Path of the Dark, page 10
part #3 of Light and Darkness Series
Weaving his way through the crowd, Elias slipped through the gateway and into the lower town. He didn’t give much thought to his direction, for his feet had a will of their own this evening.
They had one destination in mind: The Black Boar Inn.
“Let’s play again.”
Ryana met the dicer’s eye and slid a stack of silver talents across the table. Her opponent, a cloth merchant from Idriss, smirked. “I didn’t know enchanters were so well paid.”
Ryana forced a smile back but didn’t answer. She wasn’t in the mood for banter this evening. She just wanted to dice. Reclining in her chair, she picked up her tankard and waited for the dicer to accept her challenge. After a few moments, he did, adding a gold talent to the pile.
The din in The Black Boar was deafening this evening. It was the end of the week, and many laborers had coin to spend. The musky aroma of ale mingled with the oily fug of smoke drifting out from the kitchens. Roast mutton was on the menu again.
On the table between them was a small board and a stub of chalk.
“The first to reach one-hundred points?” The merchant asked. He had a heavy, unshaven jaw and penetrating dark eyes—a veteran dicer. He’d won their first two games, and Ryana was determined to not let him win the third.
In truth, enchanters were not well paid. Since they lived communally, the Order paid for all their basic wants. However, she did receive a monthly stipend, which she’d just exhausted this evening.
Ryana nodded. “Shoot and let’s see who starts,” she replied, her voice curt. She’d hoped that an evening dicing at The Black Boar would relax her, yet she found herself growing increasingly irritated by the merchant.
She didn’t like the smug way he grinned after winning each game. It made her want to grind his face into the floor boards.
Oblivious to her ill-temper, or perhaps not minding it, the merchant did as bid, casting a die onto the table between them. Ryana followed, and since she’d cast the highest number, began.
They played fast, shooting with six dice. Some expert players kept tally from memory, but as Ryana knew that often the worst fights often started in taverns this way, she insisted writing the numbers down upon the chalk board.
Ryana started well, racing ahead of her opponent. But then, halfway through the game, she cast three ‘ones’—and lost the entire score she’d accumulated thus far.
Grinning, the merchant picked up the dice and cast them once more with a flick of his wrist. “Thirty-six!” he said, victory gleaming in his eyes. “I suppose that means I win?”
Frustration exploded within Ryana, and her fingers curled around the table edge. She glanced down at the chalk board, her mouth thinning. Of course it did. The oily prick had only needed twenty-five points to win anyway.
The merchant reached out a blunt-fingered hand and swiped the coins from the table. He was still grinning, a sight which made Ryana grind her teeth together. “It’s been a pleasure, lass.”
He rose to his feet and moved away toward the counter to fetch himself another tankard. Ryana cursed under her breath and glared down at the six dice scattered across the table. Her purse was now empty. She’d have to sing for coin if she wanted any more tavern meals or tankards of ale this month.
Ryana ran a hand down over her face. She wasn’t sure why she did this to herself. Her restiveness only got worse when she ran out of coin. It seemed as if the only thing that brought her pleasure these days, besides spending far too many hours in The Black Boar, was her training sessions with Ninia. And even those didn’t take the edge off for long.
Having an empty purse just made her life feel more restrictive.
She was staring down into her half-empty tankard, inwardly berating herself for gambling her meager resources away, when someone took a seat opposite her.
All the booths were taken this evening. Ryana had managed to get herself a small corner table instead. She didn’t intend to share it.
“This table’s occupied,” she growled, glancing up.
Elias met her eye, the corners of his mouth lifting. “Usually drink alone, do you?”
For a few moments Ryana merely stared at him. After everything that had happened between them, he was the last person she’d expected to see in The Black Boar tonight. He was also the last person she wanted to see, and yet her heart leaped at the sight of him.
When she finally spoke, her voice was unnaturally high-pitched. “What are you doing here?”
