Page 147 of Alchemised
The door finally swung open, revealing Ferron, whose eyes instantly narrowed at the sight of Helena.
“What are you doing?” he asked, eyes following the trickle of the muddy water Helena was squeezing onto the floor.
“I was wet.”
Irritation flashed across his face, but Helena was beyond caring. She shook her jacket so that it snapped. “So, chimaeras. Is there more than the one?” When he didn’t answer, she looked up.
His eyebrows were drawn together. “You’re already aware.” There was crisp irritation in his voice.
She nodded. “I saw it.”
The most indescribable expression passed across his face. “You saw it? How?”
“I was down in the wetlands when they set it loose.”
“You were in the barrens?”
She’d always hated that name for it.
“Yes. I go there for medical supplies. There’s a lot to forage, it’s—” She hesitated. “—it’s good in a pinch. Is there only one chimaera?”
Ferron refused to return to the matter at hand. “This is something you do often?”
“Well, it’s seasonal. There’s not much I can get during heavy flooding but—” Helena paused at Ferron’s stunned expression.
She sighed impatiently. “I mentioned that I do this every Saturnis and Martiday. I was out today getting some extra.”
“No …” Ferron said slowly, a dangerous edge to his voice. His posture was still casual, but his tone gave him away. “You said you were getting medical supplies. I assumed that meant meeting a smuggler in the city.”
“Why would the Eternal Flame send me to meet a smuggler? I’m getting medicinal plants; it helps stretch the supply.”
He flicked his hand towards her. “Alone?”
“Obviously,” Helena said. “That’s why we can meet after I finish. How have you not realised this? You’re constantly crawling through my memories.”
“Your mind is considerably less interesting than you imagine. Why would I pay attention to the frivolous things you do on the way here?”
It was almost funny how blindsided he was.
“Tell Crowther to come up with some other excuse for you coming out of the city,” he finally said. “You come here, and you go back. I’m not risking my cover having you crawl through a marsh for a few weeds.”
Helena stood, stunned with indignation. “You—you can’t do that.”
His expression hardened and now he moved, finally, stalking her across the room. “Actually, I can. Have you forgotten? I own you.”
“Yes,” she said, refusing to back down; she’d done enough bending and complying that day. “But you also gave your word not to interfere with my responsibilities to the Eternal Flame. Foraging is part of my work. I’ve been doing it for years. If you want to control everything I do, you can wait until we win.”
Ferron stood glaring at her for several seconds, and she was afraid that he’d go over her head, contact Crowther, and force an alternative.
Crowther would do it. She just knew. Anything to make Ferron happy.
Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest, praying he wouldn’t call her bluff.
He stepped back, eyes steely. “Fine. Then tell me, how are you protected out there? What weapons do they have you carrying? I want to see if they’ll work on the chimaeras.”
He held out a gloved hand. Helena stared at it. Despite her still-numb hands, heat crawled across the back of her neck and a lump rose in her throat.
She swallowed. “It’s—um, not like that,” she said awkwardly, trying to sidle past him.
