AS JACQUELYN LEANED OVER THE edge of the large vessel pulling into the Amayan harbor, her single eye stared into the depths of the sea which had brought them here from Eura. She was trying to keep her wits about her despite the obvious discomfort the ocean brought her. Her head was still pounding from that brutal assault on her skull in the cell, though she continued to insist that she was fine.
The supposed "Great Beast" she was bonded to had kept distance from the boat since boarding nearly two weeks ago. She'd hardly seen the weird ball of feathers, and certainly couldn't remember the name, which she supposed the Greencloaks would remind her in exasperation. Jacquelyn didn't like their tone with her, so decided that she would catch the name when they inevitably began ranting on how important the four of them were.
Speaking of which, they'd gone and picked up three other recruits to this strange expedition. Another Greencloak by the name of Tarik, who was quite possibly the most intimidating man she'd ever seen, had with him a young shepherd boy bonded to a wolf, and a Zhongese noble girl walking alongside a panda. She hadn't caught the names of either beast, but their summoners were Conor and Meilin, respectively.
Her sister and the wretched cat were down below, probably mocking one another with their company. Something the Phoenix had noticed with the two — the lion seemed displeased to be bonded to a human, and obviously Lucy wasn't the happiest person ever when it came to being the summoner of such a beast. The thought almost made the redhead snort, if she wasn't in a similar position. Eagles were something of a nightmare for her. Her father had taught her falconry from an early age, so she'd always been fascinated with raptors. As a child, even eagles were something of wonder for her, right up until a rogue bald eagle was brought in and it attacked her, rendering her so badly wounded that one of her eyes had been removed.
Since then, she'd regarded all eagles with caution — even hatred. It was just her luck she'd be bonded to one. Clearly the fate of Erdas had a sense of humor regarding the twin assassin girls, because neither one was particularly pleased with the arrangement.
Pushing off away from the railing of the rocking vessel, Jacquelyn placed a hand on her head with a low growl, feeling suddenly lightheaded at the movement. That insistent prick of pain drilled into the back of her skull, and she ground her teeth in order to act as though it didn't bother her.
As she moved toward the middle of the ship while muttering curses under her breath, she heard the sound of claws upon metal, and turned her head slightly to catch sight of the source — the eagle had come to perch upon the railing, storm-gray eyes fixated on her observantly.
A scowl crossed her features. "What?"
The eagle cracked his beak once, as though mocking her words, before spreading his wings with a low squawk.
"Don't use that tone with me, you overgrown turkey." She growled at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Go away."
He tilted his head, taking in her command before she threw her arms up and startled him enough to send him back into the air with an unsteady flap of his wings.
"Stars above . . ." She pinched the bridge of her nose before turning around, only to see the Greencloak who had found them standing there. "Can I help you?"
Viatrix watched the bird fly away, back into the air before fixing her gaze onto Jacquelyn. "You seem displeased about the situation."
"Whatever, get out of my way. I need some headache medicine." She pushed past the other woman roughly, ignoring the stab of pain that shot through her skull as a result of the movement.
The Greencloak turned to watch her go. "Keeping yourself separated won't break your bond to him."
Jacquelyn rubbed the skin between her eye and where her other one should have been. "What's it to you?"
"Halawir is a Great Beast. You should be honored to have a bond with him."
"The only thing that turkey has done since I bonded with him is manage to make my headache worse." The assassin growled. "No offense — actually, total offense, I don't care about anyone's feelings — but I would rather sell that thing on the black market than bond with him." She lifted her gaze. "There is no honor to this ridiculous pairing. I am being hunted for something that I physically cannot get rid of, because trust me, I would. Let the enemy have him, or whatever. He's a liability in my life."
Viatrix raised an eyebrow at her, inclining her head. "I hope one day you change your mind."
"Doubtful." Jacquelyn commented, moving toward the stairs leading belowdecks to get some medicine. As she entered the quarters she shared with her twin, the younger sister swiftly dodged as what appeared to be a thousand pounds of angry lion lunged for her.
'Cabaro' hit the wall with a low growl, laying there and rumbling dangerously in his throat.
The assassin turned toward the other girl who was laid out on the one bed, watching the entire situation.
