73
The night was dark, with clouds covering the moon and making it's light dimmer than normal. A lone figure waited on the outskirts of the Central Province, and he glanced up as another figure made herself known a few yards away. The trader drew his knife, but when Rook held up her own black blade, the trader relaxed.
"It's about time," he groused. "You were supposed to meet me with the plan hours ago."
"I had to make sure everything was in place," the assassin replied, not sounding apologetic.
"So...where is he?"
"Not now, you idiot. You really think you and I could take him on ourselves?" Rook pushed her hair out of her face to fix him with a patronizing look. "Tell Quazier that I'll be bringing him tomorrow, right into camp. Make sure Quazie's got a welcome party there to greet him."
"You're going to get him all the way to camp on your own? How?"
"Don't bother yourself with the details," Rook said. "I'll get him there, that's the important thing. Then it falls to Quazie and the rest of you idiots to make sure you're ready to contain him."
"We'll be ready," the trader growled. "I just hope you know what you're doing, girl." He turned to leave, taking the message back to the ravine. Rook watched him go, her grip still tight on her dagger hilt.
"Don't worry about me," she muttered. "I always know what I'm doing."
"I'm going to go get us something to eat," Cole said, but Keyda barely heard him. Her mind was wrapped in memories, and it wasn't until he took her hand that she turned to face him. "I'm going to get food," he repeated. "Are you all right?"
"Where do you think they are?" she asked.
Cole gave her hand a squeeze. "I don't know," he admitted, seemingly understanding that she was worried about Pippa and Raiyn. "But there's a night search party prepared. We've got to get some food and some rest, Keyds."
"You don't think someone took them?"
"It's Pippa—I don't know how someone would fare if they tried to," Cole said gently, and Keyda rubbed her arms.
"It feels like it did all those years ago..."
"This is different than when it happened to Theo and Amber," Cole promised. "We knew our kids were taken. Pippa and Raiyn wandered off. They probably just got lost, and we'll find them." Keyda nodded distantly and Cole gave her hand one last squeeze. "You head back to our quarters. I'll go get dinner."
Keyda watched as her husband pulled away and headed toward the dining hall, and she finally headed back to their rooms. They had searched the Central Province meticulously, and she knew Myrah had probably combed over the west several times. There are still three other provinces, she reminded herself. Perhaps they wandered into the north, or the east. Once the other leaders are involved...
Her thoughts trailed off as she opened the door to their living area and spotted Theodynn sitting on the couch. The Ruler hesitated in the doorway. It was frustrating to her that all it took was them being in the same room lately for everything to feel tense. Once, she and her son had shared such a close connection. What had happened since then?
After a moment, she moved into the room, but Theo hardly seemed to realize she was there. As Keyda moved around the couch, she realized that he seemed lost in thought, staring morosely into the fire. Keyda hesitated again, and finally cleared her throat.
"Have you eaten?"
Theo blinked and finally turned. "Oh. Um...I'm not hungry."
"Your father's getting food right now," Keyda offered. "We can send him back for another plate."
"I'm fine." Theo turned back to the fire. "Did you find them?"
Keyda sighed. "No."
Theo's brow furrowed. "I hope they turn up soon. The longer they're missing, the less it feels like they just wandered off."
Keyda put a hand on the arm of the couch, and she finally nodded. "That's how I've been feeling, too." She studied her son, realizing he looked more dour than usual. Considering how stoic he had been in general the last few months, she took a step closer. "Are you all right?"
"Uh...fine." He shrugged, rubbing his arms. Keyda debated for a moment and finally moved to take a seat onto the couch.
"We're sending out another search party, so they can keep looking tonight. Your father and I will reach out to the other leaders tomorrow and see if they would be willing to send out similar parties in their own provinces, or at least allow ours to search their territories."
"Tomorrow..." Theo mumbled, and then he dry washed his face.
Keyda furrowed her brow and finally sighed. "I know that things between us haven't been..." she trailed off, not even sure how to finish the thought. "Theo...is there something wrong? You can tell me."
Theo's expression became stony, and he shrugged. Feeling the wall go back up between them, Keyda sighed and tried to go back to a safer topic.
"How's Rook?" she asked carefully. She wasn't a fan of the boisterous young woman by any means, but she had to grudgingly admit that Theodynn had seemed happier since she had shown up. Rather than relax, Theo's scowl intensified. For a moment they sat in silence.
"I think...I messed things up." Theo's words were quiet, and Keyda frowned.
"With Rook?"
"She was here tonight," he admitted, and the way he glanced at her made it clear he wasn't sure how she would feel about that confession.
"To do what?" Keyda asked, immediately feeling concerned.
"We just talked and played chess," Theo said, turning back to the fire. Keyda blinked—when was the last time Theo had touched his chess set? "And it was fine...but then, all of sudden..." He rubbed at his face again. "I don't know. I knew I was with Rook...but then, all I could see was Haiven."
Keyda didn't know how to respond. Afraid that the wrong answer would lead him to put his wall back up, she trod carefully. "So...you were wishing that Haiven was here with you, and not Rook?"
Theo's expression twisted, but then he shook his head. "No...it wasn't that I wanted her to be Haiven. It was almost like I was afraid..." he trailed off, but understanding dawned in Keyda.
"You were afraid that she was going to end up being the same as Haiven?" she guessed. Theo groaned as he put his face in his hands.
"I feel like an idiot," he admitted. "I think I actually hurt her feelings—which I didn't even know was possible. It's just in the moment, all I could think about was the years I spent with Haiven just for it all to fall apart, and I realized that I can't do that again. I can't get invested, because that's when everything always goes wrong."
Keyda wasn't sure what to say. It was the least confrontational discussion they had had in a long time, which told her that her son must really be struggling with this. Her immediate thought was to rail into Rook, if she was making Theo feel like Haiven had made him feel...or rail into Haiven again for what she did to him. However, from past experience, she knew that Theo didn't really take kindly to his mother ripping apart the women in his life, so Keyda just sighed. Where's Cole when I need him? She wondered. He's better at this relationship stuff than I am.
"So...are you not invested?" she finally asked, trying to keep her tone neutral as she leaned back. "You spend a lot of time with this girl—I assumed you were committed to dating her."
Theo swallowed. "Well...it's just..." He squirmed slightly. "I guess I saw the relationship differently than she did. I thought it was more of a casual thing, but tonight...I don't know. It seemed like she wished it was something different."
"Well...it's your life, Theodynn," Keyda offered carefully. He looked over at her, seeming surprised, and she cleared her throat. "Do you want a relationship with this girl? Or, was this whole thing just..." she trailed off quickly, realizing what she was about to say. Unfortunately, it seemed Theo picked up on it, and he gave her a quizzical look.
"Just what?"
"Your father mentioned at one point that it's normal to have a non-serious relationship after a serious one," she admitted. "I can't remember what he called it. But we wondered if that's what you were doing with Rook."
