Read Online The Black Mage: Candidate by Rachel E. Carter - Free Book Online
Authors: Rachel E. Carter
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again!”
“You can’t just pick and choose when to play the victim, Ry.” Ian stopped ducking his head to look at me, really look at me. “Yes, people are going to speculate. That’s what they do. But forgive me for saying you received plenty of privileges from your friendship with the prince, too. Or did you already forget how Darren got you a spot on that mission in Port Langli? Or how about the time you woke up our entire camp to yell at him—and were it anyone else Byron would have sent you packing in a minute?” He exhaled slowly. “And do you think the Black Mage would have been quite so eager to point out Byron’s obvious bias unless Darren had drawn attention to it?”
“Ian, I…” My cheeks were in flames. I had received privileges. And here Ian was reminding me how silly I looked complaining over the prospect of one disadvantage when he would have killed to have any one of those. The boy whose heart I had trampled for another. “I’m sorry, I… I didn’t realize—”
The young man held up his hand quickly to show me it wasn’t what I thought. “ I know you deserve your rank, Ry, but...” He swallowed loudly. “But the others are going to need a bit more convincing. And in the meantime don’t bite their heads off for talking. Because their beliefs aren’t entirely unfounded.”
I wiped a strand of sticky hair back from my forehead. “Well, now I feel just terrible.”
“As you should.”
I opened my mouth and shut it as I caught his smile.
“I’m kidding, Ryiah.”
I gave an embarrassed shrug. “I guess I’ve forgotten your humor. This has to be the longest conversation the two of us have had in years.”
The boy chuckled. “It is a bit awkward, isn’t it?”
“It was awkward for me.” Paige's voice cut through my delayed response. I gave the knight a half-hearted glare. She was never very subtle.
“So…” Ian said.
“So.”
“You and Darren.”
“Oh…” I paused. “That.”
The boy cleared his throat uncomfortably. “The non-heir turned out to be full of good intentions in the end. I can’t say I saw that coming.”
I shifted my feet guiltily. “I did… and then I didn’t. He’s…” I didn’t know how to say it without making the conversation worse. “He’s complicated.”
“You could say that.”
I cringed and hastened to explain. “But he wants to do the right thing. He doesn’t always do it the right way , but he has good intentions.” I cringed at the use of the same phrase as Ian. It made Darren sound so… complicated. Complicated? I had already used that word too. I was floundering here.
“I think you will be good for him.”
My gaze shot up to meet Ian’s. “T-thank you?”
“I’m not just saying that to be nice.” The mage’s eyes bore into mine. “You didn’t grow up at the palace and spend your days wasting away in a convent. You will be able to advocate for others, affect policy…”
I laughed nervously. “You obviously have not spent much time with the royal family.” King Lucius couldn’t even stand to be in the same room as me, and I wasn’t so sure his eldest didn’t want me dead, despite whatever his brother claimed.
“Ryiah.” Ian shut his eyes. “You convinced Darren to marry you. You have influence whether you want to believe it or not.”
“He’s not the heir. He can’t—”
“Won’t you at least try?” My friend’s voice became increasingly strained. “Or does the lowborns’ cause no longer concern you now that you are not one of us?”
That hurt. Ian knew full well that neither of us had been “lowborn” since our apprenticeship. “O-of course it does!”
There must have been something in my voice because Ian immediately looked guilty. “I’m sorry, Ry, I didn’t mean—I know you are a good person. I just don’t want this new life of yours to change you.”
“It won’t.” I made myself smile as I reached out to touch his arm. “Believe me, it would take a lot more than
“You can’t just pick and choose when to play the victim, Ry.” Ian stopped ducking his head to look at me, really look at me. “Yes, people are going to speculate. That’s what they do. But forgive me for saying you received plenty of privileges from your friendship with the prince, too. Or did you already forget how Darren got you a spot on that mission in Port Langli? Or how about the time you woke up our entire camp to yell at him—and were it anyone else Byron would have sent you packing in a minute?” He exhaled slowly. “And do you think the Black Mage would have been quite so eager to point out Byron’s obvious bias unless Darren had drawn attention to it?”
“Ian, I…” My cheeks were in flames. I had received privileges. And here Ian was reminding me how silly I looked complaining over the prospect of one disadvantage when he would have killed to have any one of those. The boy whose heart I had trampled for another. “I’m sorry, I… I didn’t realize—”
The young man held up his hand quickly to show me it wasn’t what I thought. “ I know you deserve your rank, Ry, but...” He swallowed loudly. “But the others are going to need a bit more convincing. And in the meantime don’t bite their heads off for talking. Because their beliefs aren’t entirely unfounded.”
I wiped a strand of sticky hair back from my forehead. “Well, now I feel just terrible.”
“As you should.”
I opened my mouth and shut it as I caught his smile.
“I’m kidding, Ryiah.”
I gave an embarrassed shrug. “I guess I’ve forgotten your humor. This has to be the longest conversation the two of us have had in years.”
The boy chuckled. “It is a bit awkward, isn’t it?”
“It was awkward for me.” Paige's voice cut through my delayed response. I gave the knight a half-hearted glare. She was never very subtle.
“So…” Ian said.
“So.”
“You and Darren.”
“Oh…” I paused. “That.”
The boy cleared his throat uncomfortably. “The non-heir turned out to be full of good intentions in the end. I can’t say I saw that coming.”
I shifted my feet guiltily. “I did… and then I didn’t. He’s…” I didn’t know how to say it without making the conversation worse. “He’s complicated.”
“You could say that.”
I cringed and hastened to explain. “But he wants to do the right thing. He doesn’t always do it the right way , but he has good intentions.” I cringed at the use of the same phrase as Ian. It made Darren sound so… complicated. Complicated? I had already used that word too. I was floundering here.
“I think you will be good for him.”
My gaze shot up to meet Ian’s. “T-thank you?”
“I’m not just saying that to be nice.” The mage’s eyes bore into mine. “You didn’t grow up at the palace and spend your days wasting away in a convent. You will be able to advocate for others, affect policy…”
I laughed nervously. “You obviously have not spent much time with the royal family.” King Lucius couldn’t even stand to be in the same room as me, and I wasn’t so sure his eldest didn’t want me dead, despite whatever his brother claimed.
“Ryiah.” Ian shut his eyes. “You convinced Darren to marry you. You have influence whether you want to believe it or not.”
“He’s not the heir. He can’t—”
“Won’t you at least try?” My friend’s voice became increasingly strained. “Or does the lowborns’ cause no longer concern you now that you are not one of us?”
That hurt. Ian knew full well that neither of us had been “lowborn” since our apprenticeship. “O-of course it does!”
There must have been something in my voice because Ian immediately looked guilty. “I’m sorry, Ry, I didn’t mean—I know you are a good person. I just don’t want this new life of yours to change you.”
“It won’t.” I made myself smile as I reached out to touch his arm. “Believe me, it would take a lot more than
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