The Scarlet Assassin

Chapter Forty-Seven

It was around dusk that we all decided to stop for the night. I remembered the area we were in, the harsh forest, and I knew we were only a day's travel to Maribae, the island where hopefully Devolan was waiting for us.

We had been traveling uneventfully for three weeks now, and we were all getting anxious to get back to Ravaryn.

Carter, Dalia, and Sophie had become the unlikely trio and grew closer with every moment they spent together. Both Sophie and Carter now understood basic Powsan, and Dalia could follow along in most of our campfire conversations without having me translate everything. But while Carter and Sophie welcomed Dalia into the group with open arms, Ace kept her distance. I originally chalked it up to Ace just being Ace, but as the weeks went on, I knew there was something more.

And with the new inseparable trio, came the equally insufferable duo of Sorin and Rafe. They would spar constantly and swap stories of basically anything they could think of. They acted just like brothers which just about pissed everyone else off.

When we stopped to make camp, Dalia and Sophie volunteered to hunt–Dalia was good with a bow, and her tracking skills were amazing–Rafe and Carter went to fill up our canteens with water from a nearby stream we'd followed, Ace said she'd stay to clear the area, and Sorin announced he and I would collect firewood.

We walked through the thick brush for a while until I felt hands gently press me into a nearby tree and soft lips brush against mine.

I wrapped a hand around Sorin's neck and pressed him into me, entranced by his touch. We both laughed, and when I pulled away, I said with a grin, "We shouldn't."

Sorin kissed my jaw and playfully nibbled at my skin. "Why?"

"Because we're supposed to be getting firewood," I giggled. "And it's almost dark, and the others will freeze to death."

"And?"

"Your best friend will be cold and lonely without you."

"He'll understand it's for a good cause." We kissed for a minute longer before I pulled away again. "Tired already, little assassin?" Sorin teased. He tried to poke my side, but I swatted his hand away as if on instinct.

He laughed at this and said jokingly, "Oh, come on, don't you trust me?" And I don't know why I hesitated or stopped laughing. I don't know why I didn't answer, why I shut down, but I did.

I did, and Sorin noticed.

He looked at me first; his laughter faded next. "Don't you trust me?" He repeated.

"Yes," I said quickly, managing some semblance of a grin. "Of course."

Sorin pulled back from me, confused. All humor died from his face. "You hesitated."

I tried playing it off with a laugh. "No. I didn't." Placing my hand on the nape of his neck, I said soothingly, "I trust you, Sorin."

But the lieutenant grabbed my forearm and pulled it from him. "No," he said with painful realization. "You don't."

"Sorin-" But right as I began to try and think of some excuse for why I hesitated, Sorin's hand darted toward his knife, and I reacted. I reacted like I had been trained to do.

I reached for my knife and unsheathed it while Sorin stood there with his hand hovering over his own. His eyes were trained on the blade in my hand, face dark.

Slowly, his head shook. I watched the disbelief and hurt turn into anger. "I fucking knew it."

And then my own head began shaking as I realized what I had done. The knife dropped from my hand and onto the forest floor. "Sorin, please-" But he had already turned away.