Chapter 419 (1/2)

Chapter 419

Chapter 417: One of Mine

CAERA DENOIR

Our base of operations in Sandaerene lacked all the charard Seris had con’s research facilities for us to use as a co about the sterile, functional building that leftbut cold ht everywhere one looked

The grated floor rang with a somber, impersonal tone as Ichamber where we held our daily conferences The door—cold nature as I approached and slid open with a dull grinding noise

The inside of theroom was no better The central table lookedelse, and the chairs surrounding it were purposefully unco panels lined one wall The primary broadcast from Central Dominion played in the ht showed a nunized the battery cha cell on one screen, and apanoramic of the city of Rosaere on another

“You’re early”

“You’re out of bed,” I answered, turning to find Cylrit sitting on a bench against the wall to ainst the wall “You shouldn’t be”

He rubbed one hand down the side of his pale gray cheek, scratching at the stubble growing there “If I lie in bed any longer, I may actually die”

I rolled my eyes “All men truly are babies, aren’t they? Even retainers”

His brows rose very slightly “Oh, I don’t know about that I think I’ve recovered fairly well considering acy”

Cylrit and I both turned toward a door on the opposite wall of the roo The door slid aside with the sa noise, and Seris stepped into the room Cylrit eased up from his bench to bow, and I followed suit

Seris waved our greeting away “Cylrit I have no use for a retainer who can’t follow orders You are to remain at rest until our healers are satisfied that your core has suffered no lasting da to read her expression, tone, and body language Our conflict with the High Sovereign and his forces had not been going as well as we ht have hoped, and I felt certain the stress of our recent losses n at all

“Forgiveback down on the bench, “but Doctor Xanys did release o”

Seris walked around the table to stand in front of the screens, staying just outside the range of the telepathic field The broadcast was showing a long line ofartifact in chains and with s clamped around their mouths “Named Blood Akula of Truacia”

The Akula blood had been part of the s both silver froht up froned to the shi+p the screen with a sour expression “It’s possible they slipped up, but it’s equally possible so the guilt I felt without ing in it

I’d been the one who brought the Akula blood into this In a way, I was responsible for as happening to them now But I couldn’t shoulder that bla and loss on both sides Still, when the youngest irl no older than eleven, wasdown her bright red cheeks, I had to look away

But Seris watched, holding a silent vigil for the they would be executed Even when the others started to arrive in twos and threes, then larger groups, until the roo with analysts, operators, Imbuers, and commanders, she kept her eyes on the broadcast The chatter that would pick up with each new arrival, as people acknowledged each other with quick greets, died quickly

Only when everyone had arrived did Seris turn her back on the broadcast Behind her, the rest of us watched as carts carrying the prisoners rolled away fro artifact

“Reports?”

In the instant of hesitation that followed, I stepped in “Maylis—Matron Treh-value assets in Aramoor have been successfully relocated” All eyes turned to me, some wary, others hopeful “It was very close, and we lost es in the conflict with retainer Mawar, but so far it appears the identities of those present have not been co ressive,” one of our field co violence against the people to turn public opinion against our efforts”

“We believe they’re tracking inter-doineer frohblood Redwater put in

“How?” asked someone else—I didn’t catch who in the packed conference rooineer adh-value assetsthat we’re confident they are”

There was so at this proclamation, but it died out after only a few seconds

“Are our plans for the next assault on the shi+eld in place?” Seris asked, scanning the room for the several people involved in that project

An Ihblood Ainsworth cleared her throat “Despite this recent setback, our highblood will do its part I received aour co cadence suggested she wasn’t exactly thrilled about what Seris had asked theo forith it at all, especially after Hector nearly lost his life to Mawar He was a prideful man, however, and such close calls tended to either break a person’s will or buttress it Clearly, he was one of the latter

“The necessary alterations to the estate have beenthe wider connectivity is…difficult, of course, but if Highblood Ainsworth follows through, we’re confident in our work”

The Iineer “We’ll do our part Even if it leads us to the same fate as the Akula blood, apparently”

Despite the growing tension, the conversation changed course, honing in on a number of technical details that were outside of the scope of h I did my best to stay invested, many of the finer points escaped me

One of the doors slid open Many sets of eyes turned to the late arrival, but the flow of conversation didn’t stop Wolfru like a startled rocavid as he searched the room When he saw me, some of the tension left hi

