Page 134 of A Fate so Cruel

“We won’t make it to the rendezvous point if we wait.”

Rion handed her a drink. Thankfully not wine tonight. He might have mentioned something to the innkeeper about supplying a different beverage. “What rendezvous point?”

Selina eyed the liquid and made a face. “It’s something I developed with my team. We’re set to meet on a certain day when we believe the mission should be over. If we don’t show up, they’ll think things took a turn for the worst.”

He shrugged. “Let them worry for a few days. We’ll meet them back in Nàdair.”

She eyed him. “My team will not leave me behind.”

“So let them wait.”

Selina shook her head. “If I don’t come back, they’ll head to Whiteridge and raze the entire thing to the ground.”

Rion shrugged again. “It’s nothing they won’t deserve.”

“But it’ll blow our chances of finding the ones involved.”

“We know who’s involved and if your team takes them out without realizing who they are, then I’d consider that a win.”

“I don’twantmy team to take them out.”

Rion paused at her tone. Studied her face. “You want to be the one to do it.”

She didn’t meet his gaze. “I’ve never failed an assignment, and if it gets back that my team decimated the city instead of publicly executing those involved like we’d originally planned . . .”

“You’re worried about your reputation?”

“Yes, yes, I am.” She shot him a look when he opened his mouth. “I have worked very, very hard to earn it and it’s not something I want thrown to the wind just because I made a stupid mistake.”

Rion let the silence stretch between them. “Even if we get there in time, you’re still in no shape to fight. You’d only slow them down. Our best bet is to return to Nàdair where I’ll secure a new group, probably recruit my sister just to give her the satisfaction, then handle the problem myself.”

She grimaced. “I don’t want Saoirse involved. If she finds out I failed, she’ll never let me live it down. Alec will find someone else for his top secret missions, and my team will be thrown on a list to handle the leftovers.”

Rion shrugged. “You won’t be out of a job, why would it matter?”

“It matters tome,” she emphasized. “I don’t want to be picked second. I don’t want to be mediocre.”

Rion sat back and stared out the window. He could see the frustration written all over her face. Saw it in the way she clenched her jaw. “How long did Alec give you?”

“Two months.” Not enough time. Not for her to fully recover.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before sitting forward again. “I don’t imagine you’d let me and your team handle it while you sit back and take the credit?”

“Why, so my team can question my abilities themselves?”

“I don’t think they’d do that. Accidents happen on assignments all the time.”

“I let myself get captured. That’s hardly an accident.”

Rion thought through his next words carefully. “Even if we reconvene with your team, there’s no way your body is going to be healed enough to fight. There’s nothing you can do about that.”

She sighed and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’ll never recover from this.”

“You will. I’ll ensure it.”

She scoffed. “Careful, you’re starting to sound a lot like a friend.”

Friend. The word sounded nice, even if it wasn’t enough. “I kind of like the sound of that.”

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