It was late when Felit?a got to her room. They had made no progress with the Pearl despite trying and retrying countless different ways of holding it, angles between her head and it, with her eyes open, with her eyes closed. Hell, towards the end Corvinian suggested placing it on top of her head, and she gave it a go because she couldn’t think of anything else they hadn’t already tried.

  That didn’t work either, of course.

  A couple hours of that, followed by another couple hours in conference with Anita over how to raise troops in Belone, and then a brief meeting with Father Bandren for an update on news from Arnor City—which was precisely nothing. At least Bandren was actually taking things seriously now.

  There had been no sign of Zandrue the whole time, and there was no time now to go see Sinit?a, who was probably already in bed. She would have to make Sinit?a a priority for tomorrow. There were only a couple days left until the memorial and she should really try to see Sinit?a before that.

  Zandrue was sitting on her bed when Felit?a opened the door. “Hey.”

  “There you are!” Felit?a said. “We waited for you in the library.”

  “Yeah, sorry.” Zandrue’s eyes were sunken. Had she been crying?

  Felit?a rushed over to her. “Everything okay?”

  “Oh, just the usual.”

  Felit?a sat beside her and put an arm around her. “No just about that. The usual has been pretty bad lately.”

  Zandrue snickered.

  As Hedromornasta took his usual spot in the corner, Felit?a looked to him and nodded towards the door. I need some privacy again. Please wait outside.

  Hedromornasta stared back at her for a moment, but then turned around and went back out the door.

  “Where’s he going?” Zandrue asked.

  “We have a new arrangement,” Felit?a said. “I actually get to have some privacy once in a while.”

  Zandrue smiled. “Nice. Any luck getting him to be more civil with people?”

  “One thing at a time,” Felit?a said. “Now, tell me. What’s up?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  Zandrue looked her in the eye. “Can’t I just come to visit you sometimes?”

  Felit?a backed away slightly. “Of course you can. I just thought…” Damn. Had she misread the situation? She didn’t really trust her ability to read people without being able to sense their emotions. Was this proving her right? “I...I’m sorry.”

  “It’s all right. You’re not entirely wrong, I suppose. Like I said, it’s the usual.”

  Felit?a nodded. “I understand.” Perhaps Zandrue would volunteer information, so she sat there for a few moments and waited. When Zandrue said nothing else, Felit?a plucked Nesh from where he was trying to nestle in her hair and held him out to Zandrue.

  Zandrue recoiled slightly. “What are you doing? I don’t like animals.”

  “No, you love animals. They just don’t like you. However, Nesh here...and Lon...got used to you ages ago. They’re fine around you. So go on, take him.”

  Grimacing a little, Zandrue reached out and, after a brief hesitation, took Nesh from Felit?a. With uncertain hands, she held him up in front of her face.

  “Now tell me that adorable face doesn’t make you smile,” Felit?a said.

  Zandrue’s mouth quivered and she shook her head.

  “Really?”

  Zandrue held her stance for a moment more, then laughed. “Okay, maybe it does a little. But I still don’t like animals.” Despite her words, she continued to hold Nesh and even used a single finger to stroke his head.

  “If you say so,” Felit?a said.

  After a moment of silence, Zandrue said, “I don’t suppose you know how Rudiger’s doing?”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  Felit?a shook her head. “The shield’s still up and the line-up is still not bypassing it. But worse, I don’t even know how you’re doing and you’re right here. You just won’t tell me. The usual you say. Sure, the usual.”

  “You know what I mean,” Zandrue said.

  “Only a little. Zandrue, I’m worried about you. I get you’re worried about Rudiger, but you’re just retreating away. You’re not doing anything. All you’re doing is wandering around gods know where sulking.”

  Zandrue lowered Nesh and glared at Felit?a. “And what are you doing to help, Felit?a? You won’t let me go to Arnor City.”

  “Because it will take you months. We could bypass that if we could figure out the Pearl. We—”

  “But you haven’t, have you? You’ve done fuck all.”

  “That’s not true! We’re trying, and if you’d try with us…”

  “Oh come on, Felit?a. You’re just making excuses.”

  “Is that really what you think?” Felit?a shook her head and took a deep breath. “Look, I don’t want to fight. I want to help you. Please let me. You’ve said many times that Rudiger can take care of himself. Maybe what you need is a distraction. What about the investigation into the cathedral and the Darkers and whatever went wrong with the communications?”

  “I tried that, and found nothing, remember? I’m convinced the problem is in Arnor City.”

