46
Agatha entered the mine headquarters, clutching the bag tightly. A few of the workers greeted her, and she smiled at them warmly as she headed further in. She reached a desk, and she showed the secretary her badge.
"Is the mine director in? I called ahead—I just have a quick question."
"Ah, Ms. Axle," the secretary realized, peering at Agatha's name badge. "He's down ze hall helping unload ze newest samples into trays. I let him know you vould be coming."
"Zank you," Agatha said, flashing a smile before heading down the corridor. The director was indeed helping with samples, though it seemed he was doing more surveying than he was helping unload. When he caught sight of Agatha, he gave her a tight smile.
"Zerek sent you?" he guessed. Agatha blinked.
"Vell, not exactly," she tried, shifting the bag. "I just had a question."
"Yes?"
"Vell...I vas vondering if you could help me vith zis," she started, pulling the chain from the bag. "I know you have machinery zat can..."
"Is zere somezing faulty vith it?" the director asked, his expression becoming pinched as he came closer. "I checked over zem myself before sending zem to Zerek."
Agatha froze, staring at the director. "Vat?"
"Ze vengestone chains," the director said, taking it from her as he looked it over. "Zis von seems fine. Or did Zerek send you to order more? You'll have to tell him zat it vill be a vile. He already cleared us out of vengestone—our mines haven't been able to dig up much more since last he vanted zem, especially vith us having to put priority on his ozer rare alloy orders."
"Like ze shipment of chronosteel," Agatha breathed. The director nodded, but then he glanced over at where the workers were still unloading boxes.
"You must be high up to know about all zis, considering zat Dr. Zerek ordered our discretion about zese orders. Perhaps it vould be better to speak in my office?"
"Oh. Uh...no, zat is fine. Zerek doesn't vish to order anyzing more at zis time—zis vengestone vas just not vorking quite properly and I vas vondering if I could borrow your machinery to do further tests on it."
The director looked surprised. "Not vorking properly?"
"Ve are trying some new robotic experiments, and zis chain is messing vith our data. I vas merely hoping to figure out if it's to do vith our experiment or ze chain itself."
"I see. Vell, you are free to use our equipment, but you vill have to vait until tomorrow, I'm afraid. Ze machines are used nonstop from noon to closing time...but you are free to come tomorrow morning. I'll make sure zey are open for you to use."
"Zank you," Agatha said, smiling brightly so that he wouldn't notice that her hands were trembling slightly. "I vill return tomorrow."
"Private studios? I've never heard of a school that offers individual art students their own studio!" Dani said, still gushing about the university tour. Colby opened the hotel door for her to enter, his own expression hard to read.
"Only for Seniors and Graduate students," he pointed out softly.
"Yeah, but still. Not to mention the food in that cafeteria was delicious. I've never been to a school that served lobster tail. Someone needs to tell Headmaster Openheimer to up his game."
"It was good food," Colby agreed as he came to join her in the hotel room. It was well furnished but very tiny. Definitely only meant for a single person, but Dani had managed to squeeze a homemade bed in between the desk and the table with a small T.V.
"And there's an entire wing for abstract artists! You wouldn't have to worry about your university professors poo-pooing your work, like your narrow-minded high school teachers do. The stuff they had hanging in the walls by their top students pale in comparison to what I've seen you make."
Colby didn't answer as he sank into the armchair by the bed, and Dani frowned as she realized how conflicted he looked. She took a seat on the edge of the bed, studying him closely. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, and Dani kept quiet as well, waiting. Colby tugged at the tie he was wearing and finally sighed. "It's a really great school," he said at last. "Really great. Ninjago City University comes nowhere close to it...not where art is involved."
"You liked it, then?"
"It was amazing. But..."
"But what?"
"I just...I can't picture myself going there. I'd feel like an imposter the entire time."
"Imposter? Walker, I looked around during the tour, and I saw tons of people just like you! If anything, I think you'd fit in better than you ever have."
"Maybe in interest, but you've seen the way Misha treats me. She's livid that I'm getting a free pass in. What if everyone else felt like that, too? What if I just become this outsider that people decided didn't belong? And once they realize I'm not as good as they are, they'll really..."
"Walker, you're killing me," Dani laughed, scooting over on the bed so she was closer to the armchair. "Look, the school would never have considered you, benefactor or not, if you didn't have talent. So stop telling yourself you aren't as good as they are, because you are."
"But they have way more training!"
"I went to a fancy school like that once, you know," Dani pointed out. "That's where I was before Marty Openheimer's. Yes, it was difficult to get in, but when it came down to it, it was less to do with talent and more to do with family lines and prestige. All you've done is skipped the butt-kissing portion of the process. As for being an outsider...I can't say how the other students will treat you, because people in private schools tend to be snobs. But if you love the school and you think that it would be able to offer you the best experience, and set you up for the future you want, then who cares what anyone else thinks?"
Colby looked up to meet her eye, and he finally smiled. "I wish I was like you," he told her. "I try not to care what people think...but I do."
"I did too, for a long time," Dani admitted. "But after moving schools, I decided that I wasn't going to let anyone else get to me. There were still jerks at Marty Openheimer's, but I was able to find people that I really connected with. I doubt that if you went to the Rushford Institution of Fine Arts that every single person would dislike you. You just have to find your crew, like I found Amber and the other musicians in my group."
"I guess."
Dani reached out to take his hands. "Colby...you need to decide what you want to do. Do you want to go to this school? Don't think about anyone else—what do you want?"
"Um...I...I do, but..."
"Then there is no but," Dani laughed. "If you want to go, then go. I could see the way your eyes lit up when we explored the art rooms, or when you realized all the resources you'd have. You looked so excited when Mr. Rushford was showing you the different kinds of classes you could take and the way they connect artists to the professional world post-graduation. You were excited on the tour—I know you were. So why second guess it now?"
Colby held her gaze, rubbing his thumb on her hand. "The RIFA is amazing," he said at last. "But...it's going to be a long way from you."
Understanding finally hit, and Dani froze. Her immediate thought was to assure him that she would be fine, but for the first time, she was realizing what it would mean if Colby attended a University all the way out in Metallonia.
"You'll be all the way in Ninjago," he pointed out softly. "We just decided that we're officially dating, but if I do this internship and then go to university here in Metallonia, we'd only have a few weeks left together in Ninjago."
"Yeah, but..." Dani trailed off, a sudden sadness hitting home. She had been so excited for Colby that she hadn't really been thinking of how she would fit into these plans. Now she was realizing with an ache that as much as she wanted him to live his dream, she didn't want him to be so far away. "Maybe I could find something in Metallonia, too," she argued weakly. "Then we would be closer."
