Tage hasn’t moved. Tension radiates from him as he holds Cyphus’s gaze.
Finally, Cyphus breaks and looks away, dipping his head, but when he lifts his face, his blue-black eyes find me. I suck in a breath, seeing in those depths what sent me running tonight in the first place.
Turning, he slinks away, and suddenly I feel like I can breathe again, freed from a binding tether.
Until I’m reminded that I am not alone.
There’s still a beast at my side cut from the same cloth as the one that just left.
Tage’s scathing voice sounds beside me. “You’re treading on dangerous ground. It’s getting harder and harder to justify keeping you around.”
“Then don’t!” I yank my arm free. “You could have avoided all of this if you let me go.” I gesture toward the tunnel. “You only had to let me slip away. Instead, you caused a commotion and alerted the others.”
“Icaused it?” He closes his eyes in a long blink as though grasping for patience. When he reopens his eyes it’s to reveal them brighter, hotter, angrier—bits of coal kindled. “I thought we had an understanding. You were to remain here as a guest—”
I let out a mirthless laugh. “Oh, I remember.Yousaid that. I never agreed to anything.”
His eyes narrow. “And what do you think will happen to you out there? You think you would just traipse out of these mountains unscathed?”
“I have to go. There’s never going to be trust between us. I don’t belong here. At best, you’ll keep me around as your servant...” My voice fades.
He cocks his head at an angle and queries, “And at worst?”
I stare at him mutely, unable to say it...as though uttering all the terrible things Cyphus said to me would plant the ugly ideas to sprout into his head. As if they aren’t already there, seedlings germinating.
He sighs and the sound is tired. “It seems we’ve come to an impasse. What am I to do with you? Am I to stand guard over you every moment of every day?”
My breath catches. “No,” I quickly rebut. Not only would that make escape exceedingly difficult, but I would have to endure his presence, his nearness with no reprieve.
My eyes light on the arsenal of weapons near the cave’s entrance. Earlier today Danhy and Cyphus had spent a good amount of time polishing and sharpening blades, the grind of steel on flint filling the air every time I passed them on the way to the kitchen.
Spurred to action, I stride forward and pluck a sword from the collection. The hilt instantly feels comfortable in my grip, and I’m grateful for all the hours I trained alongside the guard so that I can handle weaponry with a modicum of skill.
Strangely, I feel stronger holding this sword. It’s a nice fit. My sword and dagger of iron always felt heavy in my hand, but this blade of steel is different. Lighter. Easier to wield in some way.
I’m smiling by the time I spin around to face him, staring down the long gleam of steel.
He’s not smiling.
The twin lines on either side of his mouth deepen. “This again?”
“Ilowered the sword from you the last time.” I remind him. The concession was mine. He didn’t best me.
“And this time you won’t?”
“That’s right. This time I’m not surrendering,” I grate out, inching toward the tunnel I tried to flee through before he caught me.He moves casually, following. “Stop right there,” I snap, my sword gesturing toward his feet. “Just let me go. Once I’m gone, you’ll stop arguing with your pride. You can focus on the things that matter. You won’t have to worry about having me around causing problems.” I beseech him with my eyes, earnest and imploring.
He pulls back slightly, clearly surprised. “You think I need help mollifying my pride?”
I shrug uncertainly.
“I’m their alpha. My word is law.” A ruddy hue flushes his face, and I know I’ve affronted him. “They know who their leader is. Don’t worry about them.”
How can I not worry about Cyphus?
“This is all foolishness. You don’t want to die, and that’s what will happen if you venture out there alone.”
“I won’t die. I know how to survive on my own.”
