Isla
Rynnhadbarelyspokento Isla since the incident two days ago with Hamil. Which was quite a feat, considering they shared the equivalent of a small hole in the mountain as living quarters.
Isla still couldn’t believe she’d yelled at Rynn. Had she actually pointed a finger at him? The memory made her cringe and want to crawl under a rock. She was annoyed, exhausted, and scared. She couldn’t remember a time in recent days when she hadn’t been anxiously awaiting another attack, or a visit from the dark god, or news of her father’s death. Every day felt like she edged closer and closer to a precipice, her nerves unraveling and fraying and winding together.
On top of that, she couldn’t figure out why Rynn would barely look at her. She didn’t know what he had to be angry about;shewasn’t the one who had ignored his request and tried to command him like a child. For two weeks, they had been building some sort of friendship—and she had started to think it might be even more. How had that fallen apart in one afternoon?
Isla sat on the bed in their cave, trying and failing to focus on reading, while Rynn studied his hand-drawn map on the ground. The howling wind, the crackling of the fire, and the rustling of pages that had become so familiar now felt foreign and uncomfortable in their silence.
Isla cleared her throat and put the book down. “We need to talk.”
He barely acknowledged she had spoken at all. “Alright,” he said, his back still turned to her.
She sighed. This was already going well.Perhaps she needed to start with something positive.
“Thank you for protecting me today,” she said, fingering the bandage on her arm. Despite the tension between them, Rynn’s first priority when the raiders found them had been her safety. He’d been indignant at the small injury she’d received, and she knew if Kai hadn’t stopped him, he would have retaliated much more violently.
He only nodded tightly, continuing to examine the map.
Isla’s right eye twitched. Crossing her arms, she said, “I was curious about something, though. Kai said you all don’t kill humans if you can help it, but you killed multiple people that day you saved me.”
His back straightened. “Would you rather I had let them go?”
Finally, a reaction.“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I just…it doesn’t seem like that was enough of a reason to break this rule you made. You could’ve taken me away from them and been done with it.”
He took his time with a response, his words coming out stiff. “It is not arule. We have no rules. It was simply a guideline the others decided on eons ago. Sometimes I follow it, sometimes I choose not to.”
Isla wondered how many more times he had taken a human life without the other elementals knowing.
They sat in silence for several minutes. She hated how their unspoken words created a growing chasm between them. The unease and heaviness of the night bore into her, oozing down her spine and making her insides squirm. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her side.
“What is wrong with you?” she finally exclaimed.
The charcoal dropped from his fingers with a thud as he turned to her. “Excuse me?”
She scratched her head, wishing she had stayed quiet. “You haven’t really talked to me since the other day,” she said reluctantly, flustered by her own outburst. “Ishould be the one mad atyou, and I can’t figure out why you’re acting like this.”
His eyes widened slightly. “And why are you upset with me?”
“Are you serious?” She gaped at him. “Do you not remember the pissing contest you had with my friend back at the inn?”
“Oh yes, yourfriend. Whom you conveniently never mentioned.”
Isla threw her hands up, her voice rising. “Am I supposed to tell you about every single person in my life? Why does he even matter? He’s gone now!”
“And why did you not go back with him? He obviously wanted you to.” Rynn stood and gripped the edge of the barrel they used as a table, his eyes burning.
She scoffed. “I don’t know why you’re even asking that. You know why, Rynn. If the dark god doesn’t get what he wants, he’s going to come after my family. I can’t let him hurt them. You and the others are my best chance.”
“Is that the only reason you are staying?” he asked quietly, tension rolling off of him.
Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. His stare searched her, sifting through her thoughts, pulling on the ones he wanted to hear. “What other reason is there?” she finally said.
The anger in his eyes dissipated, only to be replaced by a cool indifference. “There’s not one.” He turned and strode to the cave entrance. “I’m not tired. Perhaps I will continue searching for the prophecy so we can get you home to your lover faster.” And he walked out into the sleet.
She blinked once, twice, and then huffed out a laugh of exasperation.
So that’s what this was about. He thought she wanted to be with Hamil. It seemed far-fetched that this all-powerful elemental would feel…jealous? That was what it looked like, but she pushed the thought away.This is ridiculous.She let out a loud sigh and followed the dramatic elemental outside.
