Groaning, I folded my arms on the table and placed my forehead down.
Leave me alone.
“Do you want to know what he’s doing right now?”
Yes.No.
“Liar. He’s smoking one of those sticks he likes.”
Shut up, please.
“He’s also planning. Plotting. Preparing. Just as you are. Things are becoming very interesting indeed.”
I knew they’d leave, but I still tried to convince them to be useful for once.
What’s his plan? What’s coming?
Silence. Of course.
Death’s fur tickled my ankle, her purrs loud as she attempted to get my attention. Not silence then, just freedom from the stars’ constant meddling. That was a relief in a way. I reached down and grabbed Death, rubbing behind her ears as I tried to take in all that Altair had said.
My head was pounding now, jaw locking as the pain seeped down my spine. So many thoughts swirled within my mind, rushing through the pathways like a violent current.
The rebellion was alive and Altair was a part of it. The very people Celeste had worked with were only an island away, waiting for me to continue what she had started. The snake had kept it from me, for my own wellbeing, apparently. Which meant he cared about me enough to demand I have time to rest. Why was that?
While I didn’t care about Altair, I did find myself looking towards the front door, wondering if he was okay. The stars had one thing right, we were allies now. If I told myself seven months ago that Altair would be my closest ally, I’d have laughed. Now, I was only resigned. In fact, I was rather certain that Azazel Altair was the only person I could truly trust on all of Dajahim.
***
“Okay, this right here is where the rebel base is. They have a huge hub here with a cloak that is managed by multiple shaytan.” Altair’s finger tapped the spot on my map just east of the island we were currently on, the small piece of land colored a deep grey to represent how supposedly uninhabitable it was.
After the snake had come back inside, the smell of smoke clinging to his clothes, he had snagged the map from one of his kitchen drawers—thief—and tugged me towards the counter. Now, as his stomach ghosted across my back, his arm wrappedaround me to show me the rebel base, I felt like something had shifted.
Maybe it was because I had agreed we were allies. At least, I had suggested we would be. Or perhaps it was due to the fact that there were finally no real secrets he had to hold in. Either way, there was an unsettling charge to the air that made the hairs on my wrist stand upright. Coughing, I ducked under his arm, heading towards my bag.
“So, are we good to leave now? I don’t want to waste any time.” Uninterested in seeing his face, I quickly started shoving all of the books he had gotten me into my bag, strengthening the nearly-endless charm as I went. Death watched with a tilted head from her spot on the arm of the sofa.
“Yes, we can leave now. If that’s what you want.” His voice was heavy and slow, as if it took great effort to say the words.
“It’s what I want. I need to dosomething.Will Death and I be staying there now?”
“If that’s what you want,” he repeated. This time, his voice held no tone at all. Instead, it was stiff. Unfeeling. It reminded me of how he used to speak in Elite Academy. Like a man without a heart—a soul.
It startled me enough that I looked over my shoulder, finding his eyes already on me. He was leaning against the counter, his arms crossed as he stared at me. His mouth was a firm pout, his jaw flexing here and there, eyes unblinking. I could see the strain of his muscles beneath his dark sweater, just as I could easily spot the way his hair had been unintentionally messed further, which was different than his usual careless perfection.
“Is that what you want?”
“What I want doesn’t matter, Tershetta. Let’s get you to Maitoza.”
With that, he closed the space between us, gripped my elbow, and shadow walked us. I only had enough time to suck in asurprised gulp of air before we were suddenly in a meadow of sorts, the grass brown from the cold weather, wilted purple and pink flowers scattered throughout. Standing, I tried to spot the base, stretching on my toes.
“I could put you on my shoulders and you still wouldn’t see the base. It’s cloaked, remember?” His fingers were still wrapped tightly around my elbow, the pressure not relenting even when I stared at his hand with a raised brow. Instead, he sighed, his skin leaking shadows where he touched me. Then, without warning, he tugged me through the imaginary wall, forcing me to stumble to maintain my balance.
Grunting, I looked up, ready to yell at Altair, but then I caught sight of the massive buildings before us. Brick structures loomed, looking far too similar to the shaytan military base. They were stacked together, forming a sort of U shape, the tallest reaching five stories if the evenly spaced windows were any indication.
“Welcome to the rebellion, Little Void,” Altair said beside my ear, his breath smelling like smoke and mint as it fanned against my cheek. Then he released me, a single step of his putting two feet between us. Just in time too, because three men and a woman approached us a moment later.
The men were all wearing the same odd uniform. Their pressed, wrinkle-free trousers were jet black, a startling contrast to the blazers that were buttoned and belted across their torso, the deep red making the fabric look like it was dyed with blood. Maybe it was. All freedom cost that very thing.