"The RIFA has a music division," Colby pointed out. "Maybe there's some way you could apply and get in? You're an amazing pianist, Dani."
"That would be fun," Dani agreed, but her heart wasn't in it, and Colby could tell.
"You mentioned once that you weren't going to go into piano in university, though," he remembered.
"It's not that I don't love piano, and I know the RIFA prepares musicians to graduate as successful concert musicians. The problem is that I don't want to be a concert pianist."
Colby's expression fell further. "Have you decided what it is you want to do?"
"I was planning on taking some general courses in teaching and social work this fall and see which one I like more."
"You'd be really great at either of those," Colby offered, but she could hear the disappointment in his voice. She gave him a sad smile.
"Look, Walker. You can't base your future off of me."
"But I want to be with you way more than I want to go to this school."
Dani blinked, and she felt her face flush at Colby's genuine statement. "I... we will still be together, you know. It just may be long-distance for a bit." She squeezed his hands. "Look...base your decision about the internship and the school on whether or not you want to go there, and I promise that no matter what you decide, that we will still be a thing in the fall. All right?"
Colby visibly relaxed. "Really?
Dani chuckled. "Really. Will that help you to make your decision?"
"Yes." He smiled at her, and for the first time since leaving the university, he looked content rather than anxious.
"I'm glad." Dani leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek, and Colby squeezed her hand.
"Thanks for coming with me, Dani. I don't know what I would have done on this trip without you."
"I wouldn't have missed it," she promised. "Now let's go find someplace to eat."
Amber watched the small machine closely, even though she wasn't actually sure what she was trying to look for. Julien's expression was pinched as he studied the sheets of metal with various patterns. He called them circuits, but Amber had no idea what they were supposed to accomplish.
"All right," the scientist said, wiping at the sweat on his forehead. "Just a tiny bit."
Amber nodded, looking down at the wire she was holding in one hand as she summoned the smallest amount of aura she could manage. Yesterday, she and Julien had spent several hours tampering with his project while Agatha had gone and visited the mine, but they hadn't managed to fix whatever it was that Julien wanted to accomplish. That morning after breakfast, he admitted he had stayed up all night and wanted to see if he had managed to fix the problem. Agatha had wanted to help, but she explained that this morning was the only time she'd be able to use the mine's machinery and had left.
Something seemed off about Agatha, Amber decided as she and Julien watched the circuits for any changes. I can't put my finger on what...but she was definitely hiding nervous feelings behind her happy smile. What...
"It's working!" Julien's surprised comment caught Amber off guard, and she looked down. The circuits formed a box, with a cylinder in the middle of it. As Julien and the Oni watched, she realized that the cylinder had small rectangles all the way up the side of it, and the bottom ones were beginning to light up.
"It's working?" Amber asked.
"I...I think so." Julien looked dumbfounded as he watched the light creep up the sides of the cylinder. "All this time, I just had to regulate the intake—I think it really was the connector that was overheating where the wire joins the—"
A spark shot out from the machine, and Julien lurched back as Amber dropped the wire. She winced as she realized that the machine was smoking, which she knew meant that part of it was ruined. "I'm sorry," she offered.
"Sorry? This is fantastic!" Julien's expression broke into a grin, and Amber realized how rarely she saw him smile so broadly. "It worked! For a few seconds, it was doing just as I wanted."
"But it broke."
"That has happened so many times over the last few weeks, but without these promising results to back the failures up. This time, it succeeded... it is possible." Julien picked up the machine as he squinted at the pieces. "With a power source like yours and an alloy suited to accommodate the gathering power..."
"I see zere is cause for celebration today. Is your project vorking at last?"
Amber and Julien Cyrus spun around to see Dr. Zerek lingering in the doorway of the lab. Amber frowned, and Julien pushed his glasses up his nose.
"It started to charge ze internal battery," he said. "So, ze project is viable, I just need to find ze right materials."
"Zat is excellent news," Zerek agreed, and his gaze flicked over to Amber. "Out of curiosity, vere you using oni power?"
"Well..." Julien shrugged sheepishly. "I needed an energy source that could be regulated, and our electric regulators were not fine-tuned enough."
"How interesting. Ze aural power vorked vith machinery?"
"I was not sure if it would, but it worked better than anything else I have tried."
"Zat is incredibly inciteful," Zerek pointed out, still staring at Amber. The Oni glanced away, feeling uncomfortable. Julien glanced between the institution's director and the xinta and cleared his throat.
"Were you just coming to check in on the project?"
"Actually, I needed to drop off anozer friend of yours who showed up at ze front desk."
"A...what?" Julien asked. Rather than answer, Zerek turned and motioned for someone to come into the doorway. Amber watched eagerly, hoping that this meant Dani and Colby had come after all. She wouldn't put it past Dani to—
Amber's train of thought crashed into a brick wall as a lanky figure with blonde hair peeked around the corner of the door. She stared at M in disbelief, and he offered a sheepish smile.
"Um..." he started, but then he stopped, as if he wasn't sure what to say. Dr. Zerek's eyes flicked between M and Amber before he smiled slightly.
"I'll leave him vith you," the director offered before turning to leave. M. continued to linger in the doorway, and Julien frowned as he once again adjusted his glasses.
"I was not aware you would be coming," the young scientist pointed out. M's face flushed slightly as he cleared his throat.
"Well...it was kind of a last-minute decision," he stammered. "My dad wanted me to look into different places offering internships, and I knew that Amber had a friend who had an internship here, so I came to check it out..."
"Don't lie." Amber's gaze narrowed, and even she was surprised by her icy tone. M's words died in his throat. When he met her eye, she could feel his shame.
"All right," he confessed. "I came to see you, Amber. Can...can we talk?"
"You followed me all the way to Metallonia?" she snapped, not sure how to feel. Anger was the easiest emotion to latch on to, and she glowered at the young man in the doorway. "You couldn't just call?"
"I was going to. I just..." M. squirmed slightly in her gaze. "I wanted to talk in person."
"You couldn't wait a week until I got back to school?"
"No." M. was still radiating humiliation, but she felt a flash of determination as he held her gaze. "I couldn't."
Amber wasn't sure what to say next, but then she realized that she could feel a high amount of discomfort coming off of Julien. She glanced over at the scientist, but he was already flitting around cleaning the lab.
"Can we please just talk?" M. asked again, and Amber finally sighed.
"Fine," she agreed coldly as she marched toward him. "But not here; Julien's busy enough without random people showing up to bother him." The Oni breezed past M, and she could tell he wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or nervous. At least he's not blocking his feelings from me anymore, she thought bitterly. Though it's a little late for all of this.
