Joey is slow to wake up to the murmur of activity around her, and she forces her eyes open even with the grogginess of a deep sleep. She’s in the medical office area, on a cot–and–she’s resting her head on Drenar’s chest?!
Oh right. We fell asleep. I’m not going anywhere for a while. She thought she’d face night terrors, corpses, eviscerated foes, or worse the second she closed her eyes the night, after their discovery. They’d talked quietly for a long time, until exhaustion eventually overtook them. But…Drenar hadn’t protested when she was about to make her way to an open cot.
He’d asked her to stay. He’s still dozing, his chest rising up and down slowly and radiating warmth. I wonder if he realizes his core temperature is a toasty 41 Celsius, now? I like this. She feels a slight shock. Wait. Am I into him? I can't be. I am such a hot mess right now, and I just brought down an orbital impact weapon on his psyche. She decides that staying there is probably her best course of action while she stews on this pending anxiety attack. People I know died last night, and I'm focused on him. This just feels so wrong.
Joey, everyone needs room to grieve. Alex speaking up surprises her. Are you still there? I can't see because Drenar's got the lights out, still. Alex speaks up with a slight yawn. But he can't possibly be tired, it's for attention. She looks at Drenar, still bandaged and looking like an utter wreck, the same as her. The burns on her arm are better, at least. Julia hadn't meant to do that, but at least the angry red skin shows it's healing.
You can hear me? she dares to send a private message to Alex.
Still can. Drenar's still asleep I think, so I guess you'll have to settle for me. She is strangely okay with this, and lets out a nervous chuckle. Joey, I won't say it to Drenar, but…you're more than a human, aren't you?
Is everyone figuring that out?! She tries not to stir or jump away, she just listens in.
Cinnamon.
What's that? Why is everyone commenting on it lately? It's not that strong a scent. It reminds her of Malena’s house, too!
Hanna used cinnamon all the time. She uh…was a friend of mine. And I know she used it when we weren't anywhere close to a place to freshen up, and I know Kitsune by scent. Her heart sinks when he makes the connection. Lass, I can feel the anxiety rolling off of you, I won't say anything to Drenar. But you might want to clue him in. And not because he has an odd curiosity about magical fox girls. I think it started as, erm, what's the word for this–
A fetish? She would glare a hole through that dragon, if she could do so now. I am human, you know. Technically, all kin are--
Ah, no. It stems from curiosity, driven by the fact that he knows staggeringly little about Kin. She breathes a sigh of relief. Just don't set him on fire, alright? He's got a lot he's sorting out right now, and I know he cares about you.
Great. There goes my secret. She can't even freak out about this, because everyone is figuring it out. You realize why I have to live out my life as a human, right?
I understand it far better than you might think, Joey. Hanna never revealed her true form, except by accident. While preparing a batch of alchemical silver, she spilled some on herself one evening. I was the only person besides Gerard and Crosomer to know. This dragon has regrets, she notes when he lets out a soft sigh. I don't know how things have changed since I've been gone, Joey. But you remind me of Hanna closely with your attitude, skills, and bravery. Look, I don't know if I can keep this secret forever, and Drenar's coming to. Keep him close, alright?
He’s so…young. Is that the only reason she wants to say no?
He might be young, but he's had to grow up fast. Look, let's figure out another way to talk privately, your psionics are potent enough that you and I need to talk more. Alex cuts out and she can hear Drenar stirring. She settles back down, her thoughts in disarray.
Is this dragon seriously being a wingman–pun intended–for Drenar? Or because he cares? She forces the thought aside. Because today, today is going to suck.
Today's the day she finds out the damages from the Talons. And everything and everyone she has lost.
“Uh…you look cozy.”
She gasps and pulls herself upright to meet Angela's curious examination. She smiles faintly, even past the bruising her whole body had taken against Valosterla. “Relax, Joey, I get it. We've…had a rough few days. I understand if you’re still trying to figure out some feelings.”
“Uh, I swear I am not that kind of girl–” She sighs and realizes that Angela isn’t judging her at all. “There’s…some things we realized last night.”
“You mean how Drenar’s mom is alive? I heard. I don’t doubt it. When I held Luminari…I got a flash of several people. Previous wielders, I think. I think one of them was her…but it was like a phantom, not fully formed. I think…only those who have passed, can ever truly be seen by those who wield it.” She takes a deep breath and exhales. "That's...going to be a really uncomfortable question we'll have to ask Julia's mother."
