I could feel Nikolas' heavy gaze on me, distracting me from the ominous feeling.
"Lily," he spoke at last, clearing his throat. "I've been meaning to apologize."
I tilted my head. "For what?"
He braced his elbows on his thighs, head bowed low. "For how I acted this morning, when I called you a spoiled brat."
I almost thought it silly, him asking for forgiveness. But I could tell that he was being serious. Truthfully, what he said about me had made me pause and reconsider my actions in the past few days. In any case, I tried to be mature. My mother was the Duchess, and perhaps that was the reason why I thought that life was being unfair to me by pulling me further away from my dream. However, looking at it from another point of view, since my family held one of the highest positions in Carnelia, I figured I had to do my own part.
"I can understand where it came from." I breathed, and then I laid my palms flat on the base of the fountain and stretched my legs outwards. If only to look relaxed and comfortable. I was not, this kind of talk was uncommon between rivals. "Maybe I was really acting like a brat. So yeah, I understand."
He sighed, locks of silver hair falling upon his brows. "Still, what I said—it was uncalled for. I let my nerves get to me. I treated you badly. And for that, Lily, I'm sorry. I really am."
I swore I could have melted with how he stared at me in the eyes, his crystalline gaze turning a softer shade of blue, vivid even in the dim lighting.
I forced out a smile, putting my attention on the tip of my boots. "I wasn't mad in the first place. But fine, I'll accept your apology. For your peace of mind."
His expression brightened, his back straightening. He looked at me with a wide-eyed surprise, as if he truly did not expect that I would forgive him this easily. My stomach seemed to twist into knots. I wasn't used to this side of him.
"Anyway, I was wrong." He pushed back his hair with his fingers, grinning. Well, I guessed he was back to normal. "You're not a spoiled brat, Lily. I shouldn't have thought of you as such."
My brows flew up. A smile somehow crept to my lips. "Oh? Why the change of heart?"
"Well, you were more than willing enough to ride on horseback under the heat. I had expected you to call for a carriage. When I thought you would look for an expensive restaurant, you went to a tavern just because of something your father said." He chuckled, disbelieving. "And you shocked me more that you followed me all around town the entire afternoon in those heels without protest."
My heartbeat quickened its pace, and my neck suddenly felt hot despite the cool evening breeze. How could he say those things with a straight face?
"Y-you think I never got to experience a single ounce of difficulty in my life?" I was stammering. Embarrassed, I twisted away, hiding behind my hair. "For the Fates' sake, my mother is a Duchess. She shows no mercy when she trains me."
Nikolas snorted. "Yeah, I could totally imagine your little self, cowering with fear under your mother's wrath. But you stand there trembling, because your ridiculous pride and determination won't let you surrender."
Laughter burst from me, nearly making me tear up. Inside, I felt warm and fuzzy. "Stupid Nikolas, how did you manage to say it so accurately?"
He only replied with another bout of laughter. We were wheezing until our shoulders shook and my cheeks hurt.
"Ah, we used to get along so well when we were young," he said in between laughs. "What happened, Lily?"
My heart sank as past memories attempted to push their way in. I did my best to shove them back, into the depths of my mind where moments that were not supposed to be remembered belonged.
"Yeah, I wonder…" was all I could say to him.
A period of deafening silence came after that. The air wasn't suffocating, there was no tension nor awkwardness. With him next to me, I actually felt lax and comfortable. Like nothing could go wrong after this.
Niko launched to his feet. "We should get going."
I nodded and followed suit, the exhaustion of the day blanketing my limbs.
We walked on the road that led us to the inn, past streetlamps and employees closing shops. Dried leaves rustled on the ground, crunching beneath our boots.
This was another kind of silence. It came with a mutual understanding, an unspoken agreement. It came with danger.
I felt a dozen eyes boring holes into my nape. It was hair-raising.
Niko stopped for a second, turning to a deserted alley. "Let's take a shortcut, Lily."
I swallowed, knowing exactly what he was planning. He was trying to lure our pursuers.
I gulped. "Sure."
We went in. I lifted a finger, the urge to light a fire unstoppable.
But Niko held my wrist down and whispered, "Not yet."
We stepped deeper into the cramped alley, until the smell of piss and mud and murk was most prominent.
My ears rang as I did my best to be on guard and alert. We ceased walking, Nikolas and I standing back to back, afraid to lose each other in the dark.
The silence shattered as footsteps landed in front of us. They brought a strange smell with them, a smell I couldn't fail to identify no matter how hard I tried.
My vision was obscured by the lack of light, however I assume that there were about ten of them.
We were being surrounded, our backs pressing harder with every step backward.
Snickers rang out in the gloom, like a pack of hyenas circling their prey. It was an effort to stay calm, especially when all I did was wait for Niko's signal.
As if summoned by the thought, it came.
"Now, Lily!" he shouted.
The whole world lit up into flames.