"Hi," Cass said. She considered throwing a polite smile on her face but decided it wasn't worth it.

"Hello?" Tiador echoed, an eyebrow raised. Perhaps he'd expected a more formal greeting. Perhaps he expected a polite smile to match the one he was wearing.

Cass decided she didn't care. This was a camp in the middle of nowhere, not the banquet hall of the duchess. She wasn't going to bother guessing at noble etiquette.

"What do you want?" That was perhaps blunter than was polite even for a camp conversation, but frankly she was tired and especially tired of anything related to Kohen.

"Could we perhaps talk privately?" He nodded away from the medical station.

Cass raised an eyebrow, looking between the table of herbs she was currently working on and him. He couldn't be serious?

"I can take over this part," an apprentice 'helpfully' suggested. They looked nervously between Cass and Tiador.

The other added, "We've covered the initial rush."

Cass sighed. She didn't want to have a conversation with this man. She especially didn't want to have a conversation with this man somewhere without witnesses.

He probably couldn't hurt her, but he had weird social skills, and she didn't want to find out where the edges of her Contrary Will were.

It must have shown on her face because he said, "It is related to my lord."

Cass scowled. If he thought that would be a selling point, he had vastly misread their interactions.

"And today's events." There was a threat in his voice.

Cass's scowl softened into a confused frown. Two things of note had happened between them today: 1. She had caught them trying to run. 2. She had Commanded Kohen.

There was little chance Tiador thought he could threaten her with #1. But depending on what he knew about #2…

What did he know about #2?

Kohen wouldn't have told anyone about the demon-ness. Or about how she was technically his master. Right?

There was a simple way to find out.

Cass stood up. "Fine, let's make this quick."

"Thank you." Tiador gestured for her to lead the way.

Cass walked away from the fire, Salos watching Tiador from her shoulder.

When they were far enough away from the others, she stopped and stared at him. "What?"

Tiador tapped his brooch, and a wave of silence bubbled out around them. The murmur of the campsite was muted.

Cass raised an eyebrow. He really didn't want to be overheard. Or this was standard for the nobility of Vaisom.

"What are you blackmailing Kohen with?" Tiador asked.

Cass's eyebrows went up another notch. "That was a more straightforward question than I expected from you."

She was stalling. She hadn't expected that. Not that she was sure what she'd expected or what he thought had happened. Blackmail made some sense, though.

"You've made it clear you prefer to do things in a more straightforward manner." He made a show of shrugging. "I don't mind shifting to a more oblique discussion if you would prefer."

Cass shook her head. "Let's not."

He smirked. "So, blackmail?"

Cass crossed her arms. "I'm not blackmailing him."

"You aren't?" His eyebrow quirked up. His lips pursed in a thoughtful frown. He shook his head. "I have difficulty believing that."

Cass shrugged. "Don't really care what you believe."

"But you do see why I find it unlikely?" he pressed. "What with him suddenly running back into the thick of things to use abilities he had been hiding?"

"Maybe he realized running from the relative safety of our defensive wall into the stampeding monsters was a bad idea?"

Tiador shook his head. "If you think I or Daidyn would have let something happen to him out there, you are underestimating us both."

Cass shrugged. "If I'm underestimating you, it's because you've never given me a reason to estimate you higher."

Tiador glared.

"Are we done here?" Cass asked. She failed to see what he hoped to gain from this conversation, but she had gotten all she wanted. Kohen had not told his followers about his condition or her. Tiador thought it was blackmail. That more than answered her questions.

"Wait." Tiador stuck an arm out in front of Cass to keep her from walking off.

Cass glared at him.

He matched her gaze. Something glimmered in his eyes. His soul quivered in his chest. Hesitant. Determined. Slowly he said, "If you have power over Kohen…"

Cass cocked her head, waiting for him to finish. The energy in his soul twisted, though his face was as impassive as ever.

And then it stilled. Indecision hardened into action. "I would like in on it."

Cass flinched back. "What?"

He was Kohen's friend, wasn't he? They were allies, at least.

"It makes it easier for you, doesn't it? If the one holding his leash is closer at hand? I can pass along your commands a little more discreetly than you can and keep an eye that he does as you want from much closer."

"And you can slip your own commands in among them?" Cass asked dryly.

"Well." He hesitated again. His lips curled up in a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "Naturally."