Drenar lets out a huff, and his eyes flutter open. He looks at Joey, then Angela, and freezes. “This…isn’t what it looks like.” It’s probably the worst deflection in his life, Joey notes with amusement.
“Uh, you bonding with the psionic? Nah, never could've seen that one coming,” Angela comments with a grin. “Look, Drenar, I heard you guys talking–don’t try to assault Kiera just yet, please? I’m furious with her too, and I can think of how you’ll react. Don’t? We are in no shape to start pissing contests.” He eventually agrees after a few seconds of hesitation, and then he glances at her.
“You uh…like cozy, don’t you?” she feels a heated flush on her cheeks and sits up.
“No, um…well, not usually.” Great, she’s a genius alchemist who can’t lie to save her life–apparently, that’s one thing she and this awkward teen have in common, much to her annoyance. Angela tries to hold back a laugh, and Drenar goes quiet, then smirks softly.
“So, just some of the time?" he proposes. Oh, now he gets flirty?
“Shut up, you starstruck teen,” she growls and Drenar chuckles. “I pick up on people pretty quick, just so you know.”
“Great. The sass of Wendy's girl, the biting wit of my rival. I’m doomed. Forget Valosterla, you guys will be the death of me first.” Maybe she had helped him, by giving him hope? She has no idea where his mother is but, she’s alive, somewhere.
“Um, that distinction might still go to Julia’s mother,” Joey offers while pointing to her, where she still looks ragged–they aren’t the only ones who have suffered a rough night of sleep. “You guys know that we’re not going anywhere for a while, right?”
“Figures. I’ll save my screaming fit for the end. I’ll try to be civil.” He rubs uneasily at his wrist–the one with a scar. She saw something when they were both out of sorts last night, but…maybe this one doesn’t need to be asked about right away. It must be something deeply personal.
That’s when she notices Julia grinning from ear to ear, sitting up cross-legged from her cot. “Oh you two are adorable, just so you know.”
“Uh…was everyone listening in last night?” Joey asked anxiously. This just gets worse and worse, and she knows Julia is clued in because she’s acting like she won the lottery.
“I might have heard a little something. You guys were pretty quiet…all circumstances considered. So, who wants to chew out my mom first?!”
“Tsundere, we can’t pick fights. We still need to debrief, and we need to take it easy. We are all still exhausted,” Angela points out, and waves dramatically around the room. “Let’s just…go with the flow on this one, alright guys?
Joey found herself agreeing with Angela on this one–the voice of calm and reason, and the more time she listened in, the more she realized she was something of a bridge between Drenar and Julia. Not in a literal sense, so much as a personality amalgamate. She could be very calm like Drenar, but also could embrace the silly when she needed to, like Julia. Almost as if on cue, Kiera, two other Valkyries, and several black and blue-clad SAF officers enter the room, and look at them.
“Everyone? If you’re able, we need a full accounting of the events of Asqualia. Before, and during. I understand you’re all still exhausted, but we are working on a highly sensitive timetable,” Kiera announces. Levine, still looking thoroughly beaten up, strays closely to her–are they in some kind of relationship? That can’t be right, she thinks quietly.
“Kiera, we have questions…and you owe us answers.” Drenar rises from his seat, and takes a deep breath as if trying to keep his emotions from boiling over. “I expect you have some things you want to tell us, too. But Kiera, don’t lie to us. We can't take that anymore.”
“Then I will speak in the strictest confidence that I can Drenar, but be mindful of the room when we do.” It’s a subtle hint that she knows what the topic is going to be about, and Julia peers at her mother, torn between exasperation, and anger.
“Seriously Mom, you couldn’t give us a day–”
“If I wasn’t here, I would be hunting down that monster who murdered numerous people last night, Julia, and tearing her to pieces. I chose to be here where I am needed most,” she answers in a soft rebuke. “Julia, I know you want answers. I know you more than deserve them. But we need a full recount. Levine and Nick have given me some of the details.”
“Yeah. More or less,” Nick grunts. His arm is in a sling still, and he has never looked less fashionable than at this particular moment. Her favorite feathered iguana with wings has never quite taken a beating like this in a long time, and he’s not enjoying it.
