wasn’t much of a blow, but Rasten flinched away. Sierra followed him, shaking her fist. ‘Don’t you dare threaten my friends — don’t you DARE! Let him go, now!’
The choking band pulled Cam to his knees, and with a curse Delphine scrambled over the woman’s body and hurried to his side. She found Rasten’s gaze upon them, his eyes dark with fury and as wide as a madman’s. He held the strand of power a moment longer, and then with steady deliberation, he wound it back in. Cam drew a gasping breath and began to pant, hands at his reddened throat. Delphine wrapped an arm across his shoulders. ‘Cam, dearest,’ she murmured, ‘I think you’d best listen to the girl and shut your wretched mouth!’
Rasten backed away further as he looked around with wide, crazed eyes. Raised voices were coming from the makeshift camp, and Rasten flinched away.
Sierra drew a sharp breath and then raised her hands in a gesture of peace. ‘Alright. Rasten, it’s alright. We just need to calm down — let’s not scare these folk any more than we already have.’
Rasten shook his head. He was breathing hard, panting to match Cam. Delphine felt power pulsing within him, and where it skimmed against her it felt like a brush made of needles dragging over her skin. ‘No. No, Sirri, I can’t do this. Not now. I can’t.’
As he turned away Sierra started to reach after him, but she caught herself and pulled her hand back. ‘Rasten …’
He reached into his sash, and the air around him rippled, like heat rising from a fire. He vanished, leaving Sierra cursing on the rocks. ‘What in the Black Sun’s name?’
‘Camouflage enchantment,’ Cam croaked. ‘Issey had one when Kell captured him. The beast must have found it. Didn’t he tell you he had it?’
Sierra kicked at the rocks, and stalked back to the fire. ‘What in the Fires Below is wrong with you? Have you lost all your sense? When a grizzly bear threatens to charge you don’t go throwing rocks at it! Don’t you know what he is?’
‘I know perfectly well. I think you’re the one who’s forgotten, Sirri.’
‘Cam, he’s not a monster. He’s just broken. Broken and lost.’ She sat heavily beside the fire, and sank her head into her hands.
‘Sirri —’ he began, but Delphine squeezed his shoulder, hard.
‘Cam, let the poor girl be,’ she hissed. ‘Can’t you see she’s exhausted?’ She stood, a little unsteadily, for her own legs were trembling after the day’s exertions. ‘Now, how about a nice cup of tea. If we have any, that is, otherwise some hot water will do. Let’s just catch our breaths.’
‘We have some,’ Sierra said, her voice muffled. ‘I was saving it, for when we were all back together …’ Her breath hitched then, and Delphine had the sense she was fighting to keep from breaking into sobs.
Delphine nudged Cam with her foot and made a pointed nod towards the packs laid out on the far side of the fire. He returned her gaze with a sullen look, but then he heaved himself up.
While he busied himself searching for the packet of herbs, Delphine settled awkwardly beside Sierra, and offered her her last clean handkerchief. Sierra regarded it steadily before reaching for the square of cloth.
For months, Delphine had been thinking of the day she’d meet up again with the woman she couldn’t help but see as her rival. But this was not the same girl who’d stolen away from Demon’s Spire in the middle of the night. She’d grown harder and colder, tempered by battle and fire. But at the same time Delphine could see shades of that sweet-hearted girl clinging to her like mist. Perhaps she was Delphine’s rival for Isidro’s heart, but part of her saw only a lonely, exhausted young woman in need of mothering.
Sierra dabbed at her eyes, and crumpled the cloth in one grimy hand. ‘He … he wanted to leave that life behind. That’s what he said, and he’s never lied to me. Never.’
Across the fire, Cam lifted his head.
The choking band pulled Cam to his knees, and with a curse Delphine scrambled over the woman’s body and hurried to his side. She found Rasten’s gaze upon them, his eyes dark with fury and as wide as a madman’s. He held the strand of power a moment longer, and then with steady deliberation, he wound it back in. Cam drew a gasping breath and began to pant, hands at his reddened throat. Delphine wrapped an arm across his shoulders. ‘Cam, dearest,’ she murmured, ‘I think you’d best listen to the girl and shut your wretched mouth!’
Rasten backed away further as he looked around with wide, crazed eyes. Raised voices were coming from the makeshift camp, and Rasten flinched away.
Sierra drew a sharp breath and then raised her hands in a gesture of peace. ‘Alright. Rasten, it’s alright. We just need to calm down — let’s not scare these folk any more than we already have.’
Rasten shook his head. He was breathing hard, panting to match Cam. Delphine felt power pulsing within him, and where it skimmed against her it felt like a brush made of needles dragging over her skin. ‘No. No, Sirri, I can’t do this. Not now. I can’t.’
As he turned away Sierra started to reach after him, but she caught herself and pulled her hand back. ‘Rasten …’
He reached into his sash, and the air around him rippled, like heat rising from a fire. He vanished, leaving Sierra cursing on the rocks. ‘What in the Black Sun’s name?’
‘Camouflage enchantment,’ Cam croaked. ‘Issey had one when Kell captured him. The beast must have found it. Didn’t he tell you he had it?’
Sierra kicked at the rocks, and stalked back to the fire. ‘What in the Fires Below is wrong with you? Have you lost all your sense? When a grizzly bear threatens to charge you don’t go throwing rocks at it! Don’t you know what he is?’
‘I know perfectly well. I think you’re the one who’s forgotten, Sirri.’
‘Cam, he’s not a monster. He’s just broken. Broken and lost.’ She sat heavily beside the fire, and sank her head into her hands.
‘Sirri —’ he began, but Delphine squeezed his shoulder, hard.
‘Cam, let the poor girl be,’ she hissed. ‘Can’t you see she’s exhausted?’ She stood, a little unsteadily, for her own legs were trembling after the day’s exertions. ‘Now, how about a nice cup of tea. If we have any, that is, otherwise some hot water will do. Let’s just catch our breaths.’
‘We have some,’ Sierra said, her voice muffled. ‘I was saving it, for when we were all back together …’ Her breath hitched then, and Delphine had the sense she was fighting to keep from breaking into sobs.
Delphine nudged Cam with her foot and made a pointed nod towards the packs laid out on the far side of the fire. He returned her gaze with a sullen look, but then he heaved himself up.
While he busied himself searching for the packet of herbs, Delphine settled awkwardly beside Sierra, and offered her her last clean handkerchief. Sierra regarded it steadily before reaching for the square of cloth.
For months, Delphine had been thinking of the day she’d meet up again with the woman she couldn’t help but see as her rival. But this was not the same girl who’d stolen away from Demon’s Spire in the middle of the night. She’d grown harder and colder, tempered by battle and fire. But at the same time Delphine could see shades of that sweet-hearted girl clinging to her like mist. Perhaps she was Delphine’s rival for Isidro’s heart, but part of her saw only a lonely, exhausted young woman in need of mothering.
Sierra dabbed at her eyes, and crumpled the cloth in one grimy hand. ‘He … he wanted to leave that life behind. That’s what he said, and he’s never lied to me. Never.’
Across the fire, Cam lifted his head.
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