Cass shook her head. Exasperation hung heavy in her voice as she asked, "Why?"

He clicked his tongue. Something about his soul flickered. "That's fair. Why should you trust me with this task? Because it progresses your goals to do so? You acquired blackmail over our dear Ko to hold leverage in Velillia, correct? I imagine you have tasks in mind to undermine my Lord Ahryn while you are gone? This is step one of claiming the whole of the Delim branch under Dame Alyx's banner, yes?" He studied Cass's face for her reaction with each question.

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What he got from her openly bewildered and increasingly impatient expression that suggested to him he was on the right track, Cass couldn't guess, but he continued anyway. "Well, I'm here to tell you I welcome your lord as my own. All she need do to earn my loyalty is promise to place me above Kohen when she finally rips the Delim flag down."

Cass squinted at him. What was he saying now?

He is offering to work for Alyx instead, Salos explained. He assumes Alyx is going to destroy her father's house. Presumably as revenge.

Cass had so many questions, she didn't know where to start. Why did everyone call Alyx her lord? Why would he need blackmail on Kohen if he was going to work for Alyx? He knew Alyx was banished for the foreseeable future, right? Why would they destroy Ahryn's future just because Thaycer was an ass?

"Why would I believe you would want any of that?" Cass asked instead, deciding she didn't actually want to understand his motivations.

Tiador smirked. "You're smarter than that. Don't make me outline all the reasons."

Cass just stared at him incredulously.

His soul pulsed. Something oozed around him, filling his body. He shrugged. "Alright. If you want me to spell it out, I'll spell it out. Kohen was supposed to be the Warden's heir. He might have been a Dragon Knight. He was the cornerstone of the Delim branch's future. Powerful and important. As his aide, I was supposed to be powerful and important.

"But now, he will never be more than Ahryn's lackey. Which means I will never be more than a lackey of a lackey. And this assumes that you and your lady's plans fall through. More likely, house Delim falls."

"I don't have designs on the Delim house," Cass said. "So, you don't have to worry about that."

"I'm sure," Tiador said in a voice that screamed the opposite.

I never want to go back. Cass moaned. Why won't he believe me?

Why would he? Salos asked. The fool's whole world is centered on that one city.

"If they're so doomed, what are you even doing here?" Cass asked. She should just walk away. She didn't care what he or Kohen were up to. They could play politics by themselves. If they wanted to jump at shadows, more power to them, as long as they left her out of it.

"It's a favor to the madam," Tiador said.

"Their mother?" Cass confirmed. "The lady of the house you claim is doomed?"

He shrugged again. "Is their doom closer at hand than I estimated?"

Cass shook her head. How the hell should she know?

"Kohen has fallen under his brother's authority. Naturally, as his subordinate, I have as well. Maintaining relations with the madam is only good sense," he continued.

Cass didn't follow, though from his tone, he thought this was all highly obvious.

He thinks the madam is using the boy as a puppet, Salos said. Taking care of Kohen is a favor to her, improving his standings among whoever else she might attach to the boy.

What does any of this have to do with me? "I don't have blackmail on Kohen."

Tiador's eyes picked her apart. She glared back. The truth was so much worse after all.

If he could so brazenly ask her to let him in on the blackmail of a supposed friend, would the truth shock him? If he had this power over Kohen instead, would he hesitate?

She doubted it. He would use the power as it pleased him. That was the 'game' he was playing.

Was this mentality why it had been so hard to convince Alyx they were friends?

She hated it here.

"Alright," he said finally. "You don't have blackmail. The heart of my offer still stands. Take me into your confidence. I'll swear my loyalty to you or your lady, whichever you like better."

"I think you misunderstand," Cass said. "I don't care what happens to Velillia."

"Come now, why hide it at this point?" he asked. "I promise I could be—"

"What part of 'I don't care' isn't being translated properly?" Cass asked, her frustration spiking. "I don't have 'plans'. I don't have blackmail, and even if I did, why would I share it with you?"

You realize asking that could be interpreted as an underhanded method of saying, 'I have blackmail, but what would you pay me for it?' right? Salos asked.

Cass suppressed a frustrated scream. How? I clearly said that I don't have—

Sometimes I don't know whether you are dense or perceptive. Salos sighed.

"But consider," Tiador's voice had taken on a soothing quality which simultaneously was like silk against her ears and like sandpaper against her soul.

