Page 24 of The Flame and the Forsaken

Erran lostMariel’s trail on an old service road, but he soon realized why when he stumbled upon an abandoned caravan half in the ditch. He followed the path all the way to the caravan itself, where her footprints ended, but not only hers. There were at least three others he could discern.

The entire scene was confounding. Whoever had been driving the wagon had left it seemingly in a rush after being clipped by a... wire lying across the road? The tree nearby had some severed rope at the base and one of those anachronistically friendly notes from Obsidian Sky tacked to the bark, a group of bandits of which he was all too familiar. They were the bane of his father’s business, and for as steep as the bounty was on any one of their heads, it was a wonder none had ever been caught.

There were only small signs of a scuffle, nothing serious.

He was almost certain she’d been there when the wagon had lost its battle, because of the way her footprints traced the edges of the wreckage, like she was intentionally stepping around it. From there, they disappeared into the forest.

Obsidian Sky wasn’t known for violence, but what if they’d kidnapped her?

Erran knelt to get a closer look at the boot prints at the front of the wagon when he heard someone coming. He swiftly squatted and angled quietly around the side until he again had a view of the road, one hand on his hilt.

With a surge of relief, he immediately recognized the long, dark hair, but gone was Mariel’s smug swagger. She moved quickly, her hands crossed over her chest and her head down, and although it was hard to tell by squinting in the darkness, he was almost sure he saw tears cutting lines down her face.

A strange flutter filled his chest, followed by a stab of guilt, like he’d been spying on her—and though hehad, until that moment, he’d felt wholly justified, expecting to catch her in the act of something heinous or untoward that would explain her hostile attitude.

She stopped abruptly and turned. “Who’s there?”

Erran slowly rose, unsure whether to smile or hold up his hands in some sort of apology. Instead he announced himself with a throat clearing. “I came upon this mess and feared the worst. What happened here?”

“Errandil?” Her posture went rigid, and he again recognized the firebrand who had humiliated him in front of everyone he had ever known. “You following me?”

He stepped out with a flippant shrug. “What if I am?”

“I told you where I was going.” Her arms locked over her chest.

“You said you were going to see Destin. He lives the complete opposite direction of this road.”

“I never said I was going to see him at his place.”

“So you’re fine then? You weren’t caught up in this Obsidian Sky mess?”

“Do I not look fine?” She swept her hands over herself.

Erran’s concern shifted when he pieced it together. “You went to seehim,didn’t you? The cad you met in Mistgrave? After I asked you to be more careful?”

“What kind of man slinks about at night trying to catch his wife up to no good?” Her laughter split the night. “I really don’t think you want me to answer that.”

Erran gritted. Whatever pity he’d felt for her fled with her barbed words. “The kind who knows when he’s beingliedto, Mariel. It was your idea for us to play nice and...” He gestured around. “You were clearlyhereat some point. Did you see it happen? Whyareyou here?”

“You’re so good at mysteries, can you not solve this one? Obviously I robbed the men and chased them off, all by my little old self,” she said with an insinuative grin.

Erran buried an exasperated groan. “Be serious.”

“But I am.” She blinked petulantly. “They put up such little fuss. It wasn’t a very taxing challenge.” She lifted one shoulder.

He marched toward her and she flinched when he neared, lighting a new anger in him. “You think I wouldhityou?”

Mariel’s throat contracted in a hard swallow. “I know better than to trust any man who hasn’t earned it.”

“I don’t need you to trust me, but I will ask you to stop insulting me.”I need to calm myself or we’ll just keep going in circles. She could go like this all night.“Mariel, secrets never belong to just one person for long. If whatever you’re up to is big enough to hide from me, my mother and fatherwillfind out. They may already know.”

“There’s nothing to know. I went to see Destin at a friend’s homestead. That’s all.” She turned but didn’t leave right away. Her entire demeanor shifted, became heavier somehow. “Erran, look, I...”

He waited for her to finish, but moments passed and all she offered was silence. “What? You what?”

“I miscalculated tonight at our party. I was upset about Destin not being there and wasn’t my best self. I’m... still not.” Her stare traveled to her boots. She dug the toes of one into a root bisecting the road. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.”

His anger softened. In what little he knew of Mariel, apologies didn’t come easy. “I perhaps could have prepared you better.”

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