As Dark as the Forest

Chapter 11

Asher

Asher was doing his best to remain sane in the absence of both his best friend and his partner while they traversed across Terrendia without him. This was especially difficult because Remo had him completely on edge. Asher had never been in a position of having to directly lie to Remo before and it had him losing sleep at night. Not the guilt - he felt no remorse about it. But because he knew what Remo was capable of, and worried about the repercussions of Remo finding out.

Asher felt as though Remo could see through his facade. And he began to draw away from the Shadow Guild.

"You're making excuses, Asher." Remo said to him one day, when Asher had finally deigned to make an appearance at the Nest. He'd only come because he hadn't received an update from Pit and according to his calculations, Pit should have been well past the town of Drantis by now. They had agreed that Pit would send him a note when he reached there, to let Asher know that Ori was okay.

Or that she wasn't.

In most cases, no news was good news. But in this case, Asher was leaning towards no news being bad news. And not just for Ori. Asher worried that Remo had found her, and if he had, had done something horrible to Pit and Flor too.

"I can tell that you're worried about Ori," Remo went on, interrupting Asher's thoughts. "I want to assure you that she is in good hands." His uncle stood and walked the length of the room, hands clasped behind his back.

Asher looked up "What?"

"Don't play stupid with me, nephew. It really was quite a pleasant coincidence that both of our ministrations were in unison - even if you had no idea. That friend of yours does like money."

Asher jumped out of his chair. "What did you do to Pit?" He demanded. Gods... he never should have involved Pit. He had been stupid to think that Remo, the master manipulater, would be oblivious to Asher's attempt at sneaking Ori out of the city.

"Calm down nephew, I haven't done anything to your common-born lover."

Asher wanted to throttle his uncle. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. Remo noticed them, looking down. They were eye to eye now, Remo's nose just inches away from Asher's. The smell of rum on Remo's breath permeated the air around Asher, and he struggled not to gag.

Asher had always been worried about Pit's identity becoming known to his family. Pit was a commoner. Asher was royalty. And he might be third in line for the throne, but even if he were tenth in line, his father would still care that his son, a prince, had a relationship with someone with no royal blood.

"Then what..." Asher ground out.

"I hired him." Remo laughed, and pulled a folded letter seemingly from nowhere, and held it under Asher's nose. Asher's eyes flicked to it and he grabbed it out of Remo's hand. Remo backed away, a glint in his dark eyes. He turned his back while Asher opened the note and read.

My dearest Ash...

The letter went on and on about how much he missed Asher. How much he hoped that one day, they could travel Terrendia (and beyond) together. It finished with,

I've found something in Drantis that I think you'll love. Cannot wait to see you again - Pit

Relief swept through Asher as he read those words, but quickly followed by nausea at Pit's betrayal. Pit knew about Remo. It could have been blackmail. It had to be blackmail. Pit wouldn't betray him like this, would he? He wanted to ball up the paper in his hand and throw it at Remo's stupid back.