I spilled out into the familiar polished streets of Verdant Ward and headed straight for home.Therehad beenguards, which meant that Araxis had dealt with them.It meant that they'd expected us to come, and I had no doubt they were expecting us at the suite too.My heart thundered in my chest as I forced my breathing to smooth out, even as it fought me, tasting of blood and fury.
My wristband buzzed again, and I glanced down.I didn't have time to step into a pristine alley to take a call, so I flashed it up as I jogged through the familiar park.I could see the windows of our bedroom from here.
Araxis's pale face hovered above my wrist; he was sliding into an inter-ward shuttle."Sashen," Araxis said, voice humming with worry, "Vivith has said that Rodil took Talvi to assure my compliance.They will be waiting on another representative from Creche Naival to arrive in order to formalize negotiations.I will receive a request, I'm certain, but –"
"What, they want to sit down after they kidnapped our creche-mates and tried to kill you?"I laughed, sharp.I took the steps leading up to our breezeway two at a time."Cool, well.Did Vivith say if it's both of them?RodilandElethenn?"
"They were not certain.They were injured, in the altercation.And – Sashen, our Avelthe was killed."His voice cracked then, and I refused to let myself feel that.I couldn't."I expect there will be other affiliates at the suite.Beloved, you must not go alone.I am on my way."
My hand itched to grab the lance from my thigh, click it out to its full gleaming length and fill our suite – ourhome– with arcs of violent light, like purifying starfire.But I knew I couldn't, not with a child there, especially not when it was Talvi, who'd been so scared of beingtakenand whose biggest nightmare had finally come to life.So I knew I had to use a different weapon this time, at least for now."I love you," I said, and it felt almost vicious in my mouth."AndI'm going in there.I'll see you soon.I'm going to do my best, I promise."
"Please –" Araxis started, but I ended the call, ignoring the sharp, frantic sound of his distress.I tapped a sub-menu on my wristband and pushed open the familiar door to our suite – the first place that had felt like home in a real way in as long as I could remember and that was now somehow enemy territory.
Standing just inside of the front door was a familiar abaya, leaning against one wall with her head tilted in curiosity."Yes, wehadheard from the ward guards that you might be showing up," said Crozani of Creche Naival as she straightened.Her stare flicked down to the holstered arc lance at my thigh, then drifted slowly back up to my stare as a pleased smile hooked her lips."Come now, virra.I'm sure you would like to speak with your so-called creche-mates."She tipped her chin back toward the meeting room and waited as I pushed past her to head into the familiar space where I would have to start a negotiation of my own.
Chapter29
An Eye for an Eye
Rodil was seated at one side of the table, Talvi on a cushion by their side, chin tucked hard to their chest as tears slipped down their cheeks.Elethenn stood in the corner farthest from the door, his hands clasped in front of him.They weren't bound, which I guessed meant that he was here willingly; the anger that had already been crackling in my chest grew bitter, corrosive.
Crozani followed me in, wresting my arc lance free from its holster, her fingers lingering for a beat too long against my thigh."You'll have to tip me more for that," I said, dry.It might have shaken someone else, but I had a decade's worth of practice being pawed at by shitty people.What was another wandering hand to me?
Crozani scoffed before she planted a palm on my shoulder and shoved me toward the table.I stumbled, half-falling to the cushion across from Rodil.While I straightened, Crozani returned to the hall and drew her blast pistol from the small of her back.She held it loosely in her grip; she had a sword at her side too, like she'd had at the museum.
My wristband buzzed with another incoming call.Before I could silence it, Rodil made a hissing correction."It is rude to take a call during a meeting.Elethenn?"
Elethenn left his corner, stepping toward me.He crouched and extended a hand, although his stare was fixed on the floor, as if he had to avert his eyes or risk ruin.
And it was probably for the best: if looks could kill, I was pretty sure he would have spontaneously combusted on the spot under my glare.I wrenched my wristband off and shoved it into his hand and said, low, "I hope you're ashamed of yourself."
A soft, pained sound caught in his throat."Yes," Elethenn murmured, barely more than an exhalation."I am."He straightened, returning to his corner and holding my wristband gently in his grip.Last time we'd been in a meeting like this, he'd been sitting in a pool of blood and he'd retrieved my wristband for me.What a fucking contrast.
Across the table, a little whine of distress sounded, so I ripped my attention away from Elethenn and looked at Talvi."Hey," I said, softening the edges of my voice."There's my little dumpling.I bet you're being so brave."
Talvi quivered, chest hitching with barely suppressed sobs."I – I don't – don'twant–"
"Quiet," said Rodil, firm, shifting their hand so that metal glinted in the warm overhead lights.Talvi swallowed down whatever they were going to say, curling their body forward and wrapping their arms around their legs, hiding their face.
I let my stare drift over to Rodil, and the beast inside of me growled so deeply that I could feel it in the marrow of every bone in my body.Who the fuck thought it was appropriate to hold ablasteragainst achild?"So," I said, somehow managing to sound conversational even though I was imagining how satisfying it would be to wrap my hands around Rodil's pale throat and squeeze until their lips turned green, even though the fantasy was so tantalizing that I had to fight to keep from rocking forward, compelled."Was this the plan all along?Wait until we're gone and then take control?"
Rodil's lips twitched in an almost-smile."Hm, no.It is sweet that you imagine you factored in at all, Sashen.We are adjusting to an unforeseen outcome, that is all.We might have handled this much more swiftly had your Vivith not been coy with the information they received from Araxis last night.But we had other avenues available."
"So someone's going to reach out to Araxis tonegotiate," I said carefully."And in the meantime?"
Rodil said nothing, blinking placidly at me.
I licked my lips, then swallowed against the tightness in my throat."I just – You've been with Creche Naival thiswholetime?Or did they recruit you after you joined our creche?When I met you in Radiant Ward, that wasn't – You didn'tplanthat, right?"
Of course they had and I knew it, but I wanted to hear it all, and sometimes, the best way to get someone to talk was to play stupid and hurt.
Rodil's smile sharpened."Would you like to understand?You may find it instructive in the future.You will not wish to make the same mistakes again when you join your new creche.What do you think, Elethenn?Shall we offer some insight to your vacuous virra?"
They knew I could understand that, so it was just meant to piss me off.As if I wasn't used to people thinking I was stupid; as if I didn't know how to play that to my advantage.
In the corner, Elethenn tensed but stayed silent.So I just put on a smile – I knew it was unsettling when I smiled in situations like this, and I wanted very badly to unsettle Rodil – and shrugged."Sure," I said."I would welcome your wisdom so that I might walk a better path in the future."Although if Rodil thought I would be moving to a new creche, they were sorely mistaken.The more Talvi kept snuffling against their knees, the more certain I became: this was going to end in bloodshed.I would make sure it did.
"Ididtravel to Sozamia Station with the aim of infiltrating Creche Thiel," said Rodil, almost merrily."How startled I was to find you gallivanting around Radiant Ward by yourself!I observed you for some time, and then determined the best course of action.You would need a physician, as would Creche Thiel, and you had already begun to form social bonds with crecheless abaya.It was an easy access point.Your Elethenn was the best angle of approach.I reviewed the files of those you'd had contact with, and determined that the others were less likely to be cooperative."
