His shoulders loosened, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "I often feel the urge to yell at Theodosia myself. I don’t blame you. He can be infuriating."
Vivienne exhaled a small laugh but then turned serious. "Back at the ruins, Enyo said something about it being ‘interesting you would talk about honor.’ What did he mean by that?"
Owen’s expression shifted, his body tensing as though bracing for an oncoming attack. She could feel the invisible walls he was building between them.
"I've had the displeasure of knowing Enyo for a long time," he said finally, running a hand through his dark waves. "I haven’t always been... the way I am now."
Vivienne studied him, trying to picture a version of Commander Owen Thorne different from the composed, disciplined officer sitting beside her. She imagined him as a child, corralling other kids in line, negotiating at the fish market with perfect manners, and possibly too respectful to ask someone on a date.
"I think we’re meant to change," she offered. "How boring would life be if we never evolved? If we never redefined ourselves?"
Owen’s dark eyes settled on her. "Have you?"
She paused, reflecting on the question. Her entire life had been shaped by her parents’ expectations, her evolution fitting within the fences they’d built.Have I ever changed anything on my own?
"I think I’m in the middle of redefinition right now," she admitted. Then she playfully narrowed her eyes. "Also, you’ve been holding back, commander."
"Holding back?"
"Since when do you speak multiple languages?"
A shy smile ghosted across his lips. "At the Naval Academy, I had few friends. The language electives often had fewer students, so I could go to class and learn something without being harassed. Later, traveling with the Royal Navy, I wanted to communicate with people in their own tongues. So much is lost in translation."
Vivienne’s eyes brightened. "That’s exactly why I wanted to learn them! It’s different reading history in the language of the people who lived it. Well… that, and my specialty required a few ancient dialects."
"You’ve worked at the Library of Metis for a long time, right?"
"Officially since I was fifteen, but I basically grew up there. My parents spent all their time in the library, so I did too."
Owen tapped his boot absently against the ground when a spark of realization crossed his face. "I’d bet we were there at the same time over the years."
"It’s possible," she said with a small smile.
A surety rested in Owen’s expression, as if he were revisiting a memory. He nodded, unable to resist locking his eyes with hers. “Very possible.”
30
The silence was unnatural. The usual hum of insects, distant bird calls, and rustling leaves vanished, replaced by an oppressive stillness.The air feels even heavier here.Vivienne fought for every inhale.
Her boots crunched against barren earth as she stepped forward. A towering, blackened tree loomed in the center of the clearing, its charred branches clawing at the sky like skeletal fingers. It dwarfed the surrounding rainforest. A perimeter of death encircled the tree. Everything beyond its reach was lush and thriving and everything inside a desolate wasteland.
Lewis loosed a breath, awe creeping into his voice. “This tree… it’s ancient. Older than anything I’ve ever studied. It must be thousands of years old. Like the All-Mother herself planted it.”
Vivienne crouched at the edge of the dead zone, running her fingers over the parched soil. A faint shimmer caught her eye. Silvery powder, clinging to the earth like a ghost of destruction.
“Cinderbind?” Commander Thorne murmured, seeing the pinch of powder between Vivienne’s fingers. “Likely from the same group who set the fire at the ruins.”
Cirrus’ voice was tight, still raw from their argument. “Using everburn on a tree? Why?”
Vivienne’s breath snagged in her throat. The realization struck like a blow. “Because it was never just a tree.”
She tore open her satchel, pulling out one of the tracings from the ruins. The image was clear. People running toward the tree, the symbols for refuge and sanctuary etched beside them. A sick feeling coiled in her stomach.
Lewis met her gaze, his eyes filling with understanding. “They thought they’d be safe here.”
Cirrus’ face paled. “You don’t think there’s... more, do you?”
Vivienne blinked hard. She didn’t have to answer. They all knew.
