Worlds Apart

Chapter 30

T R U T H

A hum of activity resounded in the corridors outside. Elin was seated on her infirmary bed, long legs folded a little awkwardly, still on the mend. She nudged the wheel of the wheelchair propped against the side of the bed with her toe.

"You'll be okay," Daisha told her, not pausing as she carefully detangled her hair. It straightened itself out relatively easily, retaining some of its silkiness despite weeks of bed rest. She was rather jealous; she'd spent all of yesterday re-braiding her box braids, finally believing that Elin was getting the help she needed and she could focus on herself. It was long overdue. "It's just until you can hold your own weight again. I guess that soup just wasn't nutritious enough, huh?"

Her shoulders relaxed and Daisha grinned triumphantly to herself. "It was better than anything I have ever cooked—I cannot complain."

"You don't cook much?"

Elin hummed, the simple sound musical. "Regine would cook, usually. I can cook a little now without burning the kitchen down, but I am still very close to poisoning anyone I feed."

Daisha swallowed the lump in her throat. "My...brother was even better. He was more of a baker, though. Every other day he would make some new kind of fancy bread after work. The house always smelled lovely."

"I would have loved to meet him," Elin said softly. "He sounds nice."

"He is—was. You would've liked him, I think. Dakarai was always more sociable than me." She paused, letting the brush steady in her hands before she resumed combing.

"Thank you for this, Daisha. I was nervous about going out again after all this time. "

"Of course," she whispered, a dangerous wobble in her voice. Elin squeezed her elbow. Daisha set the brush aside, dividing her golden locks into three as she began braiding.

"So much has happened these past weeks. I do not know how I will go about my normal life once we are home."

Daisha sighed. "Tell me about it."

"I am more worried about what this meeting will entail, though."

Daisha hummed her agreement. "I have a feeling they're going to pressure us into something if they're inviting us. I...haven't repaid my debt. This will probably be it."

"Whatever it is, I will help. You will not repay it alone."

"Elin—"

"I do not think it will be horrible. These people have many secrets but they are not cruel."

"They held your life over my head to get me to come with them," Daisha deadpanned. She tied the braid and set it over her shoulder. Elin patted her hand gratefully.

"This is a library, did you notice?" Daisha mused aloud.

"Yes. I found it odd, but it's fitting, is it not?"

"An abandoned library as a base for a secret underground rebellion that centres around 'the truth.' Yeah, I suppose it is."

"Do you think the Queen was lying?"

"What leader doesn't?" Daisha grumbled.

Surprisingly, Elin laughed. She hadn't heard the sound since they had met. It was nice. "Right. Even the hidden land of a scientifically-advanced society has its dirty secrets, hm?"

Daisha slipped off the bed, holding her hand out to Elin to help her into the wheelchair. "I just hope they won't cause more trouble for us."

‡    ‡    ‡