The Blade Wielders: The Provectus Wielder

Chapter 28: The Way You Love

Before Rak can stop her, Rose is reaching for the closest thing she can see - a jug on the bench - and raising it above her as if to strike the woman sitting at Rak's kitchen table, watching them both.

The woman stands, brushes down her pristine black suit. Her blonde ponytail bounces as she moves. "There will be no need for that," she tells Rose smoothly, then turns her steely gaze on Rak. "Long time no see, no?"

Rak groans and, without a word to the woman, she takes Rose's arm and gently guides it down, prying the jug from her fingers. "Rose, it's alright."

"You know this woman?" Rose asks incredulously, allowing the jug to be taken from her but balling her small fists in its place, like she will punch the woman instead. Rak can't help but smile. Rose is the least violent person she knows. She's too kind. It's what Rak found so captivating about her when they first met.

Rak nods once. "Rose, Vanity," she says, sighing, gesturing between the two of them. "Vanity, Rose."

Vanity holds out her hand to a shocked looking Rose. She holds Rose's hand in both of her own and shakes it, a wide smile on her face. "Hello, my darling," Vanity says. "You must be the girlfriend. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Rak resists the urge to roll her eyes, but Rose's shock has been replaced by a warm, abashed blush. She turns to Rak and cocks her head, smirking. "You told your cousin about me?"

"I may have mentioned you in a letter," Rak mumbles, cursing Vanity. But her anger doesn't last long - it just takes one look at Rose for Rak to know she is delighted about the fact that she did.

"My cousin has never dated a member of the fey before," Vanity muses. "Not that she's dated many people."

Rak scowls. "Speak for yourself."

Vanity releases a sound that sounds almost like a 'tsk'. "You know romance isn't my scene, cousin," she says, laughing. Then her features soften and she drops Rose's hand, barreling towards Rak and pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. "I missed you."

Rak hugs her back, finally stepping away after a moment. "What brings you here, then?" she asks her cousin.

Vanity raises an eyebrow, arms folded across her chest as she regards them both. "What else? Operation Fortunate, of course. Or the lack thereof."

"So what that man said was true," Rak says under her breath. She should have expected as much - she should have known there was no way she and Vanity could go on this way, that their Operation would be discovered sooner or later, but the revelation still stings.

Vanity nods. She tugs at her ponytail nervously. "That's not all."

Rak sinks into a chair at the table. Rose takes the seat beside her and holds tightly to her hand. Rak finds herself happy for Rose's touch. She rubs her forehead in distress. They've had a traumatic past few weeks, a long arduous journey from Tergaron, they have just been held at gunpoint for goodness sake, and now she has to deal with this. She suppresses the sharp desire for a stiff drink as she looks at Vanity. "What else is there?"

Vanity bites her lip and lowers her gaze to the ground. Rak's insides twist violently. Vanity is usually so confident, so self-assured. She is like her sister, Lani, in that way, but Vanity is kind and certain in her approach to all ways of life. Something is definitely wrong, and that is only confirmed when her cousin says, "The Litholatra Deans have demanded to see us, Rak. As soon as possible. To answer for our crimes."

Ice cold shock spills through her veins. "Crimes?" Rak splutters. "Please," she scoffs, rolling her eyes. "Perhaps if our beloved Deans in the capital actually summoned a bit of common sense for once in their little rich lives, they might eventually arrive to a conclusion about what the true definition of that word is. We are not criminals, Vanity, unlike our dear Lani. What are we being charged for?"