"I need more time."
Nathan gives Alouette an annoyed glance. "Again?"
Alouette sighs, looking away from him as she feels embarrassment come over her. She knows she's starting to look unfit for her mission with those continuous requests, but she can't let this one slide. She prefers enraging her superiors now than living the rest of her life wondering what she could've found if only she'd gone through the trouble of searching for answers.
If there's one thing the evening she's just spent with Harry told her, is that it'd be a mistake not to look into things more closely while she has the opportunity to. If a detail as relatively small as Harry's personality managed to surprise her after all the months she spent in there, she can't even imagine the secrets she'd uncover if only she stayed there for a while longer.
It isn't only about her.
After all, they have no idea of what will happen when the Revolution's plan works out. Hell will be unleashed, and only the ones with the most information will make it out alive.
It isn't only about her.
"I know I said I didn't need to, but... I need more time."
It isn't only about her.
Nathan crosses his arms over his chest. She doesn't need to look into his eyes to know he isn't happy with her. "Why?"
"I have my reasons, okay?"
Not about her.
"No."
Alouette gives him a shocked look. "What?" All of a sudden she feels like her heart has fallen out of her chest and presses her hand against it just to make sure it's still beating.
"If you want more time, you're going to tell me why."
"I can't—"
"Lark," he says, his voice low even though his tone is threatening. They have to be careful while talking in the stairwell— someone could hear them. "We are working together. You can lean on me if you need to. Let me help you."
"I..." She's spiralling.
He grabs her arm. "Please." She recognises the pleading edge in his voice. He's scared, and she knows why. The more they stay in the Palace, the higher is the chance that they'll be discovered. Their luck won't last forever.
It isn't fair to him. Her life isn't the only one on the line. If she's asking him to risk everything again and again, she should at least have the decency to tell him why.
It's risky, but she doesn't have another choice. She needs someone else on her side.
"Could you... not tell the Revolution?" Something tells her it's better if they don't find out.
He gives her a confused look. "If you don't want me to, I won't."
She nods. "Okay."
Her throat is dry, and she's feeling a little sick now. The warmth her dinner with Harry left in her chest is replaced by a sour taste in her mouth. She's never trusted other people easily, but she knows that, out of everyone in the Palace, Nathan is the only one she can afford to trust. He's the only one that she knows won't run to the President in the second she opens her mouth.
There will be no going back.
"I think I'm onto something," she dares to say. "And I'm worried that if I wait for this all to unfold, I won't be able to get the answers I need in the end."
He seems to be intrigued. "Is this about the President?"
Alouette tilts her head. "I'm not sure, actually." The book she wants to get her hands on is Harry's, but the reason behind her choices is her father. She just needs to make sense of all the things she noticed, because she refuses to believe the explanation that's right in front of her face. If her father, founder of the Revolution, was working for the President, what does it mean for her? For the Revolution itself? For all the people fighting in its name?
She knows who her father was. She remembers his morals. He despised the government. There's no way he'd work for it. Then why did he have that book? Why was he so obsessed with it? Was it about the poems at all, or was he passionate about the secrets hidden between its pages?
She can't go back to the Revolution without the answers she needs.
"Tell me everything."
Alouette sighs, covering her face with her hands. "I think it's about my father."
Nathan seems to be taken aback. "Your father?"
"I recently discovered the President uses a... book, to communicate with his secret service," she reveals, "which makes little sense in itself. Why use a book? I mean, there must be better ways."
"It might be easier to disguise the messages and it could allow to create more complex codes that won't be easily detectable," Nathan says with a shrug. "I can't think of what would happen if one of those copies was swapped with a normal one, though..."
"I don't think there are normal copies around. The book they use is very old and not particularly well known, it hasn't been printed in a very, very long time. I have reasons to believe there can't be more than a very small number of copies around. Not more than twenty for sure."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I have one of those copies." She looks down, frowning. "My father used to be obsessed with that book. He's the one that told me how rare it is."
"Is it the book I brought here for you?"
"It is, which leaves me with a bigger question." She takes a deep breath before voicing her fear. "Why did he have it?"
"You believe there's something under?"
"I'm almost sure there is," Alouette says with a nod. "When my father passed away, he didn't leave me or Amina money, or any kind of thing. He didn't leave us anything, but that book. He'd always known I don't care much for poetry, so why did he go through the trouble of leaving that one to me especially?" She shakes her head and turns her back to Nathan, not wanting him to see the sheer desperation that she knows is in her eyes. "I know I'm being irrational and foolish, but I can't help but think, what if he was trying to tell me something? Like a signal of some kind? There's a weird sentence at the end of the book and one page is missing, I may be reading too much into it, but—"
Nathan's hand lands on her shoulder. "That might not be true," he stated. "I didn't get to know your father personally, but I know he was a very smart man. He led the Revolution for years and built it into what it is now. He was no stranger to codes. In fact, the Revolution survives on codes as well. That's the only way to keep it a secret."
