fandomhigh | Speaking in Tongues [11.4]

Speaking in Tongues [11.4]

Karal was distracted, but he'd found a whiteboard from somewhere and wheeled it into the library. "I thought we could try our hand at the jumbles that have been in the paper recently. I've done one in Karsite that I thought you could all try and guess. And then someone else could come up and do another one, in whatever language they like."

On the board was--

//MDOFNA//

--and the clue was:

The weirdest island in the world

.

Okay, it was stupidly easy, but he was very distracted. "When everyone who wants to has had a turn, I thought we could simply make new words by choosing one letter from each of our jumbled words."

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Once they're here.

Karal was here, and his thought were all jumbley.

Evey could tell, and it didn't take someone with her insight to do so. "You okay?"

It startled him and his head shot up. "What? Oh. I--" Karal looked at her for a long moment, uncertain what he should do, then glanced around. "I need to talk to you, but privately. Come into the stacks for a moment?" he asked as he stood up.

"All right," Evey agreed, her brow creasing in slight worry. She glanced around as she started toward the stacks.

Karal followed, stopping when he was satisfied that no one would overhear. "I have to tell you something, and I don't know if you'll believe me," he said earnestly. "But it is true, I swear it."

She nodded, her eyes on his. "I trust you," she said simply. "What's wrong?"

"Glory, I don't know where to start." He closed his eyes, organising his thoughts, then opened them again. "Altra returned last night with news. The good is that the mages of the Alliance believe they have found a way to counter the mage storms, the bad that the breakwater will only hold for another three weeks and," he looked down at his hands, "and I will have to return soon."

His heart ached saying it and he couldn't look at her. "But that is not what I'm afraid you won't believe. I--" Karal hesitated, then finished in tones of quiet awe, "I had a vision. Here, today, in the library. Sent by Vkandis."

Evey felt something tug in her chest, but she pushed past it. "What was your vision about?"

Karal reached for her hand, needing the contact. "The library was filled with light, and everywhere the light touched had changed, had become the Temple at Sunhame." He looked up, meeting her eyes. "I followed the light and it led me to Special Collections. The door was open, and when I touched it, the whole world went white, and there was the sound of lightning. I, I have to go into Special Collections. I have to go in today."

She threaded her fingers through his. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." There was no doubt in his voice, no room for doubt, and his eyes were bright and clear. "It is as if there is a rope, stretching from here," he touched his sternum, "to there," he pointed in the direction of Special Collections. "Vkandis Sunlord sent me a vision. There is something in there He wants found. I am His servant in all things, and I must find it."

She watched him for a moment, then replied, "I'll help."

He relaxed, worry running out of him like water, and dropped his head to rest on her shoulder. "Thank you."

She smoothed a hand along his back. "'Course."

Karal touched his palm to her cheek and kissed her lightly.

Evey went up onto her toes to return the kiss, smoothing his hair down.

It would be so easy to press closer, he wanted to. It was quiet and private in the stacks, and he wanted to wrap his arms around her and not let go. But he didn't, he couldn't. Instead, he gently broke the kiss, letting his fingers trail down her neck. "We should get back."

She nodded quietly. "We should. There'll be time later."

"There will." I hope. With a little smile, he turned to go back to the table.

Andrew came in a bit late.

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Speaking in Tongues [11.4]

Talk to the Convenors.

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