Time of the Warrior by Ivy Hollins

Author:Ivy Hollins [Hollins, Ivy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2019-05-04T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

The feelings of guilt gnawed at Drest. His secrets were his own, and he was not obliged to share them - but that did not change how rude and unpleasant he had been to Kara. He had worried about it all evening, watching her across the long house to see if she looked offended. As ever, she was hard to read. He watched emotions flicker across her face, but he could not identify them.

All day, the discomfort only grew stronger. Had he entirely alienated her? Would she forgive him?

He knew he needed to apologise. So, when she appeared in the long house a little while before dinner was due to be served, he gathered his courage and marched over to her.

She blinked up at him in surprise - and his courage gave out at the sight of those bright blue-green eyes. The words froze in his throat. He must apologise, but he couldn’t decide what to say.

“Can I help you with something?” Kara asked, perfectly polite.

He had to say something. Anything. This had never happened to him before. What was going on? I’m sorry about yesterday. He just had to say it.

“Would you like to sit beside me for the evening meal?” he blurted out. Now where had that come from? He supposed it would show her that he meant no ill will. Perhaps that was as good as an apology.

“Are you sure no one will mind?” Kara asked, and bit her lip. That small movement was far more fascinating than it should be.

“Of course not,” he said. “There is plenty of space at my table. Sit.”

She hesitated for a moment. Then she let him guide her across the room and into a seat beside his own. He sat down beside her, and the whispering began to ripple across the room.

He should have anticipated that it would cause a stir, offering her the seat of honour. But, of course, he hadn’t been thinking at all. Certainly, he had not intended for this to happen. At least the whispers remained quiet, and the tone seemed curious rather than rude.

Until Luan arrived, sweeping into the long room later than everyone else. Her mouth actually dropped open in outrage at the sight of Kara perched awkwardly on the chair closest to Drest. She flounced around the table to sit on his other side, and proceeded to be as rude as only she knew how. Almost everything she said to Maelchon, on her other side, was an insult to Kara, and her words became less and less subtle.

“Peace, sister,” Drest muttered to her, but she ignored him, as he’d expected.

As the meal stretched on, Drest realised something even worse. He had told Kara his darkest secret and spilled out his heart. Speaking to her had come more easily than speaking to his oldest friend. But here, surrounded by all his people, Drest could not think of a single damn thing to say to her. He was tongue-tied.

They made small talk about the weather: damp and cold, as always.

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