Fires of Ruin (War and Deceit #3) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,43

arms bulging as his hands clench into fists. I can tell he’s working hard to hold back the anger that resides in him, not wanting to hurt his friend. Vaeril, on the other hand, looks completely feral, and I barely recognise him. He’s taken on a defensive stance, his knees bent slightly, as if he’s going to pounce at any moment. They’ve stopped talking, and now they’re just snarling at each other.

“Clarissa—” Naril starts, sitting forward in his chair as he realises what I’m about to do. But it’s too late for him to do anything now, he should have stepped in while he had the chance.

“Vaeril,” I call, reaching my hand out to touch him, although I’m not exactly sure what I’m planning to do or how to placate this bizarre altercation. Vaeril begins to turn as he senses me at his side, his eyes narrowing on me and my outreached hand. However, a loud, deep snarl makes me pause.

“No,” Eldrin growls, and in a movement too fast for me to see, he grabs my arm and pulls me towards him, cradling my body for a second before putting me down again. Blinking in confusion, I realise with a frown that I’m now standing behind Eldrin and he’s blocking me in.

“Give her back,” someone demands. The rage in his voice has almost completely taken over, as his words blend into his constant snarling. Peeking past Eldrin’s body, I realise with shock that it’s Vaeril. He’s in a crouch now, and Naril is by his side, talking urgently to him in a voice too low for me to hear.

Eldrin shifts in front of me. “No.” His voice is barely controlled as he looks down at his friend. “Not until you calm yourself.” His declaration confuses me and seems as a bit ironic, given his current state. I still have no idea what’s happening here, and all I want to do is curl up in the sun and let my tired muscles rest rather than deal with angry elves.

“She is my mate,” Vaeril counters, taking a step to the side, as if he’s going to try circling the larger elf to reach me. Eldrin, however, was expecting this, the deep rumbling in his chest loud as he mirrors the movement, keeping me caged in behind him. The wall at my back stops me from retreating or moving away, and Eldrin is now so close that I can almost feel his deep growl reverberating through my body.

Naril’s expression is what tells me this is more serious than I thought. “Eldrin, brother, you need to calm down.” He doesn’t look away from Vaeril, who’s stalking along the space in front of Eldrin as if searching for a way past him.

Eldrin shifts again, blocking Vaeril from seeing me as he gestures towards the feral elf. “Look at him, Naril. He’s barely in control, he’s not coming anywhere near her.” There’s a note of finality in his voice that seems to pierce through Vaeril’s anger.

He stands up straighter, his pacing forgotten as he sneers at his friend. “When did you become her protector, Eldrin? I thought you hated her.” He’s dangerously still now, and this makes me more nervous than a couple of minutes ago. Vaeril looks like every inch the predator I was taught to hate and fear.

Vaeril’s comment rings a note of truth within me, though, that makes me pause. It’s something I’m confused about as well. Why is Eldrin suddenly so protective? Is it because of what happened earlier in the training courtyard? Or is he being overprotective because he knows Vaeril would be devastated if he accidentally hurt me? Whatever the reason, I get the feeling there’s more going on here than I know.

Placing a light hand on his shoulder to try and reason with him, I bite my lip as Eldrin flinches at the contact, but he doesn’t pull away from me. From where I’m standing behind him, I can just see the side of his face. He’s fighting hard to keep it blank, and his anger is practically pouring off him. “Eldrin, step aside. Please,” I request, trying the polite route first. Perhaps I can break through whatever protectiveness I’ve set off between the two of them.

“No.” His response is quick and final.

I guess polite and gentle is out then, I think to myself with a shake of my head. “Eldrin,” I bark, surprising myself at the strength and command behind the single word. “Move,” I order, not expecting