~ 14 ~
ANYA
This is really weird. I hadn’t meant to say those things, but when she kept going on and on, it just kind of exploded.
That definitely wasn’t how I planned to propose an alliance with Sabri; this has all gone completely to shit. Now my stomach is full of bad feelings. I shove away the urge to groan.
Why do I feel like this!?
Sure, my work in the Thieves Guild hasn’t been the pinnacle of honor or justice, but I’ve been helping people, damn it. And Sabri? I don’t fucking need to be guilty over her or what happened that day— she’s the one who left me . Even if the captain dragged her away, and even if they made her think I was dead. Sure, fine.
She still left.
Behind me, Sabri follows slowly like a scolded dog. She’s being oddly meek after I yelled at her. It’s disorientating. I almost miss that freakishly fierce glare, or the mindless way she charges into confrontation—at least then she’s predictable, and I can work with predictable. Somehow, this timid Sabri feels more dangerous. My gut doesn’t like it.
It’s hard to keep my frustrated cusses inside my mind. I’m struggling to hold on to my grudge, especially after Sabri apologized like that. I never expected her to say those things. Regardless of right or wrong, I guess we both have our own sides to the story.
And now my side has burst out into the air, bare and open for her to see. No matter how hard I try to scoop up the scattered pieces of my outburst, it doesn’t refill the space that this has been taking up inside me all these years.
I feel hollow, and colder than ever.
Speaking of cold, a fugitive look at Sabri tells me that her once-pink lips are taking on a worrying shade of blue. She hasn’t said a word about it, but I know all that wet armor must be extremely uncomfortable. She looks pitiful.
It’s not like I can make any use out of a princess who’s frozen both metaphorically and physically. But in that, at least, I’ve still got a little luck; there’s a surefire way to get us both toasty, and it’s right around the corner.
“This way,” I say, trying to reclaim some of my confidence.
The sound of the water gets louder as the tunnel curves into a new area.
One thing at a time. We’ll get warm and I’ll just have to figure things out from there.
- - - - -
Snaking behind the back wall of the campsite is a thin path that leads to what is arguably the best part of the labyrinth. There’s a high ceiling here, but even paired with the vent shafts and their long beams of weak evening light, it isn’t enough to disperse the steam rising from various pools of hazy blue water. The remains of marble pillars dotting the walls and the patches of tiles visible beneath the dirt prove that it was connected to the ruins above at some point. Heck, I bet the natural hot spring was probably the reason they built the estate here.
Now, the old cave-in on the far side means this area is closed off—the only way in or out that we’ve seen is the trail back to the campsite. It’s entirely ours.
I suck in the steamy air, savoring the warmth in my chilled lungs. I grip my scarf and unwrap it from around my shoulders.
“I doubt our clothes’ll dry out entirely,” I say as I toss the fabric onto a crumbling pillar beside the first pool. It smacks against it with a wet plop . “But they’ll get warm. And so will we.”
I grab the hem of my shirt and lift it up, then pause. After a moment of deliberation, I glance back at Sabri.
She’s locked up like a statue again, which isn’t ideal, but at least the helpless look is gone. It’s been replaced with a fixated stare at my midriff.
“Sab.” I drop the fabric and snap my fingers at her. “Hey. You still there?”
Her eyes jump up to my face, then away. “Yes.”
She’s still really out of it. I guess I can’t blame her after... everything.
Lingering on what was said isn’t going to move us forward, though. And maybe if I can play it off, we can forget I said most of the things that I did. It’s firmly in my best interests to stay detached and keep this professional. Right?
“Unless you want to steam yourself like a hot bun in that armor,” I say, easing in a little friendly teasing to lighten the mood, “Take it off.”
I back up my words by gripping my shirt and yanking it over my head. My undershirt comes off right after; they both sailing onto the pillar.
When I turn around, Sabri still hasn’t moved.
I cross my arms over my bare chest. “Or what? You can’t be too prude to share a pool with an old friend, right?”
Sabri flashes me a look. For a second, I think she’s about to snap and start another fight. But with a loaded sigh, she turns away from me and starts working at the seams of her armor.
