A Single Spark

by Tayvia Pierce

  “Elves, Carys! Those were real elves! And they are here in Lund. Do you think we can go find them and talk to them? I have so many questions! How old do you think those ones were? I bet they were really old! I wonder why they are here?” Brynmor finally shushed her with a laugh, reaching over to tug on her cloak, speaking to her in tones too quiet for me to hear.

  I had looked over my shoulder to Rhian, smiling a little at her jabbering, but when she and Brynmor started talking between themselves, I looked back to Ben. “So...You don’t like elves?” I asked, giving him an incredulous look. With all the stories of their greatness, I couldn’t imagine there was a living person who didn’t hold their people in the highest regard and yet here I was, riding next to one of them. For the first time, I felt an odd sense of doubt regarding Ben.

  He glanced over to meet my eyes, hesitating before lowering his voice to ensure Rhian didn’t hear. “They are not the benevolent and wise people you think they are, Lady Carys.” He said quietly, his tone cool. “They have their own agenda and they will do whatever is necessary to achieve it...use and hurt whomever they think they need to in order to accomplish their own ends.”

  I frowned, never once reading anything about that sort of behavior in the history tomes or story books. The coldness in his tone was enough evidence to suggest he had personal dealings with them, which surprised me. What on earth could have happened to make him hate the elves? I wondered, though I wasn’t brave enough to ask.

  I fell silent as we steered our horses towards the stables near the housing goods shop where our task today was to pick furnishing for Pedr and Rhian’s new home, though my thoughts were nowhere near our task. For the first time, I wondered if Ben had a family once, or other loved ones that had suffered some dark fate? He never spoke of his past, and I had never asked, and I resolved to uncover the truth of it at a later time. Today was about shopping.

  Pedr had arranged for a home for he and Rhian to live in after the wedding but now came the arduous task of furnishing it. Rhian was less than thrilled, hardly looking at anything with any serious consideration, but Brynmor was having fun at least. “Hey, Carys.” He called out to me. “You might as well start picking out things for our house.” He teased, his good-natured grin appearing in stark contrast to the growing frown in Ben’s face. That frown wasn’t missed by Brynmor, unfortunately, and my betrothed couldn’t resist taunting Ben as he added. “Make sure you pick a sturdy bed.”

  My jaw tightened in annoyance and Ben gritted his teeth, muttering. “I will keep watch outside.” He turned on his heel, pushing his way through the door to wait outside. I stared at Brynmor, seething and embarrassed by him comment. Not only for alluding to our future bedroom activities, but for the way he jabbed at Ben. Brynmor must have discovered that Ben told me not to marry him, for there was no other reason for his barbed comment.

  ”Are you being deliberately thick in the head?” I snapped at Brynmor, whose eyes were still on the departing Ben, flashing a satisfied smirk as his words had found their intended mark. He turned to give me a confused look, as though I was completely over reacting.

  “Oh come on, Carys. I’m just teasing. How was I supposed to know Ben would get jealous? Guess Ben has a little thing for you, hm?” He waggled his eyebrows at me before letting out a short laugh, then added with a sly grin. “Too bad for him that I get you, huh?”

  Rhian glared at Brynmor before giving a longing look towards the door, setting down the vase she had in hand and heading towards the exit. “You really are an ass sometimes, Bryn.” She said crossly, stuck her chin up in the air, and exited with a flourish before she got lectured on her language. I wasn’t about to rebuke her, as I had been about to say the very same thing.

  The suggestion that Ben had any sort of attraction for me brought the heat of a thousand suns into my cheeks and once Rhian left, I hissed at Bryn. “He doesn’t have a thing for me, he’s just very...protective.” I stammered, dismissing the notion of any allure he might find in me with a shake of my head.

  Brynmor had moved through the room, rolling his eyes while weaving through the dressers and chairs until he stood before me. “Right. So protective he would just sleep in your bed to make sure you were safe all night long?” He teased cynically, looking down at me with a taunting smile.

