cascade | kotlc

20. The First Foxfire-Exilium Session

 "Keefe's a fully initiated member of the Neverseen now," Sophie whispered as they gathered in the crowded Foxfire field for their Exilium lessons. 

"Does that mean he swore an oath?" Linh asked. 

"I was afraid to ask," Sophie admitted.

"Jolie didn't seem to have to swear one," June pointed out. "I mean, yeah, she got- you know. But I don't think oaths are... required. Or, at least, there should be loopholes around them. I trust Keefe's judgement. He wouldn't cross any hard lines."

"I hope so too," her sister muttered. "He said he'll be settled at the new hideout this afternoon. I don't know what that means."

The crowd surged forward as another batch of people moved to take their test, halting their conversation. Linh wished Exilium would still use the rope trap for their initiations. Watching Keefe fall from his was the most she had laughed in years.

The three Exilium tents filled the fields, bearing the same red, blue, and purple colors. Linh felt almost homesick here. It was as if her worlds were clashing, her past life mixing with her current, in all the better ways.

People mingled around, chattering away on the grassy grounds, seemingly unaware of the danger surrounding them. Linh glanced at the Gold and Silver towers, spotting the slightly cracked window where she had landed.

The elvin world was taking the new Exilium curriculum surprisingly well. She couldn't hear any outraged muttering around her. Most people seemed to be at least neutral. Some, even, were in direct support of the program, claiming that it would provide what the elves really needed.

Linh doubted it, really. The elves needed stability. Power would not provide that. Only when the Neverseen were truly defeated would anything become useful again.

"Maybe the Neverseen use a vague oath," she whispered when the crowd settled again. "Like the one the Black Swan had us say."

"Hopefully," Biana said, holding hands with Tam and causing all the boys in a one-mile radius to glare at him. He didn't seem to mind as he arranged his bangs before his forehead to cover his eyes.

"Wait- does that mean you guys swore fealty?" Dex asked.

She fished the monocle pendant from under her tunic, the light shining into her eyes and making her blink.

"I was sick of Linh nagging me," Tam said, earning an eye roll. She flicked her fingers and water suddenly splashed onto his face. "Oh, it's so on later."

"Ready any time you are," Linh told him, molding a water spear into her hand and slashing it through the air, before pinning the tip to his throat. "I'm not afraid of this anymore," she said, giving June an adoring look that she returned.

"Wow," Fitz whispered. June smacked him.

Dex leaned closer.

"Are we sure this is a good thing?" Dex asked. "Not the part about you guys joining the Black Swan, or your control over water, that's awesome. But the whole 'Keefe going to one of their serious hideouts' thing?"

"I'm sure he'll be responsible enough to get out of there if he has to," June offered half-heartedly. "He wouldn't let himself get captured, that's for sure. But I'm not exactly sure how he'd bail, if he doesn't have a crystal -- or does he?"

"He might, but it's still not certain," Sophie muttered. "We don't know. He wasn't very specific in his plans."

"We're just hoping he's being careful," Fitz said, sharing a look with Sophie. "We might have to get him out of there, but we can't until we know more about where he is."