"Bel! Silly girl, what have you done to yourself?" Syrce's voice invaded the silence that had been Noble's world.
The blonde master ignored it for a moment.
'Done to myself? I didn't do…'
The memories came flooding back. In order to try to incapacitate the humans whom she could not feel, Noble had become an emotional nuke.
The toll on her body had been too much, and she had passed out.
'How embarrassing!'
It had been a risky move, but Noble was as certain that it would work. It was startling to see how much she could achieve.
'But I never want to do that again.' Noble felt like she had been run over by a freight train.
In a battle against a stronger opponent, the action would have been less potent and potentially deadly to her in her weakened state.
She was lucky the Awakened assassins hadn't had the strength to continue to fight back.
And also fortunate that she had made it to a friend before her body gave out. The alternative of floating off into the heavens was truly terrifying.
But the thing she had done was terrifying as well. Noble had known her emotional powers could be weaponized, but never to that extent. She had brought a group of people to their knees, begging for mercy.
Those people had deserved it for trying to kill her, but she would have felt terrible for harming innocents. Could she have directed the explosion? It wasn't something she had considered when doing it, but now she wondered.
She would have to experiment to see if that were possible. Not now, of course, it was far too dangerous, but maybe after the Nightmare, she could do some controlled trials with Bee Two watching over her and her special chamber to contain her.
Wait…would her chamber be able to contain her as a Saint? She doubted it. And that piece of equipment was too valuable. Breaking it would then require a lot of uncomfortable explaining.
'What am I even thinking?! I just said I don't want to at all, and I'm already thinking up excuses on how to deal with the aftermath.'
Her mind really was a mess!
"Bel! Wake up, or I might have to call on Titus to help you. And you know how much he would enjoy teasing you," Syrce interrupted Noble's waking thoughts.
"No!" Noble gasped, suddenly sitting up as her hands pushed against the fur and feathers beneath her.
They had worked to keep Flint away from Syrce. Noble didn't want all that effort nullified by her unanticipated beauty sleep.
"Ha! I knew that would get her!" Syrce clapped triumphantly.
Noble rubbed her head and looked around. She was lying against something solid, tied by two mundane cords. The first she had broken in her sudden resurrection, but the second was still around her knees.
Turning her head, Noble looked down and realized she was resting on the back of Roan's majestic Griffin.
That explained how she was grounded but not in pain. It was likely the only way the cohort leader could think to transfer her safely. That was very thoughtful of him.
But how long has she been out for him to have gone to so much work?
The leader in question was standing on the other side of the griffin from Syrce, his worry apparent without her emotional detection. Helie and Aether were there too, both of them relieved to see their cohort member conscious once again.
"You look as innocent and confused as a newborn baby. Ah, this reminds me of the day we met," Syrce laid her hand on the woman's forehead. "Still no fever. That's a relief."
"Fever?" Noble felt the dryness of her mouth. "Why would I be running a fever?"
"Drink this!" The Saint leaned forward and placed a cup to Noble's lips like a dutiful nursemaid. "Don't worry. I didn't enchant the tea this time. Though maybe I should have!"
"No!" Noble's answer was drowned in the liquid entering her mouth. The tea was hot and sweet, soothing her dry throat.
"You fainted, Dear Bel. The only reasons that usually happen are exhaustion, fear, and illness. I have ruled out the last one. So, tell me, what made you so tired?" Syrce ran a damp cloth along her friend's forehead to refresh her. "Is there some ghost I need to frighten away?"
"Ghost?" Noble was confused by the question. Why was that the first place that Syrce's mind had gone after sickness?
Noble looked around the storage room at the half-unpacked crates. They were in a building that Noble had flown through just before finding Roan. When had Syrce gotten here?
The mossy-haired Saint had been dividing her things among what she needed to keep and what she could spare for Maelys's trip.
"Lady Mae!" Noble looked around for the elder Saint.
"Lady Mae is a ghost?" Syrce tilted her head. "Oh my. Roan, did Bel hit her head again?"
"I don't think so," the man in the blue scarf answered with a bow.
Ignoring them, Noble continued her search for Maelys around the room. Having been found out, Mae could have fled. It would have been easy for her to "leave early" on her trip and return after the job was completed.
But before Noble tried using her emotional sense to seek out the woman, a voice piped up from the corner.
"I am here, Lady Bel!" The coral-haired saint strode forward with a furrowed brow. "I was so distressed when I saw you lying there like that. I haven't been able to do anything except wait and anticipate your recovery."
The words were true, but the meaning behind them was anything but charitable. Maelys had indeed been waiting eagerly to see how the situation developed.
Noble knew that if she had been left alone with the elder Saint during her unconscious moments, she never would have woken at all. Thankfully, Roan had been there to prevent that calamity. Noble would have to thank him later.
While she spoke, Maelys pushed her way through the soldiers and servants scattered about the room until she reached her sister's side. She looped her hand on Syrce's elbow.
Mae smiled sweetly. "Tell us, Bel. What happened to you? All Roan said was that you were looking for some people. Are they more friends of yours? Syrce says you have many."
Noble watched the woman carefully. Did Maelys have some power that would force her victims to lie?
"They were not friends, no." To Noble's relief, the words came out easily. "In fact, I would say the exact opposite. The reason I am in this state is that I was attacked. Three men and a woman ambushed me out there between two of the buildings. They tried to murder me in cold blood."
"That's terrible!" Mae gasped.
"That is inexcusable. Tell me what they looked like, and I will have them brought to justice immediately." Syrce balled her fist, the energy in her eyes pulsing with vengeance.
"I can do better than that. I can get you their names. Or rather, I know who can get you their names." Noble nodded slowly.
Syrce took her hand. "Tell me who. For when I get their names, I will wipe them from existence."
Noble's eyes slid from Syrce's earnest ones to the uncertain glances of her elder sister.
"The answer is simple. Ask Lady Mae. She sent them."