Halfway to Iria.
Was he really going to turn around and go back to Royal City, if he was already so close to her?
Em started talking about logistics, and he leaned back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. Could he leave the Ruined after they defeated Olivia? Maybe she would be weak enough (or dead, he thought with a shudder) for him to go to Olso, just for a few days.
The meeting was coming to a close, and Aren stood. A few Ruined surrounded Em to ask more questions about Olivia, and he lifted a hand in good-bye as he stepped away.
Be careful, she mouthed.
He nodded and slipped out the door before any Ruined could corner him. The sun had just completely set, and he and Galo needed to go.
He stopped by his house to grab the bag he’d never unpacked. It was the same bag he’d carried since before all this had started—it was filled with medicine, food, clothes, and extra water. Even as a guard in the Lera castle, he’d never unpacked that bag. It was always ready to go. He couldn’t really imagine life without being constantly prepared to run.
He swung the bag onto his back and headed outside. He went quickly, checking over his shoulder to see if he was being followed. He didn’t see anyone, but it was dark. He probably should have gone earlier, but it had been hard to get all the Ruined together without Olivia noticing. They’d had to wait until she retreated inside her house.
He ducked under a low branch, headed to the spot where he could sense Galo hiding. He felt the familiar burst of relief when he found Galo in front of him, unharmed. The agreement with Lera was shaky at best, and it certainly wouldn’t be helped by the king’s best friend getting his head removed by Olivia.
Galo was on his feet, sword drawn, and he let out a sigh as he squinted in the darkness. “Hi, Aren.” He sheathed his sword.
“Expecting someone else?”
“I couldn’t tell for sure who it was in the dark.”
Galo had packed up his bag and pushed his blankets and books beneath a shrub. “We’re good to go?” he asked.
“Yes. The Ruined are on board.” He turned and started walking east, Galo falling into step beside him. It was too risky to take horses from the barn, so they had to go on foot until they reached the point where soldiers were permanently stationed to transport Galo back to the castle. It would only take a few hours to walk there.
They didn’t talk as they left Westhaven behind. Aren was on constant alert, searching the area around him for Jacobo or Olivia.
“You’re making me nervous,” Galo said as Aren glanced over his shoulder again. “Do you think someone is following us?”
“No. I mean, I hope not. I can’t sense when a Ruined is nearby, so I just want to make sure Olivia or Jacobo didn’t spot us.”
“Can you sense when there’s a human nearby?”
Aren nodded. His power had grown stronger recently, and he could sense humans even from great distances. “I can feel lots of them,” he said quietly. “There are a bunch to the east, so there must be a town there.”
“Yes, but it’s pretty far,” Galo said with a hint of amazement.
“And I can feel the prisoners back in Westhaven.”
“You have human prisoners?”
“Olivia does,” Aren replied.
“Right. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to imply you were also part of it.”
“I can’t save them, so maybe I am.”
Galo stared at him, but Aren couldn’t read his expression in the darkness. “I was just going to suggest that we don’t bring that up.”
Aren raised his eyebrows. “You think we should lie about the prisoners?”
“Let’s say we omit it. I’ll tell Cas, and he can decide what to do with that information. But I don’t think we should make it any harder for the advisers to come to your side. They might ask why you’re allowing it.”
“Fair question.”
“I know you’re doing what you can to keep Olivia under control.”
Aren rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. He’d avoided the prisoners since his one and only visit to them. It was too painful, to be confronted with his own worthlessness.
“Em said she’s trying to draw power from them?” Galo asked. “Because you can?”
“Yes. She’s still failing, last I heard. I have a theory about that.”
“What’s that?”
He reached his hand out. “May I have your arm for a second?”
Galo slowly extended his arm out. Aren wrapped his fingers around his wrist.
Energy flowed through him suddenly. His Ruined magic stirred inside of him, almost like it was thanking him for the boost.
Aren let go. “Can you pretend to be afraid of me for a minute?”
“How do you mean?”
“I don’t know. Just . . . don’t trust me. Don’t let me have your arm.”
Galo dropped his arm, but he still looked confused. Aren winced. If this test was going to be effective, he probably needed to make Galo actually afraid of him.
He spun on his heel so he was facing Galo, and froze him in place. Galo’s eyes widened, a twinge of panic crossing his face as he clearly tried to move his limbs and failed. Aren roughly grabbed his arm.
Nothing. The energy was gone.
Aren dropped his arm and released his hold on him. “I’m sorry. I needed to test something.”
Galo regarded him suspiciously. His shoulders had stiffened. Aren turned and started to walk again.
“I won’t use my Ruined magic on you again, I promise. I just wanted to know for sure why she can’t do it and I can.”
“Why?” Galo asked.
“You have to give it willingly, it can’t be taken.”
“Oh.” Galo held out his arm. “So you got nothing the second time?”
“Nothing. Don’t tell Olivia that.”
“We don’t have many conversations.”
“Lucky you.”
“That’s why you discovered it with Iria, then,” Galo said. “She was the first human who really trusted you.”
A lump suddenly formed in Aren’s throat. “Yes,” he said quietly. “She was.”
It felt strange to be headed back to the castle without Iria. They hadn’t been very close when they’d been in Lera together, but she’d still been a safe space for him. He’d be surrounded by Lera guards, his heart pounding, when he’d see the flash of her red uniform. They rarely spoke—they weren’t supposed to know each other—but she smiled at him often. He hadn’t told her how comforting that was.
“Do you have any plans to go to Olso or . . .” Galo let his voice trail off. Or are you abandoning her? was what he meant.
“I’m going to Olso,” he said immediately. The words were a relief, finally spoken out loud. “As soon as I can, I’m going to Olso.”
FIFTEEN
THE CASTLE WAS lonely with Galo gone again. Cas was surrounded by people all day—staff members, guards, advisers—but everyone was rushing in and out, many of them stiff and formal with him.
Mateo came to talk to him a couple of times, but he’d left on a recruitment trip to some of the neighboring cities, and wouldn’t be back for a few days. Cas had warned him that he might miss Galo returning briefly with information, but Cas got the feeling that maybe that was the point.