Page 28 of Song of Scent and Magic

Ryze sat in one of the armchairs near the window, his legs crossed at the knees. He wore black pants and a white shirt which looked clean and fresh. His dark hair was damp, brushed back off his face. He gazed towards the window, a contemplative look on his face.

Tavian sat in another chair, chewing on a piece of toast. His eyes were on Ryze until he realised I was in the room.

He turned to me and smiled warmly. "You look beautiful." The expression on his face made my heart flutter.

"Stunning." Ryze looked away from the window to drink me in with his eyes. There was hunger in those dark depths, but there was something more. He almost seemed sad.

"Please, have a seat, and something to eat." Ryze waved to the chair opposite him. "I presume you want to wait for Zared?"

"He'll want you to wait," I agreed. "Otherwise you'll have to explain everything twice."

"That sounds tedious." Ryze made a face, which bordered on his usual amused expression, but left much of that lingering pensive air he'd displayed a moment earlier.

"It sounds like a pain in the ass," Tavian said.

"That too." Ryze nodded to him. "Perhaps you could take notes."

Tavian paused with the toast halfway to his mouth, thought for a moment then said, "Let's wait instead." He bit down, his eyes smiling.

Ryze rolled his eyes ceilingward and shook his head. "No respect at all. None."

"Not even a little bit," I said with a smile. "Maybe you should try to be more scary?"

They exchanged glances.

Ryze cocked his head at Tavian. "Would that work?"

Tavian chewed on the question and the toast at the same time before he swallowed. "Doubtful. I don't find you that scary."

Ryze sighed. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again when Zared entered the room, Vayne right behind him.

"All right then, we're all here."

Zared flopped down into a chair so heavily it was miraculous the legs didn't snap off. "Yes we are. Start explaining."

12

Ryze

Ilooked down into the delicate porcelain teacup. Too delicate. A direct contrast with the roughness of the last few days.

"I don't think I can do this." I glanced up from the white porcelain, to where Tavian sat slouched in another chair.

His eyes lowered. "I hear there are herbs…"

I snorted a laugh. "I can dothat." The gods only knew I thought about it enough times since meeting Khala. "I'm talking about the rest of it."

"You want to tell her everything?" In spite of the jokester mask he wore, he was astute. He paid more attention than many gave him credit for. Myself included.

"I can't tell her everything," I said. "We don'tknoweverything."

"And you can't tell her all you know or suspect, because she'll start walking back to Ebonfalls and never look back." He stretched over to snag a piece of toast from a plate on the table.

"I can tell her enough to keep her from doing that." I put the teacup aside. I needed something stronger than tea for this conversation. Not to mention the one to come.

I leaned back in my seat and looked toward the window. Usually I admired the view, but today I saw nothing. My mind was too occupied with my thoughts to appreciate it.

A brisk knock at the door broke through them, but I didn't look around until after Khala entered the room. When I did, I almost choked on my own breath.

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