  A flare of white hot fury erupted as I hissed at him, the depths of my anger surprising even to me, but knowing Brynmor was being deliberately mean to the one friend I had, brought forth the surge of hostility.. “That is over the line, Bryn.” I snapped harshly, whirling around to leave, though he caught my arm, keeping me from stalking off and following Rhian and Ben out the door.

  He stared at me for a moment, his brow furrowing momentarily before plunging into a jealous frown. “You don’t have a thing for him now, do you?” He asked, pulling me towards him with a possessive glower as though the idea had never occurred to him until now.

  “No, of course not.” I said quickly, my voice laced with disbelief at his very suggestion, though that wasn’t entirely true. I wouldn’t have described it as a “thing” but I couldn’t deny that I was drawn to the man. Ben talked to me as the intelligent woman that I was, treating me not like a delicate flower made of glass, but as a woman of strength and courage.

  “No.” I said again, struggling to push away the growing flicker of attraction I had for Ben. I’m engaged to Bryn, I had to remind myself with a sigh. Bryn is my future and Ben will return to his Master’s service and will have no place in it.

  He frowned down to me, studying my face in search of my true feelings, but whatever he saw must have satisfied him and he nodded, flashing a boyish smile. “Good. Can’t have you dreaming about other men now, can’t we?” He looked around and shrugged nonchalantly. “Guess Rhi will have to pick furniture another day. Come on.” He eased his hold on my arm as he gently guided me to the door and outside, holding the door open while I stepped out into the sunlight, my anger slowly fading.

  Ben was sitting rigidly on the bench outside, his eyes fixed on something across the square. Rhian was sitting next to him, leaning against him a little as she talked in her blissful ignorance, seeming unaware that Ben wasn’t even listening to her. My stomach fluttered a little at the sight of Ben, and I followed his gaze but couldn’t pick out what he was staring at. What if what Brynmor suggested was true? I wouldn’t think about it, though, unable to afford that particular division of loyalty.

  Rhian rose quickly when she noticed us standing there, smoothing her skirts as she spoke. “I don’t feel like choosing any furniture today.” She said sullenly. “I want to go home.” Ben’s gaze was still fixed on something, his gaze never leaving his target even as he shook his head. “No. Not yet. Go to the Stag and order some dinner.”

  Brynmor balked at being given an order from Ben; disgust was written on his features as he opened his mouth to tell Ben exactly where to stick that order, but I broke in before he could speak. “Is something wrong?” I asked and looked over towards where Ben was staring and I squinted, trying to see what he saw. A slight movement on the stairway that led up to the Upper City caught my eye at last and I finally understood. The elves were across the Square, nearly completely out of sight where they were standing, but I could tell they were watching us.

  Ben finally pulled his eyes away from them, rising and locking his gaze on me. “I hope not.” He murmured and ushered us onward. Rhian shot Brynmor a dark scowl, quickly walking ahead to avoid his presence. Brynmor let out a long-suffering sigh and trotted after her, trying to explain and apologize as they walked. Of course, she gets the apology even when I’m the humiliated one and Ben is the insulted one, I thought bitterly, making no effort to catch up to them. Despite the uncertainty surrounding Ben right now, I much preferred to walk alongside him who shared my lack of desire to be anywhere near Brynmor right now.

  Ben was silent as we headed up the road, finally murmuring quietly to me as he shared his reasoning. “I do not want to risk having the elves follow us
home.” He began to explain, then pressed his lips together, deciding against saying anything further on that matter. His head swiveled to make note of our surroundings before his eyes settled on Rhian and Brynmor, the latter receiving a dark look. “He’s an ass.” he grunted.

  I sighed a little and watched Brynmor and Rhian, her scowl telling me that she was less than forgiving, much the same as I was feeling for my betrothed at the moment. “Yes, he is.” I muttered under my breath. “I’m sorry.”

