Eyes of Ember (Imdalind Series #2)(93)

“Not yet,” he replied, his hand dropping back down to the table.

“And speaking of that,” Ilyan mused, turning back to his sister who was looking at us with a mixture of disgust and irritation. “I need you to go and get Ryland.”

“What?” Ovailia burst to her feet. The table shifted with her movement, causing most of the remaining wine to spill from the impact. Heads turned toward us at the sound and I shrunk away, hating the way people were wrinkling their noses at me.

“Sit down,” Ilyan hissed, yanking her arm back down toward the table.

I felt his magic flare in me abruptly, his power pressing right up against my barrier. He turned his head slightly to either side as if looking for something. I closed my eyes and expanded my vision, but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Ovailia sat down with a pout, her descent making almost as much noise as her outburst.

“Get Ryland?” she hissed. “Why in the world would I want to do that?”

“Because our Father has given Joclyn a one week window to save him, but she is too weak to do anything. And because I am commanding you to do it.” Ilyan’s voice was authoritative and far too loud. Multiple heads in the tiny café turned to us. I hoped they didn’t understand English.

I saw Ovailia calculate things in her mind. Her eyes narrowed toward her brother before darting to me and back again.

“Last thing you commanded me to do, you ended up handing over your most valuable piece of information to a traitor. Why should I trust you Ilyan? How do I know you’re not feeding me to the wolves?”

The two locked eyes, their blue gazes so different, but yet, so similar. I couldn’t breathe as I waited for her answer. I knew she would do it, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but think that I was signing Wyn’s death certificate.

“Let Joclyn come with me,” Ovailia said.

Ilyan’s magic flared and I gasped as it pushed roughly against my barrier. Ilyan didn’t seem to notice. He was staring right into Ovailia, his eyes narrowed and angry.

“Why would I let you do that? Not only is she mine to protect, but I told you she is too weak to fight.” Not to mention that she hated me – probably more than ever if she knew about Sain – but I wasn’t going to bring that up now. In fact, I was quite content to sit and let the two of them duke it out.

“She knows the interior of the mansion better than anyone. Not to mention, I am going to need her there to get Ryland to cooperate.” She spoke as if it was the plainest thing, but I saw her flaw immediately. My head spun to Ilyan in hope that he had seen it too, but his jaw stayed tight and firm, and his gaze never left Ovailia.

“Ilyan?” I asked; ignoring the glare Ovailia gave me at using his name.

I felt his leg press against mine and I held my tongue.

“Ryland’s mind is erased, Ovailia. How would Joclyn be able to help?”

“If Ryland’s mind is erased, then why does Joclyn want him back so much?”

The two continued to stare hard at each other, neither of them spoke and I got the feeling they were very carefully dancing around each other in a game of chess. Each one was plotting their next move. Each one was tracking the movements of the other and waiting for a misstep.

“I have my reasons,” Ilyan said. “I need a pawn to play with as well. They have Wyn and Talon. I want Ryland on my side.”

“That boy would kill everyone the first chance he got, including her,” she said as she pointed toward me absently, her eyes never leaving Ilyan’s.

“I can handle it,” Ilyan said.

“Have a death wish do we?” Ovailia spoke slowly, her long fingernail pushing around one of the mushrooms delicately.

“Most definitely.” Ovailia raised an eyebrow at Ilyan’s affirmation, the mushroom sliding away from her touch. Ovailia seemed to make her decision and stood as Ilyan placed a small envelope on the table.

“Our next location. Bring him there.” Ilyan said, his eyes turning away from Ovailia to face me.

“Stay safe, brother,” Ovailia said as she picked up the envelope, placing it in her back pocket without even looking at it.

“And you.”

Ovailia turned away from us and began walking down the small alley, her hair swinging as she moved.

“Oh and Ovailia,” Ilyan called out, his eyes not leaving mine. “Don’t do anything that you will regret in the morning.”

“Same to you,” Ovailia said as she turned away from us and continued down the street. Ilyan’s eyes finally left mine as he covered his face, leaning his head over the table. I let him stay like that for a moment, not knowing how to react, or what to say to him.

“Ilyan?” I whispered his name after a moment, reaching over the table to grab his hand from off of his face. He looked up at me, his eyes glistening.

“You were right, Joclyn. She simply can’t be trusted.”

“So you think she is working with Edmund then?” I asked as I put the mushroom I had picked up back on the plate.

“I am fairly certain of it. Just once I would like one of my siblings to stand by me. I want them to believe in something good and not to be taken in by his lies. My Father only leads to hate and heartbreak.” He was so sad. He had held out hope until the end, only to have his faith in his sister completely dashed.