M. followed her as she stalked the hallways silently. She got turned around in the identical corridors several times before finding the cafeteria, but if M. noticed, he didn't say anything. The institution's dining area was pretty empty, considering it was too late for breakfast and still early for lunch. Not knowing where else to go, the Oni made her way over to one of the lunch tables and sat down. M. followed suit, sitting on the bench across from her. He rubbed his neck awkwardly as Amber stared him down, waiting to see what he would say.
The young man finally smiled nervously. "Just like old times, huh?"
"What?"
"Sitting at a lunch table, with you glaring at me for being stupid. Reminds me of our first year at school."
Amber blinked, and M. must have interpreted her silence as anger because his smile faded quickly.
"Look, I'm sorry for showing up out of the blue while you were on vacation. I just needed to talk to you."
"And say what?"
"That I'm really, really sorry." He clasped his hands tightly on the table, and Amber sighed.
"You already said that," she pointed out softly. "Before I left to Metallonia. Why come all this way just to say it again?"
M's expression crumpled. She waited to see what else he would say, and he finally shook his head. "I can't do this anymore, Oni-girl."
"Do what?"
"Is this it? Do you hate me? Are we...are we not even friends anymore? Did I mess up that badly?"
Amber had to look away in order to maintain her stoic expression. She stared at the table as she answered. "You messed up pretty bad."
"I know...and I regret it so much, Amber. Like if I could go back in time and undo what happened...if I could slap some sense into myself..."
"Why'd you do it, M?" she demanded, and she hated that tears were starting to sting her eyes all over again. "Showing up at the dance...talking to me like that. Acting like you did—"
"I was just so jealous," M. blurted. "I wanted to go to the dance with you, but I didn't ask you in time and then you were going with someone else..."
"So you had to act like a jerk and ruin my whole night?" Amber looked up, her vision swirling with tears as she glared at him. "And Patrick's too? You were so jealous of a stupid date that you decided to wreck it for us?"
"No!" M. held up his hands in defense. "I screwed up, but I swear it wasn't my intention to ruin your night."
"Then what did you think would happen?" Amber snapped angrily. M. looked stricken, and she could feel shame rolling off of him in droves. His face was burning as he broke eye contact.
"I don't know," he admitted miserably. "I...I got it in my head that I could show up and..." he trailed off, his expression contorting.
"And what?"
"Sweep you off your feet, or something," he blurted, his flush darkening further.
"You wanted to knock me down?"
"It's an expression," he sighed. "Amber...I know I shouldn't have been there that night. I'm humiliated by the way I acted, but you have to know I didn't do all of it—I didn't kiss you—because I was trying to ruin your night."
Amber's heart was pounding, and she wasn't sure if it was because she was angry, or because of something else. She folded her arms, trying to keep her hands from shaking. "Then why did you?" she couldn't help but ask, her voice soft.
He scoffed. "Because I'm an idiot," he muttered. "And I thought it was how I could prove I was the better choice."
Amber swallowed. "A better choice in what?"
"You have to know!" M looked up then, his tone becoming exasperated. "Why do you insist on playing dumb? You can literally read emotions!"
"M..."
"Can't you tell how I feel about you?" he demanded. Amber stared at him, her mouth open, but no words came out. M continued desperately. "Can't you tell that you're the most important person in the world to me? That I...I..." he trailed off, as if the words were getting stuck in his throat. He pounded a fist on the table in frustration, and finally scoffed. "Nevermind...of course you can. I should have realized years ago that you aren't interested in being anything more than friends."
Amber didn't know what to say. Her face felt like it was on fire—once again, she was floundering as someone admitted their feelings for her. This is like Patrick all over again, she thought. Her hands buzzed as she tried to think of what to say to the young man across from her, and she waited for the horrible sick feeling she had gotten when Patrick had admitted that he wanted to date her.
For a moment there was silence as they stared at each other. It was then Amber realized something strange. M just told me that he likes me...as in REALLY likes me. So why don't I feel sick about it?
"I was a total tool," M. said, continuing since Amber wasn't saying anything. "I don't blame you for how you feel about me...but even if you aren't interested in me like that, I don't want my stupidity to make it so we can't even be friends." He wiped at his face, trying to stop the tears before they could fall. "Amber, whatever I have to do to make it up to you...whatever has to happen so we can be friends again...I'm willing to do it. I acted horribly because I was afraid of losing you, but now I'm terrified that I've lost you completely by being so stupid."
Amber sighed. "M..."
"You're the only one I can really talk to," he said, interrupting her. "You're the one who makes me feel better about myself...who sees the real me. You were there for me when my father wasn't, or when my mother showed up in my life. You were there when my grandfather passed away last year..." He reached out and grabbed her hands desperately, and Amber felt too frozen to pull away. "I want to fix it, Amber. What do I have to do to fix it, so that we're friends again?"
"I don't know," the Oni blurted honestly. M. stared, and Amber sighed as she pulled her hands away. "I don't know, M. Maybe we can be friends again...but I think I'm going to need some time to, um, process everything."
She could tell that her words hurt him, but he finally nodded as he pulled his hands off the table. "Okay." He rubbed his neck, obviously unsure about what to say. "Do...you want me to leave?"
Yes, Amber tried to say. However, the word got stuck in her throat, and she cursed herself for her conflicting feelings. Part of her was still angry and hurt, and wanted him to leave so she didn't have to deal with all of this. However, as much as she wanted to deny it, there was a part of her that wanted to throw away everything that had happened and go back to the way they had been a few weeks ago before all the mayhem had happened. She hated to admit it, but if she was being honest with herself, she really missed him.
"Do whatever you want," she said at last, pushing herself to her feet numbly. "You can stay, or go. I just...I need some time." She blocked out his feelings so she wouldn't feel guilty about the grief coming off of him. Leaving him frozen at the lunch table, the Oni hurried from the room, heading for the exit of the building. She knew Julien probably would want her help again, but right now, she just wanted to curl up in her private hotel room and cry.
47
M watched Amber go, and a numb sort of defeat washed over him. What else could I have said? He wondered glumly. Maybe there isn't any way to fix this. A small flare of hope refused to go out inside, insisting that all wasn't lost—she had said that they could maybe be friends, after all. She hadn't completely shut him down. However, the more he replayed all the stupid choices he had made, the fainter the flicker of hope became. No doubt she truly did hate him...and he couldn't really blame her.
After sitting at the table a little while longer, mired in hopelessness, M. finally stood. His father really did think he was in Metallonia researching internships. Maybe he should go find some to research so that he wouldn't go home empty-handed. However, all he really wanted to do was go home, even if he had to go back with his tail between his legs.
