The Bound (Ascension #2)(37)

“I have no room for First Class passengers seeking to infiltrate my beloved country.”

Is this what he had meant? Had other Affiliates and High Order been trying to infiltrate Eleysia and enact change?

“But how exactly was I supposed to know all of this? No one told me about the problems with Eleysia. The only problem I realized was that Eleysian vessels wouldn’t take me on their ship, so I walked halfway across the world to try to get there. As for Aurum, I was apprehended in Strat and almost arrested in public for falling. You two were the ones who said how dangerous it was for women to be out, alone, in public. I’m not sure what other assumption I was to draw from that.”

“Well, now, you know,” Orden said. He shifted past her and to the door. “Ceis’f, we’re in the room next door.”

Orden yanked open the door and strode out of the room with Ceis’f on his heels.

“What is going on here?” Avoca asked, striding purposely down the hall in front of Madam LaRoux.

Orden just kept walking without a word.

“Nothing,” Cyrene said finally.

Avoca’s lips thinned out as she stared at Cyrene with all-knowing blue eyes.

“Then, let’s settle into our rooms.” Avoca entered the room she would be sharing with Cyrene and dropped her bags on the floor next to her small bed. “You were arguing with Orden, weren’t you?”

“You could say that.”

“You push him too much,” Avoca said.

Cyrene shrugged. “Some people need to be pushed.”

“Men need to be handled differently. Ceis’f needs a tight leash, and Orden needs a long one, but they both require a leash.”

“And Ahlvie?” Cyrene asked.

Avoca smiled softly, and then it disappeared. “He is a man of his own choosing. I believe he will follow you to the ends of the earth if you but ask him.”

“You think too highly of him. You’ve never seen him dicing in a tavern with your life on the line.”

“He is loyal. That is a good quality in a man. You should hold on to him.”

Cyrene nodded. “Well, I don’t intend to let him go.”

“Let who go?” Ahlvie asked, peeking his head in the door. “Did you say my name?” He winked at Cyrene and then walked inside without an invitation.

“Ahlvie! Knock next time. We could have been undressing,” Cyrene chided.

“Is this supposed to convince me to knock?”

Cyrene rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Insufferable.”

“Alas, you aren’t undressing, so I assumed it was safe for me to enter.”

“Just shut the door,” Cyrene commanded.

Ceis’f slunk in behind him and leaned against the wardrobe in the corner. Ahlvie walked right over and plopped down on Cyrene’s bed. She didn’t know how he always seemed so completely carefree. Orden entered a few minutes later, and they set out a plan for the next couple of days.

Ahlvie was set to wander the pubs to seek out any information he could find that would help them. Ceis’f and Avoca were employed to go to the docks to look for a boat setting sail to Eleysia, while Orden was going to check in with the contacts he had in the city.

“And where does that leave me?” Cyrene asked the quiet room.

Orden gave her a stern look, but it was Ahlvie who spoke up, “We want you to stay safe. You’re the reason we’re here. We can’t lose you. With guards still on our tail, I’d feel better if I knew you were here while we were out.” Clearly, they had already discussed this without her.

His pleading look did her in, and eventually, she agreed, “Fine. I’ll be right here. Waiting.”

Ahlvie kissed the top of her head on his way out and whispered, “Thanks,” into her hair.

Sometimes, he reminded her too much of her brother, Reeve. Not that Reeve would have ever approved of this plan.

Cyrene grabbed Avoca by the arm before she left. “If you’re in any sort of trouble, please reach for your power, so I know.”

Avoca nodded her head, relenting. “I will give a hard tug like this,” she said.

A sharp jolt snapped through Cyrene, and she nearly sank to her knees. She had not been prepared for that.

“You will not confuse that for everyday use, I think.”

“No,” Cyrene agreed.

“Good.” Avoca placed her fingers on her lips and then raised her hand to Cyrene in a sign of deference she had not seen since leaving Eldora.

Cyrene returned the gesture, and then Avoca was gone.

Cyrene peered around the empty room with a heavy sigh. Now, she must do the hardest part of her entire mission.

Wait.



Four days.

Cyrene spent four days holed up inside that room before someone returned with good news.

The door burst open unexpectedly, and Cyrene jumped out of the chair she had been attempting to meditate in.

She glared at Ahlvie as he sauntered in, and she threw a pillow at his head. “Will you knock? I was in the middle of something!”

He caught the pillow midair. “Good to see you, too.”

“Well, have you found anything?”

“A rather attractive redhead.”

Cyrene groaned. “You’re disgusting. I don’t want to know about any of that.”