Page 55 of Red Demon (Oria #1)

Rumors

T he cafe in Uyr Elderven bustled with overlapping conversations, bathed in the fragrance of good coffee, not the chicory kind. Asher fidgeted, stealing glances at the clock. “Where is she?” He ran his hand through his short hair.

Ruren-sa continued their attack since Nunbiren.

In the shadow of the fourth recent attack attributed to SBO, Noé was in crisis, with many people flocking to the safety of the island capital.

We’d entered Uyr Elderven with no issues.

The officials were too overwhelmed with refugees and preemptive visitors to even bother scanning our faces into the system.

Telesilla’s chout glamor still held strong on our features.

“Don’t worry, she’ll be here.” I tried to follow my own advice as my gaze kept flitting to the door.

I’d helped Asher word the note we left at the hospital front desk for Mira, hoping we’d given her enough clues to accept an invitation from strangers.

Ash had claimed we were old friends from Thebos, back in the days when she wanted to start a musical troupe.

We’d been in the DM club together, and we underlined those letters before writing Dancing Modtechs—in this case.

She could choose the time and place to meet if she wanted to say hello to her favorite waltz partners.

We’d hoped she’d choose somewhere private, but she picked this cafe instead. The place was packed—we were lucky to get the last open table.

“Any news from our new friend?” Asher asked.

I knew he meant Telesilla, but anything we said here could be overheard. “Yeah, a note. It said they’d find us at the inn tonight.”

The cafe door opened with a ring. Mira scanned the cafe. A halo of dark, textured strands framed her face, gathered at the back over a hospital uniform. Her brow furrowed in apprehension.

Asher waved her over. “Mira, over here.” His voice sounded strange, strangled.

Mira’s gaze dissected us. Asher smiled.

She didn’t smile back, swallowing. “I ... I don’t know you.”

From his grip on the table, it was all Asher could do not to get up and hug her. “We were … dance partners from Thebos. Carob and…” he faltered, the weight of the lie a leaden weight he had to whisper his way through.

She blinked at him. “Kian?” Mira supplied. The fake name in our letter.

I leaned forward across the table. “I’m sorry our appearance comes as a shock. We’ve changed our mods up to something more … natural since dance lessons.”

An intake of breath, the wave of recognition at my voice.

“I know you said I could crash on your couch anytime, but we won’t take you up on that today, even if all this death has been a bit … disruptive.” I laughed, trying to sound detached, an inner empire tourist inconvenienced by war. “Are you going to sit down?”

She sat with rigid solemnity, staring at Ash. I smiled when she turned back to me, hoping to put her at ease. Even if we were outlaws now, I never expected her to be … afraid. But there she was, her hands clenched in her lap.

“Hi,” Ash said, eyes unabashedly full of so many more words than that.

Mira’s eyes locked to his, flaring.

“We heard about Nunbiren,” I said. “Please accept our condolences. We knew you were close to some people there.”

A shiver, suppressed. “Thank you,” she murmured, faint.

“Have you heard from the survivors in Nunbiren?” I pressed. “We’ve heard some troubling rumors about the friends you mentioned in your letters, and were are relieved to hear you were safe from all this nonsense.”

Mira’s eyes darted between us, like a caged animal searching for an escape. But she steeled herself.

The server came; she ordered a light roast coffee; me the same, Ash a blended tea.

“How’s your father? Did he survive?” I asked.

“My father? He’s…” Mira faltered, her voice cracking. “He’s alive. Humbled a bit, since the eviction from office; working in an administrative post across town now. They said he refused help from the barracks before the attack.”

“All that is news to me,” I said with a mischievous grimace. “But I trust his fate is just. A wise man once told me humility is nobility, and that we should always trust the immortals to do right. I admire a man who knows his place.” I exaggerated her father’s cadence along with his words.

She closed her eyes, bit away her smile.

“Nunbiren lost so many good people.” She slumped in her seat. “It’s been difficult for me to process. I heard that Jesse Eirini contracted SBO, that he is either now roaming the wilds in a mad murderous rage or—” She shuddered. “Dead. Honestly, I hoped for dead.”

“I’ve heard different rumors about your friends,” I said. “But I’m sure the temple here in the Noé capital knows best.”

A patron bumped our table, trying to meander the crowded room.

“What have you heard about the other survivors, like your friend Asher?” Ash searched Mira’s face. “I can tell you if that’s the same as the rumors I’ve heard.”

She sipped her coffee. “The temple says Asher Eirini joined the Asri rebels, that he’s a traitor,” she said, her words clipped. “Is that—is that what you heard?”

“Yes.” Asher held his gaze steady as Mira’s face split into a rainbow of shifting emotions. An entire conversation of glances flitted between them before I nudged Ash under the table.

“Yeah, those rebels are spreading terrible rumors all over,” Asher said, successfully disinterested this time.

“The Asri rebels say it wasn’t Chaeten gangs after all, surprising as it is they missed a chance to pass blame.

