Violet Shadows

36

Eric looked as if he'd cut down more walkways than could've been counted on fingers, but after he found Christine muddled in the corner of an alleyway, shaking no different from a frightened animal, he rushed her into his arms and carried her all the way to Nicol's office.

The tavern was freezing, knowing out of habit that they saved money on a few Burners not having to keep the walls warm during closing hours. Eric gave no explanation to the milkmaid nor the spare clients gathering to leave with their peculiar looks as they paced to the back, scurried down the stairwell, and flew through the door with the stride of a lion.

Nicol's office was no better. Christine's shaking was brought upon because of the cold instead of fear, teeth chattering as she swaddled herself in one of the couches that hadn't existed months prior. Heart lurching, she settled herself down before realizing she was alone. Eric had left.

He came back quicker than her own vile thought could brew, the others pouring out from the door beside him, a mixture of worried questioning and a demand to know what had happened. They talked over themselves, half-arguing over possibilities that could have occurred, half-studying the contents of the satchel Eric found tapered to Christine's chest in the alleyway. She was left without words, their panic seedling a steady onset of further fears. It was day when she disappeared. It was no longer day.

"Look at her! She's freezing," Maze said in answer to Henri's probing for the fourth time. With a snap of his finger, the hearth set ablaze. Before its warmth enveloped the office, she was moved, much more lifted, right in front of it with many cushions to support her weak frame. She was so close that she began to feel the first embers of heat before they coaxed throughout the air, shadows pressing tight at her back. Nicol followed the movement pacing as Maze frowned.

"Where was she?" Nicol demanded at a stony Eric, looming still against the study. "Not even Mr. Solamaand's men could find her. They stormed out when they figured she wasn't going to show."

Christine froze, wondering how stupid she was to forget. The papers. The papers... that guaranteed their alliance to the Solamaands. No, would have guaranteed their alliance if the satchel currently atop of Nicol's study had been with him hours prior. But with her being gone that meant—

"I..." She tried speaking, but even she was at a loss for words. Some things were worth thinking over, but she was unsure what to believe. Going back felt like being on the cusp of a dream, but then that dream turned out to be a reality. They said she was missing for the entire day. Something was entirely wrong and she didn't know what.

Eric flipped through the stack of pages within the satchel. "Is there any way they'll accept these now?"

Nicol ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "It all depends on that man's pride. It was hard enough convincing him, but now I'm not even sure that the same offer will do any good now after we accused him of setting this whole thing up. He declared war shortly after. We'd have to offer something greater."

"I'm sorry." The words were out before Christine could consider them. Nicol stopped pacing, the entire room shrank into silence. It nauseated her further as she spoke."It's all my fault. If it wasn't for me you would've—"

"None of this is your fault," Nicol interrupted, face appalled that she would even think so. She thought he would've been furious, but all he seemed was worried. "Why would you even—the one who's at fault is whatever bastard tried—"

"Stop yelling. She's shaking." Henri pointed out, crouching to sit next to her but far enough so that she could hog the fire. "Ignore him, he's just stressed right now after work. Are you hurt anywhere?"