Theo's frown deepened, but he looked more thoughtful than angry. "So...I guess no one would be that surprised if we parted ways soon."
Keyda tried not to show her relief. "You guys aren't going to be together much longer?"
"I didn't think so. But now..." Theo rubbed his forehead. "This whole time, I thought Rook and I were on the same page, but now I don't know what to think."
"If you want to part ways, then part ways," Keyda said. "Stick with your gut feeling."
"My gut feeling is too conflicted to be trusted right now," Theo muttered. "Mainly I just feel guilty."
"Why?"
Theodynn's expression clouded. "I just don't think I handled it as well as I could have."
Keyda wanted to press further, but she didn't want to shatter the fragile truce they seemed to have going. In the past, Theo used to come to her for things like this all the time, but now it seemed like they rarely had talks like they used to. "Did she leave angry?"
"Maybe? It was hard to tell. Sometimes I wish I was like Amber, and I could tell what people were actually feeling." He rubbed his face. "Not that I've heard from Amber in a while, which is another problem."
"You could give her a call," Keyda pointed out.
"She was supposed to call me," Theo said, but then his expression went strange.
"Why?"
"She was going on a vacation to Metallonia, and she promised to tell me about it," he said at last.
"Metallonia? Why?" It was the first Keyda had heard about that, and Theo shrugged.
"She went with some friends, I think, to visit Julien and get out of Ninjago City. I've tried to call her a couple times, but she never answers." He frowned. "I just assumed she was busy and she'd get back to me when she could."
"Mmm." Keyda felt strange, realizing how much happened without her knowing about it. Theo must have guessed what she was thinking because he glanced over.
"Just because you don't always know everything we're doing doesn't mean we're in danger, Mom," he pointed out softly. "At some point you have to trust us to make our own decisions."
"I do trust you." Keyda felt defensive as she looked over. "But I worry because you try to do everything by yourselves."
"You and Dad did way more dangerous things at our age—"
"But we had help," Keyda cut in, turning to face her son full on. "We had your aunts and uncles with their powers...and Phos, and Wu. Yes, we were put in dangerous situations, but if we had tried to handle them by ourselves, we would have lost."
Theo fell silent, and Keyda sighed. How had they come back to this discussion again? Why did everything dissolve into an argument these days? She waited for Theo to say anything, but he stayed quiet, seemingly lost in thought.
The Ruler continued carefully. "Theo...I know you've felt frustrated lately because you're feeling contained, but I can't risk your safety."
"You aren't risking anything," he murmured as he stared at the ground. "I'm an adult now...so I should be free to choose my own risks. Ancients know that you and Dad did. You didn't wait around to make a difference, so why insist on making me?"
"We've done our time waiting," Keyda argued.
"When? In every story you've told or I've heard about, you guys went straight for the change with no hesitation..."
"I'm not talking about making realm-wide decisions," Keyda cut in. Theo looked up and met her eye, and she could feel the tears filling them as she reached over to grab his hand. "I'm talking about the times we were forced to wait when the most important thing was on the line. The same kind of waiting that Tolan and Syn and Myrah and Hershel are being forced to endure right now."
Theo's expression crinkled, and Keyda pushed his hair out of his face.
"Waiting for days for news about my missing children, when there was absolutely nothing I could do about their disappearance. Waiting for weeks in Ninjago with my hands tied because some nutcase had my son locked up in a cell and I wasn't allowed to stop it."
"Mom..."
"Waiting for you to wake up, after we escaped the Island...and then waiting to see if you'd be able to pull through the damage that happened there. I know how hard it is to wait, Theo...but I have to do what I can to avoid any more of those experiences. I can't handle spending any more time waiting to see whether I've lost someone I love."
Theo looked away, but it looked like he was fighting back tears of his own. "So that's what it comes down to?" he muttered. "I'm never going to make any kind of difference, because you can't risk anything else happening to me?"
"If you had any idea how difficult it was for us, those times we almost lost you—"
"I know it was difficult!" Theo snapped, and the ground beneath them rumbled slightly. Keyda looked down in confusion as Theo continued softer. "I'm not saying that those times weren't hard for you...but keeping me under lock and key isn't the answer."
"Then what is the answer?" Keyda asked, leaning back as she stared at the fire. "Let you run around and do whatever you want, and sit here hoping that you won't get killed in one of your reckless stunts done in the name of making the realm a better place?"
Theo was glowering at the floor, and he finally rubbed at his face in frustration. "I don't know what the answer is," he admitted at last. "I just know what we're doing now isn't working."
They sat in silence for a few minutes while the fire popped and cracked. Keyda glanced at the doorway, wondering what was taking Cole so long to get the food.
"What should I do about Rook?" Theo's voice had lost its edge, and the Ruler glanced over.
You'd be better off without her, Keyda wanted to say, but she bit back the comment as she saw how miserable he was. "What do you want to do about Rook?" she asked.
"I don't know. I don't even know what I can do. If she really was honest about liking me before, she probably doesn't anymore."
"You're dating," Keyda pointed out carefully. "She had to be at least a little honest about liking you, right?"
Theo blinked and looked over at his mother. "Oh, yeah. I mean...it's hard to explain."
"I guess all you can do is be honest yourself," Keyda said at last. "Tell her how you feel."
"But I don't know how I feel."
"Then tell her that." Keyda fiddled with the edge of the worn couch. "No matter how she takes it...she can't argue with how you honestly feel."
Theo sighed. "I guess I'll just try to talk to her tomorrow."
"Are you seeing her tomorrow?"
Theo blinked and then looked up at her. His expression was hard to read, and after a moment, he cleared his throat. "Uh...yeah. Mom...about tomorrow..."
She frowned at his conflicted expression. "Yes?"
Theo opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Keyda watched in concern, but it was then that the door to the room finally opened.
"They had to heat something up, considering that dinner hour was over a while ago," Cole pointed out as he carried in the bowls. He caught sight of his wife and son, and his smile faded a little. "Theo...have you eaten?"
"Um..." Theo blinked, and he finally stood. "I think I'm actually going to head to bed."
"What did you want to say?" Keyda pressed, wondering what he had looked so conflicted about. Theo hesitated, but then he looked over at his mother.
"I'll tell you tomorrow, okay?" he told her with a little smile. Keyda frowned, wondering if she should push harder.
"All right," she said at last.
"See you later," Theo promised as he moved to go around his father and headed for the exit.
"Goodnight, Theo," Cole called.
"Goodnight." The Heir disappeared through the door, and Cole turned to Keyda with a frown.
"Everything all right?" he asked. She leaned back on the couch with her arms folded.
"I...think so," she answered. "He seemed a little off when I came in, and we got talking."
"Not arguing?" Cole asked as he sat down and handed Keyda one of the plates. She scoffed.
