Blood, Ashes, and Things Unseen

Chapter Eleven

So much has happened tonight with Malon's return that I forget the report I must make to Heirel. After Malon has explained what happened to Heirel - leaving out the part about why he was visiting Keelia's bar in the first place - and gotten a bite to eat, I help him to the bunkroom so that he may rest.

    The moment I descend the stairs once more, hoping for a meal myself, Heirel motions for me to join him in his office.

    "Report, Nightshade," he says as soon as the door closes behind me. Clearly, he is not in good humor tonight, and my news will certainly not please him.

    I take a deep breath and tell him what I found at the Russë headquarters, carefully watching his face all the while. His expression barely changes, though he shakes his head with what seems to be exasperation.

    "That fool," he mutters. A bitter laugh breaks the silence that follows. "I must say, I am hardly surprised at this development. I suppose Zydan thinks himself quite clever."

    "It seems that way, sir." My first instinct is to leave - I have finished my report, after all - but I stop. "Do you think Essen knows of our involvement with Heirel?"

    Heirel shakes his head and opens a desk drawer, rifling through until he finds his pipe and a packet of tobacco. The scent is woody, almost sweet, but with sour undertones that make the odor unappealing to me. Heirel breaths a steady sigh as he searches his pockets, then looks up at me. "You wouldn't have a match, would you?"

    "No sir," I say, and he tosses his pipe back in the drawer with a frown. "Sir?" I say after waiting a moment, then repeat my question.

In answer, he shakes his head. "I'm sure Essen has no knowledge of our dealings with Zydan." Heirel waves a hand at me. "You're dismissed."

"Sir?"

He looks up at me, frowning. "What is it, Nightshade?"

I try to speak quickly so as not to irritate him more than I already have. "What do you plan to do about it?"

He raises an eyebrow at me and leans forward. "You're dismissed," he finally says, and I leave without further comment.

When I return to my room, I lie on my mat with every intention of sleeping, but it does not come. Instead, my eyes find the warped wooden ceiling above my head, watching as shadows pass above me with almost imperceptible movement until the weak light of morning cleanses the room.

***

On this morning, upon descending into the main room of Vat'ik House, I find Malon sitting at a table in the middle of the floor. The moment he spots me, he beckons me over, and I thread my way through the tables full of Heirel's agents. I can hardly keep the smile from spreading across my face: this is the first morning in nearly three weeks that I am able to share breakfast with Malon.

We greet each other, and I take a seat across from him. For a few minutes, we say nothing; he is eating, and I study his face. The strange thing is, despite everything that has occurred, he appears the same save for the purple bruises above his eye. To see those sends anger through me, so I push it down and look away.

To my surprise, Malon makes no comment. He does not even look up, which is odd - no matter my warnings, Malon never used what I deemed to be proper caution.

"Malon," I say, tapping my fingers on the table to get his attention, "how are you feeling?"

He looks up from his meal, hair falling over his eyes, and gives me an encouraging smile. "I'm fine, Adaela," he says, patting my hand.

Then he goes back to his food, and I go back to my ponderings. I'm not sure what it is, but something feels off. It is like an itch at the back of my mind, or words at the tip of my tongue. The next time I speak, it feels as though the thoughts have barely entered my mind before they leave my mouth.