Shadowborn

Chapter Seventy-Three: Sisterly Reunion

The closer we get to the square where we’re meeting Xara, the more nervous Rhallani gets. The bright eyed, energetic, incorrigible scholar vanishes, leaving a timid girl in her place. She chewed her lip so badly I figured it would soon be chapped. Her shoulders slumped, and she started wringing her fingers with her face turned downward. I hadn’t seen her like this since before Listone.

I put my hand on her shoulder and leaned in close, already wishing we hadn’t agreed to keep displays of affection to a minimum in public. “Breathe, Angel. It’s going to be fine.”

She let out a small whimper in the back of her throat. “But what if it isn’t? What if she hates me?”

“Why would she hate you?”

“Xara…doesn’t like humans. At all,” she said slowly. We arrived at where Rhallani’s message asked to meet while she collected her thoughts. We were early, the sun still not fully below the horizon, which means we had a little time to kill. Luckily or unluckily, the area was relatively deserted.

“We aren’t full blooded sisters,” Rhallani said finally. “We’ve never been anything less to one another, but she was born before my father met my mother. Her dad—her biological one, at least—was Mom’s last Patron. He was…”

“Bad enough to leave Xara with a lifelong dislike for humans?” I offered.

She nodded. “To Mom, to the other servants, even to Xara… It wasn’t until after Mom died that she finally started to warm up to my birth father. I was twelve, she was seventeen. I got lost, found by some guards who weren’t very sympathetic to demi-humans. One grabbed me hard enough to bruise my arm and Dad went mental as soon as he saw. She started warming up to him after. He’s always been the only human she could stand.”

“I get it,” I told her. “I can give you as much space and time as you need to break the news to her. Have you heard from your father at all?”

Her face fell. “He’s probably on another business trip. If I had to guess, he took a job to start getting the funds together to… buy me back,” she said miserably.

“I’m sorry, Rhallani.” I stepped closer, lifting her chin. “If I’d known…”

She sniffled. “You couldn’t have. Not early enough for it to have made a difference, at least. Trust me, I’ve gone over it a thousand times in my head. I haven’t come up with a single way we could have done things better than we did.”

“The least shit option,” I joked.

I was just contemplating pulling her face up more to press my lips to hers—however briefly I could get away with—when suddenly my feet were no longer on the ground. A surprised grunt was all I managed before I was slammed into a wall hard enough to knock the wind from my lungs. I got a brief glimpse of honey colored eyes with a gold band in the iris, narrowed in rage, before a fist crashed against my face hard enough to make me see stars.

[Giant Slayer] didn’t activate, which meant my opponent was a lower overall level than me, though from how my head spun from the strike I knew Strength was her highest attribute. [Danger Sense] didn’t ping in the slightest, which meant Rhallani was in no danger. Since she wasn’t under threat and [Horde Slayer] hadn’t activated either, which meant my attacker was alone.

They reared back to swing again but my moment of surprise was over. I broke their grip and tried to create distance, but they were a capable fighter. A hood hid their features, but the snarl they let loose as they swung again told me I was fighting a woman. I caught her strike on my forearm and bit back a curse. It was like getting hit with a hammer. I was just starting to summon my shadows when she spoke.

“You said you wouldn’t touch her, you fucking liar!” she growled.

I had just long enough to process her words and put together who’d just socked me in the mouth when the woman who must be Xara vanished under a blur of red and white fur.

Fang, in his wolf form, knocked Xara to the ground. Her hood fell back, revealing the same silver-ivory skin as Rhallani, though her hair was black with gold threads rather than the silver and gold Rhallani had. Her eyes, as I’d noticed, were brown instead of blue, though shared the same gold ring as her sister. They were rather visible right now since they were wide with fear as she stared up at Fang, his lip curled and fangs bared.

“What the fuck?” she demanded, struggling with Fang’s weight. I wasn’t certain, but I was pretty sure he was bigger than before. “Call of your fucking beast!”

