The Way We Fall

Chapter 96 (Tigris)

There was a roaring in her mind so intense that she could barely hear the sharp gasp Kai made. The world was fading away from her, a steady tug dragging her gaze to the boy who was currently huddled next to Finn's toilet, eyes wide with fear.

No, not a boy.

An inkblood.

Finn moved faster than Tigris thought was possible, lunging to stand between her and the boy. His verdant eyes gleamed brightly in the darkness, fierce and protective. "Tigris, don't." he pleaded. Tigris could hear the warning in his voice. Her hand twitched towards her sword instinctively.

"Are you mad?" she hissed, wondering if Finn had been enchanted somehow, "That's an inkblood!"

"He's a boy!" Finn snapped back, edging back until his lithe figure stood in front of the scribe. Finn's pale chin jutted upwards defiantly. Ire tore through Tigris' chest.

"Look at his arms, Finn." Tigris growled, her fingers tightening around the pommel of her sword, "He's got inkblood in his veins. He's-"

"He's just a child," Finn insisted, eyes flashing with anger, "You would see him burned? I thought you were a better leader than Father, Tigris."

Tigris' heart dropped in her chest. Finn had never outright challenged her views. So often they were allied in their small schemes against their father, enacting small plots to tweak their father's plans to help the lower town, or aim for peace when their father pushed for war. Fighting their father together was what they did.

They never fought each other. Not on things this important. But Tigris could only hear her father's voice in her mind as she had all those years ago when he'd enacted the ban. She'd been a child, but she heard the furious, heartbroken tremor of his voice as he'd announced to the masses,

"Inkblood is foul. Inkblood is monstrous. Those that let it run through their veins are evil incarnate and have taken all that I love. It can stand in this city no longer."

Tigris unsheathed her sword with a metallic screech. "It's enchanted you."

"Tigris, please." the steel in Finn's voice melted into desperation, "Do you realise what Father will do? He'll burn the child, and he'll... he'll..."

Tigris swallowed, her mind racing. Her father had already vowed to imprison Finn for treason if he aided the scribe. She swore under her breath.

"You've had him here this whole time?" she whispered, trying not to let the betrayal sting, "You would have let me search, let me disappoint Father?"

Finn's eyes flickered with remorse. He stepped forward, the fire in his eyes fading into an ember of something more genuine. He splayed his hands in front of him placatingly.

"Yes. The alternative was a lost life," he confessed softly, the words all wrong.

"You betrayed me. Betrayed Father. You must be enchanted." Tigris swore, her throat tightening, "My brother would never do such a thing."

Just like that, the rage was back in Finn's eyes. He stepped aside, pointing to the scribe hiding in the shadows. "Look at him, Tigris! He's just a boy, how could a child enchant me?"

It didn't make sense. Enchantments were made by powerful inkbloods. If the scribe was just a child...

Finn edged closer until his chest was just a hairbreadth away from Tigris' sword. His breath fogged up in the cold air.

"He's just a child," he repeated firmly, his jaw set with determination, "He doesn't want to hurt anyone. He just wants to find the librarian and get home."