"You don't trust me to be able to have a non-confrontational conversation with our son?"
"I wasn't blaming you for anything," he countered. "I just know that lately Theo tends to get tense when he gets left behind...and we did stop him from going out searching today."
"It really wasn't that confrontational," Keyda admitted. "He wanted to talk about Rook."
"Oh. What about her?"
"He said they might be parting ways soon...or he was thinking they would, but she's more committed to the relationship than he is, or something. I don't know. He said that she reminds him of Haiven, which I don't really see but I also would rather he don't go down that road again regardless."
Cole was quiet as he chewed thoughtfully. "Well...I guess it's up to him to decide what he wants," he pointed out at last. "But he's got to go down that road again someday if he's going to end up with someone. I just hope he realizes that."
"I suppose," Keyda sighed. She looked over at her husband. "Cole...why is this the first time I've been able to talk to my son in weeks without it dissolving into a huge fight...and it still felt like I was walking the edge of a knife?"
Cole reached out to put an arm around her. "We'll figure this out, Keyds...but if he's starting to open up, then maybe we're already on the way back up, huh?"
Keyda leaned into him as she picked at her own plate. "I hope so."
74
Circuits were second nature—how could they be anything else, when he had been involved in robotics from his earliest years? Perhaps that's why when Julien looked at the data reporting on Colby's procedure, circuits kept coming to mind.
Julien took off his glasses to rub his face. He had moved over to Zerek's desk, the data files laid out in front of him. He had searched the office extensively for any kind of communication device—or any electronics in general, but it proved to be in vain. There was plenty of paper and pencils, left by the lead scientist so that Julien could compile his thoughts by hand. The paper sat in a pile nearby, still blank.
How was he supposed to solve this problem? It whirled around in his head like a question given on one of his higher-level exams in university courses. Define a simulation in which non-native energy can be extracted from an organic unit without harming the subject...
Julien groaned as he rested his head on his hands, closing his eyes as he tried to think. Even logically, the situation was hopeless. The fact that it was a friend on the line, not an imaginary subject in a hypothetical simulation, made things infinitely worse. How was he supposed to give Zerek what he wanted while keeping Colby safe? How was he supposed to navigate this logistical minefield? What was more, why was Zerek forcing him to? The head of the MIRI was obviously brilliant in his own right—and he was an android, to boot. Why did he think he needed Julien?
The young scientist opened his eyes as he stared at the data sheets miserably. He was tired and hungry, but he didn't dare admit as much to anyone. There was an urgency inside—the longer he went without figuring this out, the more likely it was that Zerek would merely go ahead with his experiments without Julien's input. But the outcome that Zerek wanted was impossible, even based on these results. The adrenaline readings that spiked each time Colby's powers were forced to respond merely mirrored Julien's assumptions. Elemental power was not technically part of someone, but it manifested as if it were. It's a power source inside of an otherwise unpowered shell, Julien reasoned, as he stared at the data. Like a battery that powers a device. Zerek seems to think that you can just open up the device and remove the battery, but it's not that simple...
Julien's mind swirled for hours as he went from one train of thought to the next, trying to determine how he could possibly remove Colby's power source. However, throughout his thought process, Colby's voice interrupted, begging Julien to leave him alone and to let him keep his powers. Their conversation kept weaving its way into the logical processes the scientist was trying to create.
Getting this element was the first time I felt like maybe I do belong. I'm learning how to control it—it responds to me. It's part of me now. I don't want to give that up.
Guilt ate away at Julien as he compared the sets of data again. He didn't want to rob Colby of something that meant so much to him...but it was becoming increasingly clear that in this fragile situation, Julien was having to choose between Colby's powers and his life. He smacked his hand onto the desk in a wave of anger. This was the side of science that he had never wanted to become a part of. It was one thing to solder circuits toward innovation...it was another matter entirely to put oneself in the position to play god.
Julien shoved the papers away from himself at last, leaning back in his chair in defeat. He could study elemental power directly for months and still not be ready to do any kind of tests, but Zerek was on the brink of cutting Colby open if he didn't come up with a better way.
A battery can be taken out of a machine...but it can also be drained while still within it, Julien reasoned tiredly. If you can attach the battery to the right kind of circuit, it would take out the power from inside without the need to harm the device holding it. But Colby is not a robot, Julien...he's a person. This will not be as simple as hooking a battery to a circuit...what am I supposed to attach to an elemental power source?
His thoughts were interrupted by a memory, and Julien blinked. In his mind's eye, he could see Amber's hand glowing with power as she held a wire, easing power into a machine. Oni and elemental power weren't technically the same, but...
The sun had long gone down by the time Zerek came to check on the intern under duress, but Julien hardly noticed him as he filled sheet after sheet with equations and rough sketches. Suddenly, there was a gloved hand on his shoulder, and Julien jumped.
"I see you have been vorking hard."
"You did not leave me with much other choice," Julien pointed out. He could feel Zerek studying the sheets of paper, and the younger scientist tried to gather them quickly. "They are not feasible theories, yet."
"I see." Zerek's hand continued to rest on Julien's shoulder, and the young man resisted the urge to push it away. "Vat do you need to make zese plans feasible, Julien?"
He hesitated a moment, but then he sighed. There was a tightness in his chest, and he wasn't sure if it was guilt, fear, or shame. Regardless, he reminded himself that he was doing this to help Colby, no matter what Zerek thought. "I need my graduate project, samples of chronosteel, and a place to work," he admitted softly. The lead scientists squeezed his shoulder, and Julien shuddered. Now that he knew the nature of Zerek's origin, he realized how much stronger his grip was than an average person's.
"I zot as much," Zerek mused. He released Julien's shoulder at last, turning to a silent guard that must have followed him into the office. "Fourteen vill assist you to your lab, Julien."
"My lab?" he asked dully.
"Fully equipped vith everything you may need...including your project, vich ve transported here from ze MIRI."
Julien felt sick. "You knew I was going to come to this conclusion...didn't you?"
"I knew zat ze project had merit, and could connect to my research, if you saw it in ze right light," Zerek answered easily. "Ze lab is also furnished vith a sleeping area, vich I recommend you use tonight. People such as I can vork all hours of ze day...but a human brain thrives on rest."
"So it's to be my cell, as well as my workplace," Julien guessed softly.
"You are a guest here, Julien...not a prisoner. Ze discoveries made in your laboratory could make a lasting impact on ze realm for years to come. You are to participate in science in its truest form..."
"I am only doing any of this to protect Colby, and you know it," Julien snapped as he pushed himself to his feet. He looked Zerek in the eye as he continued. "It will take time to get to a point where my theories will become feasible. That time could be minimized if you allow Agatha to work with me."
"I do not think you need her," Zerek countered, scanning Julien's face.
"She is a good scientist..."
