He groans, tipping his head to his hand.
“It’s a good thing, Sitri,” she scolds.
He peels his hand down, shifting uncomfortably as he steals the briefest glimpse of me. “Is it?”
“Did you see it for yourself?”
“Ah, yeah, I saw it,” he admits meekly.
“The both of you?” She regards me and I turn to Sitri uncertainly.
“She saw it.”
“You didn’t tell her what it means?”
“Delyah—“ He interjects scanning the room behind her. “You really shouldn’t be here.”
“Rubbish! She doesn’t scare me. Sitri, you must do right by her.”
He agrees distractedly, eyes still sweeping the room. Delyah positions herself in front of him to block his view. “Not her,” she says jerking her head back toward the middle table in disgust. ‘Her.” She gestures to me.
Sitri opens his mouth, closes it, and turns to look at me, his face genuinely curious and contemplative this time. I send him a meaningful glare that I don’t think he really even registers. His expression doesn’t harden, still holding my gaze as he utters out a determined, “I will.”
I want to shake my head or roll my eyes to signal to him that I think he’s full of utter bullshit. Since I’ve been explicitly forbidden from doing just that I merely look away.
Delyah grins. “Good.”
“But let’s talk later,” he pleads.
“Promise you’ll come and see me,” she demands. “Things are changing Sitri, I just haven’t pieced it all together yet. And, I worry about you.”
“I will,” he promises.
She pats his hand a couple times before making her way back down the stairs. I fight back the desire to peek at Sitri.
I’m still watching Delyah go, processing that strange interaction when another patron shuffles up the steps. I don’t pay him much mind, assuming he’s only going to wish his congratulations to Sitri as the others have. He beelines past Sitri and suddenly lunges across the table. I yelp, intending to flee, when my limbs lock to the chair. I’m not sure where he’d stashed the dagger but it’s in his hand now as he raises it above his head. One hand fists into the fabric at the front of my dress and he yanks me and my chair forward.
I tense, bracing myself for the piercing pain when his body is flung back only seconds before the dagger would’ve undoubtedly met my chest. He topples roughly down the steps, landing face down on the floor. He starts to pull himself back up and his limbs freeze.
I didn’t even notice Sitri make his way around me but then he’s there, heaving him up by the back of his tunic.
“DEATH TO THE NOU—“ he starts to scream. His words cut off mid-sentence, turning into a garbled grunt as his mouth clenches shut. The armored soldiers at the sides of the room advance forward and Sitri hands the offender off. His feet drag across the floor as they begin hauling him toward the door.
“Wait, bring him back,” Morin calls.
Sitri turns, his gaze zeroing in on me. He doesn’t look the least bit shaken as he strides back up the steps. The table had fallen over in the commotion and a couple sweeps of his hand later its back up. He taps a hand under my chin and inspects me, tension lining his jaw. The daemon has ramped back up with the commotion, and I grit my teeth. Even more annoying…he was right. Someone did in fact try to lodge a knife between my ribs. “Happy to prove your point?” I mutter.
His face crumples, chest deflating with a puff. “No, I’m not happy about that pet.” He utters the words so quietly they’re almost indiscernible yet they’re spoken, not voiced into my mind. “I think I can get us out of here now.”
Thank God. We’re interrupted by Morin calling his name. The furrow of his brow deepens as he turns back.
Morin’s on her feet, the guards holding the now unconscious man not too far behind her. “It’s unacceptable someone has attempted the life of our new princess just after we’ve welcomed her into our kingdom. I think it's important we show her we’re devoted to her safety and our alliance with Eden is to be respected. Wouldn’t you agree, Cernunnos?”
The question sounds like some sort of trap and Sitri hesitates to answer. “I agree.”
“As a symbol of devotion to this marriage—you should be the one to exact retribution, don’t you think?”
Sitri’s shoulders stiffen and the tension in the room is palpable, eyes glued to him to see how it is he’ll respond. He glances back at me briefly before he quietly says, “I agree.”
