Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky, #1)(66)

She hurried to the roof to find her people engaged in debate. Her eyes searched the room, looking for one face.

There xe was, arguing about something with Haisan, and the banality of it, the two of them at each other’s throat as they always were, brought a sob of relief to her lips. They both turned at the sound.

“Nara!” Iktan called, and xe was at her side, pulling her into an embrace. It was a rare show of public affection and one that likely made her look weak, but she didn’t care. Xir arms were strong and solid, and the warmth of xir body against hers meant xe was very much alive.

“You’re alive,” she murmured.

“Yes, I’m fine. It is hard to kill me, Nara. You should know that.”

“I do,” she said, laughing. “And I’m grateful for it.”

They broke their embrace, and Nara looked around the room, cheeks flushed and tears in her eyes. “My apologies for interrupting.”

“It’s no interruption,” Haisan said with a gentle smile. “We are glad to see you well.”

“Let me take you to your rooms to rest,” Iktan said.

“No, you are in Conclave. I’ll join you. I feel like I’ve been gone an eternity.”

“We were just finishing,” Abah said, her mouth curved in an indulgent smile. “Let Iktan care for you. You’ve had such a difficult time, Nara. I can send a healer later if you like.”

“That’s not necessary,” Iktan said, dark eyes cutting to the seegi. Abah only smiled wider. Like a cat who ate the bird, Naranpa thought.

“What’s happened?” she asked, suspicious.

“I’ll explain later,” Iktan whispered close to her ear. Xe turned Naranpa toward the exit.

Naranpa frowned. She had obviously missed something important, but she wasn’t sure what. But Iktan’s hand was firm against her back, so she let xir lead her away. Once they were back in her rooms, she asked, “What’s happened, Iktan? Abah looked much too satisfied.”

“I’ve asked them to send you up some tea.”

“I don’t need tea. I need to know why you were in Conclave.”

“Nevertheless.” A knock on the door, and moments later xe returned with a tray holding a clay pot and two short cups. Xe set the tray down and poured her a cup.

The smell of lavender, fragrant and soothing, filled the room. She smiled despite herself. Tea did sound wonderful. She took the cup when offered. Let it warm her hands before she took a tentative sip. It was too hot to enjoy. “Now, tell me what you were discussing.”

“Nothing important.”

“It looked important. Important enough for you and Haisan to argue about it.” Of course, they would argue about the color of a spring sky, but she didn’t mention that.

Iktan licked nervously at xir lips, a gesture she had never seen from xir before. “We were discussing retaliation.”

She almost dropped her mug. “For what? Against whom?”

“He was going to harm you. Harm the Sun Priest. Something public must be done, and swiftly.”

Her hands were shaking too badly to hold her cup. She set the tea down on the table beside her.

“Who?”

“Okoa Carrion Crow.”

She had expected it, had known it would be him. She was relieved he was still alive. She thought they had connected, if only for a moment, and perhaps that meant that the tower could begin to heal the wound between it and the clan. But this had only rent the wound wide open.

“He wasn’t going to harm me. It was a misunderstanding. Someone pushed him on the ice. Did you not see?”

Iktan frowned. “He meant to strike you.”

“No…” She stood, pacing across the room. “No, Iktan. He had complimented me. He was only going to thank me.”

She could feel Iktan’s mood shift, the caregiver replaced by the exasperated commander of her guard.

“They want you dead. How many more times must they try before you believe it?”

“You told me the assassin on the Day of Shuttering may not have been Carrion Crow.”

“I said not to rush to conclusions. But now it seems clear enough.”

“Does it? I don’t know…”

“Have we traded places now?” xe scoffed. “You convincing me Carrion Crow is innocent?”

“I don’t think Okoa meant to harm me.”

“Because he’s young and handsome?”

“What? No. No! He’s ten years too young for me and more interested in birds than women. I have absolutely no—” She laughed, incredulous. “Skies, are you jealous, Iktan?”

“Not jealous,” xe said. Iktan touched a hand to her face, cupping her cheek. “I thought you were dead, Nara. That I had failed you.”

“Oh.” She let herself relax. “No. You didn’t fail me. I’m fine.”

She kissed the edge of xir hand, and then came up on her toes to kiss xir lips. It was a familiar gesture born of old habits and rebirthed by her exhaustion. The minute she did it, she regretted it. But the damage had been done.

“Nara…” Iktan gently pushed her away.

“Oh.” Her voice was fluttery. She pressed a hand to her chest. “I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I’m just…” She exhaled. “I’m sorry.”