ravaged hearts

CHAPTER TWENTY,

RAVAGED HEARTS | CHAPTER TWENTY

NOTHING, NOTHING AND nothing. Io was starting to feel a bit panicked. Her father had to be somewhere. The Falcons had to be somewhere. They had to be here in Saria, right? Because if they weren't, this would be a fatal mistake, a dangerous misjudgement. The children had to be here. Had to be retrieved soon before the Falcons got tired of waiting and decided to take the next step in their plans.

  She cursed Sorrya and Chevalier for remaining tight-lipped and silent, for refusing to say anything. And she cursed Rhys for vanishing, goddamnit. Not that she hadn't seen it coming, of course. It was just how Rhysa Jiang worked, pulling vanishing acts halfway through the mission. Nine months away seems to have made her more sensitive to that move again—she used to be completely numb.

  Io said, "Louis, you go with these two." He glanced at her, nonplussed. She almost wanted to laugh. He looked so disappointed. She continued, "I'll look for Rhys. I know her best, she's probably found one interesting thing and got blown completely off-course again."

  "She's the Briar," Anita defended.

  "Oh, she will discover something useful in her off-course route. I'm just there to make sure she actually comes back instead of searching her way back to Sai, that's all." She was exaggerating, of course. Rhys was a stellar agent, and while a bit unpredictable, was still very responsible and reliable.

  Maybe part of her just wanted to mess with Anita, who seemed to idolise Rhys with every inch of her little, barely post-pubescent soul. Io knew she had a bit of a mean streak. She fully embraced it, really.

  Without much another word, in a style not unlike Rhys', Io turned and left. No one tried to stop her, clearly having realised by now that it would be futile. They all possessed a functioning brain, after all.

  Where would Rhys have gone? Saria was small enough, and Io knew the wiccai by the back of her hand. Rhys was one of those women who might have been a sister to Io. Even though they weren't the closest, they were still close, both professionally and personally. They knew each other, understood each other, had a mutual understanding and acceptance of each other's methods. They may not agree over everything, but they did when it mattered.

  Rhys would go for high ground. They both loved doing that, both found comfort in only having the sky above them and nothing else. The sense of freedom the height inspired, looking over a sleeping city. A night owl gliding through the night dome. In the evening, they were the apex predators with no one to fear. It was a feeling they never had elsewhere, during any other time.

  Io glanced around, noting the roofs and the ways she could go up, trying to form a path Rhys might have gone on. She wouldn't have strayed too far, probably. Hopefully not, because Io was not in the energy to chase the woman down that far.

  Her fears were unfounded, because she found Rhys perched upon a roof moments later. Their eyes met as Io looked up. Rhys tilted her head quizzically but asked no questions before making her way onto the street, where they could converse in peace.

  Rhys' dark eyes studied her up and down. "Nothing?"

  Io shook her head. "The twins found nothing, Louis and I found nothing."

  Rhys wrinkled her nose. "Too bad. Well, I did find something interesting."

  Of course she had. She was Rhysa Jiang. Anyone who doubted her would be a fool. Io raised  her brow in silent question, and Rhys simply motioned for her to climb the roof with her. And Io complied as she always did when Rhys asked you to do something. A moment later, they both stared across the sleepy town. Io frowned.