“Me too. But don’t get your hopes too high.”
“It’s hard not to. This is the first time I’ve been myself after midday in a while.”
“There’s something I’m worried about,” I said with the intention of being as honest as possible.
“What is that?”
“You might become resistant to these compounds.”
His expression fell.
“But I’ll keep trying different things if that happens,” I said quickly, not wanting him to worry.
“Thank you, Daniella. How could I ever repay you? I took you from your home and I—”
“Let’s not go over that again. What’s done, is done, and we have to make the best of it.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. I sensed he wanted to say something to disparage his honor for plucking me from my life, but I couldn’t find it in me to blame him anymore—not after seeing what he was going through and understanding his desperation.
“This is boring,” Silver whispered, though his voice echoed through the cavernous space.
“You’re insufferable,” Cylea hissed.
Kalyll smiled. “I don’t think you all need to stay down here. In fact, it might raise suspicion if everyone is missing. Best to show your faces, get ready for the ball. We all missed the noon meal already. I’m sure King Elladan was wondering where we were. Silver, why don’t you and Cylea go.”
Cylea walked closer cautiously. She stopped a good distance away, evaluated Kalyll, then came closer and closer. The prince didn’t react the way he had with Kryn.
Her clear eyes scanned Kalyll with obvious sadness. “I’ll go, then bring back some food for you and Dani.”
“Great idea. She must be hungry. I should have thought of that.”
“I’m fine. It’s no big deal,” I said.
“It is a big deal,” the prince contradicted me. “In every way possible, we should all endeavor to make Ms. Sunder comfortable and safe. Is that understood?” This was an unequivocal command, which everyone answered with, “Yes, My Prince,” and a fist on their chest.
Their seal surprised me, especially because I didn’t feel I deserved such special treatment, no matter the circumstances that had brought me here. But I didn’t argue. I sensed going against Kalyll on this particular point would take me nowhere.
Silver sauntered through the door after Cylea, already talking about what he would eat for lunch.
“If he wasn’t so good in a fight,” Kryn said, “I would suggest we leave him behind. I doubt he would mind, especially if he can spend his evenings at The Veiled Face or one of those other places in Gleelock Alley.”
“Pshaw, don’t act like you wouldn’t do the same,” Jeondar put in.
Kryn gave him a dirty look, then turned his attention to Arabis. After a few beats, he made his way toward her, walking casually and looking at anything but her eyes.
“Um, how do you feel?” He pointed at her stomach.
“Much better, thank you for asking,” Arabis responded, also avoiding eye contact.
I threw a questioning look toward the prince. He rolled his eyes upward as if to say he was tired of Kryn’s and Arabis’s song and dance. So therewassomething there as I’d sensed. I couldn’t help the curiosity that rose inside me. From the way Kryn groveled, it was clear he’d done something to piss her off. I didn’t know Arabis well, but something told me she wasn’t simply being difficult. Whatever Kryn had done deserved the bulk of her animosity.
“You’re very methodical,” Kalyll said as, sometime later, I jotted down another set of vitals.
“It’s important to get things right.”
He glanced at the food basket on the floor, which Cylea had brought moments ago. “You barely ate anything.”
“Youbarely ate anything.”