The Forsaken Hero-Chapter 655: Plans for Negotiation

Elise and I jumped as Jessia’s laugh sliced through the room. It wasn’t her playful giggle, like when she teased me, but a true, genuine laugh.

"That’s what is holding this up? Let’s just sign it now and be done with this thing," she said.

Elise frowned at her. "All those lives might not seem important to you, but the empire, it is a matter of life and death."

Jessia kicked her legs up on a sitting table, one soft leather boot resting atop the other. "When did the demons kill all their people?"

"After the battle. The empire’s scouts found the refugee camp reduced to ash. The inquisitors had saved a few thousand from the city, but that was it."

I clenched a fist to my chest. "I promised them they’d be safe!"

"Gods, Xiviyah, why are you acting like we reneged on that?" Jessia asked.

"Well, I, um..." I grabbed my horn, rubbing it furiously. "Who would have given that order? You were fighting Connor in the canyon, and Luke was watching after me. He didn’t leave Haven for a few days, right?"

Elise frowned. "It’s true. It was almost burdensome how long he spent by your side. I barely had a chance to hold your hand."

"You still don’t get it?" Jessia asked. "Luke never gave that order. I can guarantee it because I was pretending to be him that whole time."

Elise asked, "Did one of the other apostles–"

"That’s not possible." Jessia cut her off. "Constance was the first, but he came a week or so after we took the city." freёwebnoѵel.com

"Then who did it?" R’lissea asked.

Jessia groaned, letting her feet slide off the table with a thump. She stood and paced to the window, gripping the curtain with white knuckles.

"Damn it all. How did this happen?" she asked, glaring at the gathering night. "And how the hell was I not in on it? This is all your fault!"

She spun, stabbing her finger at Elise. Elise flinched, her grip on the pen tightening.

"I wasn’t even there," she muttered.

Jessia waggled her finger. "No, not that. Why didn’t you tell me the empire was all worked up about those dead refugees sooner? I would’ve found a way into the deception, for sure. Now it’s all ruined!"

"Jessia, slow down. What’s ruined?" I asked.

She pouted. "Isn’t it obvious? The church killed them all. I bet I could have taken a few bastards out with that information. Maybe even that damned inquisitor, Evlon."

"The church killed them?" Elise and I gasped.

"Obviously. Keep up. You wouldn’t believe how many people you can blackmail with that kind of dirt. I wouldn’t even have to pretend to be a priest. I could have just waltzed into their embassy and done whatever the hell I pleased." Her face grew even more regretful. "I could make that damned father drink his own pee. Gods, how could I have missed this?"

She collapsed back against the couch, head in her hands. After a moment, she peeked through her fingers. A smile tugged at her lips as she found us staring at her, and she fell over sideways, giggling as she lay on the couch.

"The church lied," Elise whispered. Her gaze fell to the parchment she’d been writing on. In an even softer voice, she said, "They arrived in the city in the middle of the battle but lied about it. Why would they do that?"

She snatched the parchment, crumpling it into a ball. A trickle of ink from the blot oozed between her ring finger and pinky, leaving a black stain. She ignored it, throwing the ball in a metal mesh bin beside the table.

"They wanted an alibi," Jessia said, still lying on her side on the couch. "Why else?"

"If they really destroyed the refugee camp, the empire would have known about it. Did they really slaughter them to the last?" she asked.

I felt like crying. This was tens of thousands of innocent people, not just a small town or village. I had already saved them, too. They would have been alright."

Jessia said, "It’s what the demons would have done. If they really wanted to blame it on us, they couldn’t spare anyone. Loose lips spread secrets, and I can’t imagine anyone would have been quiet after the slaughter."

Elies dropped her head in her hands. "How could I have been so blind?" she muttered. "How could I have believed them?"

"To force the empire to fight," I realized.

They both looked at me. I took a second, thinking quickly, hoping it wasn’t true. The idea settled in my gut like a weight.

"The Empire is strong enough to hold the demons off for months," I said, feeling the need to explain. "They can’t allow them to surrender."

"They couldn’t have thought this secret would stay hidden, right? That no one would figure it out?" Elise asked.

