Not for the first time, I sneak a glance at my husband.Ever since we left on this journey to the mountains he"s been radiating irritation.
He obviously doesn"t believe that I"m telling the truth.
Still that"s his problem, not mine.
Of course it wouldn"t hurt to smooth things over.
The journey is long enough without the heavy silence making it seem longer.
"I don"t see why you"re so annoyed."
Perhaps not the most tactful opening but his irritation is rubbing off on me.
"You don"t? Let"s see… I"m forced to babysit you on a wild goose chase that is probably just a ruse for you to try and run away and all the while my sis-"
He cuts himself off, obviously having said more than he intended.
"You know what? Just forget it."
Someone else might have listened.
I am not someone else.
"While Arabella what?"
He looks away visibly angry at his slip.
"Answer me, Riel."
"It doesn"t matter. I"m just being a paranoid big brother."
His words are believable enough and yet…
My instincts scream that he is lying.
"Don"t lie to me, Riel. I may not act like it but I am a mage."
He hesitates for a moment before meeting my gaze.
"My spies have reported an unusual amount of interest in Arabella from the crown"
The existence of spies was no surprise.
How else would he have known of her visit?
As for the crown"s interest, a new n.o.ble not of n.o.ble blood would definitely have caused a stir.
"She has Kent. He"ll keep her safe."
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"Like he kept you safe? Where was he when you were hanged?"
I clamp down on the surge of magic within me.
Riel will never know how close his spiteful words came to getting him scorched.
"Kent was doing as I asked."
I keep my voice carefully controlled.
"How can you trust a va.s.sal that would let his master be killed?"
His words are reminiscent of those spoken by Kent in our last conversation.
Kent had wondered the same.
It was only the reminder of his duty that stopped him from acting.
A duty that was foisted upon his shoulders at too young an age.
"Kent would die before allowing the destruction of House Auron. Arabella is all that"s left."
"You might believe that but I don"t."
I shrug.
He doesn"t need to believe it.
All that matters is that it"s true.
Kent has already allowed House Auron to lay claim to his body, his mind and his heart.
It"s only a matter of time before it takes his life as well.
There are times when I wish I could change the past and give him back the life he should have had.
And yet…
Kent chose this life.
It"s not my place to second guess it.
Speaking of choices and second guesses…
"We"re almost there."
My husband looks around at the mountain path.
"How can you tell? This all looks the same."
I can"t help the soft smile at the familiar tug within me.
"I just do."
He stares at me intently before letting out a sigh.
"Let me guess, it"s some magic thing."
"You could say that."
I scan our surroundings curiously.
There"s an unmistakable feeling of wrongness about it.
It"s almost as though my instincts are screaming that what my body perceives isn"t the truth.
"An illusion?"
At my words my husband draws to an immediate stop.
The rumours about these mountains are common knowledge.
A place where even the king fears to tread.
A place filled with magical beings who will destroy any who dare trespa.s.s.
I"m reasonably certain that I"ll be allowed through but him?
She has no reason to overlook his presence.
"Maybe you should stay here."
Our marriage may be one of convenience but that doesn"t mean I want to see him die.
He"s silent for a long moment.
"No, Larcen would never forgive me if I let you go alone and you decided not to return."
He squares his shoulders as though expecting a fight.
He obviously doesn"t realise that I"m already too far gone to consider abandoning them now.
"Fine, but stay close to me."
I try to dispel the illusion but it holds firm against my attempts.
It"s painfully obvious that it"s creator is stronger than I am.
A clean break may be out of the question but there"s more than one way to skin a cat.
I close my eyes and focus my magic.
It takes a while but soon my magically augmented mind"s eyes can see the true terrain.
Eyes still closed, I make my way to a small cabin that the magic had cloaked.
It"s not the only place under protection but it"s the one that calls to me.
I can feel the warmth of Riel"s presence at my back.
It"s almost disconcertingly close.
The door to the cabin suddenly swings open snapping me out of my contemplation of my husband.
"Looks like someone"s expecting us."
Despite the light tone there"s an undercurrent of fear in his voice.
A tinge of amus.e.m.e.nt has me opening my eyes and allowing my magic to recede.
The inside of the cabin is perfectly visible with the door open in invitation.
I only hesitate for a moment before crossing the threshold.
My husband follows.
A quick glance reveals a messy but empty room.
"So this master tactician friend of yours is a mage?"
"We"re not friends."
I answer reflexively.
We haven"t been friends for a long time.
Not since before my father died.
Not since before she -
I force myself not to think of that.
Animosity towards her will not help our case.
"She"s not a mage."
My husband"s brow furrows in confusion.
"Then what"s with the illusions and the door?"
"It"s magic, just not mine."
An amused voice comes from around the corner.
A voice I"ll recognise anywhere.