Patrol 2: Lost & Found

Chapter 25

"Ah, you're still here." Eddin walked into the dim room and sat in the chair beside Vania's.

Vania blinked slowly, then looked over at him. "Oh. Hey, Eddin."

"Laria's asleep. She fell asleep before we even got to the room; she was so tired. Earl's keeping watch over her tonight, though I don't think that wizard will try anything yet. He got a look at our defenses today, so he'll probably be much harder to repel once he returns prepared."

"Yeah," Vania agreed quietly, staring at the dark windows.

He held his gloved hand out, palm up, to her. "Shall I escort you to your room? Or would you rather be alone?"

"Oh." She blinked, looking at his hand. "Yeah, let's go."

They stood and walked in silence down the corridors. Vania, lost in thought, barely even noticed the number of guards in the hallway was nearly quadrupled from the morning. Eddin quietly matched her limping pace, not wanting to disturb her thoughts by badgering her about her injured leg.

"You... seem to have a lot on your mind," Eddin noted quietly as they stopped at her bedroom door.

She stopped, hand on the doorknob frozen mid-turn, and looked up at him. "How did you know? Did you always know, and you were just stringing me along, pretending not to?"

"I didn't know anything about you until you told me, no," he replied. "As for the Mallea thing, I happened to notice, while playing knights with Laria. When I was playing Mallea while you were with sis today. Laria's mom told me then."

"Do you think... everyone knows?" Vania glanced up and down the dark, quiet hallway. The increased guards stood at attention at regular intervals, discretely ignoring the two enforcers talking quietly by the door to the violet room. "She said everyone in the slums knows about me... Does that mean everyone does? Does everyone at the office know, and I've been trying to hide something that's been common knowledge all along?"

Eddin glanced down the hallway, eyeing the uniformed guards. He suggested quietly, "Let's talk inside the room."

Vania sighed tiredly and pushed open the bedroom door. "Fine. Come on in." They stepped into the room together, Eddin quietly pulling the door closed while Vania walked over to the chairs by the fireplace.

"People in the slums know about you because you lived there for awhile, with Derry," Eddin noted as he joined her, taking the other chair. "And I'll bet you didn't hide your Mark as carefully when you were twelve as you do now."

Vania just sighed, shaking her head.

"As for our coworkers at the station, I doubt they know. Some may suspect, but I've never heard anyone utter a word about you being potentially Marked." He smirked at her, cocking his head and swiveling his ears, the hawk on his shoulder also cocking its head at the same angle as it looked at her. "And I hear most things that get said in the station."

"So, you don't think—"

"No. I don't think your secret is out."

"Thank you," Vania replied quietly. She sighed, mumbling, "I needed to hear that." She let her forearms rest on her legs, leaning forward as she stared at the empty fireplace in silence.

Eddin followed her gaze. "Would you like me to light a fire?"

"No. It's late. We shouldn't be staying up." She yawned, covering her mouth and then rubbing her eyes. "I was just thinking about Derry, Licia, and the kids. I hope they're all right."

"They're fine," Eddin replied. "I spoke with him this morning, before I met up with you."

"You did?" Vania turned a looked at Eddin in surprise.