Apart from the rain and the occasional snore from Tritteon, the entire wing was silent. Colleena sat beside me for a while, her eyes glowing as she ran several different tests. At least, that's what she called them. I couldn't tell the difference between any of them. They all felt warm and tingly as they washed over me.
I caught her glaring multiple times at Tritteon.
"I'm sorry for—leaving the library."
"You shouldn't have been out there," she hissed, her silver thumbs glowing as she ran them down the sides of my face. She grunted. "I'm not saying I'm not grateful you were able to save Rilyin. What happened today was awful. But Tritteon testing you afterward was uncalled for."
"Do you have any advice for dealing with them?"
She shook her head. "There is no dealing with them. If they decide something, there is no changing their minds."
"So, my only option is to go along with whatever they want?"
"No. You are not one of us. You have not given any oaths." She paused, lowering her hands into her lap, the glow fading from her fingers. "Why did you go after him?"
I held her gaze, surprised. "I had questions."
She massaged her temples. "They must have been very pressing."
"They were."
"Next time, wait for a calm moment to ask. I—I want to see you fight their orders and their decisions when you know they're wrong. I want you to look after yourself. Don't expect anyone to have your best interest as priority. They need someone smarter than them to put them in their place."
I snorted.
"I've spent four days with you and your brilliant, absorbent mind. You are far more intelligent than any of them could hope to be. Don't you dare think otherwise." She stood. "I want you to come out of this alive. I want—" She bit her lips together, looking down.
She didn't continue, her nose flaring.
"My name is Orion," I said carefully, testing the word, the name foreign on my tongue. "I just—I just found out. I thought you should know."
A smile melted the anger and worry from her face. She touched my cheek. "Get some sleep, Orion. I'll be back in a few hours to check on both of you." She shot Tritteon another scowl. "Don't let him test you again."
I grinned. "I don't plan on it."
I watched her leave, half wishing I could hug the woman.
I didn't sleep though. With everything going on, I couldn't. I traced and counted every cloud in the ceiling and replayed the letter over and over again in my head, adding it to the crudely forming puzzle, unsure what I was missing.
"I think the danger thing is throwing me off," I said to Lexicon. "Tritteon said my purpose is dangerous for everyone, but mostly for me. And the letter said someone has it out for me."
"That might explain your condition upon arrival."
"Probably." I squeezed my eyes shut. "Shouldn't I have enough information now to figure out what they really want with me? Before Tritteon tried to kill me, he said I wasn't really here to be a prospective Guardian."
"And he reconfirmed it under the influence of Colleena's concoction," Lexicon said.
"Everyone looks at my hair like they're afraid of it."
"That part might be the oddest of all."
"If I'm not really here to be a prospective Guardian, why would anyone want to publicize me? And what is this highest level of protection he can give me?"
There was a pause. The pause stretched.
"Lexicon?"
"Tritteon said it would be dangerous for you most of all."
"Yes. I mentioned that. What would be more dangerous than his job?"
"Only the Emperor or Empress can have the highest level of protection. Tritteon called it the Empiric Protection."
"Maybe it can be shared?"
"It is called The Empiric Protection. A protection specifically for the Emperor. And the letter clearly states this highest level of protection is something he can provide you in time. Not right away. If it was something so easily shared, that part wouldn't have been included in the letter."
"Prince Konrath is his successor. Someone said that in the Hawks Nest."
"But not his chosen successor."
I rolled my eyes. "That feels like a stretch. I am the literal definition of a nobody to these people, Directive Crossek brand and all. Nearly everyone is afraid of me. Tritteon just tried to kill me. You'd think if I was actually here to be said successor, he wouldn't try to do that."
"Tritteon's actions do not count. As a FengDohrn, his entire life's focus is the protection of his charge. To him, everything about you is a threat, your Directive brand most of all. Revealing you knew of his Vek Poeir was just the final piece he needed to justify getting rid of you."
I glanced sideways at Tritteon, his bare, powerful chest rising and falling steadily.
"That is it," Lexicon said. "That is the reason."
"It can't be. The very idea is ridiculous."
"Ask him."
"What?"
"Ask Tritteon."
"I'm not going to ask him that."
"Yes, you are. You're going to use a serious tone. And you are not going to let on that you have any doubts about it either."
"And when he laughs it off like the joke it is?"
"You're going to stand your ground and your expression will remain serious."
I rolled my eyes again. "I'm not doing that."
"Yes, you are. Because now that we've discussed it and you know how set on the idea I am, you're going to ask him eventually out of curiosity alone. So, you may as well do it now and get it over with." She paused. "And because I'm going to annoy you until you do it."
