by Zen DiPietro
“Well, that’s . . . unexpected.” Poor Kett seemed to be at a loss for words.
“Coco’s okay too, then?” he asked.
“Yes. Coco is under suspicion of nothing.”
“That’s good.” He sat up straighter. “What now, then?”
“Now, I make you an offer that you really shouldn’t refuse.”
7
“That was different than your usual adjudications.” Izzy watched Kassimeigh curiously.
“I didn’t like doing it when we had no evidence against him,” Kassimeigh admitted.
“Not that. You were kind of funny. You’re a lot funnier in general these days. I like it.”
Kassimeigh mulled that over. She was glad Izzy had been able to come with her for this adjudication. Now flying the kite to take Izzy back to Apex, Kassimeigh was thankful for the chance to chat with her best friend on a personal level. They’d had little opportunity for that lately. She also knew that Izzy enjoyed going for a good, fast ride. She had more stomach for it than most people.
“I keep hearing that. I’ve always been funny. I just kept it inside,” Kassimeigh argued.
Izzy laughed. “No. You really weren’t.”
“Okay, I wasn’t.”
“I like the change.” Izzy nudged Kassimeigh with her elbow. “I’d hoped for years to see it, and then finally it happened. I just wouldn’t have thought that getting kicked out of the order would be the catalyst.”
“Hmm. Irony.” She’d had that same thought. But life was like that. The unexpected twists presented the greatest opportunities for growth.
“Do you like it? Being different? Being funny?”
Kassimeigh considered. If she could go back to the way she’d been before, would she? She liked being a little unpredictable sometimes. She liked laughing. She definitely liked laughing with Arc. “I do. I guess I feel more complete now.”
Izzy smiled. It was a smile of genuine pleasure, but Kassimeigh was pretty sure she saw a little bit of I-told-you-so in it.
She narrowed her eyes and decided to rid her friend of that look. “Besides,” she continued in an imperious tone. “Look at all this.” She opened her arms wide, indicating the kite, the sky, and all of Terath streaking by beneath them. “I am the empress of all I behold. I could rule the world, enslave all peoples, and make them bow to me as a god.”
She tried really hard to feel the megalomaniacal emotions that would go with that speech. But there was no fooling an empath.
Izzy just laughed. “That’s exactly what I mean, Kass.” She pressed her hands to her belly as she hooted and giggled.
So much for her brief stint as a despot. Maybe she’d try the speech again later, with Arc. And maybe he’d be the third person that day that she made laugh so hard they cried.
When Kassimeigh and Izzy arrived back at the fortress, hardly anyone remained awake. With morning drills beginning in just a few short hours, few were that foolhardy.
Fortunately, neither of them had morning drills to worry about. They quietly entered through the side entrance, which, like the front one, had recently been fitted with a security system similar to the one at Blind Bob’s. Before the monorail had gone in, such a system hadn’t been necessary. No one in their right mind would have taken days to steal up through Sub-Apex, into Apex, and all the way to the fortress. The monorail had made life much more convenient up there, but had also come with a need to add security. A scanner ensured that only authorized personnel even rode the monorail up to the Guard headquarters. With both points of entry covered, Kassimeigh believed the fortress to be quite secure. The terrorist activity a couple months prior had caused some significant changes. Not that a similar event seemed likely, but only a fool did not take her cue from a tragic event.
She and Izzy stole through the halls to Izzy’s room with barely a sound. Well, Kassimeigh got through silently. Izzy had a hard time controlling her footsteps. No matter. No one seemed to be disturbed. She made a mental note to give Izzy a few lessons on the art of stealth. Izzy’s door, like all the others in the fortress, had been upgraded to one that had a basic hand scanner, rather than a doorknob. Another security measure.
She wished she could go to her own room and visit Arc, but it wouldn’t be fair to steal his sleep from him. She’d see him again soon. Besides, it was good to have more time with Izzy.
