Heart of Ash (The Dark Arcane Series: Book 1)

Chapter Thirty Four

Kade disappeared within seconds, racing down towards Darius.

Ashyn delayed, looking to her mentor. "Did you really travel here with him?"

Meredith smiled, eyes on the prince down below. "Yes, it was odd. I was about to head north myself when I saw him at an inn about to be robbed blind, and I thought, he's far too pretty to die, and then I realised I actually recognised the fool. I can't work out why but there's something about him, the way he watches the world, it's very witch-like."

That was high praise indeed coming from Meredith.

"You like him, don't you?" she asked carefully. "As a candidate for the throne."

She laughed. "I'm not sure about that—and I'm certainly not sure if the others would agree with me—but it's definitely an option I hadn't truly considered before."

Ashyn weighed that over before tucking it away for future pondering. "When's the next time we'll have contact?"

The witch shrugged.

"Who knows? I've got a lot of work to do and a large country to cover. Don't contact the Ka l'asterei, we don't know who we can trust, and... don't do anything stupid. The Divine are dangerous."

She nodded.

"Understood. What about Allvitende?"

A longing look crossed Meredith's face but she said, "Keep him for now, he'll follow where you go and protect you."

Somehow she doubted that but kept her mouth shut. Instead she asked, "So, until next time?"

She went to knock hands in farewell but Meredith moved so they clasped forearms instead. Her grip was tight. The expression on the witch's face was more real than anything she had seen in a while.

"Until next time. Be safe, Ashyn."

Something about her mentor's eyes stuck out. With Kade gone, she'd lowered her defences. Ashyn had never seen her like this before. Her mentor was afraid. This was enough to send a sliver of fear between her own ribs.

Tearing herself away, Ashyn didn't look back as she walked downstairs. Why did she get the awful sense that Meredith was saying goodbye for good?

She didn't ponder on it any longer as she was immediately greeted by Conan who said, "Darius is here, he wants to talk to us."

He wisely didn't touch her and decided to lead the way over to Darius.

She flicked through her mind to recall the last time Darius and her had talked. Ah, yes, she had been in the midst of killing him.

She approached carefully, prepared for the onslaught of words that was sure to come, and ready to flee should she need to, already marking the nearest exits. He was dressed in northern style finery, looking as home in it as he did everywhere else. But Darius didn't shout at her presence, and he didn't flinch.

He looked hardened.

Looking them all dead in the eye, he said, "The emperor knows you're here, he knows you know about the Tegye San, and there's a team of Elites on their way to kill you."

"What do you mean?" Nala asked, face sombre, but they had all understood perfectly.

"There was a meeting, and the Captain reported a group of riders heading north, and then the emperor told all of us about his plan with the north, and how that justified having you killed. By the time I realised the riders were you, it was too late to convince the emperor or the Captain to do otherwise."

"How far away do you think the Elites are?" the Ender asked, immediately business-like.

"They couldn't have left long after me, so a day, half a days ride away."