Maidens & Killers

Secrets

*Author's Note. If anyone is curious, I recently saw a creator on TikTok who has the exact body type that I imagine Garrick having. The creator is Trevor Wagner on TikTok and immediately, when I saw a video of him working out I thought that's exactly the body I imagine Violet describing when she called Garrick "big". *

      “That is the dumbest plan I have ever heard of.” I say crossing my arms. We are all sitting in the highest stacks of the Archives at a table and Violet has just laid everything out on said table. And by everything, I mean everything. The venin; the wards; the original six; what Xaden and Garrick and the other rebels have been working on as far as running weapons. She just finished telling everyone about her plan to steal the journals from the first six that are kept under a highly protected system of vaults when I spoke my mind. Jesinia, Sawyer, Rhiannon, and Ridoc are staring back at her from across the table with looks of shock and awe on their faces. The only two people who don’t seem incredibly fazed by Violet’s broad announcements are Aaric and I. I look at Aaric and raise my eyebrows while everyone else is still wrapping their head around all of this very new information, “You knew?” I whisper.
Aaric shrugs slightly, “ I mean I knew a lot of that. I’m here at Basgaith for a reason.”

     Ridoc appears to be the first person to come out of their state of shock and quickly turns to glare at me, “Wait! You knew?!”
I smile coyly, “Of course I knew, Garrick wouldn’t marry me until I knew what I was getting myself into.”
Now Ridoc’s eyes have really blown wide open, “Married?! Like as in husband and wife?”
“Consummated and everything,” I say, giving Ridoc my best saucy wink.
Sawyer drops his head into his hands, “Okay. Okay. Is there anything else anyone at this table would like to confess before we move on?”
We all stare at each other, waiting to see what other confessions will be made. I note that Aairic won’t make direct eye contact with anyone and save the red flag that triggers in my brain for later.

      Naturally Ridoc is the first person to speak, “Remember that sandwich of yours last week that disappeared…”
“I mean anything important?” Sawyer says cutting him off.
“I don’t know you seemed pretty pissed about the sandwich at the time, hence why I didn’t say anything, but you know how many calories I need to eat and….. no, that’s about all I got.”  Ridoc doesn’t even have the decency to look ashamed as we all glare at him.

       “What do you mean that is the dumbest plan you’ve ever heard of?” Violet asks in a voice an octave higher than normal, “Do you have a better one?”
I think quietly for a second before replying, “I mean, no. But you're not even sure that these books contain the information about creating a ward that you need. You don’t know anything about what is in these journals and you are willing to risk everything on a hunch.”
“At least I have a hunch. I don’t see anyone else trying to come up with a plan.” Violet snaps back.
“Well most people at this table  have only had this information for about five minutes. Maybe we give everyone some time to think.” I reply back trying to keep the shortness out of my voice and remain calm.
“We don’t have time Maeve!” Violet says banging her hands down on the table in front of her.
I stand up from my seat and turn away from the table of my squad mates, “Look. If you guys are comfortable with this plan, by all means don’t let me hold you back. Maybe I am the only one here who feels like she has a lot to live for right now, but I see a light at the end of this tunnel. I have a year and a half. A year and a half and I can request to be stationed at Samara, where they always need riders. A year and a half and I can try to make some sort of a semblance of a life with my husband out of this shit we’ve been dealt, no matter how short that life may be. I can’t endorse a plan as dangerous as this one. The risk to reward, it just doesn’t equal out for me.”

     Before I can walk away Violet reaches for me, “I need you Maeve. I’m sorry that I was short with you. You are a key piece to our puzzle and one of our strongest riders.”
I shake my head, “You need people with strong signets. I won’t be able to help there as mine works best outdoors.”
Jesinia finally speaks up for the first time, “We will also need people to keep look out. The only way to get into this vault is through the blood of The King’s line and we don’t know how long it will take for us to get in and out.”
I flop down in the seat next to Jesinia, “Well, there’s your next problem then already. You need someone from The King’s bloodline. Where are we even going to find that?”
Both Jesinia and Violet look to the seat that I just evacuated, the one right next to Aaric.
“Okay so, here’s the thing. I may or may not be one of the sons of King Tauri. ” Aaric begins.
“More secrets!?” Ridoc bellows exasperatedly as he bangs his head down onto the table.

      Everyone shhhhh's Ridoc at once and now it's my turn to drop my face into my hands in frustration. "What do you need me to do?" I ask Violet.
"I need you and Croabh to take to the air. If anyone is alerted to the fact that we are breaking into the vault they will come running and you will see them cross the courtyards. Cause a distraction, stop them, I don't care. But please have our back on this." Violet replies cooly.
I know this is a shit plan. I know there is no way in hell that a bunch of cadets, no matter whose son and daughter they are, are going to be able to break into this vault and steal priceless journals without anyone noticing. But I look around the table at the rest of my squad and I see hope in their eyes for the first time in a long time.

    What do you think Craobh?  I ask my dragon while everyone waits patiently for my answer.

We're in Red One.  Craobh replies and I smile at everyone seated around me.
"Craobh says we're in."