M sighed as he pulled out his cell phone, moving to his contacts. He clicked on the picture of a piano, pulling up their last text conversation. He went to type something, but then stopped himself. Dani had told him to come, and he had. What was he going to do now? Yell at the piano because Amber wasn't willing to forgive him for being an idiot? What was Dani going to do about it, besides tell him that it wasn't her fault that his actions had unfixable consequences? M sighed and put his phone back into his pocket. He left the cafeteria, trudging miserably down the hall toward the entrance.
"Is everzing all right?" a voice asked from behind him, and M. turned to see the old scientist from before behind him. He couldn't remember his name, but it was the same guy who had insisted on taking M to Amber and her cousin in the first place.
"I just have to go," M. said lamely. "I didn't mean to come and stay for very long."
"Leaving so soon?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow. "I zot you vere researching internships?"
M. sighed heavily. "Look, to be honest, I just came because I was trying to fix things with the girl I like, but I probably just made things worse."
"Mmm." The man was following M, his expression hard to read. "Amber, vas it?"
M. winced. "I made some stupid mistakes a week ago and I've been trying to apologize. I'm sorry that I barged in today."
"Do not apologize," the man said simply, his expression pensive. "Love can be a powerful motivator."
M. flushed at the use of the l-word, but he didn't deny it. They walked a little longer before the man spoke again.
"Are you interested in internships, young man? I vould hate to have you have travelled all zis vay for nothing."
"Oh. Um..." M. already knew he wasn't interested in anything engineering or robotics related, but he didn't want to be rude. "You probably don't have anything open right now."
"Vell, ve could alvays look," the man offered with a shrug. "I am ze director of the company, after all."
M looked up in surprise. "You are?"
"Indeed. Vie don't you accompany me to my office? I'm sure ve can find somezing useful for you to do to occupy your time."
M glanced down the hall toward the exit. However, his little feeling of hope was being annoyingly persistent. Amber said that she didn't care if you stayed. Maybe if you spend the day looking into internships and give her enough time to think, she'll decide she does want to still be friends. If that's the case, it will be better for you to be around so that she can let you know.
"All right," M agreed, and the man gestured for him to follow him down another hall.
"So, you must be close vith ze Oni, to come all zis vay to apologize to her." The man pulled out his phone, texting absently as they maneuvered through the hallways.
"We've been close for years," M. admitted. "We go to the same school."
"Ah. I can't imagine it is easy to pursue somevon like Amber. She is a self-avare and confident individual. Not to mention, based on vat I know about Oni, she must be incredibly powerful."
"She is confident," M admitted. "But that's what I like about her." He rubbed his arm awkwardly, not sure why he was confiding in this random stranger. However, he had to admit it felt good to talk to someone impartial who wasn't going to berate him for being an idiot every few minutes. "She is powerful, too. She's taken down everything from ghost sorceresses to school bullies to evil islands."
The scientist turned to raise an eyebrow. "Evil islands?"
"Yeah...I never really got that one, either," M. admitted. "But she holds her own, and that's the point."
"No von vould stand a chance against her power." The man's tone became distant. "In a direct energy struggle, she vould vin every time. Ze only vay to control somevon so powerful is to exploit ozer veaknesses."
M. looked up to frown. "Um...yeah. I guess." They had reached a stairwell, and M. expected them to start heading up the stairs. However, he was surprised when the man began heading further down, and M followed. "What exactly is Amber doing here, anyway? Just visiting her cousin?"
"I believe she is conducting personal research of some kind," the man said simply. "Regardless of her reasoning, it is fortunate zat she is here."
"Fortunate why?" M. was beginning to get a strange feeling, and he slowed down. The man turned and offered a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Julien vas stuck on his project. It seems ze Oni has been able to help him tremendously," the scientist offered. They had reached the bottom of the stairs, and the man opened the door for M. "Come along, young Openheimer."
M headed through the door, but he was surprised to find that they were in a garage full of company cars, rather than an office. All at once, he registered what the man had said, and he began to turn.
"How did you know I was..." A sharp pain registered in his side, and M. balked. As he stumbled away, he turned and noticed that the man was holding some kind of syringe with a long needle. Panic flared, and M grabbed his side fearfully. "What are you doing?"
"Don't fret," the man coaxed, and M realized his head was swimming. He tried to say something, but his mouth didn't seem to be complying. Someone was grabbing him now, and he managed to catch sight of a large man with sunglasses before his vision started going dark. The scientist's voice drifted through his fading consciousness. "Like I said, I do believe you vill be very useful."
The footsteps caused Teag to look up, and he found himself praying it would be Hershel this time. The only people who had come to his cell were guards bringing him small meals, but he was desperate now for his mentor to find him. He wanted to find Dee, and he knew now that his brother had been sold to traders, just as he was going to be. However, there was no guarantee that he would even be sold to the same people Dee was.
A guard came down the hall with a torch, accompanied by a short man who Teag had never seen before. The man approached the bars, squinting into the cell. "Just one?" he asked, and the guard sighed.
"We informed you it was just one."
"We prefer to transport when there's enough of them to make it worth it," the short man sighed. "Contact me again when you have more of an offering." He turned to go, but the guard grabbed his arm.
"We will not be selling prisoners any longer," the guard murmured. "Tala has become uncomfortable about the attention it is drawing."
"Attention? What attention?"
"The Western Leader has been asking questions. If you don't want the boy, then say so, so I can dispose of him."
Teag's heart pounded, and he waited to see what the short trader would say. The man's expression became distant, and he scoffed softly.
"Western Leader...I've learned first hand how pretentious that woman can be."
"Do you want him, or not?"
The man squinted in at Teag again, and the boy tried to look submissive. As much as he didn't want to end up with the traders, he didn't want Tala's guard to have any reason to dispose of him, either. At last, the trader shrugged. "All right, I'll take him." He pulled out a small pouch of coins and passed it to the guard, who nodded and unlocked the cell door. Teag held still as the guard came over to unlock his ankle shackle next, and the trader watched impatiently.
"Why are his wrists free?" he asked, and the guard shrugged.
"Didn't ever put up much of a fight."
"Tie him up now."
The guard obliged, and Teag resisted the urge to defend himself as his wrists were tied in front of him. It's okay, he told himself again and again as his heart pounded with panic. It sounds like this man bought all the other prisoners, too. Go with him, and you can find Dee. Then you can use your powers to free you both...but you can't fight back until you find Dee.
The guard helped Teag to his feet, and he stumbled coming out of his cell. He hadn't moved much these last few days, and he was stiff and sore all over. The trader grabbed his arm as soon as he left the cell, seemingly annoyed.
"Come on, we don't have all day," he pointed out. Teag frowned, but he allowed the trader to lead him through the hallways to the exit. He almost expected sunlight, but as the doors to the outside world opened, Teag realized it was the middle of the night. I guess traders wouldn't risk coming in the middle of the day.
