Page 64 of Path of the Dark
He was free to persuade his father to keep the peace with Rithmar.
The day slowly waned. The sun set late this time of year, especially this far north, and Elias was relieved when the sky finally started to glow pink to the east. They made camp for the night next to a rock pool and a swiftly flowing mountain stream, where Elias caught them a trout. He lit a fire on the riverbank and used his knife to scale and gut the fish.
Ryana had taken a seat upon a large sun-warmed rock a few feet away. She said nothing, did not comment on the day that had passed or on the fact that he’d caught them supper.
Elias cooked the fish upon a flat stone he placed in the center of the fire. Soon the delicious aroma of cooking trout wafted up into the balmy evening air. Elias’s belly growled. He hadn’t eaten since supper the night before. His mouth watered as he turned the fish over. Just a little longer and it would be ready.
They ate in silence.
Ryana would have been as hungry as he was, but she gave no sign. The trout’s flesh was pink and juicy. You didn’t get this kind of fish at Mirrar Rock. Trout was a delicacy that Elias hadn’t discovered until he left Anthor. It was one of the few foods that he would miss if he ever returned home to live.
Eventually, Ryana broke the tense silence between them.
“You should put that fire out,” she said, her voice sharp. “I’ve done my best to mask our trail today, but let’s not put out a beacon.”
Elias frowned. He wasn’t an idiot. He was well aware of the fact that keeping a fire blazing at night would only draw unwelcome visitors to the campsite. Without speaking, he rose to his feet and kicked dirt over the fire, dousing it. Then he settled back down upon the riverbank.
It was an idyllic spot to stop at for the night. The rock pool was deep and clear. The gush of water as the river bubbled its way down the rocky hillside mingled with the twitter of roosting birds.
Elias glanced over at Ryana. She wasn’t looking his way. She’d returned to that large flat stone, where she sat cross-legged. She’d closed her eyes, and her right hand waved and fluttered. Without asking, Elias knew that she was setting wards around the campsite. If anyone approached, they would warn her.
Elias waited until she finished her task before he spoke. “I’m used to silence, Ryana,” he began softly. “But is this how it will be? We aren’t to speak till we reach Veldoras?”
Ryana’s gaze flicked toward him. “I prefer silence to lies,” she replied, her voice wintry.
Elias watched her. His throat still ached from her attack at dawn, a reminder of what had passed between them. “I’ve had my secrets, Ryana,” he admitted softly. “Ones I couldn’t share with you.”
“Aye … what a burden it must have been for you.”
There was no mistaking the bitterness in her voice.
His gaze narrowed. “You have no idea.” They stared at each other for a long moment, before Elias continued. “I was brought up to follow orders without questioning them.”
Her eyes shadowed, yet she held her tongue.
“I should have killed Ninia months ago,” Elias pressed on. “So I was sent to finish the job. I was to distract Nathan with talk of peace while I got close enough to Ninia to strike.” Elias paused here, choosing his words carefully. “But I couldn’t forget what Ninia did. She saved my life, and I couldn’t let it go. Every time I got close to her, it stopped me from drawing my blade. The peace negotiations complicated matters too … I was given a glimpse of what the future could look like.” He halted here, his gaze never leaving Ryana’s. “And then there was you.”
Ryana heaved in a deep breath. “I was a distraction,” she murmured.
“No,” he countered, leaning toward her. “You weren’t.”
“Stop.” She brought up a hand to ward him off. Her face had gone taut, and her eyes gleamed as if she was on the verge of tears. “No more of your lies.”
“Ryana,” he tried again. “I don’t—”
“Enough.”
With that, Ryana turned away, giving him her back.
