“Whoa,” Eva said, gawking at him.
He shrugged. “What? I just don’t buy it.”
“Neither do I,” Eira replied. “Trap would never do that.”
Taeral sighed. “I agree. But Medina made it clear, from where she stands. Let’s just get settled, have this meeting with her, and discuss Trap Mellon later, okay? We have a lot of work to do, and very little time to do it before the Hermessi eventually catch on that we’re here.”
That was true. We couldn’t hide from them forever. Everything we had on us was a mere artifice, and it wouldn’t protect us forever, especially since the Hermessi knew we’d be coming for Eirexis. Planning our search and retrieval of this first piece would be best done in peace and quiet, and for the time being, we had that.
There was no room for mistakes, going forward. As much as I disliked what we’d just heard about Trap Mellon, we had no choice but to put the thought of him aside, at least until we had a better idea as to where we might find Eirexis. Recovering Thieron was essential. It was our only chance at salvation, and everything else could wait.
Taeral
My room was right next to Eira’s, as it turned out. It hadn’t even been planned, since Medina had passed the keys around without actually checking the numbers engraved on them. It seemed as though fate still wanted me close to Eira, and I’d welcomed the outcome more than I’d thought possible.
I settled in but kept all the essentials in my backpack. I checked the windows and washed my face, then dried off with a soft towel. Taking time to analyze my room, I understood that this was where the emperor housed his more valuable or secret guests. My parents had a similar arrangement back home on the Fire Star, and so did Ash and Ruby in Nevertide. Sometimes, the emperor welcomed people without the public’s knowledge—mercenaries, ambassadors, refugees of high political value who couldn’t be sent into an inn or checked into a hotel. They had to be close to the emperor, under the palace’s protection.
This entire wing had been built for that specific purpose, and the design was neutral in color, though opulent in its details. The lighting was dim, but the fixtures were sculptural pieces, each beautiful and unique. The art on the walls was sublime but generic—landscapes of Silvergate and other domains. The bedspreads, the carpets, and the curtains matched in soft shades of gray, white, and beige, and there were little gifts neatly wrapped on a silver platter, on the study. I pulled the ribbon off one and discovered a cute little wooden box filled with an assortment of local sweets. I could almost hear Herakles gasping and throwing them in his mouth, one by one.
After a while, I got bored. We were still half an hour away from our planned meeting with Medina, and I had too much time to spend by myself. I’d noticed this anxiety set in earlier in the game, when we’d first come to Cerix. There was so much happening that I hadn’t had time to pay attention to what my own psyche was telling me. Now that I could hear all the thoughts zooming through my head, I only wanted to be back with the crew, listening to others instead of my internal agitation.
A knock on the door startled and delighted me at the same time. This Hermessi debacle had certainly taken its toll on me, and the worst part was the image of my father, out cold in his crystal casing, back home. I needed to keep my mind busy with something else, and this unexpected visitor—whoever it may have been—would do the trick.
To my surprise, Eira stood before me when I opened the door.
“You okay?” I asked.
She shook her head and walked past me, right into my room. For a moment, I felt naked and vulnerable in her presence. It likely had something to do with this morning and my realization that I was, in fact, developing feelings for her. I’d yet to address that with myself… part of the reason why I didn’t want to be alone. Because then I’d have to properly process this.
“I’m worried about Trap,” she said. “This isn’t right.”
My concerns regarding my affection for her flew out the window. She was too agitated about Trap Mellon, and I needed to support her as best as I could, without jeopardizing the mission in any way. I understood her angst, but I couldn’t let anything get between us and Eirexis—as awful as it sounded.
“I understand. We can look into it later. We could even ask the emperor,” I replied.
“Listen, Trap would rather die than join a cult. Any cult. I’ve known him my whole life. His only objective is to protect Cerix from internal and external threats,” she snapped. “He would never, ever join the Hermessi’s death cult, I swear to you. I will go to my grave standing by these words.”
“Let’s just make sure you don’t go to any grave prematurely,” I said quickly. “But I get your concern, I really do. I just don’t know what action we can take. Medina seemed pretty—”
“Screw Medina,” she grumbled, crossing her arms. “I’m telling you, he wouldn’t. He was like a father to me. He taught me everything I know. Dammit, my whole worldview was shaped by his words and actions… It’s just not possible. Maybe someone’s framing him. I just…”
I put my hands on her shoulders, hoping I’d manage to take some of the edge off. She seemed to relax slightly under my grip, giving me a pained look.
“I trust you on this,” I said. “I do. Our only problem is that we wouldn’t even know where to start investigating this. Most importantly, we have Eirexis to find.”
She sighed. “I know. But I can’t leave Trap on his own. Whoever did this to him, they wanted him out of the way, and they succeeded.”
“Maybe we can convince Medina that—”
“She won’t listen,” Eira shot back, shaking her head. “She’s made up her mind already. You heard her. And believe me, she never knew Trap like I do. No, we need to handle this differently.”
This was a side of her I hadn’t seen often, but enjoyed, nonetheless. The soldier in her had come back to life, as fierce and as relentless as ever. Her whole demeanor had changed the moment she’d set foot on Cerix again. Her posture was straight and stiff, her chin high and her lips drawn firmly into a thin line. She’d been fitted with a GASP uniform, customized to her height and size, but she still retained the military allure. I couldn’t take my eyes off her, I realized, in awe of the strength that came off her in pulsating waves.
“What do you suggest?” I asked.
She looked at me, the blue in her eyes almost glowing with determination. “We speak to Emperor Tulla, directly, before or after dinner. Or during. I don’t care. But we address this with him.”
“Won’t Medina be offended?”
“Do I look like I care?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I have to say, I am thankful to have you as a friend. If you’ll fight for me half as hard as you’re fighting for Trap, I know I won’t ever be lost for long.”
She blushed, lowering her gaze. The sight made my heart swell and throb inside my chest, and I needed several deep breaths to regain my focus.
“I just know he wouldn’t do this,” she murmured.
“And, like I said, you have my full support and trust on this,” I replied firmly. “We’ll talk to Emperor Tulla, then. We’ll piss Medina off, if needed.”
She gave me a worried look. “I don’t want to get in the way of finding Eirexis.”
“You won’t. We’ll figure something out, Eira. We’re a team, remember?” I said, smiling. “Besides, the others didn’t like this idea of Trap going cult-crazy, either. I’m sure they’ll be on board with this.”
“I… Thank you…”
“Don’t thank me yet. Let’s see what the emperor can tell us first. Worst-case scenario, I’ll have to zap around and sneak into Trap’s place tonight or whenever I get the chance. We’ll get to the bottom of this, and it won’t sidetrack us from our core mission,” I replied.
There were things I saw differently about Eira, now. It definitely had something to do with her being back on Cerix, I thought. She was back in her element. It had brought out a side of her I hadn’t seen since our encounter with Death, and it thrilled me. It interested me, making me want to reach out and peel away these layers of hers until I got to the core of who she truly was.