Chapter 7

The evening breeze sends a brisk chill across my exposed skin, but it also keeps my senses sharp, which is of particular interest to me due to my location.

The footsteps in the corridor stop directly in front of where Nex and I are hanging from. I adjust my grip on the outside windowsill, careful not to bump into Nex who hangs precariously close beside me. With no foothold to sustain us, we rely solely on our finger-strength to stay out of sight. A curse is uttered under one of the guards’ breath.

“You’ve got to kidding me,” a nasally voice whines. “Look at this mess! Shards and flowers and water everywhere.”

“It’ll be a hassle to clean,” the other says followed by an exasperated sigh. “Whoever called for us must’ve already left.”

The nasally guard snorts. “Probably was the culprit and didn’t want to stick around to clean it up, so now we’re stuck with it.”

“Not much to do about it now,” the second guard says and must’ve kicked at a shard that scrapes along the stone floor. “I’ll gather the shards, you get to mop. Do you remember where trash sacks and mops are kept?”

The complaints recede with the footsteps, but slowly. My arms begin to shake and my diaphragm struggles to allow enough air to my lungs.

“Do you think they’re gone?” I ask in a strained whisper, peeking over at Nex.

“Gone enough,” he replies hoarsely as he blows a couple of rogue strands of hair out of his eyes.

“They’ll be back, so let’s hurry,” I urge as we both kick slightly off the wall enough to give us momentum to pull ourselves up. The muscles in my arms have grown stiff from being stretched for so long, but if I let them buckle, I’ll fall three floors onto steep and jagged rocks. My palms grow sweaty at the thought.

Nex pulls himself up and over the windowsill before I can, leaving me to cling to the sill with a loosening grip. Nex leaps onto the floor and turns to look down at me. By the blank look in his eyes, I can tell he’s contemplating something.

My eyes widen.

He has no reason to help me up. He has a way out. He has even seen where I hid the compendium behind another vase in the next window over. All he needs to do is either leave me and grab the compendium, or pry my fingers from the sill and let me fall, then grab the compendium.

I’m so stupid, I chastise myself for a moment while refusing to ask for his help. If these are my final moments, I will not go with a plea on my lips.

Even with the increased strength in my right hand, my grip is still slipping and Nex is still just staring down at me. Then something akin to recognition flashes across his face, and he grabs my wrists and pulls forcefully. I’m dragged across the sill and onto the floor of the corridor clumsily, my breathing quickened.

“Nervous?” Nex asks, too amused for his own good, and I just know that if I look up at him, I’ll feel inclined to toss him out the window.

I get to my feet shakily, but pretend to be adjusting my belts and shirt to not give away how much my hands indeed tremble.

“Why would I be?” I pose rhetorically and stride past him and pull the compendium out from behind the other vase.

I stand for a moment, soaking in the sensation of the cold brass metal cover in my hands and the shine of the three golden buckles along the fore-edge. I admire the heavy book while the guilt curls around my timid fingers. The compendium is never to leave the auditorium, even its content. Notes and annotations are prohibited. And here I am, standing with the book a good ways outside the auditorium. Had I stood at the pedestal in the auditorium, I wouldn’t hesitate to open it and turn the stiff pages hungrily. But standing unceremoniously in the third floor corridor with a thief by me didn’t feel like the right time to admire its significance to Atoraxis’ history.

I look to Nex who has his head cocked to the side like a curious bird. Then I point my chin at him. “We will return the compendium, then you’re coming with me. No questions. No answers. Just follow. Got it?” I command, placing a stiff finger on the hilt of my dagger and another on the grip of the flasklock pistol to underscore my earnestness. “I have your identification papers, and I know exactly where to go and who to hand them to if you try to run off. You won’t be able to board the cable cars without your papers, so you’re effectively stuck here till you fulfill your deal or I turn you in.”

I’m uncomfortably aware that this man has every reason to fight me on this. Despite my ability to hold my own in a Stormglass Trial, I stand no chance trying to fend him off if he goes for the papers. I hold my ground, refusing to show him any weakness or give him any reason to believe I have one. But instinct tells me he should lunge for me and the travel papers in my pocket. My body tenses in preparation, but when he purses his lips and nods, there’s no instinct to tell me what to do.

