by Zen DiPietro
Izzy opened her mouth to answer, but her eyes darted to the door, which Kassimeigh hadn’t bothered to close behind her.
“Ask me yourself.” Will grinned, closing the space between them. He wrapped Kassimeigh in a strong hug, which she returned with equal vigor.
“Ow!” He pretended to wince. “Easy. I can’t train the troops with broken ribs.”
She and Izzy laughed. When they first met Will, he would never have joked around like that. He was an all-new man now.
“So, do you?” Kassimeigh demanded.
“Do I?” he teased, pretending not to understand the question.
She shot him a withering look and he chuckled. “No, I don’t regret it. You do a great job of keeping up with things via the comm.”
“How are the mine collapses going?”
“Half-done now. With some trial and error, I found an excellent demolition team. Three manahi and their crew. Usually they do small buildings, tree removals, and that sort of thing. Non-government jobs. But they turned out to be really good at this. Much safer than using explosives.”
“That’s great. Now that you’ve made the connection with them, that’s another resource the Guard has in the future.”
“I thought that, too,” Will agreed.
A silence fell over the room. Will and Izzy seemed to be waiting for her to ask another question, but she found she had none. All she had left to do was to check in with Azure. Maybe she’d get to bust out some training today, after all.
“Is there anything I can do for either of you? Anything you need of me?” she asked.
Izzy shrugged and Will shook his head.
“I’ll go see Azure, then. Do you two want to meet up with Arc and me for dinner?” It was several hours away yet and would give them all time to finish their workdays, then enjoy some personal catching up.
“Definitely,” agreed Will.
“I’d have been offended if you hadn’t asked,” teased Izzy.
Kassimeigh smiled at them. It was good to be home. The keep felt like home, too, in its way, because she’d spent so many years of her life there. She’d always found peace in the dedication to law and logic, procedure and prowess. But here in the fortress, she felt a sense of warmth and belonging on a personal level. More like family.
She kept smiling all the way to the infirmary.
Izzy sat in the chair nearest the window. “It’s good to have her back.” She gestured to the couch.
Will sat on the side closer to her. “It always is.”
She felt a pang of melancholy from him and wondered what it meant. Much of the time, she could connect an emotion to a motivation, particularly if she knew the person well. In this case, the emotion seemed misplaced.
“I assume you were coming to see me for something and not just tracking Kassimeigh down?”
“Correct,” he agreed.
“What can I do for you?”
“Azure’s birthday is coming up in two weeks.” He slouched into the cushions and sighed. “This is the best couch. I could sit here all day.”
“That’s the idea,” she pointed out. “If people are in here to be mentally uncomfortable, the least I can do is see to their physical comfort.”
“Smart,” he agreed.
“Of course I am. Now, what about Azure’s birthday?” She hadn’t realized the doctor’s birthday was drawing near, but in a place containing nearly six hundred people it was always someone’s birthday. Due to the influx of troops, Will and Kassimeigh had recently decided to add on to the fortress to allow for roomier barracks. Izzy and Will had discussed the negative effects of close quarters for extended amounts of time, and they agreed it was an undesirable situation. As soon as Kassimeigh had the opportunity, she would create some additional living space.
Of course, there was the option of converting the indoor arboretum into living space, but it seemed a shame to do. The troops enjoyed it, and there was little other recreation here in Apex. There were plans in the works for that, too, of course. Always more plans.
“I’d like for us to throw her a party.”
That surprised Izzy. Not that it was a strange idea. She just hadn’t anticipated it. “Why?”
“We haven’t had a social occasion since Kassimeigh accepted a permanent job here. You and I had talked about having regular events like that to promote camaraderie. Allow some downtime.”
“We did.” She tapped her finger against her lips, thinking.
“Is it a bad idea? Showing favoritism, or something? I just thought that since Azure helps us all out by patching us up, her birthday would be a good choice. Really, it’s for everyone, but making her the focus is a nice way of appreciating her efforts. Or at least I thought.” He seemed suddenly unsure. “If you think it’s a bad idea, I’ll scrap it.”
She liked that he valued her opinion so highly. “No, it’s a great idea. I was just thinking. If you want to make it a big-deal sort of event, I know a bard who might just be willing to come help us out with some merrymaking.”
He brightened, giving her a huge smile. Izzy repressed a sigh. The man was too good-looking when he smiled. “That sounds great. Thanks, Izzy.”
“I can coordinate with Violet and Canan. I assume they’ll be handling most of the details?”
“I hadn’t gotten that far ahead,” Will admitted, “but yeah, that makes sense.”
“Okay. We can do this. It’ll be good.” She gave him a nod.
He shifted, and she felt his discomfort. “I probably shouldn’t say anything . . . ” He glanced at the door, then quickly shut it and returned to his seat.
But he was going to. She waited. “Do you know anything about what Kassimeigh is up to?” he asked.
“I don’t. I get the feeling she’s working on something specific, but she hasn’t told me anything.”
He frowned. “For some reason, I feel like she’s involved in something dangerous.”
“Kassimeigh is probably the world’s most capable person when it comes to taking care of herself,” she reminded him.