"Okay, first of all, tell your overgrown housecat to keep his claws to himself." Jacquelyn grunted, unfazed by the entire thing as she walked toward the dressing stand where her pain medication was located — next to the one her sister used for her leg. She grabbed the bottle off the furniture and downed two of the pills without much thought — or even any water — before capping the container and placing it back onto its stand.
Lucy gave her a sympathetic look. "Headaches still bothering you?"
"At this point, I believe driving a nail through my skull would be less painful than whatever that fall did to my head."
Her twin snorted and moved over to give Jacquelyn room to sit on the bed as well, tilting her head to the side. "Where's your unholy ball of feathers?"
The redhead took out a nail file from the drawer beside the bed and began to grind away at her titanium claws — sharpening them was a habit she'd gotten into after she welded them in, so her one accessible weapon of choice would always be at the ready. "Don't know and don't care. He can fly to the other end of Erdas and bond with someone else before I bat my eye."
Lucy let out a howl of laughter, a smirk on her face. "I agree. Unfortunately, I'm stuck with the moody sun cat over there because he can't fly away."
"Lock him down here and come up on the deck." Jacquelyn suggested without looking up.
"And socialize with other people who summoned Great Beasts?" The elder twin gasped mockingly. "I think I'll take my chances with the cat." Her expression shifted. "Have you spoken to the newcomers yet?"
"Nope."
"But you already know them." It wasn't a question.
Jacquelyn smirked. "There's a reward to standing in the shadows to observe, I suppose." She lowered the nail file slightly. "One of them is a noble girl from Zhong who summoned the panda. Doesn't seem too pleased about it, and I reckon it's because she has more soldier-like tendencies and the panda is nothing like that. Resting scowl on her face — I think it's her goal to make everyone on the boat uncomfortable with her."
Lucy nodded once to show she'd heard. "And the other one?"
"Shepherd boy from Eura." She replied. "Shy, nervous, summoned the wolf. Obviously still not used to the fact that he's important. He probably served a higher power in his town. I heard whispers that he took the attention from the Earl's son at the ceremony. Very humiliating."
The elder twin snorted, laying back to rest her head on the pillow while her hands folded across her stomach calmly. "What are we supposed to tell them we are? The Greencloaks are aware of our assassin status, but not of our more . . . noble blood."
Jacquelyn turned her head slightly to watch her twin with that one eye. "Our blood is none of their business," she growled, her heart feeling suddenly uneasy. "In the eyes of everyone in this pathetic world, we are dangerous murderers. That is who we made ourselves to be. That is who we are." Her grip on the nail file tightened just slightly, before she got up suddenly, startling Cabaro and causing him to spin around with a snarl.
She looked him dead in the eye. "Watch yourself, kitten." Her voice was low and dangerous, and the lion thought better of himself and laid down with a low growl.
Lucy snorted. "Want to switch spirit animals?" She joked, slightly. "You can have him, I'll take the chicken."
"Oh Hell no," Jacquelyn walked toward the door, watching as her sister got up to follow. "I may hate the turkey, but I wouldn't last a day with an animal as vain as yours."
"That's fair." The elder girl grunted, walking out of the quarters and following the redhead up the stairs, onto the deck.
The two Greencloaks were standing near the front of the vessel, chatting quietly as their transport was being pulled into the harbor at last. Jacquelyn quickly glanced up to see if her wretched bird was nearby, and saw him circling high above lazily, far enough away that she decided he wasn't worth keeping an eye on. She now followed Lucy and Cabaro toward the side of the ship, approaching the other two summoners who were waiting to get off the rocking boat.
The Zhongese noble seemed surprised at the sight of the twins, but more specifically, Cabaro, who was walking leisurely beside the brunette he was bonded to. As they halted a few paces away, the big cat let loose a rumbling growl toward the others, before he sat down and began to groom his front paws.
No words were spoken between the four of them as they exited the ship, and as soon as Jacquelyn felt her feet hit stable ground, she exhaled sharply in relief. She had never enjoyed the sea.
Her sister dropped down beside her, graceful as a swan, and nodded once before heading toward where Tarik and Viatrix were preparing to mount a pair of powerful-looking horses. As the two Greencloaks swung onto the beasts, they shifted their weights to get comfortable, before guiding them forward and beckoning the others to follow.
Lucy sniffed. "Kind of rude that the adults get horses and we have to walk." She commented, just under her breath so only Jacquelyn could hear her. The redhead grunted in agreement, glancing back over her shoulder to see that . . . Halawir was gliding behind them, his storm-gray eyes locked onto her.
