The Boon of Alon

CHAPTER TEN

"Oh," says Chama under her breath. "Well, this'll be interesting."

Suthi—dressed down in a shirt and dusty trousers for travel, which somehow makes her hotter than her tourney armor did—hasn't noticed us yet. But we're on the outside of the gate here; to get back in, we're going to have to walk right by her.

"She's going to kill me," I breathe. At least, she's going to try.

"I doubt that," Chama says cheerfully, patting my shoulder. "It'll just be very awkward."

"That might be worse." I can handle a fight. I know fighting. Avoiding my prophesied true love...that's new. "Is there another way in?"

"Nope."

We stand there and watch for a minute—at least, I stand frozen, and Chama stays with me, presumably to witness whatever happens next. One of the riders at the gate is nodding along to what Suthi is saying; apparently she wants to be a rider now. I don't believe it for a second.

But the rider does, and after a moment, he gestures and leads her into the monastery. I guess it was too much to hope they'd turn her away. I consider for a moment telling Chama she's a rebel, but shit, the riders seem to be on the rebellion's side, so that won't help.

I could leave, I guess. Still don't know where else I'd go, though. And I want to talk to Yrite at least first. If I leave now, I'm never going to know why Iamon sent the rebels after me or if he even did it on purpose.

"You're gonna run into her sooner or later," says Chama. "Might as well get it over with."

"Sooner or later? I'm going to run into her every day," I point out. "If they let her in as a recruit—it'll be all day, every day."

"That'll make the awkward go away faster." She eyes me. "Assuming you let it."

"But..." I don't want to get to know her. I don't want to let the prophecy win.

Chama sighs. "C'mon, kid." She takes me by the arm and drags me towards the gate. I dig in my heels but it's no use; as far as I've come in the last dozen-or-so days, she's still much stronger than I am.

"Chama!" I can't breathe, my heart is pounding—for a second I think I'm winded from the climb, but no, the climb wasn't that hard even the first time. I'm panicking. "I can't!"

"You don't know what's going to happen," she says firmly. "Even a prophecy doesn't change that. And you won't know until you're in it."

"Chama–"

She hauls me through the front door of the monastery. "It's never as bad as you think it's gonna be," she says. "Trust me, Della. If I thought you were in danger, I'd toss you up on Arnet and get you out of here myself."

"But–" But she doesn't know about the prophecy. But she did get me on Arnet and out of the tourney when Suthi showed up. But I don't know what to say–

She thrusts me ahead of her into the archive and lets go. Everyone at the table is watching me, and Suthi has sat where I usually do, between Lemi and Rev. She half-stands when I meet her eyes. I take a step back, but Chama's blocking the doorway so I just collide with her. She's as solid as a wall.

"Nope," says Chama. "Sit down."

"I..."

"Della," says Suthi, barely more than a whisper. Fuck, how does she know my name? Who told her—what else does she know?

"No," I blurt. Her brow wrinkles in confusion.

"Is that... not your name?" she asks. Damn it.

"It is my name, I don't—I'm not talking to you. Don't talk to me," I say. Suthi's face falls. Behind me, Chama sighs.