Liraz was special. Specially antisocial. Spectacularly, even. But Karou felt responsible for her, left in their midst as what? An ambassador of sorts? No one could be worse suited to the role. There had been that moment before Akiva left, when his gaze had cut across the distance to Karou. No one could do that like Akiva could, burn a path across space, make you feel seen, set apart. They still hadnt spoken since leaving the kasbah, or even stood near each other, and shed been cautious with the direction of her glances, but that one look had said many things, and one of them was a plea to look after his sister.
She didnt take it lightly. As far as shed been able to tell, no one was tormenting Liraz, and she hoped they wouldnt be so stupid, with Akiva not here to hold her back.
When will he get here?
Down below, the fires popped their green sparks and belched their cabbage stinks, emitting paltry warmth, and Karou paced the ridge, keeping an eye over the chimaera on one side, scanning for Akiva on the other. Still no hint of wing-glimmer in the deepening darkness.
How was he faring? What if he came back with bad news? Where would the chimaera go, if not to the Kirin caves? Back to the mine tunnels where theyd hidden before taking shelter in the human world? Karou shuddered at the thought.
And at the thought of facing the enormity of the angel invasion alone.
And of the loss of this chance.
She realized how much, in so short a time, she had come to rely on the idea of this alliance, crazy as it was, and all that it meant for this companyfor both meeting their basic needs and giving them purpose. The chimaera needed this. She needed it.
Also, she was freezing her butt off in the open while the Misbegotten enjoyed the comforts of her ancestral home? Which, if she recalled correctly, had hot springs ?
Oh hell no.
She heard the faint scritch of claws on stone, the only hint of the White Wolfs gait, and turned to him. He carried tea, which she gratefully accepted, wrapping her fingers around the hot tin cup and holding it right up to her face to breathe the steam.
You dont have to be up here in the wind, he said. Kasgar and Keita-Eiri have the watch.
I know, she said. I cant sit still. Thanks for the tea.
Youre welcome.
Where did you send the others? she asked. From up here, shed seen him talk with his lieutenants and then send four teams of two back the way theyd come.
To fan out around the eastern reaches of the bay, he said. Keep their eyes to the horizons. One from each pair will rendezvous here in twenty-four hours, and then at twelve-hour intervals after that, so well know its clear before we leave the mountains.
She nodded. It was smart. The Bay of Beasts was seraph territory. Everywhere was seraph territory now, and they had no idea what the rest of the Empires forces were doing, or where they were doing it. The mountains provided some shelter, but to return to the human world, theyd have to be out in the open for as long as it took their combined numbers to file back through the portal one by one.
How do you think its going? he asked, his voice very low.
Karou glanced down toward the company, scattered below them against the edges of the broad rock hollow. Her anxiety was on high alert, but no one was looking at them, and anyway, distance and darkness must render them silhouettes, and the wind carry their voices away. Good, I think, she said. Youre doing so well. At being Thiago, she meant. Its a little eerie.
Eerie, he repeated.
Convincing. A few times I almost forgot
He didnt let her finish. Dont forget. Not ever. Not for a second. He drew in breath. Please.
So much behind that word. Please dont forget Im not a monster. Please dont forget what I gave up. Please dont forget me. Karou was ashamed for having voiced her thought. Had she meant it as a compliment? How could she imagine he would take it as one? Youre doing so well acting like the maniac I killed. It sounded like an accusation.
I wont forget, she told Ziri. She recalled her brief moment of worrying that wearing the Wolfs skin might change him, but when she made herself look at him now, she knew there was no danger of that.
His eyes werent Thiagos, not now. They were
too warm. Oh, they were still the Wolfs pale eyes, of course, but more different than Karou would have thought they could be. It was unreal how two souls could look out through the same set of eyes in such drastically different fashion, seeming to reshape them entirely. Absent the Wolfs hauteur, this face could actually look kind. Of course, that was dangerous. The Wolf never looked kind. Courtly, yes, and polite. Composed in a mimicry of kindness? Sure. But actual kind? No, and the difference was drastic.
I promise, she said, dropping her voice low, so that it was almost inaudible beneath the coursing of the winds. I could never forget who you are.
He had to lean nearer to catch her words, and didnt move away after, but replied in the same secret tone, near enough that her ear felt the stir of his breath, Thank you. His tone was as warm and un-Thiago-like as his eyes, and laced with yearning.