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

Chapter 13

As soon as the High Road was out of sight, several hours after we’d left it behind, I fell to the ground. My breath came out in wheezes, each one feeling like being punched in the gut. I may have faced the ghosts of my past and emerged victorious, but it had taken a toll.

The anguish I’d buried during our confrontation rose to the surface in an overwhelming surge. A wave of dizziness hit, and I struggled to get enough air into my lungs. I’d been foolish to believe that facing my tormentors wouldn’t leave its mark, but at least I’d waited until they were gone before falling apart.

“Look at me,” Silas’ voice called to me through the panic. My eyes, unfocused, found his with difficulty, their striking green colour a comfort to my frayed nerves. “I’m here and you’re safe. You just need to breathe.”

If only it was that simple. Each breath I attempted was agony, like hands were wrapped around my throat.

Silas persevered, an unquestionable authority to his tone that I hadn’t heard from him before. “Listen to my voice. Breathe in, now out. In and out. You can do better than that. I know you can.”

It was no use. I desperately gulped in as much air as I could with each shallow breath, but it wasn’t enough. I was lost to the terrifying sensation, the world spinning.

Silas loomed over me, brushing his hair back, and I realised that he’d joined me on the ground. His scent flooded my nose, and for a moment, I felt like I was back in the forest, the comforting blend of pine and vanilla soothing me. “Try this instead.” He held his fist in front of my face, opening and closing it in time with his instructions. “See if you can match the motion.”

I can’t, I wanted to scream at him. Couldn’t he see that this was out of my control? And at first, it was. But Silas, stubborn as he was, refused to give up. If my breakdown fazed him in any way he didn’t show it, his body language relaxed as if this was an everyday occurrence. His words became my mantra. In. Out. In. Out.

Eventually, the heavy feeling in my chest began to lift, each breath becoming easier. My breathing returned to its usual rhythm, and the panic released its grip on me.

“Where did you learn that?” I asked once I could speak again, my throat rough and scratchy.

Silas was sprawled out, absentmindedly brushing off the dirt that clung to his clothes. He considered me quietly. “My mind can be an overwhelming place sometimes. I’ve picked up a few techniques over the years.”

“Thank you,” I said, swallowing hard. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him.

He shook his head, his hair falling into his face again. “There’s nothing to thank me for. You were incredibly brave back there. Your body just needed time to process everything.” He dusted himself off as he stood, helping me to my feet. “Maybe we should stay for a while and let you recover.”

“No. I need to get away from here.” The panic may have passed, but I wouldn’t feel like myself again until we were a great distance from the High Road.

He nodded, following the brisk pace I set even as I pushed us harder than usual. It felt good to move, to have the purpose of my mission to distract me from my tumultuous emotions, and it became my driving force. Everything would work out as long as I kept moving.

The ground beneath our feet transformed, the grass becoming patchy until all that remained was black, rocky soil. For a while, neither of us spoke, the quiet punctuated by the crunching of our boots on the stones.

“I understand now why it took you so long to trust me,” Silas said, eventually breaking the silence. The sun bowed behind imposing mountains that seemed like they were built from shadow, casting a red glow over the horizon. It bathed him in a pink hue as we sat down on two of the large rocks that protruded from the ground. It was the time of day when we usually set up camp, but we made no move to do so. “I hadn’t realised how the nobility treated others. It’s a disgrace.”

“I feared you would side with them. You’re one of them, after all.” But he hadn’t. He’d had my back the entire time, resolute in his support when I’d needed him the most.

“I never want to be associated with scum like them,” Silas spat out.

“They called you a bloodline heir. Is it true?” My voice quietened to a whisper. I’d known he was noble, that was true, but a bloodline heir? He was part of the elite, possessing power that most fae could only dream of. It hung in the air between us, threatening to taint the relationship we’d so painstakingly built.

He sighed. “I suppose there’s no point holding back now. I’m from one of the most influential families in Idrix.”