Kiera quickly sets the pace for the meeting, and goes over the timeline of events, starting with the cabin meeting. Everyone chimes in, but Joey can’t offer much other than what she had heard from the others, regarding their first encounter with King, and Valosterla. She’s able to go into a little more detail about the bunker setup, and the intelligence that they recovered, including the feeds from the golem. Kyle reluctantly hands the recordings to Kiera, and notes with reluctance that he has backups at Asqualia–now cordoned off and subject to a massive recovery operation. Kiera nods quietly at this. When she has a second, she puts a reassuring hand on Kyle’s shoulder in the seat in front of her: these people can be trusted, without a shred of a doubt.
They talk more about the events leading up to the Asqualia incursion, including their efforts to disable the teleportal platform. This part shocks Joey–they’d played a desperate gambit, and might have stalled the invasion by dumb luck. She’s got another word to describe Drenar now: blessed with uncanny luck. They hadn’t escaped it without damages though, and Drenar still looks like he’s fighting the urge to shout at the SAF officials who chime in with their questions.
Levine and Nick jump in repeatedly and point out the known security lapses, including Lieutenant Curtis, who had been granted clearance access despite questions in his service history. It looks like Lavernius had been right: He had been rumored to run some unsavory side operations in Burkina Faso, and Levine digs his nails into his palm as the details slowly come out. He’s furious, too.
Recounting all the details of what they did in Asqualia, before the attack–it feels like they’re fishing for someone to blame, based on the way the SAF officers glare at all of them in turn. Levine glares right back at them. The fact that he’s not in cuffs by now, suggests this is merely their attempt to put culpability on a bunch of teens who had no clearance.
Their thoughts indicate as such, and she narrows her eyes. Kiera might be harboring massive secrets that got people hurt, but she truly cares for all of them–even if some of her decision-making might have been guided by passion rather than logic. They talk about the attempted scuttling of the platform, how Curtis could have had access, and Lavernius’s involvement.
That’s when she gets irritated that they suggest that she and Kyle had played right into their hands. “Excuse me, but are you aware of the factions within the Talons, yes? From a historical perspective?” She sizes up the one with the black hair and gray eyes, he’s not one to be easily rattled, and he’s been the one asking pointed questions that look to assign blame. “Kyle?”
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“After the decapitation strike during the War of the Magi, the Talons adopted a decentralized structure. While this afforded them a better ability to withstand decapitating strikes on leadership, a lack of discipline could cause factions to compete and eventually kill select members to assert dominance. Sometimes to the detriment of their organization. Go read some history books, eggheads,” Kyle adds with disgust before sitting down in his chair and glaring at the man.
Detailing the rest is…difficult. Who was where, when, and why the teleportal was destroyed…everyone wants to blame Lavernius. Julia sits up, tired of the whitewash.
“I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for Bernard. Neither would Joey, or so many other people. They had an army in reserve they kept pulling from, and by burning that platform, we saved ninety-plus lives, gentlemen.”
“So you admit to participating in this effort–”
“You’re not lawyers, and this isn’t a crime scene, egghead,” she adds in a scathing rebuke. Drenar tries to get her to sit down, but she waves him off. “This is a scene of a tragedy, that we desperately tried to stop.”
“She’s right. The Talons had numerical advantages, and Lavernius chose to side with the staff of the facility. He died defending our retreat. He was slain by that nightmare-level fiend that killed one of my friends. I don’t know if I can call him a hero…but he stood by us when he could have just run off to join his friends. He killed several talons soldiers before he fell.” She sits down in her chair, and Angela squeezes her hand gently after the officers look at each other, then Zameren stands up, and glares at the two SAF officers.
“It’s true that Curtis was a traitor. We were all blindsided by it. We put trust in that man, who put out a calm veneer…and he betrayed us. If it were not for Joey’s sharp wits, no one would have come out of the night's events alive. No one. You would be well reminded of who should have been keeping a closer eye on your own. If you dare to accuse them of helping contribute to this unprecedented tragedy, I will not let this go. Fifteen staff members lost their lives. Double that are injured, some of them seriously. Bernard had the decency to choose to side with us at the end, take that as you will.” He sits down, his gaze boring a hole through those two men who were finally rankled by his authoritative voice.
