The White Rose

17. The Golden One

Nura's fingers tap at the scarred wood of the table, her blue eyes upon the people that wander beyond the window of the inn she's been confined to. Talon's strict orders echo inside her head and though they grate against what everything within her is telling her to do, she listens to him and doesn't leave the inn.

But impatience has wiggled into her gut and makes sitting still almost painful.

She lets out another sigh, standing to once again pace the room. All she can do is ponder, her thoughts running through her, arcing in every direction from the hope of getting Rephas back, to the downright ugly thoughts that she'll never see her husband again.

Nura presses her hands to her stomach, the thoughts making her insides churn. She reminds herself of Talon's words, that if she's discovered in this place then the slim chance she has of getting Rephas back will disappear. She won't jeopardise the one chance she has of seeing her husband again.

Nura slumps down on the bed, willing her thoughts to settle, willing her heart to stop racing. She closes her eyes, rolling onto her side. She kicks the blankets away, shoves the hair from her face, before rolling onto her other side with a huff. She watches the sun disappear from the worn floorboards, watches its gradual descent behind the buildings to disappear, leaving the sky a dusty orange.

As sleep escapes her, she can't help but think on everything that she's learnt. There appears to be a silent battle raging that she's never heard of, one that involves her husband and the Ice Elf who escorts her across Cirallian. But her husband managed to escape it, managed to build a life... with her. Except now he's been dragged back into it and Nura is beginning to understand the shadows that plagued his gaze. This is what he was afraid of. This is what they'd been running from.

Nura closes her eyes, wetness trickling down her temple and into her hair. Rephas never told her of the horrors that chased him. Everything he did was to protect her, to keep her out of this hidden battle, but she's run into it anyway. Guilt eats at her and she wars with herself. Is she doing the right thing by going after him?

Her thoughts are interrupted by the click of the door opening and she sits up, watching as Talon enters the room, his light gaze quick to find hers. Nura swallows, waiting for him to speak, dreading what he could say.

"I've found Rephas."

A small cry falls from her lips to hear those words and tears blur her vision, relief crashing into her chest like a tidal wave. Her shoulders slump and she presses her hands to her mouth. Rephas. Spirits, he's found Rephas. But the shadows in his gaze add a sharp edge to her relief.

Talon leans against the door, staring at the floorboards as he tugs his fingers through his snowy hair, dishevelling the curls. "Rólin took Rephas to his mansion."

"Who's Rólin?" Nura manages to ask around the lump in her throat, remembering hearing the name from the healer.

"The man who owns me," Talon murmurs, his voice filled with so much pain and desolation that it pierces Nura's heart.

She stands and goes to him, reaching out a trembling hand to touch his shoulder. "Let me help you," she says.

Talon lifts his gaze to hers, the sparks of silver within them seeming dulled in the low light. "I could break into the mansion. Maybe." He closes his eyes, a muscle in his jaw fluttering. "But the chance of running into Rólin would be too high. He'll know why I'm there. He'll know I've betrayed him. And he could kill Rephas to send a message." He opens his eyes again, Nura's mouth going dry to see the shadows that lurk within them. "If he hasn't killed him already."

"I have to get him back," she says. There's no other road to take. Either she gets him back or... She can't think about leaving him behind. Rephas would never leave her behind. But as she looks into Talon's eyes, recognising the same darkness within them that Rephas carried, she knows she's asking too much of him. She's already asked too much. "I'll... I'll go alone."