they aren't bought out by the council and you're sending me straight into their arms?" Ailynn asked, her needle flashing in the light cast by the fire as she continued to patch the sock.
"Because they have their own reasons for hating the council," Kyros said, forcing himself to be patient. He was asking a lot, even if he wasn't asking it lightly.
"What reasons?" Ailynn asked.
"Jallen is the cousin of the man the council murdered to frame me," Kyros said flatly. "Ambry was driven out of the mage school when he wouldn't back down from badmouthing the council's methods."
"I see," Ailynn said quietly, biting off the thread as she finished the sock. Setting the needle aside, she inspected her work.
"Think about it, please," Kyros said, deciding it was better to not push her to agree to leaving immediately. "I'll be able to visit you eventually, but it won't be safe for me to come back here after this visit."
"I imagine you couldn't write to give me warning for some reason?" Ailynn asked, giving him an exasperated look as he stood up.
"People don't know I come from Ourenville," Kyros said, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "If I wrote you and the letter was intercepted, they would know immediately, as well as anything I tried to tell you."
"Of course," Ailynn said. She set aside the sock in her lap and picked up the next one from the pile of laundry next to her.
"Dinner will be ready an hour before sunset."
Kyros nodded, hesitating before heading outside. Hopefully she'd agree, even if it was only reluctantly. Kyros stepped outside, then paused, not sure where he thought he was going.
Glancing around, he frowned, noticing the ladder was no longer propped up against the side of the house. Where had Raslin gone?
Probably to do whatever it was he did with his afternoons.
Kyros couldn't claim to have any idea, and he wondered how different his life would be if he'd been smart enough to walk away after Mylis' death. If he'd come back here, would anyone have followed? Would he have been able to settle into life in the village instead of life on the run?
He wouldn't get the chance to find out, Kyros thought as he started to walk, and there was no point in dwelling on it now.
He let his feet pick the direction, crossing his arms to ward against the cold air. It was warmer than it had been that morning, but it was still cold enough he wished he'd thought to grab his jacket before he left. He wasn't going to go back in and disturb his mother. She deserved the chance to think it over without him there.
Kyros abruptly turned off the path and headed towards the row of trees that marked the beginning of the forest. There was a trail in the woods that would lead him directly to the ruins.
Few people used it, which meant fewer people to force him into small talk. He also doubted anyone would be at the ruins.
Picking up his pace, Kyros walked briskly through the woods. He should come up with a better back-up plan if Ailynn refused to leave. The only back-up plans he'd been able to come up with on the ride out were to drag her off unwillingly—which wouldn't go over well at all—or to give himself up to the mage council's will. That would mitigate any need for them to go after Ailynn at all, even if it likely meant he'd be put to death.
The ruins were as deserted as Kyros had anticipated, and he wandered through the rings of stones, studying the carvings.
They were still indecipherable, and Kyros traced his fingers over the grooves in the cold stone, wondering what meaning they'd had when they were inscribed. Sighing, he turned away and headed towards the gate. He sat down with his back to the thick stones, tucking his legs close in an attempt to stay warm. A chill wind cut through the clearing, and Kyros reluctantly conceded he was either going to have to return for his coat or cast a spell.
The spell for a fire wouldn't take much energy, and he did want to give Ailynn some time to think about leaving, so a fire it
"Because they have their own reasons for hating the council," Kyros said, forcing himself to be patient. He was asking a lot, even if he wasn't asking it lightly.
"What reasons?" Ailynn asked.
"Jallen is the cousin of the man the council murdered to frame me," Kyros said flatly. "Ambry was driven out of the mage school when he wouldn't back down from badmouthing the council's methods."
"I see," Ailynn said quietly, biting off the thread as she finished the sock. Setting the needle aside, she inspected her work.
"Think about it, please," Kyros said, deciding it was better to not push her to agree to leaving immediately. "I'll be able to visit you eventually, but it won't be safe for me to come back here after this visit."
"I imagine you couldn't write to give me warning for some reason?" Ailynn asked, giving him an exasperated look as he stood up.
"People don't know I come from Ourenville," Kyros said, running a hand through his hair tiredly. "If I wrote you and the letter was intercepted, they would know immediately, as well as anything I tried to tell you."
"Of course," Ailynn said. She set aside the sock in her lap and picked up the next one from the pile of laundry next to her.
"Dinner will be ready an hour before sunset."
Kyros nodded, hesitating before heading outside. Hopefully she'd agree, even if it was only reluctantly. Kyros stepped outside, then paused, not sure where he thought he was going.
Glancing around, he frowned, noticing the ladder was no longer propped up against the side of the house. Where had Raslin gone?
Probably to do whatever it was he did with his afternoons.
Kyros couldn't claim to have any idea, and he wondered how different his life would be if he'd been smart enough to walk away after Mylis' death. If he'd come back here, would anyone have followed? Would he have been able to settle into life in the village instead of life on the run?
He wouldn't get the chance to find out, Kyros thought as he started to walk, and there was no point in dwelling on it now.
He let his feet pick the direction, crossing his arms to ward against the cold air. It was warmer than it had been that morning, but it was still cold enough he wished he'd thought to grab his jacket before he left. He wasn't going to go back in and disturb his mother. She deserved the chance to think it over without him there.
Kyros abruptly turned off the path and headed towards the row of trees that marked the beginning of the forest. There was a trail in the woods that would lead him directly to the ruins.
Few people used it, which meant fewer people to force him into small talk. He also doubted anyone would be at the ruins.
Picking up his pace, Kyros walked briskly through the woods. He should come up with a better back-up plan if Ailynn refused to leave. The only back-up plans he'd been able to come up with on the ride out were to drag her off unwillingly—which wouldn't go over well at all—or to give himself up to the mage council's will. That would mitigate any need for them to go after Ailynn at all, even if it likely meant he'd be put to death.
The ruins were as deserted as Kyros had anticipated, and he wandered through the rings of stones, studying the carvings.
They were still indecipherable, and Kyros traced his fingers over the grooves in the cold stone, wondering what meaning they'd had when they were inscribed. Sighing, he turned away and headed towards the gate. He sat down with his back to the thick stones, tucking his legs close in an attempt to stay warm. A chill wind cut through the clearing, and Kyros reluctantly conceded he was either going to have to return for his coat or cast a spell.
The spell for a fire wouldn't take much energy, and he did want to give Ailynn some time to think about leaving, so a fire it
Similar Books
Charmed (Death Escorts)
Cambria Hebert
The Cadence of Grass
Thomas Mcguane
Chiaroscuro
Jenna Jones
Cornbread & Caviar
Empress Lablaque
Perfect Fit
Carly Phillips
Cibola Burn (The Expanse)
James S. A. Corey
The Spawn of Hate
Angel Flowers
Be Shot For Six Pence
Michael Gilbert
The Training of Toby (Masters of the Mansion Book 2)
Suzanne Steele
Clarissa Harlowe: Or, the History of a Young Lady, Volume 8
Samuel Richardson