Iron and Magic (The Iron Covenant #1)(87)

Ugh. Ugh! “They are not assholes. They are very nice people. They can’t help it.”

“I’m sure they are lovely when they are not announcing imminent doom.”

“How is it that Raphael made more holes in you than in swiss cheese, but your assholeness survived?”

“Raphael doesn’t have a knife big enough to kill my assholeness.”

“There are children in Aberdine. Children didn’t throw rocks at us. Almost twenty-five hundred people live in that settlement and they’re about to be slaughtered. How can you just do nothing?”

“Very easily,” he said.

She stared at him.

“If they are truly trying to take Aberdine, they will come in large numbers,” Hugh said with methodical calm. “You want me to leave a fortified position and ride out against what will likely be a much larger force. There will be casualties. I’ll have to watch my people die.”

“Our people, Hugh. They are our people, and I’ll be sending people from the village as well. You will have support. And if they die, it will be on my head.”

His stare made her want to back away from him.

“No.”

“We can’t just do nothing.”

“Yes, we can. Every Dog who dies on that field is one less soldier to protect this castle.”

“Babies, Hugh. They will murder babies.”

“There are babies here. Do you really want to orphan them for the sake of Aberdine?”

This was a pointless conversation. “I’ll go myself.”

“And do what? Lob herbs at them until allergies bring them down?”

She wanted to punch him in the face. “I want you to be the hero, Hugh. I want you to gather our people, and ride with me to Aberdine to save innocent people. What do I have to do to make this happen?”

He pushed from the desk and took the six steps separating them. Menace rolled off him in waves, so thick, it was almost choking her.

“Are we bargaining now?”

An electric shiver of alarm dashed down her spine. Elara raised her head. “If that’s what it takes.”

He reached out and caught a strand of her hair. “What will you give me if I save Aberdine?”

“What do you want, Hugh?”

“What I want you won’t give me.”

“Try me.”

He leaned toward her, his lips only inches from hers. She felt too hot, as if her clothes had somehow grown too tight on her. Her instincts wailed in alarm.

“I want you…” his voice was intimate, each word precise. “… to stay here and guard my pumps.”

She blinked at him.

“I want that water running and the castle standing when I come back. Do we understand each other?”

Oh, you epic, epic ass. “Yes,” she said.

“Good.”

She heard footsteps in the hallway and turned. Stoyan, Lamar, Bale, and Felix were approaching.

“Run along now,” Hugh said.

She ignored him. “Why are all of you here?”

Nobody said a word.

“Answer her,” Hugh said.

“We’re here to plan the battle of Aberdine,” Stoyan said, clearly wishing to be anywhere but here.

“We have to defend it,” Lamar said. “If we lose Aberdine, we lose access to the ley line. They’ll cut us off from the rest of the state.”

She would kill him.

“Too bad it took you so long,” Hugh said. “You missed a stirring performance, complete with emotional appeals to my better nature. Apparently, my wife wants me to save Aberdine for the babies.”

She pictured him exploding into bloody mist. No. Too quick.

Stoyan looked at his feet. Lamar stared at the ceiling. Bale studied his nails. Felix turned back and checked the hallway behind them. Nobody was looking at her.

“Explaining doesn’t quite do it justice.” Hugh invited her with a sweep of his hand. “Honey, would you mind doing an encore for the guys?”

She spun on her feet and walked out.

Behind her Lamar murmured, “One day that woman will drown you in the moat and I won’t blame her.”

“Honey?” Hugh called.

She kept walking.

“Elara?”

She stopped and turned to look at him.

“Any plans on helping me with any of this? Or is it pouting time? You can walk away to beat your fists prettily on your pillow or you can tell us more about Aberdine.”

The bastard got off on goading her. “Ask nicely,” she said.

“Please join us, my lady.” He bowed with exquisite grace, sweeping his arm to the side with a flourish, as if he were some medieval knight bowing before a queen.

Bastard.

She launched her magic into the room and stepped. The centurions jerked back. One moment she was in the hallway, the next she stood next to Hugh, wisps of her white magic melting into thin air.

He stared at her, his blue eyes amused.

“Dugas,” she called, sending her voice through the castle. “I need you.”

Bale shivered, his eyes wide, looking like a freaked cat. Felix crossed himself.

She walked to Hugh’s chair and sat in it. His lips curved.

Elara rolled her eyes.

They waited.