Chapter XXII: The Sharpest Edge Of The Simplest Lie

Leudora strolled through the intricate labyrinth of Plaka's narrow streets, squinting at the rising sun. She stopped, took a deep breath and looked around, confining the cityscape to memory. For a split second everything stood still: the Veil resonated with the energy flows, bright rays of light disappeared in the breaches, and the air itself felt fresh and dry, smelling of citrus and dust. Slowly, she walked down the street, searching for a small alley with an ivy-covered church. Passing by an empty café, Leudora turned right then climbed a small set of stairs and stopped again. She found the place.

Despina Asenova's precision left Leudora appreciative of her skill: how could Professor Asenova indicate St. Nicholas's church in Athens through her visions alone? Her influence probably spanned the Spy Guild and the Fasma, and Leudora wondered just how far the scholarly time-master could truly see. Leudora followed Oláh's signal, but it was Professor Asenova's information that led her to the church. Leudora tossed an inquisitive glance at its walls: it was a fascinating example of Byzantine architecture – small, perfectly balanced and weightless. Leudora regretted that she could not spend more time scrutinizing the building.

She entered the church, her tired eyes catching the soft light that filled the space like a gossamer web. Shrouded in shadows, a woman stood in front of the iconostasis – a spider in the middle of a light web. Her long auburn hair appeared almost luminescent in the half-lit church. Leudora approached her slowly, measuring her every step. Could it be? When the distance between them shrank to a leap, she stopped. The woman did not turn, but Leudora felt the energy around her vibrate, severing her own connection to the Veil.

"Perfect, isn't it?" Lorei uttered in a low voice. "Soft light… I found this place to be appropriate for our meeting. I think you agree with the choice."

Her superfluous courtesy seemed out of place. And so did her theatrical posturing. But there was something more to her sister's calmness – something that escaped Leudora's attentive eyes and perceptive intellect. Why did Lorei's betrayal singe her numb heart? Wasn't she supposed to predict Lorei's involvement? Wasn't she supposed to feel scorn instead of bitter disappointment? Sentimentality was dangerous, and she knew it. Yet she let it sink its teeth deep into her mind, poisoning her rational thoughts. Leudora lifted an eyebrow and shifted her gaze to the narrow windows.

"I have travelled an awfully long distance to appreciate your choice."

Lorei turned swiftly on her heels and measured her from head to toe with an assessing stare. In her dark-blue eyes Leudora saw the missing part of the puzzle – they did not share most characteristics, but they shared ambition. Her voice was cold when she spoke.

"So, you have followed my leads. Why? Would you care to explain?"

"I would not," Leudora replied with a scoff. "Would you?"

"Two Lascaris. One lightning curse," Lorei mused. "Had the circumstances been different, I would have chosen another path. In the end, it all comes to the sharpest edge of the simplest lie: you are doomed, but you are pretending that it's fine."

Leudora shared the sentiment. For once, she hoped that her predictions would not come true. A bitter smirk crossed her lips when she recognized fear and disdain in the eyes of her sister. Why was she afraid? Hadn't Lorei set a trap for her?

"You are pathetic, Leudora. And you are dangerous, like the rest of us," she chuckled, motioning to the side with her long hand. "You refuse to acknowledge the truth. And you side with the wrong people. Even in his grave, the Serpent and his people are heroes, while you are a villain. Nobody likes villains."

Leudora frowned, carefully listening to her every word. She had to gather information before she could act. Lorei was smart, but she hadn't known Leudora's true plan. She could not. Her sister stiffened.

"I truly regret that our chat will not be long. I don't like wasting time. Besides, it's not as if we've been terribly close."

"Indeed." Leudora gave her a glace that fumed like dying embers. "I have never expected you to invite me for a glass of cherry liquor at one of your lavish parties."

Lorei's smug face did not change, only her eyes narrowed to two glittering blue crevasses.

"You have a sense of humor, I see. You might have enjoyed my parties. It's almost a shame to surrender you to the Glasscracker."

"Really? A shame?" Leudora lifted an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance.

"It's a pity that my allies will only accept one of us. I am certain you understand my motivations."

"That I do," Leudora snarled, tilting her head to the side, feeling her blood rush to the brain. "You were afraid the Council would not accept you if their informants found out about your dealings with the Spy Guild. Thus, you sought powerful friends who could guarantee your safety. You did their bidding in return. I suppose it pays off. For now."

"You are the payment. The Glasscracker asked for our blood. Yours is better than mine. Besides, we have already messed things up beyond measure." Lorei gave her an apologetic smile and nodded.

Leudora heard the door open behind her and shivered. They had already set the stage for her downfall, but it was her turn to move the pieces. She was not going to give them a fair chance.

Loud steps shook the thick air in the church. When another Offcast approached her, Leudora felt the familiar energy signature that he emanated: her tracker worked perfectly. Leudora's lips twitched slightly and she thought to herself, "Now everything falls into place. Finally."

"Lady Galbur," Oláh's voice jolted her to a halt. "I cannot guarantee you life, but your death will be quick."

"Surprising generosity. I will remember that," Leudora uttered through gritted teeth, her disgust apparent in every feature of her oval face.

"I suggest you abandon your electric tricks." Oláh stepped forward. "You are cornered. You should have sensed by now that there are more than thirty gravity-switchers waiting for you to act. If that does not frighten you, then I suggest you look at Lady Lascari. She's a match for you. You are hopelessly outnumbered."

Leudora tilted her head to the side, a confident smirk playing on her lips. Did they think Lorei's enhancement could match her unruly curse?

