Arlen grabbed her, turning her roughly to face him. ‘Ent setting you aside, Ren. Not now, not ever. Ay, Leesha’s got her sunny bits, but she’s got her own mess of crazy, too, and whatever she might have done, you stared her down cold.’ He laughed. ‘Never seen her intimidated like that. Thought she was going to wet herself.’

Renna smirked. ‘Was hoping she would.’

‘Heard it from her own lips,’ Arlen said. ‘Ent promised to her, Renna Tanner. Promised to you.’

Renna looked at him, wanting to believe the words, but it all seemed like demonshit. They’d danced this dance before. Arlen would talk up a storm, telling her she was the centre of his world and how he could never want another. He’d go on about how she was his sunrise and sunset.

She knew if she listened long enough, she’d be convinced by his arguments – or get so sick of hearing them she’d agree just to end the barrage.

But in the end, it was all just words.

‘Renna Bales,’ she said.

‘What?’ Arlen asked.

‘Not Tanner,’ Renna said. ‘If you’re speakin’ honest word, you’ll get a Tender and keep your promise. Tonight. Elsewise it’s just spit and wind.’

20

A Single Witness
333 AR Summer11 Dawns Before New Moon

Arlen looked at Renna a long time. She felt as naked under that gaze as she had when the coreling prince slipped into her mind. She wondered – not for the first time – if Arlen had learned that trick as well. There was judgement in his eyes.

‘Think you’re ready for that, Ren?’ he asked quietly.

Renna straightened, steeling herself and staring right back at him. ‘Ay. Been ready a long sight.’

‘Man and wife oughtn’t have secrets,’ Arlen said.

‘Know that,’ Renna said.

Arlen put a hand to his face, rubbing his temples with thumb and forefinger. ‘Think I’m stupid, Ren? Think I can’t see you been eating demon meat? I can smell it on your breath, see it in your blood, taste it in your magic. Very night I begged you not to, you done it. And every chance you got since.’

Renna gritted her teeth, trying to quell a flare of anger and failing. He was judging her? After she had done it to save his life? Magic rushed into her, filling her with strength and multiplying the rage tenfold. It was all she could do to keep it contained. ‘Told you before, Arlen Bales, you don’t get to tell me what to do.’

No doubt Arlen saw her magic rising, saw the growing anger on her face, but he seemed unconcerned. He nodded. ‘You did. And I haven’t. Said my piece on it. You want to ignore me, that’s your business. Ent even that you kept it from me. I can’t stand in the sun and say I never kept things. People got a right to their privacy.’

‘Then what’s the problem?’ Renna demanded.

Arlen sighed. ‘Said it already. How can I marry someone thinks I’m a fool?’

With those words, the anger fled as quickly as it came, replaced with a guilt so strong Renna didn’t think she could bear it. Arlen blurred as tears filled her eyes. Her legs felt weak, and she fell to her knees.

Arlen was there in an instant, supporting her, and she leaned into him, soaking his white shirt with her tears. He held her tightly, stroking fingers through the spiky remnants of her hair.

‘There, Ren. Ent as bad as all that.’ He put a hand on her cheek, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. ‘Creator knows I ent perfect.’

‘Only wanted to keep up,’ Renna said. ‘Know you got a hard road ahead, and I promised to walk it with you. Can’t do that if you slip into the Core and I’m left up here, calling.’

Arlen pulled back enough to smile at her. ‘Your calling saved me from being sucked down there forever, Ren. Don’t haggle down your worth.’

‘Ent enough,’ Renna said. ‘You’re going there, sooner or late. Seen it in the sad look you get sometimes, staring off at a path to the Core. Ent telling you not to, but ent letting you go alone, either.’

Arlen stared at her, his expression blank, but a tear welled in his eye. ‘You’d do that for me, Ren? Go down to the Core itself?’

Renna nodded. ‘Go anywhere, Arlen Bales, long as it’s with you.’

He sobbed, and suddenly it was her holding him, and not the other way around. ‘Can’t ask you to do that, Ren. Can’t ask that of anyone. Don’t think there’s any coming back from that place.’

She took his face in her hands, making him look at her. ‘You din’t ask. But you don’t get to tell me what to do.’

She kissed him then, and for a moment, he froze. It seemed he would pull away, but then he leaned in and returned the kiss, his arms crushing her to him.

‘Love you, Arlen Bales,’ she said.

‘Love you, Renna Bales,’ he said.

The Corelings’ Graveyard was full of activity when they returned to town. More than a dozen Jongleurs milled around the sound shell tuning instruments, and the Krasian drillmaster was instructing a group of new recruits – raw wood, as the Cutters called them. General Gared, easily the biggest man Renna had ever seen, strode across the square with the Butchers at his back, shouting orders. A Cutter patrol assembled, waiting for blessing from Tender Hayes before heading out into the night.

Arlen moved towards them, and the Holy Man caught sight of them, stumbling over his prayer. He quickly regained composure and continued, but not before heads began to turn their way. Buzzing whispers picked up as they always did when Arlen was about.

Gared moved to approach, but Arlen stayed him with a hand, waiting quietly as the prayer was completed and the Tender drew wards in the air over the warriors. Under normal circumstances, the Cutters would have left immediately, but they stood rooted in place as Hayes turned to face Arlen.

‘Mr Bales, Miss Tanner,’ the Inquisitor said with a bow. His voice was tight – they had not spoken directly since she and Arlen had left his dinner, giving each other a wide berth. ‘What can I do for you?’

‘Sorry to bother you, Tender,’ Arlen said. ‘I … need a favour.’

The Inquisitor lifted an eyebrow at the request, glancing at the crowd as those nearest passed the words on. The whole yard began chattering.

For a moment, the Inquisitor did not respond, and Renna worried that they had offended him too greatly. But at last he nodded. ‘Of course. Let us retire to my chambers in the Holy House …’

Arlen shook his head. ‘The altar.’ Renna took his hand at that, and Hayes did not miss the gesture. ‘Said you’d marry us. Want you to do it. Tonight. Now.’ The buzz of the crowd became a cacophony, excited whispers turning to shouts and whoops. Others hissed for quiet, hanging on every word.

‘Are you certain?’ the Inquisitor asked. ‘Marriage is something done under the sun, not rushed into in the middle of the night.’

Arlen nodded. ‘Been promised fifteen years, Tender. Time it was kept.’

‘And to spare,’ Renna said.

Hayes turned to Franq. ‘Ready the altar.’ He glanced at the growing crowd. ‘We don’t have enough space in the pews …’

‘Just us for this, Tender,’ Arlen said. ‘Don’t need a fancy ceremony. Ent some Jongleur’s show.’