THE FOLLOWING THREE days passed slowly. Asher and Ninia barely left the inn, and when they did, they wore hooded cloaks. Ninia wasn’t such a concern, for no one in The Royal City knew her. However, Asher was a familiar face here. He couldn’t risk being seen, for none of the enchanters besides Ryana knew he’d returned to the capital.
Ryana was the only one he trusted.
The days passed slowly, and by the end of the third, Asher felt like climbing the walls. He paced his room, boredom and frustration seething within him.
Eventually, he wheeled round, facing Ryana. “How much longer is she going to be?”
“Irana didn’t say when she’d be back,” Ryana replied. “But it’ll be any day now.”
His friend sat on his bed, Ninia perched next to her. Ryana turned her attention back to the girl. “Flex your fingers when you gather the Dark … it’ll make it easier to control. Remember, you decide how much power you draw to your side.”
Ninia nodded, brow furrowed. Over the past two days Ryana had been teaching her how to gather the Dark safely. They’d started slowly, cautiously, for Asher had warned Ryana about how volatile Ninia’s raw power was. As such they were practicing in daylight, with the late afternoon sun streaming through the window.
Asher dragged a hand over his face. Ryana’s response wasn’t the answer he’d been hoping for. Her vagueness irritated him.
Sensing his glare, Ryana glanced up from where she’d been circling her right palm, causing the shadows around the edges of the room to dance and flutter.
“She doesn’t confide in me,” Ryana reminded him. “You know that … I asked the others again this morning. They expect her back soon.”
Asher huffed out a breath. He was sick of waiting; for the past few weeks he’d been moving forward, constantly in action. The forced inactivity left him alone with his spiraling thoughts.
He started to pace the room again, which was difficult as it was small. His companions ignored him, resuming the lesson.
“You have to be gentle with the Dark,” Ryana explained. “Not all of it responds the same way.”
“What do you mean?” Asher could hear the curiosity in Ninia’s voice; she’d been delighted when Ryana had agreed to teach her.
“Each type of darkness has a different mood. Shadows are moody and fickle, the darkness of the sky is aggressive and courageous, whereas the blackness you find in caverns and deep holes is slow to awaken, but the most dangerous.”
Asher’s attention shifted from their conversation, his thoughts turning inward as he continued to pace restlessly.
The past days had been a slow death, but they had brought him to a realization.
He couldn’t go back to his old life and pretend he hadn’t changed. He couldn’t alter the past; nor could he forget Mira or the one night they’d spent together. He was impatient for Irana to return, to deal with her anger at his disobedience, so he could move on.
He’d made his choice.
Once he was sure Ninia would be safe, he would leave her in Ryana’s guardianship and go in search of Mira.
She’d told them she would head north to Errad—he would try there first.
It occurred to him then that Mira might have lied to them about her destination. In truth she could be anywhere in Rithmar by now. He’d been a fool to let her go, but he’d search the kingdom from end to end until he found her.
The decision was freeing, lifting the yoke of guilt that had hung round his neck since Idriss, yet it made his frustration even rawer. He had to go north and search for Mira before she moved on.
“Shadows!” Ninia exclaimed, her sharp tone drawing him out of his thoughts. “I can’t concentrate with you pacing around. What’s the matter with you, Asher?”
“He needs to get out of this room.” Ryana rose to her feet. “We all do. Come on … it’s about time for the first ale of the evening.”
She met Asher’s eye and smiled. “Soon,” she promised quietly.
Holding her gaze, Asher sensed she knew the true source of his agitation, the real reason for his impatience. They hadn’t spoken of Mira since his first night here, yet Ryana understood.
They went downstairs to the common room. Dusk was gathering outdoors, and with the setting sun came a tide of tired men in search of an ale after a hard day. The roar of male voices and the odor of sweat, ale, and leather hit Asher in a wall as he stepped out onto the sawdust-strewn floor. The press of bodies around him was almost overwhelming.
Asher heaved in a deep breath and pushed his way through the crowd, his gaze searching for an empty table. They’d be lucky to find one this evening. Still, crowds were a good thing; it made it easier to stay hidden.
Reaching the center of the common room, Asher halted, looking over the sea of heads toward the far wall where there were usually some tables free.
His gaze swept over a table where a group of well-dressed men—most likely cloth merchants—were dicing, and alighted upon a cloaked figure standing near the door. As he watched, the newcomer pushed back her hood, revealing a mane of raven hair. Cool, blue-grey eyes surveyed the interior of The Black Boar Inn.
Asher stopped breathing.
