The Archer & the Flame (Whispers of the Night Ravens #1)

Chapter 6

When I emerged from the forest the next morning, I found myself in the enchanting Blossom Sea, named for its floral meadows that swayed in the wind like gentle waves lapping at the shore. I breathed in its sweet scent, letting my eyes adjust to the sunlight.

Flowers bloomed as far as the eye could see, specks of vivid colour that greatly contrasted the shady expanse of the forest. Every field spawned a flower of a unique shade and variety, each more striking than the last.

Enterprising fae traipsed from field to field, assembling bouquets to take to the city to sell, and despite it only being a few hours since sunrise, some were already visible in the distance hard at work. Even with the heavy footfall and the continuous picking they endured, the meadows never eroded, remaining a well-loved landmark for many in Idrix.

Finally, I was getting somewhere. I was one step closer to Valtarra, where the informant awaited my arrival. One step closer to learning what the hell this was all about.

Fae frolicked all over the fields, laughing in small groups. Children played, chasing each other through patches of flowers as tall as they were. I wondered how it felt to be so carefree.

My own childhood on the Tigal Isles was a lifetime ago, when my most pressing concern was finding someone to go head-to-head with during target practice, or sneaking back for second helpings of dinner. My heart ached at the memory, but there was no point dwelling in the past. There was nothing left there for me.

Drinking from my canteen, I studied my map, debating which of the winding paths would provide me with the quickest route to the village. With any luck, I would make it within a few days, swiftly adding another successful mission to my record.

Only then could I fulfil my duty. My eternal vow.

A twig snapped behind me. My bow was in my hand in an instant, locating the target.

“We have to stop meeting like this.” Silas, the last fae I wanted to see, caught up with me.

I scowled, lowering my arm with barely concealed reluctance.

He looked remarkably intact considering how I’d left him in the Yewdew Forest. Aside from a few hairs out of place and a splattering of dirt on his doublet, he was back to his immaculate self. The speed of his improvement was impressive, not that I would tell him that.

“Are you following me?” I asked, fixing him with a lethal look that promised a painful death if he was. It was better than the alternative, at least, that he was staking out the Old Keep. For some reason, his interest lay firmly with me, and not the Night Ravens.

He scoffed. “Of course not. You made your thoughts on companionship abundantly clear. This is merely a wonderful coincidence.”

“That’s certainly one word for it.” I had far stronger words in mind. Returning the bow to my shoulder, I glowered at him. All I wanted was a day of uninterrupted travel, but Silas clearly had other ideas.

“I’m glad you agree. So, what brings you to the famous Blossom Sea? Are you here for the scenery?” He gestured to the acres of blooming flowers. They’d taken my breath away when I’d first encountered them. It was my first glimpse of beauty on the Idrixian mainland after the horrors I’d endured, stirring hope that things would improve.

Today, they were an obstacle standing between me and my ambitions. A passing distraction, nothing more.

“That’s none of your business,” I said. I was growing tired of his attempts at conversation. We were just strangers crossing paths, if he was to be believed. I didn’t need to divulge anything about my plans, nor should I.

Silas carried on as if he’d tuned out my hostility. “It’s more beautiful than I imagined. The stories don’t do it justice.”

Now I was paying attention. “You’ve never seen it before? Not even from the High Road?”

Spanning the length of Idrix, connecting the Amber City with Gladhaven in the South, the road was the quickest, and most popular way to travel. It kissed the boundary of the Blossom Sea, elevated above the meadows, giving those who travelled along it a stunning view on their journey.

If Silas was seeing it for the first time, it meant he hadn’t left the North until now.

Who was he?

“If you must know, I’m rather new to this adventuring thing,” he continued, unaware of my scrutiny.

“Who’d have guessed?” I muttered under my breath, but my mind was whirring. He exuded confidence but lacked the condescending nature of the capital’s residents. Perhaps a noble from Tirrim? Or there was Eirel, the mysterious Northern territory, but its gates were closed to everyone but a select few after the lord’s passing.

It had taken me days to figure out how to evade the guards after my mission there, eventually escaping by hiding in the back of a stinking supply cart on its way to being restocked.

