Secrets of the Swords, Book 1

Chapter 21: A Discovery Made

Suthe had expected that staying holed up in a building for days on end would be boring. But perhaps she just hadn't realized how frustrating the boredom would be. There was nothing to do but either practice her meditation and the few self-defense moves Nem Koel had taught her, watch Ulsper's combat exercises, or eat. She looked forward to Nem Koel's visits the most, as the trainee brought not only delicious Andilirish food but news of the outside world as well.

Nem Koel was also someone else to talk to besides Ulsper. Otherwise, Suthe felt she would go mad soon if she weren't able to go outside and interact with society like a normal person. It had been a week, and there was still no word from General Seolosu Yenh or any updates on the hidden swords. The only news from Montmyth had been a raid of a caravan in the lands east of Crestdune, where as many as forty suspected druiths had been arrested and taken to the capital in Isendorn.

And that was another frustration. There was still no formal announcement about why Suthe's government had suddenly taken such a strong interest in rounding up her kind. If it really did have to do with the newfound proof that the Twin Blades actually existed, there was no telling when she'd be able to return home. Would she ever be able to see her mother again?

Suthe stared up at the ceiling, gaze running across one of the beams as her worries piled on top of each other. It was late, and she should have been sleeping, but she still wasn't used to sharing a room with someone else, let alone a rogue Sylterran spy. A male spy.

At least he didn't snore.

Suthe's gaze darted to the far corner of the room, where the dark shape of Ulsper lay, chest slowly rising and falling in slumber. At least one of them could sleep easy.

Suthe huffed out a breath and turned on her side, forcing her eyes to close. But sleep refused to come. Instead, her memory replayed the day that she had run from home, chased by soldiers as others were dragged out of their homes, kicking and screaming. What had happened to her mother after she left? Had she been arrested too?

Outside the room, something clanged against what sounded like one of the long wooden tables in the main area of the building. Suthe froze, eyes shooting back open. Seconds passed, and then there was a bit of scuffling before things grew quiet again.

She sat up, heart pounding. Was it Saer Lon? She hadn't seen the tradeswoman in days. What would she be doing up in the middle of the night?

Ulsper's still sleeping, so everything should be all right, she reasoned. He's trained to wake up if there's any real danger, isn't he?

Her reasoning didn't ease her anxiety. Truth be told, Suthe would have preferred a palm-sized ambush beetle guarding the room, rolled up on top of the doorjamb and waiting to jump down on any intruders. The spy, in comparison, was still too mysterious and unpredictable for Suthe to be able to fully trust him yet.

Nem Koel's warning of the clockwork soldiers echoed in Suthe's memory, as did flickering images of her terrible dream her first night in Andilir. The sound just now had been a bit too metallic to be dismissed so easily—but surely the clockwork soldiers only patrolled the streets outside?

With a sigh, Suthe stood and stepped off the sleeping platform. Her fatigued imagination was going wild, and she wouldn't be able to have peace of mind until she found out for herself.

It's probably just a rat that knocked something on the floor, anyway, she figured. But just in case...

Suthe tiptoed to the door and cracked it open. Dim candlelight glowed from the far end of the building, near the shelf with the porcelain bottles.