“Maybe,” I allowed as I inspected the spoons of one of the mess kits I’d put into our shopping basket. There was a tiny nick on the edge of the implement, and I turned back to the shelf I’d grabbed it from so I could replace it. “But Annia’s a damn good Enforcer, and I could use someone with fighting experience at my back.”
“I’m perfectly capable of defending myself,” Fenris said stiffly, tossing the bedroll back and choosing another.
I rolled my eyes, then grabbed his wrist and turned his palm up. “Not a single callus on these bad boys,” I remarked pointedly. “I’m not going to pretend I know what your past is, but if you’ve done any fighting, it was long enough ago that there’s no trace of it on your body.”
“You’re right.” Fenris snatched his hand back, glaring at me with his yellow shifter eyes. “You don’t know what my past is. As I’ve said, I’m perfectly capable of defending myself.”
“That may be so, but I’m still taking Annia,” I said coolly. “Remember that without her, we wouldn’t have the balloon. So you’ll have to put up with the ‘inconvenience’ of it, or find another mode of transportation.”
Fenris held my gaze for a moment longer, then looked away and sighed. “I suppose I can’t argue with that. It’s just…this is a very sensitive mission, Sunaya. The more people involved, the greater the danger that things can go wrong. Her sister sides with the enemy.”
“I get it, but we need Annia. Besides, I trust her implicitly. She’s not going to fuck us over.”
“For Iannis’s sake, I hope you’re right.”
“Alright,” I said when we were all gathered around the balloon outside the workshop. Elnos and Noria had dragged the contraption to the small lot behind the shop to prepare it for liftoff. It was already inflated, the magical coal activated and burning brightly. “Guess it’s time for us to get on this thing.”
Fenris winced a little as he took in the neon-bright purple and yellow fabric of the balloon itself. “We’re not going to blend in very well.”
“Yeah, well I wasn’t exactly creating this for a stealth mission,” Noria snapped. She stepped up onto the platform we were going to use to board the balloon, then tapped the sandbags hanging off the basket. “Remember, these guys stay on here. The whole point is to make sure the balloon doesn’t rise too fast when you lift off. The only exception is if for some reason you guys lose altitude and you’re plummeting to the ground too fast. Then you drop them to lighten your load and slow your descent.”
“We get it, Noria,” Annia said quietly. There was a sadness in her dark eyes as she looked at her sister, and I wondered if it was because of the rift that had sprung between them when Annia had demanded Noria give up the balloon, or because of Noria’s pro-Resistance attitude.
“Alright, well if you’re so sure, let’s get you boarded.” Noria’s narrowed eyes surveyed us. “You guys sure about this? Once you’re gone, it’s pretty hard to come back.”
“We’re sure.” I eyed Noria’s stiffened spine and rock-hard shoulders, then stepped forward and embraced her. She jolted in surprise at my touch, and I felt guilty that she would react this way to a show of affection from me. “Thank you so much, Nor. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
Noria sighed a little, hugging me back, and when I pulled away I was surprised to see a film of tears in her eyes. “I just want you all to be safe, and going out there to rescue the Chief Mage, especially at a time like this, is reckless. He’s got boatloads of magic, Naya – surely he can take care of himself.”
I snorted. “You’re here to talk to me about recklessness?” In that department Noria was even worse than I was. “Besides, if it were Elnos out there, wouldn’t you be going regardless of the danger?”
“I love Elnos.” Noria arched a brow. “Are you trying to tell me that you love the Chief Mage?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I said lightly, though my heartbeat began to pick up at the accusation. “But he’s my mentor now, and I’ve already lost one of those this year. I don’t want to lose another.”
“Alright.” Noria sighed, then stepped aside to give me access to the platform. “Go on, then.”
“Wait!”
I turned at the sound of Comenius’s voice, and a smile broke out across my face as I watched him hurry into the lot with Elania on his heels. His features sagged with relief as he took us all in. “Oh, I’m so glad I didn’t miss you.”
“Me too.” I stepped forward and into Com’s waiting embrace. “Will you check on Lakin for me whenever you get a moment? I know you’re not really comfortable with being in Shiftertown, but I’m sure his hands are more than full, and there are probably many wounded that could use your assistance.”
“I’ll do what I can.” Comenius hugged me tightly, and I laid my head on his shoulder, soaking up his comforting embrace. His herbal scent surrounded me, and as I glanced over his shoulder at Elania, I was surprised to see jealousy in her dark eyes as she regarded us silently. But as soon as I stepped out of the embrace, the look in her eyes was gone, and a warm smile spread across her features as she came to hug me as well.