The White Rose

15. A Dangerous Path

Talon tilts his head as he unrolls the sleeves of his black shirt, considering her words for a few aching heartbeats.

Nura lowers her head when she deems that he's not going to answer her. Regardless, she's going, she just knows she'll most likely die without him.

"Your husband and I served in the war together," Talon speaks, a breath on the wind that Nura nearly misses.

"The war?" she asks. She must have misheard him. Rephas came to Hold Tiore after the war had ended. He was already battle-hardened when he enlisted with the Imgardian soldiers, but most men were during that time.

"Yes." Talon sits by his pack and rights the straps as Nura gapes at him. "He served the Elven Empire during the Abyssal war."

Nura covers her mouth with her hands as bile rises and her body threatens to hurl up the little she's eaten recently. "But..." she forces out, her voice muffled behind her hands. "But Rephas is Human."

"He is," Talon replies, not looking at her. "He killed many of his own kind for the Elves."

Nura's stomach heaves but she swallows. "Why are you telling me this?" she croaks.

Talon looks at her, his eyes filled with shadows and sorrow. "Because your husband isn't the man you think he is. He's not honourable. He's not truthful. He's not good, Nura, and he made a lot of powerful people angry. He's a bad man, just like me, just like the people who took him." Talon draws in a breath and his gaze pierces the dirt at his boots. "But he loves you, and he never wanted you involved in any of this. You're the only good thing in his life, Nura, and you're going to get yourself killed by continuing on this path."

"You know who took him?"

"I do, and Rephas has always known they would find him eventually."

"Shouldn't you have told me this earlier? Wouldn't this have been useful in finding him?"

Talon presses the heel of his palm to his eye. "I have no hopes of getting Rephas back, Nura," he murmurs.

Nura's gut plummets to the Abyss itself but she shakes her head, refusing to lose hope so easily. "I'll fight whoever took him and I'll get him back."

"You'll die."

"Then we'll fight together," she insists but Talon's lips press together.

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?" Nura asks, her voice rising. "I just saw you freeze a group of Witch Hunters with only a raise of your hand."

"I mean I can't fight the man who took him. He owns me."

"Owns you?" Nura breathes.

Talon glances at her, desolation in his eyes, but he blinks and it's gone, his face a slate once again. "I've already told you too much. You're going back to Aurmir's and you're not delving any deeper into this."

"After everything I just heard, I can't possibly go back now."

"Everything you just heard should deter you," he bites back.

"No, it just makes me understand how much danger my husband's in and how much he needs help."

Talon's jaw works as he grinds his teeth, his features seeming sharper in the low light of the forest. "You have no idea what you're facing."

"Then explain it to me."

Talon looks away, keeping his lips sealed.

Nura shifts and lays down on her bedroll with a wince, everything aching within her. Tears prick at her eyes but the cold wind dries them before they touch her cheeks.

The man Nura married is the furthest thing from a monster and she's certain he can explain his actions. But she can't leave him in the hands of monsters. What type of wife would she be if she abandoned him the moment things got hard?

Nura closes her eyes, her resolve not once wavering. She made vows to Rephas and she won't be the one to break them, not for anyone or anything. She can only hope the Spirits look upon her and decide to help her. She's going to need all the help she can get.