There were a lot of wives' tales about following strange men into the woods. Iliya couldn't remember much of them, but they never seemed to end well.

Following Noah into the forest didn't feel nearly as uncomfortable or alarming as she anticipated. Sorein trusted him, even trusting her with him.

Still. Iliya had no idea why Sorein had asked her to retrieve Noah, emphasizing her need for potential discretion when for all intents and purposes, the man seemed normal. Perhaps turbulent and mentally drained, but well enough.

His seriousness had returned as they made their way up the trail. Noah often walked too fast for her to shield him from the rain, so Iliya continued to curse her short legs.

"You're certain about this?" she called out to him, hoping the rain didn't drown out her words.

Noah looked back at her, still mulling something over. His jaw worked itself tightly. "I think so," he answered, his voice still soft. "I've never been one to gamble..."

She found the sentence curious, watching him carefully as they broke free from the treeline and stood before the vastness of Mirror Lake. The treacherous pass that guarded the otherside was nothing more than a shadow of forest across the water.

Iliya found herself moving closer to Noah as he paused, casting his sullen gaze over the ripples.

Once again, she spoke without thought. "Does he know...?" Iliya found herself asking. "Of the mask you bare?"

Noah blinked, concealing silent surprise. He leveled his gaze with hers, before slipping a curious glance to her left hand. "Does he know of the wards you bare?"

Her cheeks heated, a subconscious hand slipping over her rings. Iliya's breath caught as she struggled to find a defense, but her speech was soundless. The rings burned to life against her skin, reminding her of the spell.

Iliya shook her head.

Sorein didn't know what they meant, only that she wore them.

She truly couldn't answer.

"Milady, you are a great many things but idiocy doesn't suit you," he sighed. Noah glanced around them, before stepping up to the lakes edge. "Lying doesn't suit you much either."

She couldn't capture her thoughts, reeling away from her like a loose fishing line. Her deflections died once they reached her lips and his keen attention was becoming painful and intense.

Noah hadn't denied her, though.

His question ringing out like a price for her own.

"You don't understand..." she whispered. "I can't say–"

Noah chuckled, amused by her discomfort. "Don't worry, I know."

She blinked, her throat dry.

"There is a way around the spell, you know?"

Iliya didn't, her eyes widening. "What?"

"If you were able to locate a book or a scroll containing information about your affliction, you'd be able to give it to another person," he told her, his calm demeanor soothing the uncomfortable tension filling the air. "Then you would be able to speak freely."

Biting her lip, Iliya considered his words carefully. She didn't even fully understand, but if she was able to talk about it then she might learn more,

The idea threatened a dangerous excitement deep within her gut.

"Let me guess," Noah started, gesturing with a hand. His leap in discussion rattled her slightly. "Sorein warned you I'd likely be inebriated and preoccupied, yes?"

He'd switched back to her question.

Iliya took a deep breath and nodded.

He raised a brow at her. "What do you think?"

Her eyes softened when she took him in again, analyzing him in the moonlight. The darkness that whirled in his eyes and rippled over his frame, cunning lying beneath. She was certain now that blood did in fact stain his shirt, though Noah barely appeared to notice. He disregarded their surroundings, as if he'd seen them a hundred times or more and studied them all until there was nothing left.

Age. Just like her grandmothers, shone through. Worn and tired.

"That you came to Mirror Falls to clear your head... I think Sorein made a mistake, his hot headed temper rubbed you the wrong way and instead of snapping again you chose to blow off some steam in the only place you knew he wouldn't follow you and maybe... Maybe you pretend to drink and bed women because it's against his sensibilities and it allows you some peace," she explained, meeting his gaze. An idea clicked into place for her. "It must be exhausting... playing young and naive..."

Noah relaxed, his eyes lighting subtly. "Perceptive," he said.

"Is it merely that he abandoned Jeremy," Iliya offered with an empathetic frown. "Or worse?"

His jaded exterior flared again as Noah crossed his arms and glared at the lake in front of them. "Sorein is stubborn and blind," he snapped. The attitude didn't last though, ending in a sigh. "I fear it will be the death of him."

Iliya smiled. "And you're too kind for your own good."

"Perhaps," he murmured. "I'll cool off eventually, I always do..."

