“Is that right?” Evaine said through her teeth, her eyes lifting to focus on something behind Rolan.
He turned to see Luc walking their way, still buttoning up his pants.
“Who are you?” the Arcanist called out gruffly. “You shouldn’t be here.”
Rolan saw Anaya’s eyes widen as she beheld the figure of myth and legend, the monstrous man they’d whispered stories about alltheir lives. For his part, Luc did look pretty fearsome, scowling at them as he was, but the effect was somewhat ruined by the bathwater dripping from his beard.
“Anaya. Rolan.” Evaine’s voice was deceptively even, her eyes locked on the Arcanist. “Why don’t you run along and catch up while I speak with this… gentleman?”
- CHAPTER 11 -SHARP WORDS
Rolan exchanged a look with Anaya, then grabbed her hand and pulled her up the path. “I have so much to show you! There’s this goat, Supper, and a horse, and—”
“Stay out of the house!” barked Luc.
Ignoring him, Rolan dragged Anaya onward, pausing atop the hill to look back. He watched, feeling strangely nervous as Evaine and the Arcanist descended into argument, with angry gesturing and proud head tossing, like a pair of horses marking their territory.Didhorses mark their territory? Rolan felt sure they did, but Luc only had the one horse, so it wasn’t like he’d had a chance to witness such a phenomenon.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” he asked Anaya.
“You.” She frowned, studying his face. “Evaine’smadmad. She said you got taken advantage of by people bigger and smarter than you.”
“Smarter!” Rolan scowled. “Luc’s scary, but I wouldn’t say he’ssmart. Every night he rides into the woods with no lamp, no torch,nothing.”
Anaya’s eyes widened. “Does he really fight Cryptics?”
Rolan shrugged, not wanting to admit how little he actually knew about his so-called master. “C’mon. I’ll show you something that’llreallycurl your hair.”
Anaya tugged at her coils as he pulled her inside the house. She looked around nervously, staying close to his side. “I’m not sure we should be doing this.”
Rolan could hardly believe his ears. Was this the same girl who’d once broken into the rug merchant’s house just to try on his daughter’s lacy dresses? They’d nearly been caught that day. They’d had to hide for hours inside the closet, pressed between gowns, half terrified, half delirious with laughter, pretending they were braver than they were.
Where wasthatAnaya?
“It’s fine,” he said. “By the way, your lock-picking lesson? Best thing you ever taught me. Wait till you see—”
“Rolan,stop.”
He turned to face her, surprised and dismayed to hear Evaine’s firm tones echoed in Anaya’s voice. She was changing so quickly, he could barely recognize her sometimes. Worse, deep down, he knew what his real fear was: that she’d change too fast for him to keep up. And then she’d leave him behind.
“We’re worried about you,” Anaya said. “This man, thisArcanist, he’s dangerous.”
“So?” Her use of the wordweannoyed him. As if she and Evaine were a solid, inseparable unit. “Would you rather I be rotting in the duke’s prison?”
“Of course not! But if you want an apprenticeship, Evaine could find you something better. Something safer.”
Rolan’s mouth twisted in irritation. “I ain’t… I’m notscared, Anaya.”
“That’s not what I’m saying. I just want you to be safe.” Her warm eyes swept over his face. She stepped closer, touching the new scar on his forehead, the one left by the Cryptic. “Did you know most Arcanists don’t live more than five years in this job?”
Rolan hadn’t known that. He wished she hadn’t told him. But he set his jaw. “Luc’s been an Arcanist way longer than that. I think. Anyway, someone’s got to protect the city.”
She arched an eyebrow at him, giving him a brief, precious glimpse of her old self. “You?Since when did you care aboutthe city? Or anyone other than yourself?”
Rolan pulled back, his chest aching as if she’d punched him squarely in the ribs. She must have seen the hurt in his eyes because she winced, her hand going to his arm.
“Rolan—”
“I cared aboutyou,” he said tightly. “We cared about each other. Helped each other. Saved each other. Then you left, Anaya. You were my best friend. My only friend. And you left to become one ofthem.”
