Atlanta leans over me to address Ninon. “Getting our people out and in safely is why I wanted to bring you here. We believe Dyeus works in a pattern, or a variation of patterns. You told us that you enjoy working out puzzles and so we were hoping to have you here a few days to see if a fresh pair of eyes would help us catch anything we’ve missed.”
Ninon scans the horizon intently. I know she’s already mapping the lay of the land, the way the shadows fall on this morning, on this day. I know she’ll remember it a year from now when this day returns. Her ability to see detail is unparalleled. Ninon’s chest rises and her mouth widens a fraction in her small, contained smile, that familiar look she gets when she’s on the edge of something new andexciting. “Are you giving me a job?”
Atlanta shrugs, her eyes alight at Ninon’s expression. “On a trial basis. If you like it. If you’re any good.”
Ninon turns to her. “You mentioned a team already working on this.”
“Would you like to meet them?”
“More than anything.”
Pride and affection fills me to see Ninon so hopeful and eager. I didn’t realize until now how dim her light has been at home. How much she’d turned into her shell against the coming change of us growing older, and realizing there was nothing more for us. Not unless we bore the children of Dyeus.
We follow Atlanta along the parapet, wind whipping our clothes as we walk. She leads us into the building we saw from below; a long, enclosed space with a window spanning its length on either side, looking out over the Sere to one side, and to the Realm to the other.
Sitting around a low rectangular table on pillows, steaming cups in front of them, are three people I don’t recognize, along with Ozias and Issa.
Ozias looks between Ninon and me before landing back on Ninon. “A successful night, then?”
She inclines her head.
Ozias smiles, his teeth gleaming with pride. He has this effect, I think, on anyone he meets. You feel warm and welcome, whether you want to or not. He holds out his hand to the remaining seats and makes introductions to those around the table as we sit and cups of tea are passed to us.
“We’ve just finished discussing last night’s movements,” Ozias explains.
Issa scoffs, twisting her cup by the rim. I go to lift mine, but it’s too hot to hold comfortably for long.
“They’ve placed themselves near the opening Ozias created last night. Again,” Issa gripes.
“Have you closed it, yet?” Atlanta asks, alarm straightening her spine.
Ozias sucks on his teeth. “I have. But supplies are low. We need to get a team out tomorrow, or at the very latestthe following day.”
My brow pinches, remembering what he said to me the first meal I had here in the Realm. “You told me there was plenty to go around.”
Issa blows a sarcastic laugh from her lips.
Ozias knocks his knuckles twice on the table. “I needed you to eat.”
I narrow my eyes and bite the inside of my cheek. Ozias waves his hand over a collection of papers on the table in front of him. “Somehow they’re figuring out where we’re planning to be. Our assumption is they have a draconem who has an elahi that can sense minute changes in energy signatures.”
“If they do, I think they’ve sensed a rather large shift here as of late that’s making them pay extra close attention to us,” Issa says, her pale eyes trained on me.
I raise my brows but say nothing.
“We’re working on getting that under control,” Ozias answers.
Ninon tilts her head. “Why not use it?”
All eyes at the table turn to her. Atlanta raises her finger and points it at her before pinching it to her thumb again. “That’s…actually a very clever idea.”
“Explain,” Issa demands, leaning her weight on her forearm against the table, her focus intense on Ninon.
“Plant Kaisa somewhere near the wall to draw Dyeus to her energy, then have Ozias create the openings elsewhere. Use her to wash out the energy he’s using.”
“They’ll eventually figure it out and just ignore whatever she’s doing in favor of the energy level they know is you,” Issa says to Ozias.
“True. To be most effective, she’d have to match the energy expenditure I’m using to create the opening, which takes incredible control,” says Ozias.