"Something doesn't add up, Nathan," she whispers, facing him again. "I can feel something's up, and I think the key to figuring it out is in this Palace."
Nathan gives her a smile. "I've always appreciated those that follow orders, but you know what I appreciate more? Those who build their own path," he tells her. "I'll help you. What are you planning on doing?"
Alouette takes a moment to collect all her information on the matter. "As I've told you, there's one page missing. I'd never noticed it before because I usually don't pay attention to page numbers, but... there's a poem missing there. Someone ripped the page away on purpose."
"Did they try to get rid of a poem or something written on it?"
"I don't know, but I think that if I could find out what poem was there, I'd find some clarity," she admits. "I just don't know how to do that."
Nathan hums, thinking about it for an instant before speaking. "You said the President uses a book just like that one to pass on secret messages, so I'd assume there are other copies inside the Palace. He clearly cares a lot about keeping everything a secret, so it's likely he'd hide them in the only place nobody would ever be surprised to see them. Do you know what's the best place to hide a book?" He pauses for a second to allow her to answer, but she doesn't. "The family library."
"There's a library?!" Alouette exclaims, slamming her hands on her mouth right away when she realises she spoke loudly. "And you're right, he is the kind of person that would hide everything in plain view."
"The entire floor under the video rooms is taken up by the library," he explains. "It's usually locked, and the President himself changes the code every two weeks. As far as I know, nobody is allowed to visit it."
"How do you even know all that?"
"I'm a spy, Lark. It's my job to keep tabs on what happens in this place," he states. "I could also suppose it's a matter of the outmost secrecy, so he'd be the one keeping the codes. I don't think he trusts anyone else enough."
Alouette wonders where he'd hide such important codes, and the answer is almost obvious to her. "You think they could be hidden in his rooms?"
"What better place? Nobody would ever dare to go in there."
"So if I were to sneak in and get the code..."
Nathan nods. "You'd be able to enter the library. But you'd have to be fast and go undetected. It's very risky."
"But not impossible." A smile curves her lips. "I just have to pick a day he isn't in the Palace."
"He'll be going out in the afternoon in four days."
"Are you sure?" Even though she works for him, she's had some issues in trying to figure out his schedule. He seems to come and go as he pleases, and most of the time she isn't even aware of what his destination is.
"It's a weekly occurrence. The guards downstairs talk at times, apparently he has a woman he likes to meet."
Alouette frowns. That's unexpected. Harry doesn't seem to be the kind of person that likes commitment. For some reason, it stirs something inside of her. "What do we know about this woman?"
She totally isn't asking because of her own curiosity, she just wants to know if she'll be trouble.
"Not much," Nathan admits. "I believe she isn't relevant to our plan, though. It sounds more like a guilty pleasure than anything we should look out for."
Alouette nods, forcing herself to ignore the sudden annoyance she's feeling and going back to their topic. "So we only have four days to come up with a plan."
"It's manageable. Give me a day to think it over, we can meet here again tomorrow at this time. But before we leave... how much more time do you need?"
"Give me two more weeks."
Nathan lets out a sigh. "I'll come up with a reason to get Ezra to grant you more time."
She gives him a grateful nod and makes to leave, but he calls out to her before she can put her foot on the stairs. "Yes?" She turns around and looks at him, her hand on the railing.
"Don't worry. I'll keep it a secret."
• • •
The first thing Alouette notices when she steps out of her bedroom the next morning is a little paper bird in front of her door.
She chuckles and picks it up, holding it carefully and walking back inside. This time its wings are spread open as if it's ready to fly right off her hand. There's no message that goes with it, but it's self-explanatory enough. She puts it on the desk, next to the other, and steps out again.
This time around she crashes against someone and lets out a gasp, slamming her back against the wall. She looks up and lets out a chuckle when she recognises the red hair of the man standing in front of her.
"Jayden? What are you doing here?"
"I got a promotion yesterday!" He exclaims. "The President has chosen me to be part of his personal guard, which means I get to sleep on the cool part of the Palace from now on."
"Congratulations! I knew you could do it." She doesn't even know why she's proud of him, but she can't help it.
He nods. "It was unexpected, but as I promised..." He gives Alouette a little paper bag and she opens it, unable to keep a smile from showing up on her face.
"A doughnut?"
