40
Rook tried not to look like she had no idea how to ride a hoofer. The animal the Heir had given her was stubborn and hard to control, and she kicked it to get it from veering off again. This is why I go everywhere on foot, she mused darkly, her heel digging into the beast's side. It yelped in pain, and the bodyguard spoke up from where he was riding a few yards away.
"First time riding a hoofer? Fun fact-you can't just kick it into submission."
"It's not my fault the animal's stupid and stubborn," Rook growled, yanking erratically on the reins. "Move forward!"
"Bertha's not stubborn," the Heir chimed in, slowing his own beast down so he could join the conversation. "I gave you the mildest hoofer we had."
"Bertha?"
"That's her name," the Heir explained, and she didn't miss the small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He gave a little whistle. "Here, Bertha."
The animal under Rook looked up at the whistle, and the young woman huffed as she realized that her hoofer was now being perfectly obedient, clomping behind the Heir's own mount. "You gave this thing a name?" she asked. "Do you name all your animals like they're people? What's your beast called?"
"This is Dragon," the young man explained, patting his hoofer's neck.
"Dragon?" Rook snorted. "Hoofer charmer and Dragon rider. Is there nothing you can't do, your majesty?"
"Very funny," he replied, catching on to her sarcasm. "Say what you want, but Dragon is the smartest hoofer you'll ever meet. We've been through a lot of years together."
Rook went to argue that hoofers weren't capable of being intelligent, but then she remembered how the Heir's beast had stopped dead to avoid a near-invisible attack in the middle of the night. She squinted at the tan-colored beast. "Smart, huh?"
"Where exactly are we going?" the bodyguard cut in dryly. He hadn't tried to force Theodynn to stay behind at the fortress like Rook had hoped he would, but he also didn't look excited about the prospect of joining them on their outing. Rook wasn't that excited herself. Meeting the Prince at his fortress and being able to say whatever she wanted without worrying about the consequences had been fun...but now he was joining her in her own turf. She had to be careful what she said when there were other southerners around to possibly prove her wrong.
"Good question," Rook sniffed. "Oh, Dragon-rider? Got an answer for that?"
"I want to see where you live," he replied easily, turning to face her again. "Which village are you from?"
Rook's stomach twisted, and she tried to think fast. "We can visit where I used to live," she offered. "But after meeting you, I moved my tent to the Central Province."
The Heir frowned. "You did?"
"Well, you told me that I should come visit all the time, and I didn't want to make the trip from the south to the Central Fortress every other day. I still come down here to work sometimes, but my tent is back the way we came." It wasn't technically a lie, but Rook still waited to see if the Heir would buy it.
"All right," he conceded, though his brow was furrowed in thought. "Where did you used to live?"
Oh, you know...just deep on the southern edge with the other traders hiding out from you and your parents, Rook thought to herself in annoyance. "I moved around a lot. If you want the full tour of every place, then we're going to need a few days."
"For Ancient's sake," Tolan muttered. "Are you a criminal, or some kind of scavenger to be moving around that much?"
Rook bristled, and Theodynn called out to his bodyguard. "They call them skippers down here, not scavengers. And so what if she is?"
"Just makes me wonder what she's hoping to scavenge from the Central Province, if she's bothered to move there," the man asked pointedly, staring at Rook. She met his gaze calmly.
"Not much to scavenge," she pointed out. "Which is why I save it for my trips to the south." She turned back to the Heir as an idea struck her. "I've lived all over, like I said, but some places were better than most. My favorite spot was when Ottan used to let people set up their tents near the pit. I'd go over to watch the fights all the time. Why don't we go try to catch a brawl today? They're usually going on at this time of the week."
"No." It was the bodyguard who answered, and Rook shot him a withering look.
"Afraid of a little action?" she asked.
"Actually, Tolan's been banned from the pit," Theodynn commented. "He's not allowed within a hundred feet of it."
Rook couldn't help but be intrigued. "Why?"
"He somehow snuck his katanas in. I'm still not sure how that got past the pit guards, but Ottan didn't take kindly to someone bringing knives to a fist fight."
"Wait...you're that guy?" Rook asked in disbelief before she started laughing. "I should have recognized you from the posters Ottan plastered all around the pit...This man not welcome. The pictures made you look a lot burlier though, I'm not going to lie."
"Don't take Tolan's build for granted," Theodynn warned.
"Please. You're as tall as he is, and obviously stronger," Rook pointed out. "Makes me wonder why your parents insist on you bringing him everywhere. That mammoth of a man made much more sense as a bodyguard, but this guy..."
"'This guy' could kill you before you had a chance to draw a weapon," Tolan cut in, raising an eyebrow. "For your sake, I hope you never have to experience the reason why the Rulership assigned me to guard their son. And for the record, he's tried many times over the years to defeat me in combat, and he never has."
"Then Theodynn has not been fighting you at full capacity," Rook sniffed. Tolan's expression darkened, and the Heir cut in.
"I appreciate the vote of trust, Rook...but we've gotten off topic." He glanced up at the sun. "It's well past noon now. We might as well head somewhere that we can buy some food."
"Then we'll want to go to the Southern Markets," Rook offered, glad that the Heir had seemingly given up on visiting her past "homes."
"Markets...that's a good plan," he decided. "I think now would be a good time to spend some money." He turned and met her eye pointedly, and Rook furrowed her brow. Suddenly, she thought of the pouch of coins tied to one of her many belts and realized what he was meaning.
"I guess," she said. "Though, I'd warn you that the best places to spend money would probably not be seen as acceptable by your bodyguard."
"I suppose we'll just do the best we can," Theodynn offered, giving his hoofer's reins a flick. Rook frowned as she tried to get her own beast to follow behind. His insistence on coming with her on this date had thrown her off back at the fortress, but she had assumed it was a way to build their cover so that his parents and bodyguard didn't suspect them. Now it seemed he wanted to continue their investigation together, but on the one hand, she didn't see how they could with Mr. Unfriendly breathing down their necks, and on the other, she couldn't risk anyone in the south actually having intel to share with them. Offer a poor person a gold coin, and more often they'll talk if they know anything. She couldn't let that happen.
Eventually, they reached the Southern Markets, and Rook's mind was still churning as she tried to figure out what to do about the Prince's plan. Worse came to worst, she could oust it to the bodyguard, but she had a feeling she would lose what little trust the Heir had in her at that point, which could ruin everything.
