At the door, I summon a gentle raincloud. Rain drizzles steadily—it’ll be enough to fill their well.
And it gives me a reason to draw Mayah against my side, canopying her with my cloak as we leave.
Chapter Twelve
Hoursafterweleavethe cottage and set up camp for the night, I catch a large hare. Before heading back to camp, I scrounge for some herbs to season the meat. The image of Mayah’s pleased expression—eyes closed in delight, a half-smile curling her lips—when she ate the roasted hen flits through my mind.
I’d do anything to see it again.
Back at camp, I skin the hare while Mayah starts a fire. The currents in the air thrum—there’s a storm coming.
When a loud boom of thunder cracks the silence, Mayah yelps, dropping the wood she was holding. She whirls, eyes wide with fear.
Lightning strike me. She’s afraid. Ofme.
In the beginning, Iwantedto terrify her. And now, the frightened pinch of her brows cuts something deep inside me.
I offer an apologetic smile, hoping to put her at ease. “That’s not me,” I murmur, pointing to the sky. “It’s a natural storm.”
At first, she doesn’t say anything, chest heaving with sharp pants, but the wind screams, and she whispers, “Can you—can you make it stop?”
The vulnerability in her voice makes me want to cradle her against my chest. Make her feel safe. Never let go.
“I wish I could. But I can only control storms that I summon myself.”
She nods quickly, but the next crack of thunder breaks through her bravado, hands jerking at her sides. Her energy signature, which usually pulses softly like a gentle stream, now thrums violently.
“Come here.” My voice is hoarse. “Rotate this over the skewer for me,” I add when she sits beside me.
“Have I told you about the time Lev and I tried to run away?” I ask, hoping my words will distract her.
Her smile is weak as she shakes her head.
“We were nine. Faramir had pushed me down a particularly steep flight of stairs—claimed I tripped, but I distinctly remember the feel of his hand on my back. The shove. The overjoyed laugh when my head cracked against the marble. I was trapped in bed for days until the medic cleared me.”
Her wide eyes are riveted to my face, body completely still beside me. She hasn’t rotated the skewer since I started speaking.
Carefully, I wrap my hand around hers over the thin branch, helping her turn it. She gasps softly at my touch, but doesn’t pull away. Our eyes lock briefly, and then her gaze slides to my lips. My fingers tighten around hers and—
A sharp crack of thunder shatters the moment. She startles, tearing her gaze away. I take the opportunity to scoot closer.
“What happened after that?” she whispers, eyes fixed on the fire. Her hand flexes beneath mine as we rotate the skewer together.
Skies, she’s trembling.
“Lev stayed in my room the entire time. When we were alone, he said ‘No more. We’re leaving.’ And I couldn’t have felt happier. We packed what we could and snuck into the stables. Except we weren’t as sneaky as we thought. One of the stablehands went to find my mother—at least he was kind enough to get her instead of my father. And that was the end of it.”
The rabbit’s almost done. I’ll have to release her hand soon.
I thought she’d laugh at my story, or at the very least, smile. But her eyes are sad when she says, “I’m sorry your brother did that.”
With a start, I realize I’m a skiesdamned idiot for telling herthatstory about her fucking betrothed.
Skies, she will be Faramir’s wife.
The thought of his hands on her, touching her,hurtingher burns a hole in my chest. I can’t let it happen. I can’t—
“I would’ve healed you,” she adds softly. “If I had been there.”
