Weight of the World

Chapter Eleven

—Low Reach, Tregaar, Xeima—

Sleep was a luxury in short supply those days. Most nights, Rhenna found herself lying in bed for hours, eyes staring at the dirty ceiling while her thoughts bounded through the myriad of memories she would rather forget. On the rare occasions sleep claimed her, her dreams quickly morphed into nightmares that made her wake with a scream lodged in her throat, her heart beating erratically, and sweat drenching the sheets. In either case, she didn't get to rest very much, and so, Rhenna had taken to exhausting her body in an effort to try and keep the nightmares at bay and to sleep as little as possible.

Most days, Rhenna started before anyone else, leaving the sanctuary of Watcher's Edge to begin her rounds in Low Reach. She had taken to helping the locals with their problems while she waited in between missions for Eclipse. There was always plenty to do, and so, Rhenna would check on her favorites first.

Mary, a kindly old lady, who often doted upon her as though Rhenna was her own granddaughter. Brakka, a widower, who looked after his two-year-old daughter. And Mithas, a young man about her age, who had lost both of his parents in a Purge that happened shortly before Rhenna's arrival in the city. She checked on each in turn, assured that they were all doing well before moving onto more general requests.

The people of Low Reach always kept her busy, which Rhenna didn't mind. More tasks meant less time to think about everything that had happened since she had first stepped foot in this godsforsaken city.

A startled gasp escaped her as a hand clamped around her wrist, dragging her suddenly into the alleyway. Rhenna stumbled, caught off guard as she was flung backward into one of the stone walls and pinned there, arms trapped above her head. Though she had the strength to throw her captor off, the sight of who it was kept her absolutely still.

"Hey, sweet girl," Raler grinned, his face inches from hers. "Thought you'd cover your tracks better. It was too easy to find you. If anyone in the Path thought you were still here..."

"What do you want, Raler?" Rhenna asked, her heart in her throat. How had he managed to track her down so fast? She thought she had been careful. Despite her anxiety, she still didn't try to wriggle free.

"Yikes, that's all I get? No happy hello? No kiss?"

She kept her stare as straight as she could. No matter how nice he had been to her in the past, he was her enemy now. She couldn't forget that. Raler still saw her momentary waver and smirked. He really was an excellent kisser.

"Guess I'll have to earn it, huh?" he laughed, leaning closer for just a moment to hover his lips above hers. "How long've you been here, sweet girl? After what you did, this is the last place I'd expect to find you."

"After what Ardan and the Creator did? How could I leave them to keep doing whatever they want?"

"So, what, you join Eclipse? A terrorist group ain't your style, sweet girl."

"They're freedom fighters."

"Same thing. Yours just has a prettier name. Takes the guilt away. What'd they tell you was the goal? That they'd kill Ardan and the Creator and then give the city its freedom? What do you think is gonna happen when both are gone, huh? You think none of the Eclipse are gonna want to sit on that throne when it's over?"

"Just because you've only known terrible people your whole life, doesn't mean Eclipse is bad."

"And just because you've only known good people, don't mean Eclipse is good either, sweet girl. But do what you like. You wanna play at being a terrorist, be a terrorist. Just hope you're ready to live with the consequences."