She scowled at the bird, seeing his gaze dart to her armored shoulder as though debating whether to land there or not. "You'd better not even try it." Her voice came out in a low hiss, showing the anger she still felt toward the large raptor.
In response, Halawir screeched and flapped aggressively, soaring over the heads of the people below him and scattering feathers as he flew. Jacquelyn swatted one as it drifted down toward her face, watching the bird disappear over the walls of the Greencloak stronghold they would be soon entering.
As they passed through the gates, the twins remained close together — enough so that their arms were brushing against one another. Cabaro strolled slightly behind them, unbothered by anything and flicking his ears every few seconds. Halawir had landed on a thin tree branch of a cherry blossom tree near the stone wall, watching them all move beneath him.
Both Tarik and Viatrix dismounted their horses when Jacquelyn noticed another individual approaching. A young boy, clearly around the same age as Conor and Meilin, halted a few paces away. He wore no green cloak, which showed he was not affiliated with the Marked organization.
He had dark hair, and his scruffiness showed that he was most likely fresh off the streets. There was a large bird on his shoulder, not as large as Halawir, but still pretty large for the species, which the assassin recognized as a gyrfalcon.
This must have been the summoner of the Great Beast told in the children's stories — the falcon.
"I'm Tarik," the male Greencloak suddenly spoke up, walking up toward the boy. "My partner here is Viatrix. I take it you're Rollan?"
"I was trying to keep a low profile," the Amayan boy snorted, crossing his arms. "How could you tell? It was the falcon, wasn't it?"
Tarik gestured to the four who had traveled with him. "Jacquelyn, Lucy, Meilin, Conor, I would like you to meet Rollan," he told them, waving a hand toward the boy with the falcon.
"He was born and raised here in Amaya." Viatrix cut in. "Just as you four have summoned Halawir, Cabaro, Jhi, and Briggan, he called Essix."
Briggan moved toward the middle of the forming circle as the falcon fluttered down to stand before him. Jhi moved in close as well, grunting, and Essix gave a soft screech as Cabaro sat down near the panda, eyeing him suspiciously. Halawir eventually joined them, gliding from the tree to land beside the wolf, cocking his head curiously. The five animals warily investigated one another for a long moment, before the eagle suddenly made a snap toward the falcon.
Essix squawked and fluttered back away from the larger raptor, glaring coldly at him as Halawir hissed in a show of aggression.
Jacquelyn fixed her single eye on Rollan. "My bird is bigger than yours." She told him with a completely straight expression, crossing her arms. While she was still completely disgusted by the idea of having an eagle as her bonded partner, it felt good to have the more powerful specimen on her side — even if she preferred falcons over eagles in the grand spectrum of things.
He gave her a surprised glance, as though he hadn't expected someone to immediately make such a bold claim. As he did so, Halawir hopped over to his summoner and settled between her feet, hissing at the other Great Beasts.
The assassin stepped back, rolling her eye.
"Do they remember?" The Zhongese noble asked, speaking in the common tongue with an accent.
"Perhaps," Tarik mused, watching the animals interact. "It's difficult to pinpoint how much of their former lives they recall. Much of it might be instinct at this stage."
"It most likely stems from part instinct and part faded memories." Viatrix shifted her weight a bit. "Given that no one has been eaten yet shows a great deal of respect."
"What about the sixth Fallen Beast?" Rollan asked. "Uraza."
Jacquelyn noticed that Cabaro tensed up and growled deeply at the mention of that name, and inclined her head just slightly once she noticed Lucy move away from him. "That's the leopard, correct?"
Viatrix nodded slowly. "Uraza was one of the Four Fallen, alongside Briggan, Essix, and Jhi. She and Cabaro were competitors back in the old days, and therefore rivals in everything."
Tarik scowled. "Somebody got to Uraza and her new partner before us, much as Zerif attempted with you." He gestured to Rollan. "The girl is named Abeke. We don't know her present location, but we won't rest until we find her. Lenori believes that she and Uraza are still alive. The challenge will be finding them."
"Is Lenori how you found us?" Conor asked quietly, running his hand through the fur of his wolf as he eyed everyone around him.
