“Eliza could be dying, and I have to wait?” he snapped in disbelief. “This is ridiculous. If she can't keep pace with us, she stays here.”
Any warmth that the two of them had shared was clearly dissolved. He was once again angry at being saddled with a Tiro who was not as strong as he liked. He was practically bouncing on his legs, ready to bolt.
Desmond was right, of course. He didn't have a plan or any clue what to do. They had scoured the room but had not found as much as a thread out of place. The rebels were being interrogated, but not one of them seemed to have any clue. Nathaniel had searched their minds, but they seemed to be completely confused as to what was happening. They may have had unequal intentions, but capturing the queen was not one of them.
“That is not how training goes,” Desmond replied. “And I won't hear another word against it. Please finish that glass of water.”
Sienna sank against the pillows, feeling small and sheepish. She closed her eyes to drown out Nathaniel's anger, which hung in the room like a thunder cloud. She felt guilty for not being able to keep up with them, but she was used to this. Maybe this was why no one was supposed to train her.
“I want to take the search to the border planets,” Nathaniel said, trying to control his anger. “That is where they would have taken her.”
“Which border planet? And once we get there, where are we going to look?” Desmond prompted him. “You need a better plan than that.”
“Why is it me that has to come up with the plan?” Nathaniel asked. “What's your plan?”
“Here,” Desmond said as he showed Nathaniel the stack of papers he had been looking at. It turned out to be maps of the cities on the planet. There weren't many; outside of the main city, Jeffro was not well populated. “I don't think they have taken her to the border planets. I think they would have stayed here because we wouldn't start looking here. There are a few farms that have bomb shelters built into them from when Jeffro was at constant war. I think that's where she is.”
“Huh,” Nathaniel replied, his anger defused as he considered the options. “That's actually not a bad idea.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” Desmond rolled his eyes. There was a knock on the door then, and the captain of the guards came in. To everyone's surprised, he bowed low. Nathaniel raised an eyebrow. This was not how he normally greeted them.
He turned to Sienna, and he spoke a long string of words. Sienna raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and it was in her native tongue.
She turned to Desmond, unsure how to translate what she heard. Desmond reached out his hand, and she closed her eyes.
‘In the absence of the queen, witches are in charge until a suitable heir is found.’
“What?” Desmond said, looking at her in disbelief.
“Oh, my creator,” Nathaniel ran a hand through his hair. “That is true.”
“What?” Desmond replied. “You knew about this?”
“She mentioned it once or twice,” Nathaniel answered. “This isn't about me. More than one planet does this. If they don't have a proper heir, we are in charge of protecting the throne in the interim as a neutral force.”
“We aren't exactly all a neutral force, are we?” Desmond raised an eyebrow at his former Tiro. “Sienna, accept.”
She looked frightened and wide eyed, but she turned to the man, translating. He nodded and said a few parting words before leaving.
“We can't guard the throne and look for Eliza,” Nathaniel said, his jaw set.
“We could,” Desmond said. “There are three of us.”
Nathaniel put out his hand in disbelief. “You just said not to split up,” he cried in annoyance. Desmond sighed.
“What do you propose we do, then?”
“Why am I the one coming up with all these things?” Nathaniel asked.
“You will watch your tone,” he answered calmly. “And because you must learn to make the choices that benefit both the universe and your team. What is your choice?”
Nathaniel chewed on his lip. He was trying to think with a clear head, but he felt like he was about to explode.
Sienna was unwell. She might put them in danger if they went.
If they stayed, he might never see Eliza again. But she would have wanted him to protect her throne.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, and trying to let the magic guide him. He couldn't be everywhere at once, even though he wanted to.
Suddenly, the solution came to him.
“Can you call Mariah?” he asked Desmond. “No doubt, she'll want to get away from sitting at the school, waiting for news. She can govern here, we've worked with her before. The Jurors won't say no. It's an easy quest, with no physical demands. And then we can go out into the field.”
“I could…” Desmond answered. “If that is what you want.”
“That is what we need to do,” Nathaniel said. “Sienna, I need you to be strong, do you understand me? Eliza needs us to be strong.”
“I don't think that she has a choice,” Desmond replied. “You can't just will health into her.”
“No, but I could…” He paused as he thought for a moment. “The rations.”
“What are you talking about?” Desmond asked in confusion. “Are you hungry?”
“No,” Nathaniel said, turning to go. “I'll be right back.”
And with that, he stalked out of the room, leaving a confused Desmond and Sienna sitting there.
The older witch shook his head, turning back to her.
“Don't be concerned,” he said. “He has always been like that. Even when he was a boy, his thought process wasn't linear.”
She cocked her head, and Desmond pushed the thoughts through to her. She smiled, taking another sip from the water glass. At the very least, Nathaniel's energy was fascinating.
He came in so quickly he nearly slipped on the rug. In his hands were two packages of rations from the Jeffroian Army’s supply. They were freeze dried, and barely food, Desmond thought. As Witches, their diets were usually full of healthy, natural food that respected nature. If the items in these packages had anything natural in them, they had become so unrecognizable that it wasn't worth labelling the ingredients.