She tried to seem nonchalant as they reached a hoofer station and she was finally able to get off the swaying beast. Rook grimaced at the pain in her rear—hoofer riding may be faster than walking, but she decided it had little other charm other than that.
"Something smells good," Theodynn commented, and Rook wondered if he was being sincere or trying to continue their coded talk. He looked intrigued, and she wondered if he actually was hungry and ready for a meal.
"That'll be the meat stalls cooking their wares," Rook explained, taking a deep smell herself. In her own opinion, the south had a whole lot of problems, but food wasn't one of them. There were more flavors here than in the North or Central Provinces, and far more meat than in the veg-dominated East.
Rook tied her hoofer securely to the post, but noticed that the Prince didn't bother doing so. "Aren't you afraid of him wandering off?" she demanded.
"Dragon doesn't wander."
"Aren't you afraid of someone stealing him?" she pressed, though she followed him as the Heir followed his nose.
"If someone wanted to steal him, a rope isn't really going to stop them. They'd just cut through it. Besides, he can defend himself when he needs to, and I like having him free so he can get to me if I need to call him."
Rook frowned as she processed that. "Are you in the habit of having to make quick getaways?"
Theodynn shrugged. "When you've been through what I have, you prepare for anything."
The young woman snorted. "Been through what you have? Those are heavy words, considering you're just over two decades old and you've lived a pampered fortress life this whole time."
The Heir turned to look at her, and she couldn't quite interpret his expression. "You'd be surprised," he finally said. Rook found herself wanting to press further, but she was aware of the guard's eyes on her from a few feet behind them.
"Let's find those meat stalls already," she said. "Turns out trying not to fall off an idiot animal really works up an appetite.
The Heir chuckled, which was surprising to her. It's because his guard is here, she realized. He has to keep up the act. She almost felt a little irritated that he wasn't willing to be so relaxed when they were alone, but at least he was getting better at acting like they were together, instead of treating her like some strange acquaintance in front of other people.
"There's the stall," he Heir pointed out, and Rook wrinkled her nose.
"We don't want that one," she argued, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward a different row of stalls. "They serve rat there."
Theodynn blinked, but he allowed her to guide him until they reached another stall. This one looked far seedier than the other, and secretly Rook knew that they served rat here as well. But she was a sucker for the spices that the stall used, and she shook the Heir's hand.
"Well, go on and pay the man," she urged, her mouth watering as she caught sight of the roasted meat on sticks.
"Which man?" the Heir asked, and Rook rolled her eyes.
"Deilie! You've got customers! Get your butt up and give us some meat before we help ourselves!" she called. Within moments, the pile of furs behind the stall groaned, and she felt Theodynn stiffen in surprise as an Oni sat up groggily. He squinted up at them with blurry eyes.
"Rook? Is that you, you sorry excuse for a—"
"Mind your language," she warned, eyeing him coldly. "You've got more impressive company than usual."
The merchant groaned as he pushed himself to his feet, trying to get a better look at the three figures in front of his stall. Rook grinned wickedly as she watched Deilie blanch as he got a good look at the Heir's face.
"Why...Prince Theodynn! What a pleasant surprise...what brings you to my humble stall? And with this two-faced viper, no less." Deilie shot Rook an irritable look, and she rolled her eyes.
"Coming from the guy who never paid me after I worked for days..."
"Because you stole money from me, you little—"
"Because you never paid me."
"I think we need to look for service elsewhere," Tolan said pointedly, and Rook realized that the guard's hand was on the hilt of his sword. Geez, these Central Fortress dwellers are tightly wound. People can't even argue without them assuming things were going to dissolve into a bloodbath.
"You won't find a finer meal than here at Deilie's," the merchant said quickly, turning to the Prince once again. "Apologies for my outburst...I just would have thought the Heir to the throne would be associating with politer company than this she-devil."
"You're lucky he doesn't hang around politer company, or he would have never let me drag him all the way over here to your greasy stall," Rook said, leaning on the shaky wooden frame. "Three skewers, you old toad...and give us the ones that aren't all gristle."
"I'm not eating anything from this filthy place," Tolan said dryly. Rook turned so he could see her roll her eyes.
"Good, because all three skewers are for me. Unless Theodynn here would like to try something other than central-fortress stew for once."
"We have more than stew at the fortress," The Heir argued, but he seemed to be studying the skewers. "I'll have one," he decided. "How much?"
"Well..." Deilie started, but Rook cut him off.
"Don't give him a bit over two bronze for the lot, no matter what he tells you."
"Two bronze? Two bronze wouldn't pay for the sticks I put my meat on!"
"Sticks are free, you idiotic..."
"Don't raise your voice at me, you hussy. I'll take six bronze, or you can find yourself another stall to feed ya."
"Maybe another stall would know how to respect a title!" Rook argued. "This is the Heir of the Oni, and you're trying to milk six bronze out of him? You should be giving him six bronze for even gracing you with his presence!"
"I'll give you three bronze," the Heir cut in, dropping the money onto the stall. "Not a bit more, though. I'm less willing to pay extra for something I've never tried before...especially since that looks a bit like a rat tail." He gestured to something lying in the dirt behind the stall, and Deilie kicked dirt over the suspicious item.
"Naw, just a bit of string, is all," he assured, but then he moved to grab the money. "I suppose it only fair I give a discount to the Heir of the realm, since it is your first time and all. But just know that when you come back begging for more, I'll have to charge you full price."
"You con-artist," Rook accused, though she grabbed her three skewers gratefully while the Heir took the last for himself. Now that the haggle was over, she pushed the hair out of her face to grin. "How's business been?"
"Not too bad," Deilie admitted as he adjusted his remaining skewers. "Markets are busy, people are hungry. The smart ones know where the good stuff is."
"One of these days, I'll weasel your secret out of you," Rook said as she took a large bite of the greasy meat. "Where do you get your spices?"
"If I told you that, you'd never come back to visit me," he accused, waggling a finger at her. She rolled her eyes.
"So secretive." She grabbed Theodynn's hand as she went to pull him down the market stalls. "Take care of yourself, Deilie."
"Keep your eye on the sun, girl...and give Quazier my regards."
Rook stumbled, and the prince barely managed to keep her upright. She managed to keep a grip on her skewers, and she swallowed as she tried to recover. "Will do," she called back to Deilie, though her heart was pounding so hard she was sure the Heir would hear it.
"Who's Quazier?" he asked as she regained her feet.
