Hard Light (NaNoWriMo15)

Chapter 20 - Decisions

Leah jolted herself awake the next morning with her own snore.

Pretty sure her cheek was indented, she quickly checked to make sure her journals were undamaged and scurried off to breakfast in the same clothes she'd worn yesterday. At the dining hall, she found Illiya and sat down next to her.

"Ready for a super fun day of getting information out of the Lightless?" said Illiya, glancing up from her food. "They're so cooperative it's amazing."

Leah raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Nope."

"Oh."

After finishing their meal, they took their plates back and headed off to the Lightless cells. Leah was in the middle of quizzing Illiya about what she should expect when Kieran walked up to her.

"Training time?" he said.

"Oh," said Leah, glancing at Illiya. "Um, I can't today. Emrys has me working the Lightless transfer, and we're heading over to start recording data now."

Kieran gave her a strange look. "I thought you'd decided to stay on the expedition team?"

"I--I do, I mean--"

Illiya cut her off. "If you wanted to stay on the expedition team, why'd you ask Emrys to join the research team yesterday?" She jerked a thumb at Kieran like he was some kind of wall decoration. "Just because you're stuck on his team for now, doesn't mean you have to lie to keep him happy."

The words caught in Leah's throat as she tried to cough up and excuse but Kieran didn't give her the chance.

"My apologies," he said, holding up a hand and walking off. "I won't bother you again."

Leah watched him go, fighting the urge to run after him as Illiya took her wrist and dragged her off, muttering, "What a jerk. I don't know how you put up with him, Leah."

*+*+*+*

Recording the Lightless data went smoothly enough.

They were briefed, handed an empty journal, a pen, and a list of numbers and told to set to work.

"And remember," said Emrys as they were moving off. "These are not Radiants any more. Do not feel sorry for them, only for what they have lost."

Leah was more than a little disheartened when Ash's cell wasn't in her row. She'd wanted to talk to him more, to ask him questions brewing in the back of her mind, but as she started interviewing her first Lightless, she found it was exactly what she needed to secure her faith in her own judgements.

The Lightless girl's name was Pirra. Leah went down the list, asking her about her age, her background, her blood. How many crystal patterns she had, if any, and if she'd have the ability to use Light at all. How had she become Lightless? How long ago?

Pirra answered with a deadened expression, always curled in the corner. Leah found it impossible to see what Emrys told her was there. All she saw was a frightened kid that wanted to go home.

When she reached the end of her list, a heavy heart made it harder to stand up, almost pulling her down when the girl made her first movement since Leah had entered, reaching out a hand.

"Wait!" said the girl as Leah went to unlock the door. "If... if you seem my mum, Gale, can you tell her that I'm okay? Please?"

Leah nodded, well aware of the guard's patrol reaching the cell she was in, their eyes always searching for the first sign of trouble. "I will." Bravery surged, and Leah rode the wave before it could dump her. "Do you know anyone called Shade?"