Ruein: Fires of Haraden: Action/Adventure Necromancy Series (Books of Ruein Book 2), G.O. Turner [little bear else holmelund minarik txt] 📗

I’ve got to work up this boy’s confidence. More and more, he becomes softer every day. How would he make it in this world?

Liv latched back onto Arim, giving a firm squeeze. “Alright, dear. Looks like you’ll be the one reporting in. Arim? What’s got you all shook?”

Arim followed Nayr’s gaze to the dirt. Shame dragged down her expression. “Don’t know. I don’t like that lady. She—”

“Lady nice.” Nayr jabbed back.

“She’s…icky. I don’t like her.”

Nayr grimaced at his sister.

Arim finger-wagged back. “And you shouldn’t like her either.”

What’s this about?

What am I making of this? One of our guests sought to comfort Manu’s son. Are we going to turn this into some scene…a hunt? Why? Because Arim thinks she’s icky? Get a hold of yourself.

Nayr leaned into Liv’s spare shoulder, accepting her other arm. His puppy-dog eyes darted about, not chancing to look her way. He returned close to her ear.

“Can I have…candy?”

“No. Not now.” The denial found its place within Liv’s chest-ache.

3

This is all probably nothing.

I shouldn’t be making a titan out of a toy.

Liv wrapped arms around her niece and nephew, despite their squirming. It was more for her own comfort than anything else. As long as she held them, her worries could be stifled.

Kaea attended to their guests. That softened some of her concerns. He indeed had a furtive need to reach out. He gratefully embraced the well-wishers, answering questions, lifting spirits, bringing light to those families still shrouded in loss.

The tent was emptying. He thanked each as they wended their way past the Lightbringer.

She could’ve followed after Ruein. The thought still nagged at her. Yet, was she going to drag the kids along as well? Liv staunched the ache in her chest and waited. She would shut it out. This was just being silly.

Again, was probably nothing.

After a while, ditchdigger Ruein reappeared at the tent flap. As she reentered, her urgency dissipated enough to allow their guests to exit. Evidently, she’d unearthed some tact. Pardoning through, she made her way back to Liv and the children.

“Well?” asked Liv.

Ruein shook her head. “No luck. I couldn’t find her.”

Liv’s brows knotted. “Why not? We’re on a peninsula. There’s only the one path off.”

“Did you get a good look at her? I know I didn’t. Worked my way through those leaving. She didn’t stick out.”

“Mommy.” Arim leapt to clutch at the ditchdigger’s waist. The child’s arms enfolded her in a gentle squeeze. “I missed you.”

Liv glared at the girl, then rolled her eyes. “Huh. Your voice. Leave it to the kids to cut through crap illusions.”

Little Nayr shuffled closer, stopping before his mother. His gaze continued to rove across the ground.

Taking in her sister-in-law’s vacant expression, Liv blurted, “Well, go on.”

Ruein raised a tentative hand to draw Nayr in. She crouched and embraced them both. Arim squeezed tighter. Nayr stood and accepted the hug.

Liv rose and straightened. “Nayr seems none the worse.”

“What was this about then?”

“Who knows? I mean… Shit. Can you blame me after everything? We’ve seen enough blood to last a while. Am I overreacting? Old folks make little ones antsy sometimes. The blood might’ve come from a hangnail, for all I know.”

Was Arim just on edge?

Angst drove Liv to flick a look at her father. He caught her eye. Following another polite farewell, he extended an arm and beckoned her over.

Liv had moved three steps toward him when it struck her. “Wait.” She rounded back to Ruein, consternation scrawled upon her face. “Did you go to Karris City?”

Ruein simply looked past Liv to Kaea and waved her on. Notions of what Ruein had been up to lost out over her father’s call. Yeah, we’ll address that later.

Leaving the children to their ditchdigger mother, Liv found a place alongside her father by the exit. Together, they shared their gratitude for the sisterhood clergy of the Bountiful Caul, and the line of well-wishing continued.

Between guests, Kaea leaned toward her. “Has she been here long?”

Liv shrugged. “I just found her. At least she came.”

“The very least.”

The Warron’s patriarch offered up a hand. Kaea clasped it in both hands, acknowledging with a nod. As the banking family departed, he tipped back to Liv. “The threat is behind us. Yes?”

Her eyebrows rose with her breath. “No hitches. No dwitches. They’re not coming back from that.”

“As they shouldn’t.” Kaea smirked. “Thus far, I’ve kept my peace.”

“About?”

He glanced back at Ruein. “How much more do you intend to merely overlook her? Disguises of convenience do not cease being lies.”

Liv mulled this over a moment. “We live by our ideals, sir. It’s up to the world to follow.”

“I said that, didn’t I?”

With hearty embraces, Kaea thanked the last of their guests, then Liv and Kaea escorted them outside. The Khoranas stood together and watched as the procession flowed down the coast for the mainland. Coastal salt breezes tousled her wavy dark hair and Liv’s sense of home. It was the same scent as always, but somehow it seemed as if there was less to share.

Kaea spoke without looking back. “Not sure which is more difficult to stomach; her lie of appearances, or what would actually stand before us.”

“She is what she is. If the Lord of Light saw fit to accept…” Liv stretched an arm around her father and squeezed. “…how can we strive to do any less?” Releasing, she held the flap for her father. “Shall we start clearing seats?”

Kaea huffed.

As they returned, Liv was just grateful he’d spared her the questions she had no easy answers for. The Khorana’s funeral ceremony was now something she could put behind her along with any other angst in her way.

Simple tasks would help distract, so Liv went right to it. She stacked benches and cleared an aisle before starting on the next. As she rounded for the next row, a seated figure in the back corner caught her attention. How had they missed him?

His face carried the lines of countless leagues. His trimmed, colorless beard slumped along with him on the bench.