Chapter 41
feel the smile on my face before I wake up. The ease. As if this is how I’m meant to rise each morning, next to Kyor, our limbs entangled. ItI doesn’t even matter that there’s no room in the bed. It’s not like I would want to be anywhere other than curled up against him, even if there was space. ‘How are you feeling?’ he asks as his fingers trail down my arm. ‘I’m pretty sure I should be asking you that,’ I respond. ‘How’s your shoulder?’ He crinkles his nose. ‘A little painful, but I’m sure we can come up with a way to take my mind off that, right?’ His eyes glint as he presses his lips against my neck. Kiss by kiss he travels lower and lower, until his mouth is against my collarbone, and then lower still. ‘How about we just stay in bed today?’ he murmurs as his hand wanders over my stomach. ‘We deserve a day’s rest, don’t you think? Not that it’s easy to do that, lying next to you.’ His mouth is moving towards my breast, but before he claims any more of my skin, I sit upright. ‘We need to find the others,’ I tell him. ‘We need to keep moving.’ Kyor winces slightly as he pushes himself up to sitting. ‘You’re doing well, Rose,’ he says. ‘Your powers haven’t gone haywire in days. I’m sure you’ll be fine to rest for one day. Your body might even thank you.’ I bite down on my bottom lip, considering how I should reply.
He’s right that my powers have not erupted unexpectedly, but it doesn’t change the fact that I had a vision only last night. And what I saw is the exact reason we can’t drag our heels.
This trip isn’t just about me; it’s about William, even if Kyor can’t know that. ‘It’s better that we don’t push our luck,’ I say to him. ‘Are you okay to get food and supplies while I go and find Caz? Then we can meet Benny and say goodbye before we head off.’ I still hate the thought of going on without my friend and have refused to consider the possibility that, without him, Caz might decide she wants to stay here too. ‘Okay. If that’s what you want to do, then that’s what we’ll do.’ He leans forward and kisses me, and the ease of the action is enough to make my heart surge with pain as much as passion. I hate that I can’t tell him about William.
That it’ll always be there between us, like this vow he’s taken with his father.
But it has to be.
This is enough, isn’t it?
As I shift my feet off the bed, there’s a knock at the door, telling us that the laundry has been done. Stark naked, absolutely shameless, Kyor crosses the few steps to the door, opens it, takes the package and brings it back to the bed. ‘Where shall we meet later?’ he asks as I pull my clothes back on. ‘You want to head to the stables?’ ‘Sounds good,’ I say. ‘Although maybe we should pick up some food first. Something hot for Ruben. It doesn’t seem fair that we got a comfy night and a meal while he was stuck in the stables.’ ‘You’re thinking of Ruben this morning?’ Kyor asks, raising an eyebrow. ‘I’m thinking of my friend,’ I tell him, ‘who spent the night roughing it so he could keep an eye out for potential horses.’ ‘Fine,’ he grumbles. ‘There’s a market street where we should be able to pick up some hot things. If I remember right, there might be a couple more taverns there, too. I’ll grab most of our supplies from the landlady here, but if it’s all right with you, I might get another hour’s sleep before we go.’ My eyes instinctively shift to his shoulder. Kyor isn’t a man who likes lazing in bed. When we were in the Retterheld, he was up before dawn every day training, even though he was the most skilled in combat and the one with the strongest magic there. For him to want to rest doesn’t make me feel any better. ‘Don’t look at me like that,’ he says. ‘It’s your fault I didn’t get much sleep.’
‘Oh, well, in that case, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again,’ I reply, unable to stop the grin on my lips. ‘Was I complaining?’ he says, leaning in and putting his hands around my waist as he pulls me in closer.
There’s none of the desperation from the night before. This kiss is entirely easy. Effortless. As if we know we’ll be doing the action for years to come. ‘Do you need me to leave you some of the tonic?’ I tell him. ‘If it’s hurting that much.’ ‘It’s not that bad. I promise.’ He holds my gaze a little too steadily, but I don’t press him on it. If it was bad enough, I’m sure he’d take something.
Maybe. ‘I’ll see you later,’ I tell him, offering one small peck on his lips before walking away and leaving him. ‘Too right,’ he says, blowing me a kiss as I reach the door and disappear.
After telling the landlady not to disturb the room for at least a couple of hours – hopefully ensuring Kyor gets some decent sleep – she gives me directions to the Galreck library. Apparently, it’s the biggest building in the city, and I’ll recognise it as soon as I see it, although her confidence causes an uneasy squirm within me.
I haven’t forgotten how last night I was drawn into the temple of Oel.
Whether it was the ring or some other force acting on me, I felt myself pulled towards the place. And the peace I felt inside … The only other place I’ve felt that kind of peace is wrapped up in a certain prince’s arms.
