“I do want to help Jala. I’m just not sure I want to help you. I feel like there is something integral that I should know that you are not telling me,” Shade replied with a heavy sigh.
“Like what?” Vaze asked, the irritation thicker in his voice.
“Like why you want to help her?” Shade offered. “Like why Lutheron would object if you have already dealt with the task that he gave you,” he added his voice growing a bit louder.
“I want to help her because she is my blood kin and I owe her that much. I don’t want Lutheron to know because he sees her as a pawn that is no longer useful and has written her off. He would see me going after her as a waste of a valuable resource he could use elsewhere. Like in Glis and Arovan killing Blights for example as you apparently believe I should be doing,” Vaze snapped his own voice rising a bit.
“Damn, that is cold,” Shade said with a shake of his head and looked back toward Lutheron. “Is that really how he sees her?” he asked in a quieter voice. The more he learned of Lutheron, the more he disliked the man. The Fionaveir were supposed to be the good guys from what he had heard, but it certainly wasn’t looking that way to him.
“That is how they all see her right now, Shade. The moment this moved to war instead of a council vote, Jala lost her value to everyone but a handful of people,” Vaze explained.
“You don’t even know her, though,” Shade pointed out. He had spoken with Jala of her family before and she had never once mentioned Vaze. If she knew she had living family, she would have told him about it, regardless if the man was Fionaveir.
“Correction, she doesn’t know me. I know her quite well. I probably know the true Jala better than you. I was there the day Lutheron had the Mind magic worked on her so she would behave properly. That magic is gone now and as you can see by the fact that she is in the Darklands, she is no longer behaving properly. She broke the magic herself. I told Lutheron to have it removed when she came to Sanctuary but he refused. Serves him right that she is using her own mind rather than obeying him,” Vaze said with what sounded like pride in his voice.
“You think her going to the Darklands was a good idea then?” Shade asked in disbelief. That had been the last thing he had been thinking when he heard where she had gone. Insanity had been the first thing that had come to mind.
“If she truly believes she can accomplish her task, then yes,” Vaze replied, his gaze once more on the crowd around Symphony as if he was waiting for the slightest chance to shove Shade toward her.
“But you don’t think she can…” Shade pointed out, letting his words trail off.
“I never said that. I said she needed help or one of them would likely die, if not both. Likely, Shade, that means there is a possibility not a certainty. Jala has a rough road ahead. She can’t afford to lose any friends even a lush like Valor Hai’dia. I sincerely doubt I will have time or opportunity to help her in the future. I have to offer her what I can now and try to insure that she keeps what assets she has,” Vaze explained and nodded once again toward Symphony. “Go now. She is heading toward the hall. If nothing else, ask her about her flight. Just stick by her. Lutheron won’t object to your presence, given the task he assigned you.”
“Good luck,” Shade said with a sigh as he pushed off the ship once more and began to make his way toward Symphony. There was no reply behind him and when he glanced back Vaze was already gone. Shade shook his head and tried to sort through the feelings stirring through his chest. Disappointment, trepidation, and more anxiety than he cared to admit. The disappointment was easy enough to understand. He could have redeemed himself fully in his own eyes by helping Jala and wiped his failure in Rivana from his mind completely. The trepidation and anxiety were no doubt revolving completely around Symphony and his task of spying. He had a fragile friendship with her as far as he knew. How long would that friendship last, though, if she found out he was watching her and reporting back to Lutheron?
“Shade,” Symphony called in greeting, a warm smile lighting her face. “I understand you handled yourself quite well during the battle of Sanctuary. Lutheron tells me that if not for you, Vaze’s squad would have suffered much heavier casualties.” Her gold eyes were filled with nothing but welcome as she spoke and the smile on her face seemed genuine.
“I did what I could under the circumstances. How was your flight?” Shade replied, not quite believing he had taken Vaze’s suggestion of lamely asking about her flight.
“Filled with the reading of scout reports from the troubled countries and Lutheron’s reports involving the city. So depressing mostly,” Symphony answered with a shrug. “Now that we have the city though, we have a better foundation for bringing this all to an end. The city of Sanctuary is a heavy bargaining chip. Or so I hope.”
“It is the center of the world’s commerce and every country has a stake here. I can’t see how it could be anything other than an asset to your cause,” Shade agreed as he fell into step beside her.
Lutheron was watching him with a look of approval on his face and nodded slightly when he noticed Shade glancing at him. Lutheron fell back farther behind, allowing Shade to take his place beside Symphony as they walked. No doubt Lutheron believed he was simply ingratiating himself to make his task of spying easier.
Shade smiled faintly and offered the barest of nods in return as he pointed the ships on the sky port out to Symphony. “Vaze suggested that I teach a few people how to fly so the Fionaveir would have more pilots. Would you be interested in learning as well?” Shade asked, pointedly not looking at Faramir or Lutheron as he spoke. Vaze had been clear enough on what Lutheron had thought of the idea and he didn’t think Faramir would like it much either.