Page 42 of Soul Forge

“Unfortunately. I’m not sure where we’re heading next, but we’ll be setting out very soon. Thank you for your hospitality, Edward. Your inn is lovely.”

“Thank you for gracing my humble business with your patronage,” he replied, tipping an imaginary hat to her. “I hope you return soon to see me again.”

“I will,” Elda promised.

“Can we take some meats for the road?” Reiner asked, pointing at the breakfast offerings lining the bar. “Or will it upset your other patrons?”

Elda glanced towards the merchants gathered around several tables they’d pushed together, all eating their fill and chatting loudly with one another. They were a strange mix of species – a wood elf sat at the head of their makeshift group, a fae and shifter flanking him on either side. Two humans occupied the two remaining seats on one side of the table, and a reptilian creature with yellow eyes and pale pink scales sat on the other, its long tail resting over the only other empty chair.

“They’ve eaten plenty already,” Edward mused, “but I can have another platter made up if they ask. Take what you need.” Reinerstarted collecting strips of beef and pork to package up, and Edward turned to hand Elda a shiny apple, the skin such a deep purple it was almost black. “Your husband skipped breakfast this morning.”

“I’ll take it to him,” she decided, not missing Reiner’s disapproving scowl. She ignored it, knowing the captain would stick to her promise of trust until her life was threatened, and went outside in search of the Soul Forge.

She found him sitting on the edge of a small fountain in the village square with a map in his hands, his lack of wings proving the healing salve had done its job. His dark hood was still up, but when she sat beside him and held out the apple, he took it without complaint.

“You look deep in thought,” she noted, watching a small group of children skip down the street towards a tiny schoolhouse, disappearing through its doors in a boisterous gaggle. From a distance, they all appeared to be human.

“I’m planning our route,” Sypher replied. “We’ll be skirting Falkryn’s borders, which means avoiding his soldiers and adding a few hours onto our journey. I dispatched a wielder to help the valleys in my absence, so we don’t need to worry about the extra time it’ll take, but we’ll need to be careful where we camp. Falkryn is mostly rocks and scrub grass. Lots of open space.”

“Why can’t we just fly straight through?” Elda asked, her nerves jangling at the thought of spending any amount of time near shifter borders. After her experience with Horthan and his entourage and the stories she’d heard about the ruthless laws in his kingdom, the whole place terrified her.

“If we’re spotted in Falkrynian territory without alerting the monarch, he’ll take it as a personal insult. I don’t want to give him another reason to hate Eden,” Sypher explained.

A pit opened in Elda’s stomach. “You really think he’d attack the city now that you’re our ally?” The thought of war befalling her home while she was away chilled her blood.

“No, but Horthan is an idiot. I tend to expect stupid decisions from him.” His head dipped. “Especially where his pride is involved. Two insults in quick succession might make him foolish.”

“How long will we be in his territory?”

“Our flight there should take the rest of the day. We’ll camp outside the southern border for the night, and the next day, we should approach Saeryn on its east side. If your guardian is still happy to fly with me, that is.”

“I wouldn’t sayhappy, exactly,” she hedged. “She doesn’t like it when demonic birds try to eat me.”

“I was referring to what happened when we landed.”

“You mean when wecrashed.” He gave an irritated grunt, making her grin. “As long as you don’t eat me, we’re okay to fly with you still.”

“I don’t eat people.”

“It was a joke. Lighten up.” She pointed at him with the remains of her bread roll. “Are you all patched up now?”

“Yes.”

She tilted her head, beaming. “You’re welcome.” She didn’t miss the twitch of his lips, though he turned his gaze back to the paper in his hands. “I’m sorry Reiner pulled a blade on you, by the way.”

“It’s not like she didn’t have a reason.”

“It still wasn’t right.”

He shook his head slowly, giving up on the map and frowning at her. “You should be reluctant to even speak to me, Princess. The way your captain reacted was normal. That’s how people aresupposedto behave when they find out what I am. Why aren’t you doing what she did?”

“I’m used to people treating me like I’m delicate. You don’t do that,” she said with a shrug. “I kind of like the contrast. Being friends with a dangerous demon keeps me on my toes.”

“We’re not friends.”

“Yet.”

“You irritate me,” he muttered.

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