The male Greencloak nodded once. "Lenori is the most gifted visionary of all the Greencloaks. Thanks to her unique foresight, we suspected the Four Fallen and the Forgotten Beasts were returning."
"Her powers can't be entirely unique," Rollan pointed out. "Not if somebody beat you to the girl in Nilo."
Lucy scoffed. "I'm sure you could have done so much better, kid."
"If Uraza is currently lost," Meilin cut in, "then the three of us must represent the Four Fallen, and the twins must stand for the Forgotten. Aren't we supposed to learn what's going on, now that we're together?"
"That information is Olvan's to share," Tarik told her. "You already know that we want you to join the Greencloaks and help us preserve Erdas."
"From the Devourer?" Rollan piped up without even trying to hide the skeptical expression on his face.
The elder Greencloak seemed momentarily startled by this question. "Who mentioned the Devourer?"
"This guy I met," the Amayan boy replied. "He was riding a moose."
"The Devourer?" Jacquelyn scoffed. "You mean that children's tale of a corrupted king?"
Viatrix nodded. "The Devourer was a king who allied himself with two traitorous Great Beasts. He is the reason the six beasts you all walk with ended up here in the first place."
"But," Tarik cut in quickly. "We're still not positive who we're up against. If it isn't the Devourer himself, it's somebody very much like him. It shouldn't be long before Olvan explains why we need your help. For the moment, you five should seize this chance to get better acquainted. You'll see a lot of each other in the coming days. I'll ride ahead with Viatrix to announce our arrival." He swung back onto his horse and kicked it into motion, trotting forward with the younger Greencloak following his lead upon her own horse.
"Get ready to be stared at," Rollan warned them as the two rode away. "It's all people have done since I arrived. At first I worried I had food on my face."
"People tend to stare at newcomers," Meilin replied coldly. "Especially important ones."
"Or," Lucy suggested, "they stare because nobody knows how to mind their own business."
Jacquelyn nodded once in agreement with her sister. "Not everything is about importance." The shadows are more comfortable than the center of everyone's attention.
"I guess our animals make us important," Conor mused, sounding uncertain whether he believed it or not.
Everyone went quiet after that, and Jacquelyn found herself disagreeing with the shepherd boy. She had fought tooth and nail for her place in the world, trained every single day since she was seven to become the person she was. Some oversized chicken didn't automatically change her place in the world when she had worked hard to achieve that without him.
She shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather garments, watching each person and their animals closely to profile them further. Lucy was at her side, giving off similar vibes as the younger assassin. She was tensed up slightly, standing a few paces away from the most impressive animal among them — Cabaro. Conor was shifting his weight from foot to foot, his skin brushing against Briggan. The wolf was also quite powerful-looking, and in a fight with the lion could possibly hold his own for some time. Rollan appeared smug or haughty, at war with the world which was typical for a street urchin. His scruffy appearance was unusual next to the glossy falcon, who was observing the others as well. Her stance was slightly defensive, though that was possibly due to the way Halawir had made an attempt at attacking her. Jhi stood beside Meilin, silently pawing at the grass and appearing uninterested, while her summoner appeared to be sizing everyone up with a resting glare painted on her features.
"Judging by your clothes, I take it you're rich," Rollan told the three females standing around.
"What gave you that impression?" Lucy raised an eyebrow, arms crossed as she looked down at her dark-colored garments, before turning her gaze onto her sister. "Do we look rich?"
Jacquelyn looked up from her nails, making sure the claws were even and razor-sharp. "I suppose we do. We're dressed as nobility."
"Wealth is relative," Meilin replied with a cold look. "The emperor has much more treasure than my father."
Yes he does. And so do I. But who's keeping score?
Rollan chuckled. "If the Zhongese emperor is your example of someone richer than you, you have to be loaded."
"My father is a general and there are also successful merchants in my bloodline."
"Yep, rich," Rollan concluded, before shifting his gaze to the twins. "You two? Nobility? There has to be something before now."
While Jacquelyn was tempted to reveal her past for the shock factor — and to one-up everyone else — she kept her mouth shut about that. Her past was none of their concern. "Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. Lucy and I are twins who prefer to keep our past where it is. All we need is one another."
"What we can tell you," Lucy added, inclining her head, "is that we are probably the two most dangerous people in the world that you will ever meet."
"Mysterious, and creepy." Rollan now looked slightly uncomfortable. "What about you, Conor? Do you have a family or a bloodline?"