Annoyingly, Nex smirks and saunters past me. “Lead the way.”

***

I drop to the ground with a silenced thud at the same time as Nex. I didn’t want to put my trust in him again like I had outside the window, so when I’d pushed open the window on the first floor, I’d grabbed his arm and forced him to jump with me. This time when the cool wind of the night wraps around me, my heart and nerves settle.

We walk along the outside perimeter of the peak that the Citadel is carved into till we reached the siding of the courtyard.

“You seem like you’ve done this before,” Nex points out, but I make a point to ignore him.

We pull ourselves up over the smooth edge of the courtyard. I survey for any Court Aids or Guards, but it appears that we are alone in the vast expanse of manicured stone. A sadness stings my heart when I glance to the entrance and don’t find Maven there.

“If I had tried any of that in Ocassus I would’ve been flung from the highest tower,” he continues in the most casual tone as if he hadn’t just been caught stealing.

“Still an option,” I mumble to myself, picking up my pace to walk slightly ahead of him.

“You’re a loud talker, you know that?” Nex states without a hint of offense in his voice, yet he had delivered plenty.

I rip around, armed with a vicious retort, when I stop, mouth still open, ready to attack. Nex isn’t even looking at me. He is looking behind me, his face twisted into an expression of intense focus. It isn’t till I turn around and look up myself that I see the distant peak and the illuminated writhing banner. My eyes flare and my pulse skyrockets.

“What does yellow mean?” Nex asks slowly.

I grab hold of the hem of his cloak and pull him with me. “Run.”

***

If I hadn’t just renewed my Carving, I would think it was time to abuse another shard of Stormglass. My fingers are stiff as they fumble with the front door, the slick sheet of frost that covers it makes it hard for me to get a decent grip on the round doorknob. My hair was the first part of me to freeze and does not move in the brisk wind, so it stays like an icy helmet hanging around my head. Nex’s cloak is no longer black, but a bluish white, and his entire frame quivers in the sudden frost storm.

“Do you know how to open a door?” He barks next to me.

“It’s slippery!” I yell at him, both due to the harsh storm and my annoyance.

Nex must’ve been impatient, because he steps up next to me and wraps his gloved hand around the doorknob and my trembling hand, twisting both hard, then pushes the door open with his shoulder. Both Nex and I stumble into the house and land in a tangled heap on the hard floor. A fog of snow flurries creeps into the room, but quickly melt onto the tiles around us. I try pulling myself out from under Nex.

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“Do you have weights hidden in your satchel? You’re so heavy!” I huff beneath him.

“You’re the one who couldn’t open a door,” he counters as he tries wiggling off of me, but I end up accidentally elbowing him in the face. He grunts and rolls off of me clumsily and starts rubbing the spot on his cheekbone where I’d elbowed him.

I grin. “Oops,” I say sweetly and get to my feet with Nex slowly following. I quickly slam the door shut behind us, breathing in the warm scent of a lit stove and herbs.

“Stars, Ryn,” Leil interrupts, causing me to jump and turn to face both Leil and Maven still awake sitting at the table. “When I suggested we get a pet, I meant a small mountain goat or a lizard.”

Maven shoots up from her seat, her chair falling over, then rushes to my side, stealing flitting glances at Nex who is actively brushing snow and frost off his cloak and out of his hair.

“Caught in another frost storm, Ryn? I should’ve waited longer for you… I didn’t know if you’d already left since it was getting so late and… Anyway, are you okay, Ryn and—” Maven looks Nex up and down “— tall and mysterious stranger?”

I cock my head to the side and look at Nex. He stands at least a head taller than me. Huh, I guess he is kind of tall, I decide, but he could’ve been the tallest giant I’d ever seen and he would still be a thief.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I reply, ignoring Nex’s presence. “And don’t apologize. I was the one who was late and… I’m just sorry, Maven. For this morning too.”

Maven smiles at me, a small but meaningful smile.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Nex steps towards Maven with a crisp, white smile and nods at Maven. “I’m Nex.”

