Silver Mask

Chapter 7 - Mare

Yeah, I know I already published a chapter today, but I wrote most of that on Friday, and I had nothing else to do today, so here ya go!

I know how Maven sneaks into my room at night now. So, while he is showering, I sneak into his room through the closet.

I find his desk and rifle through the papers sitting on top. There's a draft of the speech he broadcasted yesterday, the signed act for the new towns for Reds, and a plan. My eyes widen as-

"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to snoop?" A voice asks. I whip around, heart jumping in my throat as Maven smirks at me, wearing silk pjs.

"My parents didn't care as long as there was food on the table," I answer, regaining my composure. It's a lie. I remember, with no small amount of wistfulness, of those days where my only worries were getting caught stealing by a Silver and conscription. Nowadays, it seems like the whole world is on my shoulders.

Maven raises an eyebrow cockily and leans over my shoulder to peer at the papers I'm holding in my hand. His dark, curly hair brushes my cheek and I feel my pulse pick up and my breath hitch. Damn, why does he have to do this to me? Maven's breath tickles my ear as he scans the paper.

"So you found out," Maven says quietly. I break out of my stupor and twist around to see what he's talking about. It's the plan.

"Are you really going to do it?" I ask, scanning over the various details. He looks at the paper, saddened by so much loss.

"Yes." Maven says, his eyes sharpening with determination. That one word hold so much weight; for him and for me. He would do it for Cal, and Thomas.

But for me, its so much more than that. Walsh, Tristan, Shade. I keep on fighting fo avenge their deaths. Gisa, Cameron, Kilorn. I keep fighting to build them a future. Every Red who was injured or died for a useless war. I keep fighting so their children don't share the same fate. This will work.

"What about the Silvers?" I ask. Surely they would never want to relinquish their power. Maven smiles slightly.

"Let me deal with that."

"I want to help!" I say stubbornly, sounding like a kid. Maven tilts his head at me, thinking. He fixes me with his ice blue eyes and I am taken away by how soft they are; so different from his mother's.

"Talk to Evangeline," Maven muses after a while,"Either early in the morning or late at night." After waiting for him to elaborate for several seconds, I huff, annoyed.

"What do I talk to her about?" I prod. Maven gives me a charming grin.

"Just walk in on her. I'll make sure there aren't any sentinels in the way." his grin broadens, turning almost feline, like the Maven I once thought him to be.

Maven softens, adding quietly, "Go to bed Mare, I've got work to do." With that, he slumps at his desk. I pause for a second, watching him. He is Maven Calore, Burner of House Calore, Flame of the North, King of Norta, the Shadow of the Flame, and I am not meant to fall for him.

As I slip under the covers, I finally accept that Maven is...different, better. He is still the boy I knew, but older, grown up. He is now a man. Maven isn't evil. He isn't trying to manipulate me. And finally, when I fall asleep, I don't have any nightmares, and for the first time, I wake up rested.