In the Meantime - A Fade Retelling of Red Queen

Chapter 3

The Sun Shooting, part I

The brush of air tickled her bare neck. It should've been nothing worthy of note, only the reminder to put on her scarf, once she'd strapped her steel-capped boots. But it was the second time, the second hint Farley connected – wanted to connect – to him. Shade Barrow. The "teleporter", the brother of the Scarlet Guard's current asset and ward, Mare Barrow. Farley's ... whatever.

She got up and stretched, her hands going to her holsters on her shoulder and hip. As the mission demanded inconspicuousness, she only carried a knife and a small pistol beneath her servants' garb, and despite knowing this, she cursed silently, longing for the feel of her rifle and the routine it gave her. As if you ever found routine in insurgence and war, murder and survival. And what was better, to begin with? The nervousness coming with the awareness of danger? Or the ignorance of routine?

Farley went over their plan again, assessing the risks and holes, the marks, her team. If only the bloody princeling was reliable, if only Barrow kept her timing and her cover –

Those worries were useless. I shouldn't underestimate her, neither who she is nor what she might become. Farley barked orders to get prepared at her team, but first, she needed to check on the lingering presence in the back of her neck and her mind.

In risky casualness, she'd told him about the location of this hideout in Summerton a while ago, since he was curious about his hometown's underworld. Now it became the place of a chase, albeit a simple one, like he was framing it form the start, guiding her from one corner to the next. I don't have time for this, she thought and yet, she didn't know if she was annoyed or amused.

"You don't have to live up to your designation, Shadow," she hissed and stopped in her tracks. "I'll just wait."

He let her wait.

She bit her lip and tapped with her foot. She wouldn't give in. And still she startled when she felt his touch on her shoulder blades.

She spun, of course he was behind her. He pulled his hand back and already she wished it back on her shoulder, gentle, teasing, and intense. It resonated with the yearning he woke in her, which had been fulfilled the last time they'd met. And in the same way his fingers felt, his eyes looked at her, warm and golden as honey. She gulped. "Welcome back, Barrow," she said, smirking. She crossed her arms. "You're ordered to assist us?"

He looked her over with those eyes, as if nothing escaped them, baring her thoughts and what she tried to hide. It shouldn't surprise her since Shade had already seen her laid bare in a different manner.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

She was fighting the resurgence of these memories and this bastard in front her knew it.

"I am, yes," he said finally. "General Palace thought it was time to use me, so this colonel told me, and send me here with the mersives."

"The mersives."

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Yes, Great beasts. However, what do you know about this colonel?" His playful insinuation made any denial pointless, but at least she was sobered by the topic of the colonel.

"You're more perceptive than a spy should be," she said.

"And I thought that's my job," he countered.

"Not when you use that on your own commanding officers," she replied. "He really mentioned Palace to you?" Although Palace was the chief of operations in Norta, thus the commanding officer of all operatives in Norta, including herself, Farley had yet to meet the general in person.

Shade shook his head. "Nor really, but I prefer to read and check the orders by myself."

"Tsk. As I said, you don't make yourself trustworthy with this behaviour."

He raised his eyebrows. "You don't trust me?" He sighed, then outstretched his hand, to shove something off her clothing. "A servant should look immaculate, Ms. Farley," he chided her like a palace supervisor would.

She cackled, and the wound on her jaw strained and throbbed. It burned, and she knew not only the healing injury, but also a flush were the reasons for the heat in her cheeks. A flush that had to intensify when she remembered that Shade had stitched the gash, and what that had let to.

"You didn't answer, Barrow. Are you trustworthy?" She stared him down like any of her soldiers but just when she thought he'd give in, she noticed the traitorous flicker in his eyes, which revealed how much he enjoyed this. And he turned their encounters into this every single time.

But she wouldn't give in either.

He lowered his head. "I gave my word, to you and the Scarlet Guard, that I'd fight."

She nodded. He mentioned me first. "Then I want you to ..."

"And what about you?" he asked. She titled her head. "How do you deal with my sister?"

It was her turn to look down. "She came to join us just after she heard of your 'death'. I wasn't there, though I think she hardly needed the extra 'motivation'. She's more than ready to fight with us, as we all know there're enough reasons."

He shook his head. "I want to meet her."

"Shade – "

"You can't stop me."

"And you need to be careful." She focused on him relentlessly. This wasn't negotiable. "You've been here for five minutes and not part of the plan. So you will do what you do best, stay in the shadows and secure an escape. I'll tell you the location where you'll wait for us, do you understand, Operative Shadow?" He stared back, incensed, before he nodded. "Thank you. I rely on you." She softened her gaze a little. "I'd offer you to meet Mare but we have to be careful with information. Silver whispers aren't a vague threat here, the witch queen is practically in Mare's back."

"And you don't want to explain me to Kilorn either, I guess," he said, his joking tone disclosing his compliance.

"He'll see you soon enough," she scoffed, but grinned as well. This time, her hand was brushing his shoulder as she leaned forward. "I look forward to meet you in three hours," she whispered, noticing their mutual flush at the double meaning. She specified the location in the tunnels and with a last smile, she turned to leave.

It was time to kill some Silvers.