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All We Can Ever Do
The next day, Verve and the mage Nori crouched at another nearby spring, at the top of a bluff overlooking a bowl-shaped indent in the ground. Water rippled at the base; one of Aredia’s underground river connected this small spring to Pilgrim Springs.
Verve was just grateful she didn’t have to crawl underground for this mission. She tucked an errant strand of hair back beneath her scarf; she’d forgone the braids for now and just protect the defiant, delicate coils. “Do you recognize them?”
Nori squinted at the mages camped on the other side of the bluff. In this early evening, the other mages had lit a small fire—probably mage-made—and spoke in quiet but jovial tones that did not mask the undercurrent of anger that swirled around them.
“No,” Nori murmured, and Verve’s heart sank. “But they’re particle mages like me. That fellow’s cooking — but not with the fire.”
“I can smell it.” Verve fought the urge to whip out her crossbow and end this dilemma right now. It helped that Space-Between-Stars recoiled at the thought of more outright killing. “Do you think they’ll listen to you if you ask them to move on?”
It was a long shot, to be sure, but Verve didn’t know what else to do.
Nori had dark skin like Verve, but wore her hair close cropped and bleached golden. Now she skimmed her fingers over her scalp, brows knitted. “Like I said, I’ll try. But I can’t promise anything.” She shot Verve a rueful smile. “Cover me?”
“Of course.” Verve hesitated. “Like we discussed, if you find yourself in trouble, give the call and hit the ground. I’ll do the rest.”
Nori nodded, fingers twining together. Even without a meridian’s insight into her emotions, her anxiety was plain. Verve met her eyes, drawing her gaze. “Look, I’m grateful for the assist, but you don’t have to do this.”
“I know, but I want to.” Nori smiled again, but the expression did not reach her eyes. “Kyon and I came to Lotis looking for asylum with Marea Damaris, but we never expected to find such kindness as your village has shown.”
Your village. Verve’s throat tightened, but she kept her face impassive as Nori continued. “I don’t think Damaris is coming, but I still want to repay the kindness Ivet and the others have shown. Especially when my own people have caused so much trouble.”
Verve studied her. “Few mages would admit to that.”
“Maybe not to you,” Nori replied, her brows knitting. “But most of us just want to live in peace.” She glanced back at their targets and her agitation spiked, searing Verve’s awareness like a bite of hot pepper. Nori gnawed on her lower lip. “I just need another moment…”
The other mages’ attention shifted. They hadn’t spotted Verve and Nori, but time was running out to take the advantage of surprise. And Nori looked no closer to moving forward with their plan.
Abandon this idea, Verve’s training urged, but she shook the notion away. These mages were planning something, and their camp was much too close to Lotis for comfort. By the One, sometimes Owen brought the little ones out here. Were the people of Lotis supposed to hide in their homes until all the mages had murdered each other?
But rushing in and killing the renegades would be no better, and Verve had little desire to drink herself into a stupor to numb her emotions — again. So here they were.
She risked a soft touch at Nori’s shoulder. “I’ll cover you the whole time. And you have magic enough to defend yourself until I can arrive.” She tried to smile comfortingly, but thought the expression was more of a grimace. “And like I said, just call, and I’ll come. All right?”
As a last resort, she tried to inject some of her own courage into the other woman, but it was a fine line to walk without actually using her meridian abilities to manipulate Nori’s mind. Verve still wasn’t certain she had the mechanics right, so rather than risk removing Nori’s independence, she simply tried to let her own calm confidence show. Perhaps that would be enough.
Nori took a deep breath, then flashed her a smile. “Thanks.” She faced forward. “I’m ready.”
Hours later, Verve and a limping Nori returned home. Nori clung to Verve, while Verve tried not to let her own ire seep through. Alem and Kyon in his antelope form met them on the road, but the moment the shape-changer realized Nori was injured, he ran to her, snuffling at her sides and whickering softly. Alem followed, face expressionless.
“I’m all right.” Nori released Verve and wrapped her arms around Kyon’s neck, hugging him close.
Alem glanced at Verve, who closed her fist around one of the daggers at her side. “Nori did her best,” Verve said through a clenched jaw. “But it was another failure.”
“I really thought they’d listen to another mage,” Nori said, swiping her eyes. “But I was a fool, I suppose. Thank Seren for Verve and her crossbow.”
Verve glanced up at the waning mage moon. Her crossbow case dragged at her shoulder, slowing her steps, and she couldn’t look at Alem. “They barely let her speak,” she said, nodding to Nori. “They thought she was a spy, or an assassin sent from one of the other clans. I suppose they weren’t wrong, exactly.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “This was foolish.”
Alem looked at Nori. “Can you make it back to my cottage? I want to look at that wound.”
Kyon nuzzled Nori’s cheek and she smiled. “Aye. Thanks.” She leaned heavily against the antelope’s side as they continued on toward Lotis, where someone had already lit the torches leading down the main pathway. Alem followed.
But Verve didn’t move. The day’s events clutched her heart in a stone vise and her head was full of blood and fighting. Her crossbow case slid to the ground with a thunk and she swayed in place, trying to summon the strength not to fall over.
And then Alem was at her side again, holding her upright. His lips brushed her forehead with a feather touch, and an answering shiver passed over her. “I can’t do this,” she whispered, leaning into him. “I’m not made for anything but death.”
“Do you truly believe that?”