"Tell your leader not to send anyone for the next few months," the guard told the trader. We won't have anyone to offer, and Tala doesn't want your sort hanging around in the East anymore. It raises too much suspicion."
"Tell your leader that she cannot dabble in the slave trade and then act like she is in charge of it," the trader snapped back. The guard's expression darkened, but he didn't say anything as he watched the trader drag Teag across the fortress grounds to a dark-haired hoofer waiting outside. Teag had expected to be tied to the back of the beast again, but the trader surprised him by prodding him toward the side of the animal. "Ever ridden one of these before?" he demanded. Teag blinked and finally nodded, and the man huffed. "Right, then. Up you go."
It took a while for Teag to get up on the hoofer, considering that his hands were bound. At last he managed to stay on the saddle, and the stranger pulled himself up behind him.
"No funny business, boy," the trader whispered, his short arms moving around Teag to grab the reins. "Ever heard of an Ancient?"
"Yes." Teag's voice croaked, considering he hadn't used it in days, and the trader scoffed.
"Well, I am of that lineage. Cross me, and you'll be dead before you know what hit you."
Teag's blood ran cold, and he didn't say anything as the beast lurched off into the night.
Amber dragged herself back to the MIRI after Julien tried to call her for the third time. She felt bad for disappearing without a trace, but she had needed space to think through things. However, the problem was she had cried and over-analyzed for a few hours, and still had no idea what to do about anything.
The Oni walked through the front doors and was stopped by security. She flushed, remembering that she technically wasn't supposed to come in without either Julien or Agatha. Just as she was going to awkwardly ask the security if they could page one of them, she caught sight of the pretty scientist heading down the hall.
"Agatha!"
The woman turned in surprise. "Amber! Vere have you been?" She came over, waving aside the security. "She is vith me, vith permission from Dr. Zerek. You can ask him if you have any questions."
The security shrugged and turned their attention back to guarding the door as Agatha ushered the Oni down the hall.
"Vat vere you doing? I zot you vere vith Julien."
"I'm sorry. I...I had to go clear my head."
Agatha's expression was sympathetic, and Amber could feel the scientist's genuine concern. "Vat happened?"
Amber shrugged miserably, looking at the ground. "A friend of mine showed up," she admitted at last. "I wasn't expecting him to, and it just sort of threw me off."
"Vat kind of friend?"
"Um...just an old friend. We had a falling out recently," Amber said. She caught sight of the bag over Agatha's shoulder and tried to change the subject. "Were you able to do tests on the chains?"
Agatha's expression became cryptic, and even her feelings seemed cloudy. "Yes...I did tests," Agatha said at last. "I am getting closer to finding zeir origin, but a few zings are not quite adding up." She sighed. "I'm sorry, Amber. I may need to borrow ze chain a bit longer to get to ze bottom of zis mystery."
"What sorts of things aren't adding up?" Amber asked curiously, and Agatha gave her a sad smile.
"I vill talk to Zerek about it tomorrow," she promised. "Hopefully he can shed some light on ze zings confusing me. Zen I promise I vill let you know about everyzing I've discovered." The scientist glanced at the bag again. "I just vant to make sure I have my facts right first."
"All right," Amber said, still confused but willing to trust Agatha. The pretty woman glanced over gratefully.
"Zank you. Now, tell me more about zis friend."
Amber's stomach clenched. "I don't know what there is to tell," she said at last. "It's kind of a long story."
"Is it zat boy zat vas vith you at ze dinner all zos weeks ago? Ven I first met you?"
Amber looked up in surprise. "You remember him?"
Agatha laughed. "Vell, I remember ze tragic look on his face ven I asked if he vas your boyfriend and you said no."
"Tragic?" Amber suddenly wracked her memory. "He wasn't...I didn't..."
"He is interested in pursuing a relationship, and you are not?" Agatha guessed. "I have been in zat boat many times. It is never easy."
"Well...that's the thing," Amber started, but then she became flustered. "It's not that I...well, sometimes I think, but then I'm not sure..."
Agatha raised an eyebrow. "Or perhaps you do like him," the scientist realized. "But you aren't sure vat to do about it?"
"I don't know!" the Oni blurted, burying her maroon face in her hands. "We've always just been friends, and I don't want to change that!"
"Vie?"
"Because...things have already gone wrong. He acted like a total idiot a week ago, all because he was trying to get us to be something more. What if we tried, and things blew up in our faces, more than they already have? What if things become irreversibly bad and our friendship is shattered forever and we can barely stand to look at each other, like Theo and Haiven? Even if we try to move past it and be friends again, we'd have this horrible tense relationship where we can only communicate in polite small talk, like Theo and Ashley..."
"Who is Theo?" Agatha asked gently, coming to a stop in the hall. Amber sighed heavily.
"My brother," she admitted softly.
"It sounds like he has been unlucky in love," the scientist guessed, and the Oni rubbed her arm.
"Yeah."
"I am sorry your brother has had bad experiences vith relationships, but you cannot be afraid of dating somevon because you knew somevon else who vas hurt by love." Agatha smiled sadly. "I von't pretend to know ze full story...but I do know vat it is like to be hurt by someone close to you betraying your trust. I didn't know J.C.'s parents vere androids until a few veeks ago, and I only found out because I met his fazer on accident." Agatha put a hand on Amber's shoulder. "Ze road in a relationship is often bumpy, and zere has to be a lot of room for forgiveness. I vas very hurt by Julien's concealment of his family from me, but ve have been able to vork through zat. If you do not vant to date zis friend of yours, zen don't...but don't push him avay just because you are scared."
Amber stared at the floor, wanting to cry all over again. Agatha's voice softened, as if she realized that she had upset the Oni.
"I'm sorry. It isn't any of my business," the woman admitted. "You vill have to take vat I say vith a grain of salt—as a scientist, it is ingrained in me zat fear is ze enemy of progress. If you vant to stay vere you are at vith your friend, zen by all means, do. But if zere is part of you zat vants to progress, I vould say don't let fear be vat is stopping you. Of course, you don't have to listen to me—I von't be offended if you toss out my advice. I am a better scientist zan I am emotional support."
"You're fine," Amber promised, looking up at last to offer Agatha a shaky smile. The scientist tsked.
"But I've made you cry."
"You didn't make me cry," Amber promised, wiping at her tears. "I just...I have a lot to think about, I guess." She exhaled shakily. "Thanks for listening. I'm sorry to fall apart."
"Don't be sorry," Agatha said. "Now...is your friend still here? Maybe vat you really need is to be honest vith him. Let him know vat you're afraid of. No matter vat you decide, open communication is ze best vay to handle zese zings."
