shook her head, grip around her arms tightening. "What if he would have died? What if he goes on yet another dangerous trip and doesn't come back?"

"Mitsa—" Ivan began, but she shook her head again.

"If something happens to you, and I don't make it, who's supposed to take care of the child?"

A chill swept through the room, and everyone except Milica stared down at the floor in silence. Lucius just wanted to get out of there. Neither he nor Tom or Richard were supposed to be around for where the conversation was heading.

He threw a glance over at Tom, nodding in the couple's direction and suggesting he say something, to the latter's utter horror. Lucius wouldn't have preferred it either but Tom was the one knowledgeable in medicine. If anyone could say or do something about the matter, it was him.