It was good that Timin said goodbye to Kaye the day before, because there was no time as the Gaerloms and Faye set off the next morning to their homes across the mountain. He hated to leave her a second time while she was so distraught, but at least she was home with her family now. Still when he saw Bryant flying to catch up, he wished the Faye-man had died in the battle. It would have been easier for Kaye to console herself to that loss.

They were through the pass and parting ways when Timin saw Bryant take the hand of one of the Faye women and his patience wore thin. He marched up to Bryant and stepped in front of him. The look the Faye turned on Timin was neither anger nor confusion, but defeat.

"What?" Bryant said.

"You are a coward, and you don't deserve her."

Bryant took a step back and the tired look was replaced by irritation. "Excuse me?"

"Kaye needs you." Timin stressed the words, “and you left her."

"She made her choice.”

"She chose both of you!"

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Bryant shook his head. "Priestesses are not allowed to choose both. You cannot understand."

That pissed Timin off. There may be no priestesses in Gaerlom, but he knew what it meant to sacrifice one love for another. "I understand that two days ago you were willing to fight and die for her, and now? Now that my people have died for her? Now you leave her there, crying."

He took a step back before he hit the man. "I have seen her cry too many times. I have seen Pike hurt her and I was able to do nothing. I have seen her wrists bound and bleeding, and the fear in her eyes after being driven over the mountain by men who wanted to hurt her. I have dried her tears and given her a home and loved her."

He stopped as he choked on the words. "And still she chose you," his voice was much quieter now. "So I brought her to you, even though I loved her and could have made her safe."

Bryant took a deep breath. "You do not know of what you speak, Timin. You do not understand the whole of it."

"I understand enough."

Anger finally flared across Bryant's features. "And if I go back—what then? They do not like the Faye anymore than you. They would not respect her as High Priestess if I were there."

"But she would be happy." Timin swallowed. "Much as I tried, I could not make her happy."

They stared at each other for a moment before he spoke again. "I wish she asked me to stay, because I would have given up home and family and safety to be with her. You were willing to die for her, but not to give up your life. So I say again, you are a coward and do not deserve her."

Timin spit at Bryant's feet and left to catch up with his tribe. He'd been a coward too, because he hadn't said those things to Kaye.