Page 45 of A Fractured Song

“Hi.”

“And who are you?” Zev’s voice was mild, but somehow held too much authority for a captive. The stranger answered at once.

“My name is Trina. What’s yours?”

“Marieke,” Marieke interjected. “And this is Zev.”

The girl, probably no more than about fifteen, nodded. “Is it true that you’re a singer?”

“Yes.” Marieke folded her hands in her lap, trying to project as much confidence as Zev did.

“Are you from Aeltas?”

Marieke shook her head. “From Oleand. But Zev’s from Aeltas.”

“Oleand?” Trina looked thoughtful. “Things are bad there, right?”

A defensive instinct urged Marieke to deny it, but she curbed the impulse. She’d come to find answers, and she was more likely to get accurate ones if she provided the truth herself.

“It’s not terrible, but it’s getting worse.”

“Is that why you’re here? To figure out how to make it better?”

“One of the reasons,” Marieke said carefully.

“Did the Council of Singers send you?” Trina’s eyes were wide. “Do they want to know if we can help?”

Marieke let out a dry laugh. “Hardly. They don’t know I’m here. I’m not acting on their behalf.”

“You’re trying to bring them down?” Trina guessed.

“No,” Marieke repeated, frowning. “I’m not trying to leadsome rebellion, and I’m not trying to attack anyone. I just want answers. And to help my country.”

The girl leaned back a little, considering Marieke. “Very admirable,” she said politely.

“Trina.” The sharp voice made them all look up to see Svetlana in the doorway.

Trina started as if caught in wrongdoing, and Marieke realized that the three of them were the last ones left in the room.

“I believe you’re on clean up tonight.” Svetlana’s tone made it clear that it wasn’t open for debate, and Trina got quickly to her feet.

“Yes, Svetlana.” With a final glance at the pair, Trina grabbed a loaded tray from the next table over and made her way from the room.

Marieke grabbed her own and Zev’s bowls, adding them to another tray while Zev spoke.

“She wasn’t doing anything wrong, you know. She was just speaking with us. Do you have so much to hide that you don’t want any of your people speaking to outsiders?”

Svetlana didn’t seem troubled by the challenge as she strolled up to their table. “We’re not the ones whose main goal in life is to hide the truth.”

Zev narrowed his eyes slightly as he considered her. “And what does that mean?”

“It means that it’s your Councils of Singers who suppress the truth,” Svetlana said, sensing his displeasure and hardening her own features in response.

“Well, this is a nice surprise, really,” Marieke commented. She moved to stand behind Zev, who rose to his feet as well. “I expected to be the one under fire, since I’m the singer, but instead the two of you are targeting all your disapproval at each other, just as if you didn’t both dislike the councils equally.”

“Is that so?” Svetlana didn’t seem convinced. “A surprisingclaim about a man who’s traveling around with an academy-trained singer.”

“Just as it’s surprising to hear the leader of a secret, subversive community claim that she isn’t the one trying to hide,” Marieke countered.

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