was
common knowledge she'd pleaded for Lena's life. Protectors weren't allowed to
intervene when the Synod decided fates of so-called criminal Guides. But when
they accused Lena, Wilma stepped in and pleaded for her life, not caring about
rules or convention.
If she
hadn't, Lena would've been executed, her energy dispersed–deleted. If the
bastards found out about the most recent development, they wouldn't listen to
Wilma this time around. They'd send in the authority, get rid of the problem.
Get rid of Lena for good.
He
stood, keeping his eyes on Wilma. If she said no, he'd get Lena to a dimension
where no one would be able to touch her and figure out the rest later. But what
he said seemed to be working because she stopped pacing, and the pain in her
face abated. "How're we gonna pull it off without them finding out?"
"It's
already handled."
She
snorted. "How? Mateusz? You still trust that old bastard?"
"Of
course I trust him."
A sneer
twisted her lips, and her eyes hardened. "Lemme guess. He's the one who
told you about Lena."
Tarek
shook his head, making sure his face gave nothing away.
"Bullshit,"
she said. "If we're doing this, there's no secrets, got it?"
He took
one breath and nodded. "Fine, yes, he told me. He also said…Shit. He also
told me an Exemplian is messing with her."
"This
is getting messier and messier by the second." Wilma bit her lip, lost
inside her head.
Walking
to the closet tree, he plucked two apples from the lowest branch. He threw her
one and crunched into the other after wiping some of the mud off his mouth with
a sleeve. The tart juice ran to the back of his throat and dribbled on his
chin. She held hers and squeezed it as though it were a piece of clay. Tarek
kept eating, studying a patch of lilacs. He knew she'd agree. He'd just have to
wait her out, let her make the decision.
Wilma
sighed, putting her head down. "She's different this time around."
"I'm
aware."
"You
can't tell her why she's there. If you do, the Synod will never let her come
back next cycle. They'll claim her repentance false."
"Do
you think I'm stupid?"
She
ignored that, answering loud and clear, and said, "She's...nicer this
time, sensitive." Her eyes drooped, and the corners of her mouth turned
down. "She's been through a lot, dealing with issues you will have to
endure quietly. You have to let her suffer. It's part of her punishment."
Fear
crept into the corners of his brain, twisting his gut. "I'll protect her."
"You
can't, not from everything."
He took
another bite of his apple instead of answering. Allowing her to suffer...he'd
have a hard time. But if it were the only way to bring her back here, he'd
deal. He'd have to.
She made
a sour face. "And you're dressed like a giant fairy. All you need are some
glittery wings. Probably scared the hell out of her."
The suit
was still active with a slight hum emitting from the fabric every time he
moved. He didn't enjoy wearing it–chaffed his skin–but the suit saved his ass
from animal attacks, sink holes, grabby vines...angry Protectors, just about
anything a dimension could throw at him. "It's for protection." Like
she didn't already know.
"From
what?" She smirked, shoving her hair out of her eyes. "Do you ever
bother to crack open one of those books?"
Heat
reached his cheeks, burning them with guilt. "I didn't have time to
research the place."
"Hmm,
and what about the last seventeen years? Almost eighteen? Didn't have time then
either?"
Ouch. "They're
her books."
The
breeze from Wilma's arms flipped the ends of his hair as she waved the flabby
limbs in the air. "All that work, all those notes. You could've figured
out what happened, what she knew...why she was accused of siphoning good energy
to Arcus."
He
looked at his half-eaten apple. "Those notes wouldn't have told me where
they sent her. Only you could have done that."
"Hey,
I did what I could to keep her safe. You've done nothing to help her. Nothing!"
Tarek
threw his apple and
common knowledge she'd pleaded for Lena's life. Protectors weren't allowed to
intervene when the Synod decided fates of so-called criminal Guides. But when
they accused Lena, Wilma stepped in and pleaded for her life, not caring about
rules or convention.
If she
hadn't, Lena would've been executed, her energy dispersed–deleted. If the
bastards found out about the most recent development, they wouldn't listen to
Wilma this time around. They'd send in the authority, get rid of the problem.
Get rid of Lena for good.
He
stood, keeping his eyes on Wilma. If she said no, he'd get Lena to a dimension
where no one would be able to touch her and figure out the rest later. But what
he said seemed to be working because she stopped pacing, and the pain in her
face abated. "How're we gonna pull it off without them finding out?"
"It's
already handled."
She
snorted. "How? Mateusz? You still trust that old bastard?"
"Of
course I trust him."
A sneer
twisted her lips, and her eyes hardened. "Lemme guess. He's the one who
told you about Lena."
Tarek
shook his head, making sure his face gave nothing away.
"Bullshit,"
she said. "If we're doing this, there's no secrets, got it?"
He took
one breath and nodded. "Fine, yes, he told me. He also said…Shit. He also
told me an Exemplian is messing with her."
"This
is getting messier and messier by the second." Wilma bit her lip, lost
inside her head.
Walking
to the closet tree, he plucked two apples from the lowest branch. He threw her
one and crunched into the other after wiping some of the mud off his mouth with
a sleeve. The tart juice ran to the back of his throat and dribbled on his
chin. She held hers and squeezed it as though it were a piece of clay. Tarek
kept eating, studying a patch of lilacs. He knew she'd agree. He'd just have to
wait her out, let her make the decision.
Wilma
sighed, putting her head down. "She's different this time around."
"I'm
aware."
"You
can't tell her why she's there. If you do, the Synod will never let her come
back next cycle. They'll claim her repentance false."
"Do
you think I'm stupid?"
She
ignored that, answering loud and clear, and said, "She's...nicer this
time, sensitive." Her eyes drooped, and the corners of her mouth turned
down. "She's been through a lot, dealing with issues you will have to
endure quietly. You have to let her suffer. It's part of her punishment."
Fear
crept into the corners of his brain, twisting his gut. "I'll protect her."
"You
can't, not from everything."
He took
another bite of his apple instead of answering. Allowing her to suffer...he'd
have a hard time. But if it were the only way to bring her back here, he'd
deal. He'd have to.
She made
a sour face. "And you're dressed like a giant fairy. All you need are some
glittery wings. Probably scared the hell out of her."
The suit
was still active with a slight hum emitting from the fabric every time he
moved. He didn't enjoy wearing it–chaffed his skin–but the suit saved his ass
from animal attacks, sink holes, grabby vines...angry Protectors, just about
anything a dimension could throw at him. "It's for protection." Like
she didn't already know.
"From
what?" She smirked, shoving her hair out of her eyes. "Do you ever
bother to crack open one of those books?"
Heat
reached his cheeks, burning them with guilt. "I didn't have time to
research the place."
"Hmm,
and what about the last seventeen years? Almost eighteen? Didn't have time then
either?"
Ouch. "They're
her books."
The
breeze from Wilma's arms flipped the ends of his hair as she waved the flabby
limbs in the air. "All that work, all those notes. You could've figured
out what happened, what she knew...why she was accused of siphoning good energy
to Arcus."
He
looked at his half-eaten apple. "Those notes wouldn't have told me where
they sent her. Only you could have done that."
"Hey,
I did what I could to keep her safe. You've done nothing to help her. Nothing!"
Tarek
threw his apple and
Similar Books