That face. He’d know it anywhere, for it now haunted his dreams.
The woman saw him then and grew still. They stared at each other across the jostling crowd. The roar of the inn faded; all Asher could hear was the beating of his own heart.
“There’s a table in the corner.” Ryana’s voice, tinged with impatience, reached him. “I’ll grab it before someone else does, and you order the ales.”
Asher ignored her.
On the other side of the room, a slow smile crept across the newcomer’s face, the expression turning her strong, sensual face beautiful. She moved then, weaving through the throng with calm purpose. Men stopped in mid-sentence and eyed her as she passed by, yet the woman ignored them.
“Mira!” Ninia gasped behind him.
Asher ignored the princess too; he could focus on nothing except the dark-haired woman who approached him.
A heartbeat later, she was in his arms, her own entwined about his neck as she kissed him. The shock of her body against his jolted Asher out of his reverie. Hungrily, he kissed her back, not caring that they were drawing attention to themselves.
When they broke apart, they were both breathless.
Around them some of the men were smirking, while one or two whistled and catcalled.
Asher paid none of them any mind. Joy made him throw caution aside. He reached down and brushed a lock of silky black hair from Mira’s face. “I was going to search for you,” he murmured. “Once I’d finished here.”
Her full mouth curved in a way that made Asher ache to kiss her again. “Aye, maybe you would have … but I got tired of waiting.”
“This city is full of taverns and inns. How did you know where I was staying?”
“I didn’t … this is the sixth I’ve been in this afternoon. I wasn’t sure I’d find you.”
They stared at each other, the moment drawing out, until a cough from behind Asher interrupted them.
He turned to find Ninia standing there, arms folded, an irritated look upon her face. Ryana stood next to her, smiling. “See what I had to put up with during the journey,” Ninia muttered. “They ignored me most of the time.”
Asher laughed. “That isn’t true.”
“Aye,” Mira chimed in. “A wench as demanding as you is impossible to ignore.”
Ryana laughed and stepped forward, offering her hand to Mira. “Good eve, I’m Ryana.”
The two women shook hands, and Asher saw immediately that they would be friends. Both strong, willful, and independent, they had more in common than they probably realized.
Asher cast a wary glance around the common room then. Now that the show was over, the men had turned back to their tankards and conversations. However, they’d created quite a spectacle; it was time to blend in with the shadows again.
“That table in the corner’s still free,” he said to Mira. “Join Ryana and Ninia there, and I’ll get the first round of ales.”
A short while later, Asher sat down next to Mira, put a protective arm around her shoulders, and drew her close. She smiled up at him, her eyes shining. His throat constricted. “I thought I’d lost you,” he admitted thickly.
Unspeaking, she reached up and grazed her knuckles along his jawline, her smile fading. “Asher … I’m not just here for you,” she replied.
Asher drew back. Her admission was an icy bucket of water over him. What did she mean by that?
Mira’s gaze shifted over to where the inn-keeper—a young man with a shiny, red face—placed tankards full of foamy ale on the table.
When he’d departed, Ryana picked up a tankard and raised it in a toast. “Here’s to old friends and new.” She frowned then, as she saw the frozen look on Asher’s face and the serious expression on Mira’s. “What is it?”
Mira inhaled deeply, her attention shifting to Ninia. “I’ve just traveled from Errad—around half a day ahead of Irana.”
Asher stiffened. “She’ll be here tomorrow afternoon then?”
“Aye, if you don’t intercept her first.”
Ryana’s gaze narrowed. “Why would we do that?”
Mira’s gaze was steady as it met Ryana’s. “Why was she in Errad?”
“She told us she was meeting Asher there,” Ryana replied. “A lie obviously.”
“Aye … it was a lie. I saw her at the overlord’s tower. She bought two sacks of Stynix from him.”
A heavy silence fell.
Asher went still, while Ryana’s expression froze.
Ninia looked confused for a moment or two, before realization dawned. “Stynix,” the girl breathed. “But it’s outlawed?”
“Aye,” Asher replied, sharing a look with Ryana. “For good reason. An enchanter using Stynix becomes almost invincible for a short time. The risk of it falling into the wrong hands was considered too great.”
“Shadows … what does she want with that?” Ryana asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“A weapon in the war against Anthor … maybe,” he replied.
“The king would never agree to that.”
“It depends how desperate he is.” Asher leaned back in his chair, a chill slithering down his spine. “Have you seen the wall they’ve erected on our border, Ryana? Thirty-feet high with leaguetowers along its entire length. They’re more powerful than us … maybe Nathan realizes it and wants something to put the odds in our favor.”