  Ben turned to give me a sharp look. “Do not apologize for him.” He said sternly, his eyes flashing with a rarely seen intensity. Brynmor, overhearing the comment, glanced over his shoulder to give us a deep frown, though his attention was brought back to Rhian quickly when she suddenly veered off to head in another direction the moment Brynmor’s attention was diverted. I heard him curse and head down the narrow alley after her, a mutt yelping as Brynmor tripped over it. The dog bounded out into the road, pausing on the other side to turn a glare back to the guard.

  That was the moment that I knew he would always be chasing Rhian no matter who he was wedded to. My future stretched out before me, growing even more desolate and depressing. He will always chase her and I will always apologize for him.

  I felt Ben’s hand wrap around my arm and I was pulled from my thoughts as he guided me up the steps to the Stag. Brynmor and Rhian came into view, Rhian’s face etched in an angry pout while Brynmor’s jaw was tight with impatience. He hissed something into my younger sibling’s ear as he strode through the courtyard, practically dragging Rhian with him, her shorter legs trotting along, trying to keep up.

  She burst into tears as they neared the steps and I sighed heavily, muttering “For the love of the gods…” Ben grunted and looked around subtly for the elves, muttering. “Perhaps home is a better idea. I will get the horses.” He descended the steps, growling to Brynmor and Rhian as he passed them, “Since you both seem inclined to cause a scene, we’re going home.” Brynmor snorted derisively, but since he happened to agree with this course of action, he complied without a snippy comment.

  I could feel a headache coming on, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and shut out the world. Why does Rhian have to be such a difficult person to like? Ben returned with the horses, his neutral look barely masking his scowl. Rhian was sniffling, brushing her angry tears from her cheeks with a slender hand. “I hate you all.” Rhian muttered under her breath, sniffling again, anger mottling her face like pink and white marble.

  Brynmor snorted as he helped her up into her saddle. “That’s the spirit.” He said, voice dripping with sarcasm. He handed Rhian’s reins up to her, blatantly ignoring her glare, upturned nose, and derisive sniff. I could almost marvel at how effortlessly she managed to turn the trio of actions into a form of art.

  Ben shot him a dark look as he handed the reins of Brynmor’s horse to the other guard, coming to my side to help me up as Brynmor mounted his own horse. Once I was settled on Ffion, Ben handed the reins to me and spoke lowly, “Take Lady Rhian and Brynmor home, I will follow shortly.”

  Brynmor glowered at Ben as the instructions were given to me as though I was the one responsible for our safety. “Why, what are you doing?” Brynmor asked, the faint hints of challenge beginning to appear in his tone. Ben barely spared him a glance before mounting up on his own horse. “Making sure you get there safely.” he gave Brynmor a pointed look, who now just looked confused. “Fine.” He muttered and looked between Rhian and myself. “Come on, you two.”

  CHAPTER 36

  I was awake before dawn, dressing for my lessons, though we weren’t meeting for over an hour yet. I couldn’t sleep, far too many thoughts running rampant through my mind. Everyone was still asleep and the house was silent so I sat in the sitting room, stoking the fire gently to coax the embers back into a flame. I yawned and reached over to pick up the candle on the end table to light it, a gentle sound echoing in the silent room as a rolled up parchment tipped over on the polished wood, disturbed from where it had been propped up against the candlestick. Rhian’s name was written on the front, a tiny flower tied into the ribbon that bound it shut.

  I frowned a little and gently picked it up, trying to peek in to see what it was. I couldn’t read much, but I saw enough to know it was Pedr’s handwriting. What is he doing leaving Rhian a note out here for in the middle of the night? I chewed on my lip, considering the thought of opening it to read it, satiating my curiosity.

  I let out a sigh, tapping the rolled parchment against my palm, trying to decide whether or not to unroll it. Finally, I set it back where I found it. He had left it for Rhian, and as curious as I was, I would respect her privacy. Not that I usually had much of a problem snooping on her, but I had finally come to accept that part of treating her as an adult was to cease my spying.

  It turns out I didn’t need to wait all that long to learn the contents of that letter.

