Shadowseeker

chapter twenty-seven

Still disconcerted from her encounter with Draven, Aelia turned and glared at the door that had just closed behind her.

"Damn you," she muttered, though her lips still tingled slightly from where they had met Draven's.

With a glance up and down, she headed down to the end of the hallway. She hesitated before knocking lightly on the door, clenching and unclenching her fists as she waited.

Expecting to be called in, Aelia nearly flinched as the door opened to reveal Raz, who gave her a small smile.

"So you got my message," Raz stepped to one side, motioning for her to enter. "Come in."

Aelia wasn't sure why, but Raz still intimidated her. It was much like her former respect for Khalida, and she had an overwhelming urge to impress Raz.

"Draven mentioned that you wanted to see me?" Aelia cleared her throat. She nervously sat down on the stool, her muscles tense as she eyed Raz across the desk.

"First thing's first, I'd like to apologise for your rooming situation," Raz said smoothly. She shuffled some papers on her desk, staring down at her writing. "I completely forgot to mention that you'd be sharing with Draven, so that's my mistake."

"No, it was okay," Aelia murmured, feeling her cheeks heat up. She shifted nervously in her seat, which rocked underneath her because of its uneven legs. "I don't mind."

Raz glanced up from her notes, raising her eyebrows. Aelia pressed her lips together to stop her embarrassment from showing.

"That's good, then," Raz finally conceded, turning her attention back to her writing. "I'm glad that's settled."

"Surely that's not what you called me in here for?" Aelia asked.

Raz shook her head, pausing briefly as she ran a finger down her paper, her dark skin standing out against the white pages.

"No, of course not," Raz said absently, her eyes skimming over the notes. "We have to start thinking about how we're going to overthrow the Sunkeepers. You'll be integral to the plan, of course, with your knowledge and abilities."

"Already?" Aelia faltered, her eyes widening. "I-I don't think I'm up to it just yet, Raz."

"We have to act fast if we want to succeed," Raz countered, leaning back in her chair. "Especially after you escaped from prison. That will have damaged their pride, I suspect."

"I suppose," Aelia murmured. She gripped the edges of her stool, her fingers pressing into the wood. "Am I really that important?"

"Of course, Aelia," Raz nodded before launching into an explanation. "Your knowledge of the town hall and the surrounding areas will help us immensely. You can also give us an insight into how the Sunkeeper abilities work. It has been a mystery to us as of now. It will give us the advantage, as they have no way of knowing how the Shadowseeker powers work."

"I understand that," Aelia said quickly, though the prospect of going back into a battle so soon made her feel ill. "But with everything that's happened recently, I would like to have a few days away from it all. If that's okay."

"I'm afraid not, Aelia," Raz sighed. Her voice was firm, but she was looking at Aelia with sympathy in her gaze. "We have to act quickly, as I said before, which means getting to work straight away."

Aelia clenched her jaw, staring resolutely ahead of her. She knew that Raz was right and that making another move as soon as possible would give them an advantage, but she didn't know if she could face the people she had once loved and respected in battle.