A nerve flickered on Ryana’s cheek. “Or her motives could be more selfish … more sinister.”
“Whatever the reason for acquiring Stynix, she must be stopped,” Asher replied. “Serran has enough problems without adding that to the mix.”
“So what are you going to do?” Mira interrupted them.
Ryana met her eye. “I like your idea of meeting her on the road—in daylight when the sun’s at its highest, her enchantment will be at its weakest.”
Asher raised an eyebrow. “And so will yours.”
Ryana responded with a tight smile. “That’s why I’ll hang back and let you do all the talking.” Her attention shifted to Ninia then. “Looks like you might be the least of Irana’s concerns right now.”
Asher followed Mira into his room, closing the door behind them. Ryana had returned to the House of Light and Darkness, while Ninia had retired to her own room.
Finally, they were alone.
I’m not just here for you. Those words had needled him all evening
“So, I wasn’t reason enough to travel here,” he asked. He’d wanted to ask the question casually, but he heard the edge to his voice.
Shadows, I sound desperate.
She turned, her mouth quirking. “I knew that would bother you,” she replied. “Men and their egos.”
He stiffened. “So you came here just to deliver the news about Irana? For no other reason?”
She watched him, her smile fading. “What do you want me to say … that I missed you?”
Asher felt his anger rise. He was tired of this. First she dismissed him, and now she was mocking him; he’d had enough. “I don’t expect you to say anything you don’t feel,” he ground out. “Don’t spare my male ego … please.”
Mira stepped back from him and shrugged of her cloak, tossing it onto the bed. The movement, unconsciously sensual, made his pulse quicken. Damn the woman—he wished he didn’t want her so much.
“I kissed you, didn’t I?” she said coolly. “Surely that tells you I missed you.”
Asher moved away from the door, advancing on her. “Does it?”
She tilted her chin to meet his eye as he moved closer still. “I’m not good at this, Asher,” she said quietly. “Don’t expect me to simper and look up at you with doe-eyes.”
“I don’t want that.” He stared down at her, his gaze hungrily tracing the lines of her face. “I just want the truth.”
“It works both ways,” she murmured. “I’ve come to you … how do I know you weren’t pleased to see the back of me? You didn’t try very hard to stop me from leaving.”
Asher huffed a bitter laugh. “Aye, and I’ve regretted it ever since.” He reached out and cupped her cheek, running the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. He saw the pupils of her eyes dilate at that, and his pulse started to race, his heart thudding hard against his ribs. “All I can think about is you,” he said softly. “Food tastes stale. Ale tastes like vinegar. The sky looks grey even when the sun is shining. I hardly sleep, but when I do, I dream of you.” He broke off here, struggling to contain the words that now poured from him. “You consume me, Mira … you’ve stolen my soul. Is that good enough. Do you believe me now?”
She stared up at him, naked want on her face. Her lips parted, and she drew in a ragged breath. “Yes.”
He kissed her then, his mouth devouring hers. Mira melted against him. Her arms linked around his neck, her tongue exploring his mouth. Asher groaned; she tasted so good. He could never get enough of her.
He pressed his hips against hers and heard her breathing catch. Her hands slid down his chest, her fingers fumbling with the ties on his leather vest. Then she reached down and traced the hard length of his shaft, straining against his breeches.
Asher gave a soft growl and stepped back from her. Then he started to undress. Likewise, Mira shrugged off her clothes, never taking her gaze from him.
His gaze slid down her nude body, taking in her long muscular limbs and soft curves. It hurt not to touch her.
He pulled Mira hard against him, his mouth claiming hers once more.
Two strides took them hard up against the wall. Asher wanted to take hours exploring her body, making her gasp and sigh, but right now he had to be inside her. He couldn’t wait.
Parting her thighs, he cupped his hands under her buttocks and lifted her up to meet him. Then he thrust deep, holding nothing back.
Mira cried out, the sound muffled against his neck, before she wrapped her legs around his hips and angled her hips up to meet him. Asher closed his eyes, losing himself in her heat. He felt her tremble against him, her fingers digging into his flesh, yet he didn’t stop.
Like when they’d spent the night together in Aldeport, he gave everything he had to her. The sound of Mira’s panting with wordless need, unraveled what remained of his self-control. The world faded. He forgot about everything else but her.
All that mattered was this.
They shattered together, Asher burying his face in her neck as he climaxed. He shuddered against her, his breathing ragged.
“Mira,” he rasped in her ear. “My life, my love … you’re mine.”
She let out a soft moan before sighing in wordless agreement.