I rubbed my jaw. “Not my beast,” I told her.

Her gaze went from Fang, to me, to Fang, then to Rhallani, who was standing with her arms crossed and a pissed off expression on her face. “Rhallani?” Xara breathed.

“Yeah. Me.” She strode forward and sunk her fingers into Fang’s fur, but her summon didn’t take his eyes off her sister. “And Fang isn’t letting you up until you promise not to hit Zaren again.”

Xara’s glare shifted back to me. “What in the hells have you done to her?” she demanded.

“He made me happier than I’ve ever been, Xara,” Rhallani said, her voice low, but firm. “And the letter—which I helped write—said he wouldn’t force me to do anything or do anything to me that I don’t want. And he hasn’t.”

“Rhallani, whatever he’s—”

“I’ll tell you everything you want to know after you agree not to go after him again. Especially since it’s stupid. If Zaren wasn’t the best man I’ve ever known, he could have you locked up or indebted.” She scoffed.

“Honestly, Xara, what were you thinking? If Zaren was like the rest of the Patrons in the city, he could have had us both.”

Some of Xara’s anger faded, replaced with shame. “Fine. I won’t attack your Patron.” She spat out the last word as if it was the worst insult she could come up with. “Now call off your pet.”

“Not a pet,” Rhallani said, smiling. She waved a hand and Fang faded away to nothing.

Xara’s brows shot up. “You have a new class?” she asked.

“A lot’s happened, Xar.” Rhallani helped her sister up, then threw her arms around her. I raised a brow when I realized Xara was at least an inch taller than me with arms that looked more than thick enough to toss me around like she had.

Xara hugged her sister back, lifting Rhallani’s feet off the ground and burying her nose in Rhallani’s hair. “I’m sorry. I should have—”

“You couldn’t have done anything differently,” Rhallani said, pulling away. “I was the one who snuck off. I was the one who got myself stuck in a trap that would have killed me if Zaren hadn’t come along. Zaren saved my life, then he changed it.”

Xara stepped back, though she kept hold of Rhallani’s upper arms. Anger and hate still flowed from her eyes when she glanced at me, but there was some uncertainty in them. “He indebted you.”

“It was my idea,” Rhallani told her.

That made Xara’s brow furrow. “Surely there were better options than an assault story. Rhallani, you’ve got five more years before you’re free.”

Rhallani grimaced and I had to bite back a chuckle, which earned me another stink eye from Xara. “Not a story,” Rhallani admitted.

I could see the tension in Xara’s shoulders. “What did you do?”

“I might have… stabbed him. Just a little.” Xara’s jaw dropped. “What? I panicked! Came to with a big, scary, attractive guy looming and just…” she motioned like she was stabbing and shrugged.

Xara glared at me again and I held my hands up. “Picked a bad time to check for a pulse and I’d say I more than paid for it, all things considered.”

Rhallani waved a hand. “He’s fine. It was hardly the worst injury he suffered in the tower of horrors. Which means he won’t care at all about a measly little punch, right?” she asked with a pointed look at me.

I grinned. “I dunno, pretty sure that punch shaved off more health than your knife did.” When Rhallani arched a brow, I chuckled. “Water under the bridge. No harm done.”

That only seemed to make Xara more suspicious. “Why? Why let me walk?”

“Part because Rhallani asked me to,” I admitted, “part because it was a pretty justified punch, all things considered, and part because I have an idea of what’ll happen if I decide to make a thing of it. I don’t really agree with the level of crime and punishment in the city these days. Not for minor things, at least.”

Xara just pulled Rhallani into her side, clearly not believing a word I said. “So what now? Your letter suggested you’d be willing to let me take her place. Commute her sentence to me.”

“And would you have come if the letter said anything else?” Rhallani challenged, pulling away. “Would you have believed it for a second if I said I was happy and he was an amazing Patron? After what happened to the Soleil sisters? Is there anything at all I could have written that would have convinced you he wasn’t abusing me or forcing me to write it?”

