Bereft: Demise

58 | Of Wrath's Reckoning

The quiet moments of introspection Darius and I shared in the heart of Crow's End were some of the last we were able to enjoy for a while. I continued trying to solve the puzzle of our solution, and Darius threw himself into finding his own answers. The Sin was convinced only two avenues remained available to us: either we remained in the manor and waited for Balthier's next assault or we went on the offensive. 

I found neither option palatable. Neither did Peroth. 

They argued about the best course of action for days. Their voices mixed in dissent were a constant, if dull, rumble to my own musings. Amoroth complained—loudly—about their bickering, but she soon subsided into quiet grumbling and eventually went to find her own quiet corner of the manor.

Days passed, and the new year came. I knew it was the last new year I'd ever see.

Darius's hand slamming on Peroth's desk jerked me out of a sound sleep. The construct primer fell from my face as I sat up on the sofa, blinking heavy eyes toward the two male Sins at the desk. Darius didn't have the grace to look contrite as he glanced at me then slowly lifted his fist. Peroth was glaring at him, and at the dent he'd left in the desk.

"It would be sensible to seal the ward entirely," Darius seethed in a quieter voice, though his hands remained clenched in white-knuckled fists. "If there isn't a possible point of ingress, then he won't be able to get in at all—ever. Not unless the ward came down."

"And if we seal all avenues of escape for ourselves—." Peroth banged a drawer closed and glass cracked in the cabinet behind him. "Envy will lay siege to this place. Yes, he wouldn't be able to reach us, but he'd be able to kill any person who tried to enter or exit the grounds. Crow's End is home to many people, not just us, and I won't sacrifice their lives in a cheap game of maneuvers."

"Send them away." 

"If they had anywhere to go, do you think they'd be here? Honestly, Darius." Peroth stood, brushed Pride aside, and went to the sideboard. He took his time selecting a tumbler and his drink. "Even if that wasn't an issue...if the Wandergard do come here, we need a way out. If we seal ourselves in, we'll only be locking the door to our own trap."

Darius leaned upon the desk and squeezed its lip until I was sure his fingers left impressions. "You were so confident before about your ward holding against an Absolian assault. What's changed?"

"A fool mistakes confidence for certainty." Amber liquid splashed into a glass and filled the air with its bitter scent. "The wise man knows caution."

"I would never accuse you of being a wise man, Cuxiel."

Their arguing began anew but at a quieter volume. I sunk into the couch's squishy cushions and let my head rest on its back. I looked to the balcony and expected to find W'arg and Lionel up there sharing their quiet communiques, but W'arg was alone. I hadn't seen Lionel for a few days, and couldn't think of where the feline Druid had run off to.

From my pocket, my phone began to ring. Both Sins froze mid-conversation and stared as I fumbled for the thing and uttered half-hearted apologies. My mother's number, not yet programmed into the new device, flashed across the screen.

"Damn," I whispered before eyeing Darius and Peroth. Both were blatantly watching to see what I'd do. "I'm, ah, going to take this." 

Peroth pretended to be busy with his drink while Darius stared, one brow quirked in interest. I stumbled upright—limping on a foot plagued by pins and needles—and rushed from the office. The idea of the two Sins listening to me verbally fight with my mother was nauseating.