While Della took care of washing and drying our clothes, the way only an elementalist could, Derek fed us stew and packed us snacks. Before leaving, Adeline and Della made plans to go through Della’s closet later that week, and I told Addie I’d be happy to tote her to the city. Derek said he was looking forward to spending some quality time with me again, and I won’t pretend I wasn’t looking forward to it, too. We always had fun.
But as nice as all that was, it didn’t erase the reality of our situation, which was all still a bit foggy. On top of everything else, the attacker was a massive question mark. If he was sent by Councilwoman Blanchett, and/or if he was an agent of the Six, then they knew, or rightfully assumed, we weren’t dead. They may have also been on to the allied Councilwoman, and therefore, we were all in danger. Which, frankly, was nothing new. So what did the attack change? Not a lot, mates. From the moment we were declared dead, we should have been acting as if we’d been exposed and could be hunted at any moment. The attack was only a harsh reminder.
After leaving the Tragers’ feeling refreshed, we were making our way to the guard compound when I remembered I never got an answer to my question.
“Say, Addie,” I said, the snow crunching under our feet while we walked. “What did you mean earlier when you said it took nerve to come speak to me, because I’m Jack Finnegan?”
Adeline brought us to a halt, resting against the stone wall near the bakery.
Again, she took a moment to consider her answer, but this time, we weren't interrupted. “You may think I admire you and your friends because you’re all legends, but actually, there are plenty of legendary Palisade figures who I don’t admire—take my mother, for instance.”
I held back a smile when she paused to sniffle back a drippy nose, ultimately wiping it with a handkerchief from her pocket.
And then she continued, "Because unlike Enforcer Rhian, my mother isn’t selfless and brave, and unlike Father Strauss, she isn’t empathetic and forgiving, and unlike you, she isn’t thoughtful, kind, and generous. I admire you not because you’re legends, but because of who you all are, and who you’ve remained while under the worst imaginable pressure. This is humbling after growing up under the palm of a shrew. And not to mention, I find you to be quite attractive.”
“No kidding? Well, uh—thanks for clarifying, mate,” I answered. WHAT? WHY?
What was wrong with me? I might have still been a bit broken, but I wasn’t that broken. Or was I? Maybe I was. I probably was.
I really hoped I hadn't hurt her feelings, though. Was she disappointed? Well, I couldn't tell behind the smile. But whatever was going on with me whenever I was around her, I obviously wasn’t ready to confront it. And I reckoned Adeline Blanchett deserved better than that.
We walked the rest of the way to the guard compound in silence, collecting our thoughts before we checked in with Kavelin. The fellow at the gate didn’t seem interested in tussling with either of us, and he brought us straight through to the Captain’s quarters.
He left when Kavelin answered the door.
“Abby and Jack—it’s my lucky day. I was actually hoping to speak with at least one of you.”
We smiled winningly when Kavelin stepped aside, letting us through before closing and locking the door behind us. We pulled off our hats once we were inside, and ultimately settled in around the Captain’s desk.
“How’ve you been, mate? I asked.
“Good, actually. It’s been quiet on the crime front, except now that I’ve said it out loud, I worry I might regret it.” Kavelin emphasized an anticipatory wince.
Adeline laughed. “Well, whatever should happen, you wouldn’t have to worry for long, Captain Kavelin. You know you can always count on us.”
“True.” Kavelin flashed the lass a charming smile.
I focused on the smell of soup.
“Everything okay with you two?” Kavelin asked.
“Aye, mate—just doing the rounds.”
Kavelin nodded, running a hand through his fantastic hair. “There’s a reason I’m asking, actually, other than genuine care.”
Addie and I shared a brief side-glance.
After a moment fishing around, Kavelin pulled a letter out of the top drawer of his desk. He unfolded it and slid it across the desk for us both to see.
“It came by my desk last night,” he said.
Esteemed Captain Kavelin,
It’s come to my attention your city may be harbouring, however unwittingly, several Palisade defectors. Among them is the Delphi successor, Adeline (DBLA20). I hope you can understand the distress I must feel as her mother, knowing my daughter has made a dangerous decision, one that becomes more and more irreversible as time lends on. Among the group of defectors are two Strachan: Feargus Finlay (STFIN17) and Rhian Sinclair (STSIN7), a pair of Amali soldiers: Michael Reider (AREI1) and Helena Varis (AVAR1), and finally, a Celesti-Amali priest by the name of Andrei Strauss (ASTR13).
