care.”
“I’ll try. Have a safe journey, Rachel.”
“I’ll miss you.”
He gave a stiff nod and strode away. She thought he might be near the brink of showing emotion. Her heart squeezed painfullyat the thought of parting from him and so many of her other friends. She tried to draw strength from his example.
Rachel caught up to Jason, who already had a pack on his back and a bucket of orantium in one hand. He set down the bucket and hugged her. He felt solid. Consecutive months of good eating and intense physical training had paid off.
“Are you trying to speak with your mind?” he said after a moment. “I can’t do that.”
She pulled away from the embrace and looked into his eyes. “Don’t give up.”
“There goes my plan.”
“I’m serious. Even if things look bad, find a way. You’re good at that. The oracle saw a way that we could win. Find it.”
“You too,” Jason urged. “Within reason. Don’t try some huge Edomic command and blow yourself to pieces.”
“There goes my plan.”
“You stole my line.” Jason glanced at the others departing.
“I know we have to hurry,” Rachel said. “But this is it. We’re taking different paths.” She took a breath and put conviction into her words. “We’ll see each other again.”
Tark came up to them. “This is wrong, Lord Jason, letting them part us.”
Jason turned to the stocky musician. “Sorry, Tark. The oracle is calling the shots on this one.”
“I remain your pledged man,” Tark avowed, touching a fist to his chest. “What are your orders?”
“Do your best to help Galloran win his war.”
“I swear it.”
“And keep an eye on Rachel. See if you can get her to stop telling me she’s going to see me again. I think she’s jinxing us.”
Rachel punched Jason’s arm.
Tark eyed Rachel uncertainly. She saw a hint of disapproval in his gaze, along with a little wariness.
Jason smiled. “That’s assault. Tark, take her out.”
The musician grinned, but not with his eyes. “You better handle this one.”
Chuckling, Jason picked up the bucket of explosives.
Rachel felt the moment slipping away. There was so much she wanted to say. What if something happened to him? What if she never told him how much she appreciated his coming back to Lyrian for her? How much she cared about him? There were too many feelings to translate into words. “See you later,” she managed.
“Not if I see you first,” Jason said, starting toward the main doors of the temple.
She watched him walking away. Were those the last words he would say to her? She stalked after him. “You can’t leave with a joke.”
He glanced back. “Why not?”
“What if I die?”
“Then at least I cheered you up before the end.”
“That wasn’t a cheerful joke. It was a teasing joke. And not even a very good one.”
“Fine. Why did the baby cross the road?”
“No jokes,” Rachel complained, striding along beside him.
“I guess it’s more fitting that we should end with an argument.”
“I just mean there are certain times when jokes aren’t appropriate.”
“Which makes them more needed and funny.”
She grabbed his arm and tugged him to a halt. “You have your way of coping, and I have mine. You’re amazing. You’re inspiring. You’re so brave. I’ll miss you and I appreciate you. Everything about you.”
“Even my humor?”
“Almost everything. Don’t die.”
“It might help if you stop giving my eulogy. You don’t die either. I’ll miss you too. I have one last question.”
“What?”
“Are you going to bring your pack?”
Rachel started. She had left it back where she had been talking with Corinne.
“Never mind,” Jason said, looking over his shoulder. “Your acolyte worshippers are grabbing it for you. Do you have a pen? You should really sign some autographs for them.”
Rachel banged her forehead with the heel of her hand. “You know what I still have? My camera! I’ve been meaning all winter to get a
“I’ll try. Have a safe journey, Rachel.”
“I’ll miss you.”
He gave a stiff nod and strode away. She thought he might be near the brink of showing emotion. Her heart squeezed painfullyat the thought of parting from him and so many of her other friends. She tried to draw strength from his example.
Rachel caught up to Jason, who already had a pack on his back and a bucket of orantium in one hand. He set down the bucket and hugged her. He felt solid. Consecutive months of good eating and intense physical training had paid off.
“Are you trying to speak with your mind?” he said after a moment. “I can’t do that.”
She pulled away from the embrace and looked into his eyes. “Don’t give up.”
“There goes my plan.”
“I’m serious. Even if things look bad, find a way. You’re good at that. The oracle saw a way that we could win. Find it.”
“You too,” Jason urged. “Within reason. Don’t try some huge Edomic command and blow yourself to pieces.”
“There goes my plan.”
“You stole my line.” Jason glanced at the others departing.
“I know we have to hurry,” Rachel said. “But this is it. We’re taking different paths.” She took a breath and put conviction into her words. “We’ll see each other again.”
Tark came up to them. “This is wrong, Lord Jason, letting them part us.”
Jason turned to the stocky musician. “Sorry, Tark. The oracle is calling the shots on this one.”
“I remain your pledged man,” Tark avowed, touching a fist to his chest. “What are your orders?”
“Do your best to help Galloran win his war.”
“I swear it.”
“And keep an eye on Rachel. See if you can get her to stop telling me she’s going to see me again. I think she’s jinxing us.”
Rachel punched Jason’s arm.
Tark eyed Rachel uncertainly. She saw a hint of disapproval in his gaze, along with a little wariness.
Jason smiled. “That’s assault. Tark, take her out.”
The musician grinned, but not with his eyes. “You better handle this one.”
Chuckling, Jason picked up the bucket of explosives.
Rachel felt the moment slipping away. There was so much she wanted to say. What if something happened to him? What if she never told him how much she appreciated his coming back to Lyrian for her? How much she cared about him? There were too many feelings to translate into words. “See you later,” she managed.
“Not if I see you first,” Jason said, starting toward the main doors of the temple.
She watched him walking away. Were those the last words he would say to her? She stalked after him. “You can’t leave with a joke.”
He glanced back. “Why not?”
“What if I die?”
“Then at least I cheered you up before the end.”
“That wasn’t a cheerful joke. It was a teasing joke. And not even a very good one.”
“Fine. Why did the baby cross the road?”
“No jokes,” Rachel complained, striding along beside him.
“I guess it’s more fitting that we should end with an argument.”
“I just mean there are certain times when jokes aren’t appropriate.”
“Which makes them more needed and funny.”
She grabbed his arm and tugged him to a halt. “You have your way of coping, and I have mine. You’re amazing. You’re inspiring. You’re so brave. I’ll miss you and I appreciate you. Everything about you.”
“Even my humor?”
“Almost everything. Don’t die.”
“It might help if you stop giving my eulogy. You don’t die either. I’ll miss you too. I have one last question.”
“What?”
“Are you going to bring your pack?”
Rachel started. She had left it back where she had been talking with Corinne.
“Never mind,” Jason said, looking over his shoulder. “Your acolyte worshippers are grabbing it for you. Do you have a pen? You should really sign some autographs for them.”
Rachel banged her forehead with the heel of her hand. “You know what I still have? My camera! I’ve been meaning all winter to get a
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