Broken But Unburnt

Chapter 35 - Calliope

 Chapter 35: Calliope

City of Beceni, Northern Delos

Maverick's friend lived in a brothel. Calliope tried very hard not to think about what that might mean, how they might have met, how well they might actually know each other. But that was particularly hard to do when, each time a new patron opened the door, Calliope could hear the loud sounds of pleasure emanating from the building. Her cheeks tinged pink every time and she stared down at the fire she sat in front of with the others instead of looking at the brothel.

Aditya went with him, she reminded herself. And Maverick knows how precious the time they spend here is. He won't be... partaking in this Chaya's services. And why do I care if he does?

She sighed.

"She's a refugee," Delphi said suddenly and Calliope looked up, over the flames, to find the seer watching her.

"What?"Calliope asked.

"Chaya. That's how she and Maverick met. She was fleeing Karil. He helped her."

"And dumped her in this hellhole?" Sebastian asked with a snort. "Some savior."

"She wanted to stay in Beceni," Neva snapped, glaring at Sebastian.

"Why?" Calliope asked, genuinely curious.

"Some women enjoy the trade," Delphi said and they all fell silent, Zephyr clearing his throat uncomfortably as Neva stood, wiping her hands on her trousers and gazing up at the brothel.

"I don't like how long they've been in there," she muttered.

"They're fine, Neva," Zephyr spoke soothingly. "They're with Chaya."

"Chaya and half a hundred unidentified men."

"And a dozen women who would die for each other."

Neva frowned, keeping her eyes on the brothel despite Zephyr's assurance that everything was fine.

"How did you do it?" Delphi asked again, her gaze still set on Calliope.

"Do what?" Calliope asked.

"To the Chaos. It was like you burnt him, the way he reacted. But I only saw smoke."

The others looked her way at Delphi's words and Calliope dropped her gaze to her hands, picking at her fingernails to avoid looking back at them.

"Oh, I don't— I don't know how I did it. I just... did," she answered.

"But how did you know you could?" Neva questioned. "I mean, you leapt right between Maverick and that giant fireball like you were expecting something."

"His fire, it didn't burn me. It touched me but it didn't burn me. I got hit with the same blast that Sebastian did but I came out unscathed. I thought maybe— I don't know. It felt like maybe he couldn't hurt me. At least, with his magic. So I... tested my theory."

"What a way to test a theory," Zephyr commented with a low whistle.

"When we were with the Ysuelt, they told me about your gloves," Neva said then, stepping forward and eying Calliope with something like suspicion. "They said you had them from the moment you arrived in the dwelling. That they'd never seen you take them off. Some of them even thought you couldn't take them off. Then you and him go off to Vroifburg and you come back with us and no gloves."

Calliope frowned at Maverick's most trusted guard. Neva watched her shrewdly. The girl was far more observant than Calliope had given her credit for.

"Is there a question in there somewhere?" Sebastian asked, annoyed.