The Way We Fall

Chapter 167 (Roche)

It took months for Verita to recover. Roche watched over her guardian carefully, not allowing the librarian to do any heavy work until Leinos gently reminded her that exercise was necessary for healing as well. She could tell that Verita was finding her coddling less endearing by the day, but Verita never pushed her away. What had happened with Finn had truly shaken the woman.

"I nearly told him," Verita confessed one night when Leinos had needed to give her a stronger draught that loosened her tongue, "I nearly told him your name. I would have told him if you hadn't stopped him. I'm so sorry."

Roche assured Verita that there was no blame to be had. She was merely impressed that the elderly woman had withstood Finn's torture for so many hours, and she was more than a little enraged by the fact that Verita had needed to go through the ordeal at all.

The librarian had recounted to Roche and Leinos how Eris had blasted her with inkblood when her back was turned, knocking her out. By the time she'd come to, Eris had handed her off to Finn, who had placed her on the back of a horse and rode her into the canyon. Verita knew that someone would come looking for her, and had managed to keep quiet long enough to leave pieces of her robe behind.

That was, until of course, Finn had begun his torture. Then all rational thought had flown from her mind.

Roche had to grit her teeth every time she spotted Eris at Tigris' side. She had to remind herself that accusing Eris of treason wouldn't work, not with Tigris' somewhat blind devotion to the Councilwoman. Roche had tried revealing the woman's inkblood, but Eris always wore long sleeves and had a tight swathe of enchantments encasing her arms.

Eris was smarter than the previous Councillors who had fought Roche. That meant she was more dangerous too.

Despite the slight distance that had grown between Eris and Tigris, their bond was still apparent. Tigris valued the woman's word over everyone else's and clung to her for stories about her mother. There was no doubt in Roche's mind that another accusation of treason would not go over well. That meant she'd need to bide her time and wait for Eris to slip up or make a move. She'd thwart whatever plan the Council had in place.

So, she and Verita waited anxiously. Months flew by. Eris remained at Tigris' side, as annoying as ever but not making any suspicious moves. She kept a wide berth from Roche and Verita, and didn't stray from her usual duties in the castle.

Roche's anxiety swelled into paranoia. After months of waiting, she ranted to Verita as the librarian stirred a pot of bubbling ink.

"She has to be planning something," Roche lamented, stabbing at her opened spellbook with a finger, "The Council only goes this quiet when they're planning something big. Tigris is in danger!"

Verita hummed, lifting her wooden spoon to inspect the ink that dribbled off it. "Well, you've been giving me this speech for weeks and we still have no idea what the Council is planning. Perhaps you should enjoy the peace while it lasts if it is to be disrupted eventually."

Roche threaded her hands through her hair in frustration. "If I miss something, Tigris' life is forfeit. Or I'll miss another opportunity to imprison Finn."

Roche was still sour about the fact that she'd had Finn unconscious and exposed and still managed to let him get away.

Verita sighed. "This is not a typical thing for me to suggest but... I think you need some time off, Roche. You've become... harried."

Roche tried not to be offended at that. "I'm not harried," she grumbled. Verita lifted a brow.

"Oh no?" the librarian asked, gesturing at Roche with her inkstained spoon, "When's the last time you trimmed your hair? Or did your laundry? Or organised your personal bookshelf?"