Arthur asks, “Is it him?”
“Yeah,” Bernard answers. “We’re closing in on Ronan Vizia.”
?
CHAPTER TWENTY
Arthur
The room seems to sink and rise unevenly around Arthur. He feels sick, the same way he felt the day his world turned upside down, like he still has Ronan’s knife lodged cold beneath his ribs. Like he’s still standing on the white marble floor of the Bright Cathedral, facing the High Commander and Archpriest on his own. Praying for forgiveness, ready for damnation.
Ready for anything except this unbearable year of limbo.
He remembers Ronan’s smile. The taste of his skin, now ashes in his mouth.
“Radiance,” he swears, or prays. He isn’t sure if there’s a difference right now. He rubs his hand over his face. “I can’t believe it’s taken so long to find him.”
“We wouldn’t have found him at all, except he hit another church last month. Not one of ours, he stole a relic of Mother Sephine’s this time. He’s been giving us a hell of a chase.” Bernard downs half his ale and wipes his mouth, then leans back in again. “I can’t say much, but we’re only camped an hour out of town. You should meet with Captain Tanner. She can fill you in on the rest, and maybe if she’s talking to you, she’ll leave off yelling at the rest of us for a few minutes.”
Arthur wants to say yes, but he stops himself. Glances to Shae, who sits pale and tense beside him. “I can’t,” he says, grimacing. “I haven’t finished my penance yet, and I’m on a job right now.”
I can’t abandon Shae,he doesn’t add, because he knows Bernard won’t understand. For all his faults, Bernard has always put the Radiant Order above everything. He expects nothing less from Arthur.
“Your penance forbids you from walking in a church, not from walking into a camp,” Bernard says. “Come on, how many weeks do you even have left?”
“Just under a month,” Arthur answers. “But it doesn’t matter. I’m committed to this job for the next week. If you leave word here, maybe we can meet up when I’m free?”
Bernard shakes his head and finishes his mug. “If we haven’t caught Vizia by then, Captain will have all our pendants as well as our heads. Vara willing, we’ll be long gone.”
Shae touches his arm. Arthur is hyper-aware of the way his skin tingles under Shae’s hand, and the way Bernard watches intently. The man acts like a buffoon sometimes, but he notices more than you’d expect.
“Can we talk alone?” Shae asks.
They move towards the window while Bernard calls out for another ale. The bright morning sun doesn’t seem to touch Shae’s face at all, like his skin is still shaded with clouds and moonlight.
“What is it?” Arthur asks quietly.
Shae twists one of his rings. Arthur can’t help reaching out and covering Shae’s hands in his, holding him still. Shae freezes for a moment, then holds onto him. “I know this is important to you,” he says hesitantly. “Will seeing this Captain Tanner help at all?”
Arthur’s grip tightens involuntarily. He forces himself to let go, aware of Bernard watching across the room. “I thought I was fine waiting until my year was up,” he says eventually. “But knowing they’re all right there—knowing they have more information about Ronan—he ruined my life, Shae. I want to know what he really did it for.”
Shae gives a shaky sigh. “This Bernard is an asshole, and if the rest of them are like that, I’m not looking forward to it. But we can spare half a day if it means that much to you.”
“You caught Bernard on a bad day. He’s—driven.” Arthur had panicked when he ran in and saw Shae and Bernard facing off, but Bernard had backed down when he realized there was a problem. He doesn’t blame Shae for not liking him, though.
“Sure.” Shae twists his ring again, and this time Arthur resists the urge to hold him still. “We can spare half a day. No more.”
A wave of gratitude rushes through Arthur. He grins down at Shae. “You’re the best. Thank you.”
“Sure,” Shae says again, and heads for the stairs without another word.
***
They set out from Lanwatch an hour later, most of which was spent buying a horse for Shae. Arthur helps him pick the calmest-seeming horse available at the stable—a sturdy, dark gelding with long ears and a star between his eyes. The stablemaster tells them his name is Sparrow, and throws in the tack at a discount. The gelding is small enough that Shae manages to mount from the ground, with some coaching from Arthur and trial and error.
The ride out is mostly quiet. Bernard and Shae don’t seem inclined to talk to each other, leaving Arthur awkwardly in the middle of their silent feud. Arthur spends most of the ride watching Shae to make sure he’s adjusting to the new horse, and he spends the rest of the time thinking about Ronan.
He hasn’t thought about Ronan much over the past week or so. He’s been so caught up in Shae, he’s forgotten to ruminate on his hurts. The betrayal gnaws at him again now, just as fresh as the day Ronan stabbed him.
