"...No, I suppose you didn't," he said, a flicker of bitterness coiling around his heart at hearing the words of his 'basement buddies' affirmed by the Queen. She had never thought of him as an equal, apparently. No wonder Remi was so disappointed in him for being too trusting of the wrong person at the wrong time. He was a hypocrite several times over, and the knowledge twisted in his gut like live eels. They had burned each other, it would seem, and he wasn't sure even time would salve these newest wounds.
"Schemes, Edy? We didn't exactly hide that we were angry. You're more than smart enough to know that I wasn't the only one resisting Zariah's takeover. When the three of us sat down together we would have..." he trailed off, knowing the words were useless guesswork. At the time he had been too hesitant of a trap to risk revealing the rebels' official existence, and he still didn't regret that. It had been instinct, but instinct that Edrei herself had confirmed when she reported that the Manor had ears in the walls. Either way, she was too angry to listen to what he had to say, and anything he said could only dig the hole deeper.
Her parting words stung, echoes of Amalia's angry accusations still ringing in his ears and he flinched from the truth of it. "Edy..." he started to say, a note of pleading in his voice.
And then it happened again.
Last time it had been a snowy night. This time it was a sunny afternoon. Either way, the result was the same. By the time Jigano realized what was happening the landshark was already diving again. He had no magic that would hurt it, no form large enough to fight it, but still he flung himself after the disappearing behemoth, digging furiously at the molehill with hands that took in the claws and pads of a fox's paws as he shoved the dirt away. Isuma shrieked in concert with the howl of his heart as she bounded across the fallen leaves to join him, small talons aiding him imperfectly.
"Edy! Edy, gods, don't you dare-- EDYYYY!"
"Schemes, Edy? We didn't exactly hide that we were angry. You're more than smart enough to know that I wasn't the only one resisting Zariah's takeover. When the three of us sat down together we would have..." he trailed off, knowing the words were useless guesswork. At the time he had been too hesitant of a trap to risk revealing the rebels' official existence, and he still didn't regret that. It had been instinct, but instinct that Edrei herself had confirmed when she reported that the Manor had ears in the walls. Either way, she was too angry to listen to what he had to say, and anything he said could only dig the hole deeper.
Her parting words stung, echoes of Amalia's angry accusations still ringing in his ears and he flinched from the truth of it. "Edy..." he started to say, a note of pleading in his voice.
And then it happened again.
Last time it had been a snowy night. This time it was a sunny afternoon. Either way, the result was the same. By the time Jigano realized what was happening the landshark was already diving again. He had no magic that would hurt it, no form large enough to fight it, but still he flung himself after the disappearing behemoth, digging furiously at the molehill with hands that took in the claws and pads of a fox's paws as he shoved the dirt away. Isuma shrieked in concert with the howl of his heart as she bounded across the fallen leaves to join him, small talons aiding him imperfectly.
"Edy! Edy, gods, don't you dare-- EDYYYY!"
