When Ama and Bobbi get tired of doing whatever they chose to do while Klef and I were sitting on the floor reading, they inform us we should probably head out to the meeting rooms to talk about precautions after the morning’s…event. Klef winds up dragging me by the arm down the halls Ama and Bobbi are leading us through. “Treble, slow down,” I warn, alarm bells ringing in my head.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgncbq1E2N
Klef stops abruptly and I crash into him, sending us sprawling on the floor. Did I do something wrong? I backtrack over the past day and can’t find anything other than our normal banter. Did I strike a nerve? Or is it the fact that everything has been normal that bugs Klef? Is he expecting something by now that’s not a kiss? “Treble, did I do something?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiffQxEEPzz
“What? C’mon, Ride, ‘course you didn’t do anything wrong! I want to make sure you’re all right, is all.” Klef grunts and stands up, dusting himself off.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQGaDBxJazY
I stand up too, but my shoulders are more drawn inward, and my hands won’t stop twitching and wanting to move, reaching for a bow and arrow I left behind because I thought this trip would be short and peaceful. “Well, yeah. But you usually aren’t this worked up about it.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFr8MzT7Wa
Klef takes a deep breath. Oh boy, here it comes. “Ride, have you ever dreamed…about us?” he asks. “I don’t mean just a regular dream, either. And us as a thing, not as you and me, partners in crime.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPG8vPsNjY
I pause. “Uh…yeah, sort of. I mean the whole partners in crime thing is there, but…there’s other things too. Romantic things, domestic things, little glimpses into a possible future.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzxdp4fXIOl
“But are there…kids?” Klef asks.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoMEv1qSyc
I want to say yes, to lie, to have an excuse for what I said. But the truth is I have none. “…No. No kids. Not where I can see to, anyway.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmy8HnSMP0n
“So…when you say kids…you mean…?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73FNHk4PpT
“I mean I can see us adopting as a couple, but not in the real way Sight lets me. Just as a stupid fantasy,” I admit, blushing. “I-I know we haven’t been together that long, but…”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡur0xNGNtHA
Klef grins, which doesn’t help my anxiety. “You like me.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQqYjVad7w
“Oh, shut up!” I snap.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXQsYtc8D8S
Klef shakes his head and laughs. “Iridescence,” he whispers. “I’ve loved you for a long, long time. Nothing you can say would weird me out. And kids? Kids sound good to me, too.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdfTJOtMwF
Bobbi giggles from 20 feet in front of us. “You lovebirds done whispering over there?” they ask.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjAW7bRDUiP
Ama ribs them. “Careful, or I’ll send a fluffle of bunnies at you!”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVprnNcYg0J
Bobbi grins innocently and jogs to a stone door down the hall and opens it up with a flourish. I blink. It blended in so well with the walls I couldn’t see it until it was opened. A perfect secret room in a not-so-secret base. When we go in, I see Dad, Hibiscus A, and Flo, but no Rythe. “Rythe isn’t here?” I ask.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNW7gyMsd7X
“Well, someone has to distract the others,” Flo says with a shrug. “And that’s actually one of Rythe’s specialties.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzrJjku4aYu
“Who knew they had them?” Dad gripes.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0CmGml0STu
“You may be the Alpha, sir, but that doesn’t mean I’ll drop Rythe to join you.” Flo crosses her arms. “They’re nice, sir, and I love them.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5519rdj5xF
“Something about them makes my fur stand on end,” Dad dismisses. “But if you say so…”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4gOGNeMd4
“I definitely say so,” Flo says with a smile.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJneYSEDBko
“Then I’ll allow him a backseat pass,” Dad sighs. “But that doesn’t mean that I’ll like it.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3TzwnZWnR
“So,” Bobbi says, walking further in the room and looking around the dimly lit space. “Who forgot to turn on the overhead light again? Come on, guys, it’s not like anyone will see this room is occupied out in the hall if we turn it on, the creepy going-against-the-law look is just overkill in a situation this serious.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuDkgSnsqH1
I burst out laughing as they go to the wall and flip a light switch. They grin as they return to the table everyone is huddled around and sit in a chair, propping their feet up on it. “Glad I could shed some light on the situation,” Bobbi laughs, looking up at me. “They’re always this dramatic, I’m afraid.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmScD0leLfI
“Oh, believe me, I’m used to it,” I say. “I deal with my dear boyfriend Klef all day, every day.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywHffx9fXr
“Hey!” Klef exclaims. “That’s just rude!”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dz7bC9sNF
I shrug. “Haters gonna hate, my dear boyfriend. Just let me be mean once in a while, since I do the same to you, sound good?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7iWjGO0Si
“No! And when am I rude?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlT2Gm3PWc8
