Chapter 105
Golden light shined down through gray clouds. I squinted upwards, shielding my vision with a half-cupped hand. Synthesized pop blasted over a light-gray wireless speaker on the patio table, a kitschy, catchy beat perfectly engineered to be a hit before it ever hit the album. The opaque glass of the patio table caught a muted reflection of the emerging sun, blinding my vision.
There was an inescapable feeling, like I was in the middle of something critical and had been unceremoniously interrupted. For the life of me, I couldnt remember what it was.
Something shuffled beside me and I started, glancing down. Talia was sitting on the grass next to me, trying very hard to look respectable and aloof, despite the wagging tail and the way she kept shifting from side to side.
There was a clink on the table and the scent of freshly cooked meat filled my nostrils. Nick shoved the plate in front of me, and stepped back. He was wearing a striped blue-and-white apron along with his signature grin, then placed another plate gently on the grass in front of Talia. To the victors go the spoils.
Not sure Id call us victorious, Sae commented dryly. She was lounging in a poolside chair, dark hair done up in a casual bun, wearing a pair of designer sunglasses. We survived.
Nick stabbed a metal spatula at her that was still covered in char. We kept our heads, when everyone else was losing their shit. Cooperated with multiple guilds to get people working together. Three regions fortified. All of whichat risk of sounding self-servingput us on the Adventurers Guilds A-List.
Were still trapped in a dome, at the mercy of our anorexic overlord. nove(l)bi(n.)com
Gotta take the wins when they come.
I felt off, like I was missing something. Thats valid, but we really should be talking about next steps.
Nick looked at me, betrayed. Bro. You worked harder than anyone. Turn off your brain for five minutes.
Turn yours on, Jinny chuckled. She squeezed my shoulder gently as she passed to take a seat at the table, and glanced at me sympathetically. Matts got a lot to deal with. None of us were called out at the beginning of the transposition.
The majority of my anxiety faded the moment Jinny settled in next to me. Shed shed her robes for a casual blouse and jeans, and crossed one leg over the other, flashing brightly colored sneakers.
Everyone will be looking over their shoulder. Thats going to hurt you, when it comes to the infiltration stuff. Sae said blandly, as if she was commenting on the weather.
No one knows his face, and he has the mask. Nick argued.
Theyre not gonna stop there, Sae said. That shit the overseer pulled with the announcement? Name-dropping the existence of an Ordinator without going into detail? It was foundational. Laying the groundwork.
I nodded, ignoring the underlying unease for a moment. Ive thought about that. Assuming whoeveror whateverrunning this show knows what theyre doing, my existence is a fluke somehow. But they cant kill me directly. They want the ordinator gone, and theyre intentionally doling out breadcrumbs to make sure someone eventually does it for them.
If I didnt know you and saw the footage they were playing, itd make me more wary of anyone I met from that point onward. Saes mouth was tight.
Its odd, Jinny mused, This obviously isnt their first go-around. Assuming this sort of thing has been happening in other universes or realities for centuries or longer, I cant believe theres never been a benevolent Ordinator.
Which means theyre cherry-picking the footage, Nick realized.
Its not just about making people scared. Its almost like theyre trying to cast you as a villain. Jinny continued.
Sae took her sunglasses off. Not just a villain. The villain. We know from the footage that they keep records of the events. And theres no shortage of fucked-up shit that happened during the transposition. It wouldnt be hard to pin some of it on the Ordinator. Its just a question of what theyll go with.
My mouth dropped open. Fuck me.
What is it? Nick asked.
I put a hand to my forehead, suddenly nauseous. I might be completely off-base here.
Tell us, Jinny prompted.
I licked my lips, my mouth suddenly dry. Its easy to see the entire event as meaningless chaos. But outside of one exception, it followed a certain degree of order. Generally, the level of opposition a region faced was based on location and population density.
Right. Giants and dragons in downtown, lizards and lesser monsters on the outskirts. Nick said. He pushed my plate towards me in something of a half-hearted manner, as if he knew I wasnt going to eat it before it went cold, regardless of what he did.
And the exception? Sae asked. But the grimace on her face indicated she likely already knew what I was about to say.
Region six. A heavy weight settled on my shoulders. The whole region was annihilated early in the transposition, in a way that didnt track with anything else that had happened. Id never stopped pondering why.
Its already happening, to some extent. But what am I supposed to do? I said angrily, pushing the plate away, only noticing it was bare after Id moved it, nothing left on the off-white surface but a picked-over bone. I cant drop anything. Every goal I have is vital.
Nick shrugged. The suits are dangerous. And I know youve dealt with iffy people in the past, but this is way out of your league. I was naive. I made this mess. It wouldnt be unreasonable if you left me in it.
I promised. And I dont promise often
Because your promises are iron-clad. I know, I know. Youre a stubborn bastard. Nick lounged back in his chair and let out a deep breath. Look. If youre really committed to this, its time to go.
I looked around at the facade. A fairy-tale land where Jinny never died. Where Id found either the courage or foolishness to confide my secrets, and instead of breaking us apart, itd only brought us closer together. Was that even possible?
Probably not. But it was a nice dream.
Can I just stay here for a minute? My voice sounded faraway, abstract.
Do it already.
What?
/////
Do it already.
Various sensations returned slowly. A brutal throbbing in the back of my head. The smell of sweat and fear, followed by the cold steel of a knife pressed against my throat. Frigid air from a vent brushed freely across my face, no longer restricted by the stuffiness of the mask. Moments later, I realized why.
They took it off.
I cant. He helped me. And hes just a kid.
Mantles voice. I kept my eyes closed, trying not to mentally calculate exactly how bad this was, and failing.
Silas. The gruffer voice from further up spoke again. They only need a little more. We pull this off, your region is solid, well be heroes, and we leave this probationary bullshit behind. Not to mention, this mask is going to sell for a fortune.
Look at him, Kyrin. Hes the same age as your son. Probably younger.
Doesnt matter.
Why cant we just stop the car and drop him off on a sidewalk somewhere?
He saw your face. All our faces, right before I put his lights out. And have you looked around? Leaving some unconscious asshole on out in the middle of this would be cruel. Hed be eaten alive, or worse. Putting him down is a mercy compared to that.
There was a beat of silence as the SUV took a hard right turn.
Kyrin spoke again. People are dying in the street by the hundreds. No ones going to look twice if some random kid ends up dead. But if he lives and finds you somehow? Raises a stink about what happened here with the guild? It compromises all of us.
Fuck this. God fucking dammit, Silas said. I could tell from his voice that Kyrin had persuaded him. Now it was just a matter of working himself up to it.
By my count, there were three of them. Kyrin, Silas, and an unnamed driver I reached out blindly with aiming for the drivers side, picturing what I wanted. The throbbing in my head grew more intense, almost to the point that I lost consciousness again.
A third voice chimed in. Brakes are acting up.
What the hell? Kyrin asked. Silas, nut-up and do the kid for fucks sake. If we have to ditch the car, hes not coming with us.
Silas leaned down far enough that I could feel his breath, and whispered in my ear. Sorry.
There it was again.
I snaked an arm upwards, knocking the knife away and grabbing the back of Silass neck. Surprise registered in his face, his mouth opening in shock, just before I drove my thumb into his eye.
