Page 163 of Unbound

"There's that rumor going around too," Beck adds. "The one about the burned out bodies Bastian mentioned to his father. It's the first I've heard of it, but the rumor is already everywhere. People heard about the fight you guys had with the siphon, too. They just don't know it was you guys and a siphon. All they know is some serious shit went down in the west wing that left a classroom in ruins."

Mireen folds her arms and shakes her head. "Voss knows a hell of a lot about this stuff. Are you sure we can trust him?"

"No," Raith says. "We don't trust him any more than necessary."

"He saved me and Raith, though. He gave us an early tip about the Crucible. And all he's done so far when I meet with him is help with my powers. Why do that if he wants to bring us harm?"

"We shouldn't speculate without evidence," Ambrose cautions, though his expression remains troubled.

"Whatever his interest," Raith interjects, "Nessa isn't seeing him until she's at full strength. I don't care what position he holds."

"Agreed," Mireen says, surprising me with her easy alliance with Raith on this matter. Their shared concern for my welfare seems to have bridged some of the initial distrust. "You need to be at your strongest before facing him."

"Not all news is grim," Beck says, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "There was quite the scene in channeling class this afternoon when Sestra found Dain and Kali... well, channeling something, but not magic." He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

Despite everything, I find myself laughing. "In the classroom?"

"Behind the practice dummies," Beck confirms with a grin. "Sestra was so angry I thought she might drown them both on the spot."

"The look on Dain's face," Mireen adds, dissolving into giggles. "Like a fish that suddenly realized it was on land."

Even Raith's lips quirk slightly at the mental image. For a moment, the weight of siphons and Crucibles and secret weapons lifts, replaced by the simple camaraderie of friends sharing gossip. It's a precious moment of normalcy in our increasingly abnormal lives.

"Oh," Mireen says, as if just remembering. "The rumors about your absence are getting wilder by the hour, too. There's a version going around that you challenged Serena to a duel and she burnt you to ash."

"Raith told me that one," I say, reaching for a piece of fruit from the plate Raith brought earlier.

"My favorite is the one about Nessa's flying fish," Beck says.

I feel Typhon perk up at the mention.

"They say he fish-slapped Voss and got you both thrown off the highest tower. When we heard that one, we had to make the code ‘fish slap’ in honor of the rumor yesterday."

We all share some much needed laughs at the increasingly ridiculous rumors. Eventually, though, the conversation turns to more deadly topics. Like our strategy for the Crucible.

Ambrose pulls out a folded parchment from his pocket, spreading it across the foot of the bed. It shows a detailed rendering of what must be the quarry Raith took me to see.

"Where did you get this?" Raith asks, moving closer to examine the map.

"Library archives," Ambrose says proudly. "Not the main one—the secondary archive in the west wing basement. You'd be surprised what they keep there if you know where to look."

Beck rolls his eyes. "He means he sweet-talked the library assistant. Apparently, she has a thing for guys who can quote tactical theory from memory."

Ambrose adjusts his glasses, a hint of pink touching his cheeks. "I can’t control if she finds my intellect stimulating."

“Hey, no need to defend yourself, Ambrose. I’m happy for you. I just didn’t know you had it in you. If you want my advice? You show up at her room. Tonight. Wear something sexy. Just walk right in like you own the place. It works every time.”

"Enough," Mireen cuts in. "We're here to talk strategy, not Beck's questionable romantic wisdom."

"It's not questionable when it works," Beck protests, but subsides when Mireen levels a glare at him.

"So," I say, leaning forward to examine the map, "what's the plan?"

For the next hour, we discuss possible scenarios for the Crucible. Ambrose has developed several strategies based on different starting positions, while Mireen and Beck contribute insights on our potential enemies and allies. Brunhild's tactical knowledge proves surprisingly extensive, her understanding of terrain advantages particularly valuable.

Raith remains mostly silent, though he occasionally offers a suggestion when our strategies have obvious flaws. I notice he's careful not to reveal too much about his own plans with the fires, maintaining a certain distance despite being physically present in the room.

Ultimately, there's only so much planning we can do. We won't know our true objective until the day of the Crucible. But knowing where the Crucible is likely to take place has its advantages, which is what we spend most of our time focusing on.

---