  “You found three dead bodies in the tower! That’s not nothing. Have you tried talking to Bandren about it and letting him know? He’s actually willing to listen to you now.”

  “The bodies will have been moved by now, and talking to Bandren is pointless.”

  “Why?”

  Zandrue jumped to her feet. “Because it is. Look, Felit?a, you want to know why I came here now? I was hoping to spend a bit of time with my friend and feel a little better. I didn’t come to be lectured by the fucking Will-Breaker!”

  “Lectured? I’m not lecturing!”

  “Fuck you, Felit?a!” Zandrue threw Nesh down at the bed.

  “Nesh!” Felit?a spun round and reached for Nesh, trying unsuccessfully to catch him before he hit the bed. “What the fuck, Zandrue?”

  But with the slam of the door, Zandrue was gone.

  Felit?a leaned over to find Nesh, who ran with a squeal under her pillow. A calming spell coaxed him back out. Picking him up, she examined him for any injuries. Luckily, he seemed fine. Zandrue hadn’t used enough force to cause much harm beyond fear.

  Felit?a placed Nesh back on the bed, where he scurried back under the pillow again. Lon soon joined him.

  What had gotten into Zandrue?

  With a sigh, Felit?a lay down, being careful to lay her head on the part of the pillow where she would not squash Lon and Nesh.

  Zandrue had always had a temper, and the slightest thing could spark it. But something seemed different this time. It was probably the fact Zandrue was doing so little else. When she had first volunteered to look into the Darker situation, she had thrown herself completely into the problem, like she was looking for something to distract her from thinking about Rudiger. But after that night investigating the cathedral, she had just...stopped. To the best of Felit?a’s knowledge, she had done nothing in the two weeks since. Not a single thing.

  Felit?a sat back up. She should talk to Jorvan. He was assisting Zandrue in the investigation. Maybe he could shine a light on her behaviour. It was too late to go find him now, though. Like Sinit?a, he was probably already asleep—or had, at the very least, retired for the night, and she’d hate to interrupt anything he and Feviona got up to at night.

  If only there were some way she could help Zandrue. But she couldn’t even tell her how Rudiger was doing as the line-up in her head was still gone, and even though she had gotten Hedromornasta to give her some privacy, there was no way she would convince him to lower the shield, even for only a second or two.

  Then again...

  With the breakthroughs she’d made today, maybe there was a way she could do it herself. She knew how to penetrate the shield without completely breaking it down. If she could do that without Hedromornasta noticing…

  That was the hard part. Could she do it?

  Maybe.

  He was a competent wizard. Very competent in fact. However, as Isyar went, he was young and inexperienced. She might just be able to do it.

  It was worth a try.

  For Zandrue’s sake.

  Like before, in the Room, she reshaped a piece of diamond wall in to a tiny point and drilled through the covered hole in the shield. However, this time, she ignored Hedromornasta’s magical energies. Instead, she opened herself to the surroundings. She just needed to let it in slowly.

  The Room started to fill up. The Staff with its sparkling eyes appeared, and Zandrue appeared at the front of the line.

  Hedromornasta’s magical energies stirred. The shield began to reform over the hole.

  Shit. She just needed a split second more.

  There! Rudiger appeared behind Zandrue in the line-up.

  Then Felit?a quickly backed her mind away from the shield.

  A moment later, the bedroom door opened and Hedromornasta looked in, glaring at Felit?a.

  Sorry, Felit?a said. I didn’t mean… That is, I slipped when I… Okay, fine, I did it on purpose. I did it for Zandrue. You can tell your diare and I will admit the truth to her. I promise I won’t do it again.

  Hedromornasta glared at her a moment, then slammed the door.

  Felit?a took a deep breath and released it slowly. That had not gone the way she’d hoped. She’d overestimated her own skill—or underestimated Hedromornasta’s. Either way, she was in for a stern lecture from Mikranasta tomorrow, and it wouldn’t surprise her if Mikranasta increased the strength of the shield as a punishment.

  Still, she’d gotten what she’d wanted. She’d seen Rudiger, and he was alive. His leg was not yet fully recovered, but it was healing, and he seemed otherwise fine. She would have to tell Zandrue tomorrow. And she wouldn’t let Zandrue make finding her difficult. She would find Zandrue and let her know. Begin the process of making peace with her for tonight.

  Then she’d find out why Zandrue had abandoned the investigation into the Darkers, even if she had to take on the responsibility herself.

  Patreon if you'd like to help support my writing.