Page 47 of Bound By Darkness

A chuckle escaped his lips as my eyes drifted to the parcel. I could smell the tang of jam as my mouth watered from the familiar scent. My fingers frantically unwrapped it like a Mabon present as I shoved the sandwich into my mouth.

Those silver eyes assessed me from the bench as he leaned against the horse.

“What?” I muttered, bits of jam sticking to the roof of my mouth.

“Nothing.”

“Right, nothing,” I repeated. “You know what’snotnothing?” My finger gestured toward the hill. “What happened there? You said we were staying with an acquaintance.”

“We are.”

My eyes met his.

“He is—was. It’s complicated.”

“Clearly.”

Ivan patted the horse. “He wasn’t always like this. We weren’t always like this,” he corrected. “Believe it or not, we were close.”

“Close? That didn’t look close.”

The gold etchings of his fighting leathers shimmered under the pale moonlight. “People reveal their nature under direcircumstances.”

I scoffed, loud enough he turned back to me.

“What?”

“People reveal their nature under dire circumstances,” I repeated. “It’s ironic, isn’t it?” I pointed a finger between him and me. “We’re in a dire situation and you’ve revealed nothing to me.”

He was quiet, quiet enough I assumed he’d walked into the distance without me, but the sound of boots clicking alerted me he was far closer than I had thought.

“May I?” A hand pointed to the empty section on the bench.

Without a word, I scooted over to the edge as he plopped down beside me, the bench creaking slightly as it warped further. A hint of rosewood curled around my nose.

“What do you want to know?”

My head turned to his. “What do I want to know?”

He nodded.

“Well, why are you such an ass?”

He huffed a laugh. “That’s the first question you ask?”

“Sounded like an acceptable opener.”

“Gods.” A smile lit his face; the first genuine one since Gwen’s. He rested his arm on the back of the bench. “If you have nothing then?—”

“No!” It left my lips faster than I’d like. “What I mean—” What did I mean? There were so many questions, years of history I was missing— “The Houses,” I blurted.

“The Houses?”

My fingers drummed across my cheeks. “Are the Four Houses still active?” The Four Houses created after the War of Old—a tale my mother wove often.

“More than I’d like to admit.”

“And what of House Armas? Do all Four of them still have the same amount of casting?”

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