"Good, because I need my best friend."
His spoon paused halfway to his mouth and a smile began to take over. "That's a pretty important title from you."
"And yet it's still true," I assured him.
"You're my best friend too, Callah. This? I like this so much. I spend all day looking forward to these talks we can have where I don't have to watch what I say, and I know you'll understand me. I just feel..." He laughed once. "You complete me. I know they say a wife will complete a man, but I didn't believe it, and I don't think we're doing it the way they expected, and yet it's still true."
"You," I told him, "are a very good husband. I never imagined such a thing could exist, but you are one."
"And I'm going to be even better," he said. "I want you to write a letter tonight. If you can draw a phoenix on the outside, do that?"
"I'm not sure it will be very good, but why? What are you thinking?"
"I am going to leave it behind," he said. "I don't know if the wild men will be able to read it, but the Wyvern talked to one that first time. They might speak the same language, and if so, they'd have to know what a phoenix is, right?"
"Hopefully."
"Then maybe we can still get a message to her," he said. "It's the best hope we have."
"I'll summarize everything," I promised. "And shorter, so it will actually fit in your pocket."
"Tonight," he said. "Because I leave before the lights come on for everyone else."
I nodded, but a wave of fear hit me. This could be it. Every time he went outside the compound, it could be the last time I ever saw him, so I decided to do something stupid. I wasn't going to tell him, but tonight, I wouldn't put a rolled sheet between us. Friends didn't need barriers if they had trust.
And I trusted Tobias with my life. This was the only way I could think to prove it to him.
Thirty-Three
Tobias
The sky was blinding when we made it outside the next morning. Coming from a corridor lit by every fourth light, it was even worse than I'd expected. Every man who left the compound had to pause, shield his eyes, and try to stumble after the rest of the group to get under the trees.
Thankfully, that torture didn't last long. We were no more than half an hour outside the compound when the sky began to burn with all the colors of a flame. Reds, blues, and brilliant oranges took over, but it made the light easier to tolerate.
My eyes had been weeping from the strain, so when darkness finally fell, I wasn't surprised to find the hunters had gathered up in smaller groups, talking as they walked. Our guns were strapped across our chests. The gear on our backs was much lighter this time, though. We wouldn't be staying out all night. The plan was to be back before the skies burned again.
Then Sylis's head snapped over to the side. "What was that?" he asked.
Two of the new guys on our team shook their heads in confusion. I paused, trying to listen, but I was pretty sure there was nothing. I just wasn't sure if Sylis knew there was nothing, or if he'd actually heard something.
"Can't hear it now," I told him.
He nodded. "I know I heard it. Tobias, you're with me. The rest of you keep going. I don't want wild men sneaking up on us."
Grabbing the grips of my gun, I angled to follow him. His steps veered off to the side, and since we'd been assigned to watch the right side of our block - if this meandering mess could be called a block - that meant he was headed away from everyone else, so I kept following.
It didn't take long before the vegetation hid everyone else. That was when Sylis looked back at me and smiled, slowing so I could catch up, but we didn't talk yet. No, we kept heading away from the rest, using the ruse to get us far enough away where we could actually speak openly.
"I asked Gideon how soon I can propose to a widow," he finally said, keeping his voice down.
"And?"
"He said I have to wait two more weeks. If she accepts, he can push to get our wedding date moved forward." And he rocked his head from side to side as if preparing me for the bad news. "He also found it amusing that I'm going to ask Felicity."
"Because she's a widow?" Because I couldn't see why that would be amusing.
"Because she's a worn-out hag who couldn't please her first husband," he said. "I may have hinted that I was hoping a widow wouldn't need to wait for the wedding before allowing me to do the bedding, and he acted like it all made sense."
