Page 56 of Blood Weaver
Silas was formidable on the battlefield, but still cut a domineering figure with his six feet frame, all bulk and muscle covered in the crimson tattoos of his clan. His long, brown hair fell below his waist. My stomach dropped when he closed the tent flap and tied it from the inside so no one would easily enter.
I watched Silas grab a chair and bring it next to my cot. “What are you doing?”
“Nothing. I just thought we should talk.”
I sat up and faced him, feeling uncomfortable and vulnerable lying down. “I don’t think we have much to discuss.”
He smirked. “On the contrary, Healer, we do. You see, Ronan has been preoccupied with you since we arrived in the Central Plains, which goes against why we came here. He almost got himself killed just to save you.”
I ticked my head to the side. “And what did he come here for?”
“The lost princess,” Silas answered without hesitation. “It’s obvious he confided in you and admitted we don’t have her. What I don’t understand iswhy. Which brings me to question whether you practiced some sort of witchcraft to make him—”
I burst into laughter, which cut him off mid-tirade. “I’m no witch, Silas. And I haven’t done anything to Ronan.”
He shook his head. “You must have. All his life, he’s known the lost princess was promised to him. She’s the only female he’s ever cared about. Thenyoucame along.”
I frowned. “He … he was promised to the lost princess?”
Silas nodded and straightened. “There are things you don’t know of our people, Leila. Things we can’t share. But as a member of the Crimson Clan and Ronan’s closest friend, I must intervene for the sake of our clan.”
My frown deepened. His words confused me. “I don’t understand.”
“You may have heard that members of the Crimson Clan only mate once for life, unlike the men from surrounding nations who like to marry multiple women—”
“Yes, but what does that have to do with the lost princess?” I blurted out.
He scoffed and looked away, then he smoothly veered the conversation away from the lost princess. “The survival of our clan depends on Ronan, and you’re a distraction. So I suggest you end things before they begin. Once you’ve recuperated, I’llprovide you with an opportunity to slip out of camp without his notice. That’s the best I can offer.”
It didn’t bother me that Silas wanted me gone, or that Ronan was supposedly promised to someone else—ironically, me. What I cared about was what the lost princess—I—had to do with this. His claim didn’t make sense. Was this the secret Ronan was keeping from me?
I cleared my throat and met the warrior’s steely gaze. “I’ll leave …” I started, “but first, I want you to tell me how the Crimson Clan is involved with Valoria’s lost princess.”
Silas snorted. “That is confidential, and it has nothing to do with you. You’re just a random female from the Central Plains who has no business being involved with us. If our chief ever found out about you … you would need to pray to your gods in hopes of survival.”
The irony wasn’t lost on me. As much as I wanted to keep my identity a secret, I had the nagging feeling my secret would be revealed to the world fairly soon. Too many threats were being lobbed at me and my only chance of survival was to reveal the truth.
But I wasn’t ready. Not until I learned why I’d been forced to hide all this time. Suddenly, I had an idea. One I wasn’t sure I believed in, but it was worth a try.
“Silas, I’ll leave … if you do me a favor.”
He furrowed his brows, wary about the bargain I wanted to strike. “Depends on the favor,” he replied diplomatically.
I smirked. “I’ve heard tales about the witch doctors of your people … how they commune with the dead.”
His frown deepened. “Yes, that is true.”
“If you bring me a witch doctor, I’ll leave as soon as possible. Deal?”
He watched me carefully before nodding. “Deal.”
Henry and Ronanarrived an hour later, carrying a dinner tray heaped with soup and different meats. I hadn’t seen Ronan all day, but I knew he was busy preparing his army. Being here made me feel like a traitor to my own people.
“How are you feeling?” Ronan asked. “The healer said you were on the mend.”
I nodded. “I’m much better, thank you. Though I’m surprised you got a healer from the Central Plains instead of using one of the clan’s witch doctors.”
He chuckled. “I figured you’d be more comfortable with a healer than a witch doctor from the Grasslands. Most outsiders don’t believe in them.”