  Ben and I met outside for our lesson as the sun began to peek over the horizon. His usual graceful stride was stiffer than usual, his jaw clenched tightly and I wondered if it had anything to do with those elves from the day before? He hadn’t spoken of anything that might have transpired as he ensured they didn’t follow us, but I still found it hard to believe they could be how he described, cold and cruel. I didn’t have firsthand experience like he clearly did, so I found myself deferring to his opinion.

  We ran through forms and a few drills for the first hour before he decided it was time we sparred. It seemed like every time we were scheduled to try sparring, our lessons were cut short, so I was relieved that this time we would finally try it. “Attack me.” He ordered sternly, moving into the proper stance.I was understandably nervous, but I did the same and ran through my quick mental checklist - on the balls of my feet, knees bent, knife in front…

  The front door slammed, interrupting my thought path and Rhian came around the corner, crying. “Carys?” She approached us with an odd gait to her steps, like her two feet were not in agreement as to which direction they should both go. Ben and I both eased our stances, straightening as we turned to look at her with confusion.

  I saw the unfurled parchment gripped tightly in her hand and my brows furrowed, looking from her hands up to her face. “What happened?” I asked, tucking my dagger into the back of my belt before extending my hand towards her, motioning for the letter. Ben was silent, though his frown matched my own as he studied Rhian’s face.

  She sniffled and thrust it out to me, tears welling up in her pale blue eyes as the growing lump in her throat left her unable to answer. Ben moved behind me, peering over my shoulder to read the letter as I did. My mouth moved slightly as I read Pedr’s letter, holding the parchment a little higher to allow Ben to read, too.

  “Dearest Rhian,

  I wish to break off our engagement, no longer believing that our marriage will be a happy or prosperous one as I had once believed. I am a man of honor and cannot force you to marry me, knowing how much you detest the notion. I came to Lund in the hopes of winning your heart, but having failed in this, and finding that my own feelings have changed, I have decided to return to Perinthas. Perhaps leaving a letter in this fashion makes me a coward, but in truth, I would rather not see the overjoyed look on your face when I tell you of my departure.

  Farewell,

  Pedr

  My heart fell when I read this and I let out a tired sigh. He would have been so good to her, if she had only given him half a chance to prove it. I tilted the parchment to allow Ben to finish reading it, his face growing stony as he came to the end. I would be the first to admit, this was not the reaction I would have expected from her in hearing this news. Like Pedr, I believed this news would thrill her and have her dancing and singing, not weeping.

  “Why are you crying?” I finally asked, bewildered. I felt that asking was like admitting that I had missed something obvious. Ben cleared his throat and added, “I would think you should be relieved.” I glanced over to Ben, who wore a neutral
look, despite the confusion that his words implied. I wondered briefly whether or not Ben was satisfied by the breaking of their engagement, as he hadn’t approved it to begin with.

  Rhian threw herself forward to wrap her arms around Ben, burying her face in his chest. “He was supposed to love me but he left! He rejected me...Me!” She wept in Ben’s jerkin and he stared at me with a surprised and faintly helpless look, arms still held at his sides, though finally he seemed to relent and settled one arm around her thin shoulders.

  “Let’s go sit down.” He grunted, looking a little uncomfortable with the idea of comforting a sobbing teenager, still giving me an expectant look as though I might have some magic words to make this entire situation more manageable.

  I gave Ben a despairing look in return, having no answers and even fewer guesses as to how to console her, finally reaching out to gently pulling her away from Ben. “Come, Rhi. Let’s do as Ben suggests, and we can talk about this, alright?”

  Rhian was not so easily pulled away from Ben, clinging all the more as I tried to pry her free. Ben grimaced, starting to walk slowly towards the benches near the pond, managing to peel her away as we neared the patio. She kept sniffling and the tears kept flowing. “I didn’t want to marry him, but now I feel worse, like I just have no prospects at all. Father will be furious…” She finally let go of Ben and sat on the bench burying her face in her hands.