I stared up at the sky. The sun was so hot and so white that it was not even visible as a geometric circle. A faded aura had bloomed around it as if the sun had imploded and sent a mist of light into the atmosphere. The day was too warm, and I was glad we had made it back to the hospital before the hottest part of the day came upon us.

When Phoebe had gone inside, I remained outdoors because I wanted to take a minute to think. My mind seemed so out-of-sorts with everything going on, between Kharid’s death, Venan’s arrest, the Novai sickness, and then, of course, my intense feelings for Phoebe. I felt like I was in a whirlwind, like I could not straighten myself out, and I just needed to get my thoughts in order.

I would not have that chance.

The door to the hospital burst open, and Phoebe came flying out with her flaxen hair also flying behind her. Her face was panicked, twisted in alarm, and she was shiny with a sheen of sweat that did not seem to be a product of the heat. I felt an immediate call to action.

“What is wrong?” I demanded before she could even reach me.

She was panting when she finally stopped, and she bent to rest her hands on her knees and take several long breaths. When she straightened up again, the panic had not left her face.

“Vi’den was here,” she said. “While we were gone, he came.”

I understood at once why she was in such a frenzy. If Vi’den had been here, it meant two things: one, we had been gone, and two, he had something to tell me about my brother.

“Why?” I asked. “Did he tell anyone?”

“Antoinette said he came because he wanted to tell you something about Venan,” came Phoebe’s gasping reply. She was now curling her fingers together into a knot and had inserted the thumb nail on her other hand between her teeth with anxiety.

“Is that all?” I persisted. “He said nothing more?”

“She didn’t ask for more, and he didn’t offer it.” Phoebe was speaking a little irritably, and, while I did not take it personally, the stress of the matter stimulated a bit of irritation to ripple through me and match hers.

“I assume he knows we left, then.”

I had intended to continue speaking, but before I could say another word, I saw a form materialize out of thin air. Standing before me and behind Phoebe was Vi’den.

“Hello, Zuran,” he greeted. He did not sound angry, but he was certainly stern. Phoebe spun around with a slight squeak of surprise upon hearing his voice, and he inclined his head to her. “Hello, Phoebe.”

“Good afternoon, Vi’den,” I said politely. I did not yet know how much he knew, and I did not want to offend him in the least should he know all.

“I am glad to see you have returned,” was his response.

My heart plummeted into my stomach. It was apparent he already knew more than I would have liked. “Yes.” I tried to sound nonchalant, as if I had been gone for entirely innocent reasons. “I have heard that you came for a visit during my absence.”

“I did, yes,” Vi’den said with an affirmative nod. “I have news about Venan.”

“Great,” I said. I waited for him to explain further, but he did not speak. He seemed to be waiting for me to tell him something of my own, most likely what I had been up to. I was not ready to volunteer that information.

“Zuran,” Vi’den finally said, breaking the silence. He sounded as strict as some of the warriors who had trained me at the beginning of my career in the militia. “We need not pretend we are ignorant. I do not know the details of your absence, but I know you well enough to know it had something to do with your brother. While I understand the emotional toll this must be taking on you, I am not going to excuse the behavior.”

I stiffened. For most, hearing a potential consequence would have been frightening. For me, it was almost insulting. It lit the defiant, rebellious seed inside me into a sprout.

“Now, I have not told the other Elders of your absence,” Vi’den went on. “And I do not intend to. I would like to spare you the consequences that would have come had I informed the Council. But do not mistake my sympathy for tolerance. You have been assigned to this post, and it is here you shall remain until commanded otherwise.”

Again, I did not respond well to authority, but I was not foolish enough to think I had a chance at walking away from my excursion to Ka-lik’et without disciplinary action if I were to engage in an argument with the kindest of the Elders.

“Thank you,” I said gracefully.

Phoebe was still nervous. I could see sweat on the nape of her neck where her hair had parted to fall over each shoulder. I wanted to reach out and touch her, to grab her waist and pull her to me for comfort, but I did not want to display my affection in front of Vi’den. So, I simply remained in place and listened while he spoke.

“It has been decided that Venan’s request will be granted,” he said.

Immediately, I felt a hot rush of anger. “You know that is not in his best interest,” I shot furiously.

“It may very well not be,” Vi’den agreed. “But I believe it is in yours.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I feel, and, by extension, the Council feels, moving up the trial date for Venan will prevent further rash action from you. As I said, I understand your emotional bond to this particular case, and I do not wish for it to torment you longer than necessary and urge you into the life you have left behind.”

The way he phrased it, it sounded like he was doing me a favor, like he was looking out for me. Whether that was true or not, I did not know, though Vi’den was notoriously honest, but it did not matter. I was enraged. “You are only looking to pin Kharid’s death on someone!” I barked. “You only intend to make an example out of Venan. This is not about him; this is about not about his actions and if they were criminal. You know the team has compiled plenty of evidence proving the Novai who attacked Kharid was unstoppable without lethal force. It was unfortunate that Venan’s actions resulted in Kharid’s death, but his actions were necessary nonetheless.”

Vi’den merely looked at me. Had I spoken that way to another Elder, particularly Sevani, it would have been grounds for severe consequences, possibly imprisonment or—if the tension grew thick enough—even a battle. But Vi’den was not impulsive or emotional. He just looked at me and let me rant.

“You know that, if Venan had not killed the Novai, there would have been a dozen dead bodies in that palace instead of two,” I went on. Phoebe had turned around to look at me, and her hand continuously squeezed my forearm in an effort to quiet me, but I would not be quieted. I was out of control. “Every healer, every doctor here, can tell you the Novai who have contracted this disease have displayed excessive amounts of aggression and even super strength. What else was Venan, a warrior of the Dhal’atian kingdom, to do upon seeing his Elder in close combat with this beast?”

“I understand,” Vi’den replied. He spoke calmly and evenly, but his tone did nothing to calm me. “For that reason, I would be happy to call you as a witness to testify on Venan’s behalf. As you say, his actions may have well been justified, but that cannot be proven without a witness. I would venture a guess that you are more than willing to be that witness.”

“Of course I am,” I said at once, “but the rest of the Council is likely to think I am only speaking from bias because of our familial relation.”

Vi’den tilted his head, but, before he could say anything, Phoebe stepped forward. “I will be a witness too.” The Elder turned his attention to her, and she tilted her chin slightly upwards with resolve. “I was there, and I’m also working on treating the disease that led to this entire mess. I can offer medical knowledge backed with credentials and experience to support Zuran’s testimony.”

I felt a surge of gratitude for her. She was so giving, so willing to put herself on the line, for something that had nothing to do with her in the grand scheme.

Vi’den studied her for a moment, flicking his eyes once to me as if to analyze the chemistry between us. I stared back stoutly at him. “I think we may permit that,” he finally said. “Provided the rest of the Council agrees as well.”

“Good,” I said this rather than letting Phoebe respond. “See that they do.”

Again, had it been any other Elder, my order would have been taken with a large dose of self-righteous anger. As it was Vi’den, however, he merely inclined his head, bent at the knees, and jumped into the wind. It was just Phoebe and me again.