Scorio ate his mush and gave her time.
“Seeing Juniper… I’d only ever seen her in my memories from the trials. Seeing her here, it was like I suddenly couldn’t breathe. And I couldn’t explain it to Leonis. He gets so hurt. But he knew all about her, I’d shared everything with him, and when he realized, he immediately became so defensive…”
Scorio resisted the urge to reach out and touch her hand. “Sounds like a lot to navigate.”
“She didn’t see me.” Lianshi looked miserable. “I ducked back out of sight immediately like a coward. She looked so strong, so confident, with these other friends of hers, and I… when Leonis got defensive, I got so angry at him. I said things I knew I shouldn’t, and we got into this shouting match, so I stormed out, and…”
She covered her face with both hands. “By the gods, why am I telling you all this?”
“Because you need a friend?” He raised both hands as she dropped her own abruptly. “Don’t get me wrong. We’ll never be the friends we were. But there’s nothing stopping me from being a new friend to you today.” He hesitated. “Is there?”
“I… no.” She studied him. “It’s really easy, talking to you. Despite what everyone says, you’re just… you seem like a good person.”
Scorio snorted. “Give me time.”
“What do you think I should do?”
Scorio sighed. “Honestly? Maybe go talk to Juniper. See who she’s become. Check your memories against the reality.”
Lianshi looked queasy.
“If it’s any consolation, you were terrified of talking to her last time, too. But you did, and it went really well. You both became friends.”
“Was there anything…?”
“It was hard to tell. We all traveled together, and you spent a long time training at the Chasm with her while I was breaking rocks with Naomi. If there was, you both kept it quiet.”
“I see.” She bit her lower lip and stared down at her hands. “Just… talk to her.”
“She knows who you are. She’ll know what it means for you to come up and say hello. She’s good people. Just… talk to her.”
“I feel like I’m going to be sick. And Leonis…?”
“There’s good people, then there’s Leonis. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone with a bigger heart. Whatever you decide, he’ll respect you for it, and even if it hurts him, he’ll support you.”
“I know. It’s what makes this so hard. I don’t want to hurt him.”
Scorio shrugged in response and ate some more mush. His bowl was almost empty.
“Fine. I’ll talk to Juniper. Thanks. I felt like I was drowning there for a second, but you made it seem so simple.”
“Don’t be too impressed. I’m remarkably talented at making my own personal messes.”
“Naomi…?”
Scorio blew out his cheeks, eyed her from under his brows, then nodded.
“What happened? If you don’t mind my asking?”
“We were training, and it got pretty intense.” He thought back to the pitch-black caldera. Everything in darkvision gray. His command aura blossoming between them. “I… well, I guess I pinned her to the wall…?”
“Oh,” said Lianshi, nodding approvingly. “I can see how she’d love that.”
Scorio spluttered. “Excuse me?”
“Naomi?” Lianshi grinned. “She doesn’t seem the, how to say it, fire roses and poetry kind of lady. A punishing training bout, both of you worked up, then you pin her against the wall and…?”
Scorio felt his cheeks burn. “She, ah, well.”
“Of course she did.” Lianshi laughed and spooned mush into her mouth. Swallowed it down and raised an eyebrow. “And…?”
“And she may have panicked and run off.”
“Oh.” Lianshi paused. “Oh.”
“Right.”
“And are you…?”
Scorio’s blush deepened. “I mean, we’re friends, I’d die for her, and…”
“And…?”
Scorio stared fixedly at his bowl. “I don’t know. Yes? It’s almost weird. I mean, she’s everything to me, but…”
“You know.” Lianshi pointed her spoon at him. “There’s no right or wrong answer here. For you, at any rate. She’s clearly madly in love with you -”
“What?!”
“- but that doesn’t create an obligation on your part. Either you want the same, or you don’t. Or maybe you’re not sure, in which case, the best thing to do is wait and see how things develop. Then again, Naomi’s not the waiting type.”
“No,” said Scorio dryly. “She’s not. If I hurt her feelings badly enough, she’ll disappear into deep hell and I won’t see her again until we’re Charnel Dukes and can’t avoid each other.”
“Looks like you need to decide what you want.”
Scorio nodded. His heart was pounding at the thought of it, his chest tight. He thought of her hand on the nape of his neck, her lips pressing against his, and inhaled sharply.
“I feel like we should be toasting each other’s trials here,” said Lianshi sympathetically, then clearly thought of Leonis, as her expression fell.
“Warm water doesn’t quite cut it,” agreed Scorio, and decided to change the subject. “Have you both given any thought to your next big move?”
“We’ve been going back and forth, but mostly we’re waiting to see how the war council plays out.” Lianshi fiddled with her spoon then set it down. “I’m… I’m going to find Juniper.”
Scorio smiled. “Good luck. Let me know how it goes.”
Lianshi stood. “Thank you, Scorio. Makes me wish… well. Never mind.”
“Same,” he said, and watched her leave before exhaling.
Scorio sat in the refectory for a while longer, but people kept staring, so eventually he rose and descended to his rooms. The tunnels were busy with a new energy; people rushed with a purpose. Naomi wasn’t at their cluster, and after pacing for a time he considered setting out to search blindly for her when someone tapped his arm.
He frowned, stared through the person, but the man caught him by the wrist and gave his arm a tug.
“Hey,” began Scorio angrily, and then saw that it was Alain. “Oh. Sorry. I, ah…”
“Didn’t see me here? Tell me something I don’t know.” Alain ran his hands shakily through his tousled mop of black hair. “You ready?”
“Ready?” asked Scorio.
“To speak with Xandera? The queen?”
“Now?”
“Well, soon. Word’s just come in. The Blood Barons are arriving and the Iron Tyrant’s gathering his important people to greet them at the entrance to the Fury Spires. Making a bit of a ceremony out of it, trying to impress them, I reckon. But the result is nobody’ll be up by the caldera layer except for an Emberling I’ve got some dirt on. We time it right, I can have you inside the queen’s chambers for a good Bastion cycle or maybe more.” Alain grinned. “Sharp, hey?”
“Right, right.” Scorio hesitated.
“What is it? Change of plans?”
“Naomi’s out on some personal business. I don’t know about doing this without her.”
“Oh, right.” Alain frowned. “Well, we can always wait. It’s going to be busy up there though for the next few days. All kinds of big meetings and so forth.”
“No… let’s get this done. Naomi might be awhile.”
“You sure? Then let’s get going.”
Scorio followed Alain back out and along a circuitous route of tunnels that took them outside the main complex. Just as Scorio began watching the other Flame Vault more carefully, anticipating a trick, they angled back in.
“Wait here,” said Alain. “This is one of the old tunnels that used to connect the spires. Reckon it still does, but nobody uses it anymore. Up ahead it leads into the queen’s floor. I’ll get the Emberling out of the way and then call you up.”
“Alright,” said Scorio.
Alain padded off, and all became silent. He could hear Naomi’s scathing commentary as to his willingness to trust the other man, but he felt secure in the wager. There was something earnest, desperately sincere in Alain’s manner. If he was tricking Scorio, then he was a remarkable actor.