Chapter 104: What’s That

"Because it's built into the side of a cliff. The only way in is up, and the only way out is down. Hard to storm, harder to escape." She paused, something flickering across her face. "They used to threaten to send us there when we weren't cooperative enough. Said it made the Hollows look like a resort."

Sera's hand tightened around Vael's. "You don't have to come. We can gather intelligence and—"

"Stop." Vael's voice was quiet but firm. "We've had this conversation. I'm not sitting in a tavern room while you two risk your lives. Not after everything."

"She's right," Nacho said. Both women turned to look at him. "I know you want to protect her. I get it. But she's also the only one of us who's actually been inside a Consortium facility. She knows how they think, how they operate, what their blind spots are. That's worth more than another sword arm."

Sera's jaw tightened. For a moment, Nacho thought she was going to argue. Then her shoulders dropped, and she nodded slowly.

"Fine. But you stay behind me. Both of you. And if things go wrong, you run. No heroics. No last stands. You just run."

"Same goes for you," Vael said.

"I'm the Grand General. I don't run."

"Then I guess we're all staying together."

They stared at each other, two women who'd spent years learning each other's stubborn streaks. Nacho watched the silent battle of wills, amused despite the gravity of the situation. It reminded him of arguments he'd seen between old married couples, the kind where both parties knew they were never going to win but kept fighting anyway because that's what you did when you loved someone.

Love.

The word caught him off guard. He'd been thinking of them as allies, as partners in whatever mission they'd stumbled into together. But watching them now, seeing the way Sera's thumb traced circles on Vael's palm, seeing the way Vael leaned into her touch like a plant turning toward sunlight, he realized it was something more than that.

They loved each other. Had probably loved each other for years, through separations and silences and the kind of institutional cruelty designed to keep people apart. And somehow, against every obstacle this world had thrown at them, they'd found their way back.

It made him think about Lizbeth. About the way she'd looked at him that first night, skeptical but hopeful, willing to give a stranger a chance because she was too kind to turn anyone away. About the way her eyes had gone unfocused during the massage, her body responding to sensations she'd never experienced before.

He'd used her. Not maliciously, not cruelly, but he'd used her nonetheless. Taken her trust and turned it into Talents and Charm points and progress toward goals she knew nothing about.

That's different, he told himself. She got something out of it too. The massage felt good. She was relaxed for the first time in months. It wasn't—

But the justification rang hollow, even in his own head.

"Nacho?"

He blinked, realizing Sera had been saying something he hadn't heard. "Sorry. Got lost in thought."

"I said we should leave tomorrow morning. Early, before the village wakes up. The less attention we draw, the better."

"Makes sense." He stood, stretching muscles that had gone stiff from sitting. "I'll handle supplies. We'll need food for at least a week, warm clothes, climbing gear if we're scaling cliffs."

"There's a general store on the north end of the street," Vael said. "Run by a man named Reeve."

Nacho's smile turned sharp. "I know. Greta told me about him."

Something in his tone made both women pause. Sera's eyes narrowed.

"What aren't you telling us?"

"Nothing important. Just that Reeve and I are going to have a little conversation while I'm shopping." He headed for the door, stopping with his hand on the frame. "Get some rest, both of you. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

He left before either of them could ask more questions.

Reeve's General Store was exactly what Nacho expected from a Consortium informant's business. Clean. Well-stocked. The kind of place that made money not from its merchandise but from the secrets it traded in the shadows.

The man himself stood behind the counter, a thin figure with watery eyes and a nervous twitch in his left hand. He looked up when Nacho entered, his expression cycling through surprise, wariness, and a forced friendliness that didn't reach his eyes.

"Welcome, welcome! Don't think I've seen you around before. New to Thornbury?"

"Just passing through." Nacho let his gaze wander across the shelves, taking in the dried goods and preserved meats and traveling supplies. "Need provisions for a long journey. Week's worth, maybe more."

"Of course, of course. Heading north, are you? Weather's been rough in the passes this time of year. You'll want extra blankets, maybe some fire-starting supplies."

"That would be helpful."

Reeve bustled around the store, gathering items and placing them on the counter with the efficiency of someone who'd done this a thousand times. Nacho watched him work, letting his Mind Fortress brush against the man's surface thoughts.

—strange fellow, something off about him, eyes too bright—

—doesn't look like trouble, probably just another traveler—

—hope he pays well, shipment's coming tomorrow and I need the commission—

Shipment.

Nacho filed that away and let Reeve continue his work.

"That should do it," the shopkeeper said finally, gesturing at the pile of supplies on the counter. "Three silver for the lot, though I could go lower if you're buying in bulk."

"Fair price." Nacho counted out the coins, then paused with his hand extended. "Actually, there is one more thing I need."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Information."

Reeve's face went pale. His twitch intensified, his left hand spasming against the counter hard enough to knock over a jar of pickled vegetables. The jar shattered on the floor, vinegar spreading across the wood like blood from a wound.

"I don't know what you're—"