“Just about every time that you talk with your mouth full,” I quip. “Can we move on? There’s someone out there who wants to kill us, you know.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwOMBzyov9
Klef rolls his eyes and playfully nudges me. “Okay. Do we know anything about who was trying to kill us? Are there any witnesses? Anything unusual?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKynpClkZl
Dad shakes his head. “Nothing, unfortunately. The hallway was conveniently deserted at the time of the attack. We don’t know who did this, or why. Though this isn’t the first time unusual occurrences have popped up around the base.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2hU743Ssf
“Unusual how?” I ask.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxXVUQUXXr
Hibiscus A clears their throat. “Well, several times over the years we have had reports of stolen items from several different reverse engineering rooms. It’s never things that are finished, though. It’s always the half-baked ideas and things that don’t seem to go with anything else that gets stolen, along with any notes on what the piece appeared to do, or what it could be attached to. We have no idea who’s behind it. The running theory was that it was some kids who wanted to be like their parents and grabbed the notes and pieces and simply forgot to put it back, or chose not to. But there were never any witnesses to that either, so I’m thinking that these two things are connected somehow.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBqnBqiiJNF
“Yeah, it’s a bit of an out-there theory, though,” Flo points out. “Just because no one thought twice about someone picking up a piece of tech doesn’t mean they wouldn’t look twice at someone stealing a weapon. Someone had to notice that grenade went missing, wouldn’t they?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaFLk7aHwq
Hibiscus shrugs. “What if they simply weren’t around? We all know there are people in the Crusaders who are good at crowd management. That’s why they’re here, we recruited them to distract the masses during huge heists. We could have several rats scurrying around right under our noses, and no one would be the wiser!”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ64hpQ5VKWt
“I know, I just don’t like the thought of one of our own going against the cause,” Flo says, wringing her hands.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPmpKf5s2s
“I don’t either,” Ama interjects. “But Hibiscus is right, we have to entertain the possibility.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLQoVeC5R9
Flo pulls a face and nods. “I know. Believe me, I know.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRc9vuQkNE
Dad claps his hands together and everyone’s attention snaps back to him. “Look, we have cameras around the weapons areas. We have to. If we’re lucky, the perp set off the tripwire and we’ll have a picture of who walked through there to get weapons this morning. If we’re not, well, we’re still at square 2, where at least we know someone is trying to attack us, right? That’s better than square 1. We’re not oblivious anymore.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOb2bYPAK0V
I nod. “Dad has a point. We’re better than we were, at least. And everyone in this room can be trusted, at any rate, so Klef and I aren’t flying blind like we’ve had to do in the past.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1WGusWTx5
Klef shudders. “Oh, I remember those times. Those were not fun. We nearly got beheaded on one of those trips!”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9keR2LccU
Dad growls. “You nearly what?!”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwU6KXi4q3
Klef pales. “Uh, nothing, sir. It’s nothing!”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HK3h0d2yb
I sigh at their antics. “Will you two ever behave around each other? This is just ridiculous.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwWrCZVJul
Dad shrugs but Klef, at least, looks sheepish. “Sorry, Ride. Your dad scares me.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HNLDsXLDj
“So I gathered,” I say with a grin. “It’s actually pretty funny, considering he’s a big softie.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg3S6wt5mWz
“No I’m not!” Dad protests. “Stop telling people I am a softie! I am death wrapped in a fur coat!”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmz1j15zkq
I giggle. “Sure, Dad. Sure. No one doubts that.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiiDsa4kDMx
“I do,” Flo says quietly with a grin.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFr82PZmZeU
“Eh, I’ve seen him try to intimidate people,” Ama adds, looking around. “I’m not that impressed, to be honest.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CghC8Iyn8
“You guys are the worst,” Dad gripes.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtl4pDPczK7
I grin. “Isn’t that what family and friends are for, though? I always assumed the point of it was to take someone down a peg or two if needed. Also, less often but no less important: bringing someone a peg up if that’s what needs to happen.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPEGNmAEYP
“Mm,” Klef hums. “I remember doing that with you, Iri. When you were letting the town's girls get to you.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX76T9pqYPC
“You obviously didn’t bring her up enough if she’s settling for you, though,” Dad quips.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk2rcPiaJs
Klef grins. “Well, I couldn’t let her realize she’s far too good for me if I wanted her to be with me, right?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQvbcdWSH7
I sigh. No matter what I do, if those two are in a room together than they will make life difficult for one another. “So, Hibiscus. If we have no suspects, what’s the course of action for security?” I ask.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjvfPbhZ1h
