Free Resistance (Ilyon Chronicles Book 1) by Jaye L. Knight

are hungry. Sit down, all of you.”
    “Smells delicious,” Aldor told his wife as he and the others took their seats around the hardwood table.
    “It sure does,” Rayad agreed. Far better than anything he used to make living on his own. He hadn’t eaten so well since his mother passed decades ago. In fact, it was his mother who had helped Kalli hone her cooking skills.
    Kalli smiled in appreciation and turned once more to the hearth. She stirred the soup again and reached for the handle, but Jace pushed back his chair to stop her. “Let me help you.”
    He took the heavy pot for her and set it on the table.
    The old woman gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “Thank you, dear.”
    A smile rested on Rayad’s lips. What a kind soul Jace turned out to be, especially when it came to Kalli. The two of them adored each other. Considering how despicably ryriks treated women, Rayad thanked Elôm every day for this. After all, he’d been the one to bring Jace into their home, but Jace would far sooner harm himself than the old couple. Any fears Rayad had in the beginning, Jace had laid to rest a long time ago.
    Kalli took her seat, and Aldor led them in a short but sincere prayer to their Creator and Provider. When he finished, they eagerly passed the food around. All the work springtime brought made them hungry. While they ate the hearty meal, Rayad said, “I think I’ll ride into Kinnim tomorrow. Aros has a shoe loose, and it’s been a while since I’ve heard the latest news.”
    He never liked to be kept in the dark too long about Arcacia’s current affairs. He didn’t trust the emperor to keep things peaceful.
    “Good,” Aldor replied. “I could use a few things.”
    Rayad looked across the table at Jace, who appeared too busy with the meal to heed the conversation. “Do you want to join me, Jace?”
    His blue eyes rose briefly, but an answer was slow in coming. He went to great lengths to avoid towns and other people. It had taken Rayad a full year and a half to convince him to come along the first time. He tried to coax him out of his comfort zone when he could and help him develop more trust toward people, but seventeen years of being treated like an animal wouldn’t erase easily.
    When Jace did speak, it was almost too quiet to hear. “Sure.”
    Rayad gave him a smile, thanking Elôm for the progress they had made. It may look small to an outsider, but for them, they’d climbed mountains, one painful step at a time, with many dark valleys in between.
     

     
    Jace took another wet bowl from Kalli and wiped it dry with the dishtowel. Behind him, Rayad and Aldor discussed what supplies they needed from town. He grimaced, his stomach already winding up in a knot. He should never have agreed to go along. No visit had ever been comfortable despite Rayad’s encouragement. He simply had no place in the general public—but he wouldn’t back out now.
    “What’s the matter, dear?”
    Jace looked down into Kalli’s plump, motherly expression. “Nothing.” He gave her a weak smile. “I’m fine.”
    She tipped her head with a look of gentle scolding. “Now don’t be fretting about those people in town. They’re fools if they judge you before they know you. It’s their loss, not yours.”
    Jace’s smile strengthened. No other person in the world possessed the ability to cheer him up like Kalli. She had a way of making everything seem all right no matter what the circumstances.
    Once the two of them finished with the dishes, Kalli instructed him to sit down again so she could tend his wound and fussed over how long they’d waited. By her estimation, it was only moments away from festering and causing his death.
    Jace bit back the urge to grin and rolled up his pant leg. “See, only a scratch.” He hoped no laughter came through in his voice.
    Kalli shook her finger at him. “Even a scratch can become infected. Those pickerins aren’t clean animals.”
    Jace didn’t argue, allowing her to dote on him.