"Didn't I tell you I'd buy something sweet for everyone if I ever got to move here?"
She chuckles. "You did tell me that. I'm on a run today, though, sorry. Apparently the President wants Evie and I at our desks as soon as possible."
"I'll walk with you, if you don't mind. I'm supposed to meet him this morning anyway," he offers, and she gives him a grateful nod.
As they walk she breaks the doughnut in half and offers him a part before biting down on hers and letting out a satisfied hum.
"You're onto something, sweets definitely make my morning better."
"Sweets make everything better, Lark. They're the best kind of pick me up for dull days such as today." He sends her a look. "Lark's an odd name by the way, I don't know if you've ever been told. If I allow you to call me Jay, can I call you Larkie?"
Alouette sends him a dark look at the awful nickname. "Do not call me Larkie."
"Okay, Ms. L."
"Jayden."
"Is something bothering you, Ms. L?"
She sighs. "Everything's good, Mr. J."
"See? Now we've also given each other nicknames. It's like we're best friends or something."
Alouette laughs and shakes her head, turning into her office room. "I'm afraid duty calls me now." She finishes her half of the doughnut and throws the paper bag into the bin.
"Aw, so soon? This is no fun."
She rounds her desk. "What can I say, I—" She goes silent in the instant Harry walks into the room from the corridor. She feels her cheeks get hotter in the second his gaze lands on her and looks down, the memory of the night before rushing back to her and leaving her breathless.
"I see you're well acquainted." The tone of his voice is glacial as he takes a step closer to her desk, a dark look in his eyes. "Unexpected, but not quite."
He drops a folder on Alouette's desk and she jumps when it hits the woods harshly.
He walks past Jayden and puts another folder on Evie's desk. "Dacran and Greenside," he then says, and Alouette's heart is in her throat. "There have been some issues related to electricity there lately. The folders contain all the information we gathered over the past six months, I expect a handwritten report on it on my desk by the end of the morning."
Alouette sends a fearful look to the hundreds of paper sheets in front of her. "But that means we only have four hours..."
He gives her a troublesome little smile. "Better start working, then."
She gulps, and his gaze shifts to Jayden.
"Mr. Bryce, I've heard a lot of things about you. I trust you'll be a fine addition to my team."
Alouette can't tell why, but it feels like a threat.
"Now, I have no use of you this morning, so I'll send you to the archive. There's a lot of information that needs to be sorted there, I'm confident my archivist would love your help for the next ten hours or so."
Alouette gives Harry a shocked look. That job is far beneath Jayden's position and abilities, and something tells her Harry knows that better than anyone else.
Judging from the look on Jayden's face, he knows as well.
"Is there something you aren't satisfied with?" Harry asks him when he doesn't make a move, and it's clear to everyone in the room that's a trick question. He doesn't actually care about Jayden's opinion, he just wants to see if he's foolish enough to go against him.
Jayden shakes his head. "It'll be a pleasure to assist him, sir." He gives him a respectful nod and walks away, and Harry sends Evie a glance.
"Get coffee for both of you and me."
She stands up and walks out as well.
Harry sits on Alouette's desk, right next to the folder, and taps gently on it. "I do hope working with your... friend, won't distract you."
She looks up at him. "It's not Jayden I fear, sir," she tells him, "I'm afraid the man I told you about yesterday night is keeping me from working once again."
He brings hand to his chest, feigning hurt. The arrogant smile on his face paired with his usual perfectly ironed suit is driving her insane. "You wound me."
Alouette stands up and puts her hand on his shoulder. "Do I?" She whispers in his ear from behind, and she doesn't miss the way he tenses up for a moment.
He turns to look at her. "Are you trying to?"
She lets go of him immediately. "Of course not." The words feel wrong in her mouth. She shakes her head and looks at the folder, trying to find something else to talk about. "So why do you need those reports?"
He offers her a dark little smile and pushes himself off her desk. "I like you, Lark, but it seems to me you haven't understood how things work here," he says, putting his hands on it and leaning on his arms, making her automatically sit down. "You work for me. I don't have to explain myself to you."
Before she can say a single word Evie walks in again, and Harry takes his coffee and goes into his office, closing the door behind himself.
Evie puts Alouette's on her desk and then sits behind hers, opening her folder as she waits for it to cool down.
"Is it me or was that kind of petty?" Alouette asks her only seconds later, frowning. "I mean, that thing with Jayden."
The other nods, covering the smile on her face with her hand. "Oh, it was absolutely petty."
"I wonder what he has against him," Alouette says, glancing at Harry's door.
Evie chuckles, shaking her head. "You're so clueless."
I hope you enjoyed this chapter x
Miki