Chapter 169: The One Question Rin Didn’t Want to Answer
Chapter 169: The One Question Rin Didn’t Want to Answer
Elyn’s POV
Rin stared out the window.
She didn’t even do it subtly. She didn’t try to make it so that I wouldn’t notice. She turned so sharply that the movement alone gave her away—shoulders stiff, posture far too straight for someone who was supposedly just admiring the view outside the window, which, honestly, I doubted she was admiring because there was absolutely nothing shiny there. And everyone knew how much Rin was into shiny things. Shiny things, especially jewelry, were the one thing that could keep her attention for hours, even days. I wasn’t lying.
Her hands clasped behind her back like she couldn’t believe the scene right outside the window. She even oohed and aahed.
"Rin," I called her. "I just asked you a question. Where is Vaelory?" I asked again.
If I thought that would be enough to get an answer from her, I was wrong.
"I’ll be right back, my lady," she said quickly as she moved even closer to the window. My senses went on high alert because it was starting to look like she wanted to take flight right now.
"Besides," she continued, "you just told me to go to the kitchens to meet with Kethra, remember? I should get going now."
I narrowed my eyes at her.
"I did," I agreed calmly. Then I leaned back in the chair I was sitting on. "But don’t even think about escaping right now. And don’t even think of shifting into a bird."
Rin froze.
I could practically see her soul leave her body and sprint down the corridor without her. I wasn’t lying... I really saw it. Okay, maybe I didn’t actually see it, but it felt like I could.
I crossed my arms. "I’m very sure you know where Vaelory is."
Rin swallowed. Loudly. Her throat bobbed as she turned back to face me, black, depthless eyes wide with forced innocence.
"I don’t even like Vaelory, my lady. She is absolutely infuriating and very weak to be your maid. She is human, and I have an absolute dislike for humans... except you, my lady," she said, as if the thought of even knowing where Vaelory was was absurd to her. "Why would I know where she is?"
I nodded slowly.
"Yes," I said. "That’s what you always say."
Rin and Vaelory had perfected the art of pretending they despised each other—at least that was how I put it. I thought they actually did dislike each other, but it was also obvious that they were more in sync than anyone else I knew.
Vaelory claimed to still be scared of Rin, but the two of them had been laughing at me earlier that day over my failed dancing. And then Rin had helped Vaelory dress better. They behaved like best friends even if they weren’t.
They moved like they shared a single brain cell and took turns using it. Actually, maybe they did. That was probably why they were so similar and so different at the same time—and why they argued at every opportunity.
And Rin thought her denial could convince me. It didn’t. Instead, it made me very certain that she knew exactly where Vaelory had gone.
I turned away from her and looked at Azerion. Perhaps he would know where Vaelory was. He had been with us in the hall, after all.
"Azerion," I asked gently, "do you know where Vaelory is?"
He blinked up at me, then shook his head.
"No," he said honestly. "I went to get snacks when you sent us from the hall. I don’t know where she went. I only know she was with Rin."
"You snake!" Rin gasped.
"I am a Syrenthis demon," Azerion told her, stomping his feet.
"And one who snitches," Rin argued.
"You didn’t want to tell her you and the human were together," Azerion shot back.
Aziren looked shocked to see his new friend speak that way. Honestly, now that I thought about it, Azerion was kind to Aziren—and that said a lot, because he wasn’t kind to anyone. Especially Zorathys and Rin.
"Why did you snitch, then?" Rin asked before turning to me and pointing at Azerion. "My lady, he’s lying."
"M... my friend is not a liar," Aziren said softly.
Azerion nodded in agreement.
"Don’t tell me I’m going to have to deal with you two now," Rin said with an eye roll.
I just gave her a look. "No need to pretend anymore, Rin. I know you know where Vaelory is, so where is she?" I asked.
"And before you decide to test my patience," I added sweetly, "know that if you don’t answer me, I’ll make sure you don’t get any shiny jewelry from me for a very long time."
Rin gasped loudly.
Her hands flew to her chest like I’d just threatened her life.
"Why would you do that?!" she demanded, horrified.
"Because," I said evenly, "you’re not answering my question."
She opened her mouth. Closed it. Glared at the floor. Then muttered something under her breath that definitely wasn’t polite.
"This isn’t my fault," she grumbled. "I tried to stop her."
That immediately made me alert.
"Tried to stop her from what?" I asked.
Rin winced.
"She wouldn’t listen," Rin continued. "She was... determined."
My tension spiked.
"Rin," I said slowly, "where is Vaelory?"
Rin inhaled.
Then, in a very quiet voice—so quiet it barely registered as sound—and so fast it blurred into a single, unstoppable stream, she said:
"PerhapsaftershefoundoutthatNavielwasinthepalacesheputonherdressandheelsandisonaquesttoseducehimandMorthenlookedlikehecouldn’tbearthethoughtanddecidedtogowithherinthecaseanythinghappens."
She said it all in one breath, without pause.
The room went silent.
Azerion blinked.
Aziren tilted his head.
Versha, who had been standing nearby, very carefully looked at the ceiling as if the architecture had suddenly become fascinating.
I just stared at Rin.
My brain replayed her words slowly, painfully, like a curse unraveling itself syllable by syllable.
I understood everything she said. Vaelory had gone to seduce Naviel.
Oh. Hell.
"Tell me," I said quietly to Rin, "you are joking."
"I’m not, my lady," she told me, then added, "and um... now that you know, are you still not going to let me get any shiny jewelry?"