Rook snorted as she straightened. "Just another old idiot, like him. I spend way too much time around idiots, I've decided." She took another bite of her skewer. "Are you going to try it?" she asked around her mouthful.
The Heir seemed to accept her answer easily enough, and he looked down at his own skewer. "It does smell good," he decided. "But it's rat, isn't it?"
"Hey, rat is meat," Rook shrugged. "It's the spices you gotta try. Only reason he's still in the market game at all, really. Go on, Princey—take a bite." Theodynn sniffed at the meat and finally bit into it. He chewed thoughtfully, though his expression was hard to read. Rook finished her first skewer and tossed the stick into the dirt so she could start on her second. "Well?" she demanded. "Do you like it, or am I going to be finishing it for you?"
"It is flavorful," the Heir admitted. "Just a little...stringy."
"Pshh...all meat is stringy."
"Is there a point to us being here at all?" Tolan cut in.
"Your job is to guard, not make passive aggressive comments every three minutes," she pointed out. "If you're bored, go sniff out some danger or something that you can protect us from, since you seem so eager to fight." She looked pointedly at where his hand was still resting on his katana hilt. He narrowed his eyes, not removing his hand from his blade.
"We didn't come here to do anything in particular, Tol," Theodynn agreed as he continued to carefully eat his skewer. "I just needed a break. Sorry if it's no fun for you to tag along on my date."
"Come on, there's a stall down here with dancing fleas. I don't know how they trained them, but it's hilarious." Rook grabbed the Heir's hand as she dragged him along, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"Dancing fleas?"
"I hate the south," Tolan muttered as he followed along.
41
The bodyguard stuck close the rest of the day, while Rook dragged them from stall to stall. It seemed that the Heir never could figure out how to get a few moments alone, and that was fine with Rook. Being in the south was even more dangerous than she thought it would be. How long had Deilie known about Quazier? How many southerners knew? The leader of the secret trade made it seem like he was an untouchable enigma, but she was realizing that it may be easier for the Heir to sniff him out than she had previously thought. No wonder he wanted Theodynn dead, she mused as she pretended to be intrigued by a clothing stall. The secret's leaking out...it's not going to take much more digging for the Prince to figure it all out, unless I can keep him off the scent.
"How do they get these little patterns on the cloth?" Rook demanded. She went touch the cloth with her greasy fingers, but the stall owner slapped her hand away.
"You touch, you pay!" the woman snapped, and she rolled her eyes.
"Look at the little flowers," Rook rambled, keeping her fingers away from the wares. "It must have taken someone years to stitch them all on there." How much longer before the Heir gave up and headed home? She was running out of distractions. Theodynn didn't reply, and she turned to make sure he hadn't wandered off somewhere to start questioning people.
Theodynn was still next to her, but his expression had become clouded as he stared down at the cloth. She blinked as she realized how sad he looked. What's his deal?
"Embroidery doesn't take years, if you're good at it," he mused, though it sounded more like he was talking to himself than to Rook. "Though, it is very painstaking."
"Do you like what you see?" the merchant asked, her voice suddenly fading to a pleasant purr. Rook scoffed. When she showed up at a stall, the merchants treated her like a stray sniffer trying to make off with their wares. The second they caught sight of the Heir's Ahsakar eyes, their tones dripped with honey.
Theodynn blinked at the woman's question, and he looked up to offer her a small smile. "No, thanks. Just looking." He pulled Rook away from the stall, and she frowned.
"Are you all right?"
"Um...yeah. Just tired."
About time. "Well, I don't want to wear you out," she offered. "Probably time for you to—"
"Hey!" the yell came from Tolan, and Rook jumped. She turned to see the guard chasing down some figure in the crowd.
"What on earth?"
"Probably someone who started approaching me with a knife," the Heir mused, seemingly unconcerned.
"What?"
"This is perfect," he realized, and Rook blinked.
"It's perfect that someone was planning on knifing you?"
"That will take Tolan a few minutes to sort out," the Heir continued, reaching for his pouch of money. "We can start asking around now."
"Woah, you can't just go up to people in the market and offer them money. You're more likely to get mugged than get intel," Rook argued, putting a hand on his. "We have to be strategic about this."
"All right...we've got five minutes. What do you think we can accomplish in that time?"
"Ummm..." Rook's mind went blank.
"Theodynn? What are you doing here?" a voice called out. Rook was grateful for the distraction for the entire two seconds it took her to turn toward the voice. However, as soon as she caught sight of the sniffer-caped figure down the lane, her gratitude tarnished quickly. She cursed as Ottan met her eye, and she watched the leader's smile fade.
"Just shopping around," The Heir explained. Rook could hear the thinly-veiled annoyance in his voice—it was clear that he was just as unhappy about running into the Southern Leader as she was. If Ottan picked up on the Heir's displeasure, he didn't show it as he made his way over.
"Anything in particular you're in the market for?" the leader jested, and his eyes came to rest on Rook. She kept her gaze steely, daring him to say something in front of the Heir.
"Just needed to get out of the Central Fortress," the Heir admitted.
"I see. Who's this?" Ottan gestured to Rook, and Theodynn rubbed his neck.
"This is Rook. She's...um..." The Heir seemed at a loss for what to say, and for once, Rook didn't have a comeback either. It was all she could do to keep herself put together. "Well, you always told me to go for a southern girl, and I guess you were right after all," the Heir finally managed.
Ottan's expression was priceless. "So...you're together?"
"It's nothing serious," Theodynn rushed to say, and Rook couldn't help but shoot him a withering look. "Just taking a day out on the market to see how things go."
"Ah. Well, if it doesn't work out, I still have a slew of women that I think would suit you perfectly. Warriors, diplomats, con-artists."
"That about sums up the south," Theodynn agreed, not picking up on the silent conversation as Rook glowered at the Leader. "I will warn you, though...Tolan will be back soon, and I know you and he don't really see eye-to-eye. You may want to make your escape now."
Ottan bristled. "That man is not welcome in the south," he growled. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"
"He doesn't let me go anywhere without him," Theo said flatly. "I'm sorry. I made sure to keep him away from the Pit, if that helps."
"Pushy, passive-aggressive showboat—that's what he is," Ottan muttered. "Where is he now? Not like him to leave you on your own, so vulnerable."
Theodynn's expression clouded, and Rook resisted the urge to throttle Ottan as he glanced at her again. "Dealing with a pick-pocket, or something," the Heir said. "He'll be back any minute, though."
