“I am not atoning for myblood!” Maya shouted; her eyes narrowed. “I am atoning for sending you to war with a defective piece of shit thatcut off your foot!” Her voice shook as she dashed at the wetness in her eyes. “And because I’m a half breed who has nomagic, I never even realized where I was going wrong! That body armor was supposed to protect you, not maim you!
“Were you in the Tellurian army?”
“What?”
Luka advanced on her, limping as he faced her across her workbench. His own gaze was narrowed, matching her furious one.
“Were you in the Tellurian army?” he repeated.
“Of course not—”
“Did you shoot a magical attack spell at me in that ambush?”
“Luka—”
“Then how are you responsible for what happened to my foot?” Luks shook his head, wondering why she didn’t understand. “There was only one person responsible for what happened to me, and it wasmyself. If I hadn’t fallen for the trap laid by the Tellurians—if I hadn’t wanted tohelp,like the bleeding heart that Yarek thinks I am, then I wouldn’t have got the whole regiment caught in that ambush—”
He broke off, shaking his head as the old anger rose, with all the self-recriminations that followed. Why hadn’t he seen through the Tellurians’ trap? Who would leave a hurt child in the middle of an abandoned town? Why had he ordered Mikel to help, instead of being suspicious? Why had he let down his guard?
Why, why, why…the list went on, keeping him from sleep and driving him to drink.
Whatever he thought of himself, at least he could save Maya with the truth. She didn’t need to blame herself, not when the fault truly lay withhim.
“Your body armor saved me during battle, more times than I can count. I truly wished that my men could have them as well, the pieces you designed were light enough to be worn into battle on horseback, but still sturdy enough to take a knocking or two.” He shook his head. “It was just my bad luck to catch a stray magical spell in that attack. There was nothing more to it.”
“But I’m the one responsible,” Maya insisted. “I wanted to have your armor warded against magical attacks, I wanted to ask Mister Utsev to put the counter spells on it—but you were deployed so fast, and then Iforgot,” she said, her voice raw. “I forgot, because I was so sure that my invention was perfect, that my brilliant brain couldn’t possibly have forgotten anything…andyoupaid the price for my hubris.” She looked up, her eyes glittering with tears, and that was what made him limp toward her, going around her workbench until he was standing right in front of her.
“It’s my fault, what happened to you,” she said wretchedly.
“But I don’t blame you,” he said, watching as a tear fell from her eye. He lifted a hand and blotted it on his fingertip.
Luka couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her cry—had she ever shown him this side of her? No, even after she’d been attacked in the Academy by those upperclassmen, she’d been strong and stoic in front of him. Volkov had gotten to see her tears, surrogate older brother that he was. But Maya had never shown any weakness before him, and now, his heart swelled with tenderness for her.
“I don’t blame you,” he said again. “It was the Tellurians.” He raised her head with a finger to her chin so he could meet her eyes, so she could see the truth of his words in his gaze. “I don’t blame you for what happened to me, Maya. I’ll tell you this as often as you need to hear it before you believe me:I don’t blame you.I never have.”
She sagged a little at that, and he caught her up in his arms, pressing her back against her little stool so that she was sitting.
“Maya—”
“I’m alright.”
Her voice shook, and she turned her chin down, hiding her face behind the big curls that framed her face. She usually wore her long, wavy hair in a simple braid, preferring it to be up and out of her face, but now, the black curls tumbled around her face, as if she’d been raking her hands through her hair. His heart ached at the obvious signs of her distress.
He reached a hand out to her, and she caught it in hers, squeezing hard as she sniffled, obviously trying to get herself under control.
A long moment passed in silence, her grip on his hand tight, as if it was the only thing anchoring her to the world.
“When will your invention—this prosthetic—be ready?”
Maya looked up at him, wiping away the minute traces of her tears. “Tomorrow morning? I wanted to have it ready for you before I leave.”
“Leave?” Luka repeated, dumbstruck. “Why would you leave?”
“My two weeks are up,” Maya said simply. “I asked to stay for a fortnight only, remember?”
Luka waved a hand in annoyance. “Are you really going to leave me to work out how to use this thing by myself? Surely your brother will understand if I write to him, telling him that I have extended your invitation for a longer period than two weeks.” He smiled. “Maybe two months?”
Maya chuckled weakly. “He’ll already be having palpitations, wondering how he’s going to explain to our father that he let me stay at your estate for two weeks.Unchaperoned.”
