Blood Curse - Red Queen Fan Fiction

Chapter 20

Mare POV

Evangeline laughs. It's a shrill, pretentious sound,and its overstatement calls such attention from those around her that for amoment, I feel like it blots out the noises of the unrest in the shelter.

Tiberias winces. Yet his eyes fall on me, lock on me, and I stare back. I like to unsettle him. Evangeline's switched to snickering when Farley dashes to us behind Tiberias. She slows as she arrives, searching for Clara in Bree's arms. There's a change in her demeanour that tells of her urge to go to her child and comfort her after the stress of the evacuation. That vanishes quickly. She stops mid-step, falling back into the general's role as she scans us with hard eyes.

There isn't much to see, as we're still left stunned and frozen by Tiberias's arrival, apart from Evangeline's faux amusement. It makes me angry, he shouldn't be able to unhinge us like that. I step forward with a clank, a sound that makes time move again, breaking the spell over us. "Is the town safe now?" I ask with all haughtiness I've learned from Bess Blonos and the princess next to me.

Tiberias nods, Farley speaks. "Ca ... Calore heroically fought against the bombs he could find. And even located some culprits. Commoner Silvers, this time."

"They are most of the times," Tiberias says. They're his first words and I expect them to sound rough, husky, as if he was silent during the weeks I didn't hear his voice. How stupid of me.

"I assume you're experienced with the situation, then?" Farley asks him. "It's good to know that burners are helpful in this kind of thing."

"Lady Ventos could assist me the next time," he says, nodding to the Silver woman behind me. "I fear this will happen again."

"I'm no lady," Ventos snaps. "There're no ladies or lords among us."

Evangeline rolls her eyes but doesn't start her chuckling again. She tries to hide her insecurity but doesn't dare to meet my eyes, or those of her betrothed.

Tiberias disregards her likewise. "It'd be nice if that was true," he says to Ventos. "Unfortunately, there're many lords and ladies vying for control of Harbor Bay."

"And you're here to tame them?" I inquire. "I want to see that." It's not a rhetorical question. I move closer to him, noticing Kilorn's worried gaze from the corners of my eyes – and Tiberias's shock. That rather contents me. Just like Evangeline whose smugness is suddenly a lot more real.

His earring blinks red in the only ray of sunlight I see this day. He still wears it, the earring he gave me and which I returned by piercing him myself. He looks behind himself, to me, certainly noticing how I watch him although I try to hide its intensity. The corners of his mouth twitch and I think if I see his grin again, I'll run away. But it hardly evolves into amusement. These days – weeks – have hardened him. Is he the same man who tried everything to free me from my imprisonment? The one who sat with me in the Bowl of Bones' cell? The commander prince –

He strides like one for certain. But he's less regal now, a little slouching, dragged, as if some part of the depression laying over the city sunk into him. And we aren't even in the worst sectors yet. The streets are still empty, as people are reluctant to leave their houses apart from those coming back from the bunkers. But those are from other quarters, and Farley and Kilorn finding shelters for those left homeless with comrades from Harbor Bay.

"You know very well where the explosions where," I state.

Tiberias is startled, causing a break in his stride. He glances at me for a second before focusing ahead once again.

A few people look at us, the two from the rumours. The crown prince and the Red rebel enwrapped in an illicit love affair. If they think we're back at that, I find myself not caring. Six months as a prisoner and actress for propaganda did that to me.