Veridian Shores

Chapter 14 - Bridges

Booke tried to fight back the sobs that wracked her slender frame as she stood, hands clamped so hard against the heavy table in her room that she left deep fingermarks in the wood. Her body shook with unsuppressed rage while her face throbbed dimly where the two duelling rods had smashed into her.

The damage to her skin and bone was superficial – it would be healed in a matter of hours – but the damage to her pride would take a lot longer to repair. She'd fled the training pits as fast as her legs would carry her after the fight. A small part of her mind tried to rationalise it. She'd scored two genuine hits; Gliss only got the better of her by refusing to play by the rules, by being utterly unpredictable.

Not good enough, said another voice in her head. Just not good enough.

She'd spent a long time building her reputation as one of the best duellists in the clan. It made people take her seriously; made them look past the small stature and elaborate outfits she liked to wear. It let people know that she was not to be messed with. Now...?

Now some stray from the north had put an irreparable dent in her carefully crafted image. With a wordless snarl of impotent rage she raked her nails back along the hardwood surface of the table, spraying splinters across the plush carpet of her quarters. Trembling, she turned, leaning back against the table and hanging her head. This wasn't over. She would see that filthy tramp thrown out of the Glaive grounds with a stake through her heart.

A knock at the door snapped her out of her smouldering reverie. She looked up sharply, reaching out to sense the Aspect of her visitor. It was strangely muted, but big, seeming to fill the corridor beyond. With a snort of annoyance she stomped across the room, gripped the handle and wrenched the door open.

To her surprise she found Capper standing on the other side of the threshold with a sheepish look on his face. Her surprise quickly faded, replaced by a simmering, barely containable fury.

"What to you want?" she hissed venomously. "Why aren't you off playing with your little whore from the north?"

"Brooke, please," Capper said, taking a precautionary step out of arms reach. "This is getting out of hand."

"You think so?" She bared her fangs even more. "Because I've not even started yet."

"Look, I know we've had our disagreements over the last couple of days, but I never wanted that to happen." He shook his head. "Brooke, I don't want to fight with you."

"Then what the hell are you doing?!" she demanded, a sob creeping into her voice. "Why are you spending so much time with that stranger? Why are you dismissing everything I say and do? You say you don't want to fight but everything you do just pushes us further and further apart!"

"That's not fair."

"It is exactly fair!" She could have slapped his jaw from his face right there, and it took every ounce of self-control she had not to do it. "Ever since you dragged that girl in here you've completely lost your direction. I am in that chamber by myself trying to stop this whole thing from crashing down around us and all you can think about is your new playmate!"

Something flashed across his face that she couldn't quite read – was it embarrassment? Not precisely. Definitely discomfort, with a strange hint of sadness. His brows pulled in just a fraction, not quite enough to be a frown, but enough for her to notice. A long sigh seemed to deflate his whole body.

"Brooke, believe it or not, I'm trying to get the bottom of why Gliss is in the city," he said at last. "I'm not just hanging around her for fun."