The finger-pointing and subtle accusations stop after that moment. Drenar details the dash through the vault, and Volkir inputs quietly–he’s taken form in the shape of a middle-aged man with silver hair, and green eyes, and still looks somewhat youthful, even given his age. He also has biting words for their accusations, and their gasps at the revelation of his identity do bring a light smile to her face.
They aren’t facing the sharks in this room alone.
They conveniently skip the part where Drenar drowned–that felt a little too personal to bring up, and she’s glad Drenar doesn’t chime in either. Eventually, they detail the last parts about Valosterla, the battle in the power plant, and the Talons’ routing at the hands of them, and the Valkyries. Kiera gives an icy stare at the soldiers after that exhausting several hours, with only a few breaks in between.
“They love their paperwork,” Drenar whispers with a baleful glare at the men during a pause. They confer quietly with a few other agents who pop into the room on occasion. “Probably feeding the casualty report to Val when they get a chance–”
Don’t. She glances at him and gives a subtle shake of her head. Don't say that part aloud.
You can communicate in two ways now? Wow. I thought it was a fluke in the plant. His eyes widen slightly, but he takes the hint, and his focus returns to the forward portion of the room. He keeps glancing at her, out of the corner of his eye. I know we have a lot of other things on our plate but…that is cool, Joey.
I’m learning as I go, Drenar. And I have no idea where this ability's limits are. She wasn’t kidding when she wanted to do field research on herself. But, it’s so low on the priority stack, that she can’t even process it. The reminder of the casualties intermittently through the debrief has been taking a toll on her. Hearing names, and recalling the rooms where people died, it’s getting harder and harder to keep a brave face on. Drenar can sense it too, when she digs her fingernails into her jeans at the mention of Reeves and Betty.
We won’t forget them, Joey. We’ll make sure all the people involved in their deaths are brought to justice. She’s surprised when he places his hand over hers. His skin has a few callouses, but his grip is firm and his touch warm. The trembles in his hand seem to have gone away–she’s noticed that a few times. Let’s get through this. I know this is hard. I know this has to be the second worst day of your life. But you won’t face it alone.
It’s…I’m glad you guys are here, Drenar. Because I would have lost it a few hours ago. She takes a deep breath while they finish going over the details, and Kiera is visibly irritated by this point, after this nonstop interrogation. She’s had to stop more than a few times to chastise them for forgetting this entire room is one giant trauma case, and she has forgone any level of subtlety in her comments.
Levine clears his throat and turns to his peers and his tone is one of utter hostility. “So what’s the point of this fishing expedition? Are you looking for someone to blame? Blame the murderous CEO who has several Conclave members in her pocket. Blame the killers who performed a home invasion at scale. But if you dare to accuse anyone in this room of wrongdoing, then you will be tendering your resignations before the turn of the day. Am I understood?”
“That’s bold of you, Dillenger.” A new voice speaks from the doorway of the conference room, and a woman in a grey and blue uniform steps in. She’s blonde-haired, wearing glasses, and holding onto a tablet like her life depends on it, despite the composure in her words. “Eyeing management, finally?”
“Karen Artemis. I’ve been wondering when you’d come to view the casualties.” There is little formality in his voice, and even Nick looks averse to the change in tone. “Your attack dogs have been wasting my time and subjecting these individuals to threats since they set foot here at the promenade. You have some nerve.”
“We are following every lead, Dillenger. I’ve read your initial reports. I want your resignation on my desk by noon tomorrow,” she snaps. “You actively sabotaged conclave property, by your admission–
“Wrong. I want yours.” He tosses an additional folder on a table in the center of the room, and Joey looks at it, surprised. “I know why Curtis flew under the radar. You signed off on his service record adjustments for his ‘black box’ operations. I didn’t have to look far, once I knew what to look for last night.” There’s more than a few gasps in the room. “Karen, you let that one slip. All intelligence officers are subject to intense scrutiny to avoid entanglement after deep cover operations. The Talons converted him and gave him money. A lot of money. We’re lucky he was lazy once he had a fat paycheck, or their knowledge could have been sufficient to plan for an effective assault.”
“You better have more than that, Dillenger!” she snaps in response to the outright hostility. “You accuse the oversight–me–of negligence?!”
