“I hope this dress isn’t one of Your favorites,” he said.
“Why?” She wrinkled Her nose. “Oh God, you’re not going to rip it off Me, are you? Because now’s hardly the time.”
“Actually, I’m bleeding on it.”
Leila’s eyes locked on to his reopened gash. “Oh, darling.” She patted it down with one of the bedsheets. “Be still. This might sting.” Pressing Her palm against his wounded ribs, She lowered Her voice. “Ease the pain. Mend the flesh. Make him as he once was.”
Tobias watched Her work, relishing Her warm touch. Leaning into Her, he kissed Her softly, then deeper, pulling Her from Her task.
“Tobias, I’m trying to bless you.”
“And I’m trying to kiss You. We can multitask.”
Chuckling, She threaded Her arms around his neck, succumbing to his will. His hands got lost in Her hair, and between that and Her kiss, life had become ideal. The tournament was over, and Leila was finally his.
The door swung open, and Delphi barged inside, her arms overflowing with fabric and fruits. “Oh good, you’re not tearing each other apart.” She plopped her things onto the bed and glowered. “Look at that. You got blood all over my sheets.”
“Apologies. The Sovereign had me the slightest bit tortured prior to today’s Culmination,” Tobias scoffed.
“A likely excuse.” She turned to Leila. “There’s a horse waiting out back. Help me gather everything.”
Nodding, Leila gave Tobias a quick peck on the lips. “You stay here.”
She hopped from the bed, joining Delphi as they scoured the pile: vials, daggers, cloaks, peaches.
“What’s going on?” Tobias asked. “What are you doing?”
“Preparing,” Leila said.
“For what?”
“Brontes.” Delphi flung open her wardrobe, rummaging through it. “And the shitstorm he’s about to usher in.”
“But wait… Kaleo, Drake, Antaeus—all the assassins—they’re dead. It’s over.”
Leila sighed. “It’s not as simple as that.”
“How is that the simple part?”
Leila grabbed a balled-up shirt and tossed it his way. “Now’s not the time.”
“Of course it’s the time.” He pulled the sleeveless shirt over his head. “You said You’d tell me everything.”
“Sweet puppy dog, it’s a very long story,” Delphi said.
Tobias shot her a scowl, turning back to Leila. “You’re the Ruler of the realm. Brontes is beneath You. Surely You have the means to stop this shitstorm, whatever it is.”
“Except I don’t.” Leila aggressively stuffed a brown satchel with blankets. “Brontes made sure of that.”
“But You’re The Savior.”
“And I’ve been made prisoner for it, with no domain of My own realm. I’m The Savior, yet I have no control. Just My light. Nothing else.”
“But it doesn’t make sense,” Tobias continued, unrelenting. “Thessen is prosperous thanks only to The Savior’s reign. It’s for the good of the people.”
“Yes, well, when you act exclusively for your own self-interest, the good of the people becomes irrelevant,” Leila grumbled.
“What if the realm falls apart? What if You’re gone, and everything reverts to the hell it once was?”
Delphi laughed. “Love, do you think men like Brontes care for the greater good? Whatever lies beyond this fortress is meaningless so long as he owns it all.”
Tobias sat tall. “Then we’ll kill him. I’ll kill him.”
“You assume he works alone?” Leila dropped Her nearly filled satchel. “If he dies, I lose all hope of finding his network.”
“God, I have so many questions…”
“I know.” Leila took a seat at Tobias’s side, Her satchel in hand. “And I meant what I said, I’ll spare no detail. But not right now. Now you’re in danger. And now you must leave.”
“Wait, I must leave?” His stomach turned. “You make it sound as though You’re not coming with me.”
“I’m not.”
“Leila!”
She shoved Her satchel into his arms. “This should be everything you’ll need.”
“No, Leila. I’m not leaving without You.”
“My father plans to rip Thessen out from under Me. I can’t let that happen. I have to stay here.”
“Stay here and die?” he spat.
“You don’t understand—”
“You said just moments ago Brontes left You with nothing.” He grabbed Her hands. “But You still have me. If You come with me, I can protect You.”
“It’s not your job to protect Me.”
“You’ve helped me throughout this entire tournament. Please, let me help You now. Please.” His gaze became desperate, and when She didn’t speak, he turned to Her sister. “Delphi, reason with Her.”
Delphi sighed. “He’s right.”
He faltered. “Oh wow, I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Are you mad?” Leila snapped.
“Brontes has us in a corner,” Delphi said. “There’s nothing You can do from here.”
“I can’t just abandon My people.”
“You’re not abandoning them, You’re saving their Queen. And in doing so, You save them from destruction.”