The shepherd reddened slightly and swiftly swept his gaze toward the girls. "A family. We have bloodlines, I guess, but we don't use that word. We're shepherds. I got stuck as a servant for a time, but I always preferred the outdoors."
"And I'm an orphan," Rollan finished bluntly. "I'm only here because Essix was my ticket out of jail."
"Oh, same," Lucy and Jacquelyn both said at the same time, in similar tones, which appeared to freak out Conor, as the blonde tensed up and took a step back.
"Jail!" The shepherd exclaimed. "What did you do?"
Rollan checked to make sure they were all listening closely, then leaned in. "Actually, I was innocent — not that I had any proof. I was arrested for stealing medicine from an apothecary."
The twins exchanged a long look.
"Were you sick?" Conor asked.
"A friend had a bad fever." He replied. "But I didn't swipe the medicine. Another friend did. I was around when it happened, so they assumed I was in on it."
"Which is the lie?" Meilin suddenly asked, her expression glittering with an icy chill. "That you were in jail, or that you were there for stealing medicine?"
Rollan shrugged, a slight smirk on his face. "You got me. I'm actually Olvan's son. He's having me spy on you."
The Zhongese girl wisely made no move to challenge him further, but Jacquelyn was sure she still didn't trust him. Her gaze wandered ahead toward the building they would soon enter, now ignoring the fact that Halawir was chewing on her leg in a bid for attention.
The summoner of Briggan glanced over his shoulder at Sunset Tower. "What do you think they want us to do?"
"Maybe you should have asked before you put on the cloak," Rollan's suggestion made Jacquelyn want to punt him about as much as she wanted to punt her eagle.
"I expect they'll want us as soldiers," Meilin concluded. "Leaders, probably. The war has already begun."
Lucy rolled her eyes. "I think I'd rather drown than be a soldier for the Greencloaks."
"Agreed," Jacquelyn nodded. "Our loyalties lie elsewhere." To the princess, to the Hell of Silver Ice — those are who I fight for.
"I bet they want us as mascots," Rollan told them smugly. "They'll probably add me to the Amayan flag."
"And then probably burn the flag right after," Lucy told him sweetly
Conor laughed, his face reddening slightly. "Can you imagine? As if all the attention didn't make me uncomfortable enough."
"This is a poor hour for humor," Meilin snapped, glaring mostly at the street thief that was Rollan, her eyes blazing. "Zhong is under heavy attack. The Greencloaks smuggled me away as my father fought to defend our city. I still haven't heard whether he lived or died! Whatever they have planned for us better be good."
"I'm in agreement with Meilin," Lucy stepped forward, crossing her arms over her chest. "There are people we were forced to leave behind because of this 'miracle', and we have no idea if anyone was hurt, or worse."
A dark thought pushed itself into Jacquelyn's mind, and she had to shake her head to clear the image before the nausea could show on her face.
Rollan eyed them warily. "I'm not sure how helpful I'll be," he told them. "Do you four have any tips about the animals? I can hardly get Essix to do anything."
"If you kick them hard enough, they'll go away and leave you alone," the redhead assassin suggested.
"I've been trying with Briggan," Conor responded, crouching to pet his wolf as he looked over at her nervously. "He can be stubborn. The more we've gotten to know each other, the better it's become. Tarik told me that eventually we can get powers from them."
Rollan glanced at Meilin and her panda. "What's your power going to be? Cuddling?"
Meilin's face shifted to rage. For a moment her lips trembled, but after that the anger only touched her eyes. She held out her arm, and in a blinding flash of light, Jhi vanished, reappearing as a design on the back of her hand. She then turned and stormed away without saying anything else.
"See," Rollan called after her. "Like that! How did you figure that out?"
"Too late," Conor murmured quietly. "I haven't known Meilin long, but I can tell she has a temper."
"Can you do that too?" the scruffy boy asked the three who remained. "The tattoo thing?"
The blonde shepherd shook his head. "Not yet." He admitted.
"Nope, not interested. I have enough tattoos." Jacquelyn scowled down at Halawir and nudged him roughly with her boot to get him to release her ankles.
Lucy said nothing, though Cabaro vocally voiced his opinion on the passive state with a deep growl.
Rollan stroked Essix, smirking at her. "At least we're not the only slow learners."
