Page 35

thirty-four

Carnaxa

O utside my tent a small crowd has gathered. Ereon’s men. They stand looking like they are debating on what to do. I walk past them, my head held high.

“Princess, it might not be the time to go in there.” Ryul steps in front of me. “Prince Ereon does not appear to be in a good temperament. I tried to enter, but he threatened to gut me if I stepped further in.”

“Is there a threat to the camp?” I ask, wondering if something has happened.

He shakes his head. “We don’t know what’s happened. One of the Prel noticed the orur leaving the tent earlier.” He looks down at the ground.

“Where is she?” I look around, but don’t see Anara; I wonder what happened between them.

“She went into the Ambassador’s tent.”

I take a long breath before I give the order, “Move. I’m going to see my husband.”

“Princess —”

“I said move.”

Ryul nods and backs away.

I walk into the tent. The small fire flickers, casting shadows as Ereon grabs items from the table, throwing them to the other side of the room. He mutters curses beneath his breath as he punches the thick hard pole that’s securing our tent. A coldness spreads through me and the surrounding tent. The cold earth beneath us seems to become even colder, which is concerning given I can feel it through the soles of my heavy boots and the floor of the tent that’s lined with fur.

“Stop,” I urge, but he doesn’t hear me. Instead, his movements quicken so much so that part of the wood flies from the post. I walk closer to him. His breath comes out in clouds as he huffs. A piece of the wood flies and hits me in the chest. Picking it up, I notice it’s frozen and toss it to the side.

“STOP!” I yell this time, holding my hands out and as I do, a soft bubble appears around him. Ereon’s fists hit the dome surrounding him two more times before realizing he is no longer connecting with the pole. He reaches out and touches the barrier before turning around to face me. His face is full of anguish but also awe. He reaches out, touching the circular enclosure, and it ripples around him like waves in the ocean.

“Close your fist and will it away,” Ereon says to me, still out of breath, but I do as he says. The dome surrounding him dissipates in an instant, falling to the ground in tiny raindrops that soak the floor.

“How did you know I should do that?” I ask.

“It’s what Anara did.”

“What happened?” I ask as I take in the surrounding chaos. In the time that I remember knowing Ereon, he’s shown nothing but calculated restraint on all things. Even while he was whipped.

“She ...” He seems to find the words as he turns to look at me and says, “She never loved me, I was just a piece in a game. She and my father ... we are all just pieces of a game.”

I take my fingers and wipe the strands of hair from his face. I don’t know what she told him, but I know she loves him in some capacity. Why else would she help us? Maybe there is more to it, but I know there are feelings there.

“Anara controls the flames, right? You said earlier that’s ‘what she did.’” I don’t understand what he’s trying to say right now and instead try to have him focus on something else. He already said that he wouldn’t turn his sword to me if I had the madness, he wouldn’t hurt her either.

He nods his head. “And I think she knows a lot more than that. Tomorrow, I’m asking for more information not just for this, but for you too. I suspect whatever is happening to her is also happening to you.”

I uncomfortably fidget with the fabric of my sleeve, as neither of us seem to have anymore to say. The silence filled with only our breathing. “Do you want me to leave you alone? I can sleep in Rhenor and Siphonie’s tent?” I ask, unsure of what I should do.

“No.” He pulls me into his broad chest. “Stay. We’ll figure everything out soon. For now … just stay.”

I let him wrap his hands around me, his fingers as cold as ice, but I don’t shy away from his touch. After a while, he releases me and starts picking up things on his side of the tent, muttering to himself. I walk to my side of the bed, sitting down on the edge, when something on my nightstand catches my attention. It’s not the items themselves, but how they lay.

My dagger is resting on the journal that Siphonie gave me — I had forgotten about that gift. The stone in the pummel sits just inside the small circular groove on the front cover. I reach over, picking it up and realizing if the silver encasement wasn’t on it, it’s a perfect fit.

“Combine the mountain and the valley .” The words from my dream come whispering through my mind. My fingers hum as I rub my hands together. I feel the bed dip behind me as Ereon wraps his arm around my waist.

“Beautiful dagger,” he mentions as he looks around me. “Where did you get it?”

“From Thylas.” I turn around to look at him. “Have you never seen it before? ”

He shakes his head. “I don’t think so. I can ask him about the dagger if you don’t want to. I know you are having a hard time connecting with him, but I was there, Ryehro , he tells you the truth.”

Not wanting to have this conversation again, I put the dagger and journal back on the table, and without another word, I fall into Ereon’s waiting arms.