Page 114 of Lady of the Drowned Empire

His jaw tightened. “No. I was old-fashioned about it. We fought.” His eyes glazed over. “I’m still stronger, it turns out. But he’s improved since I last saw him. Got a few hits in. And maybe a slash or two.” He sucked on his upper lip, looking like he was trying not to cry.

“Shit,” I said. “That bastard. I’m sorry.”

He stretched his neck with a small groan. “I’ll be okay.”

“But he’s going to—”

“Come after me?” He shrugged. “He’s already after me for murder.” Rhyan offered me a crooked smile. “I figured a little theft on top couldn’t be too detrimental to my reputation.”

“And the bags?” I asked.

He adjusted the straps over his shoulders. “I packed for our trip. One for me. One for you. Grabbed as much as I could from both our apartments—clothes, armor, food. Sorry I rushed out. Knew I had to get back before your next guard showed.”

My eyes widened. “So we’re going? To Glemaria? To get Morgs and Meera?”

“Of course, we are. I just, I couldn’t let you entangle yourself with him. It had to be me. I couldn’t live with myself otherwise. You’re already entangled with the immortal. It was my turn. I had to do this one.”

“But he’s going to be looking for you. Rhyan, he has nahashim.”

“And I have eyes. I know how to survive out there. And we can move fast if we have to. Although,” he frowned, “I hate to admit it, but I do have my limits. I can’t just take us straight to Glemaria, it’s too far of a jump. Too dangerous. The recovery…could be lengthy. I can’t risk being unable to protect you when we get there.”

“Then we won’t risk it. Small jumps only,” I said.

Rhyan nodded, his lips tightened into a grimace.

I sighed. “So much for us staying here.” How many times had we discussed running, discussed it and then fell back on duty and staying?

“After we find your sisters and we find your power, we’ll find our way back. This isn’t you running away. This is you and me joining the search party.”

“Okay,” I said. “But what about—we’re still kashonim.” Anyone thinking we’d run off together would be suspicious, even if it was just to find my sisters.

“I left a note for Aemon. I told him I was taking off—that I was leaving on my own to find them. That I didn’t want to waste time receiving orders and that my recent kills and hunts made me the best candidate to do so.”

He could still be in so much trouble for this, but it was a believable excuse that’d hopefully be forgivable when we found my sisters. Finding them was key. I couldn’t fathom a world where we didn’t succeed, didn’t get them back. And only in that world, could we ever come home.

“They were always going to send me on this mission anyway,” he said, “But, together, we need to be careful. Avoid major cities, anywhere we could be recognized. We can’t let anyone see us together.”

“What if it’s all a trap?” I asked, my voice small. Now that we were going, it was starting to feel like every decision was farther than Lethea. Doubts were creeping in.

“Oh, it’s definitely a trap.” His eyes searched mine. “But it’s one I’ll risk for you. And for them.”

I wrapped my arms around him. “You can just get me out of here, you know, and then stay back, wait for orders, come find me later. Then you won’t get in trouble or expose yourself to your father.”

“Partner.” Rhyan shook his head. “I’m not leaving your side. And I won’t risk you out there.” He pulled me closer, lifting me onto his toes. One hand snaked around my ass and hugged me against him. He breathed me in, for a long moment. Looking down at me, his lips quirked into a nervous smile, as he said, “Now, I just have to check because the last time we were here, you ordered me to keep you locked in the prison. You seemed very against breaking out, quite morally opposed. It was very proper, very law-abiding. Which,” he shrugged, “as a forsworn bastard criminal, I can’t say I relate to, but I respected your beliefs.” He winked. “So, before we do this, I just want to know for sure that this time, you do want to break the law and all. Be a criminal on the run.”

I gave a shaky, teary-eyed laugh, so grateful he had the ability to lighten things when my world felt unbelievably dark and ready to implode. I also understood he was lightening things for himself. He needed it after seeing his father. For him to have done all of this in an hour—fought his father, left a note for Aemon, and packed bags at both of our apartments—he had to be exhausted. And he’d been injured. He needed all the strength he could find for one more push, one more burst of power to get us out of here.

I tightened my arms around him. “I consent. Let’s break the law.”

He raised his good eyebrow and smirked. “And here I was, trying to live the straight life. Be all reformed and shit. You are such a bad influence on me.”

Footsteps sounded down the hall. Someone was coming. Our opening to escape was about to close.

Rhyan’s eyes widened, the green of his irises blazing as he stared at me, the weight of what we were about to do settling over us. After caging me within his arms, he made one final adjustment to his weight, his breath still uneven from his injuries. He nodded once. One final check-in. One final chance to back out.

I nodded back.

The door hinged.