Luminous

94 - Countdown

Before making the journey back to her study with her disgraced son, Lady Hyacinth had paused just outside the lab to hiss a barrage of commands to the guardswomen still stationed there. The moment her pounding footsteps resumed flouncing down the hallway, five hulking guardswomen marched inside, and two snatched Meya's arms.

Since Meya had violated the Lady's trust by evading the watch of her guards, likely with help from the Hadrians, Lady Hyacinth had deemed fit she be remanded to a prison cell until tomorrow's decision. Amoriah did keep her word, however, and had tasked one of the guards to escort Healer Hasif back to her quarters. Two guards will remain at the lab, and the Hadrians were given access under their watch.

Meya allowed the guards to steer her away without protest, her face pale and her eyes downcast. Coris rushed to delegate tasks. He and the Baron would follow Meya. Simon and Christopher would investigate the lab. Arinel and Zier were to return to the Hadrians' quarters, and bring the Baroness and the rest of the Greeneyes up to speed. Gillian decided he would follow and do what he could for the recovered four—the three Greeneyes, to be specific.

The Hadrians' sitting room had been transformed into a communal bedroom for the Greeneyes. Mattresses were laid out not only for the unconscious Persephia, Cleygar and Lors, but also Philema, Tissa, Dorsea and the two page boys. The three Greeneye yeomen of Hadrian's secret unit, who had ferried the Baron and Baroness across the desert, stood watch outside. The Hadrian family themselves would be sleeping in the adjacent room for the night.

All these, they hoped, would at least give the Greeneyes some semblance of safety amidst the ongoing threat, in a town that had little sympathy to spare.

As Zier relayed the heated exchange in Healer Hasif's lab to Baroness Sylvia, Gillian mentored Philema and Dorsea as they carefully removed the blue glass orbs from the eye sockets of the kidnapped three.

The glass eyes, hard and excessive in size and unwilling, had produced a trail of tears, bruises and abrasions upon their entry, and so they tried their best to prevent that upon their exit. Gillian dabbed the injuries with ointment from his battlefield kit, then directed the women to lay soft, warm cloths over their eyelids to soothe the strained muscles.

Tissa simply watched, perhaps stunned by the actions of the women of Hyacinth she had strove to emulate. Agnes remained mute as Arinel held and smoothed her hand down her back.

After Zier finished his report, the Baroness excused herself temporarily to check on her human subjects and prepare for bed. Frenix and Atmund had nodded themselves off to Slumber Valley by then. Tissa was crying in a corner, commiserating with Philema, who consoled her. The former seemed to be apologizing over and over for some unknown offense. Dorsea had gone outside to chat with the Greeneye yeomen, ever the affable soul she was.

Zier slumped down beside Arinel with a thud, startling her. He met her eyes briefly, glanced at Agnes, then looked away, his head bowed and his broad shoulders hunched in shame. Arinel could guess what was weighing on his mind. She cast her eyes about the room and found Gillian propped against the wall, his glowing eyes fixed upon the young man next to her.

She gave Agnes's arm a light, short squeeze—a warning of her absence, and a promise to return, then rose and approached the dragon mercenary.

Gillian eyed her as she chose her spot next to him. Arinel turned once more to Agnes. She hadn't moved but for her blinking eyes.

"Will she speak again?" She whispered. Gillian appraised her, his face impassive, then said curtly,

"In time. If fortunate."

Her hopes rekindled only to be dashed in the same breath, Arinel trembled as she bit back tears. As much to distract herself as to glean information, she braved another attempt at conversation,