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Hornet’s Nest
By some miracle of the One, Nori preserved most of the homes in Lotis. The mercenaries had set fire only to those near the center of the village. Of these, Dannel’s had burned the longest, but Nori had coaxed the marsh waters up to save the older fellow’s home.
Thank the One for small mercies.
That evening, after an afternoon that Verve hoped to forget, after she’d bathed and eaten, after she’d sucked down only one puffer and a single, meager gulp of Indigo Tears (she’d showed remarkable restraint, all things considered) she suited up in her loft room.
She wasn’t alone.
“Marea Damaris…” Alem scrubbed his face, then leaned back against the wall. “They’re not real. They never were.”
Verve’s hands shook as she twined her wire bracelet back to its proper place. Had Ivet recognized the weapon when one of the Chosen wrapped it around her neck? Had she been afraid? She must have been.
“No shit,” Verve muttered as she fastened the bracelet. “But why’d you start the rumor?”
Alem was silent. “People are always after me — well, after my magic. For years, I traveled around, never staying in one place too long. I tried not to heal others, but using my magic like that is a part of me, like my hands or eyes. I’d swear never to heal anyone again, ever. Then I’d come across someone wounded…” He sighed. “Seren’s light. I’m a fucking idiot.”
“No more than I am.” Verve checked over her hematite gear, looking for any weak sections. Although the sight of the dark-gray ore made her stomach turn, the armor fit her like a second skin, and she had no other options. “The lightning?”
“Metal rods on the roofs,” Alem replied. “They attract lightning, enough at least to make folks think there’s some truth to the rumors.”
“Clever.”
Alem ran a hand through his hair. “Not really. Ivet never liked the lie. She warned me the plan wouldn’t turn out well, that someone, somehow, would figure out the truth, but I was so tired of moving around, and I love it here. I thought if I stayed, I could do some good — small good, but still. I wanted to build a life somewhere. And Ivet welcomed me with open arms…” He trailed off.
Verve tried again to swallow the lump in her throat as she turned to her crossbow. “A dendric mage makes for a valuable ally,” she said. “One worth the risk. Everyone who lived here would be healthy.”
“Staying here put everyone at risk,” Alem whispered. “You were right. I should have moved on.”
But he hadn’t. And neither had Verve, and now Ivet was gone.
The crossbow needed cleaning; mud and grass had somehow gotten worked into the firing mechanism. Verve had a set of small tools she used for that purpose, but her hands trembled too much to disassemble the entire weapon to clean it properly. Another failure of her weak heart. She dug out what debris she could and set the crossbow back in its case.
Verve gathered up the bolts. “The good news is, I know where Danya will be, and when. She wants a sodding mage? I’ll give her one.” Alem tensed. Verve glanced over and rolled her eyes. “Not you. Obviously.”
“Then who?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Verve examined the tip of one of her bolts. Hematite wouldn’t do any additional harm to a normal person, but the bolt was still sharp enough to pierce Danya’s heart. The wire bracelet winked in the lamplight; a promise of death that Verve was delighted to make good on where Danya was concerned. Maybe somewhere, Ivet would feel avenged.
You don’t have to do this, Space-Between-Stars murmured from the deep recesses of her spirit. But Verve ignored the Fae, just as she’d ignored Celidon and Jocasta’s similar pleas. She’d looked through their memories. None of them had ever faced what evil she did now.
She was alone once more.
Alem sat up. “You’re going to kill the woman who raised you?”
“What else am I supposed to do?” Verve snapped. “Let her live? After—”
Tears burned at her eyes, and she ground her jaw to fight back the swell of emotion. She’d done nothing else since Ivet’s death. Everyone in Lotis was sick with grief; the emotion roared through the quiet village louder than an army of urslans. Verve had to shut her heart against it all, else she’d go deaf.
“There’s been enough death,” Alem said softly.
“You don’t have to watch,” Verve replied. “The One god forbid I offend your delicate sensibilities, but this is real, this is life and death. If I don’t act now, if I don’t stop Danya, she’ll send her hired blades here again. Is that what you want?”
“Of course not, but—”
“No.” Verve slammed down her crossbow quiver, sending the bolts clattering across the floor between her and Alem. “No, there is no ‘but.’ There is no answer to this question but Danya’s death. You don’t have to condone it, or even like it, but you do have to accept it. Anything else is just naivety.”
Alem’s dark eyes hardened as he stared at her. “Remember Ellory? You found another way. Why can’t you try that again?”