"But perhaps you vill vork more efficiently vithout ze distraction. Zere are many tools in your lab—chemicals, and dangerous supplies. I vould hate to have you misuse any of ze equipment provided for you."
A cold understanding washed over Julien. "So...you are going to keep Agatha from me as leverage, so I stick to my task and do not try to escape using the resources you'll be trusting me with."
"You are a smart man," Zerek said with a smile. "I do not doubt you could find creative vays to escape Estyeer. You cannot blame me for erring on the side of caution."
"Then when will you let me see her again?" Julien demanded. His anger was beginning to boil over, egged on by his fatigue, hunger, and fraying nerves. "How can you expect me to do everything you are asking of me? Why do you expect it of me? If you knew my machine could provide answers, why not just experiment on it yourself? Why use me at all?"
Rather than answer, Zerek reached out. Julien stiffened as the gloved fingers came to rest against the temple on the side of his head, and the younger scientist swallowed as he tried to figure out what the android was doing.
"How interesting a concept, zat ze human mind is so like ze mozerboards inside a vell made machine...and yet, so unbreachable." The gloves were cold against Julien's skin, and he shuddered as Zerek continued. "If only von could reach into a human mind as easily as von can download ze information from a hard drive...but it is not so simple." Zerek's eyes flicked emotionlessly across Julien's face. "All ze information I need, right under a layer of skin and bone...and yet, entirely impossible to access."
Julien pulled away from Zerek's touch, and the android blinked and lowered his hand. The younger scientist shook his head. "What is it you think I know?" he asked softly.
"I do not know vat you know...only zat you know more zan I do. If I could download your information into myself, zen ve could skip such unnecessary steps as I'm sure vill come in ze next few days. Alas, until I can access your mind for myself, I must push you to use ze information you contain for my benefit."
Julien reached up to cover the spot Zerek had touched. "What do you mean, until you access my mind?" he demanded, cold dread filling his limbs. Zerek merely smiled thinly.
"Fourteen vill show you to your laboratory, Julien. Take ze data, and your sheets of plans. Tonight, you vill rest, and tomorrow, you vill build somezing incredible."
It was still dark by the time Theo slipped past the outer wall of the fortress. He had wanted to bring Dragon along, but it was going to be too difficult to get the hoofer out of the fortress stables. Instead, they had decided that they would take Rook's hoofer, which she kept tied up near her tent on the outskirts of the town that ringed the fortress.
As the Heir moved through the shadows, he fingered the hilt of his blade. It would have been easier to travel silently without weapons, but he didn't dare go without them, considering what could happen. He couldn't resist glancing back at the fortress one last time. His heart thrummed with anticipation, and only time would tell if he had made the right decision. At the end of today, either he would have achieved his years-long goal...or he would have ruined everything.
Theo forced himself to turn away from the fortress and continue onward. There were no Oni out and about in the sleepy town, and he managed to reach the outskirts at last. He had never been to Rook's tent before, and he scanned the area that she had directed him to. There—he caught sight of a figure and a hoofer next to a sagging tent. It didn't take much longer to reach it, and Rook's voice was soft in the early morning darkness.
"You're late," she pointed out.
"Not too late," he countered.
"I was beginning to think you'd chickened out, after everything."
"Nope." Theo took the hoofer's reins. "I'm ready for this, Rook."
"Good." The woman pulled herself into the saddle, and Theo handed her the reins before pulling himself up behind her.
"Did you get the intel you needed?" he asked.
"I did. This is it, Princey. After today...we'll have gotten exactly what we've been after." Rook kicked the hoofer to move, and Theo realized that something in her tone was odd. They started moving south, and Theo realized there was a tension in the air. It could just be because of the importance of today's mission...but he had a feeling there was something else to it.
"Rook?" he finally asked.
"Mm?"
"About last night..."
"Don't worry about last night," she cut in, her tone firm. "It was a lapse in judgment on my part."
Theo fell quiet, and they continued their ride. In the distance, a sniffer howled, and Theo scanned the darkness for any threats. He tried to let it go, but he had been up most of the night thinking about what had gone down between him and the brash woman sitting in front of him.
"Rook...I'm sorry for how I responded last night," he tried after a little while longer. The woman in front of him stiffened but didn't say anything. "It wasn't because...I don't want you to think..." Theo heaved a sigh.
"I told you, just leave it alone." Rook's tone was becoming clipped. "You obviously don't want to be seen with a southern nobody like me for longer than you have to, so there's no point in—"
"That's the thing—it has nothing to do with you," Theo tried. He had to raise his voice slightly to be heard over the hoofer's pounding gallop. "It's me. I'm not ready for that kind of commitment. It's...I guess it's too soon."
"Too soon?" Rook gave the reins another whip, causing the hoofer to speed up. "Since what? You parted ways with your rock-slinging flame?"
"Look. Things between Haiven and I were pretty serious, a few months ago." Theo shifted on the back of the hoofer. "I was planning on proposing the night we broke it off."
Rook didn't reply, and it was hard to tell if she was even listening as Theo stared at the back of her head.
"I told everyone I was fine," he admitted softly. "But...I wasn't. Honestly, I'm still not really fine." Rook might as well have been a brick wall for all she seemed to care, but Theo couldn't help but continue the thought process that had been whirling in his mind since the night before. "It hurt, because I really thought Haiven and I were on the same page and then I had to realize that we couldn't be farther from it. The whole thing really shook me...and not just because our relationship fell apart." Theo shifted again, trying to get comfortable on the back of the galloping animal. "My whole life, people have seen me as naïve. You've heard people talking about it—how I don't see the forest for the trees, and all that. The older I got, the surer I was that I was proving that assumption wrong. But then Haiven gave me an impossible ultimatum, and all I could think was that everyone else was right about me, after all. I don't see the full picture—I do get caught up in my ideal world. Here I had planned out our entire future...only to have the rug ripped out from underneath me."
He paused, waiting to see if Rook would chime in. She continued to stay silent, and he flushed. No doubt she couldn't care less about his problems, but he felt like he owed it to her to at least explain why he had shut her down the night before.
"It was like everything I had ever thought about myself was put in jeopardy in that moment," he explained softly. "I had convinced myself that I wasn't that naïve...that I was a good person, a good boyfriend, and that someday I would be a good Ruler. In that moment, I questioned all of it. You mentioned once that I act like I have to prove myself to everyone...but it's more than that. After leaving Haiven's house that last time, it felt like I had to prove myself to me. I had to prove that I was strong, and independent...that I would make a good Ruler. But the problem was that the more I searched my life for reasons why those things were true, all I could find was evidence against it. I realized I've never done anything important for the realm—every time I've tried, it's ended terribly, and others had to get involved to bail me out of my mistakes. Sometimes they even get hurt because of me. I've lost so many battles over the years—against Evynn and Matilda and the Island...I even lost the one time I tried to fight in the pit."
