Page 111 of Path of the Dark
“How long have I been asleep?” he asked. Shadows, his voice sounded feeble; like it didn’t even belong to him.
“Around a day and a half … Asher said your body needed that time to repair itself.”
Asher. It was an irony that a man who couldn’t stand him had saved his life. “Thank him for me.”
“You’ll be able to do that yourself,” she replied, amused. “He’ll be looking in on you later.” Ryana pushed herself up out of her chair and reached for a pitcher of water. “I imagine you’re thirsty?”
Elias nodded. That was an understatement. His mouth and throat were so dry he could barely swallow.
“Here.” Ryana poured water into a cup before gently raising it to Elias’s lips. She’d propped him up with a pillow, which made it easier to sip. After a couple of gulps, Elias sank back against the pillow. He felt sickly and was aware of a deep throb up his left side.
“The injury,” he murmured. “Is it bad?”
Ryana’s brows knitted together. “Aye … it was, but Asher says you’re over the worst. You won’t be doing much for the next few days though.”
Their gazes met then and held. Ryana’s grey-blue eyes softened. “I thought you were dead.”
“I’m surprised I’m not,” he replied. “How are any of us still alive?”
Ryana’s mouth curved. “Ninia called the shadow creatures to our aid.”
Elias inhaled sharply. “And I missed all this?”
“It was probably for the best … they slaughtered all the remaining Anthor and Thûn enchanters and most of your father’s army as well.”
Elias frowned. Ryana was right—that wasn’t something he’d have wanted to see. “And where are the shadow creatures now?” His throat tightened as he asked the question. His time in the Dim Hold still haunted his nightmares sometimes.
“Gone … sent back to the forests and hidden corners of The Four Kingdoms.” Ryana paused here. “And Ninia did something else too. She managed to bring down the city’s Altar of Umbra.”
Elias’s gaze widened. “That’s impossible.”
“Not for Ninia it seems.”
Inhaling deeply, Elias closed his eyes. He suddenly felt lightheaded. It felt difficult to concentrate, to take everything in. He was still coming to terms with being alive.
Eyes still closed, he reached out for Ryana’s hand. A moment later he felt her fingers interlace through his, squeezing tight.
“What you did,” she began softly, “for me … I’ll never forget it.”
Elias opened his eyes, turning his head so he could look on her once more. “You know that I never wanted you to face Gael alone.”
Ryana’s eyes glinted. “I killed him in the end,” she said softly. “I got the revenge I’ve been craving for years.”
“And how does it feel?”
Ryana’s mouth lifted at the corners. “Not as fulfilling as I’d imagined … but I’m relieved nonetheless. The world’s a safer place without him in it.”
They stared at each other then, and Elias tightened his grip on her hand. There was so much he wanted to say, needed to say, and yet his head felt so heavy. He couldn’t get the words out.
As if sensing his frustration, Ryana leaned across, her lips softly grazing his. “Welcome back.”
Elias was sitting, propped up on a mountain of pillows, finishing a bowl of mutton broth and boiled vegetables, when someone knocked on the door. Ryana had left his side to bathe and have a nap. Before departing, she’d opened the shutters wide, letting in the afternoon sun and a warm breeze.
The meal had revived Elias. The throbbing in his side had lessened to a dull ache, and his head had cleared. However, he still felt as if he’d been trampled by a herd of stampeding goats.
“Come in,” he called out.
Asher stuck his head in. “Ryana told me my patient was awake and demanding food.”
