Chapter 1016 (1/2)

“What was that about?” Garrett asked a few minutes later after the two had parted from the man who owned everything in the surrounding ten miles. While Randidly had been there, it had been almost difficult to speak. But now that they were alone in the alley again...

Vye scratched her cheek. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Garrett rolled his eyes, but Vye could tell that something was up with him. The edge to his tone had none of the typical stoic acceptance that it usually did. “Well, you can say whatever you want. But it’s clear that he wanted something from you. Something… ah, perhaps less than professional.”

After she had introduced herself, Randidly Ghosthound simply stood and looked at Vye for several seconds. His eyes were bright in the alley, luminous enough to see the rest of the stark lines of his face in the long shadow cast by the warehouse overhead. Vye suppressed the urge to shiver. It felt like he was using that emerald light of his eyes like a jade knife, cutting out her every secret and examining it.

Finally, Randidly’s eyes settled on Vye’s left hand; she flinched almost immediately, but Randidly only frowned.

His voice was resonant, like some part of it originated from Vye’s own chest. “After my speech… come find me. There’s something I want to give you.”

Then he turned and walked away.

“Less than professional?” Vye felt herself flush and hated the feeling of blood rushing to her face. Why was she even embarrassed? She stopped and glared at Garrett. “What’s up with you right now?”

“I’m just saying, that’s the man that Randidly Ghosthound is,” Garrett gave Vye a meaningful look. “Whatever you do, be careful. He will hurt anyone who gets close to him. I’m just trying to protect you. He is closer to a monster than a man, these days.”

“Seriously, what the fuck are you talking about?” Vye said, her tone colder this time. Her left hand began to burn, and she gripped her left wrist with her other hand. “First of all, I don’t need your protection. I’ve got it handled, thanks. Second, I’ve always found your depression vibe somewhat weird, but it's not half as fucked up as this strange outburst about the Ghosthound. Especially when you are trying to join his Order.”

“I need to be in his Order,” Garrett rumbled. He turned away from Vye. “I… need to make sure he fulfills his end of the bargain. That’s all. But this and that are different. You haven’t seen it, but he’s a man filled with a terrible darkness. He hurts people just by being. That’s the consequence of his power-”

“I’m totally not going to have this conversation with you right now,” Vye snapped. She jabbed her finger at Garrett. “Look, I don’t give a shit if you have a weird outlook on Randidly Ghosthound. He’s… well, he’s more rumor than person at this point. Is it supposed to be a surprise that he might have made some mistakes? With the System, he’s the most powerful man in the world, and it seems like that the second place person isn’t close. But what I do care about is that you would take your fucked-up-ness and act like it’s my problem.”

Garrett slowly pivoted back to look at Vye. His eyes narrowed into slits. “You… you remind me of someone important to me. And Randidly asked you to meet him alone. I’m just-”

Vye raised her hand. “Rejected.”

Almost unconsciously, Vye felt the heat in her left-hand crack through the thin layer of skin and erupt into the air. A thin trail of blood dribbled down through her twitching fingers. A shimmering barrier appeared between the two of them. Although Garrett continued to move his mouth, none of his words could pass through the strange barrier. Sound between them had been cut off. Even so, Vye could read his lips. She knew what he was saying.

-trying to protect you-

Both of Vye’s hands clenched into fists. Her mouth opened to spit out a retort, but then she paused. She remembered Randidly’s confident smile the first time that they met.

Do you have any proof?

No.

Confidence as vast and placid as the sea on a calm day.

Shaking her head, Vye let the energy burning through her hand slowly taper off. Sensing the change, Garrett stopped speaking. His long arms hung uselessly at his sides as he watched the barrier dissolve between them and listened to her. “Look, let’s not have this conversation now. And that isn’t a request. I’m me. Whoever you are stuck on… don’t try and make me out to be her. I’ll take care of myself, thanks.”

Vye turned and walked slowly away. She thought that Garrett would follow, but thankfully he did not. After taking a couple of sharp turns around the sides of the warehouses and making use of her experience working in Erickson Steel, Vye was confident that she had lost him. Then she sighed and collapsed against a pile of gleaming metal ingots.

That was certainly weird. And Vye’s hand hurt too much right now for her to want to find out what was going on behind the scenes.

I will control my own destiny. I left Erickson Steel to find a way to grow strong… and I stayed even though I came back because this does feel like the right path. Vye raised her left hand toward the sky. The moon was slowly creeping upward into the tapestry of stars, receding to become an innocuous pale white orb amongst a thousand small diamonds.

But it’s not like Garrett’s worries are unfounded… Vye bit her lip. She was rather clear about how Randidly’s partnership with Donnyton had ended, after several years of amicable relations. Would something similar happen with Erickson Steel and the Order Ducis when Randidly didn’t need them any longer?