An old man walking a few steps ahead of them yelled his indignation.

Ruban frowned, watching the gray convertible as it zoomed off. “Somebody’s in a hurry,” he muttered. “Wonder what grand quest he thinks he’s on.”

Ashwin patted him on the shoulder, grinning. “Kids these days, am I right?”

Ruban pinned him with an icy glare. “Just because you’re invulnerable doesn’t mean everyone is.” He sighed. “But if that’s what it took to finally cheer you up, I’m not gonna complain.”

Ashwin shot him a quizzical glance, sliding both hands into the pockets of his cloak.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” Ruban’s voice was strained. It wasn’t easy for him to broach this topic. It made him uncomfortable, awkward. But it had to be done, so he was determined to do it. He’d never been the type to recoil from difficulty.

“I know.” Ashwin fixed his gaze on the path ahead. “And I’m sorry if I’ve… It wasn’t my intention to cause you concern.”

“Oh, I’m not concerned. At least, nowhere near as much as Simani and Vikram are.”

Ashwin stiffened. “If that was meant to be comforting—”

“It was meant to be an explanation. For why I’m doing what I’m doing. But…” They turned a corner, finally exiting the residential area into Dimuri Main Road. “But Vikram’s been telling me for about a month that I need to apologize. And seeing as he’s without question the smartest among us, I’m going to follow his advice.”

Ashwin cocked his head, his expression perplexed. “Apologize? For what?”

Well, that wasn’t the reaction Ruban had been expecting. “For doubting you. For…for accusing you of intentionally hurting Simani.” He swallowed. “I was scared out of my mind. And perhaps this’ll sound like the tritest excuse on the planet. But I didn’t mean it. You know that, right?”

When Ashwin said nothing, Ruban plowed on. “I-I know you’d never have hurt her – hurt any of us – intentionally. I knew it, even then. But I—” He closed his eyes, dragging in a deep breath. “It wasn’t you I doubted. Not really. You weren’t even the one I was really angry with. I-I doubted myself. I was furious with myself for letting it happen.

“I’d spent the last year lying to Simani about you. Abusing her trust. And even after she found out, it’s not like we ever got the chance to really talk about it. I never really had the chance to explain myself, did I?

“And then you gave yourself up to Janak Nath. To protect her. Protect all of us, really. And I was grateful. God,” He exhaled sharply. “I don’t have the words to explain how grateful I was to you, for doing that. But that gratitude came with its own guilt, didn’t it? Guilt for being grateful – being glad, even – that it was you and not her. That she wasn’t the one stuck in some madman’s torture chamber. I was so, so glad that she was safe. But at what cost—”

Ashwin pivoted to face Ruban, putting both hands on his shoulders. “Calm down,” he said, voice uncharacteristically authoritative although he spoke no louder than usual. “Breathe.”

Almost mechanically, Ruban followed his instructions. He was vaguely aware of passersby giving them odd looks. A few even paused briefly for a closer inspection. He supposed it wasn’t everyday one got a chance to see an Aeriel and a Hunter having a domestic in broad daylight. This was probably the most exciting thing many of them had seen all week.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

After half a minute of deep breathing, Ashwin took a step back. “Now, tell me what this is all about.”

Before he’d finished the sentence, another gray car sped past them. This was the main road, so the higher speed was to be expected. But like the one before it, this one passed far too close to the footpath for comfort.

Ashwin snapped his fingers in front of Ruban’s face, jolting him out of his thoughts. “What’s the matter with you, today?”

Ruban blinked, then shook his head. “I-I would’ve been angry, I think.”

“About what?” Ashwin prompted, after a few seconds of awkward silence.

Ruban looked away. “About being left behind. About being left all alone to deal with Janak Nath’s sadistic wrath. While my…my friends,” he swallowed once again, then continued. “Those I’d been fighting with. They got to escape. By pretty much trading my life, my safety, for theirs.”

Ashwin frowned. “But you came back. You and Simani – you were the ones who rescued me, Ruban. Not to downplay Vikram’s contribution in the matter, of course.” A tiny smile flitted across his lips. “I don’t understand why you think I’d hold a grudge about that.”

“I don’t, not really.” Weariness colored Ruban’s voice. “I barely think you’re capable of it. You used up all your grudge-holding mojo against your mother, clearly. And now you’re doomed to spend the rest of your overextended life being only mildly annoyed at all those who wrong you.”

Ashwin blinked at him, then resumed walking.

A moment later, Ruban caught up with him. “But wrong you I did. Even if it didn’t matter to you. Even if I refused to acknowledge it. It was the truth, and I knew it. And because of that…” he paused momentarily to gather his thoughts. Not to mention his courage. “I was angry with myself for what I’d done. For abandoning you with that madman.

“And then for failing Simani…over and over again. First, Janak Nath all but abducted her to get to me. After I’d spent months lying to her. And then she was attacked at Komini Fair, also because of her connection to me.” Ruban licked his lips. “And I…I think I projected all that anger on to you. At the hospital, I wasn’t thinking clearly. I didn’t know if she’d live. And all I could think about was that mine in Ghorib. It was like I was reliving that day all over again. And I couldn’t stop thinking about how unfair it was. All of it. And how angry I’d be if I was in your position, back at that mine with Janak Nath.”

Ashwin kept walking, silent. Allowing Ruban to vent.

“And because I was scared. And angry.” Ruban continued, his voice softer. “Not to mention guilty. About everything. I felt like I’d drown in those emotions, if I let them drag me down any further. And so I lashed out, grasping for a lifeline. Something…anything to pull myself out of that haze of feelings I didn’t know how to process.” As he walked, Ruban breathed in and out a few more times, trying to steady himself. “I voiced the most vicious, malevolent thought that came into my head. I’m not making excuses for it. But if I was thinking anything at all at the time, I was probably hoping you’d punch me in the face. At least it’d be something tangible I could anchor myself to…drag myself out of my own head. It felt like I’d choke on my own thoughts, otherwise.”

Ashwin dipped his head in a gesture of acknowledgement. “Probably wouldn’t have helped my cause to be accused of assaulting two Hunters, instead of one. But I do understand. I mean, I think I do.” They walked in silence for another minute. “The real question is, have you ever considered that you might be happier – and less cantankerous – if you didn’t feel the need to take full responsibility for things that were only partially within your control?”

Ruban glared at him. “I knew I should never have let Vik talk me into this. What good has ever come of confiding in feather-brained Aeriels, anyway?” Out of the corner of his eyes, Ruban noticed another gray car race by. “I prefer you depressed, if this is what you’re like cheerful.”

“I’m always cheerful.”

Ruban snorted. “Sure you are. That must be why you’ve been impersonating a wet cat since you got back.”

“I—” Ashwin turned his head to look at Ruban. “You thought I was…angry with you? Over what you said at the hospital?”

Ruban squinted down at him, suspicious. “Well, weren’t you?”

“At the time? Yes.” Ashwin sighed. “But trust me when I say I haven’t thought of that in weeks.”

“Then what the hell have you been sulking about?” Ruban demanded.

After a few seconds, Ashwin spoke softly. “Dhriti Pathak.”