Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(25)

The third-year swallowed. My eyes fell involuntarily to his well-tanned hands, so big and strong. I remembered when he had reached out to touch my face.

"I guess it just felt like you were choosing Darren over me… Which is silly because I always knew you liked him best."

"I don't!"

Ian put a finger to my lips to quiet me. An explosion of warmth ran down my spine, making me lighter than the draught had ever made me feel. My sickness was instantly forgotten.

"You do, though." Ian reached down to brush a strand of hair that had fallen in front of my face. I held my breath.

"Someday, Ry, you are going to realize who Darren really is. He's a prince, and he's only going to break your heart."

"But I don't want a prince!" I protested, suddenly panicked.

"You say that but I see how you look at him."

"Well then you are a fool for not seeing how I look at you!"

Ian was silent. The third-year's eyes met mine and I could see the small flecks of gold that dotted his irises. He looked wistful.

"Alex, Alex, be quiet!" Ella's loud giggling voice carried across the dark passage.

My head jerked in the direction of my friend, and Ian abruptly stood. "Goodnight, Ryiah," he told me.

"Wait, Ian-"

He just shook his head sadly. Then the third-year disappeared into the dark hall, intent on his room.

Moments later I saw my twin and friend stumble into the light of a nearby flame, the two of them laughing with their eyes aglow. Neither of them had seen or heard me. I watched in silence as Ella attempted to pull away to enter her chamber two doors away. Alex grabbed her, chuckling, and kissed her like he had all the time in the world.

My jaw dropped and I let out an inadvertent gasp.





****





"What was that?"

"A mistake."

"No." I eyed her skeptically. "That did not look like a 'mistake.' That kiss lasted at least ten minutes."

Ella blushed. "Ryiah, I really wish you hadn't been there."

"It wasn't my intention." I yawned loudly. My head pounded awfully: the draught had been a terrible idea. I would be feeling sick the entire ride out and this time we would be in snow for at least three days before we passed into warmer climate.

Looking out at the freezing landscape I shivered and wrapped myself tighter in my furs. At least in our morning practice we'd been able to stay warm by activity; now there was nothing to keep my blood flowing as I sat astride my mare for ten hours at a time.

I hated being cold. I considered casting a small fire in my hand to keep warm, but I knew if Byron caught me he'd be livid. I needed to learn to deal with the elements the same as everyone else. When I was serving in a regiment someday I'd be asked to conserve my powers for battle. "Wasting magic on mundane comforts" could be the difference between victory and defeat.

The irony was that Ella hated the cold even more than me – yet she seemed blissfully ignorant, undoubtedly brought on by her happy daydreams regarding my twin.

"Why were you in that corridor anyway?"

Ella's question brought me back to focus, but I blanched at responding so close to the others. We were riding out in a two-columned formation and the icy winds made it easier for people to listen than talk. I didn't want the whole faction hearing about my strange run-in with Ian, or how I had come so close to begging him to leave Lynn… Or how he had insinuated I still had feelings for Darren. That would be the worst humiliation of all.

"I cast a sound barrier," Ella told me quickly, "why else do you think I would have been willing to discuss Alex?"

I glanced around our surroundings. I couldn't see anything. "Where? How?"

"It's something I taught myself years ago," she explained, "you can't see it because it's intended to deflect noise, not sight." She grinned. "Watch this!" The girl leaned back in her saddle and clapped loudly behind her.

Nothing. There wasn't a sound. But there should have been – especially when Priscilla turned around from her saddle and opened her mouth to make a crude remark to Ella for interrupting her quiet.

I made a mental note to ask Ella how to cast that barrier in the future. That skill would be very valuable – especially if it meant that private conversations would actually stay private, and that I'd be able to block out Byron and Priscilla's insult.

I took a deep breath, and then proceeded to detail the rest of the previous night – not sparing myself as I described what had been said between Ian and I. When I was finished she didn't look surprised.

"You can't blame him. He's afraid of getting hurt."

"I would never hurt him!"

Ella shook her head smiling sadly. "Ryiah, you can lie to him but not to me. You still like Darren."

I swallowed, a lump stuck to the bottom of my throat. "But I don't want to," I finally said. "And I do care for Ian. I don't fancy myself na?ve, it's Ian that I want."

"But that's not enough. You need to show him." Her eyes were somber. "He might be weak enough to listen to your words, but he won't believe them until you put his fear to rest."

"But he is avoiding me!"