Ottan nodded his understanding. "Well, I best be off, if I want to save my mood by avoiding the foul man altogether."
"You're welcome," the Heir offered as the leader stalked off. Rook watched Ottan disappear back into the crowd, his sniffer-robed guards not far behind him. "All right, now we can go find someone to talk to," Theodynn pointed out, but Rook barely heard him. It wasn't until he grabbed her shoulder that she looked back at him.
"What?"
"We came all the way down here. We might as well try to get some intel if we can."
"Intel. Right." Rook looked down at the coin-purse that the Heir was still holding and reached out to take it. He balked, and she hurried to pull a coin out. "Relax. I'm the best option to go pay someone off for information, don't you think? Your bodyguard'll be back any moment, and if he overhears you talking to someone about slave traders, you'll be back to being stuck behind stone walls."
"But—"
"Let me handle this, okay?" she smiled sweetly. "Look, you've got a handsome face, but people are only going to tell you what they think you want to hear...and they think you want to hear that there's no slave trade. That's why you've got to let me do the talking. Old southern saying: it takes a rat to find a rat."
Theodynn's expression clouded, but when he turned and caught sight of his bodyguard making his way back, he finally nodded. "All right. Come to the fortress tomorrow and let me know what you find out."
"Don't feel like waiting for me to finish so we can all ride back together?" she teased, though she was secretly relieved that it sounded like he was finally leaving the south.
"Tolan always drags me off after a foiled attack," the Heir said grimly, studying the furious expression on his bodyguard as Tolan came closer.
"Theo, we're leaving," he called, and the Heir sighed as he turned back to Rook.
"Don't keep me waiting tomorrow," he said, and Rook glanced back at the guard.
"Isn't it your job to tell him what to do?" she asked.
"Rook..."
"Geez, don't be so tense—I'll come see you tomorrow. Don't miss me too much in the meantime, all right?" She leaned in and gave him a peck on the cheek, and she smiled wickedly as she watched him turn red.
"Theo." The guard sounded angry, and Rook disappeared into the crowd, eager to be away from the Heir and his babysitter. She wove between the people in the market, sliding the coin into a pocket. If nothing else, this job was proving to be lucrative.
She had been heading through the outskirts when she realized that someone had stepped into her way. Rook scowled as she realized it was one of Ottan's guards, and she groaned. The assassin didn't bother trying to slip past as she turned. "What do you want, Ottan?" she demanded. The streets here in the outskirts were basically empty, and the leader smirked as he came out from an alleyway.
"What are you up to, girl?"
"It's really none of your business," she said dryly. "Now tell your thug to get out of my way."
"I just thought we could have a little chat, before you slip away to wherever you're heading," the Southern Leader said. His patronizing smile was present, but there was a steely look in his olive-green gaze.
"What do you want?" she snapped again. "An explanation? You told Quazier that you didn't want to know everything—that the less you knew, the better."
"Ah, so you are still working for Quazier."
"Did you think I wasn't?"
"What are you doing, hanging around Theodynn?" Ottan asked, tilting his head. "How serendipitous, that your paths have somehow crossed. I take it he doesn't realize you're a trader-trained assassin?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she muttered.
"I may not know everything about Quazier's plans...but I know the key players, girl. You need to watch yourself. No matter what you've been told to do, if you touch a hair on that boy's head, you'll bring calamity down on us all."
"Now, Ottan, I'm ashamed of you," Rook said dryly, putting a hand on her hip. "Thinking I would hurt my new beau? You misunderstand my role here—I'm supposed to keep him out of harm's way."
"I'm not sure I believe you."
Rook bristled. "Well, for someone who's afraid of getting caught, you weren't exactly subtle back there!"
"Please. The boy misses the sniffer for the pack on a regular basis."
"Really? Because the more I learn about him, the more I'm realizing not to underestimate him," Rook pointed out. "Can I go now? I've got places to be."
"I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page," Ottan said conversationally, and Rook stiffened as she watched his guards step closer. They were all around her, blocking off any chance of an easy escape. "You won't hurt that boy, Rook."
"Ancient's alive: the mighty Ottan, thinking of someone other than himself. Who would have thought you'd have a soft spot for someone?" Rook sneered. Ottan's gaze became steely.
"I don't approve of the Heir sticking his nose into my business any more than Quazier does...but I'm not looking for chaos and war, either. That's what you'll get if anything happens to Theodynn, so you best watch yourself."
"Well, if you're worried about the Prince, you can relax," she said dryly. "My direct orders are merely to lead him off the case—provide distraction. You should be thanking me for putting my neck on the line to keep him away from the trade, which you are so earnestly benefiting from. Next time our paths cross, you may want to go out of your way to make me seem legitimate rather than suspicious, because I'm the only thing keeping your whole façade from crumbling."
"No need to be nasty. I just had to make sure you weren't going to do something stupid, is all." Ottan waved his hand, and the guards finally moved off. Internally, Rook released a sigh of relief, though she kept it from showing.
"Why do you care if something happened to the Prince, anyway?" she asked. She should have just left, but she couldn't help hesitating to ask. "I'm not planning on hurting him, but if he were gone, it would make it a lot easier for you to benefit from Quazie's efforts, wouldn't it?"
"His parents would go mad," the Leader pointed out. "You should have seen them the first time they lost him—I thought Keyda would tear the realm apart piece by piece."
Rook's expression clouded. "The first time? What do you mean?"
"He was just a young lad then," Ottan mused, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Back when he called me 'Wolf-man-Ottan." Don't know what a wolf is, but he seemed to think it was a compliment."
"Someone took him when he was young?" Rook hated herself for being curious, but she knew next to nothing about the Heir besides the fact that he was weak and naïve—both of which she was beginning to doubt. Ottan's expression cleared, and he glanced up as if remembering Rook was still there.
"Now's not the time for storytelling, hmm? I recall you saying that you had somewhere to be." Ottan turned to leave, though he glanced over his furry shoulder one last time. "Don't mess this up, girl. If you make everything fall apart, it will be more than just Quazier hunting you down."
Rook clenched her fists, but she couldn't think of anything to say as the Leader left with his entourage.
Myrah entered the library, but Hershel wasn't at his usual table. Instead, he and Raiyn were seated on the floor in one corner of the room, surrounded by scrolls, books, and other items from all around the library. Hershel looked up as she came over.
"I was trying to read to him...but Raiyn decided that he would rather build with the books, it seems."
