As the rest of the patrol filed away, the two guards beckoned us out of the alley. "Co along. With the demons so close, it’s not safe after dark, so stay close."
"The demons?" Jessia asked, her eyes wide with feigned fear. "Are they really going to attack?"
"That’s what we believe," Tom said, giving her a bright smile. "They haven’t spared a single city in their march yet, but don’t worry, little lady, we’ll take care of them."
She smiled back, fluttering her eyelids. "I didn’t know we had such tall, strong soldiers protecting us. I feel safer already."
I couldn’t help but suppress a groan, feeling the urge to roll my eyes. At least this charade had given an excuse to lean on Luke. Not that I cared that it was Luke, specifically, but I didn’t have to carry myself around. If hearing her flirt with a few guards was the cost, then I’d happily pay it.
Despite my thoughts, however, I couldn’t help but hug Luke’s arm just a little tighter, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt so very tired and could think of little more than curling up with Fable. The warmth of Luke’s body was comforting, and I felt myself drifting, the darkness beckoning.
"Xiviyah..." Luke said softly so as not to attract the guards’ attention.
Blinking away the blur of exhaustion, I glanced up to see him staring at awkwardly. With a start, I realized I’d gotten a little too close, my grip more intimate than I thought, and he was forced to support almost all of my weight. A flush ward my cheeks, and I quickly stepped back, stumbling over a cobblestone ridge in my efforts to distance myself. I still let him support a little, we had to keep so semblance of the ruse going, but I was careful not to let myself be lulled into security again.
For so reason, it was almost impossible for to remain suspicious of Luke. I’d worked so hard in the last few months to learn to trust people, and he was exhibiting all the signs my friends had. Intellectually, I knew I couldn’t rely on him, that he would do anything to achieve his revenge, but I couldn’t truly believe it.
The worrying thing was that I had felt the sa way about Soltair. The only real difference was that Soltair had said the things that Luke was showing , while the apostle made no effort to hide that I was only alive because I was useful to him. But what if that changed, and he didn’t find helpful anymore? What if the demon lords and emperors in charge of the invasion didn’t like ? What would Luke choose then? From the mories I’d gleaned during our entanglent, the choice was obvious. Nothing was as important to him as revenge.
While I wrestled with my conflicted feelings, Jessia worked her magic on the guards. They practically tripped over themselves to impress her, encouraged by her occasional complint or flirtatious gesture. She wasn’t just a thief slipping through the shadows, but a charismatic actor, uncovering almost twice as much information through their loose tongues than our efforts scoping out the city. Sure, they didn’t have the detailed information the Oracle of Eternity provided, but troop numbers, deploynts, and strategies were just as important. Knowing how many mana cannons there were was useless if you didn’t know how they found their targets or when they were expected to fire.
"We’re almost there," one of the guards casually ntioned, gesturing toward a barracks a block away. "Just a little more, and we’ll get your sister patched up."
The other nodded, though his eyes were still locked on Jessia. "You know, Claire," he said, using the fake na she’d chosen on a whim. You seed pretty interested in the barracks. If you wanted, I could give you a little tour. I know a few secluded places where I could show you so... interesting things."
He turned to her, expecting her to flutter her eyelashes, or at least blush, but he hadn’t made it halfway before freezing, his eyes wide. Jessia stood directly behind him, a hand on his cheek, another holding a knife buried in his back. I, too, had missed the exact mont she moved, ending up just as startled as the guard.
"I’ve already got plans tonight," she said, caressing his cheek even as blood bubbled between his lips. "Thanks for the invitation, though."
Luke moved the instant she did, blasting a chantless curse spell at the other guard. He didn’t even have ti to scream before the black energy rolled over him, siphoning his soul in an instant. He collapsed to the ground, writhing, as his veins turned black beneath his skin, and his eyes went bloodshot. I turned away, bile rising in my throat, unable to watch the final monts of his agony.
"Sorry about that," Luke said with unnerving calmness. "But it wasn’t like we could actually follow them inside. They did get close enough to the keep, though, so it wasn’t all a waste."
I gripped the hem of my sleeves tightly, tail quivering as the deaths finally beca real. The swiftness and brutality of the attack shocked . One mont they were walking beside us, and the next... gone. A cold dread settled over . This was the reality of the apostles and the war raging across Enusia. There was no room for rcy, no ti for hesitation.
"True," Jessia said with a chilling smile. "I think we got past, what, five patrols with their escort?" She nudged the guard who had tried to seduce her with her foot. "And you did show so neat things. They’ll be a big help in killing all your bastard friends."
It took a few seconds to regain my composure, but the disturbing scene left my heart with an uneven beat. Haven sensed my unease and began to push again, causing to falter mid-step. Luke and Jessia turned towards , Luke’s eyes filled with concern as he instinctively reached out to support while Jessia remained impassive.
Her lack of reaction was unusual. I’d expected her to mock or tease Luke again, but now it was like she was wearing a mask. Her expression gave away nothing, but she only wore that mask when hiding her thoughts.
In an effort to distract myself from the war raging in my soul, I finally managed to voice the question that had been bothering this entire trip. "I...I was wondering why you’re so worried about this fortress. The things we’ve seen so far are intimidating, but they’re not that strong, right?"
They both stared at , their expressions shifting from shock to disbelief. I tightened my grip on Luke’s sleeve, taken aback by their reaction, my tail flicking nervously.
"You’re eighth-circle, right?" I asked in an even smaller voice. "There isn’t a single soul more powerful than yours here. Surely, within a few days, you could destroy all the defenses yourself. Jessia could defeat anyone who ca to find you while you were recovering mana between spells."
"You saw those crystals, didn’t you?" Luke asked after sharing a look with Jessia. "Those are powerful crystals that can block almost any spell. Even if I could eventually overwhelm them, there are enough inquisitors here to swarm . Not only am I a demon, but my magic also focuses on curses. Both of those make particularly vulnerable to sun magic."
"Which, for so reason, is what every inquisitor we’ve found here so far seems to specialize in," Jessia added.
"Can’t say they don’t know their opponents," Luke muttered.
I looked between them, not sure whether to laugh or cry. "Luke, those crystals are only seventh-circle. I know you can cast an eighth-circle large-scale destruction spell."
The temperature in the street plumted, seeming to pierce my wards with ease. I froze, unable to so much as move my tail, as Luke’s eyes narrowed.
"You told her?" Jessia asked, aghast.
"Of course not!" Luke shook his head quickly, denying it. His gaze, when he fixed on , was intense and dangerous, causing to shrink back, regretting my choice to let him support . "How could you possibly know that? I’ve never used it in a battle," he hissed.
"Relax, you’re scaring her," Jessia said, coming to my aid. "It was probably Gayron."
"I had a vision," I finally managed to stamr, surprising them both. "I saw you use it in a battle. You killed Grace and Edrin."
That caused them both to relax, and Luke just shook his head. I let out a breath as my instincts cald down, no longer telling to run as far from him as possible.
"Forgive ," he muttered, "I forget you can see things like that. No secrets are safe around you, huh?"
His attempt at a joke did little to quell my trembling, but I nodded, trying to keep my voice steady. "So, um... can’t you do it?"
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