Page 57 of Oathborn
With a shrill whistle, he made the all-clear call.
Chapter twenty-two
Zari
Zari stayed motionless in the dark pantry closet, her back pressed against shelves stacked with jars and burlap sacks. The dusty air was thick with the mingled scents of flour, dried herbs, and metal from the pans hanging nearby. If she moved even an inch, she’d risk bumping into hanging cast iron skillets. The row of cooking instruments felt like a death trap. If one clattered against another… she’d be caught instantly.
Every muscle in her body ached from holding still, but she didn’t dare shift. Then came the footfalls, heavy, deliberate, far louder than Yansin’s own. She froze, breath trapped in her chest, pulse thundering in her ears. The steps halted just beyond the wooden door. For a heartbeat, she was certain the latch would turn.
As the minutes ticked by, her thoughts churned. What if Yansin got himself captured, or worse, killed? What if she was found? They wouldn’t be even half as lenient with her a second time.
The footsteps began again, but grew fainter. Whoever it was had decided to walk away. Zari bit back her sigh of relief just as a sneeze began to burn her nose.
She clenched her fists, fighting the urge.
The closet door finally swung open.
As soon as her eyes landed on Yansin’s own, relief swept through her body. He’d tucked her sword through his belt, but it seemed out of place on him, too dangerous a weapon for too gentle a man.
“We’re safe,” Yansin said. “For now.”
“They’re gone?”
He nodded. “They won’t be back. Turns out even Crimsons are scared of ghosts.”
Despite her fears, a smile tugged its way onto her lips as she imagined Yansin sneaking around, causing the soldiers to think the lodge was haunted. “Thank you.”
He rocked on his heels, looking restless, as if they’d already stayed too long in the manor. “Now what?”
“I’m not sure. I thought of returning to the capital but perhaps I’d be better off meeting up with the ones I traveled with.”
“You mean the one who gave you that Oathborn mark?” Yansin’s gaze landed on her wrist. “Be careful, Zari. The fae are too fond of all the possibilities of magic. They forget the burden of its gifts. My mother… She was so enchanted by all the wonders, she never learned to be cautious. Never thought that to love someone made of magic and starlight would cause her own heartbreak.”
Only now did she truly consider what it meant to be half fae, how his mother would have aged, and his father would not. Her heart ached for him. “I’m sorry.”
Yansin’s expression stayed grim. “My father, in his grief, forgot to warn his only child of magic’s cost. Do not be like me. Do not trust those who offer you impossible things.”
Impossible things like seeing her father again? Could it be that Tivre lied?
Yansin dug in his bag once more, until he retrieved a small tin, then occupied himself with a task concerning the little tin and a scrap of paper. Soon, he’d rolled himself a cigarette.
“You smoke?” She couldn’t help but sound a bit disappointed.
“Forgive me. I picked it up at the end of the war and have never been able to master the cravings.” He tucked it away in a pocket.
As far as reasons went, at least that one was understandable. “We were taught to tell patients to replace the action with something else enjoyable.”
With his free hand, he lifted hers to his lips. A bolt of delight hit Zari, as he kissed her fingertips. The press of his lips to the sensitive skin of her fingertips was indescribably sensual, as if it promised so much more. Her face heated at the thought.
The sparkle still in his eyes, Yansin asked, “like that?”
His gaze lingered and she ducked her head, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She wasn’t used to that sort of male attention. Indeed, she wasn’t used to any attention at all.
“If you can put up with my bad habits,” Yansin said, “would you like my company at least until we reach the Gloaming?” That stretch of land near Lake Lochna was long-disputed territory between the fae and humans. There, strange things were said to happen, as the seasons turned unpredictable and technology turned unreliable.
“You still haven’t told me why you’re headed north or why you were hiding from the soldiers.”
That same shadow crossed over his face. “My circumstances have changed since we first met. I learned that a friend of mine survived the war, and I’m looking for him. As for the military…” He shrugged. “I considered buying a train ticket, but given financial circumstances… spontaneity seemed like the better investment.”