“What are you doing?” he asked Nathaniel, as the younger witch ripped open the package. He held it out to Sienna, who reached out a tentative hand.
“Look,” Nathaniel said. “No magic leaps from her fingers. Nothing like the fruit.”
“That's not food,” Desmond protested.
“I think that's the point,” Nathaniel answered. “Her body attacks natural things; her magic swirls around it. No wonder natural food was getting to her, her magic was rising up. But this still provides the nourishment without the other issues. They are meant to provide soldiers with nutrition in two bites.”
“If she throws this up, you're on duty,” Desmond said, but he watched as Sienna took a bite.
Her face crinkled, and it was obviously a different taste. But at Nathaniel's insistent gaze, she finished it.
Within half an hour, the normal time that she would be sick from something, her cheeks had color in them, and her eyes were brighter.
“Huh,” Desmond said as she got up, going to the window. She looked stronger than when they had met her. “Perhaps you are right.”
“As soon as Mariah gets here,” Nathaniel said, “we go out. And we don't come back until find Eliza. I will pack enough rations for three months, if necessary.”
“That's one approach,” Desmond said, and they both fell into silence for a long moment. “It's nice to see you acting like a Maestro, Nathaniel. I know it's not easy, but you are learning.”
“It's not that I can't figure it out.” Nathaniel kept his voice low, watching Sienna across the room at the window. “It's just hard to take it in. This is not something I wanted, Desmond. Please remember that. I'm trying, though.”
“I know you are,” Desmond answered, his voice equal
ly low. “I didn't want my first Tiro either. I didn't feel like I was ready to join the rank of Maestro. I felt like I was still figuring my life out.”
“You, Maestro?” Nathaniel said, in surprise “That doesn't sound like you.”
Desmond gave him a weak smile, but said nothing.
“Any word about Sybil?” Nathaniel asked, and Desmond shook his head.
“No. Don't be too concerned. Sybil is one of the best fighters out there. I'm sure she's fine and just out of signal range.”
“Where was she last?” Nathaniel asked, and Desmond shook his head.
“It was a highly-classified quest, handed out by Thomas personally. Only they knew. Mariah had a general idea, but nothing specific.”
“Classified?” Nathaniel smiled. “Good for Sybil. She always wanted those types of quests, where she was so important she had to have a fake name.”
“You and Sybil used to make up fake names, do you remember?” Desmond asked, his memory jumping back. “On every report, you'd pretend you were getting top-level quests. I remember your professors had to tell you to write about some regular quests just to be diverse.”
“And now I realize how complicated they are and would rather do the ones with one page of paperwork,” Nathaniel managed a smile. “Quest went well. No one died. Nathaniel out.”
Desmond laughed at that. “When is that ever an acceptable quest report?”
“When I'm in charge of the Jurors, it will be,” Nathaniel decided, and Desmond shook his head.
“You have always been different, Nathaniel,” he said, and Nathaniel shrugged.
“It's worked out for me so far.”
“That it has,” Desmond said. “That it has.”
Chapter 12
“Mariah.” Desmond took her in his arms as soon as she got off the ship. He didn't pull her close, but it was enough of an embrace to draw raised eyebrows. She twisted immediately to just take his arm, moving slowly to get a bearing on her surroundings. “Thank you for coming.”
“It's better than sitting around waiting for news on Sybil.” Mariah chewed at her lip.
“Nothing yet?” Desmond asked.
“Have you tried to reach out to her?” Nathaniel asked, keeping stride with them.
“No,” Mariah said. “You know how it is, Nathaniel. If she is somewhere in hiding, one com-link call could throw everything off.”
“I know,” Nathaniel replied. “I just wish there was something we could do. I feel helpless with Sybil, I feel helpless with Eliza, I…” He reached out quickly as Sienna tripped over a wire. It was a fast save, and she righted herself, continuing to walk. “Just feel helpless.”
“There's a moment where you are not,” Desmond pointed out to him, and Sienna smiled up at him. She was trying to be friendly, but Nathaniel was rigid. “Mariah, I will show you the throne room and introduce you to those you should know. After that, we need to go.”
“You have a plan?” she asked, and Desmond sighed.
“We have an idea. But as you said, it's better than sitting around, doing nothing.”
“I'm going to check with the communication room,” Nathaniel said as they made it into the palace. “Make sure they haven't heard anything. Sienna, stay here.”
Desmond sighed as he watched Nathaniel go, but drew Sienna close to keep her out of the hustle and bustle.
“I'm sorry to leave you like this,” he said to Mariah.
“No, this is our job,” Mariah replied, and then lowered her voice. It was so soft that Desmond could barely hear her. “Besides, I am glad I get to see you.”
He smiled at her choice of words as they turned into the throne room.
H expected more resistance with the fact that witches were being left in charge. But everyone seemed to accept that it was the way things were. No one said anything as they parted ways to let them through. It seemed half the country was in the throne room. There were advisors, politicians, military personnel, and the unimpressed rebels who still wanted negotiations. It was not going to be an easy few days for Mariah. But Desmond knew that she could handle it, and all without even blinking an eye. This was a shadow of what the two of them used to do at their best.
