“What was Aiden like? After?” I blurted out. “I don’t want you to betray his trust or anything, but?—”
Maz reached over and laid a heavy hand on my arm, cutting me off. “He was devastated, Kiera. I’ve never seen him like that before or since. When I met him in the mine, he was bitter, angry, calculating. But after your mother... he was lost. After we brought the stable boy’s body to the pyrist, Aiden withdrew into such a dark place that I worried I’d lose him. I sent a message to Nikella, and she came to stay with us for a while. Eventually, Aiden hammered that darkness into determination. Undeterred, until he met you.”
I nodded slowly, my chest too tight, my heart too pained.
It was as I’d thought. I hadn’t doubted Aiden’s sincerity. But hearing that he’d suffered as I did in the aftermath of Mother’s death soothed more of the hurt that sprang up like a cantankerous weed.
Perhaps I’d be cutting that weed with the truth over and over for years until it finally died.
Holy Four, I hope it doesn’t take that long.
“Thank you, Maz,” I whispered.
“You’re always welcome,” he said, squeezing my arm before letting it go. “I’m grateful that the Four wove you into my life story.”
Tears blurred my vision as I smiled. “As am I.” I sniffed and wiped my eyes on the back of my cold hand. “Does that mean you’ll get a tattoo of me one day?” I teased.
He guffawed. “Tell you what. You take down that bloody bastard, Renwell, and I’ll let you pick whatever tattoo you want me to get.”
“Andthe placement?”
“Throw in a bottle of Sunshine, and you’ve got a deal.” He stuck out his callused hand.
I grinned and shook it. “I can’twaitto see what a giant heart on your ass will look like.”
Maz threw back his head and roared with laughter. Several birds took flight from the trees, cawing loudly.
“What’s so funny?” Yarina called out from behind us.
Aiden turned in his saddle to glance over his shoulder. When he saw me and Maz laughing, he flashed me a grin.
Warmth suffused my body. Gods, even just a moment of pure joy was strong enough to banish the darkness from my mind.
The next three days left little room for talking as the trail grew narrow and rocky. The chilly dampness of the air made the rocks slippery and every inch of my skin cold.
Every night, long after the last light had seeped from the canopy of trees, Jek called for a halt. Then we’d hurry to build a fire to catch whatever dryness and warmth we could. Any wood we found was wet, but a single fireseed from Nikella’s pouch set the logs ablaze, anyway. Frieda had given her a handful from their store for this trip.
Nikella never gave me long to sit by the fire, though. She insisted on training every night and every morning before we began riding.
The exercises she put me through eased some of the soreness from riding Ozlow, but added to the burn of new muscles. I relished that ache. It meant progress. I wanted to burn and burn until I forged my body into a weapon as unbreakable as sunstone.
I was preparing for battle. I wanted to be a warrior who never fell. Who was never a burden. Who wasvictorious.
Ruru usually joined us at night and occasionally in the morning—if I could rouse him. The boy loved his sleep.
By the fourth day of riding, no one spoke at all. Every eye searched the thinning forest. Every ear listened for an indication that we weren’t alone.
Jek and Aiden took turns riding ahead to scout. I held my breath every time they came back, then let it loose with relief when they shook their heads.
We made camp that night with no fire, eating stale cornbread and salty deer jerky. We huddled under our blankets. A chilly mist that was equal parts rain and snow clung to my hair.
I could barely see the others, but I knew the distinctive shape of each of them by now.
“Gods, what I wouldn’t give for a hot meal atThe Weary Traveler,” Ruru said mournfully after devouring his small portion.
I groaned. “Don’t even talk about it. I could eat ten of those biscuits right now.”
“Slathered with butter,” Ruru said with a sigh.