I focus on undoing the clasps on my dagger belt.
That’s right. It’s not like things can get more awkward between us than they already are.
After all, we’ve bathed together before; there had been more than a few days when we had gone back to the house dripping mud and particularly filthy from a day out playing. Tinny always sighed and sent us to the well. We’d fill the tub bucket, add a bit of soap, and Tinny would scrub us both down until I felt like I’d shed a layer of skin.
Nothing new to see. My fingers slow their work on my belt clasp. Except…
Using the pretense of checking my arms for injuries—and I’m already seeing some new bruises from our scuffles—I sneak a glance. Sabri has removed her outer armor and is working on her ruffled undershirt.
The metal and leather were like a shell hiding her body. Without them, I get a much better look at Sabri. She might be a hair shorter than me, but it’s clear she’s filled out much more than I have. The outline of her arm muscles is visible beneath the tight, wet fabric. She’s also matured elsewhere—I don’t know how she manages to squeeze breasts like those into that rigid armor.
The woman next to me is taller than the girl from my memories and admittedly more beautiful, full of experiences I can only guess at. But as she peels off pieces and arranges them carefully by another pillar, she seems less like the princess and more like… a woman. Someone relatable and, most importantly, familiar.
Underneath all that shiny armor, she’s still my Sab. Just a little different.
Something twists in my chest again. I’ll have to check for deeper injuries later.
“Stop staring at me,” Sabri says firmly, with her back still turned.
“Why?” I say before I can even feel guilty about getting caught. “You’re pretty, and I’m a thief. Don’t you know we’re drawn to attractive things?”
She turns her head and sends me a flat look over her bare shoulder.
“What do you have there?” I ask, not actually caring about what she’s holding as I attempt to swing the conversation back toward something safe.
Sabri opens her hand. A flash of silver catches in the low light; I recognize the heart-shape immediately.
Ah, the necklace.
Seeing the thing that I gave her—and then subsequently broke—rustles those bad feelings in my stomach, the ones I was just getting good at ignoring.
“It’s strange to not be wearing it,” Sabri says quietly. “I never take it off.”
I don’t think she meant it to be anything other than a statement, yet her words and somber expression are a jab of the metaphorical knife in my gut.
A bag full of snarky comments I could make about privileged princesses and their shiny nick-knacks comes to mind, but something has me taking the invisible blow instead.
“I bet someone in that big castle can put it back together for you,” I offer. “Make it good as new.”
“I hope so.”
The ties on my pants suddenly require my full focus. I twist my body toward the wall, feeling oddly out of place—which is ridiculous because this is my base and using the pools was my idea. There’s no reason to shy away.
A light splash behind me washes the thoughts away.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Sabri is sitting on the edge of the pool. Her long legs disappear out of sight in the cloudy blue of the hot spring. One arm wraps modestly over her chest, but there’s nothing blocking the creamy skin of her toned stomach, or where the curve of her hip meets the stone floor, or the trail of light hair that dips to where her legs press together—
“Positive,” I manage to say.
Stop it, Anya. It’s not like I’ve never seen a pretty girl naked before. And this is Sab, of all people. I don’t wanna creep her out.
“The cave-in on the far side happened a long time ago,” I add as I step out of my pants and underclothes. I toss them carelessly toward the rest of my clothes. “We had a miner check it out. It’s not in danger of coming down, and the pools on this side are all cleaned out and safe.”
Without another word, Sabri slides into the pool.
I walk to the other side. If I keep my pace slow and controlled, with just a hint of a swagger, it’s only because I want to remind Sabri that I’m in charge here.
The water is heavenly when I drop in. It’s a wave of warmth that hugs every sore muscle and draws the chill from my skin.
I sink back against the edge and sigh in contentment. “Feels good, hmm?”
Across the pool, Sabri’s eyes have fluttered closed. She hums in reply.
Now’s as good a time as any.
“So…” I say, looking up at the ceiling. The light filtering down through the vents and the steam has a hint of orange; the sun must be setting. “About what I mentioned earlier...”
Sabri doesn’t open her eyes. “What about it?”