The thought of him putting on such an intricate facade with Sorein made Iliya tense, unsure of Noah's motives. Her heart clenched at the loneliness she knew it must cause too.

He turned his focus on her again. "So, what of you?"

"What do you mean?"

Noah's gaze turned knowing as he moved to circle her. "Well, as certain as I am no one has figured out the Aphyre shattering was connected to you, I do wonder if the King and Queen are hiding more than they let on."

Ice, cold and wicked, ran through her veins as the cacophony of fear stirred in her mind. Her teeth tore deeper into her lip nervously, fully aware of his attention. His features remained open, calm, and honest.

"Those rings are scrawled in sealing runes, right?"

She nodded, unable to think of a rebuttal.

Iliya tried and failed to think of an escape, wondering if the trust they extended to each other was truly a mistake.

Noah stepped closer, toeing the edges of her personal space and watching as she squirmed. He quickly backed away again, a flicker of respect passing over his gaze.

Iliya had an idea, a gamble really. She swallowed and chose her wording carefully.

"Ezra once told you that I would not remember an activation, yes?"

Noah's posture straightened, eyes gleaming with curiosity and confusion. "So you do remember."

Her nails dug into her fingers as she readied herself. "What do you think..."

He chuckled. "I think that there is a reason no one wanted you to attend the Final Ceremony and I'm also certain those rings are there to protect us both... What I don't know is why. But you no doubt have binding spells keeping you from speaking about such things and a duty to your people, not to mention the isolation it must create, exhausting doesn't even begin to cover that..." Noah laughed again, shaking his head. "Yet here you are feeling sorry for me."

For the first time in years, Iliya felt almost as seen as she had the night she met Sorein. She knew the heavy weight in her chest might be lifted for only a moment, but she still found herself nodding along.

She knew the rings were there to protect both her and her country, but her memories were clouded. After turning eleven, they'd been a part of every move she made. Iliya could still hear Ezre lecturing her about the dangers of taking them off.

Noah went to the edge of a small cliff and sat with his legs over the edge. The moonlight reflected off the water similarly to his hair, glinting and bright. As she came to kneel beside him, she couldn't help but understand why he always hid by the lake. The peace rippled across the water and filled the forest around them.

"You recognize the markings?" she asked, inspecting her fingers. "How old are you..."

He chuckled again, glancing at her sidelong before tipping his head back. "You know it's rather rude to ask people their age."

Iliya blinked, eyes narrowing. She ignored his joke and persisted, waiting for an answer.

Noah sighed. "I will be one hundred thirty come autumn."

Her eyes widened, understanding filling the space between them. He likely had memorized each and every stone along this path, human and yet older than each of his immortal friends.

She'd once read of how humans' minds advanced more quickly due to their shorter lifespans. This was how they kept up with the rest of the world. Iliya could only assume his jovial spirit was to save himself and those around him from the darkest inner workings he'd thought of then.

The silence growing between them was soothing and far more gentle than the static panic filling the Estate. The rain slowed to a stop, clouds fading toward the ocean as quickly as they'd come in.

Iliya found herself wishing they might stay like this forever.

"If you ever come close to bursting," Noah offered quietly, his voice barely more than a whisper. "You can tell me... I won't breathe a word of it."

Iliya's eyes widened, her heart racing. "Why...?"

"Because I understand," Noah answered, tipping his head up to watch the stars. "I know what it's like to be cursed."

She frowned, pulling her legs in front of her and running her fingers through the grass. "Is that how you see it? Cursed?"

Laying back with his arms behind his head, he sighed. "It is. And when that day comes, I will tell you why."

A bargain.

Iliya saw the words written between the lines, carefully listening to his proposition. When a day comes where they might not bear this weight anymore, they will tell each other with a vow of silence.

She wondered what a human might wish to confide in her, but Iliya guessed there was something much deeper lying beneath his word. Cursed. Literally or not, her stomach twisted with worry for him.

Still, she needed more information before committing fully.

But she understood.

So Iliya nodded, offering him a small smile.

"Does this mean you will accompany me home?"

Noah laughed, he rolled onto his side to look at her. "Perhaps," he said. "But at this moment, I'd like to stare at the sky."