Chills crept down my spine, making my tail curl into my lap. "I’ve never seen this place," I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. "I’ve seen every battle and city in hundreds of different futures. But not this one. Maybe...maybe the church can’t, either."

"So they’re blocking magical investigation somehow," Jessia said. "With no way to check the church’s story, it’s their word against the demons. Clever."

"Then what can we do?" I asked. "There’s no way to prove it without going to the scene, but that would take too long."

Elise tapped her fingers on the desk, frowning softly. "Not necessarily, but...it would take someone more than me. I’m just...ugh, never mind. You’re right; there’s nothing we can do."

"Elise." I took her hand, drawing her gaze. "You have an idea?"

Elise flinched at my touch, her gaze darting to the letter beside her. A drop of ink flecked the envelope from when she’d crumpled the parchment. It looked like a drop of blood on pale skin.

"I...can’t do it. Even if it’s true, they won’t believe me. Not after...Brithlite," she finished in a small voice.

"Elise, that wasn’t you. Don’t you know that?"

She looked away, biting her lip. I wanted to say something–anything–but the words didn’t come. Just how many times had I been looked down on or ignored because I was a slave? What could one slave say to another when they both knew it would only be words? No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn’t change what happened.

So, instead, I turned to Jessia.

"Jessia, can you get proof?"

Jessia blinked, taken aback. "Proof? I doubt they would have any record of the massacre. That would be stupid beyond belief. Besides, why bother? If this falls through, we can just invade and take it. The other apostles have caught up to us with armies a dozen times stronger than ours. It’s not like our forces are lacking."

"Please?"

"Weeell...." Jessia rubbed her chin. The corner of her lip twitched, and a grin spread across her face. "I do like digging up the church’s secrets. I’ll be back in an hour. Stall them till then."

Elise’s eyes widened. "Wait, what are you–"

That was as far as I got before she vanished in a puff of darkness, leaving Elise and me alone. She sighed, resting her head in her hands.

"You can do this," I said.

She nodded and took a deep breath. Hesitantly, she reached for the quill.

"Are you sure this will work?" she asked.

I nodded, and she squared her shoulders, eyes hardening with resolve. Her quill dipped in the inkwell and began to scroll across the parchment. I opened my mouth, intending to ask what she was planning, but closed it again.

Elise’s brow furrowed in concentration as the feather glided across the page. The pen’s tip moved quicker than I could see, but she never blotted or left a shaky line behind. Her writing was thin and graceful, leaving letters like dark strands of silk.

I watched in fascination as she worked, feeling a touch of envy. The Tongues ability from my Heroic Blessing allowed me to speak and read, but it didn’t grant me the ability to write. I had learned some during my months at the Divine Throne, but the priests had been more interested in teaching me to curtsy, apologize, and accept correction than practical skills like writing. If anything, I was more fluent in runes, the language of magic, than any actual spoken language.

Not wanting to break her concentration, I walked to the window, staring wistfully out into the night. There was a lot to think about, too many things I didn’t want to think about. Had the inquisitors sent to hunt me down really murdered all those refugees? Where had Verity been, in the midst of that? I didn’t know much about the Fate Hero, but after all she had done to save them, I didn’t believe she would let them die. She seemed earnest and kind, at the very least.

"Xiviyah," Elise said after a few minutes. "Come here, would you?"

I returned to the table, arms folded tightly.

"I think we’re ready to go, but I need you with me."

My tail curled around my ankle. She noticed and shook her head.

"I’ll take care of all the talking. I just need you to be there in case the church tries anything suspicious. Your eyes still work, right?"

I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, but isn’t it dangerous? What wouldn’t the church do if they were willing to kill all of those people?"

"They don’t have any ninth-levels here right now, and the empire has two. They might be reluctant to deal with us, but the empire will step up if the church tries to make good on any of their threats. They’ve always had integrity, even when dealing with my father–er, I mean...my old kingdom."

"I...I trust you." I said, meeting her gaze. "When is it?"

She blew on the parchment, drying the ink. "Right now."

"N-Now?"

Elise carefully rolled the paper up and tied it with a ribbon. Then, she stood. She made to pull away, then hesitated, stealing another glance at the envelope. She touched it, hand trembling slightly, before placing it in a drawer.

"Alright, I’m ready. Let’s give the empire the truth."