The King's Cursed Bride

Playing With Fire: Part 2

Carissa pulled off the ring and examined her finger. Though the ring had flared with heat, somehow she hadn't been burned.

Carissa slapped the ring onto the table, shooting a glare at it. Anger built in her chest, frothing and boiling within her. All these past days she'd been longing for Elon, wishing he would direct her. And now he only made an appearance once he was jealous. "Oh, so now you want to say something. You know, a little guidance earlier would have been really—"

"M–m'lady?"

Carissa redirected her glare to Ryther. "Do you need something?"

"Are you... talking to your ring?" He was clasping his burnt hand to his chest, his gaze zipping between her and the ring.

"And what if I am?" She glanced back at the ring. "As I was saying"—she snatched the ring up—"a little bit of guidance earlier would have been helpful. Really helpful. Do you have any idea how much I still need you?" Something in her throat went tight.

The ring emitted a faint warm pulse, so subtle she was half-tempted she'd imagined it.

She swallowed hard. "I still don't understand you, you know."

Another warm pulse.

She sighed and slid the ring back on. Her finger felt strangely bare and uncomfortable without it.

Ryther was still staring at her, the whites of his eyes visible. "Are you... all right?"

No. Carissa gained her feet, her appetite suddenly lost. A few people were staring at her, but she couldn't have cared less. Why didn't Elon communicate with her when she needed answers? She was trying to do as he'd asked.

She scooted the chair back beneath the table and rushed out of the pub. The city air smelled stale, as if it had been breathed too often. She missed the crisp air of Nysia. In Hasita, sometimes the air felt so cold she could have sworn it was burning her lungs. She wished she could feel that now.

Perhaps she would die in Esmeray and never would. Perhaps she would return to Nysia and enjoy the air for her last few decades while she faded away, waiting for Elon to call her to Second Life.

She cradled her left hand against her chest. "Can I ask you questions now? Or are you going to go silent on me again?"

Nothing. Of course.

She leaned close and whispered, "Should I trust Ryther?"

Nothing.

"Will I see Brone again?"

Nothing.

She dropped her hands to her sides. Why was Elon ignoring her? Was she asking the wrong questions? Would answering give her knowledge that she wasn't supposed to know? She didn't understand.

You need not understand it. Only trust me.

His words echoed in her mind so clearly that she almost glanced around to see if Elon was nearby. She tipped her head back at the bleak sky. "I know, Elon. I'm trying."

"M'lady?"

She spun around to face Ryther. "Stop calling me that. Please."

His lips tightened, and he nodded once. "Forgive me. You haven't given me leave to call you by—"

"You can call me Carissa."

He quickened his steps until he stood in front of her. "Where are you going?"

She glanced around and suppressed a blush of embarrassment. She hadn't been paying attention to the route to the pub... "I don't really know."

"I can take you back to the healer's house."

"I think that'd be for the best."

He pointed down an alley, and they began walking. "So your ring."

"What about it?"

"You were talking to it earlier..." He reached out to her and tapped on the ring on her finger, only to yank his hand back with a hiss. "And it's quite hot. Though you don't seem to mind."

"It's not actually hot. It just doesn't like you."

Ryther shot her another wide-eyed stare, but she didn't bother explaining herself. "I... see. And this is your wedding ring?"

"It is." Carissa twisted it around her finger. She should probably not give Ryther any more information about the ring. Though he given her behavior—and Elon's jealousy—it seemed he had reason to be suspicious of it anyway.

"You're not going to tell me anything else about it, are you?"

"No." She lifted her head and saw they were approaching the healer's house. She rapped twice on the door.

To her surprise, Mera answered it. "Carissa. Tian's woken up. And he has some ideas you might want to hear about." When Carissa raised her eyebrows, Mera tugged her closed and whispered in her ear, "He thinks he knows how we can kill the Reaper King."

***

Author's Note: I'm attending a writer's conference, hence the late release of today's chapter. I'm still working on the sneak peek. Pretty pleases and words of encouragement are welcome. ;)