My eyes fluttered shut. I had my own secrets from Silas. I could hardly begrudge him his. But it had been difficult enough to trust him as a noble. This revelation made everything more complicated.

“Willow.” I opened my eyes, meeting his gaze. His brow was furrowed in concern, his jaw clenched tightly. “You know me well enough by now. Do you truly think I’m like them? Cold, conniving, only looking out for my own self-interest?”

“I don’t know what to think anymore,” I said. The flash of hurt that crossed his face made my chest tighten, but it was the truth. Seeing Ithan again had been a stark reminder of the cost of letting my guard down. I didn’t know whether my intuition could be trusted.

His fingers drummed against the rock. “I should’ve been honest with you from the start. I thought that if you knew my background, there would always be a rift between us, and you would never fully trust me. If this has been your experience with the nobility, I couldn’t blame you for it.”

“And once you knew me better?” I said. “Why not come clean?”

“I didn’t want to lose my only friend.” His voice cracked.

I wavered. If I wasn’t limited by my bargain to the Night Ravens, would I have risked the same? I knew myself how difficult it was to make a true friend in Idrix. “You’ve never given me a reason to doubt you. Even when I looked for one.”

The dimples in his cheek appeared as a small smile graced his face. “I would never betray you. Please know that.”

I wished I could believe him as much as he believed himself. “I can’t handle another betrayal. I don’t know if I will ever fully trust you.”

“Then trust me for today,” Silas said.

“What do you mean?” I asked in confusion, twisting on the rock to face him directly.

“Ever feels a little daunting, don’t you think? All I ask is that you trust me, just for today. I promise I won’t betray that trust.” He took my hand in his, threading our fingers together into a steady hold. The warmth of his skin invaded mine, promising protection.

“And tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow I will ask the same. And the following day. I will ask the same question every day, and my promise to you won’t change. But I will ask, for as long as you need me to.”

In that moment, I realised several things. The first was that I’d never met anyone like Silas and was unlikely to ever again. I realised that I may have found the one who was most worthy of my trust, someone who would treasure it and never take it for granted.

And most staggering of all, as heat rose in my cheeks at the feel of his hand in mine, I realised that what I was beginning to feel for him had surpassed the bond of friendship.

My feelings had crept up on me. I’d believed my heart was too shattered for love to ever be a possibility. But Silas, with his enduring optimism and fierce loyalty, had stitched the broken pieces back together, helping me see the good in the world again.

“Very well. Today, it is,” I said, not wanting to acknowledge those feelings. This close to Threstia, they were an inconvenient distraction. And besides, he had given no indication that he was feeling the same. What would a bloodline heir see in someone like me? I gazed down at where our hands met. “There’s something I still don’t understand. All this time, you’ve had power and influence at your fingertips. Why did you need me?”

He chewed on his lip thoughtfully. “Heading out on this adventure was an impulsive decision. I had no plan. I’d never left Eirel until now and I didn’t know what I’d face. And you were so... competent in the forest. I thought if I stuck with you, I’d stand half a chance of surviving.”

“It wasn’t your wisest move. With me, you’ve fended off thieves, fell into a trap, and faced three nobles.” And all on the same mission. It was a run of bad luck I prayed never to repeat.

“What’s life without a little adventure?” Silas smirked, and I felt my blush deepen. I hoped the pink light of the fading sun was enough to mask it.

“Speaking of, how about we continue ours for longer today? I won’t sleep easily until I know we’ve put some distance between us and those nobles,” I said.

“Of course.”

We set off quickly, keen to cover as much ground as possible. As darkness fell, Silas sent a flaming sphere ahead of us, lighting our way as we closed in on the outskirts of Threstia. I was no longer worried about what we’d face there, not with Silas by my side. For everything he’d done for me, I’d given him so little in return. It felt out of balance, and I wanted to change that.