"You realize I have no idea what you're talking about, right?" Rook's voice was neutral, but the answer at least proved that she was listening. Theo grimaced.
"It's all a long story...but basically, I've done nothing but sit in a fortress surrounded by protection my whole life. The times I dared try to strike out on my own or make a difference all ended horribly for me and often others. By my age, my parents had brought peace to two races that had been at war for centuries, dissolved the slave trade, united the various providence leadership, and had started building better infrastructure across the realm. How could I ever consider myself worthy of taking over for them someday if the only thing I could claim to have done was put together a tournament every few years? I felt like a fake...and what was worse, everyone else kept telling me how that was enough. Does everyone think I'm such a screw-up when it comes to the important things that it would be better for me to not deal with them at all than to get involved?"
The land around them was getting lighter as the morning stretched on and Theo gazed at the horizon in the distance. "That's when I decided that I was done sitting around and attending meetings where we only talked about making a difference. I was going to go out and dig up the problems myself and put an end to them, starting with the slave trade."
"Well, good for you. After today, hopefully you'll have finally done it." Rook's tone was hard to read, and Theo frowned. He reached around her and grabbed the reins, giving them a yank backward. The hoofer beneath them came to a stop, and Rook whirled to glare at him. "What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, Rook," he offered. She stiffened.
"Sorry for what? You can't back out now!" Her tone was almost desperate as she grabbed the reins from him. "You're so close, if you give up—"
"I'm not giving up on taking down the slave trade," Theo assured quickly. "I just wanted to apologize to you properly." He rubbed his neck. "You came in clutch with all of this, Rook. Honestly, I would never have made it as far against the slave trade without your help...but I think I've been taking you for granted. I didn't mean to, but I was so focused on my one goal that once again, I totally missed something that was staring me right in the face."
Rather than look comforted, Rook seemed more on edge than ever. "What are you talking about?"
"I thought it was an act," he pointed out. "And maybe it was, at first...but it's clear that at some point it wasn't an act for you anymore. And when you tried to tell me as much last night, I freaked out at you. I wanted to say that I'm sorry. It wasn't fair of me to put you in this position in the first place."
"I put myself in this position," Rook countered, drawing herself up. "I make my own decisions, Theodynn. Don't flatter yourself with thinking that you were ever in control of this situation."
Theo blinked, not sure how to reply to that. He finally shrugged. "I just wanted you to know why I reacted the way I did last night," he offered at last. "I'm sorry if it was more than you wanted to know. You asked me why I don't do backstory...and, well. That's why. Too much information, huh?"
Rook didn't answer as she turned around. She seemed lost in thought, but she stayed silent as she gave the reins a flick. The hoofer started it's journey once again, heading off toward the lightening horizon. It was then that Theo realized that they were heading more East than south.
"Where exactly are we going?"
"Just...just trust me, Princey, all right? This is where the intel told me to go."
"And you're sure it's not a trap?"
Rook flinched, and Theo reached out to steady her. "What do you mean?" she demanded.
"I've just followed my share of tips and promising intel, and more than half of them turn out to be ambushes of some kind."
The woman shook her head. "That's why I didn't get you involved in this one. What is someone going to gain from lying to some southern nobody? They don't know we're connected, so they can hardly leave a trap for you."
"But they could leave a trap for you," he pointed out.
Rook was quiet for a minute, and when she finally spoke, her voice was soft. "Don't worry about me, Theodynn. At the end of all of this, I'll be just fine."
They continued their journey, and Theo fell quiet. Not wanting to force further conversation, he tried to focus on the task at hand. This was what he had been working towards for years. Even before Haiven's break-up led him further on this quest, he and Tolan had been working to root out the last dregs of slave trade in the realm. Right now, it should be easier than ever to focus on doing that very thing...but his mind couldn't focus on it as he continued to watch Rook. Was she angry with him? Heartbroken? Or maybe just embarrassed? He found he almost wished she would yell at him, so he could know what she was really thinking. He could tell she was hiding something, but the question was, what? And why?
The sun had nearly risen by the time Theo caught sight of the chasm in the distance. "Kahzym's Fall," he murmured. "This is where your intel led you?"
"I know it seems strange—"
"No, it makes sense," Theo said, staring at the gaping crevasse. "I've never really thought of this place as useful...but what could be more useful to a group of people wanting to keep to the shadows than a huge hole in the ground?"
Rook didn't answer, and they slowly reached the chasm. Theo slipped off the hoofer as he approached the lip, gazing down. There wasn't really anything to see—the bottom of the crack was hidden in shadow.
"They said there would be rope," Rook said from behind, and Theo turned. The woman looked strangely unexcited about the fact that they could be closer to discovering the hub of slave trade than ever.
"I would have thought you'd be more enthusiastic about all this," Theo offered. "Do you not trust the intel?"
"I am enthusiastic!" Rook countered, flashing him a grin as she relaxed. "But I'm trying to take this seriously, too. You're the one who said I tend to rush headlong into things. I don't want to mess this up just because I was being too brash."
Theo studied her, and she glanced away as she pushed her hair out of her face. Her rust-colored eyes refused to meet his, and he walked away from the edge of the chasm. "Rook?"
"I'm fine!" she laughed, giving him a teasing push as she passed him to scan the edge of the ravine. "See any ropes yet?"
Theo caught her hand and felt her stiffen. "Yesterday, you asked if we would be strangers after we finished the slave trade once and for all. I just wanted to tell you that if this works and we take down the trade, we can still see each other, and spend time together. Just because we won't be working on this anymore doesn't mean we have to be strangers. In fact..." He cleared his throat, feeling foolish, but then he continued anyway. "I'm not ready for anything serious right now, but that doesn't mean I won't ever be."
"Theodynn..."
"I'm not saying you have to wait around for me to figure out my problems. I just wanted to say that I'm not against you, I'm only hesitating because I'm not ready right now for—"
"Stop." Rook pulled her hand away as she turned to face him. For a moment, her expression was conflicted, but then it melted into amusement. "Look, I appreciate it, Princey...I do. But don't you think we should keep our head in the game right now? There's a lot at stake."
"Right." Theo offering a sheepish smile. "We'll talk about it later, then."
"Sure." Rook turned away, walking the edge of the chasm purposefully. After a moment, she called out excitedly. "Look! Rope...just like they said."
Theo moved quickly, and he realized that she was right. He studied the rope tied to the natural pillar of stone cropping up from the ravine's edge. "A way down," he realized as his eyes followed the rope down into the blackness. "But why would they leave it out in the open like this? How has nobody noticed it before?"
"Who's going to come to this area of the Ravine?" Rook mused as she tested the stability of the rope. "It's miles from the bridge between the Central and Eastern Province. There's no reason for anyone to come across it."
