Sylah sank back down, but the uneasiness didn’t abate. The hum she’d thought was the murmur of other patients must be the crowd in the courtyard below.
“We need to get you out of the city, though. Jond has disappeared. And despite the resources I now have, I don’t trust anyone,” Anoor said, and Sylah flinched. “The Ghosting elders have left. Hassa has marked the settlement on the map, it’s a three-week journey, but they’ve had a head start through the tunnels. You’ll need to leave by eru if you hope to catch up with them before they leave for the mainland. Boey is ready and prepared in the stable.”
With each word Sylah sunk deeper and deeper into the straw mattress.
“I can’t leave you.”
Gorn quietly excused herself at Sylah’s words.
“You must, and when you get to the settlement, you must join them on their journey to the mainland.” Anoor pulled out a round medallion from her pocket. It was similar to the gold guild tokens given to Embers but larger and silver. “This is an ambassador emblem. Not only will it get you supplies on your journey with no questions asked, it will protect you if you are stopped by officers.”
“An ambassador emblem?”
“Ambassadors are used by the wardens as mediators between the twelve cities and Nar-Ruta. I am allowed to name one within my Shadow Court.”
Sylah reached for it. The metal was warm from being pressed against Anoor’s body.
“Thank you.”
“If what the Ghosting elders said to you is true, we need to figure out a way to rid the land of the tidewind.”
“What about you, Anoor? The tidewind is getting worse. You could die.”
“It’s a risk we have to take, Sylah.”
“Come with me.” Sylah knew her plea was futile.
Anoor didn’t reply, though she locked eyes with Sylah, her decision clear for her to see.
“What about the Sandstorm? They won’t stop, Anoor.”
Anoor smiled sadly and reached for Sylah’s hand, intertwining it with hers. “I’ll just have to set more paperweight traps.”
Sylah choked on her tears, their woven hands blurring.
“Can I…can I come to the Ascent first?”
“I think it would be best if you didn’t. Everyone will be at the Ascent. That gives you good cover to get out of the city. The streets will be clear.”
Anoor reached for one of Sylah’s tears and let it run over her knuckle.
“I don’t want to leave you, Anoor. I love you.”
“I know,” she said, but didn’t return the sentiment. “Come back to me, Sylah.”
Sylah cupped Anoor’s face in her hands.
“I will,” Sylah said. She trailed her fingers over Anoor’s lips, committing the shape of them to memory. Then she kissed her.
“I have to go,” Anoor whispered. “And so do you. When I leave, the guards do too.” She pulled away from Sylah.
Anoor didn’t look back as she left the room.
—
Sylah had a couple of things to do before she left the Keep. Her aching body protested as she made her way toward Anoor’s chambers. The sack of joba seed powder in her pocket pressed against her leg.
“You should not have stopped taking the seeds without weaning yourself off them properly,” the healer had chastised her. Then he said the words that she knew in her heart all along. “Your body is damaged; you’ll continue to have ailments as your mind tries to cope with the lack of stimulant. You may have regained some sort of normalcy in the mooncycles to come, if you hadn’t succumbed to the drug once more. But now your brain has reverted to adapting to the drug. In one moment, you undid moons of hard work.” The healer tsked and pulled out a small bag. “I recommend you take a small dose of joba seed powder every day, a few grains added to a sweetened tea. That is all. If you don’t, the seizures and tremors will return, worse than before. You could even suffer from a heart attack.”