“Wait. How will I find you?” I gritted my teeth, hating what the question revealed.
Though his eyes remained hidden inside his hood, I could feel his intense focus on me. “You won’t. I’ll find you.” He retreated further. The black swirl of a portal hovered behind his tall frame. In a blink, he walked through it and disappeared.
I stood motionless in the empty wood. The weight of my scheming settled in my chest. If Maelic or King Nolan found out what I just did, it would be viewed as a betrayal. I knew the king, though. I’d seen the way he cared for the people of Haluma, for me. He would understand my intentions.
Kaida stalked toward me, then nudged my arm. I ran my fingers through her fur, and together, we returned to the cabin.
Delah grinned as I walked through the door. “You’re here!” She ran over and hugged me. I allowed my soldier’s mask to slip as I relaxed into her embrace. I pushed aside my interaction with the general. The less Delah knew, the safer she would be. I knew I needed to tell her something, though; she would undoubtedly sense my turmoil.
“Maelic wants to send me to Yarit for espionage, but isn’t entrusting me with rebel targets,” I blurted. Her smile faltered.
“Well,” she said, feigning optimism, “let’s have a meal first and then figure out what to do about it.” She gave me a wink and reached for the good cheese along with the grater.
“You’re too good to me, Delah.” One of my few joys was cheese, particularly aged cheese melted on anything. Tonight, it looked like scalloped potatoes were on the menu. I took the grater out of Delah’s hand and began shredding. A gentle silence descended.
“Maelic has me checking out the Glint houses.” Delah’s hesitant tone gave me pause. “It has been enlightening; he has me testing elixirs on some of the addicts. My next trip is in two days.”
I shot her a curious look, then remembered the report I saw on Maelic’s desk. “I heard about the explosion at a Glint house in the Oleander district the other day. Be careful visiting those places.”
“They don’t send me into danger. That’s your job.” She winked. “Besides, King Nolan says it’s important to keep some Glint in circulation because it helps control the population. It keeps the masses contained.”
I barked out a laugh. “You’re joking. The Good King would never say that. My entire role in the Scourge has centered around eradicating its existence.”
Delah studied me, then resumed her focus on the food, shrugging. “I just have an odd feeling about it. Glint’s reach continues to grow, and the way it’s siphoning magic is getting worse.” My eyebrows rose at the admission. “There have also been talks about the Supreme Vestal and his role with Glint,” she volunteered.
I paused, straightening to attention, “What have you heard? Surely Glint isn’t connected to Vestal Anchors.” Vestal Anchors were selected by the king himself, to serve the crown. I shifted uncomfortably at the insinuation of malevolence. It was merely petty palace gossip. Spreading rumors like this could get you killed.
“It’s probably nothing.”
I chafed at Delah’s veiled accusations. If anyone overheard her, she could be imprisoned for crimes against the king.
“Let’s go out tomorrow! It’s the Twin Moon Festival, when they’re supposed to be at their brightest. Just me and you. Let’s pretend we’re not part of the Order for one night.” I barely suppressed my eye roll. “Especially since I’m going to be a Vestal Anchor. It might be one of the last times we get to do this.” A flash of sadness skittered across her features.
“Everyone is going to know who I am, Delah.” It was a weak response. And we both knew I’d do it, especially in light of her recent recruitment. The block of cheese was shrinking and I adjusted my fingers to avoid slicing them on the small blades.
“They won’t if you don’t flaunt your weapons. And you wearnormalclothes. Like a dress.”
I glanced down at my leathers. “What’s wrong with these?” Now it was Delah’s turn to suppress an eye roll. I gave her a good-natured pinch to her arm, and we continued making our meal.
Delah worried her lip, her whole countenance heavy with concern. “You’ll figure this out, then return just like you haveafter every other mission. And you’re going to spoil the potatoes if you grate much more of that hard rind.” She reached for the cheese and the grater, setting them on the counter.
“Something feels different about this, Delah.” I stared out the window, wondering about the general. “Maelic said this mission needed a dreki on it. It’s what they trained me to become. I want to do it, I really do.” I sighed. “Dreki power could protect me. Could protect us both, maybe even give me the life I’ve craved. Perhaps I wouldn’t care once I turned dreki.”
But that didn’t sit right either. I railed against the idea of submitting so completely to anything or anyone. Deep down I desired freedom, and a small part of me couldn’t reconcile the trade with that tender dream. I shook my head. I had to squelch that down. There was no alternative.
Delah considered me. “Something about it does feel wrong. We don’t know what happens to your soul when you make the trade. What if you become more like Wes and Belham? They use their magic to destroy and exploit. What if you turn into that? It’s like they’re slaves to animalistic appetites. They weren’t comforting before the trade, but now they’re absolutely terrifying. Do you think you would still desire to protect others?”
She raised a valid point.
“There’s a part of you that still fights, Rue. If you’re instinct says wait, then wait. The trade is irrevocable.” That was true, and it added to the burden of my decision. “I’ve heard rumors recently among the elixists. Some have been assisting with the newer drekis. They’ve witnessed oddities among them. Some are having trouble shifting out of their reptilian forms. Some are being consumed by their power.”
I hadn’t heard of that but would add it to the list of things I would investigate. I knew becoming a dreki meant unlimited power, and the king had never let harm befall his elite. “I trulydoubt that is accurate information.” Even here, in the privacy of our cabin, voicing anything against the king felt like betrayal.
An emotion I couldn’t identify skittered across her face. “If you’re ever in trouble, there’s a man named Evander in the north. He’s a mercenary with unique gifts. We worked together on elixirs a few years back. He always told me to whisper his name in the winds if I needed anything.”
“That’s… a weird way to communicate with someone.” Her insistence seemed a bit overdone. I laughed uneasily, batting the concern in her voice away. “Let’s talk about something else. We have tonight and we have cheese. What could be better?” I diverted.
We ate our dinner in amicable silence, intermittently giggling at some inane thing Delah would spout out. The fire began to die down and Delah prepared for sleep. My evening, however, was just getting started.
