“Great, actually,” she says. “I suppose I may have been pushing myself working with Issa.”
“I’m not surprised.” My words are light and I let the easy conversation with Ninon soothe me. This is what I know to be true. Ninon’s presence at my side. Knowing how, when she’s on to something new, nothing else in the world exists. “Do you have plans today?”
“Back on the wall with Issa. She’s bringing some journals from the Realm’s early days for me to read.”
“Exciting,” I tease.
She elbows me, but a hint of a smile tugs at her mouth. “It’s important to know what happened in those days.”
My next inhale is shaky as it enters my lungs. “I don’t disagree. You’ll have to give me the abbreviated versionwhen you’ve read them.”
“I always do.”
We part ways at the Alcazar, my nerves vibrating close to the surface with each step that brings me closer to Ozias. I don’t know what to tell him. He didn’t believe Atlanta’s theory about Dyeus harboring the ravaged to unleash on us. I wonder if he will now that I have proof, or, perhaps this is something I should go to Atlanta with? If I do, I’ll have to tell her everything. The dread consuming me at the idea of explaining myself to Atlanta when she’s been nothing but kind and welcoming has me dragging my feet.
I meet Ozias where we usually do, on the adjacent balcony just outside of the expansive meeting room.
When Ozias catches sight of me, his face drops its easy grin. “Bad night?” he guesses.
“That’s one way to put it,” I say, raking a hand down my face.
“Do you want to rest?” he asks, meeting me halfway across the balcony and placing a mug of black tea in my hand, which I accept with a grateful smile.
“No.” I cover my expression by bringing the mug to my lips, taking a moment to gather my thoughts as the hot liquid slides across my tongue, bitter and grounding. “The sooner I can shift into my human form at night, the better.”
“What happened?” Ozias asks. He always asks, and I generally give him the highlights, but only in brief. When I told him of the night Zhoric sat before the gods eyes, Ozias guessed he was calling more energy from the gods to his scale, or else shoring up all the threads of magic he has spilled out across the world. I didn’t tell him how I stayed by his side, or how his pain twisted the bond deeper into my skin.
“We took a walk.”
“Sounds romantic.”
I roll my eyes. “We went to Selnor’s rooms. He had women, human women.”
“What did Zhoric do?” Ozias crosses his arms, fingers pressing hard into his biceps. He doesn’t like the sound of it as much I didn’t like witnessing it.
“Told him to send them home,” I sigh and grasp the back of my neck, tugging and pinching to work out the tension. “Apparently he does things like that to get Zhoric’s attention. Zhoric hadn’t been to see him since before the night Alixor died.”
Ozias hums. “Anything else?”
I debate how much to say about Thrace. I don’t want anything I say to hurt my sister, but I don’t see how Ozias could do anything that would put her in danger. “Thrace came by. He seems worried for Zhoric.”
“He’s always worried for Zhoric. Ever since they were kids.”
That has me standing straighter. “You knew them both in your youth?”
“Quite well, actually. Our circles weren’t too close, but close enough.”
The urge to ask more about Zhoric and his past threatens to part my lips so I press my mouth closed tight and nod.
Ozias remains silent for a time, then he gently removes the cup from my hands and sets it down on the nearby table. “I’m asking too much from you,” he says.
Shaking my head, I say, “No. I’m fine. I want to keep pushing.”
“Your tenacity is something I admire about you.” Ozias tips his head to one side, studying me carefully. “But even the most tenacious need to rest and recover.”
My hands fist. If I show how panicked I am, he’ll know. He’ll know I’ve gone too far with Zhoric. I need some time away from him. I need to shift. My fingers uncurl and curl again. “I don’t want to sleep. I can’t rest right now.”
Ozias cups my cheek in the palm of his hand—warm, secure, anchored. “I know. That’s not what I’m suggesting. We have another job to do, remember?”
