The Hidden Crystal

Chapter 59

"Hey, get up."

Rath's hand smacked Char's shoulder, and Char reached out blindly to return the hit, but Rath had moved out of reach.

"Good morning."

Rath's bright voice was moving away from Char, still cocooned in his blanket and reluctant to leave it after a half night of sleep.

"Good morning," Iris replied. There was something off about her voice, like she was forcing a cheerful tone. Char rolled over, opening his eyes to look at her. She was sitting in front of the ashes from last night's campfire, hugging her knees to her chest, smiling up at Rath. The smile was as fake as her tone, and that posture meant something was really bothering her. Char sighed and rubbed his eyes.

"Char made you take a shift last night?" Rath asked, rummaging around in the packs for breakfast.

"No, I talked him into letting me do it," she replied.

Rath chuckled. "Talked him into it? Didn't sound like that to me."

"I thought you were asleep," Char grumbled as he sat up.

"I was tired, not dead," Rath replied, shooting Char a smirk. He sat down next to a very red Iris and handed her some food. "It's kind of nice to see Char losing his mind over a girl for a change. Usually, it's the other way around."

"Rath," Char warned, climbing to his feet.

"What? She's marrying you, so she deserves to know all about your sordid history, doesn't she?" His blue eyes glittered with mirth, and he turned back to Iris. "See, Char and I have always had the tall, dark, and handsome thing going for us, but he's also the strong, silent type, so it's nearly impossible to keep the girls off of him at parties."

Char groaned irritably and hit Rath on the shoulder as he passed him to sit on Iris' other side. The smile on her face was much more genuine now.

"Thing is, as much as he likes to dance, he rarely takes an interest in any of the girls hanging off of him," Rath continued, ignoring Char. "But when he does, and he turns that charm on, they practically fall at his feet."

"Don't listen to him," Char told Iris.

"I already knew all of that," she said, her brown eyes dancing as they met his. "It was pretty obvious at that party."

Rath laughed. "You remember that? Wow, I thought for sure you were blackout drunk. I've never seen somebody get so wasted on a single glass of wine."

She shrugged, her cheeks flushing again. "I guess I don't have any tolerance."

"You weren't the only one without any tolerance," Rath said, smirking over her head at Char. "I would have thought Char was drunk, too, if I didn't know any better."

"That's enough," Char said firmly as Iris' face reddened further. "Unless you want me to punch you again."

"But I'm still feeling a little weak," Rath tried, feigning a small, pitiful voice.

Char snorted. "You're feeling fine, and you know it. Are we flying or walking today?"

All teasing vanished from Rath's face. He rubbed his bruised jaw thoughtfully. "I think we're far enough out to avoid being seen, but I'm not sure. The problem is my flight from yesterday. A keen-eyed guard in the castle watchtowers could have seen that, and with negotiations between humans and dragons on the table, every perceived offense makes a truce less likely. That whole mess with Micah will have the king on edge, and then to have dragons sneaking around in human territory..." He sighed. "We'll walk until midday and reevaluate then."