"Harlow? Like the stoneshaper from Valor?" Noble felt her mouth go dry.
Harlow's round cheeks compressed as she grinned. "That's ! Have we t before? You look familiar…"
At that mont, Catphine ca around the corner and made her way through the half-filled street.
"Awakened Harlow, thank you for waiting."
"Of course, doll, anything for you!" Harlow threw her long braid behind her back as she turned to Noble. "I must admit I don't care for most of my babysitters, I an escorts, but she has been lovely."
Seeing her ntor, Catphine's face lit up. "Master Noble! I'm so glad you are here!"
Normally the woman's exuberance would have given Noble pause. Did that an that Noble was ant to be here?
Noble accepted Cat's hug automatically.
"She was looking for you, Catty, but I told her you would be right back. I'm glad you didn't make a liar out of ," Harlow chuckled.
"You wanted to see ?" Catphine raised her eyebrows at Noble.
The professor looked at the stoneshaper before bringing her attention back to her friend. Noble coughed.
"It was just for a chat. Nothing important. Your last few communications have been a bit vague, and I just wanted to check on you."
It was true that Cat's answers to her questions had been wholly unhelpful, but only because the girl could only say where sothing was supposed to be and not usually why.
"I am fine," Catphine smiled, but Noble could feel the emotion underneath. "This excursion just wasn't on my schedule for today."
The relief at seeing the professor was replaced with unease. The young lady was anything but fine.
"I had the urge to build." Harlow shrugged. Her emotions spiked. "I appreciate everyone's concern, but I don't need a handler. I have a long history of helping the illustrious governnt. My record speaks for itself."
"If you want to take it up with Saint Jet, you may. I only do as I am told," Cat deflected.
"Saint Jet isn't supposed to be here today, so that discussion will have to wait." Harlow stood from the well's wall and stretched. "Well, I suppose that ans my break is over. Back to the grindstone!"
Catphine heaved a relieved sigh. "Yes, I need to get back to the wall. Would you like to—?"
Harlow's voice overlapped her escort's, negating the request.
"We will see you later, Noble. It was wonderful eting you." The older lady squinted. "I can't get over how familiar you look. Are you sure we haven't t?"
"I think I would rember." Noble gritted her teeth.
Her common sense told her to be quiet and let the woman go. She shouldn't go stirring up trouble. But the anger bubbling in her heart wouldn't let the matter go.
"I'm told I take after my father though."
"Oh? And who might he be?" Harlow seed genuinely interested.
There was no turning back, and at that mont, Noble didn't want to.
"His na was Director Lance. Perhaps you knew him?"
Harlow's emotions went haywire. But her face did not change. The sa smile remained on her face as she tapped her round cheeks with the tips of her fingers.
"The na rings a bell," she answered lightly. "Maybe I worked with him on so governnt project? Either way, I am sorry to hear that he died. Was it recent?"
Noble pressed her nails in her palms. "He died tragically when I was a teen."
"Oh my!" Harlow frowned. "You poor thing. I can't imagine how an accident like that would shape a young girl."
"I didn't say it was an accident." The professor's anger was only barely contained behind a veil of politeness.
"Didn't you?" Harlow's eyes opened a little wider in surprise. "I guess it was just and my silly assumptions."
'STOP LYING!' Noble felt like screaming.
To an observer, Harlow was a slightly eccentric older woman trying her best to recall sothing, but Noble could feel the stoneshaper's every emotion.
Every word that Harlow had spoken since recognizing Noble had been a lie.
The older woman had known the answers to the questions she had asked and even tried to show false sympathy.
'She has no remorse. No regret or sadness. She's a monster!'
It was rare to see the uncorrupted kind, yet Harlow wore that mantle in all its glory.
Oblivious to Noble's thoughts, the stoneshaper leaned forward and patted the professor's arm.
"You turned out well. I'm sure your father would be proud."
Noble opened her mouth to spew all of the venom building up inside her when soone called her na.
"Master Noble!" A saint with a chilling presence imdiately cleared a path in the town square.
"She's here?" Harlow's smug mood turned sour.
Noble sent the murderer a sidelong glance. The older woman had just ntioned that Jet wasn't in Crestfall. Obviously, that information was incorrect.
"Yes, Saint Jet?" Noble abandoned her tirade and moved toward the Saint with icy blue eyes.
Whatever she needed sounded urgent.
"I was told that you can see without seeing. Is that right?" Jet didn't waste ti with greetings.
"That's true," Noble nodded slowly. "How can I help?"
The Saint's pale fingers motioned her forward. "I need you at the wall."
Behind Noble, Harlow stretched again. "You know what? I think I am done for today. I will head to the gateway and leave you to it."
"You are coming to the wall too. Your shiny rocks are making it difficult to see across the landscape." Jet's word was law, and Harlow knew it.
The stoneshaper frowned, "Of course Ma'am. I admit they are more lustrous than usual, but I have been so happy to help out, and what girl doesn't want sothing beautiful and shiny to brag about?"
'She's angry that she has to co along.' Noble felt a small bit of satisfaction about Harlow's unhappiness.
But that feeling was quickly doused when Noble realized it ant she had to spend more ti with a woman she despised.
At least she and Jet did not seem to be on friendly terms. That was a bit of a relief.
"I don't want to be a bother," Catphine spoke up with sweat on her brow. "But we need to get to the wall. Now."
The others didn't question the young woman's intuition. They all hurried to the protective barrier around Crestfall.
Although not completed, the wall did stretch in a semi-circle around the city. The cliff face completed the city's protection, but eventually, there were plans to enclose it as well.
Just not today.
The group followed Jet toward a set of stairs. They too were temporary until more permanent ones could be put in place.
At the top of the roughly finished wall, Hamish stood where the regular stone t the pinkish mass of rock. Work had stopped and those on the wall were staring out at the barren horizon.
The redheaded man searched fruitlessly, his frown deepening with every passing mont.
"Sothing is out there," he said when they were close enough to hear him. "I can sense it."
"What do you sense?" Noble prodded.
Hamish turned to her, his expression bleak. "The sa thing I always sense. Blood."
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