Hadra was crying but trying not to show it, burying her face in Mom’s shoulder. Mom made to release her, and she immediately turned and hugged me.

  I suddenly realized I was crying a bit too.

  Hadra was leaving. And I…

  “Yes, this is all very touching,” Captain Retham said, ruining the moment. “But as I mentioned, Mayor Dobretin, we have another objective while we are here. We weren’t sent just for Ilhadira. Do you have any idea who the Dreamer might be?”

  I blinked. So did Mom and Uraleka, but only Dobretin looked unsurprised.

  “I’m still just not sure what exactly you mean,” Dobretin replied.

  The guard captain sighed. “To be honest, the orders are a bit vague. The duchess orders and we obey, but sometimes…”

  The Mayor chuckled and patted the guard captain on the shoulder. “Nobles, hmm?”

  “Nobles,” he agreed.

  “Maybe it would be best if you just showed me the order directly?” Dobretin asked.

  “Can’t do that. Never know when someone might have a memory talent or something that might allow forgeries of the seals to be made. I can read it aloud to you, though.”

  Dobretin chuckled and gave a sudden glance to Mom, who looked away sheepishly. Mom probably didn’t need to see that paper to make forgeries. This struck me as one of those laws made for an edge case that never got removed, despite everyone thinking it was stupid.

  He spent a moment fishing a paper out of a leather pouch. The orders looked like they’d seen better days.

  “As I said before, our orders, the clear ones at least, were to bring Lady Ilhadira Weaver from Pemolar’s Hill to Denarla as soon as possible. We were also charged with finding,” he paused and lifted a finger to note the ridiculousness of the order, “the person who is influencing her. Probably someone with a dreamer talent.”

  I stiffened in Hadra’s arms. As one, everyone in the group pointedly did not look at me.

  “That’s it?” Dobretin asked.

  “Mmhmm. Damnedest thing… The person who is influencing her? Hell if I know. I figured we’d just ask you directly, Miss Weaver,” He replied as he turned back to Hadra. “Do you know who these orders are talking about?”

  She pulled away from me and got just the slightest glance at my eyes. I didn’t know what she saw there. I had no idea what I was feeling. These orders… they included me? That was…! That was… something.

  “I’d have to think about it, sir. A lot of people influence me,” Hadra said with a smile.

  “Figures. Hmph. Nobles,” He said, affronted.

  I let out a sudden breath of relief, but I didn’t know why. Hadn’t leaving Pemolar’s Hill been what I’d always wanted? My heart was racing. Leaving? Staying? I…

  I was torn in two directions. What my memories of April told me I should want, and what I thought I might actually want.

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it and see to getting this camp set up. Unless you have space for us behind that barricade of yours, Mayor?”

  “There’s always space in Pemolar for men and women willing to put their lives on the line in defense of our home,” Dobretin said genially.

  “Uh huh. Get my guards added to your damn patrol rotations, you weasel,” Retham said.

  “Certainly!” Dobretin replied. I didn’t know exactly what was going on with his voice, but I didn’t like it. It certainly sounded genuine, and if I didn’t know him, I’d believe that was how he normally spoke, all simpery and compliant.

  “We’ll see you in three days then,” Uraleka said somberly.

  The captain nodded and turned to the two young guards who’d been standing at ease during this whole conversation.

  “Esmerla, Desten. Well done. Mess and Rest!”

  “Yes, sir!” They both said, snapping the shoulder salute, before falling out.

  Desten immediately fled back towards the tents, while Esmerla turned to Hadra.

  “Looks like we’ll be getting to know each other a bit more! We’ll probably get assigned as personal bodyguards for you for the trip back, so hopefully we can be friends, too?” Esmerla said, holding out a hand.

  Hadra, still holding on to me, eyed the unusual guard.

  “You’re… not what I expected a Denarlan city guard to be like,” she said.

  “And you’re not what I thought an elite talent would look like! See!? We’ve got something in common already!”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Hadra laughed despite herself. She left my embrace and took the other girl’s hand, absently wiping at her eyes with the other.

  “It seems I’ll need all the friends I can get,” Hadra said. “I’ve never been to Denarla before.”

  “You’re gonna love it! The palace is the most beautiful place in the world! Except maybe the one in Tacuria. I’ve never been there, though.”

  Hadra grinned, and I felt happy for her. Hopefully, this would be the best move for her.

  We parted ways with an amicable wave, following after Mom and Uraleka while Esmerla turned back toward the camp.

  We walked in silence for a while, lagging far enough behind our mothers that we could talk privately, while still staying in sight.

  “You… didn’t mention me. It is me, right? That he was talking about?” I asked.

  She rolled her eyes. “Of course, its you!”

