Discordant Note: Crescendo | TBATE

Chapter 204: To Cleanse for the Future

Thank you to my beta reader and editor, GlassThreads!

Tessia Eralith

"You are going to show us your lower back," I said with gritted teeth. "And if you don't, I'm going to thrust my rapier through your neck."

Norgan stared up at me. He was calm: far too calm. That was the first thing I'd noticed about him when we'd first met: he was nervous, yes, but not about battle. Anyone with the point of a sword to their throat should show some sign of fear. A bit of hesitation or anxiety. Yet Norgan was unerringly serious as he stared up at me, still crouched by the corpse of the boss monster.

I'd been on high alert regarding the self-proclaimed fire augmenter the moment he'd been assigned to our squad. It was something of a bad habit of mine: growing up in Zestier amidst the royalty of my people had conditioned me to always watch for those with ill intentions. Every handshake could carry a poisoned needle; every smile could hide knives.

Yet this Norgan wasn't like the spies I'd met before. Especially with how he'd spoken around the fire about the woman he loved... I couldn't bring myself to believe that to be a falsehood.

After all, I allowed myself to think for a moment as I stared down at who I was certain was an Alacryan spy sent after me, the way he described his lover was too real.

Afraid to love... That described Art perfectly. And perhaps that understanding had made me let my guard down around the man.

I would have denied Captain Drogo's command to go down the tunnel to scout otherwise.

That trust lasted until the ceiling had been destroyed, cutting us off from support. There were only a few ways a random mana beast could have acquired one of Stannard's beast cores, and the logical conclusion was that the person assigned to protect Stannard had swiped one when he wasn't looking.

"I told Darvus and Stannard this before," Norgan said evenly, "but I have scars along my back. I don't want to show them. I already proved to the others I'm not an Alacryan with my organic magic."

I pressed my rapier just a bit deeper. He was lying. I was sure of that now as I stared into his burning orange eyes. His tell was remarkably similar to Art's giveaway–he refused to look me entirely in the eye.

But I didn't want to kill him. No, we knew so little about our enemy. The only worthwhile prisoners the Council had were Elder Rahdeas and Retainer Uto–and while Uto had been giving valuable information, this spy was likely important as well.

I felt the edges of my lip curl up as I caught the man in a trap. "The knowledge that the Alacryans get their magic from runes is classified, Norgan. That isn't known to anyone but the highest members of the council." I paused. "And presumably our enemies as well."

We'd have to figure out how Norgan–the spy–used organic, Dicathian magic when we took him in.

Darvus and Caria, who at first had displayed shock and dismay at my threat towards Norgan, now shifted into expressions of anger and betrayal respectively. Both moved to flank Norgan's other side, making sure he was entirely surrounded. From the side, Stannard's beast core launcher kept him pinned down from range.

Norgan's gaze slowly panned around him, taking in the hostile nature of our squad. When his eyes settled back on me, they had a resigned cast to them.

"The hard way it is, then," he said, sounding tired.

I caught something flashing toward me from my peripheral vision, my instincts blaring suddenly in warning. In a moment of panic, I tried to drive the point of my rapier forward, attempting to skewer the spy where he knelt.