A Usurper's Cause (Book #4)

Chapter Seventeen

"And then I left," said Elouise, finishing recounting what had occurred with Udolf to Henry and Ashton.

Ashton and Henry exchanged glances, which Elouise found both amusing and adorable. She hadn't realized they'd acquired silent communication yet; and she nearly laughed as she remembered Henry's reasonable indifference toward Ashton when they first met. She'd worried they wouldn't ever become friends or at all comfortable in each other's presence. How quickly times changed.

Henry then sighed, snapping her attention solely on him as he faced her.

"I cannot say I am surprised," he said. "I've never trusted Udolf, and now I have an even bigger reason not to."

"How are you feeling about this?" Ashton asked her.

She tilted her head.

"Are you going to completely quit speaking to him?" he elaborated.

Elouise tugged on a strand of her hair that was still wet from her bath. Henry stared intently at her, and she looked away. "I... have not decided yet," she admitted.

Henry made a grumbling noise in the back of his throat.

"Use your words, Henry," Ashton teased, his lips twitching.

"I do not see what there is to think about," he said, almost too quietly for either of them to hear him.

Ashton raised his eyebrows and glanced sideways at Elouise. She frowned, focusing instead on one of those blisters on her right palm. She needed to start wearing gloves when practicing her archery and sword-fighting. Oh, goodness. That was quite irrelevant right now. However, it was certainly better to ponder that than trying to figure out what was the best response to Henry's statement.

Part of her understood and accepted Henry's resentment toward Udolf. She had felt it as well—just last year, in fact. Except there was that part of her that had seen a tender side to Udolf; that part of her that felt betrayed over what she'd discovered earlier; that part that simply yearned to see him and Henry getting along, or at least being civil with each other, just like him and Ashton were now. Because it would make this so much easier. Considering what'd occurred when they were all together some weeks back, Elouise couldn't see a friendship blossoming between them now or... ever, really.

"I told him about what you had in mind, Henry," Elouise suddenly said. She didn't know why this mattered, but it evidently piqued his interest.

"And what did he have to say about that?" he asked.

"Well, he and Haven concluded it was a horrible idea."

"What are we referring to?" Ashton inquired.

"They told me that if we strike Inferum cantivat first, they will hit back harder," she elaborated. "Which means risking my father's life... or even yours, Henry. Or Ivy's again. I won't take those chances."

"No, no." Ashton shook his head. "We are not making any rash decisions like that until we have finished preparing on our end. Nobody here is planning any attacks on anyone."

Henry groaned, but his expression quickly softened like he was too exhausted to argue his point further. He then lifted his shoulders. "Alright, then."

Ashton nodded at Elouise. "As for what to do about Udolf, the decision is ultimately yours. If you believe him untrustworthy, then turn your back on him and never change your mind about it. However—and I am not saying this to influence your decision, but... we all make mistakes and do questionable things all the time. Some are worse than others. If the person shows remorse for what they have done, they are still redeemable..." He averted his eyes. "At least that's what I've always liked to believe."