I twist my feet together, making sure they’re deep in the water so she can’t see. Above the surface, I try to look carefree and in control. “What do you think?”
“What do I think?” Sabri repeats carefully as she opens her eyes. It looks like some of her confidence is coming back. “I knew there was a reason you brought me here, but I certainly didn’t expect that.”
“And?”
“And if you believe the Princess of Melsbrand would turn on her own country, you’re gravely mistaken.”
“I didn’t say anything about turning on the country.” The last thing we need is more misunderstandings between us. “I’ve been busy. All these years, we’ve been helping people. There was the drought and a shortage of food—we’ve had our hands full getting resources to the people who actually need it. It’s what the council is supposed to be doing, but isn’t.”
Sabri stares at me.
“The council,” she says, and a slight chill has returned to her voice, “are an arm of the Crown, sworn to support the economy and assist the people. They work hard to ensure the prosperity of the country.”
“As ‘the people’ myself,” I say, “I can assure you that things are pretty rough right now. Have been for the past few years. The council isn’t doing shit to help.”
“That’s...” Sabri presses her hands to her temple. “Very difficult to believe.”“Doesn’t mean it’s not true,” I reply with a shrug. “And the truth is that the nobles are draining resources and leaving desperation in their wake. Listen.” I lift a hand and gesture at Sabri. “Why do you think there haven’t been any more village attacks, hmm? Why is it only nobility and the wealthiest merchants reporting losses?”
“What?” Sabri looks offended. “That’s because we’ve been working hard to keep the Thieves’ Guild under tabs. Of course.”
“Oh, is that it?” I laugh. “How nice. I should have kept that in mind every time I made the call to target noble caravans.” I roll my eyes. “Sab, it’s because the guild only targets the wealthy. We’re just reallocating resources.”
“Your reallocating is hurting the merchants and their families!”
“Who have plenty. Sab, we wouldn’t do it if people didn’t need it. We have to—all because the council can’t be bothered to get off their asses.”
Sabri’s shoulders straighten and I know I’m walking on an edge, but if she can’t get her head around the truth there is no second step in this plan.
She has to come around.
“Enough,” Sabri snaps. “I may believe some of what you said earlier, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to sit here and listen to the lies you’re spinning about the council.”
... or not.
With a huff, Sabri stands up and swings a leg over the edge of the pool—giving me a top-notch view that I don’t think anyone else has ever been lucky enough to see—and glares down at me. “If you’ve finished making your case, then I refuse to entertain this conversation any longer.”
I push forward off the wall. My hand is moving before I can stop it—I pull it back beneath the water before Sabri can see. Using all my self control, I lay back and try for the most casual voice manageable. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Away. I’ll find my own way out.”
“Naked? Because Mikko has your clothes.”
“What!?”
I whistle.
The little cutie emerges from the shadows in a heartbeat, skittering around the pool.
Sabri steps quickly back into the water. Which is pretty funny—as if Mikko doesn’t mind a little splish-splash in the hot spring.
Still, all my cards are on the table now. Harassing Sabri doesn’t seem the best way for us to move forward, so I can only hope she’ll come around and accept the truth.
I cut the whistle short and Mikko stops. He sneaks around Sabri’s discarded armor, clicking against it as he goes. He circles three times, then slinks back into the shadows along the wall.
Sabri looks aghast.
“Unless you want to wander through the underground looking like a treat,” I persuade, “you can sit your pretty ass down.” And maybe it’s not nice, but I am the head of a criminal organization, so I add, “Won’t you stay a bit? For me, Sab?”
I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the steam drifting through the air is coming out of Sabri’s ears.
It feels like victory when she drops back into the pool with a loud splash. I can hear her muttering under her breath. “…Taking advantage of me…”
“Just have a nice soak and think on it all,” I say, aware that I have a captive and not-very-pleased audience. But it seems like the only way to get through her sheer force of will is through preservation.
Sabri settles down. “Fine.”
“Fine?”
“Fine to settling down,” she huffs. “Regardless of our past, I refuse to indulge in your heretics. Do not mention it again.”
I sigh, but I don’t push it further.
At least everything is out in the open. Now it’s up to Sabri.