Page 114 of Ravenrose

He just… lets go.

I tense when I spy him reaching into his bag again. Ready for anything.

But he only pulls out an apple, holding it out to me the same way he did the blade.

“Twelve hells, relax, will you?” he huffs out, as if he hasn’t been a constant source of aggravated terror since I first encountered him. I’m almost certain it’s anger I catch flashing in his eyes, but it’s gone just as soon as it appears. “It’s a little soft, but it’s better than nothing.”

Hesitantly, I take the fruit from him.

He reaches back into the bag, taking out another apple for himself. He takes a bite, shifting off the bed and moving across the room to stoke the fire.

I set the apple down on the bed; I’ll eat it later. Between the chaotic eating schedule and how much river water I swallowed last night, my stomach isn’t quite liking the idea of food yet.

“What is this, Ayer?” I ask, lifting the blade slightly.

He looks back over his shoulder. “Well,” he says slowly—seriously, “it appears to be a small, artisan-crafted blade⁠—”

Did he just crack a joke?

“I know what it is,” I snap, so not in the mood for any more games. “But why give it back?”

He turns his attention back to the fire, poking at the dying embers. He’s crouched down beside the flames, his posture relaxed, completely at ease. Like he didn’t just hand me a weapon.

Like I’m not a threat.

And the sad truth is, I’m not—not to him anyway. At least, not until I get this shadows-cursed rune off my wrist. And when I do, all bets are off.

It’s clear now why Ayer was appointed captain despite his young age. I saw him. I saw the way he took out those five fae raiders—all on his own. Impossible shots that he made look effortless—lethal—precise. Precision that shouldn’t be possible from such a distance.

Ayer is far more dangerous than I first thought.

My grip tightens on the hilt of my dagger while I stare at him, the rune burning faintly against my skin.

A reminder.

“We have a full day’s hike ahead of us, and there are creatures far worse than you prowling these woods.”

Worse than me. His comparison of me to a forest monster grates a little, but I bite my tongue.

I turn the knife in my hands, using the sharp steel edge to slice a small tear in my new skirt, and slide it back into its sheath where it belongs.

“So it’s mine to keep, then?” I push, wondering if he’ll just confiscate it again once we rejoin the others.

He sets down the fire poker, rising to his full height before facing me. “So long as you do nothing reckless with it.”

I almost swear that’s amusement sparkling in those gray eyes of his when he shoots me a knowing look.

I ignore it.

Reckless is exactly what I plan to be.

Just… not yet.

Not here. Not with the innocent villagers’ lives still at stake, should Ayer make good on his promise.

But soon.

Like it or not, I’m stuck with him—for now.