Xara’s lack of an answer was more than enough. She looked away with a growl. “You’re staying, then? With him?” She looked to me. “You’d really keep her as your slave?”

I tried not to let the word rankle me. “Rhallani, I’d like to free you from your debt,” I said instead.

Rhallani just rolled her eyes. “Kiss my ass, Zaren.”

Xara’s eyes went wide, but I just barked out a laugh. “Maybe later.”

She shot me a heated look—one that didn’t slip past Xara’s notice. But, rather than the anger I expected, something else flashed behind her gaze. Something softer. “Don’t tell me you two are…”

“Let’s have that discussion somewhere else,” Rhallani said quickly. “I want you to see my new home.” She bit her lip, looking at me uncertainly, then slowly moved towards me. I held an arm out for her to take and she wrapped around it. “Our new home.”

A tic started in Xara’s jaw, but eventually she nodded. All the air fled Rhallani’s lungs and she swayed slightly before collecting herself. “Good. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone else.” She turned uncertain, pleading eyes up at me.

I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Go. Spend time with your sister. No telling when we’ll find time once things start up in full.”

She rose up on her tiptoes to brush her lips against mine then bounced to her sister. While we walked back towards the manor, Rhallani brought Xara up to speed on what all had happened since I’d pulled her out of Karn’s tower. Thankfully she skipped the parts I was sure would lead to me being gutted as well as the harder to believe bits involving goddesses.

I got more than a few dirty looks from her when Rhallani mentioned the more dangerous part of our adventures, and I found myself really wishing she’d tone down some parts. Especially everything to do with the Valax. Though, admittedly, the looks she shot me were a little less antagonistic and a little more calculating after that.

When we reached the road that ended at my manor, Xara paused. “You own one of these shitho—er, mansions?”

“Technically speaking I own all of them,” I admitted. Even Rhallani’s head whipped around at that. “I’ve got plans, but I want to get my home base squared away before I worry about any other abandoned shacks.”

“Abandoned shacks, he says” Xara mumbled. She shook her head. “Of course you manage to snag someone who’s rich as shit.”

But Rhallani just smiled. “And he’s going to use that money to help a lot of people. Come on.”

She dragged Xara along by the wrist and I followed. I felt the now-familiar tingle up my spine as Xara crossed the threshold. “We’ve only been here for a day and a half now,” Rhallani started saying, “so there’s a lot of work still to be done, but I was hardly going to wait any longer to tell you I’m okay. We’ll have to find time to get you down here again once it’s all fixed up.”

Xara looked up at the manor with wide eyes. “Who even needs a house this big?” she breathed.

“Considering Zaren can’t help but take in anyone he can help have a better life, I’m not sure we’ll have enough room,” Rhallani said cheerily. “I love it, though. I always wanted a big family, you know?”

She pushed inside, and now that night had fallen I was finally able to appreciate Euribald’s work. The crystals that lined the walls emitted a glow that was slightly stronger than torchlight but without the flickering. The workers had gone home for the day, so there were only a few servants cleaning up the hall currently. They smiled wide when they saw me, and Iris walked over to tell us that most everyone was in the dining hall.

“Hungry?” Rhallani asked. “Ryoko, Zerali, and Friya are great cooks.”

Xara glanced back at me. “I could eat, I suppose.”

I gestured towards the door leading to the dining area. No sooner had we walked in than Tiana spotted us. She shot to her feet and glided over to us. Her eyes flicked down to my jaw where I was certain a bruise was forming and she shot me a questioning look, but I just shook my head. Without missing a beat, she turned her attention to Rhallani’s sister. “You must be the famous Xara.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “I’m Tiana. It’s wonderful to meet you, Rhallani’s told us so much about your family.”

It was apparent that Xara’s distaste for humans wasn’t limited to men, though Tiana got significantly less of a glare than I did. “Yeah. Xara. Um, nice to meet you as well.”

