The Beauty of Darkness - Mary E. Pearson Page 0,11
black ropes of hair dangled down his back. Sven told me that Rafe and Tavish had been close friends since they were pledges and often got into mischief together. Around the palace and city, one was rarely seen without the other. It made me think of my brothers and the troubles we would stir, and a dull pang swelled within me. My last vision in Sanctum Hall had showed me that the news of Walther’s death had reached Civica. Had the Komizar’s lies of my betrayal reached there already too? Did I even have a home to return to anymore? It was likely that the only kingdom that didn’t have a price on my head now was Dalbreck.
We stopped well before sunset when we came upon a shelter on the leeward side of a mountain that would give us some protection from the weather. I was grateful for making camp early because I was well and truly spent. It angered me that I couldn’t force the weakness away by sheer will. It was a new and humbling feeling for me, having to rely on someone for the smallest of favors. It made me think of Aster and so many others who had walked this fragile line their entire lives, trading on favor and mercy. True power was always just beyond their reach, held in the tight grip of a few.
I insisted on hobbling inside on my own, then looked over tonight’s lodging while Rafe left to gather firewood. Once the horses were taken care of, Tavish said he’d go help Rafe gather firewood. “We’re going to need a lot.”
It was obvious the comment was directed at me, but I ignored it and began to untie my bedroll.
“Better move as far to the back as you can, Princess,” he added. “This cave is shallow and won’t be as warm as the last one.”
I spun to face him. “I’m well aware of that, Tavish. But at least we’ll all be alive.”
I heard the scuff of boots behind me, the others turning at the remark, then silence. The air was taut with expectation.
Tavish immediately backed down. “I meant nothing by it.”
“Of course you did.” I took a step closer. “You have strengths, Tavish, that I greatly admire. Your skills helped save Rafe’s and my lives, for which I’ll always be indebted to you. But there are other kinds of strengths too. Quiet, gentle ones that are just as valuable, even if you don’t entirely understand them.”
“Then help him understand.”
I turned toward the mouth of the cave. Rafe had returned with a load of firewood in his arms.
He set it down and walked over with the rest of us. “Help us all to understand.”
They waited for me to say something. I braced myself for that familiar feeling of failure that always came with the mention of the gift, but instead, a new feeling settled over me, a feeling that was firm and solid. For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel something shrink back within me. The shame that had plagued me in the Morrighese court had vanished. I wasn’t compelled to offer apologies for what they couldn’t—or refused to—grasp. That was their burden to bear, not mine.
I hobbled over to Rafe’s sword, sheathed in its scabbard on the cave floor. I drew it out in a swift motion and held it high. “This is your strength, Rafe. Tell me, is it is loud or quiet?”
He looked at me, confused. “It is a sword, Lia.”
“It’s loud,” Jeb offered. “In battle, at least. And deadly.”
Sven reached out and gently pressed the tip downward out of his face range. “A quiet warning too, when hanging at your side.”
“Which one is it?” I demanded. “Metal? Loud? Quiet? Deadly? A warning? Even you can’t decide.”
“A sword can be many things, but—”
“You define a sword by terms and a world that is familiar to you in all the ways you can see, feel, and touch, but what if there was a world that spoke in other ways? What if there was another way of seeing, hearing, and feeling? Haven’t you ever sensed something deep inside? Saw a glimpse of it play out behind your eyes? Heard a voice somewhere in your head? Even if you weren’t sure, this knowing made your heart beat a little faster? Now increase that tenfold. Maybe some of us know more deeply than others.”
“See without eyes? Hear without ears? You’re talking magic.” Tavish made no effort to