“You will call me if you need anything,” he said to her. “Please.”
“I will, but I will be fine,” she assured him. “You just be careful.”
“I will,” he replied. “We will be back before you know it.”
Her arm was in his, and her hand brushed his. He wished he could hold her close here and now, but there were hundreds of eyes on them. Everyone knew witches weren't supposed to fall in love.
‘Who knows what they think of Nathaniel and Eliza?’ Desmond thought. It took all his strength to eventually pull away from Mariah and head back down the platform steps, Sienna at his side.
He noted that she stayed close out of physical need, but not necessarily out of emotional need. She used his body to dodge the people around her, but she didn't look around for his comfort.
She was already so different from Nathaniel, and he wondered whether he would get the chance to learn more about her. He prayed to the magic that he would get a few more years, if nothing else.
Nathaniel met them in the hallway, practically bouncing on his heels.
“No messages,” he said, their rucksacks at his feet. “Let's go.”
“You need to hold on a moment,” Desmond said as he picked up his rucksack and gave Sienna hers. Witches needed to pack minimally; they were taught to live off the land. However, her circumstances were obviously different. “We will gain nothing with all of our energy wasted at the beginning.”
“I've got a smaller ship on standby for us,” he said. “It’s an open top, but there's enough room for the three of us. Four, if we find her. It's faster than walking.”
“Open top does not give us coverage if we are fired upon,” Desmond pointed out.
“Well, it's what we have,” Nathaniel replied. “So, we will have to be the coverage.”
Desmond sighed, glancing down at Sienna. He thought about transferring all the information to her, but there wasn't time. Nathaniel was right. They had already been delayed twelve hours too long. No one had slept much preparing for this, none of them being particularly good at naps. Now, they didn't know when they would see sleep again.
“All right,” Desmond replied. “Let's go.”
Nathaniel practically sprinted off down the hallway. Desmond could feel his thoughts and his distractions. This was exactly why they weren't supposed to form attachments; it could lead to distraction, and distraction could lead to death. However, Desmond knew he would be doing the exact same thing if it was Mariah.
“That one,” Nathaniel said, when they came to a long, brown ship, open on top. There was a small trunk and four seats. Sienna went for the back, but Desmond redirected her.
“No,” he said, pointing to the front. “You watch Nathaniel and learn.”
She paused and then shrugged, clambering into the front seat. Nathaniel took the steering wheel, and Desmond got into the back, leaning against the seat.
“It's nice to be chauffeured around,” Desmond said, and Nathaniel rolled his eyes.
“And you tell me not to make jokes, Maestro,” he said.
“It wasn't a joke,” Desmond said as Nathaniel started the engine. “I was telling the truth.”
“Wonderful,” Nathaniel replied as he made sure all the systems were online. The hangar was open, and security was clear of the door. With their queen missing in action, security had of course been upped. However, no one knew exactly what to do. They were exhausted after searching for sixteen hours straight, and no one had a new plan. Waiting was the worst part of any search.
“Do you know where you are going?” Desmond asked as they began to navigate through the busy air. Outside, things were normal. The news of Eliza's disappearance had not managed to reach the civilians. However, Desmond knew it wouldn't be long before it did. Eliza appeared to her people every da
y or two. If this went on much longer, they would notice her absence.
“I already keyed the coordinates in,” Nathaniel said as he focused ahead.
“Show Sienna how to do that,” Desmond said.
“We don't have time, Desmond,” Nathaniel replied. In response, Desmond leaned forward and touched the navigation system. The directions came up, and he promptly deleted them.
“What are you doing?” Nathaniel howled him. “After I get off the main highway, I have no idea what to do!”
“What's the name of the farm?” Desmond asked.
“Richmond Farms,” Nathaniel was seething at him.
“Sienna,” Desmond placed a hand on her bony shoulder. “Richmond Farms. Can you do it?”
She turned to look at him, and then silently turned to the navigation screen. The language set was Basic, but she saw the Jeffro button and changed it.
“We don't have time for this,” Nathaniel repeated. “If I miss this turn off–”
“There is always time for lessons,” Desmond replied, cutting him off. “Stay calm and focus on teaching her how to do it, or she will never learn.”
“Desmond, this is life or death,” Nathaniel snapped.
“And this is when you learned the most, if you recall,” Desmond responded.
Nathaniel said nothing to that, setting his jaw. But eventually, he turned to glance at the screen where Sienna was keying in the name of the farm. Her hands paused, and he indicated the green button.
“Here,” he said, trying not to scream at her. He resented this moment, but Desmond was right. However, his calmness only lasted a moment when the system told him to make a U-turn. “Argh, I told you. This traffic is ridiculous. Now I have to find a place to turn around in this line.”
“Which will take a moment,” Desmond said as Nathaniel made a breakneck turn that made Sienna scream. He kept his hand on her shoulder. “But it was worth the lesson, I think.”
Nathaniel stayed quiet, focusing on the path ahead. He was afraid of saying anything else for fear that he would snap.
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