"That's a large building," Myrah pointed out as she took in her son's creation. "Is it a fortress?"
"Tent men," he corrected, setting up a collection of pale scrolls near what appeared to be the entrance.
"It's where the tent men live, apparently," Hershel pointed out.
"Tent men bad," Raiyn warned, scowling at the scrolls. He finally grabbed the lot of them and stuffed them into the building, and Myrah got a glimpse of the rest of the things inside.
"What is that?" she asked, pointing out a collection of wires.
"Cage," Raiyn said, as if it should have been obvious. He hesitated in putting the roof of the building back on, studying his so-called cage with a distant expression. Suddenly he dropped the book he was holding, looking up at his father in alarm. "Teag! Tent man have Teag!"
"We just checked on Teag," Hershel assured. "He's at the forge, remember?"
"TEAG!" Raiyn stood and went to run from the room, and Myrah caught him. Hershel sighed as he pushed himself to his feet.
"He's been worried about Teag all day. We've checked on him three different times...but he's always in the forge." He gave his son a comforting look. "Teag is here, Raiyn. He's safe."
"These "Tent-men" nightmares are getting worse," Myrah realized.
"I'm still not sure what they actually are," Hershel sighed. "But I think he must have dreamed about Teag last night. After you left to get to the East this morning, he woke up screaming for him."
"Odd that he's so attached to Teag," Myrah mused as she lifted her son. Raiyn had given up trying to escape, instead wrapping his arms around her neck. "He's only lived here in the West for a little over a month."
"Raiyn knows him from the Hidden Village as well," Hershel reminded. "Teag would play with him when I was first trying to teach him how to control his powers." He dusted off the knees of his trousers. "Speaking of Teag...how did it go with Tala?"
Myrah's heart sank, and she carried Raiyn to a nearby armchair so she could sit down. "Well...definitely not as well as I had hoped."
"She won't release him?"
"Hershel...she doesn't even have him." Myrah balanced Raiyn on her knees as she looked up at her husband. "She claimed that she isn't keeping petty criminals in her dungeons, and the spy I sent to take a look said that the fortress dungeon is completely empty."
Hershel had been collecting the books and scrolls from the ground, but now he hesitated as he looked over at his wife. "Empty? Where did her prisoners go?"
"I don't know." Myrah admitted. "Either Tala's had them moved, or there were never prisoners there in the first place."
"Teag's convinced that's where his brother is."
"I know." Myrah sighed, rubbing Raiyn's messy hair absently. "This whole situation is strange, and I'm not about to give up on it...but I'm afraid that Teag's brother is long gone by now, if he was even arrested in the first place."
Hershel scooped a few more scrolls off the ground. "You don't think he was?"
"Tala was definitely acting suspicious, but I can't necessarily rule out that Teag misinterpreted the whole situation. Did he witness his brother's arrest, or does he just assume he was arrested because he went to the East and couldn't find him? Because if it's the latter, then it could have been a whole number of things..."
"I don't know if he saw it, but he's adamant that Dee is in the prison." Hershel's voice was quiet, and Myrah watched as her husband robotically put away the various scrolls and books.
"Hershel...I know that he's counting on us to find his brother, but I'm not sure we're going to be able to," Myrah said at last. Hershel's expression crumpled, and she continued gently. "We'd have to search every prison, work camp, stocks...and that would only be if he was actually arrested. It could be that he moved villages, or even provinces. The problem is that Tala isn't going to take kindly to a thorough investigation, either. At the end of the day, she's going to do what she thinks is best for her province, and I don't technically have a right to interfere."
"We can't give up," Hershel argued softly, but she could also see the defeat in his expression. He slid a last scroll into place and turned to face her full on. "What will I tell Teag?"
"You have to tell him the truth," Myrah said simply. "We promised we would do what we could to find his brother, but there's only so much we can do. I know he thinks that because we're leadership we can go and do whatever we want, but that isn't the case." Hershel dry-washed his face, and Myrah set Raiyn down so she could stand. "I can tell him."
"No, it would probably be better coming from me," Hershel said. He looked up as Myrah reached him and wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm sorry, Hershel," she said genuinely. "I know you don't like to let people down...but Tala was adamant that I was to have nothing to do with her province, especially not where prisoners were concerned."
"Maybe we could get the Rulers involved," Hershel mused.
"What will the rulers do? Tell Tala that she needs to release one of her own prisoners because his brother lives in the West and wants him back? Tala digs in her heels when people try to pull rank."
"There has to be something else we can try."
"Look, I'll continue my investigation in the East," Myrah promised. "But Teag needs to be informed on the reality of the situation. I don't want to hang false-hope over him now only for it to crush him later."
"You're right." Hershel heaved a last sigh and met her eye. "You usually are, though."
"He'll understand," Myrah tried, though she didn't know enough about the young blacksmith in training to know if he actually would.
"I'll tell him in the morning," Hershel decided. "It's getting late now."
Myrah sighed as she took in her husband's heavy expression. "I really am sorry, Hershel."
He looked up to give her a little smile. "It's not your fault, Myrah. I appreciate you going to Tala and trying. It's just a difficult situation." He gave her a kiss before turning to where Raiyn was trying to drag an ornamental sword across the ground. "That's not for playing, Raiyn," he chided, walking over to take it away. "Let's go get something to eat. It's getting close to bedtime."
"NO!" Raiyn said, looking up to give his father a pleading look. "No bedtime! No sleep!"
"I'll finish cleaning up in here," Myrah said, coming over to pick up the heavy sword. "How did he even get this off the wall?"
"I never know," Hershel sighed. "He has a penchant for getting into mischief the second my back is turned. Come on, Raiyn." He lifted him and headed for the door, and Myrah went to put the sword back on the wall.
She stared at her reflection in the dull blade, thinking about the conversation she had had with Tala. The Western Leader sighed. "I really hope Teag does understand," she murmured at last before turning to leave as well.
Teag crouched in the small space behind the opened library door, feeling frozen. Hershel and Raiyn didn't notice him at all as they left, with the toddler busy demanding that he not be given a bedtime. The boy with dreadlocks swallowed, his mind seeming to buzz as he tried to process the conversation he had overheard.
He hadn't meant to eavesdrop. When he had heard that Myrah had returned, he had followed her to the library in hopes of asking her if she had found his brother. But by the time he got here, they were already talking about Dee, and the fact that he was nowhere to be found.
