Chapter 50
FIFTY
SLOAN
“I’ll cry with you. There’s no reason to keep it in.”
“I told you,” Aareth growled. “I’m not hugging you and crying on your shoulder.”
Sloan walked into the apartment area where the refugees of Term had been allowed to remain. It was a tall, cream-colored building with hundreds of units. In the interim, it was working, but Sloan understood the necessity to get these people out.
“Elwood and I are worried about you,” Edison pushed his friend. The two stood at the entrance to the apartment. “It’s not healthy to hold it all in.”
“Go cry with Kade,” Aareth noticed Sloan, despite the darkness the late hour brought. He motioned her over.
“I’ve already tried.” Edison kicked at the dirt ground with his shoe. “He said I should come and comfort you.”
“How’d the meeting go?” Aareth asked. He seemed grateful to be free of the crying debate with Edison. “Sorry I couldn’t make it. I was … I was saying good-bye to Ashley.”
“It’s all right.” Sloan waved away the apology.
Feeling uncharacteristically full of energy at the moment, she was realizing she had made up her mind about the proposed alliance with Azra.
“Jack and the Ahab sisters are alive. I think we can trust the people here in Azra. Well, ‘trust’ might be a strong word, but we can at least go one with them for now. We share a common goal.”
“That’s great that the kids are safe. What brought about the change of heart?” Aareth raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Last time we talked about this, you were less than enthused.”
“A war is coming, whether we do something about it or not.” Sloan bit her bottom lip, trying to put her feelings into words. “With the right boundaries, maybe we can give Azra and the people fighting against New Hope a chance of winning this thing.”
Large, dark wings flapped overhead. A moment later, Kimberly came down with a heavy thud. Elwood hopped off her shoulder, waving to his friends.
“The hour grows late, normal human.” Kimberly looked at Edison. “If we are going to finish our experiment, we should make all haste to do so.”
“Oh, right.” Edison gave Sloan a sly glance. “The top secret experiment we’re working on.”
When no one made a move to take the bait, Edison continued. “I said, the extra top, very secret experiment we are working on to help Sloan with her situation.”
He paused again.
Nothing.
“I said, the super, extra?—”
“For all that is holy, man”—Aareth threw his large arms up into the night sky—“I’ll ask. What secret project are you working on?”
“Well, I can’t tell you that, or it wouldn’t be a secret.” Edison’s face split into a Cheshire grin.
Aareth moved in with open hands as if he were ready to strangle his friend.
“Wow, well, I think we should talk about our decision for tomorrow and leave these three to work on their project.” Sloan grabbed Aareth by the arm. “Come on.”
Aareth let himself be led away as the others headed in the opposite direction.
Sloan and Aareth walked in silence as they headed up the long stairway toward the battlements. The sky was clear. The breeze had just picked up enough to play with Sloan’s hair as it passed.
The wall surrounding the city of Azra wasn’t massive or impressive in size.
It was meant to keep every day citizens out, not an army.
If it came to defending the city, the wall would need to be raised and thickened.
As it was, it was only four stories off the ground. Sloan could practically jump that now.
Sloan and Aareth found a spot away from the Azra guards standing vigil on the wall.
“You okay?” Sloan asked, leaning against the stones that made up the battlements. “I’m not really good with this kind of stuff, but I want you to know you’re surrounded by friends.”
“Thanks.” Aareth wasn’t interested in making eye contact, either.
He joined Sloan, resting against the chest-high railing that protected against those on the wall from falling over.
“Today was rough. I feel like an emotional wreck, but somehow, along with the pain is a sense of peace I can’t explain. ”
Sloan didn’t have words. She nodded along with Aareth’s answer, listening to the flapping Azra flags. They were long triangles, all white with a gold edging. A golden square in the center of the flag with four figures represented their sigil: a bear, a lion, a gargoyle, and a human.
“I think I know what you mean.” Sloan finally broke the silence. “It’s like things are far from being all right, but you know you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing.”
“That’s right.” Aareth let out a long sigh that quivered at the end. It was uncharacteristic of the former inspector-turned-assassin. Sloan had the idea that Aareth had already shed his fair share of tears that day. He talked like someone emotionally exhausted.
“She’ll come back.” Sloan finally looked over at her friend. “Or I’ll go hunt her down myself and drag her back to you.”
Hearing Aareth laugh was good. It had been too long since Sloan had been in the presence of his deep chuckle.
“She’ll be back.” Aareth smiled at Sloan in the dark. “But, thanks. We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?”
“What do you mean?”
“I remember when I first met you. You couldn’t keep your sword sheathed around me. You were always threatening to decapitate me.”
“Oh, right.” Sloan felt a smile creep over her lips. “Well, you were kind of a drunk assassin back then.”
“Yeah, I guess I was.”
“How’s that werewolf been treating you?” Sloan asked, as casually as if she were asking someone how their day was. But this was the reality the two now found themselves in. “Do you think you have it under control?”
“Control is a strong word.” Aareth shrugged his massive shoulders. “I think I have a better handle on it now. I’ve accepted what I am. How about you?”
“Same.” Sloan moved a strand of her hair that the sea breeze had blown into her face. “I’m still learning to control the urges, but I think—I hope—I have a plan now to keep it in check.”
“It’s good to hear.” Aareth turned to go. “I’m exhausted. I think I’m going to turn in for the night. Are you going to stay out here?”
“Yeah, sleep really isn’t my thing anymore.”
“Oh, right.” Aareth began his descent down his stairs. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, to begin whatever testing Azra has in store for us. Try not to worry. Things are going to be okay.”
Sloan remained on the Azra battlements for a few hours longer. She took comfort in Aareth’s words of the future being brighter than their past. If she really knew what the next few weeks would bring, though, she wouldn’t have been so eager to meet the future.