Heaven Hath No Rage - Book Two

Secret gained, secret spilled

"Do you know any underground places to go to where I can get books that are worth a damn?" Ava asked as they left the bookstore.

Viv chuckled, "Your father keeps shit under tight control in Aubermasse."

"Would you be able to at least find me a good book?"

"Is that your request?"

"It is a request," Ava replied, "not necessarily one that will build trust between us."

"We'll see about the book."

"Ah," Ava nodded, "I forgot. Unless it benefits you, you won't do anything."

"I have been selfless before, you know. It is something I am capable of. Just not something I like to do."

"That makes it so much worse," Ava laughed and then looked back to make sure Arnelo was keeping up.

"Where to now?"

"The bakery," Ava turned back again, "are you going to be getting anything, Arnelo?"

"If that is what you want, Lady Ava," he smiled as he trailed a bit behind them.

"I want you to get whatever you want," Ava confirmed.

"Why aren't you offering the same to me?" Viv teased and nudged her.

"Because I don't care for you much. You can get your own bakery items with the money you leached from my father when turning me in," Ava shrugged.

"You know how to hold a grudge."

"About as well as you know how to backstab," Ava shot back and nodded a thank you in Arnelo's direction as he jogged ahead and opened the door to the bakery for them.

She slipped into the building, passing Viv and getting in line. Once she had ordered half of the items available, she sat at a table in the corner and dug into her pastries; making sure to share with Arnelo and swat at Viv's hand when she tried to get some.

"So," Ava said with her mouth full, "where you from, Arnelo?"

"South Elox, a small farm town outside of Ingott," he said after he had swallowed his bite of bread.

"How'd you end up North Elox and the navy?" Ava followed up.

"Lord Vaith recruited me into the Naval academy."

"Were your parents last namers?" Ava asked, it was usually only sons of Great houses that were allowed into the Naval academy, or any military school for that matter.

"No," Arnelo smiled with a shake of his head, "they were farmers. Honest people making an honest living but nothing near what they would have needed to have a last name."

"Then how did you come to end up in the prestigious, high-society naval academy with farmer parents," Viv asked. Ava nudged her under the table and Viv chuckled, "sorry for being crass."

Arnelo just shrugged a shoulder, "I was very lucky. My family sent me to the lesser house in our area to work. That family liked me so much, that they sent me to the greater house of our region. Lord Vaith visited one time and he took a liking to my work ethic and offered me a spot in the academy."

"Why were you sent to the lesser house to work?" Ava asked.

"It was a nicer way to say his family sold him off because they were indebted to the lesser house," Viv quipped.

"I offered," Arnelo defended and shook his head, "farm life was hard and I could see they were trying their best to make ends meet. I have many siblings so they didn't need my help on the farm. I made the suggestion, they just agreed."