IRIS
All I could do was stare at Avery.
When the portal closed, the people started to whisper. Softly at first, then louder and louder.
The whispering turned to talking, to shouting, until people tried to drown each other outâa raging wave of words and shouts rolling over the crowd.
And Averyâ¦he just stood there. Looked over them.
âStarting todayâ¦â he began, his voice cutting through the chaos, silencing everyone, âAntaris will be safe. We will not tolerate mistakes in our defense. There will be no more betrayal. No stranger will ever set foot on these grounds again.â
The crowd froze. All eyes were fixed on him.
Not a word of opposition. No murmurs. Just unquestioning submission.
He was the King. His word was the law.
The only thing I could hear beside me were Avaâs sobs.
She had dared to leave her room after all this timeâjust to be here today, just to see her brother at his coronation.
And now what? Now she was ruined.
Whatever had been between her and Baelâ¦she had accepted the bond.
But now she suffered twice as much.
âWeâll talk to him, Ava,â I whispered, so softly, as if I could take her pain away. But her expression said it all.
Despair. Helplessness.
âWhyâ¦â her voice broke. âWhy would he do something like this?â
I didnât have an answer. I couldnât understand it myself.
What kind of madness did this represent?
Avery remained standing in front of his people for a moment, then turned away.
He retreated. As he always did.
It was too much. Heâd been shutting himself away for days.
He had become a stranger.
I had understood that he needed time. I had accepted that he was keeping his thoughts from me. But that?
I couldnât understand it.
âAvery!â I called out.
I ran after him through the high corridors of the palace. Ava stayed close by my side.
He flinched as I touched his hand. And I twitched back as the guardsâ spears pointed at me.
The cold tips of the weapons were right in front of my face. My breath caught in my throat.
Had they justâ¦threatened me?
Avery lifted a hand. The weapons were lowered.
His face was sad when he turned to me and saw me like this.
The guards aimed at me, the fear and disappointment in my eyesâ¦It hit him hard.
But when he heard Avaâs words, he snapped back.
âWhat the hell are you doing?â she yelled.
Avaâs voice was a shriek, sharp as glass.
His eyes were on me. On the tears in my eyes.
On the disappointment. It struck him. I saw itâfor a moment.
Then it vanished. He straightened up, his chin raised.
King Avery.
âWhy did you do that?â asked Ava.
She stepped in front of me, like she needed to protect me. I only stared at her back.
And the tears were stinging. They just flowed. Unstoppable.
Is there something about me that he sees as a danger?
âI did what was necessary,â Avery answered.
His voice. It ripped at me. Tugging at my heart.
âWhat was necessary?! For whom, Avery?â Avaâs fist tightened.
âFor Antaris,â he answered.
She stepped forward another step. âYouâve divided your own people. Itâs madness!â
âYou will address the king as âKing Averyâ,â one of the guards interjected.
Avaâs glow turned a dark purple as she turned to the man, and all I could do was grab her hand.
She turned slightly towards me, her gaze fixed on my face. I was sure she saw it, the disappointment in my eyes, the sorrow in my tears.
âDonât you seeâ¦what youâre doing?â she whispered to her brother.
My eyes locked on Averyâs, and he gulped as he looked at me.
âBring them back,â Ava demanded.
âNo,â he replied coldly.
No hesitation. No room for discussion.
Ava must have seen this too. She turned away from him without another word and left the room.
I could not look away from him. Even when he ordered the guards to leave us alone, my gaze remained fixed on him.
He dropped into the chair behind the table where his father used to sit.
His face was gloomy, dark circles under his eyes indicating his lack of sleep.
I watched him as he took the crown off his head and put it on the table in front of him.
His eyes were glued to it, and I didnât know what he was thinking or feelingâ¦He wouldnât let me near him.
I felt for the bond between us, trying to call him in my mind. But there was nothing thereâ¦just silence.
âWhy?â I gasped out.
His eyes immediately lifted toward me when he heard me.
He seemed to think for a moment before he exhaled loudly.
âI canât trust anyoneâ¦Silak betrayed Father. He knows all of Antarisâ weaknesses. I canât risk it, Iris. Thereâs too much at stake,â Avery said.
âButâ¦these people were part of Antaris too,â I whispered, tears dripping from my chin as I stood in front of him.
He gulped again, leaning back in his chair.
I could see in his gaze that my look hurt him, and yet he wouldnât let me touch him.
He was keeping this wall between us.
âI canât risk any of them betraying us. What if one of them is connected to Silak?â he answered.
~Is he doing this because heâs afraid? Is that the reason?~
I felt so useless. I didnât even know what was going on in his mind.
âWhat if they donât have anything to do with Silakâ¦What if youâve banished innocent people?â I dared to ask.
His gaze slipped to the crown.
I could sense for a split second that he was doubting his own decisions.
âWhat if you sent them all to their deathsâ¦Where were they banished to anyway?â I asked.
My words reached out to him. I could feel himâ¦His heart was full of sorrow, so much grief and pain.
It was devastating.
I could feel his concern for me, the love he still felt for meâ¦And I drew in my breath. After all these days he allowed it.
But he quickly pulled up his walls again.
Banished me from his thoughts and feelings once more.
Averyâs gaze was glued to the crown as he said to me, âI have no other choice.â