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“I’ve seen into this place, Brightness.…” Ishnah closed her notebook and looked across the rolling beads. “When I Soulcast, it’s there. I see the souls of objects, hear their thoughts. I’ve dreamed of this world, but being here is different. Do you ever … feel something? Below, in the ocean?”
“Yes,” Shallan admitted. She leaned against the railing. Ishnah mimicked her posture.
Now, Veil said. Try steering the conversation in a way that implies you know something secret, something she should be ashamed about.
Steering conversations was, fortunately, comfortable for Shallan. She was good with words. Better than Veil in many cases.
“There are currents to this world, Ishnah,” Shallan said. “They move unseen. They can tow you under suddenly, abruptly, when you thought you were swimming along perfectly safe.”
“I’m … not sure what you mean by that, Brightness.”
“I think you do.”
Ishnah immediately glanced away.
Aha! Veil thought. We’re on to something already.
Too easy, Radiant thought. Don’t judge so quickly.
“We all lie, Ishnah,” Shallan continued. “Especially to ourselves. It’s part of what makes us Lightweavers. The purpose of the Ideals, however, is to make us learn to live for truth. We have to be something better, become something better, to be worthy of our spren.”
Ishnah didn’t respond, instead staring at the ocean beads passing beneath.
Give it time, Veil suggested. Don’t be in a rush to fill the silence.
Shallan obeyed, and the silence quickly became uncomfortable. She could see Ishnah shifting, not meeting her eyes. Yes, she felt guilty about something.
Now, push.
“Say it, Ishnah,” Shallan said. “It’s time to tell me.”
“I … I didn’t know what they’d do with the money, Brightness,” Ishnah finally said. “I didn’t mean for it … I mean, I was only trying to help.”
Money? Radiant thought.
Drat, Veil thought. We caught the wrong fish.
Shallan gave the conversation even more uncomfortable silence. People hated it, and would often do anything to banish it.
“How did you know?” Ishnah asked.
“I have my ways.”
“I should have guessed I couldn’t keep it quiet,” Ishnah said. She seemed younger all of a sudden, fidgeting as she spoke. She was older than Shallan, but not by that much. Old enough to be seen as a full adult. Young enough to not believe it yet.
“My old friends in the underground came to me,” Ishnah said. “They were hard up, you know? We acted so tough, but that’s the way you have to act. Pretend you’re important, pretend you’re dangerous, all while you’re actually scraping crem to get by.
“So, I started giving them some of my stipend, ostensibly to help them pull themselves up and out of that life.” She put her hand to her forehead. “Stormfather, I’m an idiot. Even I can hear how naive that sounds, saying it out loud. I should have known they just saw an opportunity in me. Everyone’s a mark. ‘Ishnah got a good break, eh? What about the rest of us?’ Of course they’d use it to set up another racket.”
I feel embarrassed, Veil thought. How did I miss hearing about this?
“Well,” Shallan said out loud, “I’m glad to hear that you aren’t intentionally funding a criminal enterprise.”
“Maybe we can clean it up quietly? It’s not as bad as you might have heard. Or … well, I guess I’m not a good one to judge that. They bought up some gambling dens, started a protection scheme in one of the lower-end markets. My money bought them some enforcers, and … I know they started using my name as proof they had authority.” She sighed. “How much does the queen know?”
“I’m honestly not sure,” Shallan said. “I haven’t told her.”
“If it means anything, I cut them off last month, once I learned what they were doing.”
Let’s push a little harder, Veil decided. Mention Mraize, imply he was involved. See if she lets anything slip.
“When did Mraize get involved?” Shallan asked.
Ishnah cocked her head, scrunching up her brow. “Who?”
“The Ghostbloods, Ishnah.”
The shorter woman grew pale, and her hand genuinely seemed to be trembling as she put it back on the railing. “Stormfather! Did I … Did they…”
“They’ve contacted you, I know.”
“If they have, I didn’t know it was them!” Ishnah said, shaken. She slumped against the railing. “What happened? Was it that man that Den threatened? Was he … Storms, Brightness. I’ve made a mess of this.”
Shallan remained in place, hands clasped, trying to determine if it was an act. She couldn’t persuade herself that it was; Ishnah appeared legitimately shocked by the implication that the Ghostbloods might have noticed her friends’ little scheme. She even caught sight of a shamespren, swimming through the beads toward them. Those were rare out here, as they were passing mountains in the Physical Realm, where no one lived.
If she’s lying, she’s good enough to fool me, Veil said.
“I thought I’d escaped the underworld,” Ishnah whispered. “I came to you, thinking you were someone powerful. Power was all I wanted … but then I saw something more. A way to be free. Everyone else lives such normal lives out in the light. No threads yanking toward the darkness. They seem happy. I suppose it was too much to assume I’d be able to really get away and belong in the light.…”
Storms. Shallan settled down and put her freehand on Ishnah’s shoulder, ashamed at having caused such pain in her friend.
That is a silly emotion, Veil thought. If Ishnah wants out, we’ve done her a favor by exposing this.
And how would we feel? Shallan asked. If someone forced us to expose all our flaws, all our lies, and hung them in the open like an unfinished painting?
“We’ll deal with this when we return, Ishnah,” Shallan said. “And I promise, I will help you clear it up. You’ve made a misstep, but we all make those as we seek our truths. You do belong in the light. You’re there now. Stay there with me.”
“I will,” Ishnah said.
“For now, if you hear any mention of the Ghostbloods, come directly to me.”
“Of course, Brightness. Thank you. For not giving up on me completely, I mean.”
Well done, Veil thought. Let’s slip in a tidbit that might get fed to Mraize, if she reports to him.
I sincerely doubt she’s the spy, Veil, Radiant said. You yourself indicated she couldn’t fool you.
I didn’t indicate that at all, Veil said. I said if she’s the spy, she’s a better actor than I am. Which would make her extremely dangerous. Shallan, find some bit of information to feed her that is distinct and interesting enough to be worth reporting, but something she’s unlikely to talk about to the other members of the team.
That felt like a tall order. But Veil wasn’t willing to offer any more advice, so Shallan soldiered forward.
“Hey,” she said to Ishnah. “Just focus on helping with the mission. I like that you’re taking notes on manifesting. Those will be useful.”