Please know, we believe their reasons for defecting are misguided, and we only wish to give them the clarity they deserve, and to see them return to their rightful places within our ranks. These are highly accomplished individuals, and should be considered dangerous. I won’t ask that you put your life at risk to apprehend them, but if you have been in contact with any of these defectors, please respond to this letter, and be sure to address your response to my Amali liaison, Adrian Albrecht.
Yours in cooperation,
Councilwoman Adelaide Blanchett
Well, we were properly busted. But we also learned two important things from the letter. For one, the wrong half of the Assembly definitely didn’t believe we were dead. For two, the name of Councilwoman Blanchett’s Amali spy, if she really had one. There was no such liaison role. Any intra-territory negotiations and communications were handled between the Councilwomen themselves. Adeline must have had the same thought, among others, because she rolled her eyes.
What the letter didn’t absolutely confirm, though, was whether Blanchett and the others had enough proof against our allied Councilwomen to be certain of their involvement. Would Councilwoman Blanchett really reach out to the Captain of the Jaskan guard, if she suspected the leader of the territory was a Palisade traitor? Would she really think he’d betray his Councilwoman to help her? It was possible she was testing him, too.
Captain Kavelin watched us both across the desk while we read and reread the letter, and when we were done, he didn’t ask us to explain ourselves, or even admit to our real names.
“I have no plans to answer it,” he said. “Unless either of you have an idea.”
“I do,” Adeline said. “I suggest you write her back, Captain Kavelin. Tell her you have, in fact, seen us gallivanting around the city, and that we’ve been nothing but trouble. I would also recommend sending a coded message to Councilwoman Faust. If you’re not sure how to do that, I’m sure Jack could be of assistance.”
Oh, she was sure, was she? Well, she was right. As for her plan…
Captain Kavelin looked from Adeline to me.
I looked to Adeline.
“Once her suspicions are confirmed, my mother may make another attempt at tracking us, but ultimately she’ll want to see it for herself. For a number of reasons, but if I know nothing else for certain, I know she’ll want to claim the credit for the Six, and if she suspects Councilwoman Faust of covering for us as well, she will try testing that theory.”
“So you think your mother will come to Amalia?” I asked.
“Yes, and then we have only to ensure she never leaves, which wouldn’t be too difficult in a place like this, would it?” Adeline remarked, adding a quick, “No offense,” for Kavelin’s benefit.
He just shrugged and nodded.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
All right, so, Adeline’s plan: it could work, and if it went our way, Councilwoman Blanchett would be taken off the board entirely. By the sounds of things, the other half of the Assembly were already convinced we were alive, so having Kavelin confirm it, as long as we kept Faust in the loop, would be just fine, wouldn’t it? We’d have to time our messaging carefully, is all.
Now, you may think by feeding Blanchett the truth, we were giving her the advantage, but actually, we were keeping our own advantage in tact by controlling what she knew, instead of speculating. We still maintained our precarious position all the same, but if anything, Kavelin snitching on us might actually move Blanchett’s trust meter for Faust in a positive direction. If her favourite new guard Captain wasn’t covering things up for us, then maybe she wasn’t, either? Aye, that could be good. That could be really good.
Mates, it was dicey, as any big move tended to be, but I couldn’t have come up with a better course of action myself. So, for the next forty-seven minutes, we helped Kavelin craft a letter for Councilwoman Blanchett, and a coded one for Faust. Ironically, I’d be the one in charge of bringing both letters to the Drop for delivery, strategically spaced out so the one for Faust would be delivered on an earlier shipment, leaving time for an emergency response from her before sending the next.
Before leaving the office, though, Kavelin asked to speak with me alone.
After saying goodbye to the Captain, Adeline waited outside his quarters. Inside, Kavelin urged me over to the furthest corner away from the door, lowering his voice.
“So, okay—I know this might be awkward timing, terrible timing actually, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Abby—or—yeah, Abby.”