Izzy was pretty sure he rolled his eyes. Just a little. “I know that. I just feel like, if she’s doing something risky, I should be there, watching her back.”
She sensed protectiveness, loyalty, and . . . oh. Love. She should have known. Poor Will. So long as Arc lived, he’d never have a chance with Kassimeigh.
“It’s very loyal of you to feel that way,” she said carefully. “We all want to be there for the ones we love. You’re doing what you need to do right now, and so is she.”
He nodded, then paused mid-nod. “Wait. You don’t think . . . ” He frowned at her. “You do think.” He sighed and stood.
Surprised, she rose to her feet. She expected him to say something else, but he went to the door. Before leaving, he fixed her with a pointed look.
“You may be the world’s best reader, and an empath besides. But you, Izzy Gin, have a huge blind spot when it comes to yourself.”
Without another word, he strode out, waves of annoyance and disappointment coming from him.
She returned to her chair and sat. His use of her full name wasn’t meant fondly this time. It stung her in a line of prickling little hurts all the way down to her stomach. A blind spot? What had she missed?
Élan sighed and reclined in the shallow pool. Warm gel surrounded her, rejuvenating both her body and spirit.
“Wasn’t this a great idea?” Coco slanted a knowing look at her.
“It was. But you didn’t have to blackmail me with information about Kett to get me here.” She liked a good gel soak every now and then. The biogel was infused with therapeutic compounds that eased inflammation and helped wounds heal. It also helped correct hormonal imbalances and hydrate dry skin. Most importantly to Élan, it felt wonderful. If being in the womb had been as lovely as this, it was a wonder that babies ever came out. Or maybe that was why they usually came out crying.
“Didn’t I? You’ve been reluctant to leave Bob’s since your big revea
l at the awards. It’s almost like you’ve doubled back on your decision to go public.”
“Not at all. I’m just giving people some time to get used to the idea. Let the novelty wear off. I’m actually looking forward to being out and about, without a disguise.”
“If you say so.” Coco did not look convinced, but it was the truth. Coco would just have to wait and see.
“Do they always get you an appointment on such short notice?” Élan knew that Visions, the only spa in Sanctuary, tended to be booked up weeks in advance. Élan wasn’t much for scheduling that far ahead and usually took a short hop on the monorail to the next station, which had ample availability.
“Actually, I have a standing appointment, two mornings a week. I just turned this morning’s appointment into a double.”
“Wow.” Élan couldn’t quite imagine this much pampering on a regular basis.
Coco shrugged. “Regular salon appointments too, for micro-trims on my hair and nails. I have to be photo-ready at all times.”
“Isn’t that tiresome?”
“It might be, if I took time to think about it. I just consider it part of my job. I don’t mind, really. I’d rather be on the move with a full schedule than at my leisure for long periods of time. I like the discipline.”
“Are you sure you’re a bard?”
They laughed.
“Anyway, what did you find out?” Élan looked toward the door to make sure no one approached. A biogel soak was supposed to be private, but sometimes the attendants checked on the guests to be sure they were safe and content.
The room was simple and organic, giving it a relaxing feel. The tub sat in the center, dominating the room with its nearly square shape. Two opposing sides of the pool bowed outward, allowing for a variety of lounging positions. A couple of padded chairs near the edge served to allow bathers to remove their slippers before stepping in.
Élan ran her hand across the back of her neck to make sure none of her hair had slipped loose. She’d secured it into a messy bun on the top of her head to keep it from getting covered in gel. Although it had nice conditioning properties, it took forever to rinse out.
“I’m starting to feel a little weird talking about Kett with you,” admitted Coco. She’d been on three dates, and seemed to genuinely like him.
“I understand. If you feel like you can’t help anymore, just let me know.” It would be problematic for Élan if Coco stopped helping, though.
“I didn’t say that. Of course I want to help you in whatever you’re doing. I just hope Kett isn’t in any danger.”
Élan couldn’t promise that. If he had any part in the distribution of sparkle, there could be some serious punishment involved. She didn’t say that, though. She stayed silent, letting her lack of reassurance speak for her.
Coco sighed, and Élan knew she understood. “I found out the name of the guy that gave Kett the vial of sparkle.”
Élan sat up quickly and the little pillow she’d been using to recline against the edge of the pool plopped into the gel. “Who is he?”
“A professor from Kett’s former university.”
“Did Kett pay him for it?”
“No. The professor just thought he’d like to try it. Kett didn’t know where the prof got it, or if he paid for it.”
“Name?” She’d need to tell Kassimeigh who this guy was, right away, so she could look into him.
“Ainsley Fields.”
Élan studied Coco’s frown. “You really like Kett.”
Coco’s eyes softened. “I do. More than I’ve liked anyone in a long time. He’s smart and funny and laid-back. I work with so many people who are always grasping for what’s next and pushing to achieve. I like that Kett is happiest when he’s analyzing scholarly things. He doesn’t care about fame or money and it’s refreshing.”
Élan repositioned her pillow and sank back down, reclining into the gel. “That makes sense. I hope he’s innocent in all this.”