The reader flopped onto her bed with a dramatic sigh. “That was exciting. I’ve never tried to sneak my way through the fortress before.”
“Obviously. If you had, you’d be better at it.” Kassimeigh seated herself on a side chair. In spite of its bright pinkness, it was squishy-soft and altogether comfortable. The chair fit Izzy’s mismatched décor style, since it looked nothing like any of her other furniture. Izzy collected items on the basis of memories and experiences rather than appearance. Her bed bore a bedspread with a swirling wave pattern on it, while the walls were a sunny yellow. Next to the window she’d hung a painting of a group of laughing children and across the room she’d installed a big, square, something-or-other painted in a geometric pattern. Kassimeigh had no idea what it was.
Izzy tossed a round green pillow at her, which she caught and set on her lap.
“So I’m not a shiv. I have other talents,” Izzy teased.
“You do. Thank you for your help tonight.”
Izzy waved a hand airily. “Anytime.”
“Now that I’ve filled you in on the sparkle situation, you know what I’ve been up to. What’s been keeping you busy?”
Izzy’s mouth twisted thoughtfully. “Actually, I’ve been thinking over something Will said to me the last time you were here. After you left my office.”
“Oh?” She hadn’t realized that anything had transpired after she’d left.
“I sensed something about his feelings and made an assumption. I think I was way wrong and insulted him.”
Izzy almost never mistook her perceptions. Either she was undecided or correct. Kassimeigh didn’t know what to make of the mistake.
“I’m guessing it’s a sensitive thing and you’re protecting his privacy?”
Izzy nodded. “Makes it tougher to comprehend, I know, but I haven’t made sense of it and I do know the details. Ever since that day he’s been polite but a little cool to me. I sense I’ve disappointed him.”
Something was very off, then. Will didn’t hold grudges. Especially when it came to their tight-knit group of friends. Even back when Izzy had teased him to embarrassment, he hadn’t— Oh. A thought struck Kassimeigh and all of the details fell into place. She repressed her smile, maintaining her placid shiv face.
There was no way she was putting herself in the middle of the situation, if her suspicion was correct. But Izzy was her friend and deserved a little friendly advice. It wouldn’t hurt to reiterate something she’d already said in the past. Maybe in this context, Izzy would finally figure it out.
Kassimeigh was probably the only person who could turn the tables on Izzy and counsel the counselor. One of the benefits of her shiv training.
“It upsets you that he feels that way, and behaves that way?”
“Yes!” Izzy flopped back onto her bed, contemplating the ceiling for a moment, then sat up again. “He’s my friend, and I don’t like failing to get along with my friends. Also, you have no idea how infuriating it is to not understand what I got wrong about someone’s feelings. I mean, that’s my thing!”
“I’m sure it’s very frustrating,” Kassimeigh agreed. “But it seems to me that if you’d misunderstood some other person, such as Canan or Justin, you wouldn’t vex about it. You’d wait until he was ready to talk. It’s not like you to be so bothered.”
Izzy sat straighter, frowning. “You’re right. So why am I?”
Kassimeigh nodded. “Exactly.”
Izzy fell back again with a groan. “Shiv wisdom. I need my best friend’s help and I got shiv wisdom.”
This time Kassimeigh did smile. “You’ve got it all wrong. You’re luck
y enough to get shiv wisdom as help from your best friend. I promise, figure out the answer to your own question, and you’ll have figured out the problem with Will.”
“Ugh. Fine. I’ll, I don’t know, meditate on it or something.” She made a snorting sound. Then she giggled. She rolled onto her stomach and squirmed around to face Kassimeigh. “Good thing you gave me lessons.”
“Good thing,” she agreed.
“New subject. What’s new with you and Arc?”
Kassimeigh found that an interesting topic shift. Maybe Izzy would figure out her problem sooner rather than later. Then again, maybe not.
“We took a day trip to Killyton. Walked the waterline, had dinner, agreed we wouldn’t have any kids. You know.” She lifted a shoulder inconsequentially.