"I guess. But what do they do with the slaves? Force them to climb down this one rope one at a time?"
Rook's expression flickered, and she seemed annoyed for a moment. Then she was laughing as she positioned herself over the edge with the rope in hand. "So many questions. Let's just get to the bottom of this ourselves, shall we?"
"Rook, wait," Theo warned, reaching out.
"It's secure, Handsome. Don't worry," she assured, flashing him a grin. "But if it will make you feel better to stay up here and make sure it stays tied, I won't stop you. I'll give you a whistle when I hit the bottom, all right?" Theo didn't answer, and she tilted her head. "I'll be fine, Theodynn. If it's a trap, you'll just have to climb down quick to save me." She didn't wait for him to answer before she was lowering herself down the rope with surprising skill. Theo watched as she disappeared down into the murky depths of the chasm, and he waited for any sound of battle or distress. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard a shrill whistle echo from the depths.
"I guess it's my turn, then," he mused as he turned to the hoofer grazing nearby. He thought about tying it up, but then shook his head. He wouldn't be taking a hoofer back, if all went well today. The rope went lax, and Theo took a deep breath before lowering himself down into the ravine.
75
"What do you mean, you don't actually have him?" Imgloss demanded. Quazier shrugged one shoulder as he continued counting the money out of a velvet purse.
"What do you want me to say? I don't have the little brat. The Ahkahsar wanted him and offered a good price...how could I say no?"
"You told the girl you had her cousin," Imgloss pointed out.
Quazier laughed out loud. "Come on, Imgloss. You're telling me you've never lied to someone?" He stacked the last gold piece and whistled low. "Crown of Kahzym, Rook was making a nice profit."
"If you don't have him..."
"Look, the girl's never going to know. Well, maybe she will someday, but by the time she's obedient enough to earn the right to see her cousin, she'll be obedient enough to stick with her new life calling. I've trained so many of these brats, you wouldn't believe. They're always belligerent at first, but give them the taste of power...make them feel like joining the traders is really them taking control of their own lives...and they fall into line."
"I'm not worried about controlling the wild beast you've got chained up!" Imgloss snapped. "The boy you so carelessly sold is the Heir to the Western Province. If you think they're going to go mad looking for the girl, just imagine what that Harpy in the West will do to find her own son?"
Imgloss's words finally seemed to hit home, and Quazier's smile faded. "The Heir to the west?"
"The leader's son, you idiot."
"That does complicate things," the trade leader muttered, but then he seemed to shake off his own worry. "I doubt the leader would have been able to pay as handsome a ransom as I got from the Ahkahsar, at any rate."
"Ransom?"
"That's the only use for someone that important you know. Yes, his family may scour the entirety of the realm for him, but they won't find the Ravine, at least not in time." He began scooping the money back into the pouch.
"What are you talking about?"
"That's where I was yesterday, you know. Searching the realm for my retirement spot. Once we cash in on the Heir to the Oni throne today, we'll all be rich enough to leave this dirt hole for better living elsewhere." He hefted the purse in his hands. "Me more than most, in all honesty."
"I don't care about the money!" Imgloss grabbed Quazier's arm roughly. "That boy would have been my ticket out of these!" He lifted an arm to expose the glowing tattoos. Quazier's expression became unamused as he pushed the Ancient off of himself.
"Get ahold of yourself, Imgloss. You're still immortal, aren't you?"
"To be Ancient and powerless is a fate worse than death," the short oni muttered.
"Geez, so dramatic." Quazier dusted himself off as he rolled his eyes. "Look, even without the brat, we're going to get our dues today. Think of it my way, would you? Long life plus a mountain of riches equals one comfortable retirement. So you've got nothing to complain about. Now, as long as you're here to prattle my ear off, I'd like to know how the little she-devil is faring. Have you been able to get her to eat?"
"She's eating...binding her time until she can take you down," Imgloss muttered. "I'm telling you, the girl's not worth the effort."
"Oh, she'll be worth the effort," Quazier said. He moved to one side of his tent, scanning the various object he had there. He finally settled on the small sword leaning up against the tent. He scanned it, rubbing a thumb over the insignia. "I'd love to know where she got her sword, you know. I guess if she's related to leadership, they'd have the money for quality...but I've never seen this brand before and can't recall seeing a finer weapon."
"What are you going to do with that?" Imgloss asked, eyeing the sharp blade.
"Ah...probably nothing, unless she really gets on my nerves. But nothing riles warriors up more than seeing someone else handle their sword."
"You want to rile up that beast of an Oni?"
"You have to push them all the way to their limit, Imgloss," Quazier said as he swung the sword idly. "You got to break them before you can build them back up again."
"You're a fool."
Quazier just scoffed as he headed to the door of his tent. "Come along. I'll show you what I mean."
The Heir hit the ground, and Rook took a step back. The chasm was pitch black, and she tried to calm her rocketing heartbeat. You've been down here loads of times, she reminded herself. The walls are not closing in. It's just in your head...you're fine.
Purple light flickered to life, and Rook watched the Heir turn around to take the scene in with aura ringing his hands. "Woah," Theodynn muttered as he caught sight of the pulley systems complete with further ropes.
"Woah is right," Rook agreed, feigning surprise as she went over to study the various pulleys. "This must be how they get multiple slaves down here—they have people manning all of these pulley systems."
"They just lower them down, like a bucket in a well," Theo mused, studying the harnesses tied to the end of the ropes. Then he was moving to study the bedrolls and old fires. "It looks like they normally have traders stationed here. Why aren't they here now?"
"They probably only stay here when they're taking in a shipment of slaves," Rook offered quickly. She made a show to rub the ashes of the fire between her fingers. "This is long cold. They haven't been here for a few days."
Theodynn didn't answer as he looked around the narrow place. Rook tried to keep her hands from shaking as she dusted them off on her trousers. "According to the intel, if you follow the tunnels leading south, it will lead to the center of the trade."
"This has got to be it," Theo mumbled to himself, fingering the ropes on the walls. "After all these years..."
"Don't get too excited now," Rook said, coming over to take his arm. "We still have to find the actual center of the trade." She waited for him to agree, but he was quiet, his expression distant. After a few minutes, Rook chuckled nervously. "Theodynn? Are you all right?"
He blinked, seeming to come out of whatever thought he had been lost to. "We could come down here with an army," he pointed out. "There's enough evidence here..."
"We're so close!" Rook cut in, pulling him along toward the south-facing tunnels. The thought of entering them and being fully enclosed in rock made her stomach twist, but she pushed aside the anxiety as she coaxed him along. "We have to make sure the center of trade really is at the end of these tunnels. Otherwise, all we'll be bringing an army to see is some rickety method of transporting people up and down. We have no way to prove it was traders unless we can actually find some of them."