“For the same reason as you, I assume,” he replied smoothly, raising a tankard filled to the brim with frothy ale. His tone was relaxed although the gleam in his eyes told her otherwise.
Tension shivered between them.
Ryana swallowed hard, panic fluttering up. It suddenly felt overly hot and airless inside the common room. “I doubt it.”
She’d come to the inn to distract herself for a few hours, to distance herself from her thoughts, but Elias had the look of a man with an intent purpose.
He gave a soft laugh, his gaze dropping to the dice. “How about a game?”
“I’ve no more coin.” The admission made heat rise to her face.
He cast her an amused look. “No wonder that man who just left your table wore a smug expression.”
“Yes, well you can do the same.”
However, Elias didn’t move. Shadows take him, he looked even better than she remembered. A day’s stubble shadowed his jaw. His black silk shirt and leather breeches molded to his tall, muscular body.
A body that had been crushed against hers just two nights previous.
Ryana’s fingers tightened around her tankard. She didn’t want to think about that—not now. And yet the frustration that seethed within her, told a different story.
Elias was all she’d been able to think about since that night. How she cursed him for it.
Steeling herself, she met his gaze once more. He still wore that lazy, amused expression, although his dark eyes were riveted upon her, intense and searing.
“I suppose it’s just as well we ran into each other again,” she murmured, feigning casualness. “I wanted to apologize for the way I broke the news about your brother. I should have said something earlier.”
His gaze narrowed. “Aye … you should have.”
Ryana took a sip from her tankard. “I’ve heard about how things work in Anthor,” she continued. “Do I now owe you some kind of blood debt?”
He huffed a laugh. “We’re not savages, Ryana. Blood debts are part of the old ways.”
“You don’t want reckoning for Saul?”
Elias shrugged, his expression shuttered. “Knowing my brother, he probably deserved his end.”
Oh, he did.
Elias motioned to the dice. “How about that game?”
“I told you … I’m out of coin.”
He flashed her a wolfish smile that caused heat to rise up from the pit of her belly. “Let’s play for something else then?”
Ryana drew in a sharp breath, even as her pulse started to race. “What?” she asked weakly.
He inclined his head, his searing gaze never leaving hers. “Truths.”
14
Truth Telling
RYANA STARED ACROSS at Elias. “Excuse me?”
Elias’s mouth curved. “Instead of talents, we bet truths. For every game one of us loses, we must answer a question.” He paused there. “No lies permitted.”
Ryana wet her lips. To play such a game with Elias was unwise. She’d much rather gamble for coins she didn’t have than take the prince of Anthor into her confidence.
“So will you play?” he prompted, a challenge in his voice. “Or are your secrets too dangerous to share?”
Ryana raised her chin, heart thumping against her breast bone. “So sure you’ll win?”
“You’re not on a winning streak tonight so I’d say my chances are high.”
Arrogant bastard.
“Your brother used to boast of his skill with dice,” Ryana said, deliberately not rising to the bait. “I saw Saul play once … he was good.”
“Of course he was … dicing is in our blood. Every man of Anthor learns to play before he can walk.”
Ryana frowned in an attempt to mask her nervousness. Her pulse was now thundering in her ears. “It sounds like I won’t enjoy playing against you.”
“There’s one way to find out.” He scooped up a die. “Let’s see who goes first.”
Ryana didn’t want to play him, didn’t want to remain at this table. And yet, she was rooted to the spot as Elias cast the die. The reckless part of her, that part that had gotten her into trouble in the past, willed her to stay.
Elias cast a ‘three’ before catching her eye once more. “Your turn.”
As if by its own will, her hand then snaked out and picked up the die. She cast it.
Five. Ryana would start.
Elias motioned to the chalk board. “Shall I keep score?”
“One hundred,” Elias announced, leaning back in his seat. “That was an easy victory.”