Teag stiffened as Myrah came out of the library as well. Knowing that he'd be caught the second she shut the door, he stiffened in anticipation. However, the Western Leader seemed lost to her own thoughts as she headed down the hallway without closing the door, and Teag watched her go through the crack between the door and the wall.
A million different emotions crashed through him once he knew he was alone, and he slammed the door closed himself with a roar of anger. However, then the boy sank to the ground. Tears filled his eyes, and he tried to think of what he could say to Hershel when he came to talk to him tomorrow. How could he convince his teacher that they couldn't give up looking for Dee? Who cared about Tala, who cared about protocol? He needed his brother back. Dee was the only family he had left.
Teag's fists clenched as an idea came to mind. For a moment, it made him sick, but then he forced the feeling away. Even if they quit, I'm not going to. I'm not giving up on you, Dee.
42
Amber watched rain streak across the windows of the train, bouncing her leg. She was trying to be relaxed, but there was a knot of anxiety in her stomach as she watched the Ninjagoan landscape rush by. After a few minutes, she pulled out of her phone again to see if Dani had written her. There were no new messages, and she sighed. It made sense—Dani and Colby were on their way to a totally different side of Metallonia right now, but she found herself wishing that they had at least been able to travel on the same train. As hard as she was trying to be excited for this trip, she couldn't help but feel an ache of loneliness as she traveled to Metallonia all by herself.
She sighed as she scrolled through her contacts, but besides Dani, she wasn't sure who else she could text out of the blue. Colby was with Dani...Ashley would probably think it was weird if she was texting her for no reason other than loneliness...and she hadn't really been able to face Patrick since the dance. Not only was she still humiliated for breaking down and breaking his heart, but there was the whole fiasco with that picture that got posted everywhere. Amber scowled—that was one problem she hadn't even had time to address, what with Theo setting off an earthquake and leaving her with this vengestone mystery. But even if she hadn't had time to address it, the picture was the reason she didn't feel like texting either Mia or May, even though she knew both were never without their phones and would have been quick to chat back with her.
Amber scrolled up and down through her contacts a few more times, but there weren't many names. Her finger came to a stop, and she looked down at M's contact photo grinning up at her. She felt an ache, but she turned off her phone before she could be tempted to call him. Apology or not, she wasn't sure she forgave him yet. He had acted like an idiot lots of times over the years, but something about this time had really cut deep. Every time Amber thought about that awful kiss she felt like crying, and the frustrating thing was, she didn't even know why. Dani had told her that she probably felt violated, since M had acted like such a jerk and then kissed her without permission. While that was definitely part of it, it was a horrible sense of disappointment about the whole thing that left Amber puzzled and unsure.
The Xinta slipped her phone into the side-pocket of the bag she had packed in and unzipped the top of the duffle so she could reach in for the inter-realm communicator. She hoped that it would work outside of Ninjago City—she had never really tried. After a few attempts, it began to buzz as it sent out its message, and Amber waited to see if someone would pick up. When the buzzing ended a minute later with no connection, the Oni sighed. She wasn't sure what everyone was so busy with in her home realm, but this was the third time no one had bothered to answer the device. She wished she could leave a message on it, like she could on a phone. Hey, Theo...I'm doing that thing that you INSISTED had to be done as soon as possible...but you can't even answer the communicator to hear my news about it. Don't worry...I've got it handled, she thought bitterly.
As Amber replaced the communicator in her bag, she couldn't help but feel to see if the sack holding the vengestone chains were still in the bottom. As she felt their lumpy forms under her week's worth of clothing, the Xinta chewed her lip. She hated vengestone, and she couldn't help but worry about what it had been doing in the Oni realm, after all.
"Lonely or not, at least this trip will provide answers," she muttered to herself as she zipped her bag back up and turned back to watching the rain.
"Oh my heck, this place is amazing!" Dani gasped as she and Colby headed up the steps of the Metallonian Art Museum. She had been to the Ninjago City Museum countless times, and had definitely expected this one to be less impressive. However, she found the architecture striking and polished, and the fact that it looked like a huge mansion rather than a traditional museum gave it a certain charm. The doors were large, wooden, and beautifully carved, and Dani's eyes bugged as she realized there were men in suits standing on either side of them.
"Name?" one of them asked as she and Colby reached them.
"This place is so fancy, it's got bodyguards!" Dani gasped, gaping at the mens' sunglasses and earpieces.
"It houses famous works of art," Colby pointed out as he looked through his pockets for ID. "They have to make sure people don't steal them."
"I knew this place would be great, but we're not even inside yet and it's exceeding my expectations," Dani said, giving Colby's arm a shake. He turned to give her a shy smile and then handed the guard his ID.
"I'm Colby Walker. I was told to come today to meet Mr. Rushford about a possible internship? There's supposed to be a tour tomorrow, but he said he would have the arrangements for where I was staying—"
"Ah, yes. Ze new intern." The bodyguard handed Colby back his ID. "Zere vill be somevon inside to guide you. Mr. Rushford is expecting you."
"Thanks," Colby said with another hesitant smile as he slid his ID back into his pocket. Dani pushed the doors to the museum open and Colby followed her as she entered the beautiful building.
"Wow...this isn't like any museum I've ever been in," Dani gasped. Rather than having a classic museum entrance with stands of maps, drinking fountains, and posters plastered everywhere, the foyer of the Metallonian museum looked like she had just walked into an eccentric billionaire's home. The carpet was dark and luxurious, with a grand staircase on one side and a large statue on the other. Further down, Dani could make out various art pieces on mahogany tables or hung on the expensively papered walls.
"Zat is because unlike ze Museum you have in Ninjago City, Zis museum is technically not open to ze public. At least, not vithout them making ze proper arrangements first." A young woman appeared to one side, giving them a smile as she adjusted a clipboard. "Ze Metallonian Art Museum was founded by Mr. Rushford's great-grandfather, who housed the vorks of art he collected in his very own mansion. His fascination in art vas ze seed that began the Rushford Institution of Fine Arts, vich is a prestigious university a few blocks avay."
"I read about it online," Colby offered as he joined Dani. "It's a very small university—super competitive. But people swear that if you can survive the bloodbath to get admitted, you're ensured success as an artist."
"I attend myself," the young woman said smugly, turning her nose up in the air. "I'm in my third year in ze ceramic arts, and you are right to say it is competitive."
"Are you an intern here?" Dani asked politely.