“I should explain what happened back there. Who they were to me,” I said, my steps slowing.

“You don’t have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“I want to. That is, if you’re willing to listen. Perhaps then I can finally leave everything in the past where it belongs.”

“In that case, go ahead,” Silas said, shadows dancing over his face where it was lit by his magic.

I took a deep breath, watching the glow from the sphere flicker as it illuminated my way forward. Our surroundings were difficult to make out in the darkness, a flat expanse of rock all that was visible. It felt like we were the only two fae left in the world.

With Silas’ gentle attention on me, I began. “When the curse destroyed my island, and I lost everything, I was vulnerable. Alone. I wasn’t prepared for what I’d find here on the mainland. I thought if I asked for help, I would easily receive it.”

“And you found the opposite.”

I nodded. “For fifteen years, I wandered Idrix seeking aid. When I was lucky, the fae I encountered ignored me, focusing on their own survival. Others tricked me out of my remaining possessions or trapped me in predatory bargains.” Losing my faith, when that had been one of the few things keeping me going, had felt like hope itself had died. I was nothing but an empty shell.

“You tried to warn me when we met.” Silas’ hand flexed by his side.

“I didn’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate.” Even someone I didn’t trust. “Ithan was the first to show me kindness. When I met him, I didn’t have a copper to my name. He was alone by a campfire when I skulked past, and he stopped me and offered to share his meal.”

“That sounds remarkably similar to how we met.”

“Exactly. I thought history was repeating itself. We travelled together for months, but it wasn’t like this, like me and you. Equals. I was blind to it at the time, but there was a condescending undertone to our interactions. I was more of a pet than a companion. He never respected me, but I overlooked it because I was safe, and protected, and things were looking up.”

“And you fell for him.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Against my better judgement. I never truly loved him for who he was. I fell for the dream he sold me, one where I didn’t have to worry about where my next meal would come from or fight for my life. It was a fairytale, and he was the prince saving me from the evil of the world. A pretty story, but nothing more.” And I’d believed it all.

“What happened?”

“We met up with his delightful companions on the High Road and the truth came out. You see, it was all a big game. A bet between friends. Whoever made an Unblessed fall in love with them first was the victor. My humiliation for the grand prize of two gold coins.”

“Those bastards.” His eyes darkened, reminding me of the Silas that had rescued me from the thieves, none of his usual softness remaining.

“There’s one positive. I didn’t give them the dramatic reaction they craved. There were no tearful outbursts, no accusations. I’d suffered so much by that point, was so broken, that I felt nothing at all. I could only stare at them in silence, unable to process Ithan’s betrayal. But that wouldn’t do at all, not when he’d invested weeks of his precious time to win my heart.”

I hesitated over whether to continue. Silas was shaking with barely suppressed rage beside me. But I had come this far, and I wanted him to understand my initial hostility towards him. Why I’d had no choice.

“They decided to do whatever it took to break me. When I wouldn’t beg for their mercy, they used their Blessings to force me to my knees. When I wouldn’t admit that I was unworthy of their presence, they filled my mouth with water until I nearly drowned. When I still didn’t yield, they decided to beat me the Unblessed way so I’d understand. My eyes were so swollen they couldn’t open and I was incapable of standing afterwards. If it weren’t for an approaching carriage, they wouldn’t have stopped until I was dead. At the time, I wished I was. But instead, I made a promise to myself to fight. So that one day I could be strong enough to face them and stop them from hurting anyone else.”

Silas stiffened, the sphere’s shape distorting as he struggled to retain control of his emotions. His voice was dangerously low as he spoke, sending a shiver down my spine. “I need you to keep talking to me, because if you give me even the briefest window of opportunity, I’m going to go back there and kill them all. First, I’ll make them experience everything you went through. Perhaps more, depending on how unforgiving I feel.”

I extended an arm, stopping him from moving forward. “I appreciate the offer, truly, but I have a better idea. They were lax in their negotiation. I promised not to reveal their secrets so long as they cooperated, but I never said anything about you.”