“Blind luck,” Ryana replied through gritted teeth. Fortune wasn’t with her tonight. She’d thrown two sets of three ‘ones’ during this game, giving Elias a huge advantage. Frustration pulsed through her now; she hated to lose, but had done so repeatedly this evening. She should have remained at the House and opted for an early night.
“You’re right … but a victory all the same.” Elias picked up the tankard he’d hardly touched during the game and took a deep draft. “Alright … tell me … do you like being an enchanter?”
A beat of silence followed before Ryana replied. “Well enough.”
Elias raised an eyebrow. “Is that it?”
“I don’t know what you expected.” Ryana smiled, smugness rising within her. “You asked an ‘aye’ or ‘nay’ question.”
“You’re lying,” Elias answered, his brows knitting together, brushing aside her flippant answer. “I think you feel suffocated by this life.”
Ryana’s smile faded. “Are you answering on my behalf now?”
Elias met her eye. “I’m merely highlighting that the point of this game is that we tell the truth.”
Ryana considered getting to her feet and walking off. She didn’t like being cornered like this. And yet, she’d agreed to this game. She hated to renege on things.
She swallowed hard. “Alright then … I sometimes do get bored.” Drawing in a deep breath, she continued. “But the fault lies with me, not in my choice of vocation. I’ve always been restless … and it’s gotten me into trouble in the past.”
Elias inclined is head, inviting her to continue.
“I once betrayed the Order,” Ryana admitted finally, her voice barely loud enough to be heard above the surrounding din. “I stole the first half of The King Breaker and unwittingly gave it to someone in league with The Shade Brotherhood.”
That surprised him. Elias drew back in his seat, and his gaze widened. “Unwittingly?”
“Aye … I didn’t realize what I was doing until it was too late.”
“Go on.”
Ryana gave a tight smile. “I’ve just given you two truths instead of one, prince. You’ll not get a third.”
He inclined his head and reached for the dice. “Very well. Let’s play again.”
Unfortunately, Elias won their second game as well.
The margin was smaller this time. He beat her by only five points. However, the smug look on his face made Ryana grind her teeth.
“Tell me more about the person you gave The King Breaker to,” he said, raising his tankard to her. “I sense there’s much more to that story.”
Ryana glared back at him. She’d known he wouldn’t let it go. “His name was Gael,” she said after a lengthy pause. Around them the inn had quietened a little as platters of roast mutton, braised onions, and coarse bread were served. Ryana and Elias hadn’t ordered any supper. Ryana’s belly had closed. Nerves made her feel queasy, chasing away any appetite for greasy mutton. “We were lovers.”
Elias didn’t answer; he merely watched her.
Finally, the tension got too much for Ryana. “He tricked me,” she admitted. “I thought he was a musician, but he was an enchanter. He cast a charm over me and forced me to do his bidding. I broke into the Vault under the House of Light and Darkness, stole the stone, and killed the man guarding it.”
Elias viewed her under lowered lids. “There’s more still to learn about this,” he murmured. “Isn’t there?”
“Aye,” Ryana replied tightly. “But you’ll have to win another game to find out.”
Elias won the next two games, after which Ryana told him about her ten year exile upon the Isle of Orin and her estrangement from her family.
“So you’ve never been back to Ridder Vale?” Elias asked, motioning to the inn-keeper for two more tankards of ale. They had been so engrossed in their dicing that they’d only just finished their first ales of the evening. The inn-keeper had been glowering at them, for they were taking up a table that could be used by those willing to buy a meal.
Ryana shook her head. “I was around eight when I started showing signs of the Dark … my parents and brothers changed in their attitude toward me after that. They became wary, treated me like I carried The Grey Ravage. It was a relief for us all when I turned thirteen and joined the Order.”
“They weren’t proud to have an enchanter in the family then?”
Ryana huffed a bitter laugh. “Ridder Vale is an isolated farming village where enchantment is viewed with open suspicion. They had a hedge crone once … but she was cast out after folk blamed her for a poor harvest.”
