The Paragon

Chapter Seventeen

"Two people?" I said, folding my arms as I stared at Octavia. "You're sending two people to find out if the Owls are okay? And not even to Foster?"

"Not only will it be safer for them to go to Omil, it will be remarkably faster," Octavia replied. "They can gather what information they can through that branch of the Owls, if they're still in existence. And if not, they'll reassess."

"It only takes a matter of days to get to Foster by airship," I pointed out, remembering exactly how long the journey had taken to bring me here.

"They're going by ground. We only have the two airships, Paragon, and they aren't exactly stealth recon vehicles. We have fake travel papers for the agents in question and can allocate them one of our ground vehicles, and they'll be in Omil in days—going all the way to Foster by ground could take a week or more." She leaned over the desk towards me, in what was meant to be a reassuring way. "This is the best solution I can offer you."

I ran a hand over my face. "I suppose it's better than nothing," I answered, though I still wasn't pleased. What was the likelihood they'd even be able to get any information that we didn't already have? The Owls weren't exactly in quick communication with any other sects. We relayed messages through handwritten notes and messengers for a reason—it was harder for us to leave a trail to be followed.

Even if the Redcloaks going to Omil ran into no opposition, it would still be days in the city before they had any news of substance. I could be waiting to hear about the Owls for two weeks, maybe more. "You already have them getting ready to leave?" I asked.

Octavia nodded. "They'll be leaving any time now, actually. It's best not to bring undue attention to their departure, so you don't need to see them off."

I nodded, not looking Octavia in the eyes, too lost in thought to focus on anything other than a nondescript mark on the floor. "If you think that's best," I murmured. My mind was too full of too many things, thoughts and worries, to consider fighting anymore. For once, I felt like the stubbornness in me might be smothered and held down by my feelings of helplessness in this situation. "I just need to know if they're okay."

"If they aren't, then that's one more thing for you to hate the Empire for," Octavia said. I winced at the words—the implication that the Owls could end up being a motivation for me to fight stung. "I hope they are safe and unharmed, of course, but when you live as dangerously as they do, things don't always work out forever."

"I never thought about the Owls being so dangerous," I admitted. "I mean, I did, of course. But it just felt like nothing would ever actually happen. We had so few close calls, really, and it had been my whole life. Why would it go wrong now?"

"Sounds like it might have been overdue," Octavia said, though her voice was still sympathetic. "Secret societies can't exist unnoticed forever; even the Redcloaks have faced our fair share of troubles." I nodded, recalling Phoenix's story about the terrible battle he'd been in before. I wanted, desperately, to know more about it, but it seemed rude to bring up again.

"Let me know as soon as there's information," I said.

"If we can," Octavia said. "You should know, the Council still advises you to make the trip to Aelvine as soon as possible. Even sooner—this information has given us insight that the North will be relatively unmonitored in the next week, leaving us open for air travel."

"How soon?"

"The Jasmina is prepared for departure this evening."

I tried to keep my breath steady even as I felt my heartbeat speed up at her words. This trip had still been in the future in my mind, something to worry about later. Now it was here. "Tonight?" I verified. Octavia nodded. "But what about the Owls? Can that information be sent to us while we travel?"