“If you had put yourself between them, Rev would have stopped.”
“Maybe, or maybe he’d have killed me. Should I have put myself in that kind of danger?”
Luc lifted his head and stared at her. Let the silence stretch out.
“What is wrong with me?” She slowly put a hand over her mouth and stared at him with shocked eyes over the top of it. “I didn’t mean that, Luc. But truly, in the moment, I was trying to find a way to get through to him. Ava seemed able to keep out of his way, except that one time she didn’t quite move fast enough.”
“Her shoulder,” Luc said.
Massi nodded. “There’ll be a bruise, at least.”
“This isn’t helping.” Luc got to his feet. “I said to Dak this feels worse than the camps, because there, I knew to expect betrayal and pain. That’s how it was. But I didn’t expect something like this from you. It hurts, Massi. Worse than when Derek betrayed me to the Kassian and got me captured. Because you and Rev mean much more to me.”
“You’re my brother.” Revek spoke into the silence from the tent entrance, Dak just behind him. “I don’t know what happened, Luc. I saw Massi pull a knife on a woman near your tent, and I just thought, another assassin.” He stepped inside, and lifted a shaking hand to his mouth, rubbed it. “I don’t remember anything but a blur of images and feelings after that until you stood in front of me.”
“That’s very convenient, Rev.”
Revek’s head jerked up to meet his gaze. “I’m not saying it because it’s convenient, I’m saying it because it’s true. I was lost. Like I used to get, in the camps.” He looked down. “I haven’t done that in years.”
“So you’re saying something just came over both of you, coincidentally, when Ava arrived.” He lifted his brows.
“I didn’t think she’d ever come.” Massi finally sat in her usual place, but on the edge of the seat, as if uncertain she was welcome. “I knew you believed she would, but I didn’t. I was glad about it. Because we’re a family. A team. A force to be reckoned with. And now this woman from Grimwalt was just going to dance into our circle and be one of us? Take your time and attention? I told myself it wouldn’t happen. And then it did.”
“You aren’t the only one who felt like that.” Dak had been hovering near the entrance, but he made his way deeper into the tent. “I was rude to Ava last night. She tried to be friendly. Tried really hard. And I didn’t give her a chance. And then I saw Luc’s face as he turned away from me to go with her, and I asked myself, what was I afraid of? Luc has put himself on the line for me time and again, taken beatings for me. He created the Rising Wave so that we can take back our land and our identity. And I was behaving like a petty child. I barely slept, wondering if I’d damaged our friendship.” He looked over at Massi. “And so I apologized.”
“Dak apologized, and was able to repair what damage had been done. But you and Revek?” Luc looked over at them. “It will take time, and actions, rather than words, for me to trust you like I used to. Because you didn’t just try to hurt her with words.”
“I think I would have killed her, if I had managed to grab her.” Revek spoke slowly. “I remember a blow. Is she all right?”
“She says she is.” Luc let his gaze rest on his friend’s face, even though he wanted to get up and walk out. Find Ava and make things right. “I don’t know whether to believe her or whether she just said it so she could be rid of me sooner.”
Massi made a sound and when he looked over at her, she met his gaze with eyes still glistening with tears. “I am sorry. I feel sick. Like some beast has ripped my guts out. Worse than I remember ever feeling in the camps. I want to turn back time and have my chance again.”
“When I bring her back here . . .” He wondered if she would even agree, but forced himself to continue, “when I bring her back, I insist that you come and apologise to her. Even if she won’t accept it, I want people to see you in here with the two of us, as if there’s nothing wrong.” It was politics. Something he didn’t always like, but understood all too well.
“Most people thought the fight was a friendly sparring match, although it didn’t escape me that some looked worried just before I stepped in.” Luc looked back at Rev. “They might assume you got caught up in the moment, Revek. If you’re asked, laugh it off. We can’t have anyone thinking there’s tension between the two camps. Especially from the top.”
Massi and Rev nodded and Massi got to her feet.
“I’ll go to the baths and come back later.” She tried to catch his eye, but he was sick of her, suddenly. Sick of them all.
He stood. Thought perhaps he should say something more, and then realized he didn’t care enough to. And walked out.
Chapter 11
Ava could have gone back to her tent after her bath and left Luc stumbling around looking for her in the dark, asking directions. But that would have been unwise.
It might occur to others that they had never seen her tent themselves.
Also, it wouldn’t have been fair.
Luc hadn’t done anything wrong, even though she felt as if he had.
She poked at the feeling, trying to understand why she was so angry with him.
It felt as if he had betrayed her, but he really hadn’t. His friends had betrayed him and her, both.
She was calmer now that she was clean, her muscles eased by the hot water, but the heavy, sick feeling in the pit of her stomach hadn’t gone away.
She wanted to resolve it.
She stepped out of the tent and found him already waiting for her.
He was turned slightly away, talking to a soldier, and his tall, muscular build made her heart hitch. He didn’t look his usual self, though. There was a sadness in his posture, and when he turned to her as she walked toward him, she saw something in his eyes she didn’t like at all.
She stepped up to him and put her arms around him, pulled him close.
He went still for a beat and then shuddered in her arms, his lips coming down to brush her neck.
She had plenty of questions for him, but here and now was not the time, so she fitted herself under his arm and they started walking.
He steered them toward the Rising Wave camp.
She forced herself to sound lighthearted as she responded to those who called out greetings, teasing her for being distracted two fights in a row.
There was an edge to some of the comments, though. Revek’s focus on harming her hadn’t gone completely unnoticed.
On the Rising Wave side, the speculation was more about their commander’s interest in a woman, especially a woman from the Venyatux camp, and by the time they reached Luc’s tent, even though she’d have preferred a different destination, she was happy to duck into the enclosing walls of thick canvas, away from curious eyes.
The interior was lit with lamps, and featured a table in the middle, maps neatly stacked to one side. Boxes surrounded it, clearly used as chairs, and toward the back a curtain hung down to shield his private quarters.
She turned slowly to take it all in, and found Luc watching her.
Before she could speak, Massi, Revek and Dak crowded behind Luc, and he stepped away from the entrance and walked over to her, drawing her close with an arm around her shoulder.