A wide grin spread across Silas’ face. “How may I be of assistance?”

I released him. “I have useful contacts in Hightower, but none within the nobility. Can I leverage that bloodline heir influence of yours to get the information into the right hands?”

“It may be a challenge. Tensions between Eirel and Hightower are strained. But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t pay attention to a bloodline heir’s concerns. When we return to civilisation, I will send some scandalous letters. Without means or titles, they’ll be in for a rude awakening when they’re cast out. That’s the least they deserve,” he said.

“What will happen to them?”

“They only have two options realistically. They can join the sacred guard of the White Temple, sworn to protect the Circle of the Enlightened in the Amber City. But that demands lifelong dedication. Members forsake all personal relationships and aspirations, letting all ties to their past life burn in the pure flames of the temple’s hearth. Alternatively, they could roam Idrix penniless and unwelcome in any ruling seat. They’d have no choice but to stay in the countryside, fighting for survival.”

Panic coursed through me. “If they decide to fight, won’t they come after us?”

“They won’t take that path,” Silas said confidently.

“How do you know?”

“There’s honour in serving the White Temple, influence and power too, though that’s all in service to the gods. Navigating a complex hierarchy is what they’ve known their whole lives. They’ll have to give up their autonomy, but that’s an easier sacrifice for them than living a life of obscurity, with no guidance to follow.”

“Would you make the same choice?” I asked, curious.

“No. Power never had its claws in me in that way. I’m sure I could carve out a satisfactory existence without Idrix’s cities. I mean, look at me.” He gestured to his travelling clothes and my gaze followed the movement, drifting down the firm lines of his body before I realised I was doing it. “I haven’t shied away from getting my hands dirty.”

“You’ve adapted well, all things considered.” It was almost easy to forget his position until the strength of his Blessing removed any doubt.

“I’m enjoying myself. I always wanted to see the realm and check if the reality matched what I was taught, and the company is a vast improvement from what I’m used to,” Silas said.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said nonchalantly, like the words didn’t affect me.

“You should, although you have little in the way of competition. There’s a reason you’re my first friend.”

“Is it really that bad, even as a bloodline heir?” Surely fae begged for his favour with his enviable position.

“On the Isle of Mist, the fae can be just as cruel as your tormentors. It’s just... not so blatant. It’s all backstabbing and double-crossing, and honourable, at least on the surface. What happened to you sickens me.”

“Then change it.” There was no reason for the cruelty that infected Idrix, except for a thirst for power and dominance left unchecked. Silas, by his own admission, didn’t play those games. He had a duty to do something about it.

“It’s not that simple,” he said with a frown.

“It sounds simple enough to me.” I stopped dead, facing him, the pleasant buzz that lingered from his compliment vanishing.

“You sound just like Valeria.” I looked at him blankly. “My cousin,” he clarified.

“She must be wise.”

Silas quirked an eyebrow at me. “She is. Tough too. You’d like her a lot. And she’d love you.”

“I don’t understand. You have the power to make a better world, one that protects the weak and innocent. How is it more complicated than that?” I gave him a pleading expression. His next words could change everything between us.

“Do you really want to know? Because I can go into excruciating detail?” Silas asked.

“Yes. I want to understand your way of life. It’s all a mystery to me.” I’d rather be bored than uninformed, and the sneaky treachery of the nobility was hidden to outsiders. It could be valuable information for the Night Ravens.

Silas gazed out at the surrounding darkness with a resigned expression. “Fine. I’ll tell you everything once we’ve rustled up something to eat.”

“Do you promise?” I asked, stopping at a spot with fewer stones. It was well-sheltered by a wall of black rock, only leaving one side open to the elements.

“I do,” Silas said. He deposited his pack on the ground, unrolling his bedroll. “And like every promise I make to you, I’ll stop at nothing to keep it.”