Defy the Sun (Beware the Night #2) - Jessika Fleck Page 0,83

your uniform.”

“My uniform?”

“The High Regent wants you in full officer’s uniform for the speeches.”

Of course he does.

The minute he leaves I dig into my eggs, tear the toast up to shreds, and move the sausage around, but there’s nothing.

That is, until I lift the plate. There, stuck to the bottom with a bit of what looks like jam is a blueberry-stained letter.

Veda’s letter.

CHAPTER 18

VEDA

We return to the Lower in the wee hours of the morning.

No one speaks as we help the wounded get to the first aid cavern.

No one says a word about the four lives lost tonight.

Four Night soldiers left on the Upper because we couldn’t get to them. It was too dangerous to bring them down.

Silence speaks louder than words as we branch off one by one to our own caves.

I wander a while. Aimlessly walk the tunnels like I did those first days I spent down here when everything was so new and strange.

At some point, I must take the tunnel that leads to the springs because I’m forced to stop when the pool is before me. As if it’s meant to be, or maybe I subconsciously led myself here, I definitely need to get in that water.

I take off my uniform so I’m only in my underclothes and step in. The water’s warm, inviting. It’s the small pool, the one no one ever goes to. So my favorite.

There’s a bar of sea salt lanolin soap for scrubbing, and I nearly use the whole thing, washing the blood and dirt and horror of battle from my body. And despite how much I scrub, how hard I try to erase the nightmare of this evening away, I know I’ll never be truly clean of it.

Because death is death.

Imperi or Night, a life lost is one too many, and I cannot—will not—stand idly by. We might wear different uniforms, but we’re all fighting for what we believe is right: the hope of a better life. And much of what we deem as right and wrong has been dictated by two powerful and vindictive men.

That must end.

This war is not worth it. It’s like the war replaced Raevald’s Offerings except now, instead of only Basso being Offered, the executions are fair game.

Instead of Raevald ordering the killings, we’re doing it all for him.

The idea that somehow he’s still winning makes me want to retch.

Instead, I dunk my head all the way under the water. Scream loud as I can but so only I can hear it. Angry tears fall but they’re washed right away. I stay under as long as I can.

When I come up Imi’s sitting cross-legged on the edge of the pool as if she’s been there the whole time. She’s not so blood-stained as she kept to her promise not to fight but to protect me, which she did when she pulled me back from the explosion.

“Sorry I shouted at you up there,” I say. “I didn’t mean to shove you away.”

“Yes you did.” Imi gives me a knowing look, but her expression is so full of light I want to hug her because light is exactly what I need right now.

I give her the closest I can to a smile—hopefully conveying my appreciation with my eyes. “All right, yes, I did. But I didn’t mean to be so rude about it.”

She shrugs. “It’s all right, Veda. I understand. Truly.” Imi takes her boots off, dips her feet in the pool. “You and Heir Denali … That was intense.” She’s splashing her fingertips in the water but looks up at me when she says it, as if she’s referring to more than the battle.

“It was.” I take a deep breath. “Nico and I have a deep history and … I know it sounds ridiculous and I know it’s reckless, but I swear I lose all sense when he’s around. Especially if he’s in danger.”

“Mmm, yeah, I remember that Offering. The rumors that followed…”

“Rumors?” My eyes flash to hers.

“That you two were secretly in love—the heir and the Lunalette—it made for an excellent story.”

My face must turn red because even under the dimness of the lamplight, Imi does a double take. Moves closer so her dark hair is half in her face. “Veda, are you and the heir—”

“No. I don’t know … It’s…” I’m about to open up to her a bit about Nico and me when Dorian enters.

He stops when he sees I’m fully in the pool, averts his eyes. Mostly. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were