He’s trustworthy. Reliable. It was he who warned me about the attack.”
“Wow.” Imi’s still in shock, shaking her head from side to side. “My Sun, this whole thing runs deep.”
Indeed.
I swear, Dorian, Xavier, and I all exhale a long, collective breath.
It’s then Imi yawns. “I really want to hear more about your meeting, Veda, but I have to sleep. Someone kept us up waiting.” She stands. “By someone, I mean Dorian.”
“Yeah, yeah … we get it.” Dorian looks up at her as she stands. “Get some sleep. You too, Xavier. We’ll catch up in the morning.”
They both leave, and it’s just Dorian and me left in my cave.
It’s as if no time has passed since we were last here, he and I.
Of course, not many hours have gone by, but so much has changed.
He looks tired. Stressed and strained by how his eyelids are heavy, his hair is disheveled but not in the usual intentionally Dorian way.
I set my atlatl on the floor, remove my blades, and take off my boots and jacket. I have a feeling we’re going to be having a long conversation so I might as well settle in.
“Where’d you find that?” he asks, motioning toward the atlatl.
I almost don’t want to say it. But I do. “Nico got it back for me.”
He laughs but not in a nice, genuine way. “Of course he did.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Just that. He can do no wrong,” he singsongs.
This is uncomfortable. This is not what I need right now. I need warrior Dorian. Let’s-get-out-there-and-fight-for-what’s-right Dorian. Not jealous, vindictive, sarcastic Dorian.
That Dorian is destructive.
“So you don’t want to talk about it?”
“About what?”
“The conversation we had yesterday … How you’re acting very weird right now … How—”
“How you spent the entire night with Nico?”
“Okay … Well, I had some things to tell you about that too.” I need to get him on board about the medallions and the Sindaco, but Destructive Dorian is not the version I need right now.
“Like I said, I’m over it. I don’t need to hear about your and Nico’s night of passion.”
I stand up, throw my boots on without lacing them. “My Moon.” I make my way to the door.
“What?” he snaps.
I force a deep breath. I will not snap back. He’s just hurting, I remind myself. “I’m sorry, Dorian. I said I was sorry—I don’t know what else to say or do. Keep punishing me if you want, for as long as you need. But eventually, we have to work together. I do have news from my meeting with Nico, and I’d like to share that information with you.”
He stays quiet.
“All right.” I shrug. “Well, I have a war to snuff out, and I don’t plan to do it on my own.” And I leave.
* * *
THE SINDACO WASN’T my first choice.
My plan was to confide in Dorian, then, together, we’d talk with the Sindaco.
But that’s not how things are going to happen. I don’t mind talking with the Sindaco on my own, but I do worry, without Dorian here to back me up, even with the hold I have over him about exposing his lies, he’ll still not relinquish that weapon.
If that’s the case? If I hit a wall?
I’m not sure what I’ll have to do. I suppose it’ll then be down to Nico and me. From different sides of the earth, we’ll figure it out. Together.
Trying to be hopeful, I begin my search for the Sindaco in the map room.
The main cavern.
Then, as I suspect, and as a more skeptical Veda takes hold, I head for the Sindaco’s secret weapon. Far beneath the volcano in a room behind a red metal door.
Deep down I knew that’s where he was.
But it doesn’t feel right to go without Dorian.
Things aren’t okay the way we left them.
I turn around. Walk all the way back to his cave, but rounding the corner just before the tunnel that leads to the soldiers’ caves, we nearly smack right into each other.
“Shit!” he shouts, jumping back and holding his lantern up. “V?”
My heart’s beating like a drum and, for some reason, all I can muster is, “Hey.” It’s then I realize I’m gripping my blade and it’s partially pulled out of its case. Out of total instinct.
“Hey…” Dorian sort of waves lazily.
I pray to the Moon it’s not always this awkward from now on between us.
But then he sees my hand clutched round my knife.
His eyes go wide. “Wait—you pulled that out after you saw it was me?”
“I did not.”