What Matters Most by Sasha L. Miller Page B

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    He looked good for being dead, Raslin thought inanely. He looked rested and healthy; his hair was lighter and brighter than it had been in Ourenville, his clothing fit well and didn't look like the dregs from the rag pile, and, most importantly, he wasn't dead. Raslin gaped, unable to comprehend. His heart was beating too fast, and Kyros' smile slipped away.
    "Can I sit?" Kyros asked, looking unsure of himself, and Raslin nodded, shifting over so there was room for Kyros to sit next to him on the rock.
    "What—" Raslin started, then stopped, not sure what he was trying to say. "How did—we were told you were hanged."
    "Ah," Kyros said, running a hand through his hair nervously.
    "I had hoped that news hadn't gotten this far."
    "Two months ago," Raslin said. "Have you spoken with Ailynn yet?"
    "No one was home. I only arrived a few hours ago. I followed you from the house." That certainly explained how he'd found Raslin, at least.
    "She'll be home from market shortly." Raslin glanced at Kyros, frowning. "What happened?"
    "After I let them catch me in Ourenville—"
    "You let them catch you?" Raslin interrupted, suddenly angry.
    "I did," Kyros said, shrugging. "It gave you and my mother a head start, especially after I spooked half their horses into the woods."
    Raslin shook his head, but gestured for Kyros to continue.
    "They took me back to Alesdor and gave me a rush trial."
    Kyros smiled; it was a bitter, unpleasant expression. "I was found guilty and sentenced to death. That didn't happen."
    "Obviously," Raslin said when Kyros paused. He wanted to reach out and touch Kyros, to reassure himself this wasn't a daydream and Kyros was actually there, was actually still alive.
    "They stepped up," Kyros said softly. "I was set to be hanged a week after the trial, but the men I'd been working with managed what I couldn't. They got the signatures and went to the Crown. The council was disbanded, and my case was reinvestigated. I was cleared—someone in the council's pocket flipped and told them I'd been framed."
    Raslin stared at Kyros, wondering if he was making that up.
    Why would Kyros lie, though? "That's it?"
    "That's it." Kyros hesitated briefly, then continued, "I had hoped to come back sooner, but with one thing and another, I couldn't leave right away."
    "You weren't getting any less dead from here," Raslin said dryly, making Kyros snort. He still couldn't quite believe it, and Raslin reached out, poking Kyros' shoulder. Kyros gave him a curious look, raising an eyebrow.
    "They want me to be a member of the new council they're convening," Kyros said, and there was the other shoe. Kyros would be going back to Alesdor again, then; this would only be a short visit. Raslin tried to ignore the way his stomach sank; Kyros alive and in Alesdor was better than Kyros dead. That Kyros was alive at all should be more than enough to satisfy him. "I said no."
    "So … are you staying here?" Raslin asked, frowning in confusion.
    "I'm not going back," Kyros confirmed, running a hand through his hair again. He shifted in his seat. "As to whether I stay … well, I don't have to, if you don't want me here."
    Raslin smacked the back of Kyros' head. Kyros jerked, startled, and fell off the rock. "Don't be an idiot. I spent the last few months thinking you were dead, and now you think I want you to leave again?"
    Kyros smiled wryly, rubbing his head. "You haven't heard the rest of it, yet."
    "Are you in more trouble?" Raslin asked suspiciously, scowling at Kyros.
    "Not yet," Kyros said, pushing himself to his feet. He was still smiling, though it was much more hesitant.
    "What do you mean?" Raslin asked, feeling like he was missing something as Kyros stepped in front of him. Raslin looked up, his heart kicking up a notch as Kyros leaned down, and Raslin understood a second before Kyros' lips touched his. It was a soft, quick kiss, barely a brush of Kyros' soft lips against Raslin's rougher, chapped lips, but Raslin swore he could still