  “So… why didn’t you tell him that?”

  Hadra smiled. “Come on, Mera. I know you better than you know yourself. You don’t want to go to Denarla.”

  “What!? I… but that’s all we’ve ever talked about! All I’ve ever dreamed of was building something that matters!”

  “Uh-huh,” she said, beaming at me.

  “So… so what gives!?” I asked, irritated.

  She was still smiling. “Mera, I saw your face. You were horrified. You don’t want to leave Pemolar, and that’s okay.”

  “No its not!” I screamed. “I… well.”

  I did want to go with her! Of course I did! It was what I’d always talked about with her! Leave and become famous! Leave and invent amazing things with the resources only the big cities could provide! Go with Hadra…!

  But… it was a million times more likely that someone would figure out my talent wasn’t actually elite if I did.

  And also with the attack, I wanted to be here for everyone.

  My talent also required me to know people, and it would be like starting from scratch to go to the capital, so…

  And then, there was Reid.

  I… I didn’t want to go.

  “Heh. I… I feel like such a hypocrite,” I said. “We were supposed to go together. We even got elite talents together!”

  She rolled her eyes. “Still giving me that lie, eh?”

  I scowled.

  “First Burnom, now you? Does everyone know?”

  “You told Burnom?”

  “I didn’t tell anybody! He figured it out!”

  She blanched before laughing.

  “Oh heavens, Mera. You are the absolute worst at keeping secrets!”

  I scowled harder. “You suck.”

  “Be honest with me?” she asked.

  Dammit. I wanted to tell her the truth, but that would actually put her in danger. There were a lot of talents out there.

  “It’s for the best if you don’t know. For everyone.”

  She smiled as if that confirmed her thoughts. She lifted up the amulet, holding it to the light. It was a simple thing. A rock that had been smoothed as if by spending years in a river. Perfectly round with my comma heart emblem on one side, and her own butterfly on the other.

  “It was… exactly what I needed. Exactly when I needed it. You’re going to need to work harder at hiding this.”

  “I’m trying my best,” I muttered.

  She laughed again.

  “Even now, it’s exactly what I need. I’ll always have it. No matter where I go, it’ll remind me of you, Mera,” she said happily.

  Without warning, her need bubble seemed to reignite. The greyed-out requirements burned crimson as I discovered her next need.

  I twitched.

  “What?”

  I paused and went to grab a stick and a rock. The only requirements. Even easier than the first, which had only required a flower and a rock. We were still partway between the camp and the watchpost. Private enough.

  I activated my talent. The rock elongated and morphed, turning from stone to lacquered silver in an instant. The stick turned supple, willowy as it wrapped around the silver, encasing it in an intricate layer of wood that seemed to morph and change as it did.

  My talent made no sense when the bonds were close enough. A stick and rock. What appeared was a bangle that wouldn’t look out of place on a queen. Intricate wooden lattice shaped into beautiful vines covered a lustrous silver shine.

  It was beautiful.

  From Ilhadira’s Multitasking skill, you have gained eight free points!

  Ornate Common Bangle

  Effect 1: The wearer of this bangle is immune to all investigative skills and talents.

  Effect 2: This bangle may be made invisible by the will of the wearer.

  “Mera, it’s beautiful! And… the effects are certainly interesting. Can you tell me what the need was this time?” she asked, enraptured.

  “You’re not going to believe it,” I said with a laugh as I handed it to her.

  “After this, I might believe just about anything,” she said, holding up the amulet. “Come on, tell me!”

  “You need this…” I paused, drawing out the moment.

  “Uh huh?”

  “In order to…”

  “Tell me you bitch!” she laughed.

  “You need it to help you make a friend,” I said, amused.

  “Seriously?”

  “I’m not joking. It looks like going to Denarla is going to be really good for you.” I replied.

  “My most pressing need is to make a friend? So much so that your talent needs to help me? I’m not sure if you’re reading that the right way.”

  I laughed, but sobered quickly. “So… you’re really okay with this? You know… if you ask, I’ll go with you. But…”

  “Don’t be stupid, Mera. It would be dangerous for you in the capital, and you don’t actually want to go. Odd as that sounds…” she said, with amusement.

  “Still,” I replied.

  “You’ll stay here. I’m going to need some time away from you anyway, to get over my bruised ego. Apparently, a Dreamer influencing me is the only reason I could possibly make something so fancy as that dress!”

  “But… but it was totally inspired by a story I told you! I deserve at least half the credit for that!” I shouted.

  “You deserve nothing!”

  “I think you should give me a percentage of what the duchess paid you! Dreamer tax!”

  “Fuck off!”

  I grinned.

  Good gods, I was going to miss the girl.

  MB