‘That his bride-to-be ran off, pregnant with his worst enemy and his cousin to boot? He does not, and he’ll slaughter me if he finds out I’m covering for them.Fokk. My. Life.’
Aveline squeezed her hand in a gesture of unwavering support. ‘Saba, babe, I may not understand everything you’ve been through, but I stand by you; you can count on me, honey.’
Saba gave her a small hug.
She leaned back with a smile on her lips. ‘So what’s he like, the reclusive Sauvage leader? I’d never seen him before, but damn, from what I saw at the wedding, he’s a fine man.’
Saba’s mouth twisted. ‘He’s a sexy man, alright, but he’s also an angry one, and rightly so,’ she said, sobering Aveline up. ‘He was so pissed at me for what I did, Aveline.’
Her expression must have alarmed Aveline. ‘Did he hurt you?’
‘Nada, he wouldn’t, his words though? Saber sharp.’
She shrugged. ‘I deserved it. He expected Shiloh and got stuck with ordinary old me.’
‘He’s not unseeing, but he has been bitter about the deception, torn between duty and passion, tradition and change.His eyes hold secrets of battles fought and losses endured, yet I often see a flicker of vulnerability that belies the stoic mask he wears for the world to see. I think he wants to be loved, and he waited so long for Suri only to be thwarted, and now this. It’s a wonder he didn’t cut me down where I stood, which says a lot about him.’
Aveline listened intently, her curiosity piqued by Saba’s description of the enigmaticŠar. ‘He sounds complicated,’ she mused, eyes clouded with intrigue and concern. ‘Do you think he’ll go after Shiloh if he discovers who she’s with?’
Saba shook her head, the load of the unknown settling in the pit of her stomach. ‘I don’t know what he’ll do,’ she admitted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. ‘All I can do is hope that Shiloh finds safety and sanctuary wherever she is. I know Mak is formidable. I believe it’s a match, too, for Zolan, who’s also a force to be reckoned with, feared and respected by all who know of his exploits. A war between both men and clans would be catastrophic.’
Aveline took a shaky breath of apprehension. ‘What will become of Shiloh now that she has fled with Zolan?’ she asked, her voice barely above a breath as if speaking too loudly might invite calamity upon them.
Saba sighed. ‘I believe she’s in the heart of Sidani community, on the Selburnia, which Zolan commands,’ she explained, her inflection tinged with worry for her twin’s safety. ‘Shiloh is stepping into a world unlike any other, shrouded in secrecy and tradition that may not take kindly to an outsider like her. But I must have faith she is strong enough to weather whatever storms lie ahead.’
Aveline exhaled. ‘What about you, Saba?’ she murmured. ‘What will you do now?’
Saba mulled for a moment.
‘I’ll sit on my hands and wait for the right moment to speak with Mak about it all,’ she admitted, a hint of regret coloring her phrases. ‘I hope he forgives me because I could not stand idly by and watch my sister suffer the consequences alone. I had to do something, no matter the cost.’
Aveline reached out to place a comforting hand on her arm. ‘You’re so brave, babe,’ she whispered. ‘I hope he sees that in time.’
They sat in the soft-lit alcove, a warm silence settling between them.
‘What about you? How is life as a married woman?’ Saba asked.
Aveline’s eyes widened in panic, then shuttered. ‘I don’t want to speak about Khaman.’
The fear on her face was palpable, and Saba’s heart lurched for her.
Her husband was a bully and an asshole, to say the least, using his cultist fanaticism to cover up for his narcissistic tendencies.
Saba had no idea how Aveline had managed to survive this long with him.
She wanted to urge her to leave, but she also had to respect her privacy.
Reaching out, she touched her hand. ‘You called me brave. I believe you are the same, honey, and you don’t need to stay in a situation where you don’t feel safe. I understand you don’t want to share, but I’m here like you’ve been for me.’
She gave Saba a tentative smile. ‘Sante.’
Saba studied her beautiful face for a beat, recalling their school days when they’d been so carefree and happy.
They’d hoped for devotion, equal partnership, joy, passion, and laughter.
How had they both, once independent Akkadian women, been caught up in marriages that were less than fulfilling, whether by fate or coercion?
Would their cherished dreams ever come true?