"I'm not actually sure if he's still here," Amber admitted. They had made it to Agatha's lab at last, and Agatha used her key card to open the door. Inside, Julien looked up from where he was soldering sheets of metal together.
"There you are...both of you. I was beginning to get worried."
"Sorry," they both answered together, and Agatha made her way over to give Julien a hello kiss.
"I had to run ze machines several times," Agatha admitted. "But after tomorrow, I'm confident I vill at least have some answers."
"That is good," Julien offered. "You will never guess what Amber and I were able to do today."
Agatha's eyebrows rose. "Vat did you do?"
"It worked," Julien said proudly. "Not for very long, but there was a good twenty-three seconds where the battery was charging."
Agatha's expression brightened as a grin split across her face. "Zat's vonderful news! J.C...zat means it's viable!"
"I know!" Julien's own voice cracked in a rare show of excitement, though he quickly cleared his throat and returned to his more subdued tone. "I still have to find an alloy that can handle the type of power I'm trying to put into the battery, but even Zerek was impressed when he stopped by."
"Zerek stopped by?" Agatha let off a whiff of concern, and Amber frowned. Julien didn't seem to pick up on his girlfriend's apprehension.
"He was bringing Amber's friend, M."
"Um...speaking of M," Amber cut in awkwardly. "Do you know where he went?"
Julien turned to look at her. "Dr. Zerek showed up again after you disappeared and said that M. left to go home to Ninjago. The director was a little confused why he came all this way to look into internships only to leave without researching anything."
Amber felt her heart drop unexpectedly. "He left?"
"Yes, according to Dr. Zerek. He said he tried to convince M. to stay and look into our summer programs, but that M. seemed dead set on getting out of Metallonia." Julien paused, as if just realizing that the news was upsetting Amber. "I am sorry if you wanted him to stay."
"No, it's fine. I...I kind of told him to leave." Amber stuffed her hands into her pockets, feeling stupid. "I just didn't think he actually would, I guess."
"Call him," Agatha prompted with a kind smile. Amber chewed her lip and finally nodded.
"Excuse me," she said, turning to leave the room.
"Take all the time you need," Agatha told her. As the door to the lab was closing, Amber heard the scientists turn back to her boyfriend. "Now, how did you get ze project to vork? Tell me everzing."
Amber smiled a little, but it faded as she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. She found M's quickly, and she sighed as she debated whether or not to call him. He was probably still hurting—she knew she had hurt him earlier that day during their talk, and she was feeling both guilty and defensive about it.
After another minute of debating, Amber sighed. What would Dani tell me to do? She finally asked herself. The thing was, she knew exactly what Dani would say. Her roommate was of the same mentality as Agatha—communication was the best way to solve everything.
Amber bit her lip as she finally pressed the picture of M. Openheimer, holding the phone up to her ear. She waited for the phone to ring, and was surprised when it went straight to voicemail. She pulled it away and checked to make sure she had service. "Maybe it's because he's on a train?" she murmured, but she had ridden the same train to Metallonia, and there wasn't ever a time that she didn't have service. She tried to call again, but once again, the phone went straight to voicemail.
Did he block me? The thought sent a stab of ice into Amber's heart, and this time when the phone beeped, she left a message.
"Hey, M. Um...it's Amber. Obviously. Um...I'm sorry if I made you feel like you had to leave. I was just...I don't know...ugh." She felt her face burning, and she remembered what Agatha had told her. Be honest. "I'm honestly still trying to figure out what I'm feeling, and that's why I needed some space today. But I've been thinking about it, and I do still want us to be friends, no matter what else we decide." Her heart pounded, and she lowered her voice, despite the fact that there was no one else in the hallway. "You matter a lot to me, too."
The Oni hung up the phone, feeling stupid and hopeful all at once. With any luck, M would at least respond to the message. She felt better at least admitting that she did want them to still be friends. As mad as she had been for the last week, she realized that deep down, she was just as scared of losing M as he had claimed to be about losing her.
Now, I just have to wait for him to write back, she thought to herself. She looked down at her phone and prayed it wouldn't be a long wait.
48
Teag didn't realize he had dozed off until someone was shaking him awake. He jolted, and it took him a second to figure out where he was. He swallowed as he realized he was still on the hoofer, but it had come to a stop.
"You awake?" the man behind him demanded, and Teag nodded. "Good. I'm about to shove you off the saddle—be prepared to catch yourself."
Teag wasn't really sure what he was supposed to do to catch himself. He hit the ground with a thud, his hands still bound. He glowered up at the short figure dismounting from the hoofer, but the man hardly seemed apologetic.
"I tried to warn you," he said. "Now get up—the sun will be up soon."
Teag grimaced as he managed to get upright, and he looked around to figure out where he was. He made out a gaping blackness nearby. Kahzym's Fall? Why did he bring me here?
"Get over here, boy," the man snapped again, and Teag stood groggily and made his way over to the edge. He wasn't very fond of heights, so he kept a few feet back. The ancient was right at the edge, dragging what looked like a rope up from the depths of the chasm.
"What are you doing?" Teag finally asked.
"Quiet," the man muttered before cupping one hand around his mouth. He let out a shrill whistle down into the chasm, which echoed until it faded. Teag frowned, and then he heard a similar sound coming from the black depths. His heart pounded, and the self-proclaimed Ancient scoffed. "Good to hear they didn't fall asleep on duty again," he muttered. He finished pulling the rope up and Teag watched as he wrapped the rope around a thick stone post near the lip of the chasm. Then the Ancient was beckoning for him again. "Come on...get over here."
Teag stepped closer warily, though his heart was pounding. I could use my powers to escape, he realized. All it would take is a well-timed push, and that guy would go hurtling down the chasm. Ancient or not, that would be hard to come back from. However, the thought left Teag feeling sick. Even if the guy was an immortal criminal, Teag wasn't sure he had the guts to do that to somebody.
"No funny business," the man growled, and Teag wondered if he could read his thoughts. He had heard lots of different stories about Ancients, and the boy immediately resolved to keep his thoughts more hidden. As Teag reached him, the ancient grabbed him roughly. "Now, no squirming. You wouldn't be the first one to fall all the way down because you wouldn't let me tie this around you correctly."
Teag's heart dropped to his feet, and he looked at the chasm in despair. "You're putting me down there?"
"Don't fret—it's perfectly safe," the man chided as he tied the rope around Teag's shoulders, middle, and legs. "Just think of it like a well...and you're the bucket."
That didn't help him feel better. Teag's fear was making it hard for him to keep his aura from manifesting, and he began to seriously consider giving up on his quest. However, then he caught sight of something glowing on the man's wrists. Teag's eyes widened—glowing tattoos? He's an Ancient, he remembered. Even with my powers...I'm no match to stop him.
