Ilain grabbed a small woven bag from her saddlebag and began to slip off her rings, one at a time. The gemstones glinted with the faintest softness. She’d begun reinfusing them with magic slowly, but they wouldn’t hold any real power for several months.
The oil lamp’s light reflected in the ruby ring’s facets. Thirty years of magic had been lost, and she still hadn’t acted soon enough.
She pushed away the feeling of guilt that tugged at her again, tucking the last ring into the bag. She stared at her bare hands as she fixed the clasp, her gaze catching on her empty marital finger. In Wauld, they rarely exchanged rings upon marriage. It was an Ephrian tradition that had begun with the Shepherd King. Upon his coronation, he’d gifted his wife, Fionn, with an emerald and platinum band. From then on, the women of Ephria wanted wedding rings too. The men only began wearing them as a sign of returned fidelity, often matching their bands to their wives’ rings.
When Ethenn insisted that he’d get her a wedding band once they were married, she reminded him that they would be Bonded that day. “I’ll already be given a ring,” she said.
He shook his head. “That won’t be a wedding ring, though. I’ll get you a separate one to represent us.”
“Am I to wear six rings, then?” Ilain teased.
“You’re to wear however many you’d like,” he replied.
Staring at her hands now, Ilain smiled at the memory.No,she decided,I’ll just wear two.After all, what use would she have for the extra stores of power once they’d Bonded? Her moonstone ring and wedding band were all she’d need.
A draft swept through the room, causing Ilain to shiver. She looked toward the door, finding it still shut.
“Ilain.” Ethenn’s voice drew her to whirl around. He stood there before the open window, expression strangely devoid of emotion.
Ilain set the ring pouch on the bed. “Did you climb in through the window?” she asked with an incredulous tone.
“I didn’t care to explain myself to Thom and Raff,” he said.
She lifted her chin in understanding. Cautiously, she asked, “Did you go visit your uncle?”
“No.”
Ilain almost asked where he had gone but wondered if she had been right earlier. Maybe he was intending to surprise her. “Well,” she said with a friendly smile, “clearly you’re not ill.”
Ethenn’s jaw twitched. “No, I’m not.”
“Would you like to tell me where you went? Or am I to guess?”
He didn’t respond, shifting in obvious discomfort before her.
Noting that his manner was even more reserved than usual, Ilain wondered if this was typical of Ethenn on the verge of revealing a surprise. But by the tension in his expression, she thought it must be something far worse. “Ethenn—”
“Ilain, we need to talk.”
Ilain blinked at his serious tone. “All right,” she said. “Why don’t you come sit next to me, and we’ll talk?”
Though he hesitated, Ethenn slowly joined her on the bed, leaving a large gap between them. “I realized something tonight,” he said, clasping his hands between his knees. He kept his eyes down, his jaw clamped tight.
Ilain narrowed her gaze on the space between them. “You aren’t taking me to the forest, are you?”
Ethenn began to look at her but stopped himself. “No.”
“Hm.” Ilain took a deep breath and sighed. “Where did you go?”
“That doesn’t matter,” he said. “I’ve just learned that I can’t do this.”
While it certainly did matter, Ilain asked instead, “Do what?”
“This,” he said, then gestured sloppily between them. “Us.”
Ilain blanched.
“It was wrong of me to ever accept your offer,” he said. “I knew how you saw me. I knew we weren’t meant to be together, but... I wanted to think I could be enough for you. I realize now that I can’t.”
