It was a setback, but not a disaster. They were suspicious, but they weren't throwing us in a dungeon. We had room to manoeuvre. "We understand," I said, my voice humble. "We only wish to prove our loyalty."
As Gemma stepped forward to escort us out, I chanced one last look at the ruling council. Tessai was still scowling. Seishan was still smiling. Harus was still staring with those clouded, knowing eyes. Kido was the only one who didn't seem to care either way and was merely twirling a strand of hair with her finger, a bored expression on her face.
And Gunlaug, in his liquid gold armor, was still a silent, suppressing monolith. Throughout the whole interrogation, he hadn't even spoken a word, revealed nothing of his thoughts, and kept the ultimate judgement to himself. Still, our necks were off the immediate chopping block, and as long as we were still alive, I could guarantee I could figure something out.
The walk back to the Hunter's Quarters with Gemma was utterly silent. He didn't look at us, his shoulders tense with a frustration I couldn't quite place. Was he annoyed at us for causing trouble, or at the order itself? He left us at the door with a grunt, not bothering to see us inside.
I let out a long, controlled breath, the tension from the throne room finally starting to ebb. I crossed the room and flopped backward onto my bed, arms folding behind my head as I stared at the ceiling. Just a few minutes of quiet was all I asked for.
The door creaked open. I bolted upright, swiftly correcting my posture into something more collected and poised. My carefully reassembled facade nearly shattered on the spot when I saw who it was. Seishan stood in the doorway, her silt-grey skin a stark contrast to the dark wood. Her eyes, cat-like and perceptive, swept over me with clear amusement.
She took a few silent steps into the room, her gaze lingering on me before shifting to Sasrir. The amusement vanished, replaced by a flicker of serious assessment. She knew he was the real danger in the room. Then, her attention returned to me, that faint, knowing smile back on her lips.
"You have impressive nerves, little preacher," she began, her voice smooth as polished stone. "Not many can stand before Harus's gaze, let alone under the weight of the Sun's Gaze armor, without cracking." She paused, letting the compliment hang in the air before her tone sharpened slightly. "But don't mistake a stay of execution for a pardon. You are still deep in the bog of suspicion."
I simply nodded, keeping my expression neutral. I knew better than to think we were in the clear. Her visit wasn't a social call.
She didn't wait for a question. She began to speak, her tone conversational, as if discussing the weather. "Our illustrious Bright Lord," she said, "did not always command this castle. He was a scavenger, like all of us once." Her eyes seemed to look through me, into the past. "He found his power on the shore, a Transcendent Memory pried from the corpse of a dying leviathan that had washed up from the black sea. He was the only one brave or foolish enough to touch it."
She took another step, her movements fluid and unnervingly quiet. "He slaughtered his way to the top. He didn't build alliances; he broke them. He didn't earn loyalty; he demanded it, and killed those who refused." Her gaze sharpened, pinning me in place. "That is the man you just stood before. He understands only one language: power."
Then, she delivered the piece of information that explained everything. "That is also why the wild girl, Effie, is forbidden." A cold smile touched her lips. "She was strong. Useful. But she refused to kneel. She would not become a subordinate." Seishan shrugged one grey shoulder, a gesture of cold, pragmatic finality. "So, she was cut off. Isolated. Made an example of. In Gunlaug's world, you are either a tool in his hand, or you are a threat to be removed. There is no in-between."
"And what does that have to do with the fact you are standing before us now?" Sasrir interrupted, faint hostility leaking through. "By your own words, meeting you like this could also be seen as a sign of treason, of revolution. Are you trying to get us beheaded, and yourself by extension?"
"Perish the thought," Seishan laughed daintily, holding her hand to her mouth like a pure maiden. "I am merely here to talk to you because, since Huntress Athena is naturally out of the equation, you must be searching for someone to take her place, yes? Your house arrest will only last three days at most, then Gemma will lobby for you to be released. That man was always strangely protective of his own. No different from me, I suppose."
"Why would you want to help us?"
"Because you are different from the usual pattern."
"Patterns?" I asked, keeping my voice light, playing her game. "What sort of patterns?"
"Oh, the usual," she said, her gaze drifting around our sparse quarters as if studying art in a gallery. "Newcomers arrive. They keep their heads down. Or they make a delightful, holy spectacle of themselves." She gave me a pointed smile. "But you two... you create a different kind of ripple. The kind that, if one knows how to look, suggests a swimmer moving with a destination in mind, not just treading water."
Sasrir didn't relent. "Your metaphors are as opaque as your skin. State your purpose."