Maven studies him for a moment. “I’m Maven.” She gestures stiffly to the table. “And this is—”

The loud screech of a chair scraping against the floor interrupts her, and Leil stands from the chair and joins them by the door. Judging by the set jaw and calculated strides, Leil is sizing up Nex. Leil rolls up the sleeves of his grey shirt and extends his hand to Nex.

“I’m Leil Everett,” he forces out curtly.

Nex doesn’t hesitate to extend his own and shakes Leil’s hand firmly. Judging by the slight upturn of the corner of his mouth and relaxed brows, Nex seems amused by the interaction.

“I’m sorry to come barging in. We lost track of time,” he says so naturally it makes me nearly question the real reason we’re so late. His audacity to be civil with my friends frustrates me more than the lie. I narrow my eyes at him.

I’ll keep an eye on you, Nex Avenell.

Leil’s face remains blank and unreadable while Nex continues looking unperturbed and lax.

“How’d you guys meet?” Leil asks flatly, taking a short look at me with suspicion in his eye.

Maven and I look at each other then back and forth between the two men who stand at a similar height, but otherwise contrast each other. Leil’s flaxen hair is well-groomed and rests on his shoulders, his posture usually slouched, while Nex’s black hair currently sits in a damp, tousled mess, the tips brushing his jaw, his back straight as an arrow and chin raised in confidence.

Or arrogance, I think obstinately.

“We ran into each other at the Citadel and got talking,” Nex answers with a masterful nonchalant tone.

He’s way too good at lying.

In the orange light from the lit candles on the table, Leil’s light grey shirt and brown pants compliment his sun-kissed skin, which might be the only similarity between the two. Nex’s skin matches Leil’s, not unusual for someone from Ocassus.

A sly smile develops on Leil’s lips, and he turns to me. “So you took my suggestion of a baby seriously?” Leil asks with a teasing glint in his cerulean blue eyes, but that doesn’t stop me from blushing fiercely or Maven from smacking his arm.

“I hope the stars curse you, Leil,” I sputter, stealing a glance at Nex who looks between the three of us with a wildly confused look in his face.

“So Nex!” Maven interjects and slithers in between Leil and I, most likely to prevent any further altercations. “Are you hungry? We’ve got some of Ryn’s leftover noddles heated up on the stove.”

She guides Nex away from the door and the daggers I’m shooting in Leil’s direction, and offers the unused chair at the table.

He sits down and stretches out his legs under the table. “I can never turn down a free meal.”

“I’ll get you a bowl. Ryn, will you come make sure there aren’t any other herbs you want to add?” Maven asks, her eyes fixed on me and her tone genteel, the very same tone she’s always used to summon me and when she demands answers.

I sigh harshly and stomp on Leil’s foot — eliciting a close-mouthed grunt — before moving to the kitchen and stirring the metal ladle resting in the large pot, while Leil limps back to his chair.

“So, first time you’ve been caught in a frost storm?” Leil initiates as soon as he sits down, nestling his black mug in his hands like a small bird. Maven is immediately in my ear.

“Who is this and why is he here?” She whispers, her breath tickling my ear.

I keep my eyes on the long noodles dancing around in the broth as I stir. I realized half-way through mine and Nex’s sprint through the village that explaining why I’m bringing home a stranger might be complicated, especially when Maven is a Court Aid, a Court Aid with a solid moral compass. Unfortunately, I lack the same motivation to turn Nex in to start with. Fortunately, it means I already have a lie prepared.

“Like he said, I ran into him after I’d finished studying with Sulien. We have a shared interest in the compendium,” I repeat, my lips moving as little as possible. I bring the full ladle to my lips and sip.

“Hmm, it actually might need some more oregano,” I remark as I reach above me to the narrow shelf and pull down a rectangular vial full of dried, chopped leaves.

“And you decide to bring him home? No questions asked?” Maven pushes, her skepticism clear and with good reason.

The last time I brought a man home, it had been Raiden and a short-lived relationship that left a festering wound of distaste for further romantic experiences. I sprinkle a few of the leaves into the broth, then return the vial.

