“Sex-induced dehydration is no joke, Viana,” Acacia said sternly, giving us both a large cup of something that smelled like lemons. “You need to restore the salts in your body. Drink.”
I rolled my eyes at them both. “Will you guys stop? It’s not like we go at it without a break.” My face was flaming red. The easy way the Twelfth Line spoke about sex still made me embarrassed, though I was getting more comfortable. Slowly. “Besides, I saw you guys like… twenty-four hours ago. How dehydrated could I get in a day?”
Viana grinned, looking at her own partners over her shoulder. “If they’re doing it right, really,reallydehydrated.” She winked at Link and Polus.
I shook my head at them. “Sorry to squash your orgy dreams, but I spent more than a few hours in the library. With the Librarian.”
Eliot groaned, bringing over a glass of his home-brewed liquor for Hayle. “I’ve seen Librarian Enora.” He bit his fist. “I’d happily spend a few hours with her in the stacks. She could tell me to be quiet for hours on end. There’s something to be said for delayed gratification.”
Acacia smacked him up the back of the head. “Don’t be disrespectful,” she chastised, before grinning softly. “I mean, you’re not wrong, but the Librarian deserves respect.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at their antics. “Unfortunately, all we were doing was research. She received some books from the library in the Hall of Ebrus about my Line that she wanted to show me. Well, my Line and its connection to the Second Line.”
It was subtle, and if I hadn’t been watching for it, I might have missed the shift in the vibe of the room.
“A history lesson outside of class? Sounds boring,” Link huffed. But there was a small tic in his jaw.
I pushed a little further. “Mmm, apparently, the last great Seer of my Line was being courted by one of the Second Line Heirs, back before she disappeared. And before the Second Line was obliterated, never to rise again.” I knew Hayle was watching them closely too. He’d pick up more of their tells with his enhanced senses.
“That sounds super interesting. Even the Twelfth Line has heard of Ellanora Halhed, though. She had a lot of prophecies, even some for the Twelfth Line.” Acacia’s voice was light, but still interested, trying to turn the conversation away from the Second Line without tipping me off.
I knew then that they knew. All of them. The whole Line. But I didn’t want to reveal my hand too early. “Oh? Like what?”
Vianna waved a hand. “I can’t remember, really. Sometimes about which crops would flourish, or who to elect as leader for the greatest benefit, that kind of thing.”
“Maybe about turning to the mountains when you have nowhere else to turn?” Hayle suggested lightly.
If they had no idea about the Second Line, there was nothing too indicative in his statement, but the way they all froze was a dead giveaway, even to me and my dulled senses.
I stood. “You knew. You all knew the Second Line still lived, and you said nothing.” I kept my voice low, because if being with both Vox and Hayle had taught me anything, it was that the walls had ears.
The shock that rippled through the room had less to do with the revelation that the Second Line lived and everything to do with the fact that Iknew.
That was confirmed when Acacia frowned. “How do you know?”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I scowled back at the woman I’d considered a friend. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She looked at me like I was an idiot. “Why would we tell you a generational, Line-wide secret? Have you told us allyoursecrets?”
Shame burned in my gut. No, I hadn’t. Even before this giant secret I was carrying around now, I hadn’t even shown them all of myself. I didn’t trust that easily. How could I expect something from them that I wasn’t willing to give?
“No. I guess not.” I still needed to leave. “If you want to know how I know, perhaps you should go speak to the Eleventh Line.”
I moved toward the door, where Alucius got to her feet immediately, abandoning the hock. She was such a good hound. Hayle turned to look at the Twelfth Line, but he said nothing. He didn’t need to; his face said it all. Hurt me, and he’d hurt them tenfold.
I loved that man.
Stepping back out into the stairwell, I closed the door softly. Hayle rested his hand on my spine, standing close to me as we climbed. “I know you feel kind of hurt right now, but I see their side.”
Sighing, I canted into his body a little more. “Me too.”
“And it will be good not to have to keep this secret from them,” he murmured softly against my hair. He was right again. I was being unfair.
“I just hate it when I’m the only person who’s oblivious to the truth.” Especially when it was something that was going to alter the course of my life forever. I didn’t just mean the Twelfth Line, though. “I feel like I’ve always been a pawn to be moved around. First by my father, then by Boellium.” I dropped my voice again. “By the Second Line. By the Goddess.”
Hayle kissed my temple. “You aren’t a pawn, Avie. You’re a queen. The world is just forming on the board around you.” He laced his fingers through mine. “Come on, let’s get yousomething to eat, then we’ll head to the roof to watch the stars with Vox.”
It might be the last time we could slip out so Vox could watch the stars, for me to sketch them on paper while Hayle read on the couch. To make love on the heavy rugs under those same stars.