The ancient seemed to realize what Teag was looking at, and his expression darkened. "Don't you know it's rude to stare?" he sneered, tugging his sleeve down to cover the exposed tattoo. He began muttering under his breath, and Teag grunted as the rope was pulled painfully tight. The Ancient looked him over, no doubt to make sure that the rope was secure. However, then the trader's expression became distant.
"Your clothes are of the west," he realized softly. Teag swallowed.
"I lived there, for a bit," he admitted.
"Did you?" the man's expression was hard to read. "How close were you to the fortress?"
Teag's heart started pounding. Did the ancient somehow know who he was? "Um...I dunno. Close-ish," he muttered.
"Then perhaps you would know—I've been relying on heresay and word of mouth, but there's no way the rumors are true. I haven't been to the west in years myself..." The man shook his head as if to clear it and get back to the point. "Do you know of a man living at the fortress named Hershel?"
Teag looked up in surprise. "Hershel?"
"So, you do know him?" the man snapped. Teag swallowed.
"Um...not...not personally," he tried, shocked by the ancient's sudden fury. "He's the leader's husband."
"But you've seen him? Recently?"
Teag wasn't sure what to say. He finally just nodded. The Ancient's expression went lax before crumpling, and Teag could feel a wave of sudden hatred come off of him. "He survived? How in the first one's mighty name..."
"Survived what?" Teag cut in, his heart pounding. How did this trader know Master Hershel?
The man seemed to catch himself, and he turned to sneer at the boy. "Nothing for you to concern yourself with," he snapped, and Teag swallowed hard as he was dragged closer to the edge of the chasm. However, the ancient kept a hold of him, hesitating once again. "How did he look? White hair? Eyes and skin full of light and malice? Impossible power..."
"Uh...no?" Teag stared down at the impossible depths with wide eyes. "He's just normal, I guess. Well, not normal...but only some of his hair is white, and his eyes are brown."
"What is he playing at?" the man muttered to himself. "Trying to throw off old Imgloss? Releasing me as if he died...and then continuing with his life as usual, leaving me to my own devices? What game of wits is he draggin me through?"
Teag couldn't understand what was bothering the ancient so much, and at this point, he wasn't sure if it would help or hurt his situation to admit how closely he did know Hershel. The Ancient finally shook his head again, and Teag balked as the trader tried to push him closer to the edge. "No!" he begged. "I can't..."
"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way," the man grunted. "There's someone holding the other end of the rope down there, and he can let you down nice and gently...or I can shove you off and we'll see if the rope holds. What's it going to be?" Teag swallowed, not answering. The man coaxed him to the edge, and then continued his instructions. "Sit on the ledge there, and turn to face me. Use your feet to bounce off the walls of the ravine, and me and the guy on the bottom will get you down nice and easy. Squirm and thrash, and there's a chance that rope is going to come untied. You don't want that, do you?"
Teag's hands were shaking where they were still tied at the wrist, and he squeezed his eyes closed so that the man wouldn't see them if they flashed with power. It took everything in him to resist the urge to fight the Ancient, because he knew he would never win. Just get down this ravine, and Dee will be at the bottom, he promised himself. Then you can escape. You just have to make it down the ravine.
Taking a deep breath, Teag opened his eyes so he could position himself on the edge. The ancient gave a series of shrill whistles down the ditch, and the rope became taut. The ancient grabbed the rope behind Teag, his expression grim. "Now turn around and push off. Use your feet to keep you from smacking up against the ravine walls—it'll save you some bruises."
It took everything in Teag's willpower to finally push off of the ledge, and his whole body shook as he felt the rope grow tight. He closed his eyes as he felt himself being lowered down into the chasm's gaping maw.
Just get to the bottom...you just have to get to the bottom.
Dani woke up with sunlight on her face, and she smiled to herself as she rolled over in bed. For a moment she was content to sleep in, but then it occurred to her that what she was laying on was far comfier than her homemade ground-bed. Her eyes opened, and she noticed that she had somehow ended up in the hotel bed.
"What?" she muttered, sitting up. When she caught sight of Colby curled up on her crude homemade bed on the floor next to her, she realized what happened.
Colby jolted awake as she hit him with the fluffy hotel pillow, and he looked up groggily. Dani was unsympathetic as she threw another one down at him. "Walker! Did you move me up here?" she demanded.
His face went beet red, and he didn't even try to block her third attack. "Umm..."
"I was perfectly fine sleeping on the ground!" she snapped, though she was trying to keep herself from laughing. "What did you do? Pick me up after I fell asleep and swap us?"
His face darkened further, and Dani finally laughed out loud. She grabbed the last pillow off the bed and jumped down to attack him with it. Colby put his hands up to block her. "In my defense, you're a really heavy sleeper," he managed.
"That's supposed to be a defense? You moved me while I was sleeping! What kind of person..."
"It's not fair for you to sleep on the ground every night!" he challenged. He grabbed a pillow of his own to better buffer her attacks. "Also, you totally lied to me—this was not at all comfortable to sleep on!"
Dani's attacks became slower, mainly because she was laughing too hard to continue to fight. "I can't believe you moved me against my will, just to get your way."
"You did not look comfortable down here," Colby stammered, though she could tell he was starting to feel guilty. "I didn't want you to get some kind of neck condition."
"A neck condition from sleeping on the ground for three days?"
"I don't know! The angle your head was in last night looked like it was doing damage."
"Aww...well...that's incredibly sweet. While also being awkward." She smacked him with the pillow one last time. "Next time, wake me up and I can move myself."
"You wouldn't have moved, though."
"Exactly."
He still looked sheepish, and Dani finally lowered her weapon so she could lean in and kiss him on the cheek.
"I'm not mad, Walker...but I promise I didn't mind sleeping on the ground. Tonight, just let me wallow in my self-made masterpiece."
He relaxed, no doubt happy to hear that she wasn't actually mad at him. "Are we going to the ball tonight?" he asked.
"Of course! There's bound to be fancy food, and the people-watching is sure to be entertaining."
"But we don't have anything to wear."
"Don't worry, Walker." Dani stood and reached for her glasses sitting on the nearby nightstand. "I've got a credit card, and this town has expensive taste. Let's go shopping."
Haiven waited anxiously to see what the merchant would say. The woman finally looked up and smiled. "It's amazing," she gushed. "I knew you would be able to take this cloth and make it even better. I can't believe you did all this in just a few weeks."
Haiven shrugged, but she flushed happily. The merchant pulled the cloth over to her side and passed Haiven a bag of coins without even trying to haggle, which surprised Haiven.