Crouched silently upon the roof of a tall spire of Sunset Tower, Jacquelyn observed the Greencloaks who guarded the courtyard below, face masked and unrecognizable in the darkness of the night.
The sun had gone down hours ago, but to the young assassin, that meant nothing. She was as comfortable in the darkness as in the daylight, perhaps even more so as long the stars were hidden from view.
It was a cloudy night, meaning the wretched glittering of the sky was limited by the streaks of thick clouds. She wasn't fond of the stars — something only a few people knew about her. Tonight, under the cover of a cloudy sky, she was going to explore without someone breathing down her neck.
Jacquelyn slid down the slanted spire roof until her feet touched a ledge that was even with the ground, and she rested there for only a moment before she pushed off and sprang into the air, behind one of the guards the moment he turned his back to her. She landed without a sound on the lower roof of the building that surrounded the courtyard, crouching there until the Greencloak had vanished, leaving the area below completely unguarded.
Standing up slowly, the assassin walked along the rooftops, keeping her eye out for anyone who would be entering.
She and the others had returned to the fortress earlier to the weight of the stares Rollan had promised. The Greencloaks helped the four newcomers get settled, but no additional information was forthcoming, much to her displeasure. She and Lucy had been left in their room to wait out their stay until these people decided they'd been left in suspension long enough.
Lucy had gone to sleep pretty easily that night — right after Jacquelyn had helped her lock Cabaro in a random washroom for someone else to deal with while the elder twin rested easily.
The redhead didn't sleep, so she had elected to explore this strange place while her sister slumbered and Halawir swaddled himself in the bed meant for his summoner.
She didn't care. She wasn't going to use it.
Right before leaving through the open window, she had taken another two headache pills, and now her skull felt simply heavy, not in any pain.
"Come on, Briggan! You don't want food; you don't want to go outside — can't this wait until morning?"
Hissing under her breath, Jacquelyn glanced down to see two shadows moving along the wall of the courtyard, and to avoid being seen, she ducked into the shadows of the second spire she was passing, using its towering form to shield her from prying eyes
Looking down, she saw the shepherd boy and his wolf walking, the canine guiding the way as though tracking something.
What in the name of the stars was he doing up?
Curiously, Jacquelyn moved alongside them, keeping herself downwind of the predator so he would not catch her scent. Lucy would never let her hear the end of it if she discovered her stealthy sister managed to get on the radar of an overgrown dog.
She followed them, weaving through corridors until at last the wolf halted, staring at something at the end of the open hallway. The assassin followed his gaze, pursing her lips at the familiar boy leaned against the far wall, looking as though he were simply just hanging out.
How suspicious.
Conor came into view after Briggan and squinted exhaustedly. squinted. "Rollan? What are you doing here?"
"Couldn't sleep," Rollan replied casually. "I was exploring. Why are you up so late?"
The shepherd boy yawned and stretched tiredly. "I was trying to sleep, but Briggan kept pawing the door."
Rollan looked toward the wolf. He sat back, mouth open, tongue dangling.
Jacquelyn narrowed her one eye.
Conor shook his head, trying to wake himself up. "Why hang out here? Are you up to something?"
"Fine," Rollan inhaled sharply, a note of reluctance to his tone. "Essix went out flying but hasn't returned. I want to make sure she's all right."
"So you came here. To a dead end," the shepherd clarified, disbelief written all over his face.
"I lost my way."
"So you stood against a door."
The tension flared, and Jacquelyn — now invested in this little conversation — eased herself into a comfortable crouch to watch.
Rollan shifted his weight. "I heard you coming and got embarrassed. I didn't want to seem lost. I really am concerned about Essix."
Conor frowned. "If you're worried, we should tell Olvan. I'm sure he has lots of people who can help us find Essix."
The thief was quiet for a long moment. "You're right." He finally said, glancing around. "Why don't you and Briggan go tell Olvan? I want to get started on my own just in case."
"What's in the bag?" Conor gestured toward a satchel that Rollan was carrying, which the assassin didn't notice before.
"Falcon food. You know . . . as bait."
This is getting deeper than Rollan planned, Jacquelyn realized with a silent snort, digging her claws into the rooftop.
Conor gave him a look. "Big bag for falcon food."
Rollan exhaled sharply, his shoulders twitching as he realized it was pointless to continue "Look, don't get Olvan. Essix is fine. I'm just . . . thinking about a change of scenery."
