Bound by Glass

26| Secrets And Surprises

Haco didn't miss a beat. "Vace told me."

"He didn't," I said, "You haven't been talking much lately. And still, even if he did he couldn't be sure that was his name. For all he knows it's a place. Hell, it could even be a curse word."

I'd only dropped his name once—back when we were in the training room, and I beat him with shooting a crossbow. We had been alone.

"Okay, fine," Haco said, "I've probably heard it somewhere."

"Not from me. Not from Vace," I said. I curled my fingers around the hilt of the dagger. "How do you know?"

Haco held up his hands. "Woah, kiddo, chill. No need to bring out the heavy armoury."

"How do you know his name," I repeated through gritted teeth, still holding the hilt tight in my fist. My mind was racing—but in circles. How did he know? What did he know? What haven't they told me?

Can I trust them?

"Tenna, calm down," Haco said. "Put the knife down, okay? I'd rather stay in once piece." He bent down, slipping his own daggers in his boots, without losing sight of the knife I had in my hands. He got back up, his palms raised.

I exhaled. I wanted to trust him. But I didn't know if I could.

I held on to the dagger.

"I'll tell you," Haco said once he saw I wasn't going to let go. "But don't stab me just yet, okay?"

I nodded.

Haco sunk down, sitting on the floor and crossing his legs. "Sit with me," he said, patting the floor next to him.

Without saying a word I sank down as well, one knee up, my hand with the dagger resting on it.

"I understand you aren't trusting me right now, but I swear, there's no reason to," Haco started. "It slipped. I didn't want to tell you until I was sure you were with us all the way."

I blinked. "Well, too bad your little plan didn't work out so well," I said with a grim smirk, keeping my eyes locked with Haco's.

"No it didn't. But you're totally overreacting. I actually did hear it from someone. Well—" he said, glancing away, "—technically not someone. Or directly hear it. Also it wasn't technically I who–"

"Haco, stop babbling and spit it out."

"Mot decrypted and broke into the Stripes' communicational frequency," Haco said, like that would explain everything.

I frowned. "What?"

A twinkle appeared in Haco's eyes. "The Stripes were talking about this Kael over the radio—you know what a radio is, right?"

"Of course I know what a radio is," I snapped. Little did I tell him I found that out only a little while ago. I regarded Haco warily. "What did the radio say?" I asked, unable to help myself.

A corner of Haco's mouth twitched up. "Well, the radio didn't, but the Stripes that were talking through it did."

I shifted, angling the dagger so the point was aligned with Haco's face. I glanced at the dagger, and then back at Haco's face, cocking my head slightly. That was enough for Haco to start talking again.

He continued quickly, "Okay, okay, I believe they said something among the lines of..." he faltered a bit, as of recalling a memory. He bit his lip, his eyes darting across the room. They froze. "'Tell Fairlands we have the son, Kael Jonah.'" he said carefully, "'We have orders to deliver the Outlaw as soon as we arrive,'" he said.