Cairo

Chapter 26: Ropes of the Past

"Dr. Su Savas is dead."

Coaltrice's voice was the knife that cut through the silence. The three remaining Fire Mages in the room snapped their eyes up to her, but no one made any noise. Adena shivered in her seat, bringing her hand to her mouth. Cairo scooted his seat closer to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder to bring her next to him. Aidan stayed quiet in his seat, sinking further down as he bit his lip.

"He was burned alive in his house. We can't be sure this is an act of sabotage, but from the accounts of his strange behavior over last few days before his death from the people in the town, we can highly assume it was suicide. A funeral is being planned as we speak. Usually a funeral is held right away, however, due to the recent rebel attack, we're postponing it for the mean time. We'll also be holding off on releasing the date until the actual day. I'll be the only one who knows the date. Any questions?"

When no one spoke up, Coaltrice nodded her head, releasing the group to go about their business. Cairo and Adena stayed in their seats without moving. Aidan eyed them on the way out, but with a quick glare from Cairo, turned around and made his way out. He scoffed under his breath, so irritated at the sight that his nose started to twitch.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he rounded a corner, but hastily stopped when he saw the figure of Cane standing against the wall. He smiled when Cane glared at him.

"What do you want?" Cane snapped.

Aidan held up his hands on either side of his head. "Woah there, buddy."

"Don't call me that."

"Oooo-kay." Aidan nodded his head, shoving his hands in his pockets. He bit his lip, but one look at Cane's face had him bursting out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Cane asked.

"You're mad at me," Aidan said. "And I find that absolutely fucking hilarious, because you being mad at me is you denying the truth that's right in front of your eyes."

Cane shook his head. "It hasn't' even been a day and you're already at this again, Aidan. I can't believe you. I'm not doing that again. I'm not Little Birdie and I'm not a traitor."

"We're all traitors."

Aidan held his foot out and rolled it, marveling in the fact that he knew he had Cane's absolute attention. He peeled his eyes away from his foot when he placed it back on the ground and smiled like a weight was lifted off his shoulders—the air cleared and flowers fresh.

"Self-preservation. That act alone makes you a traitor to anyone there with you. If Cairo was standing next to you and I shot a single bullet at both of you, you'd duck away instead of trying to take the bullet for him. You could have, and in a debate about ethics, you probably should have—hero philosophy and all being how it is. But you wouldn't, and despite what you say, both you and me know you wouldn't'. We'd all like to play the hero, wouldn't we?"

"I..."

The beat of Cane's heart in the silence of the hallway sounded like a hammering drum echoing again and again off the walls in an endless mess of noise. He wanted to talk back, but he couldn't because he knew he wanted to be the hero he'd never be. It only stung his heart when he thought that Cairo would be the one to take the bullet for him. In endless comparisons, Cane wasn't even a second fiddle.

So, he said the only thing he could: The truth.

"Of course I wouldn't. I want to live. Why would I take a stupid chance that could risk everything? There's things I still want to do and people who would miss me. I have family who loves me. They'd be crushed if I died a stupid death."