Aron’s side. Before he can even get close, Aron whirls, knocks the shield free, and then spins around to block Kerren’s next attack.
They all laugh, and I hear the words “I yield” float up as Markos grins.
Aron’s smiling, too. His face is lit up with pure, unadulterated joy, and sometimes I forget that he’s a battle god. He loves a fight. As I watch, Kerren approaches Aron and helps him remove his bindings. Aron slips off the blindfold and immediately looks up at the balcony to me.
He grins, utterly pleased.
I wave back at him, then lean over to Yulenna. “What’s this?”
“The men were bored so they started sparring. Aron must have heard it and joined them. They’ve been at it for hours.” Yulenna picks up another piece of fruit and eats it daintily. “They want to be ready for war.”
War? My good mood sours. Aron says something with the guys below and points at weapons, discussing. As I watch, Aron talks with Kerren, showing him a sword move and how to block. It’s clear Aron’s in his element.
I don’t want him thinking about war or battles.
“He is a god of war, though,” an eerie voice says behind me.
Yulenna gasps and steps closer to me. I grit my teeth, turning to look at the Spidae who stands in the background. He waits in the hall, watching us out on the balcony. The phrase “waiting like a spider in its web” springs to mind but I bite it back. “Don’t you have threads you could be pulling right now?”
The smile that curves his mouth is unfairly pretty. “I do. But I sensed your mood. There is no need to be angry over things you cannot change, Faithful.”
Faithful. That was what Tadekha called me. It irritates me to hear it, but I know why he’s doing it. He’s showing me just how much he knows. Yulenna cowers behind me and I glare at him. “I haven’t forgotten who Aron is, all right? I just want him to enjoy his time here. We’re supposed to be taking a break from all this shit.”
“He cannot ‘take a break’ from who he is. You must accept all of him or none.”
Is that a warning? Angry, bitter words threaten to spill forth but I bite them back. There’s a sympathetic note in his voice that makes me pause. I don’t know if he’s trying to be nice or to mess with me. I never know. I clutch my robe tighter to my front. “Is it so wrong to be unhappy at the sight of him sparring? I don’t want to lose him. I don’t even want to think about it.”
“You will lose him no matter what you do,” he intones. “The question is, what are you willing to risk for him?”
Is this an offering? A way out? “Everything,” I breathe, taking a step forward despite Yulenna’s frightened grip. “I’ll do anything—give everything—if you can save Aron.”
He merely smiles and turns away.
Shocked, I watch him leave. So that wasn’t him offering to help me? That was just more fortune cookie bullshit. I clench my teeth, utterly annoyed.
“Who was that?” Yulenna asks, awed. “Was that one of the spider gods?”
“The Spidae. And yes. I don’t know which one, but I think they’re all the same. They’re assholes and manipulators, and completely, batshit crazy.” I turn back to the narrow strip of beach, where the men are sparring again. “Let’s just forget we saw them, okay? I don’t want to ruin this day.”
Funny thing, though, the day already feels like it’s ruined.
It feels a bit like I’m pouting. I know Yulenna thinks I am, but I really don’t begrudge Aron his time with the others. If they were fishing or wrestling, I don’t think I’d care. It’s the sword in his hand, the battle strategies that he teaches them with every breath he takes…those are what scare me.
You can take the boy out of the battle, but you can’t take the battle out of the boy. Aron is and will always be a soldier, a warrior, a warlord. He’s going to want to leave this place behind soon enough to go and meet his destiny in Yshrem, a place I’ve never heard of but already hate.
I feel like I’m losing him. That’s why I hate Aron’s sparring practice. That’s why I hate the swordplay.
It’s too soon. I don’t want to lose him just yet. Or ever.