Page 64 of Veil of Vasara (Fate of the Five #1)

CHAPTER 64- NATHON

F rom up here, the number of people who had come to this festival was even clearer. They stretched out for miles, down every street, every alleyway.

But I was only searching for one person.

“Why are you still holding that?” Loria murmured. She waved at the exultant crowds atop our black chariot, adorned with golden birds and silver engravings. The parade had us flaunting our existence as if we were figurines.

My hand came to a halt. The Captain’s pin balanced between the two fingers I had been twirling it around.

“Why not?” I smiled and waved at the crowd as well. They appeared both terrified and enamoured by any direct eye contact I made with them.

Loria’s soft smile was still plastered on her face as she turned towards me and spoke. “Because it’s a pin.”

I shrugged and propelled it into the air once again, catching it. “And?”

“Why are you so occupied with it?” Loria sounded cynical, but her face remained blissfully serene.

“I won it,” I said nonchalantly.

“You could have asked him for anything.” Loria diverted her attention to the crowd again, who soaked up her glances with longing.

“I don’t need anything,” I replied.

Not anything the Captain could provide, at least.

Loria glanced at me with doubt.

“Plus, this is sharp. I could easily use it as a weapon.” I lightly tapped the tip with my finger, holding it up to the sunlight. It glinted as the rays struck the metal.

Loria followed my movement then her eyes returned to my face. “How come I’m the one telling you? That was an opportunity we should not have wasted.” Her voice sounded slightly bitter.

I frowned, my eyebrows furrowing at her. It was unlike her to make such comments.

After all, she was right, it was usually me who reminded her of such things.

“What’s the matter?” I asked casually.

Loria didn’t reply.

From up here, nobody could hear us, or see our lips moving. This was possibly one of the only times Loria and I would be able to speak this openly.

“If you want to speak, do it now. We won’t get this chance again.” I grinned at more crowd members, my words escaping through my teeth.

“Did you poison that girl?” she asked sadly, bluntly.

I had expected that.

“Absolutely not,” I replied instantly.

Loria’s shoulders sank in what seemed like relief.

“Do you know who did?”

“No,” I told her.

“Does the Captain?”

“No,” I repeated.

“Does the Captain suspect you?”

Without even thinking I replied, “He doesn’t.”

Loria faced me again, her expression puzzled. “Really?”

It made sense she would ask. It would have been perfectly reasonable for the Captain to suspect I had poisoned Dyna, under the majority of circumstances.

But we were no longer under such a majority.

“Really,” I reassured her grinning.

“How? Why?” She was bewildered at the thought.

“We have an understanding,” I informed her.

Loria blinked slowly and opened her eyes to look at the crowds once again. “You’re toying with him,” she let out in one breath.

“No,” I replied adamantly. “I am not.”

Loria didn’t seem to believe that. She only looked at the pin in my hand and raised a brow as if it proved her point.

“This has nothing to do with…”

I stopped speaking and turned away. Defending myself against such accusations wasn’t something I ever usually felt the need to do. I was confused at my own attempt.

Why did it matter whether she believed so? Why did it matter if I wasn’t?

“You’re betrothed?” Loria added after a few seconds, putting an end to my internal battle.

I laughed slightly. “My betrothal is not the one we should be occupied with.”

“Since when?” She ignored my attempt to avoid the question.

“How would I know? I probably found out after everyone else,” I said huffing out another laugh.

“Who is it?” she asked the questions rapidly, one after another.

“Why? Would you like to congratulate the bride to be? Send her a gift basket?”

Loria let out an exasperated sigh, without changing her facial expression. “I just want to know.”

I didn’t enjoy speaking about this subject, hence why nobody knew about this betrothal. I had no intention of following through with it, but I did not have the means or plan to escape from it either. That bothered me. Immensely.

“Who?” she pressed.

“Wouldn’t that ruin the surprise?” I squinted at her as we turned a corner, and the sun hit my eyes.

She didn’t speak at first, staring at my sun-stricken face with sympathy.

“I’m sorry,” she said seriously.

My betrothal was at the bottom of the list of unwelcome things I’d been dragged through in recent years, in terms of difficulty. It bothered me, but in considering events higher up on that list, it became diluted, something I had no time to dwell upon.

“Sorry for what? Your betrothal is far more complicated,” I snickered. But there was a part of me that absorbed her condolences and felt strangely grateful for them.

The Parade came to an end as the afternoon did, and although the festival was still in full swing, each of the candidates and their escorts began to leave.

Loria and I did the same. I walked her to the Palace gates and stopped.

She froze mid-step as she noticed. She turned over her shoulder. I smiled and nodded. She understood, I had somewhere to go.

