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My calves tensed in my boots. “Is this your subtle attempt at telling me you disapprove of me being with Galantia?”
“You are where the goddess wants you to be; it is not for me to judge her plans,” she said, and there was no jest in her tone, no sarcasm. “It is simply a sad thing to watch Malyr suffer.”
I stacked some of the wood in the cradle of my arm, the weight tugging heavier on my shoulder than it should. Quarrels and betrayal aside, Malyr was my best friend, the brother I never had. Had I wanted him to find contentment in a bond? Absolutely. But I wouldn’t feel guilty over my love for Galantia or her choice to be with me.
I turned back toward the fire. “If he’s suffering the Endless Ache, maybe he should ask himself if he deserves it.”
“Perhaps he does,” Marla called behind me. “She, however, does not.”
My foot rested on the ground a second too long, hesitation slinking into my limbs. Galantia was in constant discomfort—no matter how she tried to shrug it off—pretending that she wasn’t drawn to Malyr, that she didn’t still harbor affection for him somewhere buried under her anger and disappointment. If it wasn’t for me, would she change her mind and bond? Could she allow herself to fully love him once more? Would he be the better choice?
I pushed through those questions and strode back toward the pit, because only one truly counted. Could Malyr be a good mate and make her happy?
Nothing else mattered.
Not until he stepped up to the fucking task.
A good while later, Asker sat on one of the three fallen tree trunks Malyr had arranged around the fire that now crackled at the center of our group. Night had settled quickly, and luckily, the cold was bearable.
“From what the scouts reported,” Asker said, “Lord Brisden did exactly as we anticipated. He is sailing his remaining troops to join forces with King Barat once more, adding several hundred well-trained archers to Ammarett’s defenses, as per my account.”
Beside him, Malyr shook his head, pulling strings of meat from a spitted roasted rabbit as he stared into the flickering flames. “It does not upset me nearly as much as the ten ships he took to get his men there.”
Lorn sat behind Asker in a tree, her back leaning against the trunk. “Something that could be solved with flasks of oil and a few torches.”
“As if he would be stupid enough to allow it.” Malyr leaned over, his eyes still fixed on the fire, bracing his elbows on his thighs as he continued eating. “He took the ships far out into the ocean. Longer journey, but making it difficult for our ravens to wrestle the wind without tiring.”
“There’s a reason why ravens don’t migrate; we’re not built for crossing oceans.” I tore a string of meat from the roasted rabbit in my hand and dangled it before Galantia’s mouth. “Eat some more.”
Fuck me, she smiled so beautifully. The way she ate from my fingers caused such flutters in my chest before she said, “You’ve been feeding me all night.”
“I enjoy doing it.” Just like I enjoyed the way she’d started to comb out my hair and tie up my topknot each morning. “You’ll need your strength. Valtaris is still half a day flight away, and I know you’re sore.”
“I’ll manage.”
I gave a little nuzzle at her temple, but only until I noticed how everyone shifted uncomfortably on their tree trunks. Except for Lorn, who fucking grinned into her piece of bread. Oh, and Malyr, who stared at me through sparks of the fire, as if he was considering how much it would hurt to run through the coals.
Until he sank his gaze to the ground.
That was… not like him at all.
“Yes, well, it is a shame,” Asker said eventually. “If only the goddess would have showed me. Unpredictable, like just about any woman.”
Beside him, Marlatsked.“Enough with this talk of war; no battles will be fought until spring, anyway—too much ice in the bay of Ammarett.”
Galantia cleared her throat. “Will the shadow prince finally tell us why we’re going to Valtaris?”
“Sweet little girl,” Lorn huffed, “don’t ask questions you aren’t ready to hear the answer to. Wouldn’t want you to faint.”
Galantia scoffed, “Goodness, Lorn, I had no idea you took this much concern in my well-being.”
Lorn dropped one leg off the branch, something menacing glinting in her eyes. “You’ve been awfully—”
“I want you to try to lift the shadows near Valtaris.” Malyr’s voice silenced Lorn… and everyone else. For long moments, he kept chewing on his meat before he finally added, “Your void is deep… deeper than even my mother’s was.”
A laugh bubbled from Galantia’s throat, slowed when Malyr ripped more meat off his rabbit, and ultimately stretched into a groan before she said, “Oh gods, you actually mean it.”
Looking up, Malyr licked his fingers. “Why would I not?”