Rhallani started chewing her lip again and I put a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. She looked up at me and nodded. “Tiana is a member of Zaren’s harem. Just like me.”

Xara went stiff as a board. “Oh,” she said simply. “And you’re, ah, okay with…”

In reply, Tiana stepped behind Rhallani and wrapped her long, slender arms around the shorter girl. Even though she tried to hide it, I could see her pleasure as Tiana’s breasts all but sandwiched her head. “Rhallani’s race has never once mattered to me. She’s family.”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude,” Xara said quickly, “I’ve just never known a human willing to share their man with a demi.”

Tiana just shrugged, hugging Rhallani tighter. “Whether we’re sharing Zaren, or whether me and him are sharing Rhallani. There’s more than enough love to go around either way.” She pressed her cheek to Rhallani’s crown. “And Serena and Noelle feel the same way.”

Xara shot me a look. “Four?”

“For now,” Rhallani giggled.

That drew an exasperated shake of the head from her sister. “Unbelievable.”

“You’re telling me,” I grumbled. “Wait ‘till you meet the other two. All together? They’re quite the menace. Gods help me if they successfully recruit Jack to the cause.”

The doors flew open. “What cause?” Jack asked, making me wonder just how good her hearing was. Behind her walked a woman just as tall as her, though narrower in the shoulder. Where Jack was a wildfire, storming into the room and commanding it with her presence, this other woman was cool and collected, flowing behind Jack like water with intense steel gray eyes and light brown hair.

“The ‘corrupting Zaren’ cause,” Rhallani said with a smile.

Jack grinned. “Fuck yeah, I’m in.” Then she jerked a thumb at the woman behind her. “Z, this is my sister, Sylvenna. Syl, this is—”

Xara gasped. “Captain?” she breathed.

Sylvenna’s eyes went wide. They jerked from Xara to the bruise on my jaw and all color fled her face. She stepped past Jack and clasped her hands behind her back. “Lord Nocht, I’m Captain Pryce. I’m a member of Amesseria’s military, and Sergeant Venetia’s commanding officer. I’d like to formally apologize for any problems caused by my subordinate and ask that any punishment you feel she deserves to be commuted to me instead.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary—” I started.

“No, Captain,” Xara said, “if anyone is going to pay for my actions, it’ll be me.”

Sylvenna’s jaw clenched. “Xara, I got your message and—”

“Then you know I have to do this,” Xara insisted.

The rest of us were watching the interaction, but I felt the need to clarify. “Ladies, please. Nobody is getting punished.”

Xara still looked uncertain, and the disbelief was evident on Sylvenna’s face. “But,” Xara said, “I struck you.”
I just shrugged. “I’m sure I deserved it for one reason or another. Besides, most of my best friends have taken a swing at me at least once.”

Xara and Sylvenna looked at one another, and I realized a silent conversation was happening between the two of them. I wasn’t the only one, either. With a squeal that made everyone flinch, Rhallani latched onto Xara’s arm.

“Xara, tell me I’m seeing things!” she demanded, smiling wide.

Her sister’s eyes went wide. “Rhallani, I’m not sure what—”

But Jack had put it together as well. Understanding dawned on her face and laughter erupted from her. “Shit, Syl, you should have mentioned something sooner. Zaren’s above board, you don’t have to worry about your girlfriend. Rhallani would castrate him if anything happened to her sister.” Then she turned her grin on me, wiping away tears. “And I’d kick his ass if anything he did fell on you, so you don’t have to worry about the whole ‘subordinate-superior’ thing.”

Sylvenna looked at the ground. “Xara should be a captain too. Minimum. If they didn’t limit demi-humans to sergeant and below then—” She shook her head. “That isn’t important right now. Will you release Rhallani?”
I sighed, rubbing my temple. “Sure I would, if she wanted to be released. She’s got a powerful class now, though, and if I understand the Accords correctly that means she’s safer with my collar than without it.”

