38. Tobias
Chapter thirty-eight
Tobias
K irkton was the first place Tobias had visited in years that reminded him of his shore-side home.
Not in terms of climate, for he was freezing, and it was supposedly spring here.
Nor in terms of geography. Though the sea was close enough that the gusty winds carried the scent of salt water, he couldn’t see it.
Instead, beyond the town was a scrubby moor, with sparse, twisted trees and sinkholes dotting the landscape.
No, Kirkton reminded him of home because it was almost as poor as it was forgotten.
Here, the houses creaked in the wind, their timber and peat-brick construction practical, but certainly not the most comfortable.
He’d already learned the town only had one restaurant, and they stopped serving food hours ago.
Which meant his stomach rumbled as he left town, following a path toward Thomasin Falls, where Javen had told him to wait.
He’d been given clear directions. Survey Kirkton first, then make the journey out to the cliffs, near the falls. In both locations, he should be looking for a shadowy figure and glowing eyes.
So, a fae.
His stomach twisted in fear. Javen had assured him he would be safe. Not only that, but he’d given him an item, a small silver bracelet, far too small to fit on Tobias’s wrist, that he said was enchanted to make a person invisible to Oathborn. At least, for a short term .
This was made for someone much smaller than you, Javen had said. I doubt its magic will last more than an hour, as a result. Only use it as a last resort.
During the whole conversation, though, Tobias had to pretend he’d never seen the piece of jewelry before, because it was the exact same one he’d found in that box on Javen’s desk, back in the capital.
Now the bracelet sat in his pocket, right next to that damned business card.
He’d been baffled, when he had received it, that there could be anything unusual enough to contact an unnamed governmental official.
Now, he was on a mission to magically eavesdrop on fae, as part of some grander plan plotted by none other than Commander Lockwood himself. Unusual didn’t begin to cover it.
He still had no desire to betray Javen, not even as his questions grew.
Shivering, Tobias gritted his teeth, wishing he’d packed his winter-weight uniform.
He’d gotten close to the falls now, and decided he should leave the motorbike near the tall trees closest to him.
He started to walk, wincing at the tightness in his stitches.
The trees grew sparser and the roar of the crashing water stronger.
Movement caught his eye. Two tall figures approaching from the far side, near the falls. He would have thought they were humans had their eyes not glowed like cats’ in the dark.
His heart hammered in double time. They were less than twenty feet away.
Close enough he could shoot them… and break the Accords himself.
Tobias leaned against the nearest tree, his free hand going to his chest, as if a touch could calm his racing heart.
Another figure appeared, a tall one, with blond hair, who moved silently.
“ Avete ,” a voice murmured as the three reached each other.
Tobias knew that word from the book. It was a greeting. As Javen had instructed him, he focused on the language, convincing himself he knew it. As he did, the rest of the conversation filtered toward him, and mercifully, Tobias understood it.
One of the fae who had approached from the cliffs said, “Where is the Godspeaker? I thought you went in search of him, Daeden? ”
“We separated for our own safety. Tivre will make the journey, with the newly found Oathborn, through the tunnels outside Kirkton.”
There were tunnels? Tobias’s jaw dropped.
He thought of all the years of the war, where fae emerged seemingly from the smoke alone.
For the second time in two nights, Tobias was stuck doing nothing more than eavesdropping.
This time, at least, he knew it was for the greater good of Rhydonia.
As he listened, he made careful mental notes of what he was learning.
Still, he had to notice that none of the voices matched the stranger who had nearly killed Tobias in Lockwood’s hunting lodge. That one had spoken with a Karsici accent.
The fae with golden hair made him think of the fae woman who had held him that night at Lochna. Where was she? Did she still travel with Zari?
Tobias shook his head to try to focus on the conversation.
The clouds had moved past the moon, allowing more to be seen.
The blond fae was the tallest, and the second, with dark hair, was not much shorter.
The third reached their shoulders and had bright blue hair, pulled into a braid.
All of them, Tobias noted, wore bows and arrows on their back, and swords at their hips.
“So she was located?” the shortest of the fae asked. Her voice was lighter, and more delicate. “Good. We are without both Godspeakers currently, which displeases the Queen. She has plans she wishes to set in motion soon, ones she cannot complete without them.”
