The stunningly beautiful Aramisi woman from the library, the one who’d spat fire at me for daring to speak back to Zanyar. My stomach clenches. Even if I wanted to compete with that—which I don’t, obviously—I wouldn’t stand a chance. The image of Darian with someone like her, someone so confident, so elegant, so undeniably attractive, makes me want to find alog and hide under it.
Roshana just glares back at Lila. Her eyes, the startling blue of a winter sky, narrow with annoyance. “Helmira was a fool to want to be with an Izadeonian. I told her he must prefer men if he rejected someone like her.”
“No, he doesn’t prefer men,” Lila claims. “He’s just not interested in distractions. His eyes are on the prize. Except, of course, when a certain fiery Ahira sorceress is around.” Before I can protest, she adds, “Besides, he’s an Izadeonian. They’re notoriously stubborn, loyal to a fault. Did you really expect him to bed an Aramisi?”
“His loss,” Roshana says with a dismissive wave of her hand, then runs that hand, almost seductively, down her chest to wipe away the water. I see Samira subtly lick her lips, exchanging a knowing look with Olanna, who simply winks back. Roshana, oblivious to the entire exchange, adds, “He probably prefers those rough women from the East.”
“Hey!” Lila protests, feigning offense. “I’m from the East!”
Roshana simply blinks slowly and unapologetically, her long, seductive lashes fluttering. A comfortable silence settles over the group, and I sink a little lower into the water, trying to focus on anything but the image of Darian with Helmira…
I have no right to be jealous if other women are interested in him. Darian is not mine, and he’s never shown any interest in me. But my traitorous mind reminds me of how he held me in the cabin, his lips grazing over my cheek….
I push the memory down. He was clearly just being nice because of my panic attack.
Lila breaks the silence with a question aimed at the Jamshahis. “You two aren’t common-born, are you?”
Olanna responds, “Why would it matter?”
Lila snorts. “Only a noble would say that.”
“In Jamshah, we don’t place as much emphasis on lineage as in other parts of the continent,” Olanna notes matter-of-factly.
“Should be the same in Firelands,” Lila says, tilting her head toward me with a curious look in her eyes.
Before I can even open my mouth, Samira lets out a laugh. “Those Ahiras are obsessed with bloodlines. The head of their council was assigned as a mere Sage to one of the pupils just because the student was a High Lord’s son.”
I’m surprised she knows about Ahira Emmengar and Zanyar’s relationship, but once again, I don’t get a chance to contribute to the conversation when Roshana suddenly perks up. “Well, it’s the least they could do after stealing our rightful heir!”
Everyone rolls their eyes so hard that I think they might sprain something. It is oddly comforting to know I am not the only one who finds this entire ‘who deserves the golden boy’debate ridiculous.
Olanna chimes in, “What’s the fuss with that man anyway? People act as if he walks on water and turns pebbles into gold.”
“Because he’s perfect,” Roshana gushes. “The youngest Ahira to earn four rings, only after Emmengar, and got his fifth at the same age as him.”
“Emmengar and Arien,” Lila corrects with a smirk.
Roshana, with the grace of a swan ignoring an ugly duck, continues her Zanyar appreciation speech to the Jamshahis. “He’s a master strategist, a brilliant thinker, the most comely man in any room, and a sword-fighting prodigy. He single-handedly kicked four of your fellowship out of the arena. Remember?”
Olanna and Samira scowl, but Lila just laughs. “I confess, I once thought him overrated until I witnessed his prowess in the arena. The man dances with steel.”
“He saved you twice,” Roshana points out as if expecting Lila to bow down in gratitude.
With a raised eyebrow, Lila says, “Forgive me if I failed to properly praise the man you’re infatuated with.”
Roshana, however, doesn’t seem to take offense. “All women are infatuated with him. Any of us would be lucky to have him. He’s the best heir Aramis never had.”
A thoughtful expression crosses Lila’s face. “I have to admit, he is definitely… different. I was stuck with him in the wilderness, and I have to say, I’ve never met anyone like him.”
Olanna leans forward, her wet hair plastered to her neck. “What was it like being stranded with the legendary Zanyar Zareen?”
Lila let out a dramatic sigh, leaning back against the edge of the pool. “It was like being trapped with a statue who occasionally came to life to perform feats of otherworldly strength. The moment we opened our eyes, he started marching through those mountains like he was born and raised there. He didn’t eat, didn’t sleep, didn’t even break a sweat. At one point, a giant lizard monster jumped out from behind a rock, and he sliced it in half like it was a loaf of bread. It was terrifyingly impressive, I have to admit.”
“Did he at least let you rest?” Samira asks.
“Rest?” Lila scoffs, a bitter laugh escaping her. “He made me walk all night and all day. Nonstop. But, somehow, we made it to a village in a single day. A distance that should have taken at least twice as long. And then, he just disappeared again. Vanished. For hours. And when he came back, he had three other Ahiras with him. No explanation. Just, poof, and there they were. I have no idea how he found them. They must have some secret Ahira communication method. And then, he sent us back to Jahanwatch, and he took off in the opposite direction with two horses and not a single word of explanation.”
“Wait,” Olanna interrupts, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Why did he leave?”
