Page 111 of In The Dark
“I know,” he mutters. “I’m frustrated too. We’ll figure it out. We just have to be patient a little longer.”
He says his words so confidently, and I’m reminded that this is the closest he’s ever gotten to discovering the whereabouts of my mother. After twenty years of searching, his eyes continue to spark with hope.
“How do you do that?” I ask, and his brows knit together. “Remain hopeful. After all these years, you still search.”
His gaze only softens. “Because myhopeled me to you, and I refuse to give up on your mother. She deserves that, don’t you think?”
I study him and find myself nodding because he’s right. She does deserve that, and if it weren’t for him, I would never know how crooked King Elion is. I walk past and up the steps again, reaching the top only to find Ivy rolling her own copy of the map with the updated marks.
“Orin and I will head back to Aurelia to study the map further with the council now that it’s updated. We can be back in a few days to continue the search. Maybe we can discuss the options of searching outside of the castle. Find out if King Elion has any private locations that only he has access to.”
Then Orin clears his throat. “Wayd and Kaeda are becoming… impatient. What do you want me to tell them? They offered to help.”
My brows furrow when Rydian’s jaw clenches so tight it looks like he’ll shatter teeth. Like the sound of those two names already irritates him.
“Tell them if they step foot in this realm, it’ll be the last time they do it. A little longer,” Rydian says, but Orin only chuckles and nods. “I’ll see both of you in a few days. Send Ire if you discover anything while you’re there.”
They nod, Veiling out of the loft, most likely already at the border. Our gazes swivel to Ren standing at the other end of the table, hands in his pockets. A sudden wave of awkward tensionpasses through the air, and I find myself fighting the urge to fidget.
Ren has remained quiet about both my power and my past whereabouts since he caught me almost two weeks ago, and I don’t know what to make of it. His knowing gaze meets mine.
“I think I’ll head back to the castle,” Ren says finally, stepping around the table.
“I can Veil you in,” I say, placing my mug down.
“No need. I want to walk.”
With my back to Rydian, my eyes narrow. Whether it’s intentional or not, Ren leaving me alone with Rydian is surely a bad idea, and he knows it.What is he trying to do?
Ren smirks, catching my expression. “You know, I think the chill air is just what I need to cool down. See you tomorrow.”
I fight a groan, watching as he descends the stairs, when I have the sudden urge to chuck my mug right at his head. Within seconds, he exits the loft, and I face Rydian in silence.
“I guess we’re done for the night. I’ll need to go back to the castle—I have training with Ezra in the morning.”
Rydian narrows his eyes slightly, stepping into me and closing the distance. “Are you lying to me, little fawn?”Gods, does he know?
“No.” I swallow, eyes locking on him.
“I thought Ren said Ezra left the castle?”
Oh.I exhale and let out an uncomfortable laugh. “I must’ve forgotten. Still, I should go back tonight and keep up with the routine. I wouldn’t want anyone searching for me, let alone King Elion.”
“You’re avoiding me.” His gaze flicks to my lips. Then he crowds me, slowly walking forward, forcing me to stumble into the table. He reads me like a damn book. “Why don’t you stay tonight? I can light a fire, and we can have a glass of whiskey—relax. You need rest, especially after spending so much time in the Veil earlier.”I hate it when he makes sense.
“I don’t have any change of clothes,” I say.
“Who needs clothes?” He chuckles again just as my eyes snap up. “Relax, I’ll lend you one of my shirts. You can have the bed if you want. I’ll sleep on the settee.”
And although I smirk, the composure I’m barely holding together almost cracks under his stare. “Fine. I’ll stay if it means you’llget out of my face.” I lift a brow.
He steps back, hands up in mock surrender with a smug grin. “I’ll be in the bath. Come down when you’re ready.” He grabs both our mugs, then stalks past, descending the stairs.
I frown at the thought of him not sharing a bed with me, listening as he places the mugs into the basin below with a clink. His boots thud against the brick floor before entering the bathing chamber below.
For a moment, I chew on the inside of my lip as the weight of everything begins to press down. The silence in the air feels heavier somehow, and I hate where my thoughts go when I’m alone.
My mother. Who we’ve continued to search for, yet everything we could find has led us nowhere. I shove down the dull ache forming in my chest as it’s easier than admitting defeat. Because that’s what it’s starting to feel like.