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“Oh,” I say, shaking my head. “Uh, oh, okay.”
“I am fine, thank you,” Khiara says. “But we have more important things to consider than my head.”
“Yeah…” I say, trailing off.
“What are you thinking?” Dilacs asks. “You did not tell us much about what you found out yesterday.”
“Heh,” he says. “They are working to overthrow the Shaman. They have some resources, but mostly they are trying to find a workable plan. And the humans seem to be the key.”
“Us?” I ask.
“Yes, you,” he says.
I swallow as the weight settles onto my shoulders. It’s heavy, but I got this, right? No. I most definitely do not ‘got’ this. This sucks.
“What do they need us to do? Or, specifically, me?” I ask.
“Exactly the problem, no one knows,” Khiara says. “Or so it seemed to me. I met them once, it’s not like they’ll give me their entire plan.”
I nod as numbness creeps over my legs and arms.
“Is there another meeting?” Dilacs asks.
“Yeah,” Khiara says. “They want to meet her.”
“No,” Dilacs says, too fast and too harsh.
“No?” Khiara asks, shifting his gaze to his brother. “Is there something I don’t know? This is how we help.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Dilacs says, backpedaling. I see it and there is no doubt in my mind that his brother does too. “The city is damaged, there was just a riot, how can we take her out into that?”
“There would be two of us,” Khiara says, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
“And we were both there when the riot happened,” Dilacs counters. “We barely got her away.”
Khiara grunts, then shakes his head.
“I don’t see a choice. We must do this, unless,” he shifts his gaze to me. “You do not wish to help. I would understand that, but if you are willing… then I say we must.”
Fuck. Great. Put it all on me. Thanks.
Of course I don’t want to go. I don’t know the resistance or how I’m supposed to help. I’ve barely been out into this city to begin with and the last time I didn’t make a good impression. I’d greatly prefer to stay here, safe.
With Dilacs. In his arms. Safe. Warm. Fulfilled.
But I didn’t sign up to be safe. I knew the risks when I agreed to come. And the safety of this home is temporary. It always has been and we all three know it. It’s only a matter of time until the Maulavi return and who knows if next time won’t be the last time.
I tear my eyes off of Dilacs’s and meet Khiara. Steeling my nerves I nod.
“Yes,” I agree. “I’ll go. I think we must.”
18
GWENETH
Ipull the hood of the cloak closer around my face, trying to recede deeper into the shadows it casts. Looking at the city through the small opening causes my stomach to tighten into a hard knot.
The swaths of destruction left by the quake followed by the riot have painted a portrait of suffering. Devastated families dig through the rubble of what I assume was their homes. Others shuffle along the streets with footsteps so heavy and so forlorn it tears at my heart.
