“What?” The word snapped out of him.
His arms flexed against the bindings as he strained to turn his head toward her. The effort cost him, but he kept twisting until he could see her expression.
“What—no. Not like that.” Then his eyes widened. “Great elements, woman. What kind of…”
He blinked, brow furrowing deep as his mouth opened, closed again, and finally settled into a line that twitched at the corners.
“It was research. For the war.” He sounded almost offended. “The logistics would be…impossible.”
But his voice dipped slower on the last words, and his mouth stretched into a wide grin.
“Though I must say I’m intrigued by how you got there. Your mind must be absolutely…filthy.”
She didn’t answer, grin fading from her lips.
War.
She’d barely heard anything after that. The word rang through her like a struck bell, clear and cold.
“Tell me about this war.” Snake fucking and clouds forgotten.
Kaelith’s eyes narrowed as he studied her, searching, before turning toward the sky.
“Well…”
A pause.
“What’s there to tell?” He exhaled slowly. “Everyone knows the lull won’t hold. The Reaches will be at each other’s throats again soon enough, sending their younglings to diefor grievances no one remembers and advantages none of them understand.” His voice thinned at the end. Not quiet, just worn.
Rynna kept her face unmoving, but her thoughts moved fast.
Reaches. That made it plural—probably political. Factions, maybe.She filed it away, just more pieces she didn’t have yet.
“Are you unaligned?” he asked. “You bear no Reach marker.”
He lifted one hand as far as the ropes allowed and grazed two fingers along the cuff of his sleeve, where a stylized flame was stitched in faded thread.
“You haven’t used the Source in the last two days. Not even on the climb. But you move like a Hollow-born.”
Source. Another new rule in this world, probably magic-shaped. Something else she didn’t understand but needed to pretend she did.
“I’m not affiliated with any of the Reaches.” Her voice didn’t waver.
Honest. And vague. Her specialty.
“A mercenary, then.”
“You could say that.” The corner of Rynna’s mouth twitched. More like forced conscript for the Weaving.
“Well.” Kaelith glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “I assume, like myself, you weren’t wandering about these mountains looking for a giant snake to love? Unless…”
“Oh, for shit’s sake.” She shoved him hard in the shoulder.
Gasping, his body jerked against the ropes.
“No, Kaelith. I am not here to fuck snakes.” She eased forward, casting a long shadow over him.
“Gods…” Kaelith sank back against the stretcher, squeezing his eyes shut. “I could die at any moment, and here you are…”
