Page 52 of Bound By Darkness

“I don’t know much,” I said as I squared my shoulders. “He told me last night we are aiding Laias as the rebels are planning to attack. ”

“Fuck.Fuck,” he repeated, his eyes black with rage and… a hidden sadness. “How long ago?”

“I don’t know.”

“How long ago?” he repeated, his face directly above mine. Pure terror shone back.

“I don’t know,” I spat, my neck hurting from the angle I had positioned myself into. “That’s all I know. I swear.”

“He knew. He had to have known for months.” His breathing grew ragged, feral even as he glared at me, the full brunt of his words seeping into my pores.

“What’s going on here?” Ivan stood at the door, his pack lazily slung across his shoulder. Clothing, medicine, and food parcels threatened to spill from the top. “What thehellsis going on here?”

The pack slapped against the ground with an echoing thud in the silent house.

I took a deep gulp of air as Fin stepped back, the air lighter as he whipped toward Ivan.

“You good?” Ivan asked from the door, his eyes not moving from Fin.

“Yeah,” I said. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Laias?” Fin asked, kicking the books from his path. “When were you going to tell me about Laias?”

Ivan’s eyes flicked to me, and I avoided his gaze as I sank into the couch. Shame and guilt were growing in the pit of my stomach, acid bubbling beneath.

“Not your business.”

“Not my business?” he yelled, the veins in his neck popping. “You know I have important people there.Wehave important people there!”

“You abandoned those duties the minute you left the battlefield,” Ivan said. “I don’t owe you any explanations or information about war plans. You quit being my partner… my friend when you left them to rot.”

Fin fisted his hair as he stepped over the fallen books. “You are an absolute piece of shit,” he spat. “You’d seek her help? So what if she possesses elemental casting? She has no proper training and won’t be of any help to the people. She’s been in aprison!”

“At least she won’t run away,” Ivan snapped.

“She won’t be able to when she’s dead!” His eyes softened. “Do you even care what might happen to her?”

Ivan brushed Fin aside as his eyes met mine. “Grab your bag. We’re leaving.”

“That’s it? You’re still going to leave with her?”

“Grab your stuff.Now,” Ivan repeated as he ignored him.

Fin stepped in front of him. “I’m going too.”

“No.”

Fin crossed his arms over his chest. “You can’t deny methis. They are indispensable to me, too. I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for them.”

A muscle ticked in Ivan’s jaw as he stared at Fin, resilience shining back at him. Ivan would not win this fight.

Even if he said no, Fin would tag along at the anger exuding from him.

A war waged in Ivan’s eyes before his mouth opened— “The horses,” he blurted. “You provide us with both of your horses in exchange for Laias.”

“Deal,” Fin said quickly.

“We leave in a few minutes. One wrong move and I’ll gift you the death you deserve.”

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