Page 114 of Between Fear and Favor

EMMELINE

The woman seatedat the table looked remarkably similar to Nor. With wavy, midnight hair, thick brows, and a long nose that tipped downward the slightest bit, the resemblance was striking. But where Nor’s skin was pale, Veda’s was a rich russet color—similar to that of her brother, Raj. Her mouth dropped open, and the spoon she’d been holding clattered on top of her plate.

“What—how did you—why are you here?” she shrieked, before shoving away from the table, grabbing a small child from a chair beside her. She was tall, nearly Rain’s height. With wide eyes, she backed toward the hearth.

Rain stepped through the rift first, with hands raised. “Veda, please. I’m sorry to scare you, but we need your help.”

I followed behind him, and her dark gaze darted over Rain’s shoulder to me before she frowned at my husband. “Why should I help you? You got my brother killed.”

Rain stopped. Gnawing through him, the words discovered a hospitable environment within his chest—the statement finding a home in his heart like a worm in an apple. He visibly flinched, posture suffering from the blow. I closed my eyes, gently tracing our golden connection, wishing I could comfort him more thoroughly. But Veda had suffered a terrible loss, and to provide Rain any kind of relief might seem a minimization of her own grief. Despite knowing whatever had happened wasn’t Rain’s fault, we were still responsible for the life of each soldier.

“And I don’t think I can emphasize enough just how sorry I am.” Rain hung his head, and I fought against the threat of tears. “I loved your brother, and I will miss him every single day.”

Veda’s lips pursed, but she bent, easing her son to the ground. “Go play, Arun,” she murmured. The little boy backed out of the room, large solemn eyes darting between the two of us. Veda shooed him, and the pattering of little feet brought a smile to my face.

“My husband sent word he would be home for the night. I assume that’s why you’re here?” she asked.

Rain nodded, eyeing the table. “May we discuss?”

She crossed her arms, but gestured for us to sit.

“I have no desire to implicate you,” Rain said as he settled into his chair. She slowly eased into the seat across from him. Not knowing what to do with myself, I sat beside Rain, listening quietly. Part of me had been inclined to entertain her child and allow Rain to plead for her assistance in private. But I thought he would have felt it was abandonment. He had known Veda for almost as long as he’d known Raj, and it wasn’t easy to face her. “I couldn’t exactly rift right to the Seat, and so I hoped you would take pity on us.”

“And what do you hope for me to do? Amil cannot help?—”

“I wouldn’t ask Amil to betray the Supreme. It’s certain death.” Rain shook his head. “Neither of you should be punished for worshiping the gods and putting your faith in the Myriad. All I ask is for a place for me and Em to rest until dark. If you happen to know where we can find novice garments, that would be helpful too.”

Veda clasped her hands on the table in front of her. With her husband in the Supreme’s guard, Veda’s immediate family was among a sparse population allowed to live in Lamera. Though there were shops and inns and places of worship within the city, and many Vestians worked at those locations, the only people allowed to reside inside its walls were hand-chosen by the Myriad.

“Are you truly the Beloved?” she asked after a long moment. Before I could answer, she continued, nearly breathless. “If you’re the Beloved, then to say no would be to defy the gods, would it not? Amil will not like this, but I think we have to. The gods would want us to, wouldn’t they? But if Amil comes home, then...” she trailed off as she looked at me.

Surprise bound my tongue for only a moment. “I am the Beloved. I can prove it, if you’d like. Although, Hanwen’s gift is a bit different, so I’m not sure?—”

“Did my brother believe it?” she whispered, eyes meeting Rain’s. “Did Raj die for her cause?”

“Her cause is the same as mine. The Beloved is prophesied to bring peace to the Three Kingdoms. Aonara blessed her with healing, Ciarden with shadows, Rhia with our daughter, and Hanwen gifted her a deeper well of divinity,” Rain said, an edge of irritation making itself known. He tempered it quickly, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “To answer your question, yes. Raj did die for her cause. He believed in her just as fiercely as I do.”

My heart was in my throat, and I wished to be anywhere but here. I was grateful for Rain’s love and support, but it felt as if I was responsible for every bit of destruction and death which had occurred.

And I was, wasn’t I?

Everyone who had died had done so fighting for me to have a chance against our many foes, the worst of which hadn’t been identified.

Veda sighed and put her elbows on the table. Rubbing her hands over her face, she pushed on her eyes a bit harder than necessary. I wasn’t sure if she was a conduit or not, but she didn’t seem much older than Lavenia. I knew their parents had died when Raj was younger, and it hurt to think Veda lost her older brother at such a young age as well.

I didn’t breathe. Success hinged upon her decision. If she told her husband we were there, our plan would be ruined. We needed to stop the Supreme from waking Iemis, and we needed to save those children. Veda held our fate in her hands.

She finally lifted her head, blinking hard. “Wait upstairs in my sitting room,” Veda said. “On my way back from taking Arun to Amil’s mother, I will fetch you what you need.”

Rain tensed beside me, and I knew it killed him to ask, “Will he speak of us?”

Veda clenched her jaw. “He doesn’t talk yet.”

“And we can trust you not to tell Amil’s mother?” Rain asked, leaning forward on his elbows. Mouth tight, and back rigid, his countenance was severe.

“I will not have her dying for your cause too,” she snapped. “I will endanger myself alone—for Raj.” She stood, pointed toward the staircase, and pulled her cloak off a hook by the door. “Arun, come. Let us go visit Nani.”

Lamera was crowded.With such little space, each house was quite narrow, with multiple floors. When Veda had said to wait for her, I hadn’t imagined having to climb so many stairs to find her sewing room. The small space was remarkably tidy. With a comfortable chair and small bookshelf beside the window, it seemed this room might have doubled as a reading spot for the woman.

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