Nev shrugged her shoulders gently and replied, “Luck.”
Wyatt shook his head and let out a small laugh, “Right, luck. If that is all it is, then I am going to need to take you with me the next time I play cards. Luck, no doubt, plays a part. Of course, you and I both know there has to be more to it than that.”
Nev looked up at him and found herself staring at him. She noted that his hair had dried again. In the sunlight, his hair’s soft, loose curls seemed to shimmer as they caught the light. She watched as the rays bounced and skipped across his locks. Admittedly, he had an awkwardly adorable look about him. As she continued to study his face, he flashed a smile at her. Suddenly feeling flushed, she turned away from him.
“Hmm… well, I suppose I can go first. Addi is going to be more than a little perturbed when she finds out I told you. But surely, she can’t stay mad at her favorite brother forever,” Wyatt theorized before inhaling deeply.
“Brother? And tell me what,” Nev asked, feeling confused.
“Right, I forget that not everyone has known her for their whole life. So, let’s start with your first question. Addi, or Adelaide as she is known to most everyone else, is my twin sister and the only family I have. She is technically only seven minutes older than me, but she takes her role as an older sister very seriously. That is especially true since we were fifteen, and both of our parents died of the Crimson flu that swept through our village.
“Addi and I stuck around our home for a bit, helping those left after the sickness had moved on. After a while, we decided we could do more for people if we went to where they were. Times have been hard for a lot of people. Nowadays, we mostly get people things they need but can’t get themselves. I, Addi, and others are part of a network that moves things all over Obsidia.
“The emperor’s trade restrictions have made it a challenge for most people to procure even the most basic items, so that is what I was doing in Serenity Falls. I was picking up a supply of medicine from a drop, and the plan had been to get it and pass it along to someone in need. As it turns out, I found someone very much in need of healing,” Wyatt explained, pausing only briefly to lock eyes with Nev and smile warmly at her.
“Now that you and I had our little adventure in Serenity Falls, however, I will be out of the chain until it can be proven I’m uncompromised. After all, what we do is not exactly legal. That was why I scrawled that note in my ledger just before we got a knock at the door. To anyone outside our network, it will look like nothing. However, the message will be clear to a select few. That message is that I am, for now, unlinked from the chain,” Wyatt clarified. Having finished his story, he waited patiently for Nev’s response before continuing.
Nev listened carefully as he explained how he and Addi had spent the last fifteen years helping people across southern Obsidia. “It sounds like you and your sister have really helped a lot of people,” she said, nodding in approval.
“Well, we do our best to help. Anyway, now for an answer to your second question,” Wyatt said before taking a deep breath.
Nev inched closer and looked at him closely. His shift in demeanor made it apparent that this was not something he often shared, if ever.
Wyatt sighed. If Addi were here, she would insist he not reveal the whole truth, and she would be right to do so. The truth about what he was had already caused plenty of pain in his life. Even so, part of him really wanted Nev to know. Clearing his throat and looking directly at her, he said, “I’m a Tink.”
Nev had heard of Tinkerers before, but she’d never met one. They were said to be exceedingly rare and had abilities unique to all other people. Tales of their capabilities were shared far and wide and were common occurrences in many of the stories told across Obsidia. What wasn’t well known was which tales were true and which were legends. It was said they could read and influence minds, manipulate the energies of the world, and conjure past images or even items from their very thoughts. Some people believed they were capable of all of that and much more. Tinks, as they were most commonly called, were highly sought after and closely supervised by the empire. That had always been the way of things, as far as Nev was aware.
Tinks, like the Unmarked, were expected to present themselves to the empire. Tinkerers needed to do this as soon as their abilities became apparent. Tinks, unlike the Unmarked, would then be forced to live the remainder of their days in heavily guarded buildings with their sole purpose being to serve the will of the empire. Failure to do so resulted in the same outcome that resulted when anyone dared to defy the emperor. They would be hunted, imprisoned and harshly reminded, usually with death, as to why they should never go against the will of the empire again.
Wyatt watched Nev closely and waited for her reaction. He half expected Addi to materialize from thin air just to thrash him for divulging his secret. She needs to know the truth, and I need to know how