But now, in the cold light of day, it’s hard not to wonder how good an idea last night was. Even if I take my own heart out of the question, there’s still William to think of.
Which is why we need to get to the Issen as soon as we can.
Just like the landlady said, the library is easy enough to find, and inside I find Caz curled up asleep in a leather armchair, a pile of books, paper, and pens by her side.
By the looks of things, she’s been drawing maps, copying them out of books. Sensing that she needs the rest as much as Kyor, I take the half- completed one on top of the pile, move over to a seat, and continue where she left off.
Despite all my father told me about the Issen warriors and the manner in which they tried to push into Morathkian land, I never realised how vast their
territory was before. If the map that Caz was copying is correct, their land spreads well beyond the Coltan Mountains, while the Torailian dominion stretches far further east than I expected.
As to how we pass through the mountains to get to the Issen, that’s an issue we’re going to have to face when we get there.
How will I find you? I ask myself as I trace my fingers along the umber paper, thinned with time and wear. Where will I find you? And how will I stop you from killing me?
The questions continue to roll around in my mind as I finish up the map and flick through the books that Caz has in her pile. One of them is on visions. And another, one that is barely held together with frayed threads and ripped pages, has the number four written in numerals on the front, though when I open it up, I find it’s not in a language I can understand. ‘Rose?’ Caz’s voice draws me out of the pages. Twisting around, I find my friend sitting up in her seat. ‘How long have you been here? How long
have I been asleep?’ ‘Not long,’ I say.
She stands and peers over my shoulder at the map I was working on. ‘You finished it? I meant to do it. I just fell asleep.’ ‘You did most of it,’ I assure her. ‘I was just having a look at these books you found. Do you think they’ll have things we can use?’ ‘Maybe. I had a look through the visions one, but there wasn’t anything that sounded like your experience – you know, slipping to different places.
But there was something about visions in the one about Sannings.’ ‘You found a book on the Sannings?’ I question. Other than what she was writing with Rohan, I assumed there would be nothing on paper about the fur-clad forest dwellers. ‘I think so, but the language … it’s archaic. I need to translate it properly, but there are words I recognise in there. Talk of ravens and these three “vendari”. Protectors, I think that means. But I’m not sure if it’s talking about the Sannings themselves or something else. I need much more time with it to work it all out. Maybe Thessa will be able to shed some light on it too.
There’s also one about the Torailians, detailing land disputes, and with a list of battles that’ve taken place over the last couple of centuries. I don’t know if that’s worth looking through – you know, just to make sure we steer clear of disputed areas.’ I contemplate the comment. We have Kyor with us and Elska, meaning
that we should be able to stay clear of any confrontations with the Torailians, and even if we do happen to meet them, we’ll hopefully be able to convince them that a small travelling group like ours isn’t a threat. It’s not like the Morathkians and Torailians have been at war for decades. But visions and ravens and the Sanning … it definitely sounds like something I want to know more about.
As I pick up the book in question, I glance around the library, which is substantially busier than the one in Wrohelm, yet still quiet enough that I’m certain no one is watching when I slide the item into my bag.
Caz shoots me a look, but I offer only a shrug in response. I can’t imagine anyone has more use for a book on the Sannings than we do.
And as for protectors, I’ll take as many as I can. ‘We’ll return it on our way back,’ I tell her, even though those maps have got me wondering how likely it is that we’ll make it back from this.
Only we have to, I remind myself. For William, we have to. ‘So, you and Kyor last night?’ Caz says as we head out into the street. ‘Alone in a bed together. Are you going to tell me that nothing happened?
Bear in mind that I’ll know you’re lying.’ There’s no doubt it’s annoying having a friend you can’t even keep your sex life secret from, but as a grin returns to my lips, I realise it’s not like she needed the power to see the truth, anyway. ‘It’s a complicated mess,’ I tell her. ‘But a complicated mess you want to make work?’ she questions.
I think about my answer. It’s not a case of wanting to hide things from her. It’s more not wanting to admit them to myself. ‘He said he loved me.’ ‘And you said it back.’ There’s no doubt in her tone. ‘Yes. But is it enough?’ I ask her.
Her chest rises as she draws in a long breath. ‘I don’t know. I guess you’ll have to wait and see.’ We walk the next few minutes in silence, both lost in our own thoughts.
Is love really enough to fix everything that’s wrong between Kyor and me? There was a time when I thought that having my magic back, having my riches returned and my sister in the safety of the court, would be enough to solve all our issues, and yet here I am, even more fearful of the future than I ever was in the slums. ‘I keep meaning to ask you,’ I say as we turn onto a street filled with
hawkers roasting nuts and meats, ‘what are your plans now? Are you going to stay here in Galreck, with Benny?’ Caz stops unexpectedly and turns to face me. ‘You don’t want me to carry on with you?’ ‘Of course I do,’ I say instantly. ‘I just didn’t know what you wanted to do. You and Benny are friends, and you’ve known him a lot longer than you’ve known me. I just didn’t know if …’ I trail off. I just didn’t know if our friendship was strong enough that she’d want to do this trip without her Eastern Isles counterpart.
