"Who won?" Solace's voice was a jagged rasp, cracking the quiet. "The tournament. How did the brackets finish?"
Phoebe shifted in her chair, the leather creaking. She looked exhausted, her usual composure replaced by the weary slump of a soldier after a long campaign.
"Love took first," she said, her voice low. "She fought like a woman possessed in the finals. I think your match gave her... let's say, 'inspiration.' Nolan took second, Alexia surprised everyone by grabbing third, and you officially landed fourth. Lex rounded out the top five."
Solace let out a long, shaky exhale. Fourth. It was enough. The quest, the system, the danger to his family, he had cleared the threshold.
"And you?" he asked, looking at her.
"Sixth," Phoebe replied, a flash of bitterness crossing her face before she suppressed it.
Solace winced as he tried to adjust his pillow. "The others... did you tell them? About the gang?"
Phoebe nodded. "Lex's pride wouldn't let him be left out of this, and Vivi and Nolan... well, they'd follow you into a volcano if you asked politely. And as for Lily, she said yes without hesitation."
Solace's eyes narrowed slightly. "You and Nolan haven't done anything impulsive while I was out, right?"
Phoebe let out a short, dry puff of a laugh. She leaned forward, her eyes dancing with a rare spark of mischief. She suddenly pitched her voice into a high, mocking, child-like tone.
"No, Mother Solace. We haven't done anything stupid. We ate all our vegetables and went to bed on time, just like you wanted."
Solace groaned, closing his eyes. "I deserve that."
Phoebe's face straightened, her expression turning serious again. "But in all honesty, Solace... when do we act? The Church isn't going to wait forever."
Solace pondered for a long moment.
"New Year," he said finally. "We wait until at least the New Year."
"Why the delay?" Phoebe asked, her brow furrowing. "Every day we wait is a day they consolidate power."
"Because," Solace whispered, a small, tired smile tugging at his lips. "I want to celebrate my birthday before we do something stupid and die. I'd like to see nineteen before the world ends."
Phoebe stayed silent for a beat, her gaze softening as she nodded. "Your birthday... It's on the Winter Solstice, isn't it?"
Solace's eyes snapped open, his brows shooting up. "How the hell do you know that?"
Phoebe smiled brightly, a genuine, dazzling expression that looked out of place on her bruised face. "Solace, I am a high-ranking noble with a fuckton of money and a father who wanted to know exactly who his daughter's new 'associates' were. I have a file on you thick enough to use as a shield."
Solace screamed internally. The perks of the 1%. Must be nice living without a care for the bill. "Fine," he grumbled. "Since you're so well-informed, what else is in that file?"
"Not much else," she teased. "But since we're on the topic... what do you actually want? For your birthday, I mean."
Solace thought for a while, but nothing came to mind. "I don't know. If you ask me in the moment, my mind just goes blank. Right now, though, a fresh, delicious meal would be a great start."
He had longed for a home-cooked meal from his mother. Just thinking about it made him drool.
Soon, the humor faded as Solace's mind shifted back to the topic. "Phoebe... your father. He oversees the military in the Frostbane province, right?"
Phoebe nodded.
"If you could," Solace started. "Could you have my father transferred? He's currently on recruitment duty for the Imperial Army at the Royal Palace. I want him in your father's province."
Phoebe understood immediately. If they were going to take a feud with the Church, a force that had eyes in every corner of the Place, they needed their families out of the blast zone.
"I'm worried," Solace continued, his good hand clenching the bedsheet. "While we're out there doing something stupid, I don't want any harm to come to them. Especially not because of me."
"I'll handle it," Phoebe said firmly. "I'll frame it as a 'merit-based' reassignment. And while I'm at it, I'll check on Nolan's little brother, Sirius. He's fifteen, right? Studying at the local school? I'll make sure he's moved to a secure dormitory within the military district."
Solace nodded, the tension in his shoulders finally beginning to bleed away. "Thank you. Truly."
Solace looked at Phoebe again, noticing the heavy, dark circles under her eyes. Between the fight and the vigil, she looked like she had been dragged through the mud. A smirking, mischievous glint returned to his eyes.
"Did I hit you that hard?" he asked, trying to sound innocent.
Phoebe blinked, confused. "What? You mean the match?"
"No, I mean your face," Solace said, pointing a finger toward her eye. "You've got a bit of a... dark circle there. Or is that a permanent bruise I left you with?"
Phoebe's face went from pale to a bright, furious red in less than a second. "You... you arrogant, ungrateful-!"
In her indignant fury, she reached out to swat his shoulder, but her hand slipped. She accidentally slammed her palm directly onto Solace's heavily bandaged, shattered right hand.
"AAAAAAGH!" Solace's scream was muffled by his pillow as he doubled over, clutching his arm. The pain was like a fresh bolt of lightning through his nerves.
"Oh gods! Solace!" Phoebe jumped up, her face draining of color. "I'm so sorry! I didn't—I forgot—don't move! I'll get the healer!"
She was frantic, her hands hovering over him, her voice trembling with genuine regret.
Solace suddenly went still. He peeked over the edge of the pillow, a massive smirk plastered across his face. "Just kidding. It hurt, but not that much."
Phoebe froze. Her apologies died in her throat. Her eyes narrowed into slits, and her voice dropped into a chilling, sub-zero register that would have made a Threaded Beast run for cover.
"You," she whispered. "Are a dead man"
She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen with lethal intent.
"Who are you calling?" Solace asked, his smirk faltering as a cold sweat broke out on his neck. "Phoebe? Put the phone down."
She didn't answer. The line clicked as the call was picked up on the other end.
"Hello?" Phoebe said into the device, her voice dripping with fake, theatrical sorrow. "It's Phoebe. I'm so sorry to tell you this, but... your brother, Solace... he's about to mysteriously die. Yes, right now. It's very tragic."
On the other end of the line, two high-pitched, panicked voices erupted in a frantic, confused screech.
"WHAT?!" Noah and Luna screamed through the speaker.
"WHAT?!" Solace screamed from the bed, his heart nearly stopping. "Hey!! Hey! I was just joking, yeah!"
Phoebe simply clicked the "end call" button, tucked the device away, and gave Solace a bright, terrifyingly sweet smile.