Allied (Ruined #3)(34)

“And if you’re not attacked?” Aren asked.

Cas laughed. “I’d be surprised, but that would be nice.”

“I meant what happens to the Ruined?”

“We’ll find a place for you, of course. I can start negotiations with Em right away, and we’ll start settling you into Royal City.”

Aren nodded, but his brow was creased, his gaze on the floor.

“Is that not what you want?” Cas asked.

“No, that’s . . .” Aren swallowed. “That’s fine. That’s good.”

Cas suspected there was something more Aren wanted to say, but only silence followed his last words.

“We were hoping to stay one night, if that’s all right,” Galo said.

“Of course,” Cas said. “I’ll have the staff make up a room for you, Aren.”

Galo hopped to his feet and strode across the room. He opened the door and relayed instructions about Aren’s room to a staff member.

“Do you mind if I go now?” Aren asked as he stood. “I need to wash up.”

“Sure,” Cas said. “We’ll have some food sent up.”

Galo stepped back to allow Aren to walk through the door. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“I’ll be fine, thanks.”

Cas got to his feet as a thought occurred to him. “Aren.”

He was halfway out the door, and he turned to face Cas again. He raised his eyebrows expectantly when Cas hesitated.

“You can come to me if you have any problems. I’d just ask that you don’t use your powers here.”

“Hadn’t planned to.”

“Thank you.”

Aren turned and walked out of the room. Cas watched him go, wondering if perhaps he’d insulted him. He wished Em were here. He’d gotten used to communicating with the Ruined through her.

Galo closed the door, leaving the two of them alone. “Should I go with him anyway?” he asked Cas.

“No, I don’t want him to think we don’t trust him.”

Galo walked across the room and they both took their seats again. “You do trust him, right?”

“Yes,” Cas said quickly. “Mostly. Do you think I insulted him? Why did he suddenly want to leave?”

Galo stared at the door like Aren was still there. “He probably would have told you if you insulted him. I think he’s sad, actually.”

“Sad,” Cas repeated.

“Both he and Em are. They’re having a hard time with the decision to betray the Ruined. And Aren lost Iria.”

Cas sat back in his chair, his chest suddenly heavy as he thought of Em, alone in Westhaven.

A staff member entered with a tray of food, and Cas waited until she was gone to speak again.

“So,” he said. “You got angry at Mateo before you left.”

Galo looked up at him quickly. “He told you?”

“Yes. I don’t blame him for not wanting you to go. It’s just because he cares about you.”

Galo let out a long sigh as he pressed his palms to his forehead. “I was a jerk when I left, wasn’t I?”

“Yes, you were,” Cas said.

“Hey,” he said, dropping his hands with a startled laugh. “Whose side are you on?”

“I’m kind of leaning toward Mateo.”

Galo laughed again, then slumped back in his chair. “I don’t blame you.”

“He’s not here, you know. He went on a recruitment trip.”

“Oh.” Galo couldn’t hide his disappointment. “Probably because he was still mad, huh?”

“I think so, yes.” Cas leaned forward. “I could pass along a message, if you’d like.”

Galo was silent for a few moments. “Just tell him I’m sorry.”

Galo left the castle with Aren the next morning. A carriage took them halfway, but now they were on foot, still a couple of hours from Westhaven. They mostly walked in silence.

Galo had hoped Mateo might return that morning, but no luck. Galo wasn’t sure what he would say to him anyway. He wasn’t sorry that he’d gone, but he was sorry about how he’d left things. He wasn’t sure how to express either thought.

He glanced at Aren, who was staring at the ground as he walked. He’d barely seen Aren yesterday, after he retreated to his room. He’d come out once, to discuss troops joining the Ruined with Cas’s advisers.

Aren stopped suddenly, turning to face the direction they’d just come from. “Why don’t you go back?”

“What?” Galo asked, surprised.

“You should stay with the soldiers. I should be able to get away again to pass along our plans.”

“Aren, that’s ridiculous. We just set up a plan where I need to know all the information about your plan of attack. I need to be there to get that information. And you don’t know for sure that you can get away.”

“I also don’t know for sure if I can protect you. I don’t think we should risk it.”

Galo stared at him for a moment. Aren seemed genuinely worried, his brow furrowed and his gaze directed east, like he could still see the town where the soldiers were waiting for Galo to return.

He was realizing that he didn’t really know Aren at all. He wasn’t cocky and rude. Or maybe he had been, but it was certainly gone now. He seemed sad, and tired, and it was hard for Galo to hold on to any of the animosity he’d felt for him before.