Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 6)

Pratik headed up the stairs, quickly, but not fast enough to wind himself. He got to the door and raised his hand to knock, but hesitated when he heard Ky.

“You’re not ALLOWED to leave,” Ky said. Her voice was muffled by the door, but it was very clearly raised a little.

Pratik raised his eyebrows. Bold. Telling Zander what he could or couldn’t do. Didn’t she know that guaranteed Zander would do what she just told him he couldn’t?

“Ky.” Zander sounded tired, but not upset. “Stop making such a fuss. Do you really want to embarrass yourself in front of Emery?”

“No. I want you to stop being so ridiculous!”

Pratik smirked a little. Turns out the only person in the world who could mouth off to Zander and get away with it was a timid little girl.

He knocked.

Emery had been sitting there in complete silence, watching with curiosity and a bit of discomfort as the scene unfolded. His head snapped toward the door when he heard the knock. "Er, you've got company," he said awkwardly.

Ky was agitated enough she was pacing again so she was nearest the door, so she went to answer it, wondering who it could be. She forced herself to compose herself, taking a deep breath and returning to an air of complete neutrality. Zander was right. She was embarrassing herself in front of Emery, but there was very little other option, since this argument needed to happen before Zander came up with stupid plans about leaving. No. He was staying. And that was that.

She pulled the door open.

She tensed, eyes going wide as she saw Pratik.

He put his hands up placatingly. “Just here to let you know Lord Ash is ready to give you the tour now.”

Ky let out her pent breath and nodded. “Thank you.” She turned back towards Zander expectantly.

Zander glanced between them. Pratik wasn’t a messenger boy sent to fetch people. He was here to talk to him, no doubt. Which was good. He wanted to talk to Pratik, too.

“C’mon,” Ky said impatiently when Zander didn’t stand up.

“It’s not my tour,” he said evenly.

“You’re. Staying. Here,” she said adamantly. “So you need to know where things are.”

He hesitated for a moment, trying to assess which was the more strategic move. Now that she mentioned it, a tour of the Keep would be helpful.

Emery got up as well to follow, giving Pratik a wide-eyed stare and mouthing 'wow.' silently.

Pratik gave a half-nod of agreement. This wasn’t at all like the timid girl at Aleth’s house. Nor the terrified girl he’d greeted in the courtyard barely an hour before. This was a teenager completely pissed at her uncle. He was honestly here for it.

“Fine,” Zander said after a moment, standing up. “If it will make you happy.”

“I’ll be happy when you say you’re not leaving.”

He raised an eyebrow at her with a half-smirk. “Let’s see this tour.”

Gaius was waiting in front of the front doors of the Keep on the first floor, leaning against the wall to take the weight off his leg.

(Poor Ky always ends up in the middle of a pack of men haha)

Ky started down the stairs once she was satisfied Zander was following. Pratik was a little annoyed that Zander was going with her. He knew that Zander knew what Pratik wanted. Still. He couldn’t blame the man for wanting a tour to verify this place was a fortress fit to protect something far more valuable than a king: his niece.

“Long time no see,” Pratik said casually, falling into step next to Zander.

“Too long,” Zander agreed.

“Hopefully we’ll have a chance to catch up properly.”

“I’m sure of it,” Zander said. It was out of the question for them to not have a conversation. It’d be best to have in private — or at the very least in front of Gaius instead of Emery, since he seemed a man whose mouth ran faster than his brain. But they could be vague enough to get away with having an audience if worse came to worse.

(Poor kiddo, she really does. We'll give her some quality time with Ada, May, Imali, Sera, Sara, Lyra, and Ua soon I'm sure)

Emery sensed that Pratik and Zander were trying to discuss things so he directed his attention there, listening carefully but giving the appearance of looking at Ky curiously.

“He’s, uh…” Zander nodded towards Ky, meaning Aleth. “At it again.”

“So I’ve heard,” Pratik agreed with a nod, understanding.

“Hear anything else?” Zander glanced at him.

“Enough,” he confirmed.

Zander nodded, doubly resolved to get a moment alone with Pratik later. He wanted names and locations. He’d pay if he had to, but he figured Pratik would be more or less willing to help out, once he knew the situation.

How very cryptic of them. Emery continued walking, trying to figure out exactly what that would look like in a report to Gaius. Nothing useful, certainly.

Pratik glanced at Emery, then back at Zander, silently warning him to be careful. Zander nodded. He’d inferred as much. Gaius was smart and he was paranoid. Emery seemed harmless, but he had no doubt he was reporting every last word back to Gaius. So he wasn’t gonna give him much to say.

Ky turned back towards them with a squint, hearing that there was something unspoken between them, but not quite sure what it was. She knew Zander didn’t know anything about the people after her, but Pratik might have heard some of Aleth’s plan when he tried to hire him to do it. “What have you heard?”

“That you have yourself a new Papa!” Pratik said, turning towards her with a grin. “How’s that going?”

“I got stabbed,” she said dryly. “You hear that?”

“I did not, in fact.” Pratik’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m sorry to hear it, though. Who was it?”

“Nyler.” She turned away from him and kept walking. “Jaerek and Wyl tried to get in on the fun, too, but he’s the only one who got to stab me.”

Zander cringed. Pratik did too, glancing at Zander. “Guess that explains why you’re here.”

Emery's eyebrows shot up. "Wait, someone stabbed you, Ky? Why?!" Hell, she was just a kid! Who would do something like that?

“Aleth was nothing if not thorough.” Her cheeks burned, but it’s not like it was going to be a secret now that she was here. “He made sure someone would kill me if he didn’t get to me first. And he didn’t catch me fast enough at the meeting… that is why I’m here.”

Emery was appalled and was silent for a moment. He shook his head incredulously.
"I...had no idea. I'm so sorry, Ky."

Ky shrugged, appreciating his sympathy, and yet deciding to cling to her annoyance rather than self pity. “I’m over it.”