"For now. Eventually, I'm sure I vill have a full-time position." The girl looked down at her clipboard, clicking a pen deftly. "Now, are you part of ze von o-clock party, or are you late for ze tour at twelve-thirty?"
"We're not here for a tour," Colby offered awkwardly. "I was told to meet Mr. Rushford here today about an internship?"
The girl blinked in surprise, looking back at him. "Oh...I see. Vich of you is Colby?"
"Me," the young man said.
"I see you have brought a friend," the girl sniffed, and Dani frowned at her tone.
"Um...was I not supposed to? There wasn't really any mention in the letter I received one way or another," Colby stammered. He was bright red, and Dani gave the girl a look that dared her to try and kick her out. The intern finally sighed.
"I vill take you to Mr. Rushford and let him decide what to do." She gestured for them to follow her, and Dani and Colby glanced at each other before doing so. As irritated as Dani was at the snooty intern, she couldn't help but be amazed as they headed through the mansion. Every spot of it was dusted and pristine, and yet she could tell that the things she was passing were incredibly old and valuable. Rather than sitting in glass boxes that thousands had pressed their noses up against, Dani was amazed to see fragile pieces of pottery sitting on velvet pillows in the open air. She couldn't help but wonder how many people had really been allowed to look at the very art pieces that she was staring at right now.
"Zis is his office," the intern said as they finally reached another ornately carved door. She gave it two quick knocks and then took a step back. For a moment they all stood in silence, and Colby and Dani shared another quick look. She realized that her boyfriend looked terrified and she reached out to take his hand and give it a squeeze.
"You were invited here," she reminded in a whisper. "There's nothing to worry about."
He smiled and gave her a nod, but didn't release her hand. At last, a voice came from inside.
"Come in."
The intern pulled open the door and gestured for the two of them to enter. Dani moved forward, pulling Colby in after her. The office was cozy, with wooden furniture painted a glossy black. The man at the desk had a kind face, and Dani was surprised to see he had pure white hair, despite the fact that he didn't look any older than 40.
"Um...Mr. Rushford?" Colby managed. The man smiled and stood.
"Yes, zat is me."
"I'm—"
"Colby Walker," Mr. Rushford finished for him. "I know who you are." The man's blue eyes flicked over to Dani. "But I do not know who zis is."
"I'm Dani," she provided, holding out a hand. "Colby's girlfriend."
Mr. Rushford's smile didn't waver, but his eyes seemed to pinch. Dani kept her hand extended, and the man finally reached out to shake it. "I see."
"I'm sorry, I thought it would be fine to bring her on the tour," Colby said quickly. "I should have asked first, but I thought this museum was like the one in Ninjago City, so I thought that it wouldn't be a big deal to have an extra person on a tour. I didn't realize..."
"I made him bring me," Dani cut in with a grin. "I'm a huge art buff...and whether he was supposed to bring me or not, I'm so glad he did. This place is amazing!" She gestured to a painting on the wall. "Orlaff the Belligerent, right? He's got to be my third or fourth favorite figure from Metallonian History. Tell me...the pottery in the hallway outside your office is from the third empine era, right? At least, I thought as much, given the blue-ink-on-terra-cotta aesthetic..."
"Ah...it seems you know a lot about Metallonia," Mr. Rushford said good naturedly. The pinched lines faded as his smile seemed more genuine. "It's alvays refreshing to open ze museum doors to fellow history lovers."
"So, it's okay that I brought her along?" Colby asked hesitantly. Mr. Rushford glanced back over to him.
"Ze only problem is vith your housing situation," the museum curator apologized. "Ve only procured you a single room at a nearby hotel."
"I was planning on paying for my own hotel room," Dani assured.
"Zey are generally booked zis time of year," the curator explained. "I doubt you will be able to find a room available."
"Worst comes to worst, Colby and I will share the room," Dani said easily. Her boyfriend flushed, turning to look at her, and she laughed at his expression. "Relax, Walker. I'll sleep on the floor, proper sleepover style."
"I'm not going to make you sleep on the floor," he stammered. "You can have the bed."
"Discuss your accommodations later," the intern snapped with a frown. "You are wasting Mr. Rushford's time."
"Now, be polite, Misha," the curator tsked good-naturedly. The auburn-haired intern sniffed derisively, and Mr. Rushford gestured to Colby to approach his desk. "Come, I need to give you your schedule for ze rest of ze week."
"The week?" Colby frowned. "I...I thought tomorrow was the only day I would be here. Is there more than just the museum tour?"
Dani was thinking the same thing, studying the curator with a sinking feeling. As excited as she was to be here, they had already planned out the whole week. She had really been looking forward to exploring Metallonia with Colby and Amber.
Mr. Rushford laughed at Colby's bewildered expression. "My dear boy, did you really think ve'd make you come all ze way out here for a mere tour?"
"Um..."
"Tomorrow ve vill show you ze museum and explain vat your role vill be zis summer, and on Vendsday ve vill be traveling to ze Rushford Art Institution."
"The university?" Dani couldn't help but cut in, and Rushford glanced at her before addressing Colby once again.
"Indeed. Ve assumed you vould vant a tour of facilities, considering zat you vill be attending come fall."
"What?" Colby, Dani, and Misha all spoke together, and Dani couldn't decide who seemed the most shocked.
"Vas zat not mentioned in ze letter?" Rushford asked, obviously surprised. "Ze benefactor who brought you to our attention is also paying for your first year at ze RIFA. Ze major is up to you, but she mentioned you vould probably vant to explore our Abstraction of Reality program."
"I..." Colby seemed out of words, but Misha looked downright furious.
"Zis boy is accepted? He obviously hasn't even applied yet!"
"Calm down, Misha...you have already staked your own place at ze RAI, and having Colby join the prestigious student body is no skin off your nose."
"But I had to vork for years..." the girl started. However, a glance from the curator shut her up. The intern clutched her clipboard as she turned to glower at Colby, and Dani couldn't help but think there was also a glimmer of awe in the intern's expression.
"I'm actually with Misha on this one," Colby admitted, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "I don't think I've done anything to deserve...what I mean is, I haven't had any time to think about...you know..." He cleared his throat. "Metallonia is just so far away, so I'm not sure..."
"You don't have to decide anyzing right now," ze curator assured. "But I vould encourage you to come to the tour on Vensday. You vill not find a better university for art in all ze realm."
"I know it's a very nice school. I just...how did I even qualify for it?"
Mr. Rushford laughed again. "You have friends in high places, Colby Walker."
