Unknotted

“Enough, Metallia.” Glark stepped protectively between her and me. “They have their task. Unless you intend to help, leave them to work.”

I dropped my eyes to avoid being drawn into the challenge rising between them. The air crackled like it did just before lightning struck.

Metallia snarled but said nothing before storming from the tent. Like a released breath, the tension eased. I gave up on trying to stand and sagged back to my hands and knees. My fingers curled over the hardpacked earth, my nails scraping bits free. The magic, and the relief from this pain, was so close, but Metallia was still blocking me from accessing it.

I had understood, even if I had disliked it, Glark punishing me from my loss of control at the diner and the portal station. But this? Blocking me from healing wounds sustained on a mission filled me with questions I didn’t dare voice. Why hadn’t Glark and Metallia met on the ship with the other ultras and the enchantress? Why weren’t they organizing and leading the search for Topaz if that was the priority? Where were the offers for more resources and assistance? Instead, my ultras would likely return to the Den and wait for word. Metallia would only emerge again to deliver punishment, while Glark suffered it.

Why were Chet, Tydeus, and I, and even Dariya, doing the work our ultras should be doing, and had been for years?

Glark crouched in front of me and touched my face. Pain flared around his fingertips, and I bit back a swear and breathed heavily through my teeth. Then magic, blessedly renewing magic, seeped into my aching face and spread through my body to my arm and ankle. Bones shifted in my nose and breathing through it became easy again. The pressure around my swollen eyes lessened until I managed to peel both open and clearly see Glark and the downward arc of his mouth clearly.

“You know I can’t heal you entirely,” Glark said. “Metallia might kill you if I did.”

Until that moment, I had never thought of Glark as a coward. Finally, the dynamic of Glark’s relationship with Metallia made sense. Somewhere along the line, he had become submissive to his pragmora, crawling on his belly after her, and merely running damage control in the wake of her rampage. That was a dangerous realization. The scent of weakness roused my dominance, and in my own vulnerable state and growing frustration, I was hard pressed to contain it.

The relief ended too soon. I rolled onto my back and stared at the roof of the tent. If I didn’t deliver Topaz to Metallia, she would use it as an excuse to finally end me. And now, I wasn’t confident Glark was strong enough to stop her. What could I do about it? It wasn’t as though I could defend myself against Metallia. That was akin to challenging her. If I did that, she would kill me. Or I would kill her and become the new ultra. Much as I hated to admit it, that idea was less distasteful than it used to be. But that would mean Glark’s death and that thought filled me with bitter sorrow.

My only choice, the best choice, was to find Topaz and deliver her to my ultras.

Glark straightened and moved toward the tent door. “Try to find some rest tonight, Rokan.” Before he stepped out, he rolled his shoulders back, pushing out his chest until I could almost believe my ultra possessed all the strength and confidence he once had.

“I have a few matters I need to attend to,” Tydeus said. “Rokan, practice your Grounding exercises before turning in. It will help you to gain control of your dominance again.”

I held back a groan and answered, “Yes, Commander.”

Tydeus tossed Topaz’s file on the table and departed, leaving me alone with Chet. My legs felt shaky as I rose, but I did as Tydeus commanded and chose a spot to begin my exercises. I planted my feet side by side, pressed my palms together over my heart, and inhaled deeply. Then I swept my arms wide and overhead.

Chet glared at the tent door. “Coward.”

I froze, arms in mid sweep. “Chet… Watch your words.”

Chet crossed the room to stand beside me, his voice a harsh whisper. “But you were just thinking the same thing—that Glark is a coward. He knows your punishment isn’t right, and yet allows it. He’s not even dominant enough to heal you as he should.”

I finished the arc of my arms. Unwilling to admit the truth behind those words.

“How much longer can we bear to serve a weak ultra? How does that help Keadan? At this rate, we’ll never fulfill the prophecy.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it though.”

He crossed his arms. “Isn’t there? Someone could challenge Glark. A hybrid that is stronger and more capable.”

“That would mean killing Glark and Metallia.” I shot a glance at the door. “Do you know two hybrids crazy enough to do that?”

His lips pursed and the muscle in his jaw bunched. After a long moment, he blew out a breath. “You’re right. It’s a crazy idea. Forget I said anything.”

His phone chimed and he glanced at the screen. “Are you ignoring Dariya’s calls?”

I repeated the sweep of my arms, lips pressed tight.

“Man, you need to answer her. She’s been blowing up my phone all day. It’s not like you to not respond.”

A flash of heat raced from my chest through my limbs. “As if she shows the same courtesy.”

He slipped his phone into his pocket. “Just because she ghosts you, doesn’t make it right. Besides, last thing we need is an angry Dariya showing up.”

I blew out a hard breath. “Fine. I’ll call her later.”

“Great.” He rested a hip against the table, sliding his hands into his pockets. “So, we lost Topaz’s trail. Any ideas where she might pop up again?”

“None.” Breathing my own sigh of relief to have the dangerous topic dropped, I hinged at the hips and dropped my chest to my thighs. I strained to connect with my coavani knot. While I could feel the cords connecting with the land, I couldn’t pull magic past Metallia’s knot, up my own cords, and into myself.

“What do we know about her?” Chet set to pacing. “Other than she’s a masterful escape artist?”

“Elementals.” I released a breath and stepped back into a plank. “She’s friends with all of them it seems.”

Chet nodded, rubbing his chin. “She’s good with disguises too.”

“And an excellent actress.” I moved too quickly into the down dog position. The way Topaz had played me in the parking lot of the diner still rubbed my fur the wrong way. “And she’s friends with a troll and gremlin.”

“Any guesses what territory she’s from?” Chet grabbed Topaz’s folder and thumbed through it. “She’s always wearing shoes, so I don’t think she is knotted to Keadan or Zalico.”

“But the Zalicans protected her.” I moved into another position, eliciting a stretch through my hamstrings. “Maybe she has delicate feet and that explains the shoes.”

“Or she’s from Ruani or Namen.”

I spread my legs into a low lunge and something in my pocket dug into my hip. “She doesn’t act like a woman from Namen, and Ruani has been locked down for almost a decade. I can’t see a hybrid being away from their territory that long.”

Chet snapped his fingers, face brightening. “Maybe she wears the shoes to avoid being tracked. Obviously, she doesn’t care if the Zalicans know where she is, so that must mean there are hybrids in Keadan she’s avoiding.”

That was as good an explanation as we could create on our limited information.

“We could try tracking her, but only if she makes contact with the land,” I said.

“She’s too careful.” Chet flipped through the paperwork. “I doubt she would slip up now, especially with armor covering her from head to toe.”

The object in my pocket continued to stab my hip and leg as I moved through my flow. Huffing, annoyed at the object and my lack of access to magic, I gave up on Grounding and dug into my pocket. I pulled out the object and opened my fingers. Topaz’s keys rested in my palm. My heart thumped harder, the gears of my mind creaking into action.

I held them up, the Ripple pendant twisting on its chain. “You think she will come back for her truck?”