Maybe it was the history she shared with Symond. He didn’t know yet what happened between the two, but he knew the tension ran deep. Rell hadn’t been able to stand the guy from the moment Violette introduced him, and seeing someone else who clearly shared his opinion was... satisfying, in a way. Or maybe it was something else, something that tugged at a part of him he didn’t like to acknowledge.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he watched the fire flicker. He knew what nightmares looked like, what they felt like. Years ago, they’d torn through his sleep, leaving him shaking and drenched in sweat.
Only Vye knew about his restless nights.
The memories came less often now, but when they did, they hit just as hard. Faces he couldn’t save, decisions he couldn’t undo. He’d learned to live with them, burying the fear and guilt under layers of charm and sarcasm. That’s what the world expected, and he was all too happy to oblige.
But Elora...
Her walls were thinner. She tried to hide it—he’d give her credit for that—but she wasn’t as good at it as she thought.
Rell leaned back again, his eyes drifting to her face. The faint line between her brows softened as she exhaled, her body shifting slightly in the chair. There was something about her that reminded him too much of people he’d lost.
“Don’t start caring, Rellius,” he muttered to himself.
He fidgeted with his dagger again, spinning it between his fingers in a smooth, practiced motion.
The door to the common room creaked open, and Symond strode in, his boots scuffing loudly against the floor. “Are we doing this or not?” he barked.
Rell winced. Elora stirred slightly in the armchair but didn’t wake. He shot a sharp glare at Symond. “Keep it down,” he hissed. “She just fell asleep.”
Symond’s gaze flicked to Elora, his lip curling into a faint sneer. “Oh, sorry.” He sarcastically cupped his cheeks with both hands like he was staring at a cute kitten. “Didn’t realize we were running a nursery.”
Rell groaned, rubbing his temple.
Violette stepped in behind Symond, leaning casually against the wall with her arms crossed. Her sharp eyes glanced between them, but her expression remained neutral, her posture relaxed as though she wasn’t fazed by Symond’s antics.
“This is your fault,” Rell said, pointing an accusatory finger at her. “You’re the one who wanted to keep him. Like some stray dog.”
Violette raised an eyebrow. “You know he has his value.”
“He’s a headache,” Rell shot back, leaning forward in his chair. “You should’ve just gotten an actual dog. It’d probably listen better, and I guarantee it’d be more useful.”
Violette rolled her eyes and pushed off the wall, settling on the arm of a nearby chair. “Oh, come on. He’s not that bad.”
“Right here,” Symond interjected dryly, motioning to himself. “Can hear everything you’re saying.”
“Good,” Rell said, glaring at him. “Then maybe you’ll take the hint.”
Symond bristled, his jaw tightening as his hands flexed at his sides. “You don’t know what I’ve been through,” he said, his voice lower now but no less heated.
Rell didn’t know. But he, mostly, didn’t care. Everyone had gone through shit. He had. Vye had. It doesn’t give Symond the right to be a dickhead. He couldn’t say that to him, but only because he didn’t want to wake Elora. Instead, he stored that rebuttal for later, sure that this wasn’t the last time Symond would say those very words. But Rell now knew exactly what he would be filling that smudged page of his journal with.
“You’re right. I don’t. But I know how The Hive works, and if you can’t figure out how to channel all that anger into something useful, you won’t last.”
Symond opened his mouth to retort, but Violette cut in before the conversation could spiral. “Alright, enough,” she said, her tone carrying the weight of authority. “Symond’s rough around the edges, sure, but he’s got potential, and I’m not about to waste it. Besides, he’ll prove himself tonight.”
Rell tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair, his eyes narrowing as he stared into the fire. The flickering flames did little to soothe him, not with the weight of their mission pressing down on him. The original plan had been simple: the three of them wouldhandle the fieldwork, giving Symond the chance to prove he could be more than just an enchanter for The Hive.
But while Elora’s alchemy was essential, her presence had thrown a wrench into everything.
He glanced at her again, still fast asleep in the armchair. Her breathing was soft, her face finally free of the tension she carried when awake.
“What do we do about her?” Violette followed Rell’s gaze. “She’s already not supposed to be here as it is. If anyone finds out, it’ll blow back on us.”
“I think leaving her here is agreatidea,” Symond said, his voice oozing with sarcasm.
Elora stirred slightly, murmuring faintly in her sleep. All three of them glanced her way before quickly returning their attention to the discussion.
