Emil

  The rest of the meeting with Troya passed in a blur. Emil mostly kept to himself, embroiled in his own tumultuous thoughts. For once, he was thankful that he only had to play the role of an observer to the private deal that took place. Van’s revelations had shaken him greatly and he was in no capacity to negotiate.

  Troya’s requests for them were simple—investigate the rumors of an Azurite mine in the northern region of the Saar. Whether or not the rumors were real, they were to keep knowledge of this mine secret from Steiger and the royal family. In exchange, Troya would allow Van the opportunity to meet with Ruby once per month.

  It was hardly a fair deal. For one, hiding secrets pertaining to Azurite from the royal family was treason. The royal family treated all information related to the circulation and discovery of Azurite as imperial assets since controlling the flow of Azurite remained the bulwark of their authority within Ardair. All Azurite mines were supposed to be under their direct jurisdiction regardless of the territories that they were discovered in. Troya’s requests practically screamed that she wanted sole possession of this Azurite mine to herself. It was a bold and audacious claim. If her secret was exposed, then the royal family had every right to march its army to the doors of House Ulster. None of the nobles, not even the ones with hostile intentions towards the royal family, would even bat an eye.

  Emil expected nothing less from the war hero responsible for Gharia’s conquest.

  Of course, Van and Emil’s involvement in these matters would implicate them as well. The punishment that they faced would be far more severe given their affiliation with Steiger. The organization had no need for agents that placed their self-interests above its own.

  I really wished he hadn’t bought me here.

  Just knowing that Troya intended to hide information about the mine from the royal family put him in a tough spot. He had an obligation to report this to Hortensia. But then Van’s end of the deal…

  The two of them trudged back to the carriage in silence. Without a word, they both entered the passenger trunk and closed the door. Van muttered a short chant. Shadows engulfed the walls of the carriage, blocking out all sound from entering and exiting. His senior stared blankly at the floor. Silent. Waiting. He looked alarmingly at ease. Emil knew the expression well. It was the look of someone who had resigned himself to being condemned. He was waiting for Emil to begin.

  “You shouldn’t have brought me here.”

  “I know.”

  “I don’t know what the hell Troya is thinking. She’s either insane, fearless, or both, but I do have an obligation to report this.”

  Van raised his head. The empty gaze in his eyes was terrifying. “She’s aware. And as part of my proposal, I promised that nothing she said in the meeting would make their way to Steiger and the royal family’s ears.”

  Emil felt a chill crawl down his spine. His senior didn’t outright state it, but the implication was clear—he’ll be silenced if he had actually intended to let the secret out.

  “…Just who is Ruby?” he finally asked.

  “My little sister,” Van revealed, “My despicable parents sold her off to a nobleman when she was just a child. That was almost a decade ago. I’ve been searching for her ever since. It’s my reason for joining Steiger. She’s to me as Mia and Raz are to you.”

  The mention of those two made Emil wince. He’s doing this deliberately. The comparison tugged on his emotions and stroked his sympathy. Van was trying to placate him. Soothe his apprehensions. Make him empathize with his plight. And this was just the beginning.

  “Why involve me then?” he asked, trying to get context.

  “I need a guarantor. A witness. A contingency in case Troya goes back on her deal and tries to silence me instead. Besides that, I need someone else to help me blend this task in with our mission. The other rookies might be oblivious, but I know you would be suspicious immediately. Rather than try to hide things from you, I thought it would be easier to rope you in instead.”

  “You cunning bastard.”

  “I know,” Van said with a self-deprecating smile, “It’s selfish. It’s despicable. But I know you would also understand why I’m doing this.”

  “Shut the fuck up.”

  “If Mia and Raz were involved, you would do the exact same thing.”

  “I’m not doing this shit, Van!” Emil yelled. The shadows clinging to the walls of the carriage stirred as if working to suppress his outburst. “It’s one thing if it was just you and I. Then fine, I’ll play along and help you with this task. But not when there’s three others with us. Not when we’re traversing the Saar into potentially hostile territory. I’m not bringing my friends to risk their lives for a farce.”

  Van tried a different approach. “This is still a lead. A weak one. But it’s a lead. We’re knocking out two birds with one stone. Do you think Karni would be oblivious to a possible Azurite mine in the Saar? What if this is why she went back to Gharia for?”

  “And? If the mines do exist, then how do you plan keeping that a secret from the other three? They have no knowledge of this deal you’ve made.”

  Van had no rebuttal. His mouth curved into a grimace. Seeing his senior silent at this obvious oversight was enough.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Yeah. You have no plans. You’re driven purely by emotions. There’s no logic. No rationality. No foresight. I can’t abide by this, Van. It’s too reckless. It’s—”

  “Emil.”

  The sound of his name made him freeze. The air in the carriage was suddenly sharp with bloodlust. Murderous intent poured out of Van. Emil’s arms trembled. Blaze flared on instinct.

  “Did you forget who gave you a second chance at life?” Van asked, his voice frighteningly hollow, “Who was it that saved you and your friends? Who was it that pleaded for Hortensia to not turn a blind eye to your imminent death? Me! It was me!”

  Van shot up to his feet—shadows shrouding his body like a living suit of armor. His appearance was monstrous. Even Blaze’s flames couldn’t snuff out the ebon tendrils. For a moment, he wondered if Van had been consumed by his Gift.

  “Without me, you, Mia, and Raz would just be another pile of ash buried beneath the Lower Dannan slums. Just another bunch of orphans. Dead. Forgotten.”

  “That’s—”

  “The truth. The pure, unvarnished truth. And you know it,” Van growled, “I’ve never asked you for anything, Emil. I saved your life. I mentored you. I helped you grow. I’ve never wanted our relationship to be transactional. But right now, for once, I need your help. So please.”

