Chapter 38 #3
I only knew Zelle for a matter of moons before he was taken by Mortidem, but I would have assumed there would’ve been signs of his city, like favouring Zara and her crew. But Zelle never gave me the cutthroat Rowell vibe. Not once.
Then again, that wasn’t the sort of man Zelle was. He was fair, honourable and wise. And it’s not like every single person from the city can be an arsehole.
‘He left Rowell young,’ Kyor admits. ‘Found his dire wolf Fen shortly after – on the trip down to Wrohelm, if the tales are to be believed. It would make sense for Fen to have gone there to pass.’ His voice fades.
‘I’m sorry,’ Ryne says. She looks with sympathy at Kyor. ‘I know that losing them both must have been hard for you and Elska.’
Kyor nods. ‘Yeah.’
We fall into silence, each of us recalling our separate experiences of the commander, as the band starts up again, heavy drums with a rhythmic beat. Behind us, a woman shrieks with laughter as a man lifts her up onto a tabletop to dance.
‘Well, I should let you go,’ Kyor says finally to Ryne. ‘You’ll keep in touch?’
‘If I can, yes. How long are you here for?’
He shrugs. ‘Not sure. We need to find a room first.’
‘You don’t have a room?’ Ryne looks truly horrified. ‘And I take it you don’t want to deal with the court?’
‘You know me well.’ He smiles ruefully. ‘No, I don’t. It appears we picked the wrong time to arrive.’
‘You can say that again. There won’t be a spare room in all of Galreck. It seems as if half of Rowell has come to celebrate as well.’
My stomach sinks. A bed of straw it is, likely right next to Kyor. I wish the thought didn’t make my pulse race, but last night I thought I might have lost him, and the relief I feel that he’s still here makes me want to hold him closer than ever. And that’s a dangerous thing to consider.
‘Take my room,’ Ryne offers. ‘It’s upstairs. Small and crappy, and that’s putting it nicely, but it’s something. Herbert, Jones, and I were there together the last couple of nights, but they left this morning. And don’t worry, I already arranged for clean sheets to be put on.’
‘Well, if there’s room for the three of you, then maybe we could just bunk down with you?’ I question.
She shoots me a smile, and I can’t tell why but it feels like there’s a hint of amusement in there.
‘No, it’s fine. Honestly, I was going to head further into the city anyway. I was avoiding the knights’ quarters to stop word getting out about Wrohelm knights being here, but it’s been four days now. Either Arle knows we’re here or he doesn’t. I’ll sleep there.’
‘Knights’ quarters are almost as gossipy as the courts,’ Kyor notes, ‘and you hate them as much as I do. I don’t want you going there on my account.’
‘I do hate them. But I owe you. A lot.’ Her eyes fix on the prince with a mixture of tenderness and admiration. ‘Please, let me do this for you. After everything you’ve done for us, it’s hardly a lot.’
Kyor presses his lips together. He glances at me, then back at Ryne. ‘You’re sure?’
‘I am.’ She pulls a key out of her pocket and hands it to me. ‘Up the stairs. Second door on the left,’ she instructs.
‘Do you not need to get your things first?’ I ask.
She taps the small satchel that’s slung over her arm. ‘I travel light. If I can’t carry it with me at all times, it’s not worth taking.’
I look to Kyor, not wanting to accept the key until he’s given his approval. Finally, he nods.
‘Thank you, Ryne. I owe you one,’ he says.
‘Not even close,’ she replies with a light laugh.
The two exchange a long hug, during which I’m almost sure Ryne whispers something in his ear, before she disappears into the crowd.
Kyor turns back to me. ‘Well, I guess we should get you safely ensconced upstairs.’
I have to admit, after the last couple of hours, I’d all but given up on getting a room to sleep in, and the thought of somewhere comfortable to lay my head makes me almost emotional. Somewhere warm. A mattress and not just a pallet on the floor …
What’s more, the fact that Ryne shared the room with two others suggests it will give me a chance to actually put some space between Kyor and me tonight, even if we do have to sleep in the same bed. Anything to avoid waking wrapped around him and reminded of all the perfect mornings we had before.
I shake the thoughts from my head. This isn’t the time. He’s injured and I still don’t trust him. Not completely. Not the way I should. Not the way he wants me to.
But do I need trust for this? Can it not just be one simple, physical night?
No. I quash all the images that try to rise in my mind, but each thought is punctuated by another far more reckless one.
His body is behind me as I put the key in the lock and push open the door. My stomach lurches at the sight that greets us.
‘Oh. But …’ The room is tiny. How the hell Ryne shared the room with two men is beyond me.
I turn to look at Kyor in disbelief, only to see a smirk ghosting on his lips. ‘Let’s just say Ryne’s … adventurous.’
I stare at the single bed crammed into a room barely bigger than it.
This is going to end badly.