Page 75 of Elemental Affections

“Over fines and blowing the budget?” Incredulity colored Dae’s voice. “Tens of thousands is a lot, but surely—”

“He left out the part where he signed off on dangerous procedures and falsified reports.” Calya’s face darkened. “Not on our projects, but some collaboration he’d been doing on the side.Ourjoint protection’s route would’ve gone too close for Brint to keep it covered up.”

Dae scanned the article, noting how her studies garnered the briefest of mentions. A sign, perhaps, that she’d finally managed to escape Central District’s cycle of drama. The article didn’t have names or too many details, being more for sensationalism than objective reporting. But it mentioned a grovetender experimental project going horribly awry, and Brint’s further attempts to contain the story by bringing in private consultation and crew to fix the damage, those services secured with extreme promises and loans from Brint himself.

Memory flickered in the back of her mind, of damage reports and estimated cleanup costs.

“This is what he was hiding! He’s known since last summer. No, earlier, because he’d already sought outside …cheaper options,that shit weasel.”

“That’s my line,” Calya said. “Care to explain what you’re mumbling about?”

Dae told them of the two letters from Sylveren and her deal with Brint to keep each other’s secrets.

“I didn’t recognize the names, and I was distracted about the scholarship.” Dae sighed, putting her face in her hands.

“He fooled a lot of people for a long time,” Eunny said. “He’s a dipshit, but I’ll give him credit for making it this far. Transferring up here to keep working his contacts and make it harder for you to monitor things?” Eunny nodded at Calya. “He gave it a good try.”

“Hardest he’s ever worked in his life,” Calya muttered.

“He kept being so friendly to me when we were in public,” Dae said, thinking back to how Brint was always making sure to greet others whenever he was around her. The comment of how he’d been trying to ease her into his last-ditch effort of a marriage proposal. His exclamations of Ezzyn’s bias. Trying to drive a wedge between them, perhaps? She bit her lip. A lucky hit, far luckier than Brint could’ve known.

“He made it this long by wrecking his own name, imagine how much further he’d have gotten with Helm Naval seeming to back him.” Dae leveled a hard look at her sister. “I’m serious, how much trouble are you in?”

Her sister made a placating gesture with her hands. “The AG board is going after Brint—with the Coalition’s blessing. The grovetenders he was stringing along up here with promises of deals in the capital vouched for me, so the Coalition isn’t penalizing us. HNE is still holding the work agreement with AG.”

“That’s wonderful,” Dae said in a flat tone. “I asked aboutyou.”

Calya’s mouth popped open, the start of a protest hitting the air … and then she held back. A wry smile formed on her lips. “Father dearest took it as a sign to put a hold on my promotion for at least another year. His trustee is acting as interim director until further notice.”

“I’m sorry, Caly. Do you want me to talk to him?”

“Oh, gods, no.” Calya huffed a dry laugh. “You’d probably make it worse.”

Dae flicked a tea leaf at her. “Brat.”

Calya sat back in her chair. “Now that my life story is out, it’s your turn. Why are you hiding out here?”

“I’m not—”

“She’s in love,” Eunny said. “And now heartbroken.”

“Eunny!”

“Love?”Calya said in tones of mock horror. “How? When?”

Dae glared at Eunny. She glared at her sister. She glared at the floor. Would’ve glared at herself, too, if possible. And the choked up feeling in her throat, the way her chest constricted when she let herself think of him.

The emotion spilled out of her. The masquerade and its aftermath. How their sniping at one another slowly gave way, Dae’s grudging respect for Ezzyn’s research. The small things they began to share, little truths and fears and rawness. Things that fed an attraction, and their foolish arrangement. A plan Dae should’ve known could only fail. A failure that had come in the shape of the Rhell trip.

“Maybe he feels bad about the nepotism angle,” Dae said, tone bitter. “But he didn’t hesitate, either.”

“His home was—isin trouble. And he did apologize, right?” Eunny said. She held her hands up to ward off Dae’s reproach. “I’m not condoning it. You’ve every right to be pissed, but you’re not just mad, you’re miserable. And he is, too, as much as you are for him.”

Dae scoffed. “He wanted tosaveme. He apologized for causing mepain.He still did it. When he could’ve tried talking to me, he just lied and did what he thought was ‘best.’”

It hurt so much, how he’d admitted that there had been something real. For some reason, Dae did believe that part. And yet, he’d had so little faith in her. When trust concerned his homeland, he hadn’t come to her at all. Relied on something she’d said completely separate from the context. He’d known her discomfort with the connection to her family. Known, and had exploited first, felt bad about it after, once he’d been caught. His feelings might’ve been real, but only to a point.

Yerina stuck her head around the door separating the backroom from the customer-facing front. “Eunny, could you come help for a moment?”

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