SAGE (under edit)

Chapter Ten

In towns like these, Raidan didn't bother to disguise himself. His uniform was enough of a giveaway to his identity, but even without it there were those who would recognise his face. They, however, knew well enough to keep their mouth shut. It was only the stupid and the arrogant who would make mention of seeing a Shadow Soldier, but fortunately the stupid and the arrogant were also the easiest to silence.

But Raidan paid little attention to those who glanced his way as he crossed the town to the decrepit inn he and Nox had chosen for the night. His thoughts were elsewhere, on the moments where Sage had slept in his arms before they first arrived at the inn. It had taken awhile for her to give in to sleep, occasionally dozing off only to snap awake, her eyes wide and alert, until eventually she had relented – or her body had given her no choice – and she had turned into his chest, her face unguarded.

It was easy to see the girl he knew when Sage was asleep, and it was easy to see how the last five years had changed her.

But Raidan felt his memories resurfacing, so he pushed them back behind the door he had kept closed for so long and which, lately, he was struggling to keep closed. Behind that door lay not just the pleasant memories of his childhood but also the memories of his mistakes, and separating them was almost impossible. They were too entwined, too entangled, and so he found it easier to lock them all away instead.

Neither, after all, would assist him now; they would only hinder, as memories often did. It was his mission, his reason for joining the Shadow Soldiers, which kept him moving forward now, which justified his actions, and which reminded him that he belonged with the Shadow Soldiers.

But when his mission was complete, would he still want to be?

Raidan pushed aside the thoughts as he returned to the inn, the innkeeper manning a small bar beside the foyer where only one lone person sat drinking. He took the narrow stairs up to the second floor and followed the corridor to the room they had rented, but as he opened the door he found Nox on the floor, slumped against one of the beds.

And Sage was gone.

Raidan knelt beside Nox, catching the smell of whisky on his breath, and then looked to the two glasses on the side table. He grabbed one, stood up, and then dropped it to the ground.

The glass shattered and Nox lurched awake, only to flinch and clutch his head between his hands. 'Oh man, how much did I drink?'

'More than the Crest Soldier, it seems,' Raidan replied. 'You're drunk.'

'Only a lot,' said Nox, dragging himself up by the bed so he could stand. 'The girl can't have gone. She drank as much as I did.'

'She's medically trained,' Raidan reminded him. 'Even Toren knows how to filter alcohol from his bloodstream with his Kyra.' But that had to mean Sage had recovered some of her Kyra, and kept it hidden.

Raidan moved to Nox's sword that was perched in the corner of the room. 'We're leaving,' he declared, tossing the sword across to Nox.

Nox fumbled to catch it, and in his clumsiness the handle of his sword smacked into his forehead. Knowing this was deliberate on Raidan's part, Nox kept his mouth shut.

*****

Rhun Laraky was, begrudgingly, impressed with Chase's ability to keep up with him. That didn't mean he liked having the Suragi constantly at his side, but not only could Chase keep up with Rhun he had also been assigned to the head of the squad by Theo while the others were in various positions depending on their skills.

They hadn't stopped since leaving the Shadow Soldiers' house, not when they were so close to rescuing Sage. Rhun could feel it; they were on the Shadow Soldiers tail, and if they just managed to keep up then they would reach Sage.