Sylvenna grimaced and looked away. “You’d be correct, but my sister—”

“Yeah, don’t bother,” Jack said, leaning an arm on Sylvenna’s shoulder. “Already tried. Rhallani’s living the dream, trust me.”

Sylvenna still didn’t look convinced, and with everything I’d learned I couldn’t blame her. Xara either. “Why don’t we all sit and talk. Maybe eat something. We can all get on the same page so we can stop freaking out about things that don’t need to be freaked out over.”

Xara and Sylvenna both gave me a terse nod after exchanging a look. I pulled a chair out for Rhallani, then one for Tiana on my other side. Rhallani pulled her sister down next to her and Jack maneuvered Sylvenna into the seat next to Xara before anyone else could blink, shooting a wink in my direction.

We still hadn’t talked about what happened during our Linking, so I had absolutely no idea how to interpret the gesture.

Many of the servants seemed to pick up on our guests' discomfort, and before long it was just me, my girls, Jack, Xara, and Sylvenna. Not long after the last of the servants cleared out, Noelle slipped in with eyes still bleary from sleep. She wordlessly climbed into my lap and pulled one of my arms over her front, nestling into its crook.

Both Sylvenna and Xara stopped to watch with surprised expressions, but Rhallani just beamed. “This is Noelle, the third member of the harem. So far. Noelle, this is my sister Xara and her girlfriend, Sylvenna.”
Noelle regarded them sleepily. “Family of Rhallani’s is family of mine,” she said simply.

I didn’t miss the way Sylvenna and Xara both tensed when Rhallani mentioned their relationship. I figured their ranks weren’t the only reason their relationship had to stay secret, and there was only one way I could think of to reassure them. By giving them one of my secrets.

“Since you’re basically family,” I said, causing both of them to tense, “I guess you should probably know that I plan to get rid of the Accords.”

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed my declaration. “You’re kidding, right?” Sylvenna said eventually.

I shrugged, taking a sip of watered down wine. “I have my ways. Trust me when I say it wouldn’t be the most impossible thing I’ve ever done.”

Xara and Sylvenna exchanged a glance, and I noticed their hands meet under the table. “That’s a dangerous declaration that could earn you a lot of enemies,” she said slowly.

“Secret for secret,” I told them. “I know something that could cause you harm, now you know something that could cause me more.”

I watched them both relax, leaning into one another. “I’m starting to understand what my sister sees in you,” Xara breathed. “Assuming you’re not full of shit, of course.”

Sylvenna sucked in a breath, but I just grinned. “Depends on the day. I also hope you’ll believe me when I say I take care of my own, and since you’re both sister to someone I care about, that includes the both of you. If you ever need somewhere to go, whether you’re in trouble or you just need somewhere you can be together without fearing discovery, my door is always open.”

Xara opened her mouth to say something, but then a hand captured either side of my face and Rhallani was pulling my face down to hers. She was breathing hard when she pulled away, drawing a chuckle out of me. “I fucking love you,” she breathed.

“For doing the minimum?” I asked.

She gave me a heated look that said she’d pay me back in full later and I smirked. Conversation after that was a lot lighter, both Sylvenna and Xara finally seemed to relax after my admission. Before too long they were even laughing along as Rhallani recounted in great detail how I managed to bluff my way past a living myth. Tiana’s hand gripped my leg tightly, and I put the arm not wrapped around Noelle over her shoulder and pulled her close.

I knew nearly getting buried alive still haunted her nights, but she put on a brave face and laughed along to the utterly insane story, thankfully less terrifying with Rhallani's embellishments. Hearing it from someone else’s perspective, I sounded positively crazy. Not for the first time, I had to take a second and marvel at the fact that I was still alive.

About an hour later, Cynthia and Serena walked in. Noelle grumbled softly when I stood and placed her in the seat I’d vacated, still half asleep. I met them halfway, exchanging a kiss with Serena before her eye caught the bruise on my cheek. She pushed her palm to it and healing warmth flowed into me. Seconds later, I knew the bruise was gone.