"I've been thinking," the merchant said, still fingering the supple cloth. "You have to travel so far to get back and forth from here. Have you ever thought of moving to the East?"
Haiven blinked in surprise at the question. She hadn't really ever thought about moving anywhere. After all, not wanting to move to the fortress was one of the reasons she had stopped seeing Theodynn. But that was a future trapped in stone walls...was she so against moving somewhere open and exciting, like the Eastern Markets? She was quiet as she thought, and the merchant cleared her throat.
"I mean, I don't really know where exactly you hail from, but if you wanted to come move out in a tent out here to the east, you and I could do more work together. Ancients, you could even set up a stall for yourself. Buying pre-embroidered cloth is nice, but other merchants or customers could bring you specific things they wanted you to work on. You could make a killing."
Haiven smiled kindly, and she finally shrugged. Part of her wasn't sure she would ever be able to leave the Order of Echo and Antirock...but she couldn't deny that there was a thrill inside when she thought about what the merchant was proposing. Work for myself? Have my own stall?
"Just think about it," the merchant said. "And if you wouldn't mind working on this next bolt of cloth? Bought it last week from the same people I got the first one from."
Haiven accepted the bolt of cloth in surprise, and gestured to her coin purse. Do you want me to pay for it?
"Nah...you embroider it, and I'll pay you when you bring it back."
Haiven smiled, fingering the cloth. It was just as soft as the other, but this one was a pale green color. She nodded her thanks to the merchant before pocketing the pouch of money and hoisted the bolt of cloth. She headed through the markets again, trying to decide what she wanted to do. She didn't have any more business to conduct, but as her stomach grumbled, she decided that she may want to spend a little of her new earnings on lunch before heading back to the hidden village. She wove through the market's traffic toward the area of the market where the food vendors set up. She could smell delicious things cooking the closer she got, and her stomach growled louder.
As she entered the well-trodden block of stalls, she began scanning the crowds for the baker's stall. The loaves he made had always been her favorite.
"I'm telling you, it tastes way better than rat."
Haiven froze at the voice. The area was crowded with many overlapping voices, but she swore the voice was Theodynn's. She began looking through the people around her with more fervor, and she could hear him laughing.
"Bland? Meat isn't supposed to be stringy!"
There. As a few people walked out of the way, Haiven finally made out the Oni Heir. He was standing next to one of the meat vendors, and Haiven stared at him in disbelief. She hadn't seen him since he had left her home all those months ago, when she told him not to come back. A few different emotions battled for attention in her mind, and she warred with herself whether to approach him or slink away before he noticed her.
Just as she had just about decided to sneak off, she realized that the young woman standing next to the stall was speaking to Theodynn. Her hair was long, held back by multiple bands all the way down the length of it, causing a bubbly sort of plait. The woman wrapped her arm around the Heir's waist in a familiar way, leaning into him as she smirked. "Give me one of Deilie's rats any day. That's the good stuff."
Theo laughed, shaking his head. "You're impossible."
Haiven felt like the ground was collapsing under her feet, and she shook her head. Was this even actually happening? Or was she having some kind of twisted nightmare? As she stared from across the way, the woman hanging on Theo leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. Theo blinked in surprise, and as Haiven saw the flush run up his neck, something snapped.
Rook wasn't sure where the attack came from. One moment, she was enjoying embarrassing the Heir in front of a large group of people, and the next Theodynn was staggering back as something struck him in the face. His hand flew to his forehead, and Rook immediately whirled, whipping her knife out as she tried to find the attacker. Who would be attacking him here? She wondered as she scanned the crowd. It better not be a trader, not with me standing right here.
Nearby, Tolan had also drawn his weapon. Rook moved closer to Theodynn as she waited for the guard to go charging off into the crowd, and she groaned inwardly. The second he was gone, the Heir was going to want to work on finding clues, and she was going to have to come up with a way to distract him.
The guard must have caught sight of the perpetrator because he stiffened. However, instead of launching out into the crowd like the blade-happy stickler he was, Rook watched him lower his katanas. She frowned, scanning the onlookers again to see why the guard stood down.
All at once, Rook caught sight of a young woman a few yards away, glowering at her with a surprising amount of hatred. Rook blinked in surprise—no doubt this was the one who had attacked, so why wasn't the guard...
"Haiven?"
Rook turned to see that Theodynn had somewhat recovered. He was still holding his forehead, and she realized that there was a drip of blood leaking out from below his fingers. It seemed whoever the angry woman was, she packed quite the throw. Rook frowned as she noticed that the Heir had blanched—in fact, he looked like he had seen a ghost.
Rook turned to look at the girl again. At Theo's word, the stranger's expression contorted. She made a series of strange gestures, and Rook furrowed her brow.
"Has she lost her mind?" she muttered. Rather than answer, Theo shoved past Rook like she didn't exist, heading for the young woman with the hand spasms.
"Haiven, I—" he started, but the woman's gestures became faster and angrier. Theodynn trailed off, and he finally shook his head. "If you would just let me explain, there's..."
The girl made a final series of gestures, and Rook stared as the other woman began crying. Theo froze in his approach, and the young woman made one last motion before turning to pick up a bolt of cloth from the ground and running through the crowd in escape. The Heir looked like he was rooted to the dirt, and Rook finally turned to glower at the guard standing nearby.
"You're not going to go after her?" she snapped. "She just threw a rock at the Heir!"
"I'm not getting involved in this," Tolan muttered. His gaze was fixed on Theodynn, rather than the retreating woman.
"Involved in what?" Rook murmured, trying to put the pieces together. Haiven...she had heard that name before, hadn't she? The Ahkasar had mentioned it...
All at once, she realized what was happening. She turned back to where the Heir was standing in frozen distress, and she made her way over to him. He moved to go chase after the woman at last, but Rook grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
He whirled, his expression crumpling with anger. "Let go!"
"Trust me, Theodynn. Don't go after her," Rook urged softly. The Heir continued to glare at her, and she gave his arm a squeeze. "Are you two still together?"
"No," he admitted, though he still went to pull from her grasp.
"Then it's not worth it. Trust me." Rook fixed him with a firm gaze. "We aren't here to chase after old flames, Theo."
He held her gaze, though he still seemed angry. She was beginning to wonder if he was going to shove her off of him and go chasing after the mystery girl anyways, but then he finally sagged.
"Let's get out of here," he muttered. Rook was surprised, but she released him as he began trudging for where they had left their hoofers. If Rook had been dead set on scouring the East for clues, she would have pointed out that they had just gotten there not thirty minutes ago, but as it was, she was relieved she wasn't going to have to try to keep the Heir off the trade's scent for another whole day.
The guard followed his charge, and Rook glanced back to where the other woman had disappeared before trailing off after the Heir as well.