Silas conjured a perfect sphere of flame into his palm, juggling it between his hands absent-mindedly, not realising the skill and power he was casually demonstrating. “I’m secure enough in myself to be able to admit my weaknesses.” He quirked an eyebrow at me. “You should try it sometime.”

“And how do you know I won’t use it against you?” I asked. There was no shortage of those who would take advantage of a na?ve traveller, particularly one as unmistakably wealthy as Silas.

“I don’t, but I have a good feeling about you.” He shot me a dazzling grin, which didn’t falter as his eyes met mine.

“Why do I get the sense you’d have a good feeling about everyone?”

A dark look crossed his face, so at odds with his usual cheery demeanour. “You’d be wrong.”

“You don’t know me. You could be wrong about me too.”

His gaze held mine, unwavering. “No, I don’t think so.”

“We’re strangers.”

“Yet you still helped me. Twice. Without trickery or demanding reciprocity. I can’t say the same for some of my other acquaintances.”

Perhaps I’d misjudged him? But that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take. A smiling face was capable of the cruellest deception. It was like my head had been doused with icy water, my senses sharpening. “I wouldn’t get used to it. I also shot an arrow at you, don’t forget.”

“And missed me. I have no doubt that if you wanted to hurt me, you would’ve. Luckily for me, you chose to spare me.”

I reached for my bow. “That’s easily rectified.”

It didn’t discourage him. “And what if I did want to get on your good side? Do you like flowers?”

He attempted to hand me a hastily assembled bouquet he’d picked as we were walking.

I let them drop to the ground. “No.”

“Perhaps I’ll write you a poem,” he said.

“Perhaps I will fire that arrow,” I replied.

“Aha, that’s it. Where’s a fletcher when you need one?”

Far away, as luck would have it. Only the largest towns had enough trade to justify a fletcher permanently in residence.

“If you insist on following me, can you at least do it silently?”

I pointed out the nearest fae to us, a group of children playing in the fields. “Would you not be more comfortable over there? I’m sure they’d be more receptive to your presence.”

He chuckled, a rich sound that was as annoyingly charming as the rest of him. “I’ve always been terrible at hide and seek. Besides, you’re far more fascinating. I’ve never met anyone that’s taken such an immediate dislike to me before. It’s refreshing.”

“I’m sure there are others who share my opinion. You obviously haven’t been looking hard enough.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is?” Silas said.

Clearing my throat, I waited for him to pass me. “Goodbye. I’d say it was a pleasure, but I cannot lie.”

“Just like that? Don’t you think there’s a reason we keep running into each other?” He was standing too close to me again.

I nudged him away. Silas stumbled before he could steady himself, provoking one of my rare smiles.

“I doubt it counts when you’re deliberately finding ways for us to meet.” I should have stopped the conversation there, left him talking to himself or, better yet, ditched him entirely. However, my curiosity won out. “Does this usually work for you? Following women around until you wear them down?”

Silas grinned, his eyes burning with mirth. “I’ve had no complaints.”

My intuition flared, screaming at me to be cautious. Charm hid a multitude of sins. I’d fallen for it in the past, hope eclipsing caution, but I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. “Unfortunately for you, I have standards. You’re wasting your time.”

“We’ll see,” he replied, a casual arrogance in his voice.

“You doubt my resolve?”

“Not one bit. But I can tell when someone secretly likes me. You may deny yourself the truth, but your eyes don’t lie.”

Only my iron-clad restraint, honed by years of Reuben’s patient tutelage, kept me from hitting him.

“The pollen must be affecting your eyesight. Let me set you straight. You are self-absorbed, irritating and lack any survival skills. You’re nothing but a liability.”

“Well, none of us are perfect. But you’ve certainly been paying attention.” He winked. “I’m flattered.”

I ignored him, a twitch in my brow the only sign of my frustration, instead unrolling my map and studying the terrain.

Taking a deep breath, I cleared my mind and returned my focus to the mission. Following any path that veered to the right would take me towards my destination. I set off at once, keen to regain any time I could. Silas hurried to keep up with me, brushing aside the flowers blocking his way.

“So, will you tell me your name yet?” he asked, breathless.

