Page 94 of The Inheritance

“I know,” she murmured. “I checked.”

What did that mean?

“What happens now?” she asked.

“We keep going. The crisis is over. I told the DDC I needed two weeks off to recover. I have a lot of leave saved up. We’ll have a little staycation, pick up the pieces, and go on with our lives.”

“Will it be okay?” she asked.

“Yes,” I told her. “Everything will be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”

She sighed happily and closed her eyes.

I crossed the house to the back door. Bear followed me like a large silent shadow. I opened the kitchen door, and Bear bounded onto the grass, making a perimeter along the fence of our backyard.

I sat on the porch steps. Above me the night sky stretched, vast and beautiful. I was finally home. The nightmare of the breach was over.

I thought of Elias McFeron. There was a lot of power there, and willingness to use it. I asked him to lie to the DDC, and he didn’t even blink. He went along with my plan because he wanted to keep his guild safe. And all of that adamantite would ensure the DDC would abandon any disciplinary action against Cold Chaos. Before they took me away, I heard Elias tell someone that the families of the dead guildmembers would be entitled to their bonus. Money was cold comfort when you lost your husband or your mother. But bills didn’t go away because you had a personal tragedy. I knew that better than anyone.

Elias would make a very dangerous opponent. A very capable ally, too, but it was too early for that. I needed to plan long term, and I had to choose who I trusted very carefully.

I looked at the night sky, closed my eyes, and reached deep inside myself, to the soft glow. It was still weak, but it had recovered enough. I tapped it, and it responded, eager to connect.

It was time to keep my promises. I took a deep breath.

Tell me about the Tsuun.

The End