“No, you are right. We do not have enough information and the theory contradicts itself. Though I do wish it would have ended differently so Amelya did not have to die.”
Aden raised his dark bushy eyebrows. “I still think you are missing—”
“I know, I know,” Isa said, cutting him off. “Then it would not have become a legend.”
Chapter 26
“Complete.” Isa looked with pride at the three leather books stacked on the table below her. They were beautiful both in appearance and function. “Once wrapped in a wax cloth for travel, these books could be tossed from the canyon ledge into the river and still be fine after they had been fished out.” She turned to Aden, who was walking toward the table. “Please don’t try that, though,” she hastily added.
His deep chuckle warmed her heart. How she had ever viewed him as frightening baffled her. His kind eyes expressed more emotion than most humans she knew. He was knowledgeable, yet still humble enough to listen and learn. He carried an immense burden, yet he sought to face it with courage.
She knew he was afraid. Sometimes he asked her to count the remaining petals—they were down to eight. Sometimes she caught him staring into the horizon, his brow furrowed in thought.
He meant to follow his original plan and head deep into the mountains when the rose had only three petals remaining. Isa knew he was afraid of hurting those around him, but she had no intention of letting him leave.
She had meant what she’d said that night, so many nights ago, when they had argued aboutThe Queen of Silverreign. She would not leave the one she loved on the eve of battle.
Now, with the Floutast complete and her father’s safety secured, she could give Aden her full attention. The bridge would be ready in about two weeks. The petals had been falling faster.
If they fell before the bridge was complete, she would be able to remain with him through the end and still travel back to see her father.
She stopped her own thoughts in horror. That made it sound like she wanted the petals to fall faster, which she did not.
“Isabel?”
She smiled quickly, looking back to Aden.
“You left me. What were you thinking about?”
“Oh, just my father,” she said, feeling guilty about the true nature of her exact thoughts. “We accomplished the hardest part. Now it’s just a matter of getting them back to Allys, to send to Chendas. My father is safe.”
Aden reached for the stack of books. “Or we could just wrap them in waxed linen and toss them into the river. That would likely carry them faster.”
She slapped his hand away. “Don’t you even dare consider it.”
Aden stopped suddenly, twisting his head and lifting his ear. “Someone just knocked on doors at the front entrance.”
“They’ve made it across the canyon?” Isa asked, even though she knew it was the only logical explanation.
Aden nodded.
Isa’s feet told her to move toward the door, but her heart urged her to stay for one more moment in this happy cocoon they had built.
Aden must have been feeling a similar emotion, as he had not yet moved to the door.
She looked up at him, smiling because of their shared time together even if she felt more apprehensive than happy.
His eyes blinked down at her, squinting a little.
Knowing that he could not see her face made the motion endearing rather than invasive.
“Shall we welcome our guest?” she asked, trying to convey with her voice that she wanted the opposite—that she wanted this moment to never end.
“Yes, we should.” The tone of his voice also seemed to say the opposite.
Isa turned down the hallway, confused at her own reaction. She had felt isolated from the rest of the world for nearly four weeks. Now that the terrible situation was over, she was nervous to see someone new.
Blanca met them in the hallway. “A gentleman’s here, milady! They made it across the canyon!”