Less than an hour later, I reached my destination. As much as I loathed the very thought of seeing Mathias’ face again, and had already decided after he injured the Captain, that I would make him die far more slowly than I had previously planned one day…for now, I had little choice but to answer his summons.

I had seen him in the crowd. I had expected to. Nobody else would recognise him of course, but he had subtly held up four fingers across his crossed arms.

In four hours, he had indicated. Meet in four hours.

Then he had held up two fingers, one being his thumb.

That indicated we were to meet in the second, alternative location. Not the Solar Inn. Usually this was because it was deduced the first location had become insecure or compromised.

And so, I strolled into the second establishment on time, titled the dreadful ‘Vasaran Vine,’ and found him instantly, standing at the bar.

I perched myself on a vacant stool next to him.

“Recovered then?” I smiled into the drink I ordered for myself. Mathias’ hand tightened around the handle.

He forgot himself, his purpose, the secrecy we were meant to maintain as he grumbled, “That Kalnasan is dead when this is over.”

I placed my drink down on the counter.

“Are you sure about that? He’s bested you once before,” I reminded him.

Mathias turned red with anger. “He’s dead,” he spat viciously.

No… that will be you.

He had likely already expected the Captain to die of that wound. Little did he know I had tended to it myself. The thought filled me with an unfamiliar sense of satisfaction.

“Afraid of bumping into him again?”

Mathias was silent, only scoffing, which meant he was. That must have been the reason he’d wanted to meet here instead.

I had never met anyone other than Sarlan that Mathias was wary of.

“Enjoying the festival?” I asked an alternate question. I leant my left elbow on the counter as I turned towards him, perching my cheek on my fist.

Without replying, Mathias placed his right fist on the counter, turning as well.

On his middle finger was a dark ring, engraved with the letter “A.”

My eyes rested on it for a moment, then found his face, self-satisfied and smug.

To any outsider it would appear as if nothing had happened.

But that ring, that ring was a command, a call.

To return to Sarlan.

Immediately.

I stared at Mathias for a second or two, then averted my gaze back to my drink. My mind was full of endless speculation as to the reasons behind this sudden change in plan.

“The festival is fine, but I must return to work soon,” Mathias spoke.

I looked at him once more. “I for one am enjoying it, I hope to stay until the end of the festivities.” Why have I been summoned?

“Alas, sometimes we must forgo such things, for the sake of work.” You’re not permitted to ask questions.

“In such instances, I tend to ask others to cover for me, perhaps you should try that.” Why does he need me? He can use the others.

Mathias’s face grew grim. “I can’t. There are too few of us. They’ve even lost some lately.”

Lost some?

Mathias took advantage of my confusion. “There used to be more. But four have left recently. Tumultuous times.” His voice was the perfect display of dismay, tinged with the tone of idle gossip.

Four?

I couldn’t comprehend it. How were four of Audra’s unit, Sarlan’s human embodiment of weaponry, taken out, at once?

My brow relaxed as I realised the only possible way, the only possible adversary who could succeed in such an endeavour.

Sorcerers.

My mind wandered to the cloaked woman. Had she been involved in this?

And how could I leave Loria alone? Especially after the incident that had just occurred with the Kalnasan candidate.

“I have to go back in three hours,” Mathias spoke up. You have three days.

“What about your friends? Won’t they miss you?” I grinned. What about Loria?

“My friends aren’t alone. They’ll be fine.” We’re watching her.

This felt inherently wrong, as if I were being propelled into flames. I knew there was no way I could refuse this summons, but every part of me was protesting, writhing at the sound of its call.

Mathias stood. Placing a few rays down on the countertop. “Drinks on me.”

I regarded the coins with disdain. “Are you sure? After all, don’t you need money for medicine?”

Mathias’ hand rested on the coins he had just placed down. He grinned falsely.

“There won’t be any medicine. I’m perfectly fine,” he bit.

For now.

He leant forwards. “You won’t be so lucky next time.” His voice dropped, blending into the cacophony of noise around us.

“There won’t be a next time.” I side-eyed him. “I’m perfectly fine.”

He jerked away, an expression of fury plastered across his face, and all but bashed his way through the stools towards the door.

Mathias, who had always been completely discreet, had now been utterly unnerved by a defeat to the Captain.

The Captain didn’t even realise how much power he had.

At the thought, I dug into my pants and pulled out the pin.

There were amethysts on it, that was true, but they were dull. It would probably only sell for one lunar, maybe two.

I pricked my finger on the edge of the pin once more, the tip causing an indentation into my skin.

But it was sharp. Yes. Very.

For now, Mathias, perfectly fine, for now.