"We are done here," Cass interrupted before he could finish making his offer with the aid of whatever social skill he had just pulled up.

She pushed past him, and out of his silenced space. It popped as she passed through it.

"Wait!" he yelled after her.

She didn't.

***

She sat down by the fire, ignoring the way Tiador was still watching her from a distance. Did he think she couldn't sense him watching her from between the tents?

It didn't matter. She didn't care what he wanted.

Elemental Manipulation was still waiting for her to make her choice.

[Your repeated innovative use of Elemental Manipulation has opened choices.

1. Gain Skill: Stone Spears (lvl 18), Keep Elemental Manipulation (lvl 18)

2. Gain Skill: Arctic Shroud (lvl 9), Keep Elemental Manipulation (lvl 18)

3. Gain Skill: Firmament Manipulation (lvl 9), Forsake Elemental Manipulation

4. Keep: Elemental Manipulation (lvl 27)]

She discarded option 3. Firmament Manipulation was a promising combat skill, but not so promising that she was willing to give up Elemental Manipulation's unmatched utility.

Option 1 was very tempting. She could see how a skill like Stone Spears could have made a difference today. How it might have saved more lives if she'd had it.

But raw stats might have made the difference too. If she had the stat bonus for having a level 27 skill, maybe that would have been enough to strengthen Elemental Manipulation as it was to make the difference.

Option 2, on the other hand, held the most promise to synergize with her existing skills and traits. There was still the worry that Hearth would interfere with 'cold' skills, but by the same token, Stone Spear was unlikely to get bonuses from any of her Concepts (especially Wind) either.

And she did have 'cold' skills, if you looked at it the right way. She could lower the temperature of her elements controlled by Elemental Manipulation and summon freezing astraum. And there had to be an ice storm or hail variant of Tempest Blade that would benefit from Arctic Shroud.

Using it around her allies was still a potential concern, but its cost over time suggested she could toggle it on or off as she wanted, and she only needed it when she was within range of enemies. There was no reason to use it if she was near Alyx or safely on the back line with another mage like Pellen.

Perhaps that was a good reason to skip it. As a mage, she shouldn't be anywhere near the enemy and so had no business slowing enemies near her. Except if she looked at her track record, she always seemed to be surrounded by enemies. And with her luck, she doubted that would change anytime soon.

She sighed.

She was between options 1 and 2, really. The stats she'd get from letting Elemental Manipulation reach the Gate were good, but she was going to get that, eventually. As much as more stats would be nice, she'd rather have the flexibility of skills.

Flexibility.

That really was what mattered most to her. Flexibility meant more potential solutions to impossible problems. Power was an answer, but there were too many problems for which she could never have enough power to solve them.

Between 1 and 2, 2 expanded her potential solutions more than 1 did. 1 made an existing solution stronger. 2 opened an entirely new direction.

She picked option 2.

Skill Earned: Arctic Shroud (lvl 9)

[Your mastery of this skill has awarded you the following stats:

+ 4 Wll

+ 3 Res

+ 2 End

+ 2 Frt]

The skill swirled through her, cold like ice yet comforting, like the support rail between a balcony and an endless drop, settling in that nebulous space where her skills lived.

She poked at it, not quite activating it, as that would be disruptive in the center of camp. She could feel it would eat up her Focus, happily taking more than the listed 3 per second if she let it. Somehow—perhaps because she was getting it at level 9 and not level 1—she knew that if she gave it more Focus the range of the shroud would greatly expand.

It promised that no one would catch her again.

That would have been comforting not too long ago. Wind whispered that promise to her again and again, as if her personal safety was the source of her distress.

She inhaled deeply. And maybe it was still a kind of comfort, knowing that regardless of what came, at least she would survive.

The camp was subdued. The smell of blood laced everything. The moaning of the injured and the murmur of the survivors filled the air.

None of them had to be her concern. They were strangers. Strangers passing in the same direction. Most she'd never see again once they reached their destination.

And yet, Beacon of Hearth and Home spread over the camp, warm and golden and hers. The central fire pit burned hot and fierce, pushing back the cold of night. Wood smoke joined the air, carrying with it the smell of Hess's stew and the many herbal medicines.

Because she cared. Even if it hurt. Even if she wasn't strong enough to hold that responsibility.

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