He trilled then, eyes crinkling as he looked at me with a burst of warmth."Yes, you have many fans now.It would be easy to let that change you."
I knew it was a risk to try a joke in another language, but you only live once."Soon I might introduce myself by saying,I am Sashen," I said, conjugating the introduction in a way that implied I was a very old and respected arkathi.Like putting on a cut-glass accent and pretending to be a queen of some moon somewhere.
Araxis trilled again, delighted."You are a very skilled student, Sashen," he said in abayan.Then, "I am grateful to have had this time with you, beloved.Oh.Before you go, I had thought we might choose something to purchase.Was there a piece you liked?I imagine not the one that made you sad."
I swallowed, looking at the tapestry behind him of the two lovers, torn asunder before each went on their own journey so that they might be reunited – but it was only because of their selfless love for each other that theywere."Iwouldlike that one, I think."I chewed on my lower lip for a moment, took a hard breath, and said, "I think – Maybe it makes me sad, but it also makes me feel hopeful."
And then, with Araxis watching me with liquid ink eyes that shimmered in the overhead lights, I said goodbye and headed to the nearest inter-ward tunnel so that I could trek down to Radiant Ward and to that other separate sphere of my life.
And I know, Iknow: it was the height of arrogance to believe that I could somehow create these two perfectly discrete, bisected parts of my life.Like there wouldn't be any spillover between the two.It was especially arrogant to believe that when Iknewthat Creche Thiel was making waves and that I was stirring the pot in my own sneaky and selfish way, and when I'd already been approached by a sinnenthi with hungry eyes.
But then, I really did still think I could have my cake and eat it too.Or, as abaya say, that I might bank the fire and dance in its light.It didn't take long for it to become clear that the realms I imagined were separate were, instead, overlays and that the picture they were making was one of violence and blood.
Chapter6
Trouble-Maker
Irealized something was wrong the moment I stepped into the square and saw Inmadra and another abaya – built like a pit fighter, incredibly tall and broad – were standing at the bottom of the steps leading to the second floor walkway, with Elethenn hovering next to them.
"What happened?"I asked the minute I was within earshot, my stomach twisting hard at the expression on Elethenn's face.He flicked a glance at Inmadra, head ducking slightly – deferential.
"Someone has broken in," said Inmadra, arms crossed."We wished to wait for your arrival before proceeding."
My eyebrows shot up as I looked up instinctively, like I could see the door to my apartment through the solid walkway."Oh.Well, it's not like I keep anything very valuable on hand anyway."Places got broken into all of the time; that wasn't new.Besides, I was a minor celebrity, even down here where no one wanted to admit it.I hadn't been lying when I'd said the most reaction I ever got in Radiant Ward was about costing people money.Maybe someone had come to try and collect via petty theft.If so, they would have been pretty disappointed.
Inmadra fluted out a sound that Ithoughtwas disbelief."Sashen of Creche Thiel," she said, tone flat, "you areof Creche Thiel.It is understood that this is a transgression against your creche.The dumpling vendor has said he witnessed an abaya leaving your apartment."
I looked to Elethenn, whose stare was fixed on the ground."It is true," he said."I was not close enough to give a description but I thought it was strange as you had not been by yet, so I went to check and found your door open.It is as Inmadra has said: this will have been because of who you are."
I huffed, still skeptical."Or," I tried, "it's just a break-in.It's fine.Did you know someone was murdered in there before I rented it?It's why it was so cheap.Things just happen."
The look Elethenn and Inmadra shared then, though I'd never seen them interact before, could only be described aslong-suffering.
I looked up at the massive abaya, their black crest unbound, shoulders drawn up and eyes cast downward.I was about to introduce myself, when Elethenn said, "Sashen, if you would like, I am happy to take a look around your apartment to see if I might learn anything else.I – used to work in security."
"Speaking of, should we, I don't know, call someone?"I frowned at the thought, instinctively hating the ward guards andparticularlyhating them because of the mass arrests.If I filed a complaint, my name would appear in some sort of system: Valerie would know, which was fine, but who else could see that?If thiswasmore than just a random break-in, would that make the creche look weak to anyone who went digging?Even if it was just bad luck, other abaya would assume it was an intentional move against Creche Thiel, so the net result was the same.
"That is your decision to make," said Inmadra with a primness that I'd come to understand meant she thought I was being particularly stupid.
"Then my decision is,no guards thanks," I said."But if you did want to take a look around, Elethenn, that would great.I appreciate your assistance."I tacked that bit on in abayan.
"Your," corrected Inmadra, Elethenn flushing silver for a reason I didn't understand before he started up the stairs.The rest of us followed, Inmadra adding, "To Araxis, you would say it as you did."
"Oh."I looked at her, confused."Isyour," I repeated the one I had used, "romantic in some sense?"
"Yes, it is about declaration."
I was going to have to be careful.Then again, when I was in Xitera, it would be abundantly clear that I didn't have a firm grasp on the language.I hoped that meant everyone would be forgiving.
The door to my apartment was ajar, the wall panel peeled open with wires dangling down.In theory, it should have alerted security to the break-in, but apparently whoever had helped themselves to my shit apartment knew enough to work around the security system.Then again, despite what the landlord had promised, the extent to which my security system was either secure or a functional system was debatable.Elethenn pushed the door open and I craned my neck in.
The place was a fuckingmess.Every cupboard was open, the table and chairs turned over.It looked, from here, like someone had gone through every piece of clothing I'd bothered keeping here and thrown them on the floor.The contents of my first aid kit were spilled across the kitchen counter, the display panel on my little desk ripped out and gone entirely.
I guess I wouldn't be putting together any reports today after all.Thank all the stars that I didn't store any files locally; then again, someone was probably just going to pawn it for parts instead of poking around in the hope of finding juicy intel.
I sighed, going to step in, but Elethenn pressed a firm hand to my shoulder."You should stay.I will go in first and see if I can find anything significant."And then he jerked his fingertips away from where they rested near the collar of my jumpsuit, flushing, and he stepped into my apartment.
I frowned, watching him.He was being weird again – well, weirder than usual and in a different way.If he were anyone else, I'd have assumed he was into me, but because he was Elethenn, it had to be something else.Maybe it had to do with being crecheless, or being lonely.