“No.” Sweat beaded on my forehead, but I sustained my brutal pace. Perhaps he would grow tired and drop back if I kept it up. It was futile, based on the pep in his step, but I hoped all the same.

A tiny patch of white flowers growing between the path and the burnt-orange hillside brought a relieved smile to my face. Aurablooms. The perfect solution for my annoying problem.

Their delicate, miniature petals were more than just aesthetically pleasing. Young fae dared each other to pluck them, taking advantage of their strange power. Few followed through with the dare, too afraid it would expose their deepest fears, forever branding them a coward. Sweethearts lucky enough to have matching pink blooms were said to have a love destined to last for eternity. Successful couples stitched them above their heart on their wedding attire, blessing their union with the ultimate symbol of good fortune.

But aurablooms were far more useful than that. They reflected the emotions of the holder, their petals changing colour to signal what he or she was feeling. Sometimes they were glimpses of fleeting sensations, other times, your very soul was exposed for all to see.

Seeing as they grew only in the Blossom Sea, I doubted Silas was familiar with them. It presented me with a unique opportunity to uncover his true motives.

“There is something you can do to earn my trust.” I pointed to the aurablooms, trying to appear nonchalant about it. “Pick one.”

“I thought you weren’t the flower type?” Silas asked.

“I’m not.”

His twinkling eyes saw right through me. I held my tongue, not trusting myself to find the words to persuade him.

“Ah, I see. This is a test of some kind. Care to enlighten me?”

“And spoil the fun?”

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and I knew I had him.

“Well, in that case, how can I resist?” Silas crouched, examining the patch of aurablooms. After careful consideration, he plucked the tallest flower within his reach. “If these are poisonous and bring about my premature death, I will haunt you for the rest of your days.”

“Are you always so dramatic?” I kept my voice light but watched the aurabloom in his hand without blinking.

“I’m just getting started.”

The petals shifted, each changing to a new colour. He laughed. “Nice trick, but a little anticlimactic, don’t you think?”

I didn’t answer, distracted as the colours settled. Interpreting the meaning behind them wasn’t a precise endeavour, and some were a complete mystery, but there was no denying Silas had been holding back on me.

The first few petals held no surprises. There was a rich emerald symbolising the self-assured confidence that had been apparent from the moment we’d met, the sunshine yellow of his bright demeanour, and a bright purple that I couldn’t place.

But then, there was the murky green of regret, a petal the colour of blood, a blush pink that I didn’t want to consider too closely, and finally an icy blue I recognised well. Grief.

“Are you listening?” Silas said.

I snapped out of my focus, sifting through the new information as I faced him. I still didn’t trust him, especially with the gravity of what the aurabloom had revealed, but he posed no immediate threat to my life. If he was deceiving me, he was doing a good job of hiding it. “Speak for yourself. I’m rather fond of them, as flowers go.”

“Then you’re in luck. I have a surprise for you.” His hands were clasped behind his back.

“You’re not as smooth as you think you are.”

“You don’t want my gift?” He pouted, exaggerating the gesture.

“I no longer have any need of it. Keep it if you want.”

“I’ll treasure it.” He tucked the flower into the inside pocket of his doublet. “Have I proven myself to you yet?”

“A touch,” I said.

“That’s a start. I never could resist a challenge.” Silas balanced a flame on his fingertip, extinguishing it with a single motion.

“Scared you’ll lose the ability if you don’t use it often enough?” I asked, more curious than teasing.

“Sorry, old habit. It comforts me.” Flames licked across his palms, heat rising in the air between us.

It struck me that this was a rare opportunity to question someone with a Blessing, at least someone who would actually answer. It was information that could prove useful beyond my encounters with Silas, adding substantial depth to what I’d learned from my training with the Night Ravens.

“How old were you when it first manifested?” I asked.

“Seventeen. I nearly burned off my eyebrows. What a shame that would have been for the world.”

“I didn’t realise it could appear so late.” While fae weren’t born with Blessings, the ability usually developed before their tenth birthday. After then, you were deemed Unblessed, like the majority of Idrix.