“Tivre will be at the isles soon, with Zari. She will make a fine Oathborn, I promise you.”
If the conversation continued after that, Tobias didn’t hear it. He was too stunned by what he had learned. Zari, an Oathborn warrior? Was that what Javen had meant when he said she was a spy? But, Zari had saved his life.
Could she be both a fae warrior and a kind healer? Did one negate the other?
Soon, the fae dispersed, melting like smoke into the shadow.
Tobias turned back toward the path leading to his bike.
The slow walk gave him time to ponder, about Zari, about what he knew of the fae, and what he understood his mission was.
Nothing seemed useful, beyond accepting that it would remain unclear and strange, far too full of magic for his tastes.
Tobias was only feet away from his parked motorbike when he froze. There was someone there, crouched and inspecting the vehicle. Someone wearing a dark hood, their back to him. Cautiously, Tobias drew his pistol. “Step away from the bike,” he said.
The figure turned, slowly. Large, bright eyes met his. “You! You’re the soldier!”
And she was the beautiful fae who had held him that terrible night. Her golden hair had been hidden underneath the cloak’s hood but now tumbled down around her. She was tall, taller than Tobias as she drew herself to her full height, and smelled of flowers, and fresh rain.
Tobias knew he was staring. He slowly lowered his gun. “What are you doing here?”
She tilted her head to one side, clearly confused.
Of course. The spell didn’t translate his words, only allowed him to understand the fae’s. Thinking back to the few words he’d already learned, he said, “ Tayesh .”
Go. He was telling her to go, to leave, before either of them got into trouble.
“You speak my language?” she asked and the lights in her eyes seemed even brighter. “So much better! Thank you. I need you to take me to the man you travel with. Javen. It’s very important.”
She knew the captain? Would mysteries never cease? Tobias shook his head and repeated the command. “ Tayesh .”
“I’m not going anywhere! Except with you. We have to hurry. Please.”
She was so trusting, so intent on her mission. To what end? Did she mean to assassinate Javen? Surely she would have used force if that was the case. “ Nyel .” A simple no.
Rolling her eyes, she put a hand on her hip. Only now did he notice that the sleeve on the other side hung loose. “Can you say anything more than a word at a time? Or—” She stepped forward, and grabbed him by his collar.
Tobias blushed profusely.
She studied him for a long moment. “I see. You’re enspelled to hear but not speak. I’m not surprised. He can’t do everything Tivre can, that’s for sure. So. Fine. Listen to me, soldier. I need to speak to Javen. I need him to help me keep the Accords.”
“ Ashali .” Tobias said. Peace. He knew that word. “ Ashali nyel… tayesh? ”
Peace no go. A terrible, juvenile way of building a question, and he wasn’t even sure if fae used a curving up tone at the end of their questions like Rhydonians did.
Her pink lips, which he had to admit looked very kissable, pressed into a tight line.
“Yes. The peace is in danger of going. You should know that. If you had died, if Daeden had killed you—it would have broken the Accords! No Oathborn can kill a human, and no human can kill an innocent fae! Don’t you know that? ”
No, he didn’t. Those clauses, he dimly remembered, were tucked into the Accords, but so was much else, about land rights and movement restrictions and ten thousand other qualities. Tobias opened his mouth, so desperately wanting to talk to her, to understand, but he didn’t have the words.
Still, her eyes found his, as if she knew. “You want peace, too, don’t you? You’re like me. You’d fight to keep everyone safe.”
He nodded, once. Was it treason, to agree with a fae, even if she wanted peace?
“So take me to—”
Tobias shook his head. In stumbling, broken words, he managed something close to explaining that he couldn’t, that she wouldn’t be safe, that Lockwood was here, and that man hunted her kind.
He tried to recall a fae word for red, for crimson, anything to describe the elite task force trained to kill fae.
Finally, he remembered the word for blood, which was at least the correct color, and ran his finger down the stripe on his own uniform, saying it, “ Vah. ”
Blood. It was all he could think of. Blood red stripes on a uniform, heralding danger to any fae alive .
“Oh!” Her eyes widened. “Tell Javen that…” She shook her head, blonde strands fluttering wildly.