“It went well then?” she asked, brow arched.

“Better than expected, honestly.” I jerked my head towards the group. “Go on, I’m sure Rhallani can’t wait to introduce you.”

She patted my arm then did just that while I turned to Cynthia, who clearly wanted to speak with me. “How did things go on your end?”

Her lips thinned. “It went well, for the most part.”

“It’s the latter half of that sentence that worries me.”

She exhaled sharply through her nose. “I successfully acquired the eight names on the list, and all of the demi-humans we rescued are officially a part of your household, though it cost a little more than I had originally planned. It’s a very good thing you found extra funds in the basement. I also had new collars commissioned with your house seal so your servants aren’t wearing simple collars. Hopefully that will earn them better protection outside of the manor.”

“But?”

“But a pure Half-dragon earned us some attention we might have been better off without.”

I stepped closer, lowering my voice so nobody overheard. “Is Safina alright?”

“Physically, yes. I can’t speak to her emotional state, though. I’m not sure how I’d react if I heard multiple wealthy Patrons offer up enough money to purchase a kingdom to buy me.”

“Shit.” I ran a hand through my hair. “Where is she?”

“Headed straight for her room when we returned. I wanted to reassure her, but it wasn’t my place to. I can’t make assurances like that on your behalf.”

“You can in the future. When it comes to servants entering or leaving my household, I won’t buy and sell people like property, no matter what the law says.”

She nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Cynthia made to leave, but I stopped her. “Before you call it a day, why don’t you join them for a bit. After I talk with Safina, I have one last task for you.”

She raised a brow, and I could see a flicker of interest in her eye. She was intrigued by my tone, but she merely nodded and walked past me to take a seat. Rhallani shot me a questioning look, but I made a gesture to say I’d be right back and slipped out of the dining room.

I made a brief stop in the entry hall to say hello to the new demi-humans Cynthia had brought. There were six women—two Nymphs, a Wood Elf, a Deep Dwarf, a Dragonling, and a Lycanine—and two men—another Dragonling and a Tiefling. They were all varying levels of haggard, wearing rags and patchwork clothes, and all of them looked at me with expressions ranging from hopeless to mistrustful to outright hate. I stopped long enough to at least let them put a face to their new Patron, then headed to find Safina’s room.

It wasn’t hard to track her down. The second I got close I felt the barely repressed fear. She was afraid I was going to take one of the deals. I knocked on her door, receiving a disgruntled “come in” in response.
I opened the door and stepped in to see her sitting with her back to a bed that was definitely too short for her. She straightened when she saw me, but didn’t stand. “Zaren,” she said simply, her cobalt eyes locked on me.

“Safina. Cynthia tells me you met some interesting characters while you were out.”

She hugged her knees to her chest. “You don’t have to beat around the bush. I heard the numbers those men were throwing at Cynthia. You sell me, and you’d have the capital to run this quarter. It only makes sense.”
I shrugged, sitting on the bed next to her. “Then I’m an idiot.”

Her head jerked up and I felt her fear dim. “You’re seriously going to turn them down?”

“Do you want to serve any of them?” She slowly shook her head. “Then yes, I am. The only way you’re leaving my service is if you tell me you want to. I’m not in the business of buying and selling people.”

She snorted. “I haven’t been ‘people’ since the day someone paid for my inception.”

“Sure you have,” I said, placing my hand on her shoulder. “You’ve always been a person, just one beholden to people who really don’t deserve to be considered as such. Now you’re as much your own woman as you can be all things considered, and if I have anything to say about it you’ll be truly free someday. Besides, you really think Noelle or Valith would just let me sell you off? Come on, now.”

I saw her cheeks darken before she looked away to hide her expression. “Yeah, I guess that’s true,” she said, though I was pretty sure I heard a smile in her tone.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed you making sure Rhallani’s not missing meals. Between her and Noelle, you’re a part of the family already whether you’ve realized it or not.”