“I was a late bloomer, if you can believe it. The dark sheep of my family. My mother tried to reassure me that it didn’t matter how long it took, it would appear when the time was right, but I knew she was terrified for me.” He grimaced. “Father told me in no uncertain terms that if I remained without a Blessing beyond my twentieth birthday, I would be cast out. That if it took that long to appear, it would be weak and pathetic, unworthy of my family name.”

“He would do that?” I tasted bile in my throat.

“Perception is power, as he’d say. So, you can see why we were all relieved the day I gained my powers.”

He ran his hands along the tall flowers growing beside the path. “At first, I thought I’d caught a fever. No one else in my family was Fire-Blessed, you see, so they were unfamiliar with my symptoms. The elements don’t follow bloodlines, only the ability. I was burning up, unable to control it, until suddenly there was fire blazing from my hands. Now it’s as if it’s always been a part of me. I can’t remember what life was like without it.” He froze, realising who was standing next to him. “Gods, that was so insensitive of me. I’m not used to the whole no Blessing thing.”

“You can’t miss what you never had, although I suppose it would make lighting a campfire easier.”

“Among other things. My favourite trick is when I meet someone rude. I raise the temperature ever so slightly to begin with so it’s almost unnoticeable. They start to shuffle, maybe loosen their collar, but they can’t bring themselves to complain, not when they see I’m unaffected. That would be admitting a weakness. By the time our business is concluded, they’re sweating buckets.”

“Nice to know you have such pressing concerns.”

Silas shrugged. “When you’re surrounded by ambitious and scheming fae, solely looking out for their own interests, the only way to tolerate it is to liven things up a bit.”

“You can do that? Heat up a room? It isn’t just the fire?” I asked. The books in the Old Keep hadn’t covered that.

“The flame is just the physical embodiment of the magic. I surprise myself sometimes with what’s possible, as long as my hands are free to wield it.”

I straightened, the extent of his abilities making me realise the danger we were in. “Be cautious about who you reveal it to. You could make yourself a target if the wrong fae witnesses your power.” Power was rarely just a blessing. It was also a curse.

Silas studied me with an intensity that made my skin prickle. “You’re speaking from experience. Who are you exactly? You’re an accomplished hunter, you knew what to do with the stormfang, and you keep checking your map despite knowing where you are.”

He watched me expectantly as a wave of panic surged through me. I’d never needed a cover unless the plan had specifically called for it. Usually, my prickly demeanour was enough to discourage any curiosity. I wore the harsh words like armour, protecting me from hidden knives. It was easier than being selective with the truth, deceiving others without an outright lie.

Silas continued. “If you’re here, you’re travelling south and you don’t strike me as the shopping type.” Gladhaven was the only city to the south, a place where merchants unhauled the last of their stock before crossing the Sapphire Sea, resulting in irresistible bargains at its many markets.

I stiffened. It was vital that no one knew my movements. The information I hunted couldn’t be traced back to me under any circumstances. An overconfident and loud-mouthed companion, too curious for their own good, was a liability.

My voice was quiet, laced with danger. “I’ll only say this once. This may all be a game to you, a brief diversion, but there are real problems I need to take care of. Responsibilities.” He had the sense to look nervous, more vulnerable than I’d seen him before. I needed to push the knife deeper, scare him away for good before he could ruin everything. “I know what you are. You’re part of the nobility. You must be with such a strong Blessing. Well, guess what? It’s time you grew up. Go back to your fancy house and easy life and chalk this up as an exciting adventure to tell your grandchildren about. Leave me alone so I can fix the mess fae like you inflict on fae like me.”

“I-” He swallowed, not quite meeting my gaze. Better for him to be upset than cost me this information, or put himself at risk by being discovered by someone with cruel intentions. “Sorry. I was trying to get to know you. I’ll go.”

He sounded defeated. I considered apologising, to give him another chance, but I resisted. There was no time to be sentimental. Too much was at stake. And it was better to cut ties this way.

If he left now, he couldn’t betray me later.

I watched him leave, not taking my eyes off him until he was only a speck in the distance. His shoulders were hunched, every step of his faltering. My guilt didn’t lessen, but I buried it deep down until I was numb to it. I required a clear mind to meet the informant.