Page 71 of Sunsplitter

Fi laughed. Avroz wanted a favor? After all the shit he’d put Antal through? Maybe this terrifying aedari would dothem all a courtesy and take Avroz’s head off instead.

“Why aren’t you laughing?” she asked.

Antal’s grim expression sapped her levity. Fi saw it then: the gloss in his eyes, the way he didn’t want to look at her.

She’d left him on his own for one Void-damned afternoon.

“We agreed to a deal,” he said. “I’ll help hunt the aedari, seek a seat on the Daey Celva, as he’s always wished. In return, I’ll also keep my territory here in Thomaskweld, and Avroz will ensure the council formally recognizes our new system.”

As he spoke, Fi’s brows went through a whirlwind of incredulity, outrage… then stunned surprise. Antal had cut a deal without her, and that deserved somewordslater, but—

“Holy shit,” she said. “That isn’t anawfuldeal. It’s… hold on… he wantsyouon the Dusk Council?”

“As all my ancestors were,” Antal murmured.

“And this is bad because… ?”

“It’s what Avroz wants. What he chose for me. But I could bear it… if I could keep Thomaskweld.” He cupped her cheek. “If I could keep you.”

It was, in fact, a deal that could come out alarmingly in their favor. This made Fi immediately suspicious. “Can you trust him?”

Antal laughed, humorless. “I have no choice. He knows the changes we’ve made here. He could have me deposed.”

She’d left him alone. Foroneafternoon.

Fi weighed the compromise. She didn’t like compromise, would have preferred to have Avroz’s antlers as s’mores skewers rather than helping him, but that probably wouldn’t go very far as a counteroffer.

“Fine,” she said. “When do we leave?”

“We?” Antal looked pained. “There’s no we in this, Fionamara. I made the deal. I’ll go.”

She patted his chest, equally outraged and amused.

“Antal. My love. You’re two and a half centuries old. Certainly, you’re clever enough to realize there’s no way I’m letting you do this alone.”

He bared a fang at her. “The hunt will be too dangerous.”

Too dangerous—for a human. Fi bristled at words unsaid. “I’ve hunted immortals before.”

“Aedari are different beasts, deadly to all but the fiercest daeyari warriors. I was already foolish to take you to the Twilit Plane. I won’t risk your life again.”

He had the gall to step away. As if that would be the end of this. As if turning his back could dismiss her so easily.

As if she really was a mere vavraesa, not fit for his world of dueling immortals.

“You owe me a favor, daeyari.”

Antal froze halfway across the room. He faced her slowly, eyes wide.

Good. Fi refused to be that helpless hare. Never again.

“Fionamara,” he whispered her name like a plea.

“For helping you defeat Verne,” Fi said. “For helping reclaim your territory. You promised me a favor, Lord Daeyari.”

“Fionamara, stop this.”

“One unspecified favor.” She held a finger up, brandished like a weapon. “For me to call in when I wish. Alarmingly vague. Which is your own damn fault.”