“Whoa, wait. That’s huge. You’re both happy with that outcome? That’s a major life choice.”
“Yup. Both happy.”
“Did you talk about getting married?”
“We didn’t,” Kassimeigh admitted, surprised.
“Why not? Aren’t they related subjects?”
“Fairly related, yes. It didn’t occur to me. Arc and I are just together, for keeps. The idea of getting married seems like a minor detail. We’re soulbonded, after all.”
“Sure, but that wasn’t a choice. Marriage is a choice,” Izzy pointed out.
“I guess we should talk about it?” It came out as a question, for some reason. The topic hadn’t seemed important, but maybe it was. If it mattered to Arc, she didn’t want to neglect it.
Izzy laughed. “Whenever you want to. It’s not like you need to be in any rush.”
That was true. “Sure. We’ll talk about it sometime.”
“Good plan,” Izzy approved.
“So what other romantic sightings have there been up here?”
“You mean hookups and breakups?” Izzy’s voice rose in surprise.
“Anything I should know about, as the commander.”
“Hm. Well, Justin and Mila do seem to be dating. That might or might not be significant. Other than those two, there have been some flirtations, some one-night things. Nothing major. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before we have some serious relationships develop. Mix people up and introduce them to one another, and matches are bound to happen.”
Kassimeigh nodded. “That’s what I’m trying to watch out for. When relationships go wrong they can wreak havoc, and exes as coworkers can be a problem.”
“Yup. Fortunately, you have me here to keep an eye out, and deal with it if it comes along.” Izzy looked entirely too pleased with herself. Kassimeigh tossed the throw pillow back at her. It thwapped Izzy’s lower back and rolled off onto the floor.
Izzy chuckled, then yawned. “I think I need to put on my jammies and get to bed.” She sat up. “Want to have a sleepover? I don’t snore.”
Kassimeigh smiled. “Sure. I don’t either. Though Arc has told me that I occasionally do martial arts in my sleep. Pretty sure he’s just teasing, though.”
Izzy didn’t look entirely convinced, but she didn’t rescind the sleepover offer.
Three hours later, Kassimeigh’s eyes opened and she sat up. The sun streamed in through Izzy’s bedroom window. Of long habit, Kassimeigh rose with the sun. She had difficulty sleeping when the sun was up, even when she wanted to.
Which she didn’t. She had work to do. She swung her legs off the bed and glanced behind her at Izzy, lying on her stomach with her face mashed into her pillow. Kassimeigh had no idea how she slept like that. Izzy was a pretty solid sleeper, too. Kassimeigh had no concern that she’d wake her.
She changed into a fresh shoka from her backpack, smoothed her hair from chaos down to simple unruliness, and donned her boots. She put her things in her backpack and slid her arms through the straps, settling it over her sword sheath. As she left the room, she closed the door quietly behind her. Izzy slept on.
Once in the hallway, she concentrated and pressed her senses outward to see if she could get a sense of where Arc might be. Their bond didn’t provide more than vague impressions, but sometimes she could get a good clue of his whereabouts. Not today. She faintly sensed that he was somewhere in the wide vicinity, but there was no telling if he was in the fortress or outside. She pulled her hand comm from her belt and tapped in a quick message. She received a prompt response saying that he was in the mess hall getting some breakfast. Like her, he was an early riser. He had a day of Guard duties ahead of him, besides.
She stepped through the doorway of the mess hall, scanning the tables, then sensed him to her right. Arc stepped close and slid his arm around her for a quick hug. She knew he’d prefer a more enthusiastic greeting, but she preferred to keep their shows of affection limited in front of the troops.
“If it isn’t my favorite justice,” he teased as he stepped back. His eyes sparkled.
“And my favorite archer,” she added.
“When did you get in?”
“About three hours ago.”
“Staying?”
She shook her head. “Things to do.”
