Fires of Ruin (War and Deceit #3) - Erin O'Kane Page 0,2

arms over his chest.

Oh good, this is how it’s going to be. The thought is sarcastic as I frown at the elf, but I can tell from the stubborn set of his jaw that he’s not going to sit down no matter how nicely I ask him. Shifting in my chair, I turn to look at Tor.

“How are you here?” I inquire. The question has been practically burning a hole in my stomach since I saw him standing in my doorway.

“No hug? Didn’t you miss me?” His hand comes to his chest as he feigns hurt at my lack of a warm greeting. When I saw him standing there, I wanted to run into his arms and breathe in his masculine scent, to run my hands over his skin and remember the contours of his face, but that’s not something you do with someone you hardly know. Especially when you were just kissing someone else who is still in the room, watching the other man with narrowed eyes.

“Tor.” Thankfully I don’t need to say anything else. My voice conveys the fact that I’m only barely holding it together. A quick look of concern flashes over his face, but he simply nods and leans forward.

“After you got away, things escalated pretty quickly. We escaped and had to lie low for a while until we could return to our tribe.” His voice is serious now, and I know without having to ask that people lost their lives. He was helping children and their parents escape the castle and the cruel king, so I just hope that most, if not all, managed to get to safety.

I think back to that day Vaeril and I escaped. It feels like a lifetime ago, but it’s really only just been under two weeks since we left. My gut clenches as I think about the consequences of my desertion, and I pray to the Great Mother that the friends I left behind are safe. I don’t know where Jacob disappeared to, but the king wouldn’t hurt his own son, would he? Memories of the king slaughtering his wife make a wave of nausea roll through me. No one is safe from the tyranny of the king, not even his kin. Wilson would protect Jayne and Aileen to the best of his ability, but I can’t help but worry. And what about Grayson? What about when he returns to the castle to find me gone? What is he going to think? Everyone saw me escape with Vaeril, we weren’t exactly covert, so he’s going to find out I left with an elf. He’s going to think I betrayed him.

“The king has declared war on the tribes,” Tor continues, and I close my eyes tightly, dread flooding my body. This is my fault. “It was only a matter of time,” he reassures me quickly, noticing my guilt, “but it makes things more difficult. I knew I had to find you, and I would’ve come sooner, but there were some…complications.” Opening my eyes, I frown at the way he says ‘complications,’ but he avoids my gaze and continues with his story. “Anyway, I’m the new ambassador between the elves and the mountain tribes. I was supposed to go meet the queen, but as soon as I found out you were here, I had to find you.”

Oh, fantastic, another reason for the queen to hate me. I wince at the thought, knowing it’s true. Shaking my head, I look over Tor, taking in his exhausted form. If he hasn’t met the queen yet, he has a long day ahead of him. He should go see her now instead of wasting time with me. But I can’t ignore the little part of me that is glowing at the fact he came to see me first. I’ll have to add that oddity to the list of many things that happened today that I need to sort through. My mind is a mess.

“How did you find her?” Vaeril queries, his voice even, but there’s a note to it that implies his question is more of a demand, and not answering is not an option.

“I followed the—” He cuts off when he sees me shaking my head, my eyes flicking over to Vaeril. Thankfully, he understands what I’m saying. “I followed the trail of destruction. Plus, I knew you had her and figured this was the first place you would come,” he replies with a shrug, as if it’s not a big deal that he