Page 74 of Spirit Trials
He stares at me. “You really believe that?”
“Yes, and anybody else that thinks differently is stupid. Now, I’m starving. Do you think we could go eat?”
He’s still staring at me. “You’re something else, Farrah Bromean.”
I’m not really sure he meant it as a compliment, but that’s how I’m going to take it. “Thank you.”
“Are you going downstairs like that?” he asks casually right before I open the door.
I stop. “Should I not?”
He shrugs. “Your hair’s messed up, and you’re wearing my shirt. It looks like you went for a roll in the sheets. It’s a good look; you won’t hear me complaining.”
My face heats up. “I’m just going to run to my room first and then I’ll meet you down there.” I leave without another word and make my way quickly to my room. I close the door and will my cheeks to lose their heat. Because I really am starving, I quickly run a comb through my hair and then braid the long red locks before putting on another soft white tunic and black stretchy pants with several sheaths. “Anybody save me any food?” I ask as I enter the room. “Because I’m starving.”
Chapter38
“I made plenty; figured you girls would all be hungry,” Hector says with a grunt.
“Thanks, Hector. You’re the best,” I say with a huge smile as I grab a plate.
“What about me? I thought I was the best,” Lox says.
Rysden steps out from the shadows. “A name, Farrah.” Kinsley jumps at the sound of his voice, but he doesn’t surprise me. Somehow, I already knew he was in the room; it’s like I have a sixth sense when he’s around. I ignore him and make myself a huge bowl of rice and meat and veggies that have been heavily seasoned and soaked in broth. I barely refrain from taking my first bite before I get to the table.
After I take my first bite, I shake my head. “This is so good, Hector.”
“You’re just starving,” he grumbles in response to my compliment.
“Well, yes, I am; but this is seriously really good.”
He hands me a chunk of hard brown bread. “To soak up the juices,” he adds.
I put the bread in my bowl to soften and take another bite. Rysden sits down next to me. “A name.” His voice is closer than I’m ready for, and his low tone sends a shiver through me.
“What name?” Kinsley asks, her eyes darting back and forth between the two of us.
Rysden doesn’t turn away from me. I keep eating, like him staring daggers into the side of my head doesn’t bother me in the least.Spoiler alert; it does.Finally, he turns his dark gaze to the other side of the table, and I can’t help but breathe a sighof relief. “The name of the person who tried to strangle her,” he says in a voice that promises retribution in a dark fashion.
“Oh, that’s easy,” Harper says.
“Don’t tell h—,” I don’t get the words out in time.
“It was Ezra,” Harper tells him after taking another bite.
“Well, he’s dead,” Lox says conversationally.
Rysden stands up from the table. I’m not sure what comes over me, but I put a hand on his arm, stopping him. When his dark eyes meet mine, I almost falter; but I swallow and take a steadying breath. “Let it go. Stay and eat with us instead.” He continues to stare at me, and I refuse to look away and lose this battle of wills. Eventually, he nods. I watch as he walks over to the large pot and fills a bowl and then comes back and takes the seat next to me. I watch all this in stunned silence because he listened to me. I notice there’s only one chunk of bread left, so I quickly grab it and stuff it in his soup bowl so the juices can soften it. Of course, that means there’s no more bread. That thought makes me more sad than it has any right to. I glance over at Rysden’s bread and wonder if I should have split it in half.
Without looking at me, Rysden puts the bread back in my bowl. Then he leans forward and asks Kinsley and Harper, “What’s it like to live banished?” I turn to him and smile; I’m so proud of him. He turns and catches my eye for just a moment, and a knowing seems to pass between us. Then he does something that shocks me. He reaches over and squeezes my knee gently. Only, he doesn’t take his hand away; he leaves it there for another minute or two.
After Kinsley and Harper recover from their shock, they begin to tell him what life is like outside the walls of the city. It’s not a pretty picture. Rysden asks a few questions, but mostly he lets them just talk. Their voices start to fade, and I sag in my chair. Apparently, I’m still tired, even after several hours of sleeplast night, or this morning, I guess. I stand up and push my chair back. Harper stops midsentence. “Don’t worry about me,” I tell her, waving her off. “Keep going; you never know when you’re going to have the audience of the Prince again.” Rysden gives me a look. I grin and move over closer to the huge fireplace and snag one of the thick furs from the couch and throw it on the floor before wrapping another fur around me and lying right down on the floor. I stare at the beautiful stone fireplace and let the heat soak into my cold, weary body.
I thought I would fall asleep right away, but staring into the flames makes me think of the countless times I did this back home. Guilt settles in as I think about how I’ve settled in here when my mother and brother and village are probably suffering. My only hope is that they’ve been able to rebuild and find some way to move forward. Anger at the horrid creatures that destroyed my village and nearly the entire forest yesterday and who knows how many lives fills me. Sadness settles in my chest; I wonder how many we lost to the fire. A restlessness fills me, and I sit up and wrap my arms around my knees. I want to destroy all Guivres, but right now, that can’t be my focus. Right now, I have to focus on surviving the third trial tomorrow. My stomach tightens. Part of me thinks I should be training for it; the other part of me feels like I should get as much sleep as possible before it starts. I have no idea what this third trial is, but I have a feeling It's going to be a doozy.
There’s a loud knock at the front door. I turn and watch as Rysden stands from the table and strides towards the door with Hector at his heels. Curious, I wrap the fur around me and follow them. When Rysden opens the door, there are two palace guards standing there. I recognize them from their maroon uniforms. “The king requests your assistance.”
“Where?” Rysden asks in a clipped voice.
