Page 14 of Of Kings and Thieves

“Trust me,” Killian said, swirling the flask, “you’re better off not experiencing the Darkrift. It’s a place of shadows and whispers, where time loses meaning and reality fractures.”

I suppressed a shudder. “If you hadn’t come, I would have been unconscious when the Deviant woke.”

“I am here to serve Col, and now you. But your gratitude is appreciated,” he replied, his voice softening slightly. “At least Col knew your location.”

“I have questions about that, too,” I said, casting a glance in Col’s direction. As much as I wanted to stay angry with him, I couldn’t deny that he cared for me. And I, for him. My heart swelled with a mix of emotions—gratitude, wonder, and the faintest flicker of hope.

Before I could ask, a horse neighed, and I glanced up. Through the trees was a small clearing—a high mountain meadow with lush green grass where several horses were grazing.

I squinted. “Is that my mare?”

“Yes,” Killian said. “She fought fiercely to protect you while you were injured. It took me a few minutes to calm her. And after such a display of loyalty, I couldn’t leave her behind.”

“You brought my horse,” I said, my throat tightening. I struggled to stand, and Col hurried to help me. At first, my legs wobbled and my head spun, but the sensations quickly passed. Col helped me over to the mare, and I stroked her neck while she continued to graze. The significance did not escape me—a creature that used to be repelled by my very presence had instead put itself in harm’s way for my sake.

Killian walked over and patted the mare on the neck.

“Was it very hard to bring us both?” Somehow, I thought it was, given what Killian had said about navigating the Darkrift.

He didn’t respond at first, and when I looked up from the horse, he was studying me, as if weighing his response.

“The Darkrift takes its toll on those who traverse it. The energy required grows exponentially with distance and the number of beings traveling. In this case, transporting both you and your horse left me quite drained.”

I twisted my fingers into the horse’s mane. “Then I owe you a debt, Killian, for your help.”

He shook his head. “Not at all.”

I looked from Killian to Col. “And what is your connection, exactly?”

Col sighed and ran a hand through his hair before meeting my eyes. “It’s quite a tale, really.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “You see, Killian works for The Harrow.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“Indeed,” Killian replied, his expression sobering. “But I long ago grew disillusioned with his methods and goals. And then, a few years ago, I met Col.”

“Or rather,” Col chimed in, a grin playing on his lips, “I saved his ass from certain death.”

“How?” I turned my gaze towards Col, raising an eyebrow. The change in position sent another wave of pain through me, and I leaned on the mare. Sensing my strength failing, Col carefully picked me up and took me back to the fire. “I can walk.”

“I know you can, but I wanted a reason to hold you.” He smiled before gently lowering me to the ground and placing a waterskin in my hands. Then he sat next to me and continued the story. “You see, I happened upon Killian one day, and he had walked up on a pack of scared goblins, and let’s just say they had him cornered. I intervened.”

“Col has a penchant for understatement,” Killian interjected. “He did save my life, but it wasn’t a simple pack of goblins. It was a small army of them, and though I had plenty of power at my disposal, I was quickly overwhelmed.”

“We met again a few years later. Killian had sought me out, you see, and he had a proposal. He was in a perfect position to be my spy. I can’t seem to shake him off now.”

“Perhaps it’s because you secretly enjoy my company,” Killian said.

I took a swig of water.

“Secretly?” Col feigned offense. “Come now, Killian, I’m not one to hide my feelings.”

The water went down the wrong way, and I sputtered and coughed. “Not hide your feelings?” I asked when I could breathe again. “That is an understatement.”

Col took the water away from me as if I was going to hurt myself and adopted a shocked look. “How so?”

“You were dripping with contempt for me when we met.”

“It was the same with me,” Killian added dryly, “even though he deigned to save my life.”

---