“Oh.” I pout, clicking my tongue. “Don’t know any of those.”
“Yes,” Cordea smirks wickedly, “you’ve proven to be more of a thorn in Olhav’s ass than I thought you’d be, princess.”
I beam proudly.
Vallan says, “Will you tell him we’ve been here?”
“Of course.”
He frowns. “I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Anything that can change your mind?” I add. To try and bribe Cordea, I start to reach into the bag over Vallan’s shoulder. “How ‘bout some silver?” She hisses, taking a step back as I come out holding a chip of the brilliant stuff. “Oh, right.” I click my tongue again. “Wouldn’t be great for your perfect skin.”
My jokes aren’t landing. I see the strained expressions on my mates’ faces. I stop trying to make light of the dreary situation, with Cordea telling us to our faces that she’s going to betray us.
“Your little fugitive gang has stood here long enough,Taskmaster,” she snarls at Vallan. “It’s best you begone. And don’t tell me where you’re going.”
“We weren’t going to.” Vallan eyes the way she firms her hand around the hilt of her sword to make the threat a good one. “I agree. We’ve overstayed our welcome.” He looks like he wants to apologize, or say something sincere to Cordea, but her stance shows she’s not having it. He’s dead to her. Well, deader than he already is.
With a grunt, Vallan swings the sack more comfortably over his shoulder. “If we both live through this secret war, Cordea, I hope you never have to see my face again, since it offends you so.”
Cordea’s crimson eyes shimmer, and for a moment I think there’s a tinge of emotion there. Then it’s gone. “The feeling is mutual, old friend,” she says through gritted teeth.
Chapter 31
Sephania
The first week goes well enough. Having deposits of silver to drop off to the Firehold is good, and the imports are hefty enough. My mad mother has plenty of glittering ore to smelt and meld and do whatever else she does with it.
By the second week of our clandestine meetings with Cordea and the North Mines—always without guards present, and with a bevy of miners glancing at us on our way out as we hold fat sacks of silver—I start to notice something.
“Bag feels lighter,” I murmur to Vallan, who I have joined on every excursion here. We’ve done three runs in two weeks. Ithoughtthings had been going swimmingly.
He grunts, as he’s wont to do. “Didn’t want to say anything.”
“Why not?” I say, a bit too quickly and defensively.
“Thought it might upset you.”
My defenses go up even higher. I frowning deeply to the giant. “If I reacted poorly to everything that ever upset me, my big brute, you’d have to hideeverythingfrom me. I’d never not be upset.”
“True. But I’ve seen . . . well, never mind.” He clears his throat and we keep walking toward the mountain pass, leaving the dusty mines behind.
“Seen what?” I pry, raising a single brow at him.
He lets out a heavy sigh, clearly knowing he’s said too much and there’s no turning back now. As if to say,This is why I don’t talk much, because it only gets me in trouble.“I’ve seen howthings have weighed on you, silverblood. Skartovius. Lukain. Palacia. Even Cordea seems to get on your nerves, and she means nothing to you. I’ve seen . . .” He trails off, staring at the ground. “. . . How you can become.”
My jaw clenches. “With people like Aelin, you mean. Do you think I was too harsh on her, Vall, not to kill her after we torched her husband?”
“Not at all. The harshness with how you went about it, saying she hasn’t suffered enough.” Lifting his bearded face, he eyes me from his peripheral. “That’s not you, silverblood.”
His words hollow me out, bringing up all sorts of heavy feelings I’d rather not face. I know he’s right. I’ve become wickeder since becoming obsessed with our mission. Bringing down the Five Ministries is my addiction. The collateral damage done is of no concern to me. If it isn’t my friends in danger, or people I know and care about, I don’t mind if harm comes to them.
The ends justify the means, in my mind.
Now, walking down the road, boots slopping in mud, I’m faced with a reappraisal of that approach. “You’re right, love.” A shaky sigh leaves me. “I’ve been a bad girl. Though I’ve never claimed to be a good one.”
He lets out a low rumble. “We would never want you to be. We just don’t want you to lose yourself.”