Page 104 of Revealing Fate

Kal couldn’t deny the rise he got out of vexing her. Suddenly, he regretted inviting Adder to the cabin. He wanted her alone. Now.

Felíne must have noticed the change in Kal’s expression because she gave a heroic effort at nonchalance. “We’ll, ah, have dinner ready when you get back.”

Kal tilted his head to one side, lips twitching skyward. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

Adder quirked a brow. “Why wouldn’t it be wise?”

“Shall I warn Adder about the potatoes?”

Felíne glared. “That is not necessary.”

“I think it’s necessary,” Adder said. “What’s wrong with the potatoes?”

Kal clapped a hand affectionately on his friend’s shoulder. “Just mind her seasoning and you’ll be fine. Wouldn’t want to come home and find you naked, making snow angels in the front lawn.”

“Naked…” Silver brows wrinkled. “There’s no snow, mate.”

“Precisely. Consider yourself warned.”

The look of concern that stole over Adder’s features pulled a bark of laughter from Kal’s throat.

“Oh, for the love of mercy,” Felíne muttered darkly. She turned her back on both of them and disappeared into the house.

Kal was fortunate to find Saul in residence. The unofficial leader of the Conclave was a quiet man who forwent a larger home in the heart of Meress’s bustling center in favor of a simple stone cottage on the edge of town. Though one could hardly call it a home, as the man rarely spent time there. Since the death of his wife years before, Saul tended to occupy his hours working on various projects in the city and spent frequent nights sleeping on a cot in one of the upstairs rooms in the Conclave’s house of operations.

Today, however, and thank Kal’s lucky stars, he was home.

Saul cracked his front door and visibly startled when he saw who’d knocked. “Get in here, you fool,” he hissed, glancing about. “Did anyone see you?” He didn’t wait for a response before pulling Kal inside.

Kal stopped short, fully assessing Saul’s appearance. The man looked terrible. Deep bruise-like crescents flanked his lower lids, his chestnut eyes were dull, and his usually golden-hued skin was the color of day old milk.

The few times Kal had been inside Saul’s home, it had been tidy though sparsely decorated. Now, while appearing equally under-inhabited, a fine layer of dust coated the few pieces of furniture, and a dozen scrolls lay scattered about the kitchen table. Kal dragged his finger across the mantle and rubbed the grit between his fingertips. “Are you having a midlife crisis, Saul?”

Saul sank into a seat at the table. “No,” he complained. “I’m having a Kalevar Kaine crisis. Do you have any idea the kind of hell I’ve been through since your little stunt at the Watch Post? I’ve got members of the Conclave breathing down my neck at all hours. Citizens, too. I can’t even come within a block of the Conclave’s house of operations without being harassed.”

“Because of me?”

“Yes, because of you,” Saul bit back, not appreciating Kal’s levity. “Lucien is heading an insurrection. The first few days following the trial, he called for an arrest. The others wavered. Now? He’s got everyone but Beulah convinced that you should face public punishment and the girl should be executed.” Saul dragged a hand down his haggard face, stretching the dark circles. “Lucien has half a dozen rumors spreading through Meress’s taverns that spin wild conspiracies as to Kitty’s identity. Half the population thinks she’s an Asterosian spy who’s feeding information to the crown. Fearmongering is a living creature within our borders. I said I’m handling it, but words only carry weight when action follows.”

“She’s not a spy, Saul,” Kal said, taking the chair across from him. “She’s not dangerous to anyone.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Saul sighed. “The only reason Lucien hasn’t tried to forcibly drag you from your house is because he didn’t have the backing, and he knows he’s no match for you. Now he has the backing.”

Kal scoffed, not the least bit worried. Lucien was a bug. “He can try.”

“You should know that your friend, Harless, has been a vocal advocate for your appropriation.”

Rask. Kal inwardly groaned, mentally kicking himself for allowing that end to remain loose and chafing. He knew he’d have to face his friend, to explain the situation and find some way to mend the rift between them. Might as well be today. “I’ll talk to him.”

Saul shook his head. “He left three days ago.”

Unease pitted Kal’s stomach. “Where?”

“He didn’t say. But he was packed for a trek, Kal. He left Stillwater heading west.”

West. The damn fool. Rask was going to Asteros. To Railah. There was nothing Kal could do. Rask would reach the city before Kal could get to him. Even if he found him before then, there’d be no changing Rask’s course. He needed to speak with Santhe to see if she had a reliable way to get a warning to Cinah.

But first, Kal needed to handle shit here. “Rask is out of my hands, but Lucien can be dealt with.”