Whisper of Blade | ✓ (Crimson #1)

Chapter 42: Duality

Minerva moved on to his other arm. "So will I. Is that a reason why I should be nice to you?"

"No. It was a completely separate thought." Kodak's dark eyelashes trembled and he sucked in a breath as if in pain.

"Did I hurt you?" Minerva asked, withdrawing her hand.

He ignored the question. "Where will you be going when you leave? The military outpost?"

Minerva's hand dropped to her lap. "No. I'm leaving the empire and going south."

"Why?"

"Why are you asking?" she snapped. Maybe fatigue caused the frustration frothing to the surface, but she couldn't deny some of it came from how aggravating Kodak had been. Hadn't she wanted him to leave her alone? Why draw him out into talking and asking questions she didn't want to answer?

"We were going to keep in touch so I could relay information to you from Ayn."

Logical. A practical answer. Why didn't it appease her anger?

"Don't bother. I won't be able to keep contact where I'm going and I've found another lead." Minerva grabbed the lid for the tin, but her hands shook so much that she couldn't get it on right.

He took it from her and spun the lid on. "I don't think you'll find anything there. You've been south before, right?"

Minerva stared at him. Kodak had finally decided to open his blasted blue eyes. "How do you know about that?" she whispered.

She didn't know how she discerned it—maybe he lacked the light of truth in his eyes—but she knew he was lying. "Brenna," Kodak said.

Don't lie to me, Minerva wanted to cry. Instead she took it in silence and dropped her gaze.

A gate screeched, a faint scream from above. Kodak stood and stretched. His would be the final match of the fifth round. "Since I don't know if I'll see you again after this ... I'm glad I met you, Min. I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Goodbye," she said mechanically.

"Goodbye." His steps took him past her and up the stairs.

The finality in his words couldn't be clearer. He didn't plan on making it to the seventh round. Whether he surrendered in the fifth or the sixth, the Hydro embassy would leave after his defeat and she'd still be behind the gates. They'd already extended their stay so he could compete and wouldn't want to delay their journey any longer.

If she were to accept a loss and miss her chance of fighting Kovine then ...

No. Minerva shook her head. There's no sense in sacrificing the future for something that isn't there.

She paced across the floor, shaking her hands out to loosen up the muscles.

Pyra's voice startled her. "You know this is the part of the story where the heroine runs after the male lead and tells him not to go, that she can't live without him." The guard licked her fingers and cast a knowing glance at Minerva while she flipped the page of her book.

Minerva chuckled. "I'm no heroine. You've been reading too many romance novels, Pyra."

"Maybe you don't read enough," Pyra said.

Minerva shrugged and flopped onto the cushions in her corner, arms tucked behind her head. "Has anyone happened to see Azuki at the palace, Pyra? I usually give him a dish of smoked salmon as a treat on Firedays."

"I can ask someone to deliver a message to the kitchens. I don't know if they'll be able to find him though," the guardswoman answered.

Kats could only be found when they wanted to be found. Every so often, a kat would even abandon their former home and staff. Azuki wouldn't be suited to life outside the empire though, with common fare and no velvet pillows. Minerva hoped he'd understand why she was leaving. On the other hand, he might just blink his golden eyes and treat her departure like a bit of spilled milk. Lick it up and move on.