Page 32 of Angel in Absentia (Light Locked #2)

“Well, it’s ruined now,” Idan said. “I was hoping to have a certified Ruedain historian provide a presentation to us about it, explaining the validity of some of your theories and whatnot.” He waved his hands as if the idea were a bug he was now trying to swat off.

“Idan, you didn’t—” Clea started softly.

“What was there?” Iris interrupted.

“It was empty, but—” Idan started.

Iris interrupted again. “Were you going to explain this too?” she asked, pointing at the weapon, her abruptness startling them all. She pointed to a tiny sigil carved at the base of the weapon’s hilt.

They all leaned over it, but none of them seemed to recognize what it was. Clea found it vaguely familiar but couldn’t place it.

“What?” Idan said, perhaps the bravest one of them to push Iris in the state she was suddenly in.

“It’s a blacksmith’s sigil.” She directed her attention to Merune. “You didn’t look this up?”

Merune, thankfully, seemed to be a rather mellow character and replied to Iris’s fire only with calm detail. “We combed through all of our books on Kaletik, Venennin, Insednian, and all other forest symbols. We found similar symbols, but none that made any sense.”

“Because it’s not a forest symbol,” Iris said, flustered. “That is Oliver Padren’s blacksmith’s sigil.”

Merune and Idan exchanged glances.

“Iris,” Idan said as if embarrassed by her outburst. He rubbed his head. “You’re saying a Veilin made this?”

Iris crossed her arms, swallowing as she stared at the weapon gravely, seeming to completely disregard their doubts.

“I’m saying,” Iris replied, “a Veilin couldn’t have.”

Myken’s words echoed through Clea’s mind.

Your story speaks of the four heroes, but you never discovered what they became.

“You’re the city of the mind. Think it through,” Iris said. “Vanida’s grave was empty.”

“Okay, okay,” Idan said, waving back as he started toward the porch again.

“Going from saying her grave was empty to saying she was a Venennin is a stretch! This is the city of the mind. Fear lives in the heart. That means you need to prove your theories. Come on, Merune. At this rate, I’m going to need a drink too. ”

“It’s morning,” Merune said.

“I just spent the last few months in Loda. Humor me,” Idan replied.

Clea and Iris exchanged glances. Iris had calmed down significantly and with such a sudden change in demeanor that it was strange.

Often flirtatious and open, she now looked grave in the staunch, angular clothes of Ruedom and her hair tied into a bun.

She glanced over at Clea and said, “I guess I was wrong.”

Clea opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

Iris clearly didn’t think she was wrong, but her direction had changed completely.

She eyed the weapon, rubbing her chin. “This weapon likely is valuable to the Insednians though,” Iris began.

“The more I think about it, honestly, with this and Myken, you might get a fair chance at…something with the Warlord of Shambelin. The…Warlord of Shambelin,” Iris repeated thoughtfully.

“I’m surprised you’re not objecting,” Clea said skeptically, still searching Iris’s expression carefully for any hidden intent. Something was going on in Iris’s head. Something had been going on for a while.

Iris looked to Clea, and then out to Idan and Merune, laughing between themselves. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she looked at Clea and then took her hand.

Clea was surprised by the gesture, looking into Iris’s hazel eyes that were focused and pleading as she said, “My only ask is that maybe tonight you consider a different path. You go out with us tonight after your visit to the healing temple. Maybe…” Iris hesitated.

“Maybe you consider staying in Ruedom. Can you do that? We can show you what Ruedom has to offer. You’re going to marry Idan soon anyway.

You’ve done so much over the last few years, Clea.

Everyone deserves the chance to live and breathe for a while. Why not stay here?”

“But then—” Clea started.

“But then, what?” Iris said, raising an eyebrow.

“You won’t save your city? Loda is full of capable people.

Who is to say Loda will be attacked? Maybe if you gain power here, you can negotiate a stronger treaty, improve trade, even bring Lodain people into our walls, which you know full well are impenetrable. ”

Clea paused thoughtfully, and Iris squeezed her hands. “I’m just saying to consider it,” Iris said. “There is so much unrest in Loda right now. People are inclined to act recklessly when that happens. Will you just think about it? It’s what your city wants anyway.”

Clea sighed. “Of course,” she said.

“Just think about it tonight,” Iris said, looking back at the weapon, “and then you go back to breaking history and waging war on warlords. That is, if you really want to. Or, you might discover there is one more option.” Her grip softened on Clea’s hands and Iris faced her one more time as she said, “freedom.”

Clea watched Iris, and despite her passion, the woman still seemed lost in thought, looking down at the weapon again as if she was in fact looking at a key. To what, Clea had no idea.