  He pleaded with the look of a man who had forsaken everything.

  “Don’t make me regret saving you.”

  ***

  Anna, Kai and Liesel were in the middle of eating when Emil and Van rejoined them at the inn. The establishment looked expensive. Its walls were lathered with an ivory coat and sprinkled with a flurry of gold flakes that glittered incessantly under the loud chandelier lights. Glass decorated the frames and velvet furniture were placed neatly within the lobby area. Frankly, it was excessive. Overly extravagant. Very Ardairan.

  Food was catered on ornate plates, and a platter arrived in Emil’s hands the moment he and Van neared the rest of the friends. Judging by the steam and the fragrant smell, it had been freshly made. Emil gave the servant a grateful nod before shooting Van a confused look.

  “I thought we were on a budget.”

  “What made you think that?” he replied in a breezy voice as though their earlier conversation had never occurred.

  “We are in an affluent part of the city,” Kai cut in, “Most of the delegates that come to parlay with House Ulster likely stay around these blocks. If I were to hazard a guess, this establishment is probably one of the cheaper options available.”

  “And you would be…correct!” Van exclaimed excitedly, “I’m soooo glad that I chose a competent group of rookies to accompany me on this wondrous journey.”

  Emil sat down on a table adjacent to the group and ate. Van was still chortling in the background, spewing all sorts of nonsense and trivial stories to try to get a reaction out of his classmates. This was his way of building rapport—act like a fool and make everyone laugh at his expense to lower their guards. It was effective, Emil would give him that. But after the discussions they just had, he was no mood to tolerate his senior’s frivolous mask.

  “You look like you’re brooding over something,” Anna said, shuffling over to his side.

  “Really? What made you think that?”

  “I’ve never seen you react so mildly at food before. And even I can admit this dish is delicious.”

  Emil scoffed in amusement. “What am I, some gluttonous pig?”

  “You’re lacking a bit of meat and fat and a snout, but you definitely eat like one,” she jeered without missing a beat.

  “Am I really going to hear that from someone with sauce on the side of their mouth?”

  Anna put a finger on the corner of her lips. Her face suddenly turned bright red. Emil lifted his elbows, ready for a little physical retaliation. To his surprise, nothing came. Anna simply reached for her side of the table for a napkin and elegantly cleaned herself up.

  Why is she acting so meek?

  In the background, Van’s nonsensical stories had Kai and Liesel laughing in fits. Emil raised an eye. He thought their reactions were a bit overblown. He had been listening and the punchline wasn’t that funny. He could admit that it was a humorous bit, but surely it didn’t warrant the sort of loud and rambunctious laughter belted by drunk men.

  They’re nervous, he realized.

  Of course they would be. They all knew how ridiculous this mission was. Van’s flippant reputation didn’t exactly inspire confidence either despite borrowing the Lionheart name. And then there was his secret dealing with Troya and the unexpected reunion with his sister. Emil knew how to work around Van’s eccentricities usually, but this new side that he displayed back there frightened him. There was a visceral desperation that he hadn’t seen before.

  The crazy thing was that he understood exactly what depths Van would sink into to make sure he could reach his sister.

  Emil closed his eyes.

  Get it together.

  He wasn’t powerless anymore. Unlike the wretched past, he had the means to protect his friends this time.

  ***

  “Shroud,” Van intoned. Shadows stretched from his spot and spread onto the walls of the room like a living ebon mass. Sounds in the vicinity were slowly snuffed out until all Emil could hear was a muffled thump of his uneasy heart. He turned to his friends. Kai, Anna, and Liesel all had mixed reactions upon seeing Van’s Gift for the first time. He could almost read their thoughts—their frivolous leader might have been more frightening than their initial impressions.

  “We should be fine to talk now,” he said, his voice echoed with a disembodied quality, “First, have the three of you made any relevant findings around the city?”

  Kai shook his head. “Most people don’t seem to be aware of what unfolded in Isarelle yet. We got in contact with a few information brokers thanks to Anna, but none of them seem to know who Karni is.”

  “Karni is likely an alias. I doubt a Gharian Exalted of her caliber would be unknown,” Liesel added.

  “That’s the Lionheart’s assumption as well. We couldn’t find much about her besides her Gift and a rough physical description from when she appeared at the Consortium during Vigil’s Academy raid.”

  “A short, female Gharian doesn’t exactly narrow it down,” Anna grumbled.

  “Luckily, House Ulster has procured a few potential leads for us to investigate,” Van said as he unveiled a map of the Saar on the desk. A few locations had already been marked. Of course, Emil knew that most of the annotations were bullshit. There was only one site of interest that they would head to.

  “The one closest to us is at the base of northern mountains of the Saar, almost bordering the Nordica Quarries. We should head there first.”

  “What’s there?” Anna asked.

  “We’re unsure. Ulster scouts reported unusual activities in the area recently before they went quiet. The timeline lines up with when Vigil split off after Isarelle. There are also no official settlements within the vicinity on record. It’ll be a good place to start.”

  “Hold on, what do you mean they went quiet?” Kai interjected.

  Van smirked. “Exactly as it sounds.”

  Kai and Liesel grimaced. Anna muttered something unintelligible under her breath. But none of them raised any further objections.

  Van took their silence as compliance. He handed everyone a piece of paper with a list of items and a small pouch of coins. “Get everything that you can on this list. We leave at tomorrow morning. The Ulster will provide us with a Gharian guide to lead us into the area. Try to get as much as sleep as you can tonight.”

  Emil scanned the list of items with a frown, struggling to discern the intentions of his enigmatic senior.

  “In case, you haven’t pieced it together already,” Van said, smirking, “We’ll be masquerading as a merchant group.”