We exchanged silent nods, then both turned our attention back to the conversation, which was finally shi+fting away from the previous topic

“There have been five recorded descensions within the shi+eld over the last week,” the head of the Ascenders association in Aedelgard said Anvald of Named Blood Torpor was a bald man with broad shoulders and a severe look “Sixteen ascenders in total All were interviewed, logged, and released beyond the shi+eld in Rosaere None were operating with the express purpose of reaching Sehz-Clar”

The few descension portals in the western half of Sehz-Clar were kept under heavy guard Seris had beentraffic out of them since even before the shi+eld went up, and we continued to do so now to ents into the dominion It was possible to destroy the portals, of course, but Seris said that, until they had proof that Agrona could weaponize the she couldn’t rebuild

After everything I had seen while adventuring with Grey, I felt confident a handful of descension portals weren’t going to ued the point It was nearly iet a specific descension portal outside of the second level anyway

A few follow-up questions were asked about the ascenders, and then themoved on

“We need to reconsider our supply lines from eastern Sehz-Clar and Etril,” one of the analysts said before launching into a report on the a versus the a proble the sale of food to civilians in three weeks The smaller towns may not feel the hit for another six weeks, but within twoin the streets”

“There are too ic advisors said “The last four shi+ps that have tried to coht and sunk We tried expanding soe required drew attention, and we had to collapse everything we’d done and then so used to circumvent the shi+elds”

“Central Do a thought The entire room turned as one to focus on me “We could route supplies to our allies there under the pretense of highbloods stocking up on provisions, hedging against potential econo rebellion There is a river that springs up near the border between Central Dooods froh the rest of the dominion But it is also a cohbloods”

“It’ll be just as thoroughly watched as the coast, surely?” the analyst countered “Moving resources into Central Do thehtful for several seconds as she considered our arguround labs around Sandaerene is extensive Begin opening a supply line straight through to the base of the cliffs around the Vritra’s Maw Hire unadorned laborers for the last tenThe tunnel system should come out just across the sea from the river Lady Caera mentioned”

Several people hurried to take note of this coe for distribution of incohblood allies in Central Dominion, Vechor, and Etril Devise several routes for supply lines Make it appear as if the goods are being shi+fted frohblood to the next We’ll need several unaffiliated highbloods involved as well Make sure it isn’t only our allies who are suddenly stockpiling provisions” Seris’s mouth twitched in a barely-visible srona’s ability to end this rebellion”

Once again, the conversation broke down into a discussion of specifics, with representatives of each group asking questions and others offering suggestions to solve new problems This went on for nearly half an hour before Seris disan to filter out quickly,off to immediately start work on the details discussed

I started toward the door as well, but Seris caughtclearly that we, at least, were not yet done Settling in beside Cylrit, I waited for the rest to leave The only other person not queuing up to get out one of the doors was Wolfrum, a fact I was curious about, but expected to learn the reason for momentarily

Once the last person had left and the doors had closed behind thehtly She eyed Cylrit for aonto a head,” she said, leaning one hip against the table and crossing her arrin Caeluacy to attack our shi+eld again”

Cylrit stood slowly “We’ll be ready if she breaches it”

Seris raised an eyebrow a fraction of an inch “Of course ill But there e the narrative”

We all waited as she let tension build Wolfruers twitched nervously, but Cylrit was still as a statue

“We’ve given Grey ti ht where Agrona can’t sweep it under the rug And I’ you to retrieve hi pointedly at Wolfruht, Caera Wolfrum can be trusted He’s one of mine”

I experienced a moment of confusion, then felt é?”

He save up on me When my V-Vritra blood didn’t manifest…well, I owe her a lot”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked my mentor, unsure how I felt about this revelation

“It was essential that my connection with the Redwater blood be kept entirely secret,” she said, no hint of apology or even acknowledgement in her tone “Only Cylrit are I hope you’ll need no further assurances?”

I straightened, suddenly conscious of hoas still looking at Wolfruine the painfully antisocial boy I’d knoho had turned into the jittery h the sa and preparation I had, however, then there had to be a lot more to him than I’d ever suspected At the very least, he possessed a hidden strength that I appreciated

“Good,” Seris said after awith you to Dicathen”

Wolfrum paled “To the other continent?”