Page 52 of The Flame and the Forsaken

“Still intoxicated?” he teased.

“Nay, but I am feeling relaxed for the first time in...” She nearly saiddays,but the truth was years. Years and years. Her work was fulfilling, but peace never followed, only the satisfaction of knowing they’d helped another family. Another village. Another mining crew.

“I hate to even bring this up when you’re in such a good mood, but I’ve been trying to work up the courage for days. And then I think to myself, why should I need courage to ask for the truth?” He rejoined her at the table. “Mariel, there’s a good chance we’re never leaving this island. And if by some miracle we do, neither of us will be the same person we were when we leaped from that cliff. So... tell me.” He paused before adding “please.”

Mariel’s eyes lowered to her lap. She’d been waiting for him to ask again, but she still had no idea what to say. She no longer cared if he knew about her, but she could never implicate the others. He wouldn’t believe she’d done it all by herself, and would push for names. Maybe they would die there... Maybe it didn’t matter. Butmaybewasn’t good enough.

“I can see you devising another lie in there.” He tapped his head and pointed at hers.

“Not a lie, just... Telling you isn’t so simple.”

“The truth shouldn’t be complicated.”

“Aye, but it is. This truth is.”

“Why?”

She shrugged. “It just is.”

Erran twisted his mouth, cast his eyes in thought. “What if I asked you aye or nay questions?”

Mariel considered that. “I ken we could try. But if you ask something I’m not ready to answer, we stop.”

“How about this,” he said. “I ask you one, you ask me one. And we go until one of us refuses to answer.”

She nodded. It seemed fair enough of a compromise. “Aye. I suppose you should go first, since this is your game.”

“The whole point of this is to be done with games.”

Mariel scoffed and waved a hand. “Don’t be pedantic. I said we could try.”

“All right.” He linked his hands and flexed them. His knuckles popped. “Let’s start with an easy one. You grew up in Mistgrave, aye or nay?”

“Aye.” Her heart had already begun to race, and they hadn’t even gotten to a tough question.

“Your turn.”

“Ah...” What did she want to know about him? She’d never cared before, but the past days had her feeling like another woman altogether, and he, almost a stranger, as though she’d just met him.Thisman, the one who could play the sails, spear fish, and scout and track, she liked him, which was a startling thing to realize. “You learned all this survival stuff from your father?”

“Aye.” He cleared his throat. “My mother mentioned you had another sibling. A sister. Is she alive?”

Mariel swallowed and tilted her head toward the warmth of the hearth. “Nay.”

Erran breathed deep. “I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago,” she said softly. “I know you want to ask how she died, so I’ll just tell you. She died of malnutrition. Like my mother and my father.”

It was a moment before he said, “I’m so sorry, Mariel.”

She licked her lips. “Ah, I guess it’s my turn then? Were you telling me the truth in Mistgrave when you claimed not to know the property we spent our idyllmoon on used to be Ashdown land?”

“Aye,” he stated firmly, leaning in. “Aye, Iwastelling you the truth. And maybe sometime you’ll tell me?—”

“Your turn,” she blurted.

“Is...” Erran paused. “Is there really an aunt named Anna?”

Mariel’s jaw peeled back in a wince. “Nay.”

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