I focused on the smell of soup. “Is that right?” I grinned. “Well, she’s certainly something.”
“Yeah, she is. So, I was thinking—I mean, do you think she’d say yes if I asked her out?”
“Uh—well, I reckon you know how it is with Partisan-Barren relationships.”
“Yeah, I know, but even if it’s just one date, it’d be worth it, right? I think she’s worth it.”
I glanced over my shoulder out the window where Adeline was catching fluffy clusters of snowflakes on her glove and watching them melt. I looked back to Kavelin.
“I can’t speak for her, but I reckon you’ve got a decent chance,” I said. “You’re a great looking chap, and with good reason, she seems to really like you.”
I focused on the smell of soup. Was it chicken today? Beef? No—pork, I reckoned.
Kavelin breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. “Thanks, Jack.”
“Aye, sure.” I nodded, too. “Look, I’ve gotta get going, but before it’s too late: you sure you’re all right with the plan? We’d be pulling you straight into the middle of our nonsense, and we can think of something else if you’re worried.”
“Yeah, I’m a little worried, but I trust you both more,” Kavelin answered.
Heavy, but I’d take it. “All right, mate. If that’s everything, I’ll send Abby in.”
We switched places, and from outside the window, I watched while Captain Kavelin asked Adeline out on a date. And judging by how excited she looked, and by the way they hugged afterward, she said yes. Good for them.
Right?
Right.
We made it back to the base by late afternoon, and seeing as neither of us had a trunk to smash the ground with, we stomped until Everleigh showed up to open the hatch.
“Hi,” she said from the bottom of the stairs, her eyes narrowing suspiciously in our direction as we made our way down. Addie stopped to give her a hug.
While we racked our coats and hats, I took a quick inventory of the sitting room: Evelyn and Alexander were having a quiet chat at the bar, Strauss and Teeth were having a lay down on the couch, and Michael was busy carting broken bits of furniture down the hall, setting them into a pile of other broken bits. I didn’t know where Peter was.
After touring the room to say hello to everyone, Adeline excused herself for a nap. Frankly, I was itching for a sleep myself, but I needed a minute to unwind, so I settled in on the couch opposite Strauss and Teeth. It wasn’t long before Evelyn joined me.
It was mighty unfortunate that Rhian and Rhydian had to leave so soon after arriving at the base. I didn’t think Rhian would get much time otherwise to spend with her mum, and while I reckoned Evelyn was used to that sort of thing because of Rhydian being away most of the time, I was also thinking it had to be a bit of a disappointment.
That day, she was wearing a pastel green dress.
She asked if Adeline and I had a fun time out, and I told her we did, that we’d gone to the bar where we’d both worked to see some of our friends. She knew about the brothel, because she brought up the Gander’s name, and she confessed that she and Rhydian had had a few good nights out there themselves, once upon a time.
While I got comfy on the couch, I caught Alexander’s sad-looking eyes across the room. I felt guilty talking about Evelyn’s history with Rhydian in front of him, and I’d even considered sending him on a convenient errand to get around it, but I had a sneaking suspicion he wouldn’t leave Evelyn for anything—even with all of us on watch.
“Colour me curious,” I said. “How did you two meet?”
Evelyn smiled and shook her head. “Oh, we were just kids, weren’t we? I was fourteen, and he was barely sixteen, and it was still very early in Rhydian’s messenger career. Well, anyhow, he came by the bakery one day to deliver the property renewal paperwork from the former Councilwoman Kelly. Mum and dad were still running the place, but I was working in the kitchen, then—peeking through a crack in the door.”
I grinned, cuddling up with one of the sapphire blue throw pillows on the couch.
Evelyn continued, “Well, let me tell you, my love, he was so nervous. First, he kept mucking up my dad’s name, and then he assumed my mum was his daughter, on account of there was quite an age difference to be fair, and then he had my dad sign in the wrong place. I felt so sorry for him, and I thought he was so cute.”
“Did he look the same as he does now?”
“Oh, aye. He was always a bit of a mess, wasn’t he? But he didn’t have quite as many tattoos, and this was all before he could grow a beard. He looked like such a bad boy, even back then, didn’t he? Until he opened his mouth.”
I chuckled when Evelyn laughed.
