“So, Nora,” Hexis said, turning their eyes to her as they all walked back toward FelSar. “Whatever made you decide tagging along with Dyasen was a good idea?”

“Oh, I’m… going to see if I can work for the Sheer too,” she explained. “Maybe. I haven’t formally decided yet.”

They raised their ice white eyebrows. “Sweet.”

Nora nodded.

“I think she could be very useful,” Dyasen interjected. “She got me to tell her my actual name within about five seconds of meeting me, so I thought she would be worth having around.”

Hexis gave an appreciative whistle. “So you got thoroughly played and decided you wanted others to share the same fate.”

“More or less. And,” he added, raising a finger, “she might have the second ERA we’ve found that you’re not immune to.”

Nora furrowed her brow at the assassin. “How are you-” She shook her head. “Explain how you’re immune to other ERAs, please.”

“She can get people to tell her the truth when she asks them questions,” Dyasen explained to a confused Hexis. “And she does it by drawing out your energy, not pushing her own. An External Positive power, but one that pulls rather than pushes. So I believe it should work on you.” He waggled his eyebrows.

Hexis smirked. “We’ll see how long it takes me to find a way around it.” Turning to Nora, they said, “My ERA involves redirecting energy through me. Any kind, any amount, any intensity, as long as I’m focused on directing it. And that includes energy from other people’s ERAs.”

Nora furrowed her brow. “Can you give me an example of something you could do?”

They grinned. “Yes, I can.”

It took Nora a second to realize that they were reminding her that she’d asked a question. “Oh, sorry.”

They shrugged. “That was a harmless question. And anyway…” they moved slightly closer to her as they walked, like they were going to say something personal, but still spoke plenty loud enough for Dyasen to hear. “I’m not hiding anything. If I was, I’d ask you to ask me about it.”

Nora wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She wasn’t particularly comfortable walking close to them, but they moved away quickly, showing that they’d just done it to make a point. They hadn’t even been that close in the first place, but… the whole idea of them still didn’t sit well with her.

“As far as what I can do,” the assassin continued, “it’d be easier to see a demonstration. When we get back to ZeSarys, I’ll let you watch a sparring match if you’d like.”

Dyasen snorted. “‘Let you watch.’ They do all they can to make sure everyone is watching.”

Hexis rolled their eyes. “You need to expand your definition of ‘everyone’ beyond the seven people you know.”

“In this case, I was referring to the guards as well.”

“They watch anyway. Nothing draws the palace guard like a good fight.”

“So… uh… he said the second ERA you’re not immune to,” Nora prompted the assassin finally, sensing that their conversation wasn’t going anywhere. “What’s the- Please tell me what the first one is.”

Hexis jerked a thumb at Dyasen.

“Oh. But… you did something with his ERA earlier,” Nora said uncertainly. “I thought that was how you got out of the keep without being caught.”

“Yeah, but there, I was drawing off of the power he was using so I could also use it. What he meant by immune is that, if he’s telling himself he’s a shadow, for example, and I don’t have direct contact, there’s no way for me to disbelieve it except through loophole abuse and a lot of overthinking.”

“The only person I have to convince is myself,” Dyasen reminded her cheerfully.

But Nora was thinking about something else Hexis had said. “A literal shadow?” she asked Dyasen. “Can you do that?”

“I can,” he said matter-of-factly. “But it is rather difficult. It takes some fairly hefty denial of the state of reality to stay like that for any significant amount of time. And also, you’re asking questions again.”

Nora blushed. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m just reminding you so you can start building habits.” He raised a finger. “Building habits is the best way to-”

“Please stop,” Hexis interrupted.

Dyasen frowned. “What?” he asked defensively.

“You sound like a mom.”

“Maybe I am one.” He grinned, far too wide for Nora’s comfort.

“Don’t even think about it,” Hexis snapped.

They walked a little longer in relative silence, which surprised Nora. She took the time to appreciate the gentle breeze, the afternoon sun, the golds and greens and tans of the sparse wildlife around her. This little stretch of land had been her sanctuary for so long, and it felt strange to be leaving it. But it’s not like the terrain changes drastically between here and ZeSarys. It just gets closer to the mountains.

She glanced up at the ragged peaks, which appeared almost blue from this distance. They didn’t even seem that far away, but she knew that just hinted at their true enormity. She wondered if she’d ever get to climb one.

“Miss Sefares,” Dyasen’s voice noted with a hint of amusement. “Would you care to explain where we’re going?”

Nora paused, turning around. “What?”

“Where are we going?” He gestured at the street they’d just come to, which was a distance from the one they’d taken toward Lore Leneha’s keep earlier. Not that it’s hers anymore, Nora added silently.

“Oh, I was going to my aunt’s place. To say… goodbye, and everything.”

He nodded. “Okay. Should we meet you at the inn, or just wait here?”

“Here is fine. I’ll only be a minute.”

Hexis gave her a curious look at that, but she ignored them, walking the last stretch to the place that had been her home for so many years. It looked just like any of the other cottages, and Nora wished she saw it as something more. No, she wished that she wished it was something more. But she’d never known what something more was like, so she didn’t particularly long for it.

“Nora, dear, have you heard the news?” Her aunt looked saddened, but not mournful.

“Of Lord Leneha’s assassination? Yes, I have,” Nora answered, shoving her voice through the lump in her throat.

“Whoever replaces her might not pay us as fairly as she did.”

There it was, like the hand of a clock coming back to twelve. “I decided to accept the new job offer in ZeSarys, so you needn’t worry about that.”

“Oh, good!” The woman gave Nora a warm smile.

“I’m leaving now.”

“Well, best of luck!” she chirped, clapping her wrinkled hands in front of her.

Nora nodded and turned to leave.

“Oh, and Nora?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you for coming and saying goodbye.”

Nora looked at her aunt for a long moment, trying to read the expression on her face. “You’re welcome,” she said finally, then left, letting the door creak closed behind her.

“Right, excellent,” Dyasen said when he saw her. “Shall we be on our way?”

Nora glanced up at the sky, which was slowly darkening into evening. “We’re leaving now?”

“Sure, we can sleep on the way.” The man spun on his heel and started cheerfully down the street toward the town’s main entrance, with Hexis following.

“I’m having a cart made,” Nora blurted. “Or I was. I basically paid my life’s savings for it.”

Dyasen turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “Is it finished?”

“It’s probably not started,” she admitted. “I checked in two days ago, and he hadn’t started it then, and probably still hasn’t.”

“In that case, you should probably just ask for your money back,” he suggested. “We can catch a ride with someone else to ZeSarys.”

Somehow, that felt a bit weird. She had saved for so long to get a bit of freedom, and now here it was being handed to her, but she couldn’t even really tell if this was freedom at all.

“Or just let the man keep your money,” Hexis added. “If you decide to work with us, you’ll make a lot more.”

“True… he’d be pretty happy about that,” Nora agreed, surprised that they’d suggested it. “And he’ll be happier still to know I’m leaving.”

“I know the feeling,” they said quietly.

Nora glanced at them, but again wasn’t sure how to respond.