Chapter 19
Tobias
The song of chirping crickets followed Tobias through the expansive woods.
He trekked in the center of the group, keen to stretch his legs after far too long on horseback, swerving around fallen logs and cracking twigs beneath his sandals.
They’d traveled for hours already, and the sun was quickly setting, darkening the surrounding carob trees and painting their skin in shadows.
Raphael and Hylas strode on foot a short distance behind him while Enzo led the way, his palomino draft horse’s wide ass swaying as it guided them to salvation—Trogolia, of all places.
Naomi hovered in Tobias’s thoughts, and a twinge pulled in his chest. He hadn’t had the chance to say goodbye to her, nor to assess her condition.
Who will manage her tonics? Who will tend to her pain?
His worries piled on top of one another, a myriad of nagging questions.
Soon the sheer thought of his sister was nearly too much to bear, and he turned to Leila, eager for a welcome ear.
Leila rode their black stallion at his side, unblinking eyes pointed straight ahead.
Everything about Her was vacant, Her mind left behind at the brothel.
Tobias’s shoulders sagged. The past few days had weighed on Her, and leaving Her sister with such short notice—again—no doubt left a stain on Her heart.
No, it wasn’t the time to unload his fears.
“Do You think it’s dangerous?” he said. “Delphi sharing a chamber with Naomi.”
He cast a sideways glance at Leila, who met his gaze, a single eyebrow arched. “Are you under the impression Delphi’s some sort of murderer?”
“No, I mean”—Tobias shrugged one shoulder—“Your sister is quite the scoundrel.”
“What does it matter? If Naomi prefers men, there shouldn’t be an issue.”
“And if she has a varied palate?”
Leila stopped short, puzzled. Then Her eyes shot wide, and She let out a hearty laugh.
“It’s not funny.” Tobias feigned a scowl that quickly betrayed him. “She’s been burned many times before.”
“Tobias, nothing’s happened,” She said.
“But wouldn’t it be a mess? We’re to wed. They’ll be family.”
“It’s sweet of you,” She cooed. “Worrying for your sister’s heart.”
“You’re not making me feel the slightest bit better.”
His grin revealed his lie. Leila waved a dismissive hand at him, and Her horse mirrored the sentiment with the flick of its tail.
Instantly, She was lighter, and Tobias was proud he could be the one to alleviate Her fears, even if his still lingered.
Leila trotted to Enzo’s side, and Tobias couldn’t help but admire the long braid hanging down Her back, the length of Her slender neck and subtle curve of Her waist. Hylas hurried past Tobias to Leila and Enzo, looking up at the two as he gleaned their conversation—whatever it was, Tobias didn’t particularly care.
His life had become a constant state of strife, and reveling in Leila’s beauty was one of his few and most favored distractions.
Raphael strode up to Tobias’s side, hands deep in his pockets as he kicked pebbles out of his way. He followed the path of Tobias’s steadfast gaze, eyes narrowed as if he was deep in thought.
“Did She hate you?”
Tobias flinched. “What?”
“When you first met,” Raphael said. “Did Leila hate you?”
“Why would you think She hated me? Did you hate me?”
“I’m just curious.”
Tobias cast Raphael a skeptical glance. “We didn’t get along, no.”
“How did you fix that?” Raphael asked. “How did you get Her to like you?”
“Well, I didn’t try to make Her like me, it just happened, I think.”
“How?”
“I don’t know, we talked, got to know one another. Then I almost died a few times.” Tobias laughed. “You know, a very standard courtship.”
“You’re not helpful at all.”
“What am I helping you with?” The realization hit Tobias, and he smirked. “Oh. There’s a woman back home. Already? The tournament only just ended.”
Frowning, Raphael looked away. “Never mind.”
“What’s her name?”
“You’re useless.”
“Relax, I’m fucking with you.” Tobias nudged Raphael in the ribs. “When you return home, ask her questions.”
Raphael’s posture eased. “Ask her questions?”
“Yes, that’s what I did with Leila. I asked all about Her sisters, life in the palace, things of that nature. She seemed to appreciate it. And there was lots of laughter.”
“Laughter?”
“Yes, laughter. You’re familiar, I hope?” Raphael’s frown deepened, and Tobias chuckled. “Just be kind. I know that’s quite hard for you—”
“Shut up.”
“I’m surprised She wasn’t impressed with your title. Surviving the Sovereign’s Tournament tends to turn men into stallions overnight. Which begs the question, how badly did you muddle everything up with this woman?”
“Go to hell.” Raphael took his leave, cursing under his breath as he joined the others at the front of the traveling party. All four of them walked and trotted in a line, leaving Tobias to follow—along with his mother, who kept up the rear as she had their whole journey.
Tobias glanced over his shoulder. His mother trailed the group on her bay mare twenty or so paces away, though it may as well have been miles.
She’d joined them solely to see Tobias off, yet she hadn’t spoken a word to him since they’d left the brothel.
Something had wedged itself between them ever since he’d returned home, and while he had assumed time would lessen its power, their divide only cut deeper.
He’d accepted that the tournament had changed him, but it had changed her as well, and his new mother kept him at a distance—or perhaps despised him altogether.
Tobias stopped, waiting as his mother closed the space between them. Even as she reached his side, she didn’t look his way.
“I imagine it’s not much farther.” Tobias kept his words even and casual. “Once we’re there, Leila can give you the gift of shadow walking and you can return to the brothel without trouble.”
Her eyes were trained on the path ahead. “I can travel there just fine on horseback.”
“Don’t be silly. You needn’t extend yourself.”
“I’ve lived a full life without magic. I most certainly don’t need it now.”
Tobias hesitated. “That’s not exactly true,” he finally said. “Leila’s been blessing the realm for years. We’ve all benefited from Her magic.”