“Well, when he and my father finally got their business sorted, and he left looking so dejected, it broke my heart. So I sneaked outside the back with a box of cookies nobody would notice had gone missing. I didn’t want my parents to see me, so I crouched along the side of the building, and just before he could get away, I threw a stone to get his attention.”
Over on the other couch, Strauss and Teeth yawned in unison, each of them straightening out their postures while they came to terms with being awake. Strauss lofted a hand in my general direction. I answered with a verbal greeting before turning back to Evelyn with a cheeky smile.
“Let me guess,” I said, “the stone hit him?”
“Did it ever!” Evelyn replied, tapping once on the top of her head with a finger. “Clocked him right in the bean. I felt so bad, but I just couldn’t help but laugh, and he glared the whole way coming to confront me about it. Before he could start talking, mind you, I put my hand over his mouth and told him to wait for me. Hiding the box of cookies behind my back, I went inside and told my parents I’d take the wagon to pick up a small batch of flour at the mill. I knew that meant I’d have to take the wagon and pick up the flour, and I hated doing that, but it was well worth it.”
I grinned, remembering when Rhian chose to stay at the church to spend time with Strauss, even though she hated churches—especially churches in the midst of a religious festival. Also, if anyone went to extreme lengths to get what she wanted, it was my sister.
After getting the wagon out of the shed, Evelyn said she waved Rhydian over, and by then he’d cooled almost all the way down, so the two took the trip to the mill together. According to Evelyn, Rhydian Sinclair had never been much of a conversationalist, and that he was quite shy. But she could tell he was trying, and by the time she had to get home before alarming her parents, she was even more smitten, and Rhydian was, too. He promised he’d write to her whenever he could.
“And he did,” Evelyn continued. “I’d get something from him once a week, sometimes every two weeks if deliveries were a bit backed up, and then I’d get two at a time. I didn’t want my parents knowing, so it was a job intercepting the messenger—if it wasn’t him—every time.”
“And what about Rhian? When did that happen?”
“Well, we were still just kids, weren’t we? I was just shy of nineteen when I got pregnant.”
“You were together that whole time?” I asked.
“As much as we could be, which wasn’t very often, but he was worth it. I knew the second I saw him, didn’t I? Aye, I reckon we always know when we meet our special person, and Rhydian Sinclair is mine—even though it hasn’t always been easy.”
My heart beat twice quickly.
“But now it’s your turn,” Evelyn continued. “Tell me something about Rhian?”
I rubbed my beard. “Other than her being the best person in the world?”
“Well, that’s a start!” Evelyn answered.
I could have talked about Rhian for hours, but mates, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept. Still, I wanted to give her something meaningful, so—
“I reckon people have got it all wrong when they look at us. I mean, I know what they think because I’ve heard it all: that Rhian's the drunk one, the angry one, the rebellious one, the irresponsible one, the one ready to pop off at the drop of a hat. That I’m the one who seems to have it all together, that I must be the one keeping her in check, and all with a smile, too. But actually, I reckon I’d be dead without her. She’s the only person I know who can simultaneously let me get away with just about anything while not letting me get away with absolutely anything. She deserves better than what she got—and I’m not saying that to make you feel bad. If anything, it’s important you know if she’d been born from anyone else, she might be dead, too, because whatever you and Rhydian baked in that oven came out perfect.”
Evelyn’s eyes welled with tears and she scooted over on the couch, hugging me tightly. Over on the other couch, Strauss smiled and acknowledged the sentiment with a nod, and when the moment was over, I excused myself politely for bed.
In the bunk room, I tiptoed my way past Adeline’s bed, past the one beside hers, and I took a moment to look at V’s basket on the night table next to my own bunk. While they didn’t particularly need it, I organized the knick-knacks inside, and wished I could put my heart in the basket, too. After a sigh and a failed attempt not to cry, I got undressed and slipped into bed. One, two, two minutes and eighteen seconds staring at the bottom of the empty bunk above me, and then—
“Agent Finlay?” Adeline asked.
“Aye?”
“I had a really nice time with you.”
“Did you? Well, I had a great time with you, too.”
“I hope you sleep well.”
“...Aye, thanks. I hope you sleep well, too, mate.”