Page 25 of The Seeker

She looked over both her shoulders before continuing. “It’s me, Ena.”

The words soaked in, my gaze widening as I jumped to my feet to embrace her. “What . . . How?” I kept my voice low, glancing at where Derek stood, his back against the stone wall, his gaze fixed on our conversation. Ena had filled out some since I last saw her, meaning Otho was at least treating her better in Ralheim than Hansen had here.

She extracted herself from the hug, reaching for my hand to guide me back to a sitting position, both of us facing the lake.

“I’m here for Otho.”

Something flickered in my chest, but with the suppression potion I was testing, I was able to keep my emotions off my face. “What about him?”

“He sent me.” Her voice was barely more than a hiss. “We figured Leif barely noticed me when I worked here before, and I doubt he remembers me from the escape. Since I have the best knowledge of the keep layout⁠—”

“A spy.” My voice was quiet, the flame in my chest twisting despite my calm demeanor. “His plan is going to happen soon then.” It was only after I said the words that I realized what a mistake I might have made, but Ena wasn’t surprised.

“Yes.” She looked over her shoulder a second time, to ensure we were still only in danger of Derek hearing. “He’s worried about you.”

“I see.” The words were curt and short. I didn’t want to discuss my feelings about Otho with anyone, not while they remained muddled.

“You don’t seem worried for him.”

I brought my knees to my chest, dropping my head onto my forearms so I could take a deep breath before responding. “It’s not like that, Ena,” I started with a sigh, keeping my gaze forward as I confessed the realization I’d slowly been coming to. “It’s just . . . this won’t end well. None of it will. For any of us.”

“What do you mean?”

I glanced over at the woman I’d once bared my soul to after only knowing her a few moments, my gaze catching on the gold circle in her eyes. “You read the trust book.”

Her lips quirked up in the corner. “I’ve never heard it called that, but yes.”

Her affirmation was all I needed to realize that Leif has lied to me. He hadn’t gotten that book from Adis. It had been here all along. I tucked that thought away for later, knowing it didn’t matter right now. I sucked my lip into my mouth, thinking, “I’m sure Friar told you of the plan . . . or Otho told you.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Silence settled between us. The only sounds reaching our ears were the occasional bird chirp, breaking the silence of an otherwise peaceful afternoon.

“What do you think of their plan?” I asked at last, still fishing for information without making my intentions obvious.

She glanced at me, tucking her own legs into her chest so we were sitting in the same position. “I’m tired of all the death. I’ll do anything for it to end.”

“Me too,” I affirmed, knowing that even if Ena hadn’t read the trust book before I’d met her during the dying season, I would still feel a kinship with her. “But I don’t have a better idea. I think they will fight until⁠—”

“Until you’re dead,” she affirmed.

I gulped, knowing that my death would also likely lead to Otho’s, meaning that might be what Leif was attempting to do with his ridiculous rules and imprisonment.

“The problem is,” Ena started again, “while I don’t think Otho and Friar are as bad as Hansen and Adis . . . I don’t think they’re doing the right thing either.”

I frowned, realizing that at this point, Ena had likely spent more time with Otho than I had, and better knew his plans. But I was better acquainted with Leif and Friar.

“Runa, I don’t think either of them have ever felt real pain. And I think when they make plans, they don’t always see things the same way you or I do.” She sighed, picking at a loose thread poking up from the seam on her sleeve.

I kept my gaze on my arm, noticing how the scar on top of my original brand was finally starting to heal. “They lost their parents in the Purge, too,” I corrected her, knowing the pain of the Heimland was a shared trauma among us all.

Ena shrugged. “If you say so. We’ve never talked about that I suppose. It just seems . . .” She trailed off, but I was much too smug, knowing she and Otho haven’t talked much. And I knew that meant that though the bond may be muted by my half-poison potion, it was still there.

And the desperation to both leave Leif and to fix him also refused to die.

“I agree with you, Ena, but I don’t know what else to do. Leif is clearly the worst of the two evils.”

“The strongest shape has always been a triangle.”