Page 144 of Shadow Queen
He leaned back slightly. “What do you know of his desire?”
Norah’s eyes darted back and forth between his, and she cursed her carelessness. She shook her head again. “Nothing, I only meant he wouldn’t take advantage.”
“What do you know of Soren’s desire?” he said again, his voice quiet but forceful.
Norah swallowed.
She couldn’t answer.
She couldn’t say Soren’s secret out loud.
His brows creased. “You know. You know it’s me. He told you?”
Her heart raced. Heknew.
“Not willingly,” she whispered. “He thinks you don’t know.”
“Of course I do.” His voice held a deep sadness. “It makes it all the harder for me to ask this of him. But I’ll speak to him tomorrow.”
She nodded as a weight crushed her heart.
Chapter forty-three
MikaelknockedonSoren’schamber at first light. It was quiet, and his resolve threatened to leave him. He almost turned away, but then a shuffle came from inside, and the door opened.
“Salar,” Soren greeted him.
He wasn’t sure he had the strength for this conversation. “I have a taste for archery this morning,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Soren flashed a rare smile and collected his bow.
Mikael clenched his own bow tightly as they made their way through the castle, outside, past the stables, and to the archery field. The walk was the longest he’d ever known. He was thankful his friendship with Soren consisted of few words, and the silence brought no awkwardness between them. But he would have to speak, eventually.
Just not yet.
When they reached the field, Mikael breathed in the cold morning air, trying to inhale courage as well. With his exhale, the fog of his breath came unevenly, and he worried it might give him away. Soren could sense fear. Surely he sensed it from him now. But if his commander did, he gave no indication.
A light dust of snow covered the ground. It was beautiful, but he couldn’t appreciate beauty now. The barrels had been stocked with a fresh batch of arrows, and he pulled one for his bow.
“There’s something on your mind, brother?” Soren started.
There it was. Soren knew something was wrong. Still, his prompt for conversation took him by surprise. Mikael wasn’t ready.
“There’s a lot on my mind,” he said as he nocked the arrow onto the string. Mikael pulled up his bow, exhaling completely as he aimed, and released. The arrow whispered down the field and buried itself in the outer ring of the target.
“Must be serious if your aim’s that off,” Soren joked as he released an arrow of his own, finding the bullseye.
He had no idea how serious.
Mikael let loose another arrow, hitting the target only slightly better than the first. “Very serious,” he said.
Soren’s smile fell, and he handed Mikael another arrow instead of taking his own turn again.
The air seemed to turn colder. Still, Mikael could feel the sweat on his back. He nocked another arrow but didn’t draw it back. “We’ve failed again for a child,” he said. Then he raised the bow and released, and the arrow missed the target completely.
Soren stared at the target, with his face fixed. “You need more time,” he said.
Time wasn’t what he needed. Even if it was, he didn’t have time.