“Me too.” Coco waited a full minute before asking, “Is there anything you can tell me about it all? I haven’t asked questions but I have become involved.”
“I’ll tell you if you want,” Élan offered. “I think you might prefer not to know, though.”
Coco lowered her eyes, considering that for several minutes. Finally she sighed and said, “All right, then. I trust you. Tell me about it when it’s done.”
“I will.”
Coco lifted her hand out of the pool, watching gel slide down her wrist to her elbow. “Speaking of not knowing.” She dropped her hand back into the gel and fixed her eyes on Élan.
“What?” She felt inexplicably defensive.
“What’s going on with you and Night?”
“What do you mean?”
“Still just friends?” Coco shot her a skeptical look.
“Uh, yeah. We’ve always been very good friends.”
Coco continued to stare at Élan.
“Stop that! What?”
“I do not meddle in other people’s business. If they don’t figure it out themselves, then they don’t deserve whatever it is. But I’ve watched you do this long enough and you need to open your eyes. Night is in love with you.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“No, it’s the truth.”
Élan sat up again. “What makes you think that?”
Coco sat up, too. “He’s loved you for years. But he’s never said anything because he thinks he’s too old for you.”
“He’s only seven years older.”
“Which isn’t so much now, but when you were a new little bard, it was a bigger gap.”
“But what makes you think he’s in love with me?”
“Everything. The way he watches you. The way he always shows up whenever you’re here. How you’re the only person he ever makes complete sense with. And his music. He’s written a dozen love songs about you.”
“No way.”
“Oh, come on, Lani. You know his songs. You’ve performed some of them with him. Do you know how crazy it is to watch a guy sing a duet with the woman he loves about his unrequited love for her? It breaks my heart sometimes.”
Élan was stunned into silence. She’d never once considered that Night might feel that way about her. He’d never indicated anything like it to her. And he was so ambiguously random it was hard to understand most of what he said anyway.
“Do you love him? As more than a friend?” Coco skewered Élan with her gaze.
“I . . . ” Could she?
“You never thought about it, did you?” Coco’s lips twisted into a sympathetic shape. “You need to.”
“If what you’re saying is true,” she began. Coco shot her a sharp look. “And it must be!” she added hastily, raising her hands in a defensive gesture. “Then I will. Think about it.”
“Good.” Coco nodded. “The guy deserves some resolution, one way or the other. But if you ask me, the two of you would be magical together.”
“Are you kidding? We’d fight constantly, and I’d never know what he was saying.”
“Passion.” Coco nodded, looking envious. “Amazing passion. Think of all the music that would come out of that.”
Funny Coco should say that. Wasn’t passion what she’d touted to Sim as the critical factor in romance? Ugh. She had a lot to consider, and reconsider. She felt as if the world had shifted beneath her feet.
Coco smiled. “Ahh. Now you’re thinking about it.” She looked smug.
“You can wipe that look off your face,” Élan warned. “You’re dating a guy who might be wrapped up in something criminal.”
Coco’s smirk faded to a scowl. “I guess we’re both terrible at this romance crap.”
Élan laughed. “We can be terrible at love together.”
“While we soak in biogel,” Coco added.
At least they had that.
“Deactivate comm.”
Kassimeigh stood in front of her desk in her fortress office, rather than sitting behind i
t. The day before had been lovely. After catching up with everyone in person she’d led some edged-weapon training. She’d started the day out by joining Will’s morning run. Three miles at a hard pace had her feeling invigorated.
Élan had just asked to see her, so she needed to rearrange her schedule for the day. She’d instructed Élan to meet her in the shiv quarters in Sanctuary. City quarters for shivs were nothing like a keep. Instead of being a huge complex containing everything needed for study, training, and working, this place had only barracks for sleeping, a kitchen and dining room, and basic lavatories and showers. A rotating crew of shivs shared the compact space.
Sanctuary’s quarters were slightly smaller than those of most cities but had more character, in Kassimeigh’s opinion. The building was a standalone rather than an apartment in the bottom of a high-rise or situated within a monorail station. A unique wall hanging here and an odd sculpture there reflected Sanctuary’s particularly artsy feel.
She shook off her ruminations and walked around her desk to sit in front of the comm panel. Once she sent a succession of messages, she’d be ready to go to Sanctuary. She hoped Élan would have more good news for her.
Kassimeigh landed her kite and tucked it up against the side of the quarters before going inside. She didn’t think she’d been noticed. She’d had to learn some new stealth techniques recently to avoid detection while flying her kite. Traveling by air was pretty conspicuous in most places. She’d invented a few visual tricks to camouflage herself while in the air, as well as techniques for quick landings. Ones that didn’t involve planting her kite into the dirt. Which was not at all subtle or stealthy. Her early practice sessions had not been entirely successful.
She greeted the justices inside the quarters and let them know she was expecting a guest, who was due to arrive in fifteen minutes.
She sat in the narrow dining room and checked her messages on her hand comm while she waited. She wondered where she’d be headed next. It depended on what Élan needed to tell her.
Right on time, Élan arrived. Kassimeigh heard a justice answer the door and show her down the short hallway to the dining room. The bard paused, taking a good look around.
