The Next Night

If it were possible, Carissa was even more tired this night than she had been the last. And Elon's ominous warning had made her freeze every time a breeze raked through the forest, making leaves crinkle and branches clatter.

She had tried to take some of the supplies from the previous camp, but found she was too weak to carry anything for long. How was she to survive two more days without healing? The thought of hours and hours more of pain and exhaustion was almost enough to make her crumple where she stood.

But she reminded herself that Elon knew her limits. She had to trust him in this.

She finally staggered into the circle, within which was a smoldering fire pit and bedroll. Where had he found so many bedrolls?

It took her a few minutes to revive the fire before eating a dinner of grisly meat and berries. She slipped off her boots and wriggled her aching toes. Her feet were bright red, as if it had all turned into one large blister. Two more days. Could she truly make it?

She tried to slip into the bedroll, but Elon's warning kept buzzing through her mind. She mustn't leave the circle, especially tonight. But why tonight? What would happen?

The best way to listen to Elon would be simply to fall asleep and remain where she was. Yet an hour passed, and though her eyes burned with exhaustion, her heart wouldn't cease its panicked flutter.

Something snapped, and Carissa startled, her eyes flying wide open. She must have fallen asleep. She pulled the blanket to her chin. Could it be a yare wolf or Reaper? And would it have killed Elon to be slightly less vague about the threat?

What—or who—could tempt her to leave the campsite? Would she be tempted to go to them? Or run from them?

Footsteps. The soft hush of breathing.

Carissa's heart thudded louder, drowning out all other sound. She closed her eyes. If she just ignored it, just remained where she was until morning, she would be safe.

"I know you're awake."

She opened her eyes. There was no moonlight, but even in the darkness she recognized him. Dark eyes, scarred jaw, slightly receding hairline. "You." She sat up. "Am I wrong in supposing you betrayed the caravan?"

"Those fools? Indeed I did. But is it truly a betrayal if they're the traitors?"

Anger boiled so fiercely within her that it took her a moment to hear the man's words past her own seething. "They're the traitors? They didn't kill anyone, but you—you're responsible for all of their deaths."

"Yes. I am."

His casual confession of his crimes made her reach for a dagger. But she'd left all of her weapons with her pack, and it seemed Elon hadn't thought to leave any daggers at the campsite.

"They betrayed all of Esmeray as soon as they joined the King of Nysia. I'm ashamed that I ever claimed them as kinsmen."

"They trusted you! They trusted you, and you let them die—the men, women, and babes." Carissa staggered to her feet, her anger drowning out her pain. "You're a loathsome, despicable man, unworthy of the air you breathe. You should have been there, should have seen how they bravely faced impossible odds, even as tears wet their cheeks. You should have heard how they screamed and—"

"I did. I was there. You think I'd simply tell the Reapers about what had happened without going myself to ensure the job was done?" His smile was cold and thin, like a crescent moon on a wintry night. "It was satisfying, to know that they had finally received what they'd deserved."

Lands, she wanted a weapon. Her gaze snagged on a large stone before moving past, and she hoped the man hadn't noticed. The stone was the size of her palm, its edges jagged. If she were to best him, she'd first have to incapacitate him.

She kept her gaze on the man as she inched forward. "You know my name, but you never told me yours."

"Brone. My name is Brone."

The stone was a half pace away. "Excellent. Now I know what to put on your gravestone." She snatched the rock from the ground, and in a flash, Brone had his hand clamped around her wrist.

She cast a quick glance downward. Her foot was just past the line of the circle. She had let Brone distract her from Elon's warning.

His smile waxed, widening into a halfmoon. "And your name is Carissa. Do you know what that means?" His grip threatened to crunch her wrist, and her fingers spasmed, releasing the rock. "It means 'beloved.' How do you think Elon will react when I finish off his beloved? The last of his people in Esmeray?"

She studied the man's stance, ignoring the shuddering thud of her heart. He seemed prepared for most attacks she'd resort to—kneeing his groin, punching his stomach, driving her hand into his nose. Which meant she'd have to do something unexpected.

She sunk her teeth into his hand. He inhaled sharply, his grip loosening, and she tore away, falling back within the embrace of the circle. She landed hard onto the ground, pain ricocheting through her bones. She deserved that—and worse.

She had thought she'd made some new commitment to trusting Elon. But if she was still so consumed by anger, perhaps she wasn't as committed as she'd thought.

Brone rammed his shoulder into the circle's barrier. The air wavered and rippled before stilling. Incredible. She hadn't felt the barrier when she'd crossed it.

His eyes followed the circle's perimeter before landing on her. "That was a close call, Carissa." He laughed. "I would tell you to be careful next time, but I'll do my best to ensure you're presented with no more opportunities to escape me."

Carissa cradled her bruised wrist to her chest, careful not to let the gash on her forearm rub against her shirt. "Why target me? It was Elon who attacked your fortress, Elon who those people followed."

"I'm well aware. Are you familiar with chess?"

Chess? Her brief charge of adrenaline was fading, and she couldn't follow his line of thought. "Vaguely."

"Then you should know that if the queen falls, the king is sure to follow." He swept into a bow. "Sleep well, Elon's queen."

She stared into the darkness long after he was gone. She didn't get much sleep that night.

***

Author's Note: Wow, I can't believe you guys are still here! Considering this book is now over 260,000 words (761 pages), you should all feel quite proud of  yourselves. ;) And guess what? I started this book August 10, 2017, so I've been writing this for about two years now. Just wanted to say thanks for all of my readers--particularly those who have been with me since early on. It's incredible that this has gone on for so long, and I'm anticipating finishing it this year. 

Anyhow, I'm done with number for the moment. And for those of you who are interested, I have a sneak peek up!

P.S. I'm trying to come up with a free novella I can offer readers who subscribe to my website. I'm thinking about something between Aleck and Lila. Thoughts?