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Chapter

Fifty-Two

Nuo

“ S o, Kaz, where did you head off to?” Bastane stood against the railing of the Guard’s balcony—the open space between the suites, where only we had access. “Nuo and I barely escaped that dinner when they brought out the snake ladies. They did their best to keep us from leaving.”

Kazhi had determined the balcony was the only safe place to speak, where the wind would cover our words—not that anyone could hear us way up here.

I dropped a book I’d been reading on the lounge chair next to me and stood straight, pressing my back against the glass wall behind me.

There was a pile of them to go through. I’d checked the publication dates in several books to understand what I was reading. None were older than two hundred years.

“I searched for the body.” Kazhi was facing the Guardian city, aglow with lamp-lit paths.

Businesses were still open for those seeking entertainment after training, and I wondered how the women from the burning field were doing, if anyone was believing their tale.

“That’s why I missed dinner,” she said to Bastane. “I went to confirm the man was dead.”

“And?” Bastane asked.

Kazhi turned around, her elbows resting against the railing. Next to Bas, her slight frame appeared smaller.

“I couldn’t find him. However, I overheard a shipment is being sent north on Aeden’s behalf for ‘ his work .’ I learned nothing more.”

“Do you think the Aethar could have survived that kind of wound?” I asked.

Bastane held the journal the blue woman had given him. We had all read it by now. “Aeden said the ballistic is infused with magycris. But not the healing liquid. He made it sound as if he’s found a way to make magycris a poison.”

“Didn’t know you two would get so bent out of shape for an Aethar,” Kazhi said mockingly. “Admitting you’re opening your eyes?”

I flicked some lint off my arm in her direction.

“It was me that shot down that airship.” Bastane set the journal down next to my pile, nodding to it. “It was her brother we shot down. The Ikhor wasn’t even on the ship.”

“After this mission to the Aethar lands …” Kazhi gave us a troubled look. “I want to follow Aeden if he returns north or catch one of these shipments and follow. I want to see this secret place he scurries off to and what he does there.”

“You? Not us?” I asked.

“No. I would be gone for a short time, and I will keep myself hidden.”

“I don’t like the sounds of this. You would be on your own far from any backup.” Bastane gave Kazhi a stern look.

“I survived many years on my own. I can handle it.”

“Many years, huh?” I said. “How many is that?”

She had called out to the Desert Eagle in that canyon with no fear.

In fact, she called to him with familiarity.

When we questioned her later, she said we were hearing things, and that she was desperate for him to let Bastane go.

I knew she was lying and not just of her past. She had some plan of her own when it came to all this.

“Kaz—” I started.

She tapped her boot, waiting. “Something on your mind, Gills?”

“Don’t call me that.” I drew a knife from my belt and toyed with it to keep my hands busy. “Brekt hid what he was from you two,” I said finally.

Kazhi stopped bouncing her foot, and Bastane unfolded his arms. They stood in the fading glow, waiting to hear where I was going with this.

We hadn’t talked about it since he’d changed—likely because I had not been clear-headed and because none of us openly discussed our feelings about losing him.

We had fought about Bastane’s fuck-ups, but not Brekt’s.

“Brekt asked me to keep his secret from you because he didn’t want to be the Aspis. He didn’t want people to know what he was or watch him waiting for it to appear. He considered you two his family and liked that you saw him as just a man.”

“I wasn’t waiting for you to apologize for Brekt,” Bastane said in the kindest manner he’d ever spoken to me.

I waved off his comment. “I’m not. I am apologizing to you for my part. I made a promise to him before I ever met you, but I’m sorry for the anger I know you must feel from being left in the dark. If you can’t forgive me for that, then I have another favour to ask of you.”

Bastane slid his attention to Kazhi, who was chewing on a fingernail. He shivered, blinking away his disgust before facing me. “I’m listening.”

We all jumped when a pair of boots slammed to the ground. One of the lounge chairs flew backward, screeching across the balcony as a loud curse interrupted what I was about to say.

The swirling shadows that shielded him from sight vanished on the wind. Brekt was holding the railing, face pale. “I wasn’t sure I landed where I intended to. It’s … unnerving to come back to myself.”

“How do you do that?” I clutched my chest to catch my breath. “You scared the shit out of me. I didn’t see you in the sky.”

“I’ve been travelling at night to remain hidden. I’ve been more myself lately. More than before.” Brekt’s wild hair blew around his face.

