Page 155 of This Monster of Mine

“Try a different corner,” she advised dryly.

A slow, strangely familiar smile rose to his lips. “Interesting. It didn’t take.”

His voice was … incredible. Soothing, yet sheathed in menace. A slow glide into icy waters. That was when it clicked. He reminded her of Kadra.

Sunlight hit his features as she backed away. Eyes widening, she opened her mouth when he placed a finger over it.

“You never saw me today. And you won’t notice me again unless I give you permission.” Nausea swamped her, vision blurring as he bent to whisper in her ear. “I’ll see you soon, Death-Summoner.”

She blinked, and wondered why she’d halted in the Guild’s empty courtyard for no reason. Shaking her head, she headed outside and found Anek waiting by Caelum, looking mildly alarmed at the screams now coming from Albanus’s office.

“Should I ask?”

“I wasted a good hour talking to him when I should’ve just done that earlier.” Sarai sheathed her dagger. “What brings you here?”

“She’s leaving,” Anek said quietly. “I thought you’d want to know.”

Sarai halted. “I see.”

“I thought all four of us might go see her off.” They mounted their horse.

Climbing into the saddle, Sarai followed and was halfway down the street when she frowned.

“Hold on, did you say allfourof us?”

Gold arced across a rosy sky. Summer had come to Edessa last month, and was just as beautiful as Sarai had imagined. Carpets of sun cups anddesert marigolds spread across the Academiae, peering through cracks in the cobblestone. Telmar, slowly coming offibez, had taken to painting them, while Gaius studiously refused to go outside as the pollen left his eyes streaming. As a result, she got to gallivant off and perform all manner of tasks: handling some of the rainwater drainage efforts post-stormfall and, on occasion, journeying to other cities to handle cases there. Some wondered at her presence, but she enjoyed seeing the country at its different levels, learning more of its intricacies and people.

She and Anek dismounted at the city gates, at the mouth of the entrance to Kadra’s Quarter. The two figures standing there turned at their approach.

Cisuré hesitantly raised a hand in greeting, buckling an overstuffed saddlebag onto her horse. Beside her, Harion tilted his nose down at them.

“Well, I wish you the best,” he said shortly, stalking past them in a cloud of navy robes.

“Off so soon, Harion?” Sarai inquired politely and saw him scowl.

“That’sTetrarch Harion, to you, barmaid,” he snapped.

“You still owe me a hundred aurei,TetrarchHarion,” she said sweetly, and laughed when he muttered something about giving her the coin later.

Anek shook their head as he rode off. “He’ll never do it. Up to his eyes in debt with all the nobles and Guildmasters he paid off to get elected.”

“It’s fun to hang it over his head, though,” Sarai mused. “See him get that panicked light in his eyes.”

Anek snorted, clapping Cisuré’s shoulders. “I hope your new post treats you well. In Kirtule, is it?”

Cisuré nodded. “At a military outpost. I hear it’s strict, but … it might do me some good.”

“Glad to hear it.”

Cisuré turned to Sarai next and paused, eyes dropping to the ground. In the days after what the public had deemed the Great Unraveling, they had scarcely seen each other as elections were called, nominees were announced, and Harion had bought himself a position. And when they had met, nothing had been the same.

It never would be. But she owed it to herself to see this ending through.

Sarai turned to the girl who had once been her sister, who had seen her every trial and sorrow for so many years. “Goodbye,” she said quietly. It was a poor word to express everything.

Cisuré’s throat worked. She stepped away. “Perhaps you’ll come visit. All of you.”

Sarai couldn’t answer. With a glance at her, Anek took over. “TetrarchHarion as well?” they scoffed. “No, he’s too busy for us. But who knows what the future’ll bring?”

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