The Silent One by Kate Martin

Author:Kate Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Outland Entertainment
Published: 2024-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

— CHAPTER FOURTEEN —

Ella shut the door to the small study and leaned heavily against it, breathing a sigh of relief. Her return had not been as quiet and unnoticed as she had hoped—which was her own damned fault. She had forgotten that the sun rose turns earlier in Lione than in Xia-Lo, and apparently Den had come to retrieve her bright and early. Needless to say, when her brother had found her bed empty, he had enlisted every trusted man and woman at his disposal to turn her room upside down, along with the rest of the manor, looking for her.

When she had appeared in the midst of their search, hand-in-hand with the god Inaseri, she had caused a bit more of a stir.

Now, with Den on the other side of the door, Ella tried to collect her thoughts. She had apologized more times than she could count and intended to do so no more. She was entitled to a bit of trust—wasn’t she?

“I know you meant no harm—”

Ella nearly jumped out of her skin at Zahir’s voice just behind her. She twisted around, knocking back against the door and clutching her chest. “Holy One. Zahir, don’t do that to me.”

“My apologies, Lady,” he said, though he didn’t look particularly repentant. “But as I was saying, I know you meant no harm, but if you could perhaps simply inform me of any more impromptu trips you intend to take, then we could avoid a misunderstanding such as this in the future.”

She would not apologize even one more time. “It was necessary.”

“I am not arguing that with you. Simply pointing out that your sudden disappearance threw your brother into a sort of…” He paused a moment. “The proper word escapes me.”

“Rampage?”

“Does that word not carry more of a sense of anger with it? Your brother was less angry, and more fearful and worried. Though now I think anger might suit him well.”

“I was only gone a few hours.”

“No one knew that. You are important, Lady Ella. A queen. You cannot think only of yourself anymore. These people depend on you, and on your presence.”

Parting herself from the door, Ella made her way to the window. Outside, the people who had gathered around her continued to play the games of the Empyreal Night in the light of morning, children danced in the snow, and young people took walks under the clear blue sky. Their revelry was dampened by earlier events, but still they celebrated. The young man Michael had attacked was resting peacefully at home.

Thankfully, her temporary absence had been hidden from these people. Den had the clarity of mind to manage at least that. Unfortunately, Zahir made a good point. One she was reluctant to admit out loud, simply because it would have meant apologizing once again. “What I did last night was in part to protect them.”

“You believe protecting that young man will protect your people?”

“Yes,” Ella said, smiling and waving to a group of children who spotted her through the window.

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