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No matter. It’s hard to neglect that her tactic seems to be working. And since we are here for Lena, I swallow my distaste.
Silas leans forward the longer they talk, his eyes only leaving her when inspecting me. His apprehension seems to seep away with every sentence she speaks. If Ari can get a lead on Lena, I’ll sanction whatever she needs to do in order to get it— even entertaining this moron.
I turn my focus back to the room, trusting Ari to get whatever information she can. If this doesn’t end well we are only a few steps from the exit. Once we made it outside it would take only a few moments for Otto and Aiden to see our distress and come, evening the odds to a winnable chance. Or at the least, an escapable chance.
A few of Silas’s men appear to be in conversation, but each one also seems to be keeping an eye on our interaction. There’s no change in the atmosphere, not yet. But I can’t shake the feeling that trouble is on the horizon.
The men are getting restless with their foreign company, a few gazes drifting to their weapons against the wall. Their swords are out of reach, but no one dares move toward them.Hurry, Ari.
Jaren catches my eye again, a scowl on his features as he stares at me from the corner of his vision. Not only do I know this man from somewhere, but his regard is more than the wariness of a stranger. It’s almost malicious in nature.
I watch him interact with his table. His brown hair is slicked back, his dark eyes sizing me up while he pretends to be engaged by his companions. If I stare long enough, maybe my mind will finally reveal where I’ve seen him before—
“Your brother, Corin. Does he speak?” My eyes flick away from Jaren, landing on Silas as he acknowledges me. I force away a grimace, hoping not to deter Ari’s efforts in gaining his trust.
“Don’t mind him. His wife ran off with one of his closest friends just a few days ago. He hasn’t spoken much since,” she says through a pitying frown, trailing a finger down the side of my face in what I expect is supposed to be an intimate gesture of affection and comfort. “It’s ok, brother. We will fix you up and find you someone else.” She pouts her lips, talking to me as if she were talking to a child. I almost roll my eyes, breaking the pathetic character she’s conjured up for me.
Instead, I narrow my eyes, annoyed at how I’ve somehow come to be the quiet, pitiful one in her story. She is biting back a smile, trying to keep the facade of doting, sorrowful sister on the tip of her tongue. But the humor still reaches her eyes, a slight shimmer among the hues of green.
The men chuckle to themselves, and my jaw tightly clenches. I wonder what it would feel like to knock Silas right out of his chair. The image brings me the slightest bit of satisfaction.
“Say,” she turns to face Silas, “we’ve been trying to locate exactly where they went. She took a few things that belong to our family, and it would be nice to get them back. We thought them long gone, but perhaps you can help us.” Ari shifts in her seat almost imperceptibly, the only indication of the true thief underneath her facade. “Have you seen anyone come through here, or on the road of your travels, that may have been her and her lover? Brother,” she turns to face me, “why don’t you describe your betraying former wife and sordid friend to Silas.” She’s laying it on thick, but a glance at Silas shows me he still believes every word.
I clear my throat, turning everyone’s attention on me. “My wife— she has light colored hair, like that of a pale sunflower. Her eyes a soft brown. She’s a little shorter than Calla.” I look toward my supposed sister before turning back to Silas. “And my friend— he has dark hair, similar to my own, reaching to his shoulders. He likes to keep it pulled back. His eyes are equally dark, and he’s built well. They would obviously be traveling together,” I tell him, doing my best to keep as heartbroken a look through my countenance as possible, playing to Ari’s story.
The man’s once velvety demeanor turns rigid. The room quiets, all eyes moving from Silas, to Ari, and then to myself. All my senses come to life, my body fringing on the precipice of staying put to see this through, or grabbing Ari and lunging for the door. Only the smallest chance that he will tell me of Lena, give me any clue to where she may be, keeps me in my seat.
A few beats pass before Silas speaks, putting me further on edge. “I can’t say I’ve seen anyone that fits that description.” He leans back in his chair, his hands meeting together in front of him as his icy stare slips between me and the girl.
He knows we are lying. But how? Up until I described Lena and Aldren, Ari had him eating from her hand.
My shrewd companion doesn’t miss a breath. “That’s too bad. Looks like today is not our lucky day after all. Well, Corin,” Ari looks to me, something akin to both victory and loss playing across her face, “we should be on our way if we want to get to Father in time.”
“Don’t you want a horse?” Silas asks her. “That is why you came in here after all.” Unconsciously, I reach for the handle of my sword, my body sensing the unease around me, but I’m met with the reminder of its absence.
“I can see there are no horses available here,” Ari replies. She stands, her chair scraping out behind her.
Everyone in the room rises, mirroring her movements, except for Silas. I stand slowly, my full height reaching above any other man here. The man closest to me looks me up and down, a frown pulling at his face.
Ari smiles as she looks around, a fierceness within the gesture that signals the end of Calla. “Such loyal men you carry with you, Silas.”
“Down to the death.” His hateful grin is potent, taking over the putrid scent of the space. Thundering silence follows, everybody waiting for the other to move.
“When I give the signal, run,” I breathe, loud enough for only Ari to hear. The only response I get is a mere twitch of her finger.
I inhale deeply before lunging wildly to the side. My fist closes the distance toward the man nearest me, connecting to his jaw and sending him backward into his table. My gaze turns toward Silas, my pent-up annoyance itching to give him the same fate.
But twelve hungry men swarm us before I get the chance.
I turn just in time to see the door swing open, Ari running through the only exit. The clamor of unsheathing swords reaches me, spurring me to follow her. I duck and twist my way out of the grasp of several men.
Silas sits in his chair, watching the scene stumble around him, his face cloaked with indifference. Knowing men like him, he saves his vengeance and serves it slowly. More than ever I regret leaving my sword behind, desperately wanting to feel it glide into his chest and watch his malevolent grin fade away. But I made the stupid decision to leave it behind, lending me worthless against the steel heading my way.
The light and heat of early afternoon reaches me as I sprint out the door, the clamor of footsteps rumbling close behind me.
18
Ari
