Sevensworn

XXIII. Daybreak

They had caught everyone up by the time that breakfast had been cleared from the table in the great hall. The story of what happened in Kadena was told in tandem by Ronan and Zia, each of them taking over when the other trailed off. The reactions they received were even more intense than Ronan had imagined⁠—the shock and terror on the faces of their audience as they recounted the shipwreck, Zia's brief glimpse of death, the pyre, Ashtei's intervention—it was all overwhelming. By the time they had finished the account, Shivaroth and Wynne had fallen entirely silent and Liliana, though she had managed to get some of the story out of Acaeus when they'd spoken the night before, had paled considerably.

Acaeus, who had not yet joined them, was represented by Liliana. When Zia finally put forth a halfhearted inquiry as to his whereabouts, she was the one to answer.

"He said he had to think," Liliana said softly from across the table, prompting a scoff from Ronan and a flash of anger across Zia's features. "I know you're both angry, but he was only doing what he thought was right." Wynne was silent beside her wife, her chin in her hands and her brow furrowed. She'd said little since they'd begun their story.

"He may have believed it was the noble course of action, but he still could have gotten us all killed. That's not something you forgive in a day." Ronan's utterance was met by a nod from Zia. Shivaroth, who had opted to stay standing and now stood leaning against one of the empty high-backed chairs on Liliana and Wynne's side of the table, frowned slightly.

"Have you tried to speak with him?"

"If I talk to him right now it's going to end in a fight," Ronan said sharply. "He must have realized that if he decided to stay away."

"I second that." Zia tapped the end of an unused butter knife against the table, which was scuffed in patches that her fidgeting would likely worsen. "I love him like a brother and this didn't change that, but I need to have a minute to breathe before we talk about what happened. The man nearly brought it all down single-handedly, the whole fucking point of this Circle. It would be impressive if it wasn't absolutely infuriating."

Ronan felt a pang of guilt. "I know he wasn't trying to do anything to hurt us. I'm not trying to make him into a villain, truly. I just need some time."

"No one will fault you for that," Wynne murmured. "I spoke to him last night. He..." she sighed deeply. "Talk to him when you get a chance, Ro. You'll want to hear what he has to say."

"I will." Ronan scuffed the toe of his boot against the ground. He'd have to unravel his own feelings first, or it would end badly for every party involved.

Wynne's focus shifted to Zia, who was still fiddling with the butter knife.

"You're sure you're alright?" She echoed a question that had already been asked many times within the last hour alone. "This healer, you're sure she took care of everything?"

"Yes, Wynne." Zia was being miraculously patient with it all. "If anything felt wrong, I would tell you."

"There's a healer just down the road a bit if you end up needing one," Liliana chimed in. "They know me there, they would be happy to help you free of charge."

"I appreciate it," Zia said.

The three of them continued their conversation while Ronan glanced over and locked eyes with Shivaroth. The god gave him a questioning look, in response to which Ronan mouthed, "your plan." Shivaroth winced, then nodded slowly.

"Before I forget," he interjected reluctantly, "there is something I must put forth." All eyes turned to him, and he kept his face blank before their questioning sets of eyes. Ronan gave him an encouraging nod. Shivaroth had already explained the presence of Ronan's premonitions to the best of his ability, which had earned Ronan a few alarmed glances from Wynne at the time, but allowed the god's next words to go smoothly.