I blew out a quiet, steady breath and sat up slowly. If there was still pain in my leg, I didn't feel it.
"You're a menace," I said to Lexicon.
"And you are embarrassingly spineless tonight."
I cursed her under my breath.
"Tritteon?" I whispered.
"What?" came a testy reply.
I hesitated, my heartbeat increasing despite myself.
"What?" he growled again.
I gritted my teeth, grateful the dimness of the room hid the warmth in my face. "Am—am I really here to be Dugana's successor?"
Silence followed, something I hadn't anticipated. I looked over at him. He was staring at me.
I held my expression, bracing myself for either more irritation over waking him up with such an asinine question, or his usual haughty derision that I'd even considered such a thing.
But he did neither.
He swore and punched the silver button on the headboard above his head, denting the metal. But a faint beep still sounded. Seconds later, a light flickered on in the hallway and Colleena came running into the room in a plain robe, bare feet, and a sleepy but startled expression.
"What happened? What's going on?" she asked as the glowing orbs above us glowed brighter. "Sweetheart, you should be laying down."
"Send for his Highness and Lord Gonreem," Tritteon said. "Tell them the girl has remembered something."
"Oh," she nodded, the word coming out breathy and high-pitched, and ran from the room.
"It's true?" I gaped.
"How did you—" He shook his head.
"Does Colleena know?"
"No. Of course not. She has her suspicions, but nothing more. Only his Highness, Lord Gonreem, and I know. After what happened the last few times, we were not about to make it known so prematurely."
"What happened before?"
"You can ask Rilyin yourself when he gets here."
We waited in silence for several minutes. I stared at Tritteon, the ceiling, the puddles on the balcony outside, then the blankets across my lap. They weren't thick blankets, but my palms and the bottom of my feet were starting to sweat. I lifted hair away from my neck and pressed the sleeve of my nightgown to my forehead. It was too warm for blankets. I blew out hot air and kicked them off.
Why was I so nervous? What did I have to be scared about? It wasn't like they could force me to do it. I grimaced and avoided touching my neck. Technically they could. But I wouldn't make it easy for them if they tried.
"Are you alright?" Tritteon asked, the muscles in his arms twitching.
"What will you do if I don't do it? What if I run? You can't expect me to agree to this."
He sighed. "And here I thought you were going to be levelheaded about it."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
He nodded toward my hands. "You are smoking."
I jumped and waved my hands to bat away the curling smoke. When it cleared, black handprints had been burned into the sheet on either side of me.
"This better be good," someone said in a hoarse growl from the hallway. Pharro entered, looking even greener than before, followed closely by a panting Rilyin. Colleena was pouring Pharro a drink that she forced into his hands.
"Don't touch anyone," she said to him, before hurrying out of the room.
Tritteon waited for the sound of a closed door before he spoke.
"Orion knows."
The color in Rilyin's face drained away. "How did she figure it out?" he said in a low growl. "What have you told her? How could she have possibly—"
"I'm right here," I scowled at him.
"I know. I'm simply mulling things aloud in frustration," he said. "This is too soon."
Pharro frowned. "Knows what?"
"Why she's really here," Tritteon said.
There was an uncomfortable pause. Rilyin walked over and perched himself on the edge of my bed as though preparing himself for a quick escape.
Pharro rushed to Rilyin's side, careful to keep a two-foot gap between them. "It's too soon. Just because she knows doesn't mean we need to proceed," he said. "This may even make things easier."
Rilyin nodded. "Please do not be angry with me, Orion. I wanted to ease you into this. I did not want to tell you yet because I did not want you to run. You have had no formal training and the thought of such an undertaking seems colossal." He rubbed his eyelids. "I won't lie. It is."
I felt a buzz in my head. I lifted my block for him.
"Unclench your fists and take a breath," Tritteon said. "Before you make any rash decisions, hear him out."
I ignored him and glared at Rilyin. "It's ridiculous, is what it is."
Rilyin blew out a breath. "Will you at least hear me out? Before you make any rash decisions?"
"So long as you allow me to make those decisions afterward."
He closed his eyes briefly. "I have no intention of taking your will from you, Orion. You will be free to do as you please. You have my word."
I ground my teeth. "I'm holding you to that."
The Emperor nodded slowly. "Can you walk?"
I flexed my foot. There was a definite pinch. "I think so."
He stood and held his arm out to me. "Will you walk with me then?"
I nodded and took it.
"Control your anger and your Poeir's, Orion," Tritteon growled in my head. "Do not put his life in danger or I will kill you."
I shot him a glare before allowing Rilyin to lead me out.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *