Cry of Metal & Bone by L. Penelope

Author:L. Penelope
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781250148124
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

While refreshing herself in a stream, Ayal looked up to the mountain, which rose from the edge of the wood. The peaks kissed the blue of the sky, and she was certain wisdom could be found there. Each step higher was a promise whispered into the stone.

—THE AYALYA

“Is Amber not joining us this evening?” Sapphire asked. The little communication device was absent from the center of the round table.

“Amber has things to attend to,” Diamond replied imperiously. “If we want to fund our further ventures, then it’s best to allow him to continue uninterrupted. We cannot all drop everything to meet the histrionic whims of a single member. You called this emergency meeting, Sapphire. It’s quite out of the ordinary.”

“Well this situation is out of the ordinary,” Sapphire snapped. “Constables rummaging around the temples, throwing things into even more chaos. It’s unprecedented. The temples have played their part already.” The annoyed Reaper’s cloth mask featured a peculiar duality: Looked at one way, it portrayed a weeping countenance, eyes and mouth pulled down in apparent misery. But perceived another way, the eyes danced with mirth and the mouth was midlaugh.

“You think me responsible for the trouble at the temples, Sapphire?” Jade sounded more amused than insulted.

“I know you are responsible. Never forget, I have eyes and ears in nooks and crannies around town, too.”

“Well then you should see and hear the truth. All of this is a means to an end. A little theatre, isn’t that what we do?” Jade spread his hands apart. “We have each been given tasks to carry out. I am simply doing my part.”

Sapphire leaned forward, bony hands gripping one another tightly. “Your part seems to expand daily. As does your disrespect for this body.”

Pearl shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Jade refused to respond.

Diamond cleared his throat to take back control of the conversation. “The plan is working, so we stick to the plan. It is well organized and effective. We have growing numbers moving to our side. Let’s stay the course.”

He turned to Sapphire. “We have the constables well in hand. This display is just that—misdirection, distraction. Show the audience something wondrous in one hand while the other picks their pocket. You cannot have forgotten the tricks of your youth, have you?”

Sapphire, a childhood pickpocket? Surprising, but the more Jade thought about it, the more it made sense. He filed this information away. Diamond was the only one who knew all of their true identities. Jade knew who Sapphire was and was pretty certain about Amber, but the others were still cloaked in mystery. For now.

“The struggle that this body has fought against for so long is more dire than ever,” Diamond said with the conviction of a man overtaken by zealotry. Jade was well familiar with the sensation. “We are needed more than we ever have been, and the eve of victory is nigh.”

Sapphire’s arms crossed. A scowl no doubt lay beneath the mask.

“We must not falter,” Diamond said. “We are so close.”

Jade

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