The Rogue Guardian

Chapter 26: the Sergeant

I woke up the next morning feeling lighter. I had successfully passed the rebels' initiation. It had hardly gone according to plan, but there was comfort there too. So they were liars and thieves and tricksters-- good. So was I.

We could work well together.

I took a bath and got myself fully clean for the first time in days, which was another big step to feeling better, washed the few clothes I had with me and hung them up to dry. It meant staying in the white clothes that I had come to started to think of as the "sacrificial offering outfit", but last night's episode was starting to feel more like a funny incident than a nightmare to be avoided. I could manage.

I twisted my wet hair back and pinned it with my knife-clips, fingering their smooth edges for a moment. In the adrenaline rush of the duel and these moments of calmness I had momentarily forgotten what had brought me here. But I could not forget Jaden indefinitely. Find his friend, avenge his disappearance. I would not give up.

Wes had told me, as Kay and Lucien and I sat with him in a torch-lit cavern-turned-healer's-workshop last night that I should meet them at the Fire Bird.

"It's not pleasant staying belowground all the time," he'd explained, his voice nasal as he held ice against his nose. Lucien snickered and Kay hit his shoulder lightly. He had a way of acting as if Wes and Lucien, though they couldn't have been much younger than him, were his responsibility to look over and chastise, almost like younger brothers. "So we have a few aboveground places. The Fire Bird is one of the safest."

"So long as we keep Reesa happy," Lucien had muttered.

"Reesa's a spy. She'll keep it safe for us as long as long we keep her interested."

"We don't know that," Kay had rebuked him. "Don't tell Adina stuff you don't know is true."

Now, walking into the inn's main room, I wondered if that was true. I remembered Reesa to be the woman behind the counter. I hadn't noticed anything suspicious about her the few times I'd been here, but then again, I hadn't been looking, and I had no idea who she might be spying for. I wondered if they'd meant a royal spy, or one from a rival rebel group.

"Adina!" Evvie waved me over to their table. The boys were already there, as well as Therese and another girl I recognized from my kidnapping, her arm draped over Evvie's shoulder.

I took the empty seat, looking at her curiously.

"Lisbetha," she introduced herself shortly. "And you're Adina, apparently." One side of her mouth quirked up as she shot Wes a grin through the fringe of her short black hair. "Wes's nemesis."

He huffed. "I get beaten one time--"

"Wasn't one time. Didn't you guys also run into each other in the Maze?"

"Yeah, but we won that time."

"With our help," Lucien pointed out.

"Whatever, I'm not bitter."

That set off a round of snorting and laughter at his tone and I relaxed into my chair. It was laidback, no expectations. Maybe it would stay that way if Ysmay didn't let anyone else know I was the Thief.

"You know, we have a saying at the castle," Therese added with a smirk. "People say most what they don't mean."

Wes pointed a dagger at her in mock irritation. "Don't quote your noble-isms at me, my common ears can't take it."

"You guys know about that?" I demanded, looking around at them.

"Of course. She's here from the Cycla." Evvie cocked her head. "Ysmay didn't get around to telling you?"