Page 44 of Path of the Dark
“I once betrayed the Order,” Ryana admitted finally, her voice barely loud enough to be heard above the surrounding din. “I stole the first half ofThe King Breakerand unwittingly gave it to someone in league with The Shade Brotherhood.”
That surprised him. Elias drew back in his seat, and his gaze widened. “Unwittingly?”
“Aye … I didn’t realize what I was doing until it was too late.”
“Go on.”
Ryana gave a tight smile. “I’ve just given you two truths instead of one, prince. You’ll not get a third.”
He inclined his head and reached for the dice. “Very well. Let’s play again.”
Unfortunately, Elias won their second game as well.
The margin was smaller this time. He beat her by only five points. However, the smug look on his face made Ryana grind her teeth.
“Tell me more about the person you gaveThe KingBreakerto,” he said, raising his tankard to her. “I sense there’s much more to that story.”
Ryana glared back at him. She’d known he wouldn’t let it go. “His name was Gael,” she said after a lengthy pause. Around them the inn had quietened a little as platters of roast mutton, braised onions, and coarse bread were served. Ryana and Elias hadn’t ordered any supper. Ryana’s belly had closed. Nerves made her feel queasy, chasing away any appetite for greasy mutton. “We were lovers.”
Elias didn’t answer; he merely watched her.
Finally, the tension got too much for Ryana. “He tricked me,” she admitted. “I thought he was a musician, but he was an enchanter. He cast a charm over me and forced me to do his bidding. I broke into the Vault under the House of Light and Darkness, stole the stone, and killed the man guarding it.”
Elias viewed her under lowered lids. “There’s more still to learn about this,” he murmured. “Isn’t there?”
“Aye,” Ryana replied tightly. “But you’ll have to win another game to find out.”
Elias won the next two games, after which Ryana told him about her ten year exile upon the Isle of Orin and her estrangement from her family.
“So you’ve never been back to Ridder Vale?” Elias asked, motioning to the inn-keeper for two more tankards of ale. They had been so engrossed in their dicing that they’d only just finished their first ales of the evening. The inn-keeper had been glowering at them, for they were taking up a table that could be used by those willing to buy a meal.
Ryana shook her head. “I was around eight when I started showing signs of the Dark … my parents and brothers changed in their attitude toward me after that. They became wary, treated me like I carried The Grey Ravage. It was a relief for us all when I turned thirteen and joined the Order.”
“They weren’t proud to have an enchanter in the family then?”
Ryana huffed a bitter laugh. “Ridder Vale is an isolated farming village where enchantment is viewed with open suspicion. They had a hedge crone once … but she was cast out after folk blamed her for a poor harvest.”
The tankards of ale arrived, and Elias paid for them. He then met Ryana’s eye once more, a challenge in his gaze. “Shall we play on?”
Ryana let out a heavy sigh. She’d already revealed the worst of her secrets to Elias, what more had she to fear? Strangely, she felt lighter after doing so. Few people knew the truth about her, but Elias had barely flinched at the things she’d revealed. Not surprising really—for the man likely had far worse secrets of his own.
“Very well,” she replied, picking up the dice. “It’s about time I won a game.”
And she did.
Fortune was with her, and she reached a hundred points with just five throws of the dice. Resisting the urge to grin, Ryana reclined in her chair and nodded at Elias. “Go on then. Reveal away.”
His mouth quirked. “What do you wish to know?”
Ryana inclined her head. “Who was the king’s favorite,” she said after a pause. “You or Saul?”
Elias grinned. “That’s easy to answer … me.”
His arrogance was breathtaking. “And why was that?”
“I was the eldest, the heir, and the one who did what he was told.” Did she imagine it, or was there an edge of bitterness to his voice? “Saul was too much like our father … they used to fight.” Elias paused here. “Saul was always trying to prove himself. It’s why he took that mission to retrieve part ofThe King Breaker.” He raised his tankard to Ryana then. “Enough about my brother. If you want to know my darker secrets, you’ll have to win another game.”
They played again, and Ryana won by just two points. It was a victory nonetheless, and she couldn’t resist flashing Elias a smug smile. “What happened to your winning streak?”
