Page 116 of Path of the Dark
“I have no idea how I did it,” Ninia admitted.
Elias shook his head, his smile widening. “All that matters is that you did.”
Elias left Ninia, as a crowd of high-born Veldoras men and women descended upon her, and made his way over to where Mysandra still conversed with Asher and Mira. As he walked, Elias scanned the sea of heads around him.
“Have you seen Ryana?” he greeted them when Asher glanced his way.
“She’s right behind us,” Mira replied, glancing over her shoulder at where Dain and Lilia were helping themselves to mouthfuls of aged cheese smeared with quince paste. “Or she was.”
“Ryana isn’t herself today,” Asher added with a frown. “She seemed … distracted. Have you two argued?”
Elias scowled back at him. He didn’t appreciate the question. He’d seen a bit of Asher over the past few days, and although relations had thawed between them, he found the man could be a bit too free with his opinions.
Like now.
“No,” he replied curtly. “I’ve hardly seen her over the past days.”
With that, he excused himself with a nod and moved across to Lilia and Dain.
“Ryana left a short while ago,” Lilia informed him as she licked quince off her fingers. “She’s gone to pack.”
Elias stiffened. “What?”
Lilia met his eye, concern clouding her eyes. “Didn’t Ryana tell you? She’s leaving with the Rithmar army tomorrow at dawn.”