His mother flared her nostrils but said nothing, leaving Tobias to stew in silence.
Perhaps if he could see her colors the way Leila could, he’d have some idea of how to proceed.
Then again, if colors merely mirrored emotions, they were useless to him.
His mother’s horrid feelings were written across her face.
He mustered a half-smile. “I’m glad you’ve come to see us off.”
“I came to see you off.” She looked his way, her gaze cutting and cold. “You’re my son. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
“And I’m grateful. I know Leila is too.”
She let out a cynical scoff. “What would She know of a mother’s love?”
Tobias nearly stopped in his tracks. “That’s an extremely cruel thing to say.”
“It’s true.”
“Her mother died trying to save Her. Leila wouldn’t be alive without that sacrifice.”
She didn’t respond, though her frame had turned to a slab of stone and her knuckles blanched as she gripped her reins. Tobias studied her, certain he could peer straight into the workings of her mind.
“Do you not like Leila?”
“The woman who’s put your life in danger?” she shot back. “Who’s plunged us into war? No, I don’t like Her much at all.”
Her words were an unexpected blow, wounding and humbling him in one sharp swoop. “She has been nothing but warm to you.”
“She has murdered men before our eyes.”
“To save us.” Tobias stopped hard, prompting the mare to do the same. “Are you really this blind?”
His mother furrowed her brow, her lips pursed. “Don’t speak to me with such contempt, I am your mother.”
“And She is my bride. I will not have you disrespect Her.”
“Look at where we are!” She gestured toward the woods around them. “Look at the hell we’ve endured at Her hands!”
“At the hands of Brontes, a corrupt dictator who’ll end us all if we don’t act.” His heartbeat ignited, and he winced, disgust lacing his words. “God, I sacrificed my apprenticeship, my passion, my life for you, and you would deny me my first happiness in years?”
“You’re a pawn in Her game.”
“Really?” he spat. “The woman who saved my life multiple times? Who risked Her own in the process?”
“She’s turned you into a murderer. I saw you fight the Giant, then again at the Culmination. I watched you kill.”
Tobias flexed his jaw. “You’d have me die in the arena instead?”
“I’d have you not in the arena at all.”
“I was there for Naomi. For you. Not for Her.” He nearly barked out his words, composure swiftly slipping away. “And how soon you forget whose blessings saved me. Had it not been for Leila, you wouldn’t have a son to find fault with.”
He charged off without parting, heading after his comrades. A roar bellowed in his chest, begging for release, though it would do him no good. His fury was merely a mask concealing his bruised pride and trampled heart.
Upon reaching the others, Tobias slowed his gait and loosened his shoulders, feigning a casualness that didn’t reach his insides. Leila furrowed Her brow. “Are you all right?”
He smiled. “Of course, darling.”
Her gaze didn’t stray, raking over him like a second skin. He pretended to be more interested in the surrounding woods, certain his eyes would betray him if he looked Her way.
“We’re losing daylight.”
Raphael’s voice stole the group’s attention, twisting Tobias’s unsettled stomach into a knot. The sun had mostly disappeared, its final rays barely visible along the skyline. The woods behind them were shrouded in blackness, and soon the path ahead would be the same.
Raphael let out an irritated sigh, adjusting his pack across his shoulder. “It might be time to consider setting up camp.”
“I thought this was supposed to be a single day’s journey?” Hylas said.
“It is,” Enzo grumbled, trotting on.
“You’re certain we’re heading the right way?” Raphael asked.
“He’s certain.” Leila’s voice came out soft and lazy, Her exhaustion not so easily hidden. “Leave him be.”
“I might share Your confidence if he’d tell us where we’re going.”
“I have told you,” Enzo said. “We go to Trogolia.”
“A whole other realm. Just like that.”
“Enough of this,” Tobias spat. “I haven’t the patience.”
Raphael grimaced, eyeing Tobias up and down. “What’s gotten you in a mood?”
Tobias stiffened, the weight of his mother’s disdain heavy on his shoulders. “We’re all tired, we’re all hungry, and we’re all ready for this to end.”
“And we kill many men!” Enzo pounded his chest, a proud grin on his face.
The back of Tobias’s neck burned as if his mother’s glare bore through his flesh. “Let’s just get to where we’re going,” he muttered.
Something within urged him to look her way, but he resisted.
It wasn’t enough that the whole of Thessen thought him a traitor to the realm.
His mother had to judge him too. His own feet were barely visible, but he continued on their trail regardless.
If trekking through the woods was his only distraction from his shame, he’d navigate the darkness all night.
“Wait.” Hylas stopped hard. “Someone’s coming.”
The rest of the group skidded to a halt, peering into the nothingness. “Where?” Leila said.
Hylas pointed a long finger forward. “There’s light up ahead.”
Gripping the hilt of his sword, Tobias took slow, soft steps through the brush. Hylas was right. Light winked between the leaves like flickering stars.
A smile split Enzo’s face. “Hapa.” He hopped down from his horse and barreled ahead. “We go.”
“Wait,” Tobias said, but Enzo was already bounding through the woods, batting branches from his path as if his skin was impenetrable.
Tobias and Leila hurried after him, ducking beneath low-hanging boughs, dodging brambles and boulders.
As the foliage began to thin, they broke into a sprint, heedless to whatever dangers lay ahead.
Darkness gave way to light as Tobias burst free from the woods, stumbling to a stop at the top of a rocky hillside.
Enzo stood at its edge with his hands on his hips, staring out at the vastness before them.
Endless water stretched into the distance, its rippling surface reflecting the light of the setting sun.
As Tobias fought to still his breathing, Enzo turned toward him, cocking his head at the lake below.
“We are here.”