“I…I wish I could kiss you,” she admitted.
“It is taking all my will not to.” Yet, he contrasted himself as he leaned away. “But you deserve better. You deserve to be kissed when it doesn’t compromise your honor. Give me until a month after the tournament. I’ll have things settled by then.” He released her, starting back for the house, as if he hadn’t reignited the fire that had been burning her alive.
“Cullen,” Eira said softly. He looked back. She met his eyes sadly. “For my own sake, I don’t think I can wait for you.”
He drew a slow breath and forced a nod through tense muscles across his entire body.
She continued, “But, if fate aligns to bring us together again, in a way that compromises neither of our honor, then I would be open to exploring the man you had become, then.” It wasn’t a promise. But it was sincere. And it seemed to be good enough for him as he relaxed into an easy smile. “For now though, we have enough to worry about. Keep the status as it has been. We’ll sort it all out after the tournament is over.”And Ulvarth is dead. Assuming she didn’t die killing him.
He paused, staring down at his hand. When he looked back at her, a small current of wind danced between her fingers. “Know that, even when we’re far apart, no matter what happens…if you feel this, it is my hand holding yours, and my thoughts are with you.”
She nodded, speechless. Without another word, he left her, Eira’s fingers tingling and the night feeling like a stolen dream.
The next morning was a slow start for them all. Noelle and Eira were the first up and they went to the common house together to collect breakfast to bring back. But not many words were shared between them.
Cullen was awake by the time they returned. He said nothing of the night before. Eira glanced at him from time to time, repeating his words in her mind. Had she really heard and understood him correctly? Somehow, nothing had really changed—he was still going to be close to Lavette, she was still going to try and thwart Ulvarth, andtheyweren’t anything until quite a few things were properly settled and discussed. And yet…it felt like everything changed.
They ate in silence, even after Alyss stumbled down, paper under her arm. Eira was surprised she wasn’t holding the journal. She had fallen asleep to the sound of Alyss’s pen scratching last night in the small hours.
After the late and eventful night, they were slow to find any momentum. The most activity was Alyss folding the paper with all the care as if she were handling a sacred relic.
“Oh,hmm,” she said out of nowhere. “This is odd.”
“What is?” Eira asked.
“A warning issued from Lumeria’s knights to be wary of a mysterious man who’s going around and ‘showing the wrathful power of Yargen.’ They say it might be tied to the recent rash of thefts and violence.”
“I don’t like the sound of that at all.” Eira frowned.
“Me neither,” Noelle agreed. “Ducot had mentioned an increase in thefts to people not from Meru. Targeting outsiders sounds like something Ulvarth would do.”
Eira nodded. “At the very least a Pillar.”
“Is there any other information on who they suspect to be behind it?” Cullen asked.
Alyss shook her head. “In fact, they’re asking that anyone with information come forward.”
“Doubtful.” Eira scoffed at the idea of a Pillar ever outing Ulvarth and any non-Pillars living long enough to pass on the information.
“The ‘wrathful power’ is new,” Noelle mused.
“What do you think it is?” Cullen asked the table, but his focus ended mostly on Eira.
“Knowing Ulvarth, it could be anything from blackmail to sorcery. There’s really no telling. The better question is why he’s starting to expose himself like this. And that he keeps taking more and more overt action. He’s laid low for so long, why now? What’s his gain?”
“He wasn’t lying low at the ball,” Noelle pointed out.
“No,” Eira agreed. Then contradicted herself. “But also yes—that still wasn’thim. He’s moving now, no longer ruling the Pillars from the depths. Something must be worth that risk.”
“Killing people, apparently.” Alyss frowned at the paper.
“If Ulvarth just wanted to kill people…why wait until now?”
“The tournament?” Cullen suggested.
“Likely. But even that doesn’t make complete sense. If he just wanted to kill a large group of people he could’ve done so atthe ball, rather than putting on Ferro’s Flame of Yargen display. A lot of nobility was gathered then, too. But he didn’t. What does he gain by attacking common citizens rather than lords and ladies?”
“Their fear?” Alyss suggested.