Those are the words I don’t say aloud, but from the way she looks at me, she doesn’t need me to. ‘You know, when I started this trip, I felt like I was doing it for Llin,’ she admits as she starts walking again, although her pace is so slow it’s barely a shuffle. ‘I felt like being with you and Benny, and being on an adventure,
would make me feel closer to her.’ ‘And has it?’ I say softly. ‘Yes …’ she says hesitantly. ‘But it’s also made me feel closer to myself.’ ‘Yourself?’ I don’t doubt that my face displays my confusion as she lets out a little chuckle. ‘I always felt like I was seen as just the bookish one. You know, I’m the one you turn to when you need research. When you need a fact or a date. Llin saw me as more, but she always wanted to keep me safe. Protect me, you know? Because she was worried about how people might use my powers. But here … here I’ve been the one who can keep the horses calm when we’re being attacked by a freaking Myrkr. I’ve been the one who survived a Sannthrall. I’m the one who’s building bonds with the Sannings. The Sannings. Because they’re real and I get to see that.’ Her eyes light up with a brightness I’ve never seen in her before, and strange as it is, it reminds me of Kay in court. Like she’s found her place. ‘So I take it that’s a yes? You’re coming with me?’ I reply. ‘Just you try to stop me!’ She grins and squeezes my hands slightly.
Selfishly, I don’t. Because I need her there with me too, to roll her eyes at the men, to sit next to in the evenings, to pore over books together. This journey has made us so much closer already.
With my heart feeling lighter, we pick up our pace, looking in at the various taverns we pass. It’s no wonder that the stable hand didn’t suggest this street as somewhere for Kyor and me to stay; it’s already rammed.
‘Did you find out what this festival is for?’ I ask Caz as we weave our way through yet more people. ‘Yeah, it’s for the first hops of the season,’ she tells me. ‘Hops? As in —’ ‘As in it’s a huge beer festival.’ She laughs. ‘Yup. Now, where exactly did you say you were meeting Kyor?’ ‘Just somewhere we can get some hot food to take away for Ruben,’ I tell her as we pass yet another tavern. ‘Great. That narrows it down,’ she sasses.
I’m tempted to agree we should have made better plans – got some potential names from the landlady where we stayed, for instance – but it’s too late for that now. As I peer through the next open door, I spot a familiar face.
His eyes are locked on the man in front of him, and it’s clear the future duke hasn’t noticed me. ‘Perfect.’ Caz lets out a sigh of relief. ‘Benny’s got a table. It means we can actually sit down and get a proper meal. All I got last night was a couple of dry, stale rolls.’ That Caz has barely eaten because she was trying to help me would normally fill me with a sense of guilt, but right now I’m too distracted, my focus solely on Benny and his companion.
I can only see one side of the man’s face, yet it’s notably lacking a feature: an eyebrow.
My gut coils as I recall what Ryne said the night before about the man with the star-shaped scar and one eyebrow. Surely Benny wouldn’t be stupid enough to meet the rebel out here in the freaking open, when Kyor is in the same bloody city? When he may very well be on the same bloody street? ‘Benny?’ My voice is low, almost a whisper, and yet he hears. His neck twists around so that he is facing me. ‘Rose? Rose!’ He’s on his feet, panic on his face, scanning the area behind me. ‘What are you doing here? Where’s Kyor?’ ‘What am I doing here? What the fuck are you doing here? Like this.
With him!’ I hiss, my heart hammering so hard I feel like I’m going to be
sick. ‘Kyor is coming here.’ ‘Here?’ Benny pales. ‘This tavern?’ ‘No … maybe? I don’t know.’ I shake my head, wishing my thoughts would slow down. ‘But he knows Arle’s here. He knows he’s in the city.
There are guards looking for him.’
The man is looking straight at me now, his star-shaped scar puckered across his cheek. There’s no denying who he is. Yet if he is nervous about the news that the guards are after him, he doesn’t show it. ‘I see my reputation precedes me. As does yours, gifted.’ He stretches out his hand as if he expects me to shake it. ‘Thank you for your concern. It’s good to know the prince is in the vicinity. I hear you two are close.’ His hand remains there, hovering between us, and I want nothing more than to slap it away. This man is the reason Zelle is dead. The reason that tens of people are dead. Yet before I get a chance to say as much, a crash of thunder shakes the entire building and I know – from the static in the air and the way my heart clenches like it’s been squeezed by an iron fist – exactly who is standing behind us.
