Sweet Venom Arc 03 Ch. 20

Jace snorted loudly through his nostrils and dug his claws into the wooden bench, as the heat began to overwhelm him. But before his anger could get the better of him, he felt Isabelle's soft hand gently take his own.

The two sat in silence for a moment, letting the cooling rain soak into their clothes. The fire slowly faded, and Jace squeezed Isabelle's hand.

"She would be so proud of you, you know that, Jace?"

Jace blinked. He glanced over, and saw that Isabelle was staring at the obelisk before them. Jace's gaze landed on the plaque in front of them, and stinging tears suddenly balled up in the corner of his eyes. Hundreds of names had been inscribed with great care onto the metal, but both their eyes were locked onto a single line:

Autumn Koa

"Knowing what you're fighting for, and what a difference you've made so far." Isabelle continued.

Jace went to disagree, but a quick squeeze of his hand and the soothing quietness of her voice kept him silent.

"Your enemies are smart, Jace. But they're scared of you. They won't touch anything you're involved with, and for good reason. They know Commander Koa is coming for them."

"But it's not working, Belle. They're winning."

"Then maybe it's time to change things up?" She smiled at Jace warmly. "You old dragons always get so stubborn about these things! You get too attached to the plan, but the plan is only in service of the goal."

"Maybe if she had stuck to the plan, her name wouldn't be on a plaque." Jace growled, through pained, gritted, teeth.

"Maybe..." Isabelle murmured. "And, if she had, maybe your name would be on there instead." Her voice grew more firm as she reached the end of her sentence, but there was no hint of malice or regret in her voice.

"I... I'm sorry." Jace stuttered, suddenly snapping out of his anger. "That was deeply inappropriate. I lost control -"

"Oh come off it, Jace, I'm not offended! Far from it." She sighed heavily and pulled her hand away from him, gently. "I wish I could give you what you needed to forgive yourself, but only you can do that. But I meant what I said, she'd be so proud of her father right now. You see the good in this empire - which is impressive, because they make it really god-damn difficult sometimes - and the potential it has..." She stared up at the endless grey sky, listening intently to the whistling wind. "You two used to love days like this, when she was little, and you'd take her out flying in the clouds... Goodness, she was so jealous she didn't have wings! I kept telling her, czarites don't get wings, even if they have dads that do! But every weekend, the same question!"

"When will I get wings like yours, daddy?" Jace's eyes glassed over again, and it took everything he had to hold back his tears.

"When you eat your dinner!" Isabelle laughed softly. "Never seen a kid eat her vegetables so fast."

"Worked every damn time. Like a charm. Just sheer, single-minded focus. She was going to get her wings one day." Jace smiled, but couldn't help but wince as he felt a sharp, throbbing pain sear across his shoulder blades.

"Just like her dad. You get something in your sights and you just don't let it go. But sometimes, Jace, it's okay to let it go. If the plan isn't working, change it." She snapped her fingers suddenly, a bright, sharp look captured in her gleaming eyes. "I figured you out!"

"H-Huh?"

"Your original goal was to repair the DA's reputation, right? But now you've swapped over to hunting the Dynasty! And you're sacrificing your original goal to push this new one forward!"

A knowing smile crept over Jace's face as Isebelle leaned back on the bench, satisfied with herself. Jace mulled the thought over in his head. She was right. It seemed obvious now, but the moves and plans he'd been making were to combat the Dynasty, not to help the nomads. No matter how much he'd tried to justify it, and convince himself overwise.

"And just like that, you've accurately diagnosed all my problems over the last year in a single sentence. I ought to be ashamed of myself, really, for being so readable like that. So, what do you think I should do?"

"Well, I think you need to focus your scope, maybe pivot back to what you were doing in the first place. It seems like you were unearthing things just by helping the nomads, that's what got you set on this path with the Dynasty, right? Perhaps the nomad you're currently using as bait is a good place to start?" The two locked eyes, and Isabelle gave him that look, the look that said this was not just a suggestion.

"Yeah... maybe he is." His shoulders reinflated, his slouch straightening like a missile preparing for launch. He felt a warmth in his body that had long been missing over the last few weeks.

"I'd get the EaL to unscramble his auction data, and find out where he is. The fact that you've effectively been keeping this guy hostage, and using his girlfriend to do your job and help the nomads? It's not a good look, Jace."

Jace sighed through his teeth. "I know."

"Maybe you could arrange a buy-out? Or at the very least, tell her where he is. Unless, of course, it turns out he actually has done something bad. Don't do that if he's been up to shit since we got him."

"N-No. Of course not." Jace laughed as Isabelle frowned at the thought. "That... That sounds good. Thank you, Belle."

"You're welcome, Jace... God." Isabelle suddenly laughed dryly. "Don't you think it's a tad... convenient that all of this happened today? I read that this trial was meant to go ahead over a week ago, but the XITD 'needed more time' to collate all their information, and they just so happened to be ready today, of all days? On her day?" As Isabelle gestured towards the plaque, her voice finally cracked.

"Yeah. You're not the only one who noticed." Jace replied thinly.

They slipped into another silence as the rain came to a gentle stop, and the sun peaked out from behind the clouds. But one silence was comforting, like a freshly dried blanket, still warm and soft.

"I hate to say it -"

"You don't need to. I won't mention a word of Dynasty or Grey Wall to anyone. For my own safety."

Jace smiled and nodded, feeling a new hope rising in his chest. She was as sharp as she always was.

Maybe not everything has to be so complicated...

*

Scyler's heart pounded in his chest as he nipped back into his room slammed the door shut, on the brink of hyperventilating as he pressed himself against the door, listening for anyone who might have been following. But the corridor behind him was as quiet as ever.

I wonder how many laws I just broke, going into an RMD zone like that...

He quickly reached for his gauntlet and flicked it on, tapping the display frantically. After a few panic-stricken moments, a voice came through on the device's speakers.

"Good chat with Belle, Jace?" Theo's voice.

Scyler lowered the volume to barely a whisper, and held it up to his ear. There it was, clear as day.

"Yeah. It was. I think she gave me what I needed." Jace.

"She always did, mate."

I did it! A surge of adrenaline coursed through Scyler's chest, his head swimming with the possibilities that now lay before him. The Dynasty were closing in, and he'd be right by their side.