Chapter Twenty-Nine
Rinna
“What the fuck?!” Rinna Jass pounded the wooden table with her fists.
Frustration and lack of sleep were making Rinna tense to the point of breaking. She couldn't even ask for help because she was the only one who knew the frequency the convergence had to be set to. Liria could have done it in a few hours—tops. Seeing her worried looks made Rinna feel even worse.
She was letting everyone down, especially Liria. The Nethren had imprisoned Rinna's best friend's sister. Sources only knew what they were doing to her. And Rinna was their only chance of getting through the ward and saving Lena.
“Rin.”
Rinna turned to see Liria in the open tent flap as if her thoughts had summoned the woman. “Hey.” She looked down.
Liria walked in and looked at the mess on the table. “Not going so well?”
“I don't know why it keeps failing. I swear, this shouldn't be a problem.” Rinna rolled her head to stretch her neck. “It almost feels as if something is blocking me.”
Liria glanced at the tent opening. “I don't think we're the only ones in this fight, Rin.”
Rinna went still, her hands falling to her lap. “What do you mean?”
“I think the Sources are with us, but our goals are different.” Liria glanced at the tent flap and toward the fortress. “Everything about this feels odd to me. I came here so certain of who the villains were, but now I'm not so sure.”
“You think the Sources want the Nethren to have Lena?” Rinna gaped at her friend.
“Maybe.” Liria sighed. “There's so much about the Nethren that I've gotten wrong.”
“We all have. I can't believe they lied to us all these years.”
“Yes, but do you understand what this means, Rinna?”
“It, uh, means we should think about peace?”
“It means we're the bad guys. Us! We're the monsters, not them. We forced an innocent race underground and have kept them there for centuries, killing them when they try to crawl up into the light.” Liria's voice broke, and she rubbed at her eyes.
“It's so wrong. It makes me sick to think of my part in it.”
Rinna shivered as she remembered the Nethren Commander defending himself against that blond Aethari. His hand had transformed. “There are signs that Tech is with them, but that's to be expected. What about Thaxvarien? He roasted that Nethren and nearly brought down the fortress.”
“I don't know, Rin.” Liria sighed and sat down. “If I tell you something, will you keep it to yourself?”
“Of course.”
“I've seen that Nethren Commander before. In visions.”
“Visions? Like a prophecy?” Rinna stared at her friend as if she'd never seen her before.
Liria shrugged. “I don't know what they were. I think it might have been the Source of Technology warning me that Commander Vor was going to be a part of my life. Or at least a part of my future. He said Source led him to Lena. Rin, I think I helped him find her.”
“No!” Rinna grabbed Liria's hand. “This is not your fault.”
“You don't understand. It's not about fault. I don't feel guilty. What I'm trying to say is that I think the Sources may be guiding us as well.” She took the twisted convergence Rinna had been working on and held it up. “Have you ever had so many problems with converging?”
“No. Never. I'm almost as good as you.”
Liria grinned. “Damn right you are. So, explain this?”
“I can't.”
“I think one or both of the Sources are delaying us. They have a plan, and it's not the time for us to act.”
“What?”
“Just consider the possibility that you are meant to converge this device, but at a specific time, Rinna. You have a part to play. Now, relax, and let it come when it's time.”
“You're not making sense. We need to get in there and get Lena away from that monster as soon as possible.”
“I don't know if he is a monster.”
“Liria, what the fuck?” Rinna's gut twisted.
The Aethari had lied about the Nethren. She accepted that.
How could she not when the Speaker of Icara himself admitted it?
But going from thinking of Nethren as monsters to seeing them as victims was too hard for her. The Nethren had killed friends of hers.
“I'm a villain, but lies have cast me into that role .” Liria lifted her chin. “Now that I know the truth, I'm done playing the part. The Aethari will not control me anymore.”
“What are you saying, Liria?”
“I'm saying that I'm going to fight for peace, and I hope the Nethren will forgive me.” Liria set the broken convergence down and stood up. “Stop tormenting yourself, Rin. It will work when the time is right.” Then she left the tent.
Rinna looked from Liria's departing form to the convergence. “What the fuck is happening?”