They are saying it was all ghosts, ruren-sa.

The empire is able to predict the movements, get Z’har out, but they aren’t protecting the civilians.

Mahakal might even be controlling these ghosts, and he’s blaming innocent people for all of this, killing them—his soldiers are killing innocent people.

” Asher’s voice broke a little on that, and I watched the reflection on Mira’s face, her nostrils flaring.

“Terrible rumors, disgraceful,” I added, when a middle-aged lady sitting at the nearest table looked our way.

“I’m sure you feel like you know Ash almost as well as I do from my letters. I miss my old friend very much,” Mira said to Asher. “It pains me to think what rumors he succumbed to before turning on his commanders.”

“Dangerous rumors indeed, souring minds all over the rural empire,” I added with a fresh dose of arrogance. “And I know you admired Major Mahakal so much, from your letters.”

“Right.” She twitched a smile.

“Right,” I said. “The rumors place Mahakal at the center of the cover up, and paint his character in a very different manner than you’ve described. They’re claiming Mahakal was gloating over raping an Attiq-ka, and that he also tried to sexually assault a prisoner.”

Mira’s face drained of color. “Who?”

“Jesse Eirini.” I shrugged.

Both their eyes widened. “I didn’t hear that one yet,” Asher said.

I grimaced. “Don’t believe a word, of course. But these rebels are saying Mahakal tried to kill Jesse Eirini after he saw the truth in Nunbiren,” I whispered. “I couldn’t bear to listen to the lies beyond that.”

The server dropped off our drinks, and I stared at my cup.

“What do you think of all this, Mira?” Asher reached across the table, his hand hovering over hers.

Mira pulled her hand away. “What do you mean?”

I watched as Asher’s heart broke all over again. “Tell me,” he said.

“Those rumors…” she said, her voice quavering. “The men in these rumors are not the men I knew. I miss both my old friends very much.” She took rapid breaths, blinking, earning a curious glance from that woman the next table over.

“So, are you enjoying your time at your post?” I asked, in as light of a tone as I could feign.

“Yes,” she said, stiff, too quickly. “I’ve come to appreciate the opportunity. I’ve learned a lot, and am able to help more people.”

A flicker of hope ignited in Asher’s eyes, only to be extinguished as quickly as it appeared when she didn’t feed that flame with her gaze.

“That’s wonderful. Although I admit we’d hoped you’d say you missed our dance lessons,” I said. “Would you ever want to come back to the DM club? I’m sure we could find a place for you near us, even if it’s not a post here.”

“We miss you, Mira,” Asher choked out, the words heavy with unspoken longing, his unabashed sappy goatshit for all the world to see.

Mira took a shuddering breath. “Ah, I do miss our dances in Thebos.” She took a sip of her coffee.

“There’s no going back, but I hope you two stay safe from the violence in Noé.

” She checked the clock on the wall. “I should keep this short, but it was lovely of you both to check in on me and make sure I was okay.”

The weight of her dismissal hung heavy between us. I forced my mouth closed, nodding. Asher reddened.

“There are rumors,” Asher hissed through his teeth, “that SBO doesn’t exist. That the empire fabricated it all.”

He said it just loud enough for a few heads to turn. I shot out a hand, gripping Asher’s knee under the table.

Mira frowned, squinting. “It’s very real. I’ve seen the antibodies. Survivors are rare, yes, but we have a sample from a soldier—”

Mira froze, then smiled over my shoulder.

“Forgive me, I’m so excited about this subject, but much of what I do is classified now.

But I think we can both be sure, based on what happened, that Jesse Eirini didn’t have those SBO antibodies.

” She took a deep breath. “Poor man,” she added, a half-hearted afterthought.

I leaned forward on my fists, trying to understand.

“Anyway, that’s enough wallowing for one day.” Mira’s voice regained a brittle cheer. “Have you been to the night market yet? You need to check out some of the food stalls before you leave tomorrow. Are you staying nearby?”

I clenched my jaw. We hadn’t mentioned leaving tomorrow in our note. Was this a warning?

“We’re staying at the Mora Inn,” Asher said, his voice cracking. “Do you think you’ll have time to see us again?”

Mira offered a pained smile. “No. I’ll be very busy before your departure tomorrow. I’m afraid this is goodbye.”

Tides of despair pulled my brother away from me.

I needed to keep my head above the waves.

No, I needed to be his shore to swim back to.

Another breath. I folded my own pain and disappointment away as I studied Mira, unable to make sense of this, unable to reconcile how she seemed to mean everything she said to me months ago.

She was still family to me, but that no longer seemed to be mutual.

“Well, thank you for making time for us,” I forced out, giving Asher a subtle squeeze on the shoulder when he rose beside me. “Good luck with your research, Mira. I’m glad you have found your peace with all this.”

Stiff postured, Mira rose from her chair. She laid down enough coin on the table to pay for us all, turning toward the door before we could object. She waved with a polite smile from outside the window. Asher watched her until she disappeared into the crowded street.