Page 22 of No Greater Sorrow

Not. Listening. To. You.

“Not many people these days, I’m afraid,” Nicolas said, returning her smile. “The thing is, it’s unsafe to travel to the world of the dead alone. It’s dark, labyrinthine. Easy to get lost.”

“Why not take General Taddeas with you?”

“I daresay he’s busy with our new prisoner, and I may need a fire-wielder. We have two days until your next Trial if you’d like to accompany me. It’s a low-risk mission. Consider it a training exercise,” he said.

“I swear to the Second if this is your way of flirting…”

“It’s not. I know what I must do to earn your trust again. This has nothing to do with that.”

She searched his eyes again, unsure of what she was trying to find.Dammit, I was so right, said her inner voice.

“What about Violet?” Aleja asked. “The healers had to give her twice the dose they gave me when she wouldn’t calm down.”

“Then, we have time to take a quick look on our own.”

Aleja sat back, feeling a spark of pain in her shoulder. The healer’s drugs still sloshed in her veins but hopefully, her mind was clearing. At least, it would give her an excuse for talking to Nicolas for this long without yelling at him at least once. “When do we go?”

“The sooner, the better. The Astraelis will be doing everything they can to beat us to the Third.”

“Okay. Let me get dressed.”

“Your shoulder?”

“I’ll be fine. If we’re going to do this, it needs to happen now.”

“All right. Meet me in my tent in an hour.”

“Yes, commander.”

Nicolas hesitated before turning from the tent. “I’m proud of you. I knew you would survive, but I’m proud all the same. Only two to go.”

“Yeah,” she said, half-wishing he hadn’t reminded her. “See you in an hour, Nic.”

* * *

Aleja was aboutto walk out of the tent when she noticed Violet’s mouth was moving—a small, almost imperceptible motion. “Vi?” Aleja asked, but even though she was close enough to know she’d been heard, Violet’s gaze remained unfocused.

Violet’s legs finally kicked beneath the sheets, and she wiped her eyes. “Fuck, sorry. I was a million miles away there.”

“You were talking.”

“Singing,” Violet corrected. “I’ve had this stupid Paranoid Hour song stuck in my head all day.”

Aleja’s eyes narrowed as she studied Violet’s tired face. There’d been a time before Violet disappeared that Aleja had been sure she could understand her friend’s emotions as easily as she knew her own. But Violet was a better actress than Aleja had given her credit for.

“Things have been pretty fucked up these past few days. We can talk about it if you want,” Aleja said. In truth, she desperately wanted Violet to say yes. Aleja had Garm to speak with, but he was a hellhound, and as much as he would listen while slowly wagging his tail, he couldn’t understand her as Violet could.

“I’m fine,” Violet said. “Honestly. I think the Second went easy on me. The Authority was the worst of it. What was yours like? From what I understand, he isn’t exactly pleased with you or your boyfriend right now. Did he try to… punish you?”

Aleja stopped herself from cringing when Violet referred to Nicolas as herboyfriend. It wasn’t exactly untrue—or at least, it hadn’t been until he revealed he’d lied to her about the bargain. The word felt like both too much and not enough.

“He wanted to make me hurt myself,” Aleja began, unsure of how else to phrase it. But as she continued, the words flowed with ease. Though the Second’s well water must have long since worn off, Violet straightened, her gaze never leaving Aleja’s face. And when Aleja was done, feeling like her hands were still covered in her younger self’s blood, Violet wrapped her arms around Aleja’s shoulders. Violet’s hair smelled sweet, despite the lack of proper baths at the camp.

“You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. We’re going to get through this. I know it in my bones. What’s the first thing you’re going to do when this is all over?”

When Aleja’s mouth opened in surprise, a bit of Violet’s hair stuck to her lips, tasting of jasmine oil. She understood what Violet was doing. There had to besomethingon the other side of the Trials, on the other side of potential war. Something that would make it all worthwhile.

---