"You're running away?" Conor blurted out incredulously — and loudly. The assassin winced at the sound.
"I'm escaping," Rollan clarified.
"You're not a prisoner," Conor protested.
"I'm not so sure!" The orphan growled. "You think they'd let me go? Just wander off with Essix?"
The blonde paused. "Yeah, if you insisted."
"How would you know? You signed up as soon as they dangled a cloak in front of you."
Conor shifted. "I signed up after I learned that I had summoned Briggan," he replied with a defensive note to his tone. "I never asked for my own Great Beast, but it happened, and now the Greencloaks need my help to protect the world."
"From what?" Rollan scoffed. "They still haven't explained! Not really. We hear there's a war in Zhong. They whisper about the Devourer. People I've never met look at me hopefully, and I have no idea what they expect. Even if my falcon really is the same Essix from the old stories, what are we supposed to do about a war? In the stories Essix was huge and could talk. This Essix hardly seems to like me!"
In that moment, though she would never admit it, Jacquelyn actually agreed with the scruffy boy. She would be more than happy to leave Halawir here for the Greencloaks to deal with so she could get back to her duties to the princess and her own assassin life, and knew Lucy felt the same way about her lion. The only reason they remained her was because Jacquelyn was curious for what excuses the Marked would come up with.
"I wonder why," Conor said. Briggan gave his head a quick shake.
"Watch it, sheep boy." Rollan threatened, causing the assassin to cock an eyebrow. "You might like being herded, but that isn't my style."
"Yeah, well, at least I don't run away the second I get scared," Conor replied with sputtering anger. "You think this isn't hard for me? You think I don't have doubts too? You think I want to be stuck in some castle across the sea from my home? Go ahead and call me sheep boy any time you want. Herding sheep takes a lot more courage and know-how than sneaking away in the night!"
So the shepherd does have a backbone, Jacquelyn leaned down with interest.
Rollan seemed at a loss for words. "I . . . just need some space," he said softly, "how am I supposed to think this through while surrounded by Greencloaks? Every meal I eat, every hand I shake, feels like pressure to join them. How am I supposed to make my own choice? The Greencloaks probably aren't bad folks. But I'm not sure their interest in me goes one inch beyond the falcon. That means they're using me and that makes me cautious."
"I hear you," Conor agreed after a moment. "Nobody paid much mind to me either, until Briggan came along. Then I was suddenly the center of attention."
"Doesn't that make you question their motives?"
Jacquelyn licked her lips. The Greencloaks had only broken her and Lucy out of that dungeon because of Halawir and Cabaro. Of they'd never summoned the beasts, they'd both still be rotting — the redhead herself might honestly have been dead.
Conor gave a little nod. "Maybe. But I'm convinced that they're trying to defend Erdas. They need Briggan, so they need me too. Besides, Briggan seems to trust them."
Rollan glanced at the corridor behind Conor. "Whatever I choose, I guess I blew my escape tonight. You going to turn me in?"
"You haven't done anything," Conor replied, meeting Rollan's eyes steadily.
Rollan lowered his head and rubbed his eyebrows with his knuckles. "I guess I could wait around to hear the specifics."
"You could probably make a better choice that way," Conor pointed out. "If the two assassins can wait, so can you."
"Meanwhile, they'll have the chance to keep reeling me in," Rollan shook his head, his eyes narrowed. "I won't let them force me into this. I don't care if it gets awkward. I don't even care if they lock me up. Actually, if they lock me up, I'll know I made the right call."
Conor extended his arms and opened his mouth in a jaw-cracking yawn. "I'm glad you might stick around for now. I'd hate to be left alone with Meilin and the twins."
The orphan smirked. "Do they scare you?"
Conor shrugged. "I've got two brothers. I don't know the first thing about girls."
"I hear they like flowers."
"If you say so." The shepherd turned and patted the side of his leg. "Come on, Briggan, let's get back to bed. Goodnight, Rollan."
"Night." Rollan started back toward his room after the other boy was gone, leaving Jacquelyn alone on the rooftop, hidden in the shadows.
She got up and stretched, glancing up at the sky before she began to creep back toward the spire where Lucy was sleeping. Now smirking and in a better mood, Jacquelyn couldn't wait to tell her sister what had transpired this night.