“I’m not taking him to bed, Maven,” I snap as quietly as I can, but it sounds like Nex and Leil are already deeply invested in whatever their conversation entails to notice our hushed tension.

“I never said that,” Maven insists, then places a hand on my stirring hand. “But it sounds like you know as much about him as I do, which isn’t much. I want to know why you’ve invited a man you hardly know to our home in the middle of the night.”

I want to chew on my lip, but resist. Maven would call me out on my nervous-tick. I raise the ladle to my lips again instead to buy me some time to think. But when I don’t answer right away, Maven’s hand moves to my shoulder.

“I’m not trying to be critical. I just want to make sure you’re safe,” Maven explains, the tender care in her tone sparking an idea in me, one I hate but need.

I slump my shoulders slightly, just enough. “He was a Scavenger once upon a time, and in light of yesterday, I just figured… Maybe he could…” I let my words fall silent on my lips, adding an ounce of a quiver to my voice to be convincing.

Maven squeezes my shoulder like she always does. “You want him to teach you,” she fills in the blank I have intentionally left for her.

I give a taught nod. “He’s from Ocassus, so he doesn’t have anywhere to stay while he’s here, so I offered he could stay with us while he taught me.”

“Ryn, that’s amazing! What are the odds that you’d run into a Scavenger the day after we just talked about the Trial!” Maven seems relieved and quickly bends down to grab a bowl from the cupboard next to the stove. “I knew your luck would turn around,” she winks at me and holds out the bowl.

“We’ll see what happens,” I say with a timid smile, but allow the slightest air of excitement to lace my voice. I fill the bowl with a hefty scoop of broth and noodles.

“And I’ve got to say,” Maven pauses as she is about to deliver the bowl to the table. “He’s not terrible to look at.” My neck nearly breaks from how fast I turn, but Maven has already skipped to the table, bowl in hand.

I’m certain that if Maven knew the real reason Nex is sitting at our table surprisingly invested in Leil’s monologue on different fish foods, she would kick Nex and me into the frost storm without a second thought. But in reality, Maven would just be hurt, which I deem worse than 100 frost storms.

I abandon the ladle and pot and walk to my chair that Nex sits across from. I hardly sit down before Nex attacks the poor bowl of noodles.

“When I asked if you were hungry, I assumed it was because it’s late and you might not have eaten dinner. But now I’m wondering if you’ve eaten, like, ever,” Maven notes with a raised eyebrow and surprise painted all over her face.

Nex finishes slurping up a noodle while shaking his head. “Not anything like this,” he replies, still chewing his food. “Did you make this?” He gestures to me with his fork, but returns to his edible conquest with vigor.

I fold my arms across my chest. “I did.”

“It’s incredible!” He mumbles between bites.

“Oh,” I hiccup. “Uh, thanks.”

“Don’t be so modest,” Leil pokes me in the rib, then leans out of reach as I try smacking him. “You haven’t told him that you run your own noodle shop?”

“Uh,” I hesitate, not sure how to play this.

“Only briefly,” Nex quickly adds, not missing a beat as his fork fishes around the broth. “She should’ve led with it though.”

“I’ve heard Ocassus has some unique food experiences. I’ve never visited, but we’ve all talked about taking a trip at some point, even though it’s a two day cable ride,” Maven informs.

It’s cursory, but I swear I see Nex gulp, but he is eating, so I dismiss my observation.

“It’s quite different from Callanth. We don’t have frost storms, for one,” Nex gestures loosely with his head to the front door where the storm still rages on the other side of. “And no fish. Too hot,” he says to Leil, who slumps in his seat like Occasean fish was all he’d looked forward to.

I place an elbow on the table and rest my chin on my hand. Sitting across from me and eating the food I’ve made with his unkempt, dark hair and effulgence bright eyes, he looks harmless, approachable even. The light from the three, sweating candles isn’t bright enough to draw attention to the tiny scars sprinkled across his face like freckles. But without them to sway first impressions, he looks carelessly youthful. I ruefully admit that had I met Nex under different circumstances, I might’ve felt more like talking than I do now. Instead, it just bothers me how seamlessly Nex is infiltrating my sanctuary.