The Rogue Guardian

Chapter 48: The Truth About the Prophecy

There were about ten people staring at me in disbelief. 

Evvie's jaw had dropped. Several other men and women who I recognized as rebel leaders still looked as though they expected me to explain I was joking.

I had expected some kind of reaction after explaining all that had happened over the past night, but this seemed a little overboard. The long, narrow meeting room was filled to the brim with dismay.

Only Ysmay had skipped shock and went straight to exasperation. "Of all the reckless, irresponsible-- never in my life--" she fumed. "What, you walked right into the Court of Assassins and Roman made you one of them?"

"I told you," I said. "I was captured trying to sneak in. And because Xalva was on my tail, he was captured too, and Roman made me fight him, and I won, so now I'm an assassin."

Evvie dropped her head into her hand.

Someone else made to speak, but Ysmay raised one hand for silence, her expression livid. "So you lost us one of our most important agents as well."

I rolled my eyes. Xalva may have still been part of the rebels, but he'd also been in the castle dungeons since I foiled his assassination attempt. "He's not any more useless dead than he was locked up."

"That's beside the point."

"Not really. I'm saying you could trade Xalva, who was useless anyway, for an alliance with Roman, who has dozens of Xalvas at his disposal."

Someone cleared their throat, but Ysmay shot another silencing glare around the room. "Sounds like the same kind of irresponsible plan that made you leave the capital rebels for the princess."

"You told me when we met that the reason I decided to join the princess was because she was controlling my mind with... Guardian magic, or whatever." I had never forgotten that conversation. Even after deciding I had to let it go, forcing myself not to keep questioning my every movement, the vague sense of unease she'd given me had taunted me ever since.

"A theory I still very much believe," she said coldly, "Considering that while away from her for a few weeks you seem to have committed yourself back to our cause. But I don't doubt that your inherent recklessness is the main cause of all the trouble you find yourself in."

Well, that last part was right, at least. "Maybe I step out of line sometimes, but--"

"You're so far out of line I'm surprised you can still see it," she snapped.

Evvie looked up. "Auntie--"

"No," Ysmay answered without looking. "Morane, Adina, whatever name you prefer--"

"I thought I'd go back to Morane, actually. The benefits of using a fake name have worn off." Though technically Morane was the fake name I'd been given by the Sage, and Adina was my real name-- but Adina was a name belonging to someone I hadn't been for a very long time.

Ysmay clearly didn't care. "You haven't been around long enough to appreciate the complexity of our situation."

"You're right," I said.

Evvie raised an eyebrow in surprise. It might have been the first time she'd heard me admit that. I'd try to make it the last.

I leveled my stare at Ysmay. "I have no clue why you refused an alliance with the King of Assassins. And until I understand, I'm just going to keep annoying you about it. So you may as well explain."

"I was going to say, Ysmay," a man sitting nearby said, "The Thief is out closest link to the Assassin. Don't you think it's time to explain the business with the prophecy?"