Theo frowned, but Rook relaxed as he finally began following her into the tunnel. They traveled down the narrow passage, and Rook tried taking deep breaths to keep herself calm. Though this was the fastest way to get to the Ravine, she hated coming this route. She was so focused on reminding herself how fine she was that she didn't realize how loudly she was breathing until she felt Theo's hand on her shoulder.
"Rook, are you all right?" he asked, his voice full of concern. She didn't look him in the eye, not wanting to see his stupid, genuine expression.
"I'm fine."
"We can wait for reinforcements, you know. We don't have to do this alone. We could—"
"It's the tunnels, okay?" she snapped as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I want to get to the bottom of this as badly as you...but I hate these stupid tunnels." She wished she could stop shaking. This was supposed to be her moment...so why did everything feel so wrong?
"Oh...I'm an idiot." Theo's voice was full of apology as he glanced around. "The mines that collapsed on you when you were younger..."
"Don't talk about it," Rook snapped, closing her eyes. "I'm fine, all right? Let's just keep walking, and I'll be just fine when we get to the other side." She moved to walk forward, but with her eyes closed, she smacked right into the wall. Suddenly, there was a warm arm around her shoulders pulling her close.
"We can go back."
"Don't you dare," she hissed, though she didn't pull away.
"All right...then we'll go forward. But I promise I won't let the tunnels collapse on us, Rook."
She snorted bitterly. "Like you can promise that," she muttered as they began walking again. Theo didn't answer, and she finally managed to open her eyes. Purple light reflected off the carved walls, and she wished that the arm around her didn't feel so comforting.
Just hold on a little longer, Rook. It will all be over soon, and you won't have to worry about anything ever again. You'll never have to walk through these horrid tunnels, you'll never have to see Quazier's stupid face. Just a little longer...
The sound of their footsteps echoed on the hard-packed earth, and from this close position, Rook realized that the Heir smelled like hoofer, as well as something else that she couldn't quite place. They moved quickly, and all at once, Rook realized that she could see light at the end of the tunnel.
"This is it," Theodynn murmured next to her.
"Yep." Rook watched the light grow bigger, and she took a deep breath. At last, they reached it, and Rook's hands shook worse than ever. The Heir moved to head out into the morning sunshine, but she put a hand out to stop him. "Let me go first."
"No, I'm not sending..."
"Just let me get out of these tunnels, please?" she begged. Theo's expression clouded, but then he sighed.
"We'll do it together," he said, moving toward the sunlight. He climbed up the last incline to the small opening, and Rook watched as he headed out into the Ravine. She followed from behind, her determination settling into her like lead. She stepped out into the light and crushed the last of her reluctance. There was no going back now.
"Rook...I think this really is it." Theodynn's voice was hushed as he moved across the small plateau outside the tunnel to gaze out at the tents dotting the ravine in the distance.
"Yeah...it is." Rook pointed her black dagger to the sky from her place behind him. Though the prince didn't see the gesture, the traders hiding behind nearby rocks and foliage saw the sign all too clearly. Like water spilling from a broken dam, people rushed into the scene. For his part, the Prince managed to get prepared quickly. At the appearance of the flood of traders, he drew his sword and lit it with aura, positioning himself for a fight.
"It was an ambush after all," he growled as the traders surrounded him and Rook completely, blocking off any chance of escape down the tunnel. "If you take the ones on the left, then I'll..."
"It's the prince all right!" A call cut into Theodynn's planning, and he blinked as the traders all began jeering. He glanced over at Rook, and she watched his expression cloud with confusion as he realized that she wasn't preparing for an imminent battle.
"It's no use, Theodynn," Rook tried, but then a trader came forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Theo looked ready to attack the man, but he froze as the trader spoke.
"Quazier always said his Rookie was the best, but I didn't believe it until today!" he called. The rest of the traders raised a cheer in agreement, and Rook kept her face apathetic as she stared at Theodynn. She waited for him to realize, studying his face. At first, Theo seemed confused, but then she watched as understanding spread across his features. Rook wasn't sure how to feel about his look of betrayal as the blood drained from his face. Uneasy with the guilt that was trying to overtake her, Rook laughed to drown out her thoughts as she sauntered forward.
"Oh, don't feel too bad, Handsome," she teased. "You're not the first one to fall for my little act." As her words confirmed what he had no doubt realized, Theo's expression hardened. Suddenly, the vulnerability vanished, replaced by a look that might as well have been carved from stone. His sword was still raised, but Rook merely tsked at it as she studied him. "I wouldn't fight back if I were you, Sweetheart," she offered. "You're a good fighter, but you're hopelessly outnumbered. It'd be a pity to ruin that pretty face of yours."
He didn't answer as he turned to look at the traders standing all around them. Each of them had their own weapons raised. Rook continued to stare him down, keeping her expression confident as everyone waited to see what the prince would do.
The aura extinguished around the blade, and Theo stood down. Rook sagged in relief as she watched him lower his sword, and the silence shattered as the traders all around surged forward. Theo didn't fight back as they grabbed him roughly, jeering and laughing as they ripped the sword from his hands and forced his arms behind his back. The jangle of chains mixed with the trader's mocking, and Rook moved forward as she watched one of the traders grab Theodynn by the collar of his shirt.
"Thought you were too smart for us, didn't you, freak?" the short criminal jeered, spitting in Theo's face. The Heir looked resigned...but there was also anger in his eyes. When Theo didn't respond to the insult, the trader drew back his hand, but Rook reached him first.
"Hands off the merchandise, you idiot," she snapped, ripping the trader off of Theodynn. By now, the mob had secured him with rope and chain, and she made a show of looking the Heir up and down. "We need him intact for the buyer, remember?"
"Quazier said we could rough him up a little, as long as we didn't leave too many bruises," the trader whined. Rook frowned as she looked around.
"Where is Quazier?" she demanded. "I thought he'd be here."
"Having trouble with his newest pet," another offered. "Said he'd get here as soon as he managed to rein her in."
Rook's brow furrowed. "Pet?"
"So...it was all a lie, then?" Theodynn spoke at last, and his voice was surprisingly controlled. Rook turned to see him staring straight at her, ignoring the other traders mocking him from all sides.
Rook hated herself for flushing, so she scoffed, holding her head up high. "My, you are as slow as they say, if you're just now figuring that out," she pointed out.
"I meant all the stories you told about your past," he replied, his expression as stony as ever. "The mine collapse...the poor little girl who got taken by slave traders. You weren't ever taken—you've been one of them from the beginning."
Rook folded her arms, tilting her head. "Actually, those stories were true, interestingly enough. The only part I lied about was when I said I escaped the traders...because as you'll soon learn, there is no escape." Confident that Theo was securely bound, she moved closer so that they were only inches apart. "But now that I've handed you over, maybe they'll actually keep their promise to let me go, and I can leave this filth-hole once and for all," she murmured.