“Why do you think you feel more yourself? Are things changing?”

“What of Bones?” Kazhi asked before Brekt could answer, going to his side. “Did you find her?” She inspected him. For what, I wasn’t sure.

“No,” he grunted, pushing Kazhi away. “I can only think of one explanation as to why I can control the Aspis, why I can’t feel her.”

I held my breath. It couldn’t mean what I thought, no way.

“She’s repressing it,” Brekt said, and I let my shoulders fall.

The stupid bastard saw my relief and grinned. Fucker.

“I think she’s holding the magic back, meaning I can’t sense her. And she’s severed our connection. I don’t see her in the dreams, either,” he said to me.

“Dreams?” Bastane asked. “How many frigging secrets are we spilling tonight.”

“You should be used to spilling secrets. Isn’t that your specialty?” Brekt snapped.

Bastane tapped his chest, mocking the pain delivered there. “I can take it, Beastman. I deserve it.”

“I was about to get into the spilling of secrets before your abrupt and unasked-for arrival,” I said to Brekt. “Since you barged into our meeting, I suppose we can let you in on the conversation.”

Brekt didn’t seem amused. “Don’t let me interrupt then. Do go on.”

“No, no. You were talking about your dreams.” I waved a hand, realizing I was still holding a knife, and put it away.

“Can’t even catch my breath. Interrogated as soon as I land,” he muttered before resting his hands against the railing and looking out over the city. “I’ve had dreams my whole life—things that were to come. I knew of you all before I met you.”

Kazhi threw me a look, and I shrugged, admitting I already knew this.

“I had dreamt of Liv before I met her,” he continued. “I dreamt of her bathed in fire and thought it meant she would be victim to the Ikhor. I don’t know why I never put it together.”

“Likely because she was too innocent,” Bastane said. “Liv didn’t seem the evil type.”

Brekt nodded. “But I don’t see her anymore. Not since I was in those canyons. Though I wasn’t in control, I vaguely remember her amongst the rock and sand, as well as you three trying to hold me down.”

“So you have to wait until you feel the magic to find her?”

He dipped his head in affirmation. “Until then, she could be anywhere.”

I thought about what happened in the canyons, which led me to question everything. “You tried to take the magic from her. You were absorbing it.”

Brekt went still. “Don’t confuse me with the Aspis. I have no control. I wouldn’t harm Liv.”

“Semantics. The Aspis tried to take the Ikhor’s magic. It wasn’t trying to kill.” I’d forgotten to discuss that the last time we saw him, too shaken by his return.

Brekt was transfixed on the mountains beyond. “Yes, it’s drawn to it. When the Ikhor’s magic is used, it’s a call for the beast. When Liv refrains from using it, I gain control.”

I held my hands out. “So that’s how this could all end. The Aspis takes the magic and returns it to the gods.”

Brekt peered over at me, angered. “And based on what you saw, would taking the magic have killed Liv?”

I opened my mouth to argue when Kazhi cut me off. “Nuo saved her from it, so yes, he thought it was killing her.”

The look that crossed his face disappeared before I could understand. “I will not risk killing Liv. I want to find another way. Have there been no reports on the Ikhor’s whereabouts or her guides?”

“No word on Liv,” Bastane said to Brekt. “But her companions … the Ravins killed the pilot leading Liv away from Veydes. We shot down their airship and didn’t think he survived. Falizha must have returned for him. Liv will want to know.”

Brekt paused, staring at the sky before speaking. “She considers the two Aethar her friends. I vaguely remember her saying so. He’s dead?”

“I don’t know that he’s dead,” Kazhi said. “If you want to wait to tell her.”

“I won’t hide such a thing from her,” Brekt said. “Not if she considered the pilot her friend.”

The night grew colder, the sounds of the waterfalls around the city soothing against the darker turn of our conversation. Kazhi took her place beside Brekt, both staring at the stars lit high above. “Have the gods spoken to you, their champion, to give any instructions on how to end this?”

I had wondered about that, too. “Maybe a helpful hand or ‘Fuck you! Do what you’re told’?”

Brekt shook his head. “Not a word. I don’t sense the gods. I don’t know what their plan is, but it’s clear they want no part in the battle.”

“Lazy bastards,” Kazhi said, and we all looked at her with surprise. “I’m getting tired of defending our gods.”

“Me too,” Bastane added, then regarded Brekt over Kazhi’s head. “Sometimes you don’t seem yourself. Last time we saw you …”