Page 134 of Unbound

"Your family, where you grew up, how you came to Confluence..." I study his profile. "You know practically everything about me, but you're still a mystery."

He's quiet for so long I think he won't answer. When he finally speaks, his voice is low, almost distant.

"I had two siblings. An older sister and the brother I told you about." Past tense. The loss evident in those simple words. "My brother, Gareth, was the youngest. Serious kid, always had his nose in a book." A ghost of a smile crosses his face. "He wanted to be a scholar, not a warrior."

"Were you close?" I navigate around a fallen log, noting how Raith automatically extends his hand to steady me, then lets go the moment I'm secure.

"As close as brothers can be when one is destined to lead and the other to follow." Something dark flickers in his eyes. "I tried to protect him. Failed."

Uttering the words seems to physically pain him, and part of me is sorry for asking. I can see it in the tight line of his jaw, the way his fingers briefly clench at his side. "Destined to lead?" I ask carefully.

His jaw ticks. "This is why I try not to talk about myself. Too easy to say things I shouldn’t. I'm going to ask you not to press the issue, Nessa. Forget I said it."

I start to smile, but then realize he's serious. The earnestness in his expression and... fear there wipes the amusement from my face. I nod instead. "Okay..."

He looks relieved. "Good."

"What happened to Gareth? To your siblings?"

He's quiet for a moment, clearly picking through the truth and deciding which scraps he can share. "Fire." His hand rises unconsciously to the scarred side of his face. "Betrayal."

I choose my next words carefully, hyper aware that the wrong question or statement could have his armor back up in the blink of an eye. "Is that why you're here? Did the person who betrayed you and your family come here? Or..."

"Have you told your friends about being unbound, yet?" he counters.

I flinch. The question feels like a punch of guilt. Unexpected and unpleasant. "I haven't..."

"Because you care about them. Because the knowledge could put them in danger."

I feel another stupid smile crossing my mouth. "Are you saying you care about me?"

Raith almost rolls his eyes. "No. I just dedicate the majority of my waking hours to worrying about your safety. I spend hours training you, keeping an eye on you, and thinking about you because I don't give a shit about you."

I lower my eyes, but Raith crooks his index finger and lifts my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes. "Of course I fucking care about you, Nessa. If that wasn't clear to you by now, I'm going to be worried about your observation skills. But we need to keep moving if we're going to get you back in time for classes."

I don't trust myself to speak, so I swallow my words and hope the way my heart flutters isn't as obvious as it feels.

We emerge from the tree line to find ourselves at the edge of a massive quarry—a vast bowl carved from the mountainside, its steep walls plunging to a relatively flat center. Ancient mining equipment lies abandoned around the perimeter, and at the quarry's deepest point, a dark pool of water glimmers in the sunlight.

"This is it?" I ask, momentarily distracted by the sheer scale of the place.

Raith nods, surveying the terrain with a critical eye. "Perfect for an elemental battleground. Earth affinities have raw material to work with, water has the pool, air has open space, and fire..." He gestures to the dry brush that dots the quarry floor. "Plenty of fuel."

I walk to the edge, peering down at the drop. At least sixty feet to the quarry floor, with few obvious paths for descent.

"All we can really do is guess, but I think this place is where it will happen," Raith continues, coming to stand beside me. "Could be that we'll start here in the quarry itself. Like a bloodbath. Or it could be that this is the final battleground. Maybe we'll be out in the woods and have to work our way here. I'm not sure yet..."

The wind shifts, carrying his scent. I find myself greedily breathing it in, drinking in the automatic comfort it brings.

We kneel at the top of the quarry's edge in silence for a few moments before I speak. I know my mind should be on the Crucible, but I find myself picking over every word he's said since we left campus. "Does Cade remind you of Gareth? I noticed the way you were with him. It reminded me of a big brother. I thought maybe…”

He meets my gaze, and pain flashes across his face, so raw and sudden it makes my chest ache. "I see some of Gareth in Cade. Yes," His voice drops. "The kind of person that's too good for such a shitty world. And Kiera would’ve liked you. A lot.”

I frown, surprised. “Why do you say that?”

“Because you’re strong. Compassionate. You find a way to live in the filth of a place like this without letting it touch who you are. It’s how she was. It’s one of the things I admired so much about her.”

I bite my lip. “Thank you.”

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