She laughed once. “I can definitely think of worse fates.”

“Me too.” I patted her shoulder once, then stood, offering my hand. “Now come on, Rhallani’s sister is here and I’m positive she’d be thrilled to introduce you.”

She grasped my arm and let me pull her up, towering nearly two feet taller than me. “You really think so?”
“I know so. When Rhallani left the city, her sister and her father were all she had. Every time she lights up when she introduces another friend, every time she proves her life is better now than it was before, I can see Xara get a little lighter. A little more at ease with how things have changed for her sister. Introducing a giant badass Half-dragon who can smack me around if I ever become someone Rhallani doesn’t love any more is something I think Xara would like very much.”

Safina smirked at me. “Pretty sure you won the last time we fought.”

“Pretty sure you were exhausted, wearing shit armor, and letting your collar dictate your every move. Not sure things would go the same if we went toe to toe again.”

Her smirk widened to a grin and she looked away. “Better go let Rhallani show me off, then.”

I nodded and turned towards the door, but I’d barely taken a step before thick, powerful arms were crushing me into Safina’s large chest. I was by no means a small man, but being lifted off the ground by Safina’s crushing hug certainly made me feel like it for just a moment. “Thank you,” she said, then she let me go and sped out of the room before I could respond.

Chuckling, I followed. By the time I made it into the dining room, Rhallani was in the process of introducing Safina with a glowing smile. Xara reached out a hand, but Safina just swooped in and scooped her up in a hug similar to the one she’d given me. I hoped I didn’t look as panicked as Xara did, since I was fairly certain she was also someone unused to being lifted like we weren’t over six feet tall, but I had a feeling I wasn’t very composed either with my feet dangling a foot above the ground.

Sylvenna was smiling wide, still sitting at the table with Cynthia and Tiana. Noelle had shifted over to Tiana’s lap and was snoring soundly. I raised a brow as I sat next to them, and my mage smiled while she ran her hand down Noelle’s back.

“She’s been sleeping a lot since we got back,” Tiana explained. “Serena thinks it’s partly because this is the first place she’s ever felt safe and partly because her body is finally taking the time to heal from all she’s been through.”

I brushed Noelle’s hair from her face and she nuzzled towards the palm of my hand. “I hope you’re right. On both counts. If anyone deserves the rest, it’s her.”

When I looked up and met Sylvenna’s eyes, there was a slight sheen to them. She just shook her head. “I’m not sure how I’ll repay your earlier offer. Normally I’d be hesitant to trust it, but…”

“Actually, I’ve got an idea about that. First off, you’ve met Cynthia?”

She inclined her head. “I have.”

“Good. I’d like you to tell us everything you’re willing to about how the military treats its demi-humans, both officially and unofficially.”

Cynthia laughed softly, then pulled out a notebook. Sylvenna looked from me to her with wide eyes. “Why?”

“Call it a hunch,” I said slowly, spinning the empty cup sitting in front of me a quarter turn at a time, “but something tells me there’s an opportunity ripe for the taking.”

Sylvenna just swallowed, sitting up straighter. “To do what, exactly? I won’t endanger the soldiers under me.”
I smiled, but it was anything but a happy expression. “If the military treats demi-humans as well as the rest of the humans in this city, then I’m hoping there’s a way to give those demi-humans a better life while exploiting the very system they’ve put in place in the process. I need to put pressure on the Accords from as many directions as possible until they crumble like the twisted, corrupt laws they really are.”

She looked towards Xara for a time, watching her interacting with Rhallani and the friends Rhallani had collected since we’d met. Ryoko, Safina, and Serena were all talking and laughing with them, and Rhallani’s sister looked happier and more at ease than she had since I’d met her. Then, after draining what was left in her cup in one go, Sylvenna turned to me.

“What do you need to know?”