The tankards of ale arrived, and Elias paid for them. He then met Ryana’s eye once more, a challenge in his gaze. “Shall we play on?”
Ryana let out a heavy sigh. She’d already revealed the worst of her secrets to Elias, what more had she to fear? Strangely, she felt lighter after doing so. Few people knew the truth about her, but Elias had barely flinched at the things she’d revealed. Not surprising really—for the man likely had far worse secrets of his own.
“Very well,” she replied, picking up the dice. “It’s about time I won a game.”
And she did.
Fortune was with her, and she reached a hundred points with just five throws of the dice. Resisting the urge to grin, Ryana reclined in her chair and nodded at Elias. “Go on then. Reveal away.”
His mouth quirked. “What do you wish to know?”
Ryana inclined her head. “Who was the king’s favorite,” she said after a pause. “You or Saul?”
Elias grinned. “That’s easy to answer … me.”
His arrogance was breathtaking. “And why was that?”
“I was the eldest, the heir, and the one who did what he was told.” Did she imagine it, or was there an edge of bitterness to his voice? “Saul was too much like our father … they used to fight.” Elias paused here. “Saul was always trying to prove himself. It’s why he took that mission to retrieve part of The King Breaker.” He raised his tankard to Ryana then. “Enough about my brother. If you want to know my darker secrets, you’ll have to win another game.”
They played again, and Ryana won by just two points. It was a victory nonetheless, and she couldn’t resist flashing Elias a smug smile. “What happened to your winning streak?”
He snorted, although she could see the glimmer of irritation in his eyes. Just like her, Elias didn’t like to lose. “Go on then,” he replied ungraciously. “What is it this time?”
Ryana pondered for a moment. “Do you like being a soldier?” she asked finally, deliberately turning his earlier question back on him.
Elias tensed, and Ryana bit back another smile. Bull’s eye. The man was even more private than she was. He was at ease with banter, but didn’t like to go beneath that. Ryana, however, was determined to rip off his mask. Now that she was getting the upper hand, she was starting to enjoy this game.
“A soldier shouldn’t have regrets,” he replied after a lengthy pause. “It makes him maudlin.”
Ryana shook her head. “Sorry, that’s not a proper answer. I didn’t ask if you had regrets, but if you liked killing people for a living.”
Elias pulled a face and shifted in his seat. “It’s the only life I’ve known, although I sometimes wish I’d grown up in a time of peace. I fought in my first campaign at thirteen … and I’ve never stopped fighting since. I’ve been away from home, leading campaigns on the border, for so long I feel like I don’t belong anywhere.”
Ryana digested this information, empathy rising within her. She understood that better than most. “But you’re working toward peace now?”
His gaze shadowed. “Aye … but it’ll never give me back all those lost years.”
Ryana watched him. She’d asked for honesty, yet his candor surprised her nonetheless. It was disarming—and attractive.
Her pulse, which had finally slowed, picked up its pace once more. Her breathing grew shallow.
Silence drew out between them, and then Elias glanced up, snaring her gaze with his. “It’s getting late,” he said softly. “Shall we finish up?”
Ryana managed a strained smile. “One more game?”
Around them, The Black Boar had started to empty out. There were a few dicing games going on at other tables, and the lyrist was packing up for the evening. Ryana realized that she’d barely noticed the music; she’d been too focused on Elias to pay attention.
They played their last game slowly. After Elias’s admission the mood had shifted between them. Tension settled over the table. Elias had started the evening with a brash self-confidence, but now there was a reflectiveness to him, a brooding edge that made Ryana’s earlier nervousness resurface.
She became acutely aware of him, of the fact that their knees were almost touching under the table. His gaze had a magnetic quality. Every time he turned it upon her, she felt herself drawn toward him. She even caught herself leaning across the table toward him as they played.
Elias led the way for most of the game, and it looked like he would win. But then, when he’d reached ninety points, he cast three ‘ones’ and lost all the points he’d accumulated. On her next turn, Ryana won.