"I do?" Dani watched Colby's face cloud as he no doubt tried to figure out who the curator meant. "Did...Lloyd do this?"
"Lloyd?"
"Lloyd Garmadon?"
Mr. Rushford's expression cleared. "Ze Famed Green Ninja? No, you are being supported by a vealthy benefactor who came to Metallonia a few years ago and has been investing money in ze country's arts and sciences."
"The one who wanted to remain anonymous, right?" Dani asked.
"Indeed...but she has asked to have lunch vith you on Friday, following ze Metallonian Art Debutant Ball Thursday night."
"A ball?" Colby picked up the schedule off the desk, staring at it with wide eyes.
"Do not be intimidated," the curator laughed. "In reality, it is merely a vay for ze museum to charge high prices to rich art acolytes to fund our work."
"So it's a fancy fund raiser," Dani realized.
"Yes. Do not vorry...your admittance vill be free of charge, Mr. Walker...and I believe ve vill even be able to squeeze your girlfriend in as well."
"Well...thanks, but I don't have anything to wear," Colby stammered. "I assume it's a formal event?"
"We'll go shopping," Dani said, taking Colby's arm as she smiled at him. "This is exciting, Walker. Don't overthink it."
"But we had plans..." he turned to look at her, and she could tell he was conflicted. She laughed.
"Hey, we can explore Metallonia anytime. When are we ever going to be able to attend a ball in the fanciest art museum in the realm?"
Colby's expression relaxed a little, and Mr. Rushford smiled. "You vill vant to dress nicely for ze luncheon vith your benefactor as vell. Unfortunately, zat is ze von event planned for zis veek zat I do not zink your girlfriend vill be welcome at."
"That's all right," Dani assured quickly before Colby could feel bad about it. "I'll go find something to do while you rub elbows with this mysterious billionaire who loves your art."
"Why did she insist on remaining anonymous if she's going to meet me in person on Friday?" Colby asked, still studying the schedule. Mr. Rushford laughed.
"It is peculiar...but ven you vork vith as many rich people as I have, you get used to zeir peculiarities. I vould hope zat you vill not disappoint her by missing ze luncheon—she has put a lot of funding toward setting up your future, Mr. Walker."
Colby furrowed his brow before glancing up at last. "You're sure you can't tell me who it is?"
The curator winked. "You vill find out in time."
"You're not coming?" Amber felt her heart sink in her lap. Agatha must have heard the disappointment in her voice, because the Scientist glanced at her sympathetically in the rear-view mirror. It was still raining, and Amber turned to look out the window of Agatha's car as she, Julien, and Amber made their way from the train station to the MIRI.
"I'm so sorry, Amber. We honestly thought that there was just the tour tomorrow and we would be done."
"Technically, we could just leave after the tour," Colby's voice cut in.
"For the last time, Walker...you can't pass up this chance! A summer internship is one thing, but a scholarship to a fancy university is another. Not to mention, you don't want to offend whoever it is who's supporting you. Now, do you mind going downstairs and asking the bellhop for an extra pillow?" Dani seemed to wait for her boyfriend to leave their hotel room before turning her attention back to Amber. "Look, I would love to come hang out with you and see Julien and Agatha...but this is huge for Colby. I can tell he really wants to explore his options here, but he's afraid of disappointing us by changing up the plans. He told me I could leave and come explore with you anyway after the tour tomorrow, but you know Colby. He's already a bundle of nerves with me here...and I promised him if he came to look into this internship I would come with him. I can't leave him on his own for the whole rest of the week."
"I get it," Amber sighed. "You were always coming to Metallonia for Colby, not for me. I just..." she dropped her voice, even though she knew that Agatha and Julien could probably still hear her. "I was hoping you'd be able to come hang out with me. It's going to be a long week without you."
"Maybe we could still get together Friday night and go out to eat or something."
"Yeah." Amber felt her throat constrict with disappointment, and she tried to force the feeling away. "Hey, I think we're getting close. I'll talk to you later...enjoy the tours and the ball."
"I'll keep you in the loop, all right? Send me pics of everything, and I'll send you stuff too. Here's the first one—my homemade floor-bed that Colby insists he's not going to let me sleep on."
Amber's phone dinged, and she pulled it away to see a picture of a bundle of cushions and blankets on the floor. She smiled sadly. "Looks nice and comfortable," she offered.
"I hope your experiment thing goes well. Tell Agatha and Julien hi for me, okay?"
"Okay. Bye, Dani."
"See ya Ams."
Amber hung up her phone, and she hated herself for the tears that immediately filled her eyes. She was excited for Colby and the slew of new opportunities that none of them had realized he had, but she was also bitterly disappointed. It had been hard enough to think about making it to Wednesday without her friends, and now she was stuck for the whole week. Technically, she could go back to Ninjago as soon as Julien figured out where the vengestone was from, but she was going to be just as alone in her dorm at the school for the rest of spring break as she would be here. At least at the MIRI she would have Agatha and Julien...when they weren't busy doing their own projects.
"Everyzing okay, Amber?" Agatha asked kindly.
"Colby and Dani won't be coming anymore," Amber said, trying to keep her tone casual and not disappointed. "They had some more opportunities come up, and they're staying in Terpen for the rest of the week."
"Oh, Zat's too bad," the scientist offered as she turned down another street. "Ve vill just have to have our own adventures zis veek...all right?"
Amber gave her a shaky smile. "All right."
M's phone buzzed, and he rolled over in bed to squint at it. After a minute, he reached out and picked up his phone groggily. A picture of a piano popped up, and he clicked on it to read through the texts.
Pack your bags and head for the Metal Inquiry and Robotics Institution ASAP. It's in Scavabet, Metallonia.
"What?" M. mumbled. Before he could type a coherent response, more chat bubbles appeared.
Amber's on her own there all week. If you wanted a chance to make amends with her, this may be a good time.
Just don't be a creep about it.
She needs a friend right now, and I know you've been wanting a chance to pour out your feelings for her. Try not to be an idiot for once.
M sat up in bed, reading through Dani's messages to make sure he was understanding her right. He was thinking someone had stolen her phone until the last messages popped up.
And so help me, Openheimer, if you tell Amber that I was the one who told you to go to Metallonia, I will throttle you with your own snake and bury your body parts in the four corners of the realm. This is between you and her...but at this point it's obvious that if I don't get involved, you're going to drag your feet for another eighty years.
Don't mess this up.