Arrow on the String: Solomon Sorrows Book 1 by Dan Fish (no david read aloud TXT) 📕

The music ended, the assembled cheered. Cheshki spun and smiled, her face a lovely, smeared mess. Sorrows stood, nodded to her parents, nodded to the two mage guards. He turned and left, walking the empty hall from the Ellebrand Great Room on the way to the foyer. All but a few of the glowstone sconces had been capped for the night. The marble was dark, his boots echoed. He listened for Jace to approach behind him but heard nothing. Saw nothing.

A body pushed hard against him, forcing him through a doorway into a room, onto cushions set near a low table. Jace was on top of him, hands working at his jerkin, pulling at his tunic. Her fingers slid up his chest, her mouth found his. He took her shoulders, pushed her away enough to gather his breath.

“What in all hells are you doing?” he asked.

“It’s too much,” she said. She strained against him. “I need this. You. Now.”

The room was dim, nearly dark. She sat back, straddled him, started at the clasps of her jerkin. She moved fast. He grabbed her wrists.

“We need to get to Zvilna.”

“She’ll be fine. They have guards.”

“Then she’ll be fine with two more.”

She twisted in his grasp, broke free at his thumbs. Sat for a moment, chest heaving. Her jerkin hung open. She dropped her hands, let them rest on his stomach.

“I’ll never be good enough for you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I tried to be beautiful, but you don’t see me.”

He reached up, cupped his hand to the side of her face. “An elf who doubts herself? You are strange, Ivra Jace.”

She sighed, laid down on his chest. Her head rested below his chin. Her hair smelled like wildflowers and honey. They lay there for a moment, saying nothing, breathing. Sorrows thought of three women, one decision. Jace wanted him now. Zvilna might need him later. Mig had stayed true to him in the past.

It was an easy decision. Two of the women waited at the end of the same path. Duty and loyalty. He could protect Zvilna. He would wait for Mig. One more day. Maybe another after that. She had waited a year.

It was an impossible decision. Jace was close, soft, warm. Insistent. She looked up, kissed his neck, his jaw, found his mouth again.

“Zvilna,” he said.

“Guards,” she said.

He half-tried to push her away. She whole-resisted him. Her hands worked again, unclasping, pulling.

“Zvilna,” he said again.

“Guards,” she said again.

Back and forth. Push and pull. He broke free of her embrace. Took her hand, grabbed their cloaks, left into the cold and snow. Zvilna, he kept saying. But Jace pulled him down side streets, away from Gorsham Manor. Guards, she kept saying. His protests grew weaker. Half-hearted. Her assurances grew stronger. They found the tower, the double doors, the entrance hall, the spiral corridor.

They found his room, opened the door, slipped inside. He thought again of the three women. Knew he could only please one. Knew he had decided too late. Like an arrow released after the target passed behind a tree. Knew he’d miss the mark.

“Stop,” he said. He took Jace’s wrists, held her firm. “I won’t do this.”

“The City Guard will watch Zvilna,” Jace said.

“It’s not about Zvilna.”

She looked at him, said nothing for a breath. Relaxed, stepped away. He let go of her wrists. She buttoned her tunic, her jerkin.

“It’s Mig, isn’t it?” she asked. Quiet. She wiped her cheeks, averted her eyes, didn’t meet his.

He sighed. “Yes. I don’t like how I left things with her.” No loose ends.

“I don’t understand. She’s been gone. You danced with me. We kissed. I thought—”

“That was a mistake.”

“You think I’m a mistake?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“What are you saying? Do you not want to be with me?”

Sorrows shook his head. “It’s not that easy.”

“Why?” Jace asked. She took a step closer. “Why can’t it be that easy? Just this once. If anyone deserves easy, it’s you and me.”

“Has your life been so difficult?”

“Don’t roll your eyes at me. You know nothing of my life.”

“And you know nothing of mine,” Sorrows said. “Look at you. For an elf, you’re still young. Too young to remember humans. Too young to know what I’ve lost.”

“I know enough. More than you realize. I know Mig is a distraction. I know you’ll grow apart quickly as she ages and you don’t. I know she’ll pass away alone, wondering if you ever truly loved her.”

“Go to hells.”

Jace leveled a finger at him. Stared hard.

“No, you go to hells, Solomon Sorrows. After everything I’ve done for you, you still turn me away. I’m tired of it. Tired of hurting. Tired of the way you look at me. I’m sorry you lost your people, but it wasn’t my fault.”

An arrow doesn’t know hurt or anger. It doesn’t seek revenge. It has no will of its own. But Sorrows wasn’t the arrow. Not now. Not as they discussed humans and elves and events in the past. In all things humanity, he was the hunter. The only hunter. And hunters could be very angry. He straightened, towered. Stared down at Jace.

“Your people killed my people.”

Jace also straightened. Eyes like blue fire. Held his gaze.

“My people. Not me.”

“Leave.”

“I think I will.”

“I think you should.”

She turned, opened the door, slipped into the corridor. Sorrows stared for a breath, another. Then he crossed the room, closed the door, stepped back. Stared at the oak and iron, thought of Zvilna Gorsham. Knew he wouldn’t be leaving the tower. Not now. Not with his temper flaring and his knuckles white with fury. She’d be fine. She had the City Guard. And, truth be told, her father would be safer without Sorrows there.

She’d be fine.

Chapter 24

YOUR TIME IS now. No one has noticed you. They never notice you. You’re too good for that. The Mage Guard has been turned away. The human never showed. You hear Zvilna’s father boasting about it to whoever will listen. He thinks of it as a victory,