"Why did I let you go the first time we met, Oláh? Have you asked yourself this question?"

"You've met before?" Lorei frowned. Leudora furrowed an eyebrow. Leudora believed every word she said, purposefully letting Lorei see through her mind. Counting her breaths, she employed all her will power to restructure her thoughts, feeling their energy surge through her brain.

"The device in your arm is still working perfectly. I have checked it recently." Leudora stared directly at Oláh, her lips twisting. "You don't remember me pulling at your sleeve, scratching your wrist, do you? You will be surprised to discover a tracking needle in your flesh, a light tracker of sorts. I had it modified, since I needed to know why and to where you transport the blood of my people."

Not without satisfaction, Leudora noticed Lorei's face grow pale. She balled her fists and willed her face to blankness. She could not crack now. A bead of cold sweat appeared on her high forehead and she brushed it away with a careless gesture.

"She's not lying," Lorei muttered, exchanging terrified glances with Oláh.

"Given my precarious position, I cannot rely on the Council in my investigation." Leudora clasped her hands behind her back and nodded. "You have your friends to protect you. I have mine. And they are here."

"What?" Blood left Oláh's face. His fear and confusion brought a devious sneer to Leudora's lips.

"You can't bluff your way out. You are surrounded," Oláh spat out.

"So are you," Leudora retorted. "There is a veiled glider hanging just above you. My good friend Miloš Bučan will kindly blow away all your rogue gang. If my actions here are questionable, then so are yours. I would say we are evenly matched. The Alka and the Council do not know much about our dealings."

"She is not lying," Lorei whispered. "I can sense the energy of her thoughts."

Leudora lifted her eyebrow, suppressing a satisfied gin.

"Step out of the church, Oláh, would you? I do not want to taint the floor with your blood. I'm not good at combining light trackers and chemical marvels together. But I am very thorough."

"That is absurd! There are no light trackers left! And none of them can be modified to explode!" Oláh backed away, almost tumbling over his own feet. Lorei did not try to stop him, her full lips forming a tense line. Her voice trembled when she addressed Leudora.

"If your allies shoot at mine, we both know what will happen."

Leudora could not argue with her. "We can both leave now. In this scenario, only Oláh dies."

"You won't escape the Glasscracker." Lorei shook her head with uncharacteristic desperation.

"I don't intend to." She pointed at Oláh, who froze near the door furiously rubbing his infected wrist. "I will send you to hell. One by one." With a swift twist she kneeled and sent waves of electricity through the floor, knowing well the time-master would anticipate her actions. Predictably, he scurried away. Lorei suppressed a frightened yelp, pressing her palms to her mouth.

There was a hint of despair in Oláh's erratic moves. He tried to attack Leudora, but she easily avoided his weak advances. She wondered if it was the drug that had affected his perception of reality. Incredulously, Leudora watched him scratch his arm to blood, searching for her chip. All she felt was twisted satisfaction – it could have been wrong, but she did not care. Only her ever-present curiosity gnarled at her soul, pushing all compassion away.

His shout startled Leudora: she should have guessed that the chemical modification could cause excessive pain, but she had never given the matter much thought before this day. He yelled, scratching his face and drawing blood. Leudora watched him with disgust and barely concealed terror.

"I hate all of you! All of you!" he shouted.

The screams stopped abruptly when a swishing sound pierced the air. Ferenc Szemere shot Oláh in the head with a braceter before Leudora could react.

"Thank you…" Oláh fell to the ground with his last plea frozen on his lips. Lorei reappeared in front of the church, wincing in disgust. Oláh's body dissolved, emitting unbearable stench, splashing Leudora's boots with blood.

She could not take her eyes off the red goo that used to be Oláh. Quickly, she ran down the small stairs and threw up. Barely conscious, she could not afford to loosen the grip of her willpower over her mind. A little longer, a little longer… When she lifted her head, her stomach felt empty and her head dizzy. Lorei was gone.

"Leudora…" Ferenc Szemere's sharp voice made her stomach ache even more. "Is that your kind of justice?"

Every movement and gesture sent rays of pain through her arms and legs, but an unfamiliar raw emotion broke the physical constraints of her body. She laughed like a madman on a blink of failure.

"I have stopped being gracious a long time ago, Ferenc," she said after bubbling laughter died on her lips.

"You… you cannot torture people… Even your enemies."

"I needed to buy time. My willpower has its limits and I cannot control my thoughts infinitely. I needed more time."

"Control your thoughts? I don't understand…."

"Lorei believed my words, although they were a lie." Panting heavily, she leaned on the wall of a building covered with thick ivy. "If you can subjugate your own mind, other energy-twisters will register your thoughts as sincere. But willpower has its limits."

"How is it even possible?" he whispered in terror.

"I believed my own words: I did not allow myself to have doubts. I knew that Bučan was here to support me even if he was stealing and not protecting." Leudora slid down the wall with a gasp.

"Re-directed thoughts… And bluff. You have waged your life on your terrifying reputation. Like the Dalmatian Serpent did so many times during the war."

She nodded weakly.

"His tactics. Had it lasted longer she would have cracked me. In the end, it all comes down to nerve: I had more than she did."

"That is a suicidal tactic."

"Maybe. Lorei is a far better tactician, but I am a strategist." She shrugged, barely managing an inhale. "This is your chance to end it here. You have a braceter, Ferenc. Shoot. Few people will mourn the loss."

"You are insane, Leudora. You truly are worse than the Serpent."