Jackal Among Snakes

“Sometimes, you learn just enough to entice you. Then, you push a little deeper, not knowing what you’ll find. It’s a treacherous journey, the unknown. You either find nothing… or you find misery.” Dario managed to look up at Melanie. “You learn a little too much, and the façade starts to fade away. All your happiness is flavored with bile, because it all feels so small in comparison to the grandeur of what you’ve learned.”

Melanie shook her head. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“You asked me if it was worth it, what I’ve done.” Dario exhaled. “It was never about it being ‘worth it.’ I knew the truth, and all the misery it brought. Things fell apart around me, and all my joy died. It was a buzzing in the back of my mind. It was as though I knew a poisonous spider lurked near my bed, yet not where. I had to act.”

“I suppose I know what you mean.” Melanie kept her eyes focused on Dario—even with him broken and battered, she didn’t underestimate this man for a second. “Knew a happy couple, married for twenty years. Then, the husband confessed he cheated when they were engaged. Twenty years of a good bond fell apart all because someone learned something they couldn’t forget. I always did wonder if ignorance would’ve served that woman best.”

“Hm. Hard to say.”

A silence stretched out between the two of them. Melanie sighed after a while. “You’re a lot like Argrave, in a way. Lots of self-importance.”

“Self-importance?”

“Well, yeah. Thinking that you’re the only one who can save the world, that sort of thing. You both have your reasons, I guess, but you took drastically different paths with your savior complex. Difference between you… Argrave has people backing him up. Your only ally abandoned you the moment it became problematic for them. Castro trusted Argrave enough to give his life for his cause. Do you see the difference?”

Dario didn’t dispute that.

“If know them, here’s what’ll happen. Argrave and Anneliese will try and convince you to come to their side, spill the beans. I’d advise that you do. If you’re honest, if you try and turn a new leaf… if you rely on someone besides some bastards that’d ruin your life and then abandon you, the royal couple might have your back, too,” Melanie ended hopefully.

“If not?”

“If not, I’m pretty sure they’ll give you to the Alchemist.” Melanie crossed her legs as the idea made her uncomfortable. “He’ll think of half a thousand measures to get what he needs from you. Even if they don’t work like you seem to think, I can guarantee they’ll be a lot worse than whatever secrets made you depressed enough to hurt yourself this badly.”

“I would never—”

given the lengths you went through to stop that, it has to mean something. You want to know why your patron—if you can call them that—walked away? Because it doesn’t matter even if you don’t stay silent. We’re near the truth. If you’re so tickled about the fate of the universe, or whatever stupid reason you’d hurt yourself like this, then work with

to lay his head upon the cavern floor, and Melanie shook her head in

suspected Anneliese, or perhaps the Alchemist, would chase after me while Argrave returned as quickly as he could. And now that you’re divided, Mozzahr is

Melanie looked at Dario with focus. “What are you

in tow. The ordeal still sickens me, but their judgment was that it would be easier

they thought him tougher than Mozzahr,” Melanie said, urgency making her speak quickly.

his eyes again, fixed Melanie with eyes filled with bitter resolve. “Listen closely. I can’t say

#####

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entered it. He held her hand as they walked. Here, at least, he was certain the people could be trusted. He sent Orion ahead to speak to Elenore, and the Alchemist had returned to his abode atop the mountain.

to hasten a little. They came out of

New

of children. She had endured Good King Norman’s tyrannical dictation over his household and kingdom. That sort of scar, made so young, was likely to leave its mark on her for a long while yet… if not her whole life. And that was not even mentioning the traumatic flight she’d just had to endure. Argrave wished that he could show her nothing but kindness henceforth, but the

can work out all the details later,” Argrave told her, half to suppress

“I don’t want

he’d just agree to that and move on, but that little thing that made people feel bad about lying pricked at Argrave—he thought it was called a ‘conscience,’ but he was certain he’d killed that a long time ago. In the time loop, he’d been a lying machine. Now, perhaps he was over-adjusting after

hurt because of you,” Argrave answered as they walked across

Sophia countered meekly

paused, then sighed. “Until the end, he never got hurt, Sophia. What he did, he did because he wanted to.

daddy said there’s nothing after death. That you die, and you get buried, and then

added, then looked at

her head. To his

nodded. “I could tell

dead people can’t talk.