He guided her to a table, where he already had two trays of food ready. She was pleased to note her favorite dishes from the kitchen, all presented just as she liked. Arc had the uncanny ability to notice her preferences without ever drawing attention to his thoughtfulness. It meant a great deal to her.
“Anything I should be concerned about?” He stepped over the bench and sat at the table, while she did the same on the opposite side.
Some days the mess hall was so loud that having a conversation wasn’t even worth trying, but today the noise level wasn’t too bad. “I’m not in danger, if that’s what you mean.”
He made a scoffing sound. “Are you serious? Like you couldn’t eat the whole world and spit it out. I meant, given your tendency to get involved in endeavors of great import to the rest of the world, should I be worried?”
She crumpled her napkin between her fingers and considered. “In the grand scheme, no, I don’t think so.”
“All right, then.” He took a big bite out of an apple and wiped his mouth. After swallowing, he observed, “Izzy’s gotten involved.”
She did want to fill him in on everything she’d done in recent weeks. But unless his help was needed in the investigation it would be inappropriate. It was a mildly uncomfortable reality of the different circles in which she worked, but he’d already proven to be understanding.
“Yes,” she agreed. “I needed her help, and she did a great job.”
“Good. I’m glad one of us is part of what you’re doing. Makes me feel better, for whatever reason.” He lifted his shoulders and gave her a self-deprecating smile.
“Us?”
“You know. Will, Izzy, Luc, Aunt Ina, you and me.”
“I see. I’ll have to tell Izzy that you consider her one of ‘us.’”
“Oh, please don’t.” He pretended to cringe. “I’ll never hear the end of it.”
They made the most of their brief time together, then she hopped on her kite and headed to Capital for a meeting she’d called with Ina and Luc.
She met them at their house, tucked near the town hall. Ina had lived there first and now the newlyweds shared it. Kassimeigh could almost see the domestic bliss radiating out of the tidy home. She touched the chime to notify them of her arrival.
Almost immediately, the door opened and Ina swept her into a warm hug. “Kassimeigh! Come in.”
They joined Luc in the living room. He grunted at her in greeting, but his eyes held a glint of humor, as if maintaining his taciturn ways were a joke between them. She supposed, in a way, it was.
“So,” he began as soon as she sat. “What have you learned?”
She related her experience with Kett and her intentions for Ainsley Fields, then paused.
Ina absently rubbed her bottom lip with her index finger. “Given the time frame, you haven’t yet met with the shiv elders. Why are you here instead of there?”
Of cours
e Ina would discern that. She was renowned for her keen insight, after all. That was what made her such an excellent leader of the Council of Magistrates.
“That occasion I was telling you about, the means of drawing out Ainsley Fields.”
A wary shadow crossed Ina’s face. “Yes?”
“I want you to host it.”
It took Kassimeigh surprisingly little time to sort out details with Ina, then kite to the Northern Keep and fill them in on her activities. She doubted this was the kind of thing they’d envisioned when they’d made her an elder, but this was what they were getting.
Once her meeting with the other elders was over, she retreated to her room at the keep. She needed time to think.
She sat in the rocker facing the window and rolled the heels of her feet slowly as she considered. She’d dispatched justices to observe Ainsley Fields covertly. She’d dropped a social event into Ina’s lap. With the major details being handled by others, she realized she had no immediate tasks to complete. She considered checking in on Élan, but if the bard had any new information, she’d have contacted Kassimeigh by comm.
She found herself in the rare position of having no pressing work concerns. She smiled and stood, moving toward the comm panel. Arc should be done with dinner by now. She should be able to catch him for a long, aimless talk on the comm before bedtime.
Élan frowned at the tube in her hand. She knew exactly what it was. She just had no idea why she was holding it. She glanced around, but this early in the day, she and Night were the only ones downstairs at Blind Bob’s. She’d just come down in search of breakfast when he’d stepped up and, without preamble, pressed the tube against her palm.
“Night, where did you get this?”
“Friend of a friend of a friend’s uncle’s sister’s roommate’s cousin. Or something.”
