“How was it?”
He made a hand sign for confusion, then stopped himself mid-gesture. “I do not understand how your people do not go mad. Everything is so straight.”
Alena softly chuckled. “The town was designed by Anders I after the war. He believed straight lines promoted order.”
“As near as I can tell, there isn’t a single road that curves within the walls.”
Alena searched her memory. “That’s probably true.”
While she had kept an eye on Kye’s house this morning, Azaleth took the time to understand the town of Landow better. The Etari placed a high value on understanding their terrain, and Azaleth felt uncomfortable not knowing his surroundings.
Azaleth muttered under his breath.
“What?”
He glanced up, as though just realizing he’d spoken out loud. “It just seems to be an imperial trend. You overpower your surroundings and force them into these unnatural shapes.”
Alena acknowledged the point. “But such order comes with benefits. It is easy to understand the whole town, to find places you haven’t been before. Even your own exploration ended early because the town was so easy to understand. It is a far more predictable life.”
Alena caught the beginning of a hand sign before Azaleth forced himself to nod. “I suppose I can see the benefit, but there is something about it that makes me feel uncomfortable.”
Alena let the point slide. They weren’t here to debate the town design.
Azaleth sensed the change in her attitude. “Any leads yet?”
Alena shook her head. “He left his house and came straight here. He’s been inside most of the morning and hasn’t left.”
“So we wait?”
“We wait.”
The first event of interest wasn’t Kye, but another person, a young man who came down the road with a familiar saunter. Years of life apparently hadn’t taken that away from him.
She hadn’t been certain the night before, but today she was. That man, who struck quite a sight in his guard uniform, was Jace.
Her heart skipped and ached.
Through most of the morning she had managed to convince herself she was just in another town, a place that wasn’t anything special. It helped that Landow had changed in the years since she fled. Shops she remembered had closed, replaced by new ones. She avoided her old neighborhood, the academy, Bayt’s shop, and her father’s smithy. The lie kept her focused on the task at hand.
Jace shattered the illusion.
Landow wasn’t the home she remembered. Perhaps she wouldn’t even call it home anymore. But it had been home for most of her life, and some of those people closest to her still called it such.
Alena was halfway out of her seat before she realized what she was doing. Azaleth looked concerned. “What is it?”
Alena pointed out the window toward Jace. “That’s my brother.”
Azaleth turned to look. “The warrior?”
“Yes.”
“I see the resemblance.”
Before Alena could take further action, Jace turned and walked into the town hall. From the manner of his walk, Alena suspected this was a journey he made frequently.
A sudden suspicion dawned on her. When she had escaped, Kye had known who she was. No doubt, Kye also knew that Jace was related to her. What were the odds that the traitorous governor would keep one of her family members close?
Alena didn’t believe in coincidences, and it wasn’t long before her suspicions were confirmed. Jace came back out of the building, but this time his back seemed straighter, his attention more focused.
He was acting like a proper bodyguard.
A few heartbeats later, Kye stepped out, now protected by her brother. Together they left the government hall.
Alena first noticed the difference in their bearings. Before entering the hall, Jace had appeared nonchalant and relaxed. Now his eyes ran over the street and his hand remained close to his sword. He looked ready to launch into battle at the slightest provocation.
Alena and Azaleth followed, keeping plenty of distance. The governor and Alena’s brother traveled toward the north side of town, through the wage-earner’s district. They even passed the house the Arrowoods had stayed in so long ago.
Alena couldn’t help but wonder: what would her life have been like if she had decided not to steal the diamond from Zane? Would she have gone to university, or would she have followed Bayt’s lifestyle?
Kye and Jace stopped at a small house less than a hundred paces from the wall. They disappeared inside, Jace scanning the area one last time before vanishing.
Alena’s eyes narrowed. What could possibly be in that house? From the outside it seemed well-maintained. The paint was new.
Alena studied the house. The door appeared heavier than most, although she couldn’t be sure from this distance. Something about the house bothered her, though.
Several heartbeats later, she figured it out. There weren’t any curtains on the windows. Everybody had curtains to block the sun and prevent people from looking in.
Why would this house have a thick door and no curtains?
She wasn’t sure, but the house wasn’t what it appeared to be. Perhaps this was where Kye hid the Lolani within the town? The only way to know was to get closer.
Perhaps it was because they had just passed the Arrowoods’ home, but Alena hesitated. How many times would her curiosity get the better of her? How many times would she look where she wasn’t supposed to?
At least one more time, she supposed.
She made a series of hand signs to Azaleth, asking him to stay in place and watch for trouble. He agreed, and Alena ran across the street to examine the house more closely.
She ran around the house to the side, eyes and ears alert to anyone nearby. Then she crouched next to a dark window. She took a moment to catch her breath, then slowly raised her head to peer inside.
Alena had to press her face to the glass before she could see inside, but the room appeared empty. Not just of people, but of furniture and decoration as well.
She didn’t think this was where