"So, you're trading my freedom for yours?" he guessed softly. The way he looked at her made her insides twist, but Rook refused to show it. He wasn't going to get the satisfaction of thinking she wasn't a hundred percent committed to this.
Rook smiled tauntingly as she reached out to push the hair out of his eyes. "Don't look so betrayed, Theodynn. Just think of it all like a game. Remind me...what's the phrase you use when the Rook takes the King?"
His eyes narrowed hatefully as he studied her. "I believe the word you're looking for is 'check,'" he said at last.
Rook grinned. "Mmm...actually, I think it's checkmate."
Theodynn's stoic expression finally broke. Rather than fall into despair, however, the prince began chuckling softly. Rook's own smile faltered slightly as he met her eye. "Oh, Rook," he murmured darkly. "You only get to say that when you win."
Rook blinked, but before she could question or mock his sudden shift in mood, the heir's arms lit up orange. The assassin stumbled backward as the ropes and chains binding Theodynn broke apart, and the ground beneath them seemed to rumble and shift. The traders' triumphant murmurs turned to cries of fear and confusion, and Theo sent a few blasts of aura to keep the ones closest to him back. One of the traders nearby was holding his confiscated weapon, and Rook watched in frozen shock as the Heir managed to rip it free of the lackey's hand. Seeing the Heir with his blade snapped Rook out of her stupor, and she moved quickly to put a stop to his escape. Her black dagger struck his blade hard, her expression twisted in confusion.
"How?" she demanded. Theo seemed apathetic as he parried her attacks.
"You traders have vengestone, don't you? You really should have used it," he mocked.
"What stone?" she hissed in reply. Other traders were coming to assist Rook, but Theo sent a wave of aura out, causing them to lurch backward to avoid it.
"I could have flashed right back to the fortress the second I saw it was a trap, you know," the Heir pointed out as he blocked each of her swipes and stabs. "Did you really think taking me down was going to be that easy?"
"Why did you stand down at all if you were just going to fight back now?" Rook growled. She noticed someone raising a crossbow, and she whirled to yell at the idiot trader. "No! We need him alive!"
"I was just buying a little time," Theo answered.
"A little time for what?" Rook hissed. Everything had been going right as planned, but now there was a desperate fear clawing at her as she realized it was all slipping away. "You're still hopelessly outnumbered, you idiot...you can't hold us off forever."
"I don't have to." Theo kicked back a trader running in from behind, and he sent another running as a blast set the man's beard on fire. "I just have to keep you busy until my dragon gets here."
Rook scoffed, her dagger sparking as it hit his blade with a furious force. "You're relying on your hoofer to come save you?" she sneered.
Theo met her eye with a smirk. "Wrong dragon."
As if beckoned by his words, a guttural roar shook the area. Rook couldn't help but stumble back, her eyes wide as she looked to the skies. All around her, the traders did the same.
"Poor Rook...I told you that you needed to work on your technique," Theo was tsking. "You get so excited when you think you've won that you forget to think about what your opponent has planned."
"As far as you knew, we were on the same side!" Rook snapped, turning back to glower at him. "You shouldn't have been planning anything!"
His smile faded, making it easier to see the fury in his expression. "That's true," he admitted. "But did you really think I was stupid enough to walk right into a sniffer den without backup?"
Rook roared in frustration as she launched at him again, but he was ready for her. All around her, traders were scattering. Some were still trying to attack the Oni Heir, but most were taking cover in the tunnels or running to the tents as the roars of dragons echoed through the Ravine.
"It's probably not just the Guardian coming, either," Theo said as they continued to fight. "I promised you I wouldn't tell my parents about the slave trade before we headed out to look into your intel...but I might have left them a note encouraging them to keep an eye on the Guardian, because I'd be out investigating something important and I'd be calling for him if things got dicey. Which I actually did earlier, right when we discovered the pulley systems in the chasm, because I knew that meant we were on the right trail at last."
"Dragon? Guardian?" Rook slashed with further fury. "What are you even talking about?"
"Dragons can get across the realm far faster than hoofers, you know...and they can carry a lot of people when they need to, Guardian's especially. I wouldn't be surprised if there's an entire army coming this way."
"You went behind my back?" Rook realized. Most of what he was saying made no sense to her, but that much was clear. It seemed the Heir had been holding out on her...and if what he was saying was true, she was doomed.
"You're one to talk," Theodynn pointed out bitterly, and Rook gasped as he landed a kick on her ribs. She stumbled back, but managed to keep her dagger raised in warning. He met her eye angrily. "I knew you wouldn't like it, which is why I didn't tell you...but your plan was going to take too long. Finding the center of trade just to go all the way back to the central fortress to get an army together to come all the way back and hope the traders were still around? I did what I had to do to ensure that the trade gets taken down for good, as quickly and effectively as possible. I thought it was something we were going to do together...I even felt a little bad about not letting you in on my full plan. But I guess we never were playing on the same side, huh, Rook?"
A huge shadow suddenly blocked out the sun as a dragon breached the mountains above them. Rook flinched as she caught sight of the enormous brown beast, and she could hear traders screaming in concern as a few smaller dragons darted into their Ravine. Rook caught sight of people on the back of the beasts, and she realized the prince was right. Dread made her arms go heavy, and she wasn't ready for the Heir's next blow.
Rook fell hard into the dirt, and then there was a sword pointed at her neck. Looking up at Theodynn's expression, she realized how similar this was to the first time she had tried to fight him. She was on the ground with the same feeling of defeat...the same anger and despair that she had somehow failed against all odds. But worst of all, Theodynn's expression was the same as it had been that night—in fact, if anything, his gaze was filled with more hate and disgust than it had been back when he hadn't known who she was. Rook's heart suddenly seized with fear, and she made a desperate grab for her black dagger lying in the dirt nearby. However, she froze as the metal from Theodynn's blade bit into her neck.
"I wouldn't fight back if I were you, Sweetheart," he taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Rook swallowed hard. Her fingers were inches from the hilt of her dagger, but the dragons were landing, and she could hear the sound of swords meeting swords as Theo's promised army fought the traders. As she hesitated, Theo tilted his head as he continued to quote her. "You're a good fighter, but you're hopelessly outnumbered. It'd be a pity to ruin that pretty face of yours."
Rook closed her eyes as the feeling of defeat settled over her like an execution sentence. She sagged, giving up on trying to reach for the dagger. In the distance, she could hear people calling Theodynn's name— it sounded like the Ruler and her Asahkar husband. Bile rose as Rook realized what she had done. This was more than merely not delivering on her side of the job. If the Rulers were here, then it was over—the trader's hideout was discovered, and it was all her fault.
The blade left her skin at last, and she looked up at the prince miserably. Theo didn't look the least bit sympathetic as he stared down at her, his next words cutting like a knife.
"In case you're too slow to figure it out...this is the part where I get to say checkmate."