Page 105 of Forged in Fading

He took a step back, his spine stiff. “That’s all I am to you. A distraction.”

Alvara’s heart hit a panicked rhythm. “Maybe distraction wasn’t the right word. What I’m saying is that this”—she gestured between them—“isn’t helping us win.”

“And is that all you care about, Alvara?” His lips pulled back from his teeth as he spoke. “Winning?”

Alvara squashed the regret that begged her to take it all back. “Of course. If we don’t, what will happen to the humans and the demi-elves?”

Boden only stared back, his amber eyes as hard and impenetrable as any Dalvian gemstone.

And then…

He left.

“Where are you going?” She clambered to her feet.

“You want to win. I won’t distract you from it anymore.” He didn’t look back, not even once, his head bowed as he disappeared into the town that was wholly unaware of another battle that had just been fought.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Boden tormented her for the next few days. Not literally, of course, because he hadn’t shown his face since she had so kindly declared their friendship an obstacle to victory.

She tried to focus on the positive developments since the king’s invasion, like the strengthening partnership between the elves and humans. Fighting side by side, protecting each other with their lives, it had forged something fragile but powerful that hummed a quiet tune beneath the dirge of fading. It existed in the extra meals offered to the elves, the use of magic to clear earth for new homes.

The chiefs who had survived the attack had pledged their support and would speak with the towns of those who hadn’t made it. They would not only provide food and supplies but also send men and weapons to fight alongside them when King Einar returned. He would, she had no doubt. This had been only a test of their defenses and a strategy to remove as many of the humans’ leaders as possible before unleashing his full power. The damage had made it clear—he had no intention of leaving survivors when the true battle began. He would do whatever he could to ensure his triumph.

Alvara had since learned that Kat, in her falcon form, had been able to catch the owl shifter by surprise and injure him so he was unable to escape. Not only had he given King Einar the information needed to ambush Gosibik, but he had also been the one who destroyed the runes on Ilmanir’s walls just before the previous battle. Security would be heightened, with all meetings occurring inside closed buildings and any questionable animal presence investigated.

The progress made should have bolstered Alvara’s spirits, but instead, her world had lost all color. Food tasted of nothing, no matter what she ate. She turned to blacksmithing, since the humans had little desire to train until their homes were rebuilt. But each swing of her hammer, each weapon forged, failed to fill the writhing pit in her stomach.

She had replaced elven companionship with Vigi, who proved a poor substitute since he offered no ability to talk other than barking at the small animals that appeared more frequently as nyr settled into its rhythm.

But this life, free of interruptions, held the key to overcoming the battle ahead.

At least that was what she chanted to herself morning and night.

“Damn it!” Alvara tossed the blade aside. A small crack fissured through the metal. She had overheated it—the third one today. What in Dalviri’s name was wrong with her?

“Lovely day, isn’t it?” Rav said behind her.

She sighed and faced him, arms crossed. “What do you want?”

“You’re in the same shit mood he is.” He picked up the sword she had botched and turned it over in his grip.

No, Alvara was not diving into this topic, not today. Instead, she grabbed a broom and vigorously swept the floor, even though it had been nearly spotless since her interaction with Boden.

“You have been in a mood.” Pyry stared pointedly at her broom as he quenched a weapon, spinning it in slow circles.

Oda stopped beside him and looked her up and down. “Sad mood.”

Those two had grown undeniably close in their time spent together, only reminding Alvara of what she had given up. “I am not in a sad mood!”

Pyry and Oda shared a look that made her want to smack them both with her broom.

“He’s been shifting more than normal.” Rav set the weapon down. “I haven’t seen him like this since Kielana.”

Kielana? He made it sound like she was someone close to Boden. Very close. Alvara couldn’t swallow the lump in her throat. “Were they…” Rav raised his eyebrows, and she clamped her mouth shut. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. It’s for the best.”

“You and I don’t play these games.” He pointed to the stump on his shoulder. “You didn’t do it with me, and I won’t do it with you. You’re being a damn idiot, Alvara. Talk to him. Or you may find one day he won’t be able to shift back.”