Chapter 32: The Accused
>>Aelin
The palace had grown eerily quiet, the stillness broken only by the occasional murmur of footsteps in the halls or the whispers of suspicion that hung in the air. Tension coiled around us like an invisible noose, pulling tighter with each passing day.
Ariston and I couldn’t step outside without every single person eyeing us.
Three more people had gone missing, their absences sending ripples of unease through the palace. The demons’ accusing glares became sharper, their disdain for us humans more palpable. It felt like the weight of their hatred pressed against my chest every time I stepped outside my room.
Ariston, however, remained unbothered by the scrutiny. If anything, he seemed to welcome it.
"Doesn’t it bother you?" I asked him as we entered my room again.
"No," He replied, "It’s good."
"How so?" I asked as I looked back at him while he closed the door.
"If they’re watching us this closely, they’ll know we’re not responsible."
"...I guess that’s true.."
But I wasn’t so sure. Fear and hatred often clouded judgment, and I wasn’t naïve enough to think the demons wouldn’t twist facts to fit their narrative. Still, his confidence grounded me, kept me from spiraling under the pressure.