In other words: “I’m glad you are alive.”
Lannahi suppressed a glare and smiled as if to an old friend. Nihhal seemed really relieved to see her. Did he think he’d overdone it? If he was worried, it meant one thing: he didn’t plan to kill her. Or at least not yet. Given his plans for her, this wasn’t particularly comforting, but overall, it was important information. Nihhal was attached to his vision of his future—their future. She didn’t yet know how, but she could use this against him.
Insignificant information used at the right moment can be a powerful weapon, her mother said.
“I enjoy good health,” Lannahi said lightly and moved her gaze over his cruelly beautiful face, slicked-back hair, and tanned skin accentuated by the red of his shirt. He already looked like a king. “You look well. Have you taken a liking to the sunny countries?”
Nihhal’s satisfaction was palpable. From the side, it might have seemed that he was flattered by the compliment, but Lannahi knew he was pleased about her compliant behavior. He was glad that his toy wasn’t broken.
“I liked it enough that I decided to spend more time there,” he confessed with a mischievous smile. “I will tell you about it when I return in the spring.”
Lannahi reached deep within herself to keep the neutral expression on her face. Spring. Was this important somehow?
“Don’t be like that, Nihhal,” Letiri chimed in. “Tell us at least which of the fiery countries enraptured you so much.”
“I found something noteworthy in each of the places I visited.” The man’s sly expression suggested that he was well aware that his evasive answers were annoying. When Letiri raised an eyebrow, he laughed. “Don’t be angry, Princess. I’m playing mysterious, but my story is simple. I spent most of my time in the Burning Desert dueling with anyone who wished to challenge me, and since firebringers are temperamental people, there was no shortage of opponents.” He paused. “I was captivated by the people rather than the location. Admirable warriors populated every oasis. I learned a lot from them.”
Letiri moved her gaze over the fabric of his shirt clinging to his shoulders and chest. “I was under the impression that there was a new brawniness to your physique,” she joked. “You must be determined if you train so hard. What motivates you, Nihhal? Ambition or a woman?”
Lannahi felt her pulse quicken. Letiri’s question appeared innocent, but she couldn’t care less about Nihhal’s new appearance. She wanted to know what his intentions were.
Did she see Nihhal as a threat?
Of course she does, Lannahi thought with a particular mixture of sarcasm and hope.
Letiri was a princess. Any strong fae was a threat to her power. If she thought Nihhal was dangerous, she would start looking at him more closely. Perhaps she would see his hypocrisy…
Nihhal smiled. “One does not exclude the other, princess.” His gaze rested on Lannahi. “A man who wants to win a woman has to not only impress her but also be able to protect her, doesn’t he?”
Lannahi lowered her gaze, feigning shyness. She couldn’t stand another moment of the false admiration in his eyes. She wanted to scream but knew it would only lead to her demise.
“I didn’t know you were such a romantic, Nihhal,” Letiri said with a note of mockery.
Nihhal chuckled softly. “Neither do I, Princess, but the more I travel, the clearer I see what I’m missing. Longing can change even the most confirmed cynic.”
Letiri regarded him carefully. “Why prolong the torment then?”
Lannahi sensed that Nihhal was looking at her again. She kept her eyes on the floor, but then it occurred to her that her behavior might arouse Letiri’s suspicions and her eyelids lifted on their own accord.
You must not act to my detriment.
“The best things are worth waiting for,” Nihhal said. He was smiling but apparently realized that no amount of magic could make Lannahi look upon him with love because he suddenly excused himself. “Though I am certain that those waiting for me will not share my opinion.”
Letiri chuckled. “I suspect they might agree.”
Nihhal made a slight bow. “Princess, Lannahi. Until we meet again.”
The enchantment forced Lannahi’s lips to smile and her head to nod, but it couldn’t put words into her mouth. A flaw that Nihhal will certainly rectify in the future.
When Nihhal turned and walked away, tension bled out of her, but her relief lasted only a fleeting moment.
“Does the prospect of waiting worry you, sister?” Letiri asked.
Her tone was light, but her gaze was attentive, and Lannahi realized that she had the opportunity to cast suspicion on Nihhal. If she let his enchantment kill her, Letiri would come to the right conclusion…
Instead, she asked, “Do you think I should be worried?”
Letiri seemed a little surprised by this display of trust but soon looked thoughtfully in the direction Nihhal had taken. After all, this wasn’t the first time Lannahi had asked her for advice.