“I’d be careful who you accuse, Karen.” Kiera acts like this is not the first time they’ve interacted, and those icy cold eyes are that of a predator sizing up prey. She can’t help but feel a little intimidated by this display. “Because I bet this isn’t the only ‘oversight’ that would crop up. Dillenger, do you have authority to–”
“Section fifteen paragraph nineteen, lines…screw it, someone go get the book,” Levine grouses. “It’s the one that states that in the advent of a crisis, the responding officer of SAF–myself–shall follow any leads in the event of a security breach of this magnitude. In addition, Bernard Lavernius was able to acquire an administrator card to get unobstructed access into the facility for Roland King, aka, the Kingmaker. You remember who he is, don't you?”
“You're throwing that in my face? Again?” she hisses.
“Karen, all I have to do is drop a slip of paper, and it’ll crush your body into the pavement like a pancake, if you want to talk about the scale of egregious actions,” he rebuts. She taps angrily at her datapad, and her body posture is tense. She’s looking for a fight. “SAF override access and administrator cards could only come from the highest levels of SAF. The treachery on this one runs deep, Karen.”
“You dare to accuse my office?” Drenar is tensed and a fingertip is on his dagger. He’s not unjustly worried about this blowing up out of control.
“Karen, my facility was compromised on multiple levels. The technical know-how to bypass security in that way is only known to a few select individuals. If we are to assume that Lavernius and Curtis were separate factions, then Lavernius knew because of his intricate knowledge of teleportal magitech. Curtis could only have gleaned it with inside help.” Zameren stands up and points at her. “I am here, rather than at the side of those affected by this attack, because you seek to accuse those who came to my aid. I am also a vote on the security panel, Karen. I am initiating a vote of no confidence against you. Per SAF protocols, and if I know my old friend correctly, you have no choice but to stand down and let Dillenger conduct his investigation, no matter where the leads go.”
“This is outrageous. I’ll see that you’re locked up for this, Dillenger,” she says with words dripping with venom. Drenar turns to rise and looks like he’s about to shank this unruly Karen, but Joey grabs his arm subtly, and she gives him a disgruntled look.
Let this play out. This one isn’t ours to fight. The warning isn't lost on him, and he gives one last scathing glance at Artemis before he dips his head slightly.
Fine. I was going to use words, anyway. He sits down as Karen throws colorful accusations. They’re without merit, and eventually, she runs out of steam and stomps out of the room once Zameren follows through with his vote.
She’s probably going to lose it, given the unprecedented attack at six sites, plus Asqualia. Eventually, the room clears out, and it’s just them, plus Kiera and the two other Valkyries.
“Kiera…you know what we have to discuss,” Drenar states with remarkable calm. “You know who we have to discuss.”
“Not here. Not now. It is too dangerous to discuss in the open. Nick, your residence is still a Valkyrie safehouse, correct?” she asks quietly. He shifts uncomfortably, the sling still keeping his arm secured.
“I can’t remember the last time I had guests of that caliber over. But, yes. Guys, I know it’s a bit of an ask, but is everyone good to go?”
“We’re not going to avoid talking about it, Kiera,” Drenar states calmly. It’s like he has ice in his veins, with the low tone he uses. It takes a lot to rile him up, she notes silently. “Tomorrow morning. Guys, shall we?"
She glances at her wristwatch–it is indeed now nighttime. They’d been at this all day, with few breaks, and she still felt the itch of recovering wounds and aching bones. They head back through the commons, where stretchers and cots still sit, some occupied, and medical equipment still stacked in an organized fashion across the entirety of the large room set. Then a dreaded thought occurs to her, about at least it's not an existential one. For once.
“Angela, I don’t, um…” she lets out a soft huff. “I don’t have any clothes. All my stuff is in Asqualia. And I can’t imagine going back there anytime soon.”
“You’re about my size, I think I should be able to find something for you,” she replies warmly. Drenar glances at her questioningly, but says nothing–what is he trying to say?
Angela’s a little…different sized, Alex chimes in, and Drenar groans audibly. Julia taps his forehead and grins.
“Spill it, what’s the spirit dragon saying?! I want a microphone for this dragon in your head!” she states with a smile.
“Nothing I want to discuss aloud,” he sighs. He glances at the sliding door, and his eyes go wide. “Oh shit.”
Joey turns to see a teenager with bouncy blonde curls and another woman–her mother, maybe? They’re standing at the door, and Julia gasps.
“Kelly?”
“Julia!?”
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