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He was tall, all three of them were. And, like Dalyth, dressed almost entirely in black. Ryze wore a white shirt under his black jacket, but he left it unbuttoned almost to the flat planes of his stomach. He looked as though he was almost entirely made of muscle. The only delicate thing about him, as far as I could tell, were the pointed tips of his ears. Even his chin, which also tended toward a point, was hard.
No one would ever mistake him for a human.
I was wary of him. Any sensible person, human or Fae, would be. He held himself like someone used to giving orders and having them followed. Not like Geralda, who wanted people under her thumb, just because she could. His was more effortless somehow, like people followed him because they wanted to.
"I'm not going to get her killed," Zared argued.
"No, you're not." Ryze propped himself up on one elbow. "Because I won't let you. You can get yourself killed as much as you want, but Khala is under my protection."
"She doesn't belong to you," Zared snarled.
I might have blanched at his tone, but Ryze was undeterred.
"I suspect you're labouring under the misconception she belongs toyou," he said evenly. "You might find you're mistaken."
I found my breath in my throat. I didn't think what he was trying to say was that I didn't belong to anyone. It sounded like he was implying I belonged to him.
"Can you shut the fuck up?" Vayne growled. "Some of us are actually trying to sleep."
"Apologies." Ryze lay back down, but he didn't sound sorry at all. "I suggest we all get some rest. Like I said, tomorrow will be a long day."
I sensed Zared wanted to argue, but he flopped down heavily instead.
"It will be all right," I whispered, in spite of presuming we were being overheard.
He grunted. "What if we're not? What if you're not?"
I had no answer for that. All I had was Ryze's reassurance that Havenmoor wasn't safe. That Ebonfalls wasn't safe. And the evidence of my own eyes—seeing Dalyth attack the caravan. We weren't safe with her either. Was I really going to risk both of our lives based on an assurance from a Fae, just because he spoke pretty words, in a honey-smooth voice that threatened to make me wet between my thighs?
If he was one of the gods, he'd be one people should never turn their backs on. One people should never trust. One minute you’d be drowning in his eyes and the next he'd be flaying you alive.
"You don't know do you?" Zared's accusing tone was back, definitely aimed at me this time.
And this time, I didn't bother to hold back my own irritation from him. "Like Ryze said, they don't need you. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to let you leave anytime you want to go."
My throat hurt from all those words. My heart too, because I didn't want to fight with him.
He moved over and cupped his hands around my ear. When he spoke again it was softer than ever. "I'm not leaving you, because in spite of what he might say, you do belong to me. Even if you never feel the same way." Before I could respond, he rolled over to face the other way and settled into the damp leaves under him.
I screwed my eyes shut for a moment and grimaced to myself. When I opened them again, Ryze still watched me, the light from the stars enough to make his eyes glitter.
That was all he did, watch, but there was something in his gaze that was heavier than that. Like the weight of the sky rested on him somehow. On something he needed to do or be, and he wasn't sure whether or not he could pull it off.
I felt like I was intruding on a private moment. Maybe it was deliberate. He let his guard down enough for me to see behind the bravado. To make me understand there was more at stake than the friendship between Zared and me. More than the lives of two mere humans.
I wasn't sure if I should be offended or terrified. If this was beyond his ability, then whatever was going on, what chance did I have?
I felt as if that same sky pressed down on me.
He smiled, and the moment was over. The Fae male bravado was back, cocky as ever.
I rolled my eyes at him, then turned and tried to sleep.
8
Khala
Iwoke, cold and stiff, my clothes still damp from the previous day's rain. The early morning sun barely penetrated a canopy heavily shrouded in mist.
