Page 88 of Magick and Lead
We were both silent for a moment, turning the plan over in our minds to find flaws or alternatives.
“And I’ll walk to the bar at Pike Crossroads and drink Wilderton Ales until all this blows over,” Bo said. “I believe we have a plan. Let me just grab my cane…”
He slipped away down the hall.
Essa was watching me. I could see the machinery of her mind turning, making some great calculation.
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
She shook her head, taking a tremulous breath. “I promised myself I wouldn’t leave here without…” she hesitated. “Without you.”
Her words were sweet, but something, dragon sense, maybe, made me feel that there was more to her sentiment than a romantic desire for us to remain together. When she saidwithout me, she didn’t mean she intended for us to leave hand in hand.
“Because you vowed to finish what you came here for,” I said, my voice low. “To finishme.”
Some dark emotion flashed in her eyes. Guilt, maybe. She looked away.
“I helped you get Kortoi, didn’t I? I’ve helped you all along. You still don’t trust me?” I said.
She met my eyes once more. “I trusted you once, you betrayed me once. Why should I trust you again? Why should I believe helping me capture Kortoi wasn’t just another ploy to gain my trust, just so you could betray me once again?”
The question hung in the air between us. I searched my mind for an answer, any answer that would convince her. But the truth was, I had betrayed her. Deliberately. Using her to unravel her kingdom had been my plan all along. And even though I’d tried to reverse course at the last minute, I had succeeded in dealing Maethalia a terrible blow.
Those had been my actions. And words could never eclipse actions. I’d tried to redeem myself by catching Kortoi. But it seemed clear now that wasn’t enough. And that was okay. I’d just keep going. Keep proving myself through my actions. And someday, somehow, she’d believe my love was real. No matter what I had to do. No matter how long it took. No matter if I had to crawl through hell itself, I would prove myself to her.
But there was no point in giving a big speech now, not when time was so short. Instead, I took her hand and brought it to my lips.
“The wind is ours,” I said.
She shook her head sadly. “The winds are ever-changing, Charlie.”
“Then the stars.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “You mean those dim little lights that blink out the moment the sun comes up?”
I laughed in spite of myself. “God, you’re tough.”
I was surprised to see tears glistening in her eyes in the dim light. A single tear fell, and I brought my fingers up, gently brushing it from her cheek.
“I will prove myself to you,” I said. “Or die trying.”
“Then in the next life, I would trust you with all my soul,” she said in a tremulous voice.
I pulled her to me then, brought her lips to mine. I thought she would pull back, thought she would fight, and for a second, she did seem as if she would turn away. But I pulled her closer, and her body came against mine with a shiver of surrender. Itasted her. Her lips, her tongue, the salt of her tears. And for a blissful instant, there was no Charlie. No Essa. We were one.
Then came a sound. A song. Kortoi, in the other room, was whistling a discordant tune. He gave a low laugh, a sound full of all the darkness and madness of the void. And with that reminder of all that was chaotic and evil in the world, Essa and I pulled apart, and my resolve returned, like the visor on a knight’s helmet clapping shut.
“I’ll go,” I said. “I’ll lead them away so you can cross the sea. Then I’ll come for you. I’ll find you.”
She nodded. “We’re staying in a village called Murrum, on the northern shore of Lake Shrade.”
A slow smile came to my lips. “Maybe I won’t come. You have vowed to kill me…”
She ran her fingers over my stubbled cheek. “You’ll come. You’re too foolish to stay away from me,” she said.
I tilted my head toward Kortoi. “You sure you can handle him on your own?”
“I won’t be on my own,” she said loud enough for Kortoi to hear. “I’ll be with Othura. He’d be a perfect snack for her.”