“That’s up to you,” Hibiscus says. “We could keep you safe around the base, with a stricter protection detail, or you could move somewhere safe, once we’ve established you can’t be taken out by whoever’s travelling with you and where you’re travelling, or we could act like nothing’s happened, and hope we get lucky, find your attacker before they find you… Honestly, Oracle, it’s all up to you.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4LXt3PBNA
I sigh. “I don’t want to run, much as everyone would love me to do so. After 5 years, if I don’t have more information on my dreams, I’m never going to get it. The most I can do now is fight, like everyone else. And while my fighting is good, I doubt it’s nearly as good as anyone around here who has been doing it if not most of their life, then most of their Deuxlife. My expertise is exhausted. There’s no real point in protecting me any more than there is protecting anyone else. It’s important, yes, but it’s not the end- all be- all of existence, as horrible as that sounds to an outsider.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2mWwiothet
Hibiscus nods. “Well, then, my dear, if escape is not an option, and protection is a waste of resources, what do you propose?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnpq37LCSF
“Nothing much,” I say with a shrug. “Just that if this person is so keen on using weapons against me and Klef when we’re presumably alone, just letting us sit in the library and read, and let whoever is asking know that we’re sitting in the library and reading, could be of great use to us.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbkgp6X07Rt
Dad’s eyes widen. “What?! Iri, no. You can’t use yourself as bait!”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9sNKaAore
Klef looks over at me, and lightly touches my arm to capture my attention. “I’ll do it, but only if you’re sure.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYkdpbK7gw
“Of course I’m sure,” I say. “I wouldn’t offer the option up if I wasn’t. I wandered a forest with you 5 years ago because I was sure it was a good idea, even if I didn’t remember who you were. I only do things when I’m sure or when I can’t afford to not be.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnWvGzk5QN
Klef looks uncertain, but nods. “If you’re confident, then I’m going to be there with you, no matter what.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTd7n9t5f9e
“No!” Dad barks. “I will not allow it!”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauUPlVl69A
“You don’t have a choice, Dad. It’s our lives, and our decision,” I state. “The only choice you have is whether you will support it or not.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHMVBen5bU
Dad growls, and runs a hand down his face. “I can’t support you. Not this time. I’m sorry. But if you’re going to risk your second life when you’ve already pushed your luck once before and nearly died for it, there’s nothing I can do for you. Come talk to me when this is over.” He walks around the table and out the door, closing it behind him with a firm tug.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgHe5TSrbM
I follow him out with my eyes. Klef’s touch on my arm increases in pressure to a light squeeze. “Hey,” he whispers. “This is your choice, not his. You can talk to him when this is all over.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXnrr618EP
“Yeah,” I breathe. “Yeah, because we’re going to make it out alive, aren’t we?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EvVntrpwv
“You know it, Ride,” Klef says with that small, genuine smile of his that he only brings out when he’s really proud of someone.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3lATJ7Lq1c
I turn to everyone left in the room. “All right. Where are good places that Klef and I can look alone but you guys can hide for backup?”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT7yqkqPzRf
Everyone looks at each other, before all saying at once, “The courtyard.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZ12KDMz1m
“Well. That’s settled. Where’s the courtyard, then?” Klef asks.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp1ekK0rTnB
“I’ll show you the way, while everyone else can get weapons if they wind up needing them,” Ama offers. “My magic can do most of my fighting for me, if needed.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDWiDXSrQPP
I nod. “Lead the way,” I say, gesturing to the door.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsvDSexbbnM
Ama grins and nods. “Yes, ma’am,” she says with a little salute.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoajtZFCIPJ
Klef snickers and I whack him on the arm as the 3 of us leave the room. He responds by snatching my arm and kissing my knuckles. “You are awful,” I laugh.797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBYYNTc8MYV
“Yeah,” Klef says with a shrug. “Awfully fond of you.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4ylhrj1HY
I groan. “Get some better pickup lines, Treble, and we’ll talk about flirting openly.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cep4Llabx
Klef laughs, and we continue down the seemingly never-ending maze of hallways and rooms until there’s one slightly normal-looking hallway, not made of stone or concrete, but brick. And in the middle of this brick hallway there is one single, solitary door, with glass windows showing just a glimpse of the open expanse outside. Ama opens the door. “Welcome to the courtyard,” she says. “Also known as the place where new dragons come to learn to fly. Make yourselves comfortable, you might be here awhile.”797Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNHL1nf5nYb
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