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The wedding would be the perfect time for me to find a way out of this, after all. Everyone would be gone on the pilgrimage to the Temple of the Sister, where all unions were tied, blessed, and consummated on the altar before the Goddess. No one would know I had gone for almost a month before their return. The pilgrimage and the Walk of the Maiden was tradition, and I had waited for that ever since I first met Aeinya, before I actually knew what consummate meant. If none of this worked, I would miss it. I locked that pain inside. “I have to try.”
The Boy stared for a good long while, his breaths low and even. He didn’t move, didn’t gesture. After a minute he nodded once and for a second I thought he was agreeing, and then he moved back toward his corner.
“Wait!” I practically yelled, jumping up from the chair. “I need help to train.”
He didn’t stop, he only walked behind the partition again, leaving me staring.
I waited, counted to five, but still nothing.
Alright, so I guess that wasn’t an agreement.
Fine. I’ll do it myself. Who knew, maybe I would explode something again and figure that mystery out.
I straightened, flattening my skirts in preparation to fight the chair if it came down to it when he turned me back to him.
He stood there, still hooded, still shrouded, but holding my wooden sword out to me.
He didn’t click, didn’t nod, he just stood there with those swords held out, the silent promise enough.
“Thank you,” I whispered, looking toward what I hoped was his eyes as he nodded.
The two words were all he needed to hear before he swung his sword around to attack me.
I barely blocked it, the force of his swing against mine sending me back into the chaise.
He swung the sword, a dark chuckle issuing from behind the shroud. It had been years since I had missed a block from his attacks, years of training that had made my bones ache. Now, with one hit, they were doing more than aching, they were rattling inside of me.
Gritting my teeth, I jumped up, rushing and swinging him at the same time. He barely moved, only lifted his sword in what looked like a lazy parry and sent me away from him again. This time into the door.
What was happening? I hadn’t been this bad in years. But I could scarcely move quick enough to even get my sword close to his.
It only took three more swings of his wooden sword to realize why. He had been going easy on me before, but he wasn’t anymore.
Now, we were really training.
Chapter 19
Caspyn
The horse I had stolen used the last of its strength to bolt away from me. He had no loyalty to me, especially since I had sent him running since the moment I stole him from a merchant near Seetin. He was the second horse, the first having come from a vendor in Turin who was more than happy to take extra gold for the old beast.
I had left gold for both, probably more than what the beasts were worth in my haste to reach the Qit before Vaelar’s man. The horse from Seetin was a bag of bones, near starving and possibly not fast enough, but between the two I reached the port of Waide in four days.
I had barely stopped, and now as the sun crested over the far mountains behind me and sent the surface of the water dancing with gold, I could only pray I had been fast enough.
The waves were gentle in the low tide as I approached the Ferry that bobbed beside the dock, the old man half asleep on his seat at the end, his head resting on the loose ropes that tied him there.
“Tayln,” I hissed, my steps against the dock waking him up more than my voice. For one frightening second I had thought him dead, his body so limp and pale, but he sat up with a jerk, his eyes blinking furiously as he tried to focus on me.
“Caspyn!” He called in greeting, the joy on his face fading as I stepped closer and he caught sight of me. Or rather, he saw the blood and ash I was sure I was still covered in, the deep purple blending in with the soot. I doubted he could tell the difference between the two. Or, at least, I hoped he couldn’t.
“Where ya been, Caspyn?” His voice was markedly lower, more questioning. No, he was more accusing. I ignored him.
“Tayln, has anyone come by overnight? Or perhaps last evening? Two men, one blonde, one brunette?” He didn’t respond, he stood there, hand on the anchor rope as he stared me down with eyes I knew had seen too much.
Had always seen too much.
“What have you gone and done now, Caspyn?” His tone was near a snarl, an anger I had never seen in him beaming through those wisened eyes.
