The Way We Fall

Chapter 22 (Tigris)

Roche wasn't in the library, but Verita was. The old librarian left Tigris to wander the shelves, giving her a wide berth. If Tigris closed her eyes, she could almost pretend she was a young girl again, roaming the stacks to chase Finn around to spar with Aodh.

Her heart ached at the memory. She and Finn would never roam these aisles again.

Her brother, her baby brother, would be dead. She should be with him, holding his hand. But she couldn't bear seeing him that way, seeing each rise of his chest and fearing it would be his last. She didn't want him to be alone when he passed on, though. No matter how hard it would be, Finn didn't deserve a lonely death.

Not when he'd had a lonely life as well.

Tigris turned towards one of the shelves, fighting against the burn of tears that threatened to overwhelm her. She tried to focus on the books around her. She'd begged Verita for anything, any books to read, any possible cures. But Verita knew this place as much as Finn.

She'd gently told Tigris and Aodh that there was nothing she could find that would save their brother.

Tigris had dragged Aodh out, kicking and screaming. She'd gotten Leinos to give him a mild sedative. She'd left him with the task or war preparations upon his rousing. That had suddenly been pushed aside in the wake of Finn's poisoning. Now the whole castle was just waiting for the prince's death.

War would come after. Tigris squeezed her eyes shut. How had things fallen so quickly?

The doors to the library swung open. Tigris launched herself out of the aisle, fearing a guard had come to tell her the worst. Finn had passed. Or worse, he was on the precipice of death and she needed to be at his side. But it was only Roche storming through the doors, her cheeks flushed with what looked like fury. Her usual dream-like expression had hardened into something more determined.

Roche made a beeline for Verita. Whatever she was saying made Verita drop her stack of books and shake her head vigorously. Strings of their conversation drifted over to where Tigris stood, the sounds of argument filling the air. Roche's usually gentle voice was as strong as the sea. She gestured emphatically to Verita's quarters, and Verita shook her head again. Roche crossed her arms, nodding slightly. Whatever she'd agreed to made Verita calm. Curiosity nearly overwhelmed Tigris' grief.

Roche turned away and crept towards the shelves, as quiet as a mouse. After several long moments of searching, she grabbed a book, peering at it. Tigris prowled forward.

"Found something?" she asked. Roche yelped and like the clumsy fool she was, dropped the book. Tigris picked it up off the ground.

"The Encyclopedia of Mythical Beasts." she read, quirking her lips, "What use is that?"

Roche's cheeks flushed red. She shrugged. "I was thinking... what if the poison came from an animal? Some beast?"

Tigris snorted. "Then you're a fool. Leinos already ruled that out."

"Oh," Roche placed the book back on the shelf, "It was just a thought."

"Well, it's not helping!" Tigris snapped. Roche frowned, and Tigris' cheeks heated. She looked away. God, she was just as bad as Aodh. "Sorry," Tigris mumbled. Roche studied her for a long moment with her whimsical gaze before shrugging.

"I didn't know that word was in your vocabulary."

Tigris felt a smile twitch at her lips. At any other time, she would have had Roche sent to the dungeons. But the banter made things feel a bit less terrible.

"Any other ideas then?" Tigris asked, albeit a bit desperately. She wasn't sure why she was asking the stupidest person she knew for help saving her brother, but it wasn't like she had many options. To Tigris' surprise, instead of mocking her again, Roche actually seemed to consider the question. She tilted her head.