Page 53 of Spears and Shadows (Defenders of the Light)
“What?” Nora and Adam said in unison.
“I mean, it’s a pretty obvious solution, and Nora is far from stupid. As soon as she got the relevant information, she was going to think of this. You had to know that, Adam.”
Adam huffed indignantly, but Nora pressed ahead.
“So, you think it could work?”
“It could,” That hedged. “But it would have to be planned carefully, and I think we should really only resort to it if we’re desperate.”
“I’m pretty desperate to not have to be looking over my shoulder all the time,” Nora grumbled.
“If we are going to do it, we should do it at a time when the museum would be mostly empty, so Nora can come in and use the combined pull of herself and the weapon to lure the Shadow without danger to civilians,” Thad mused out loud.
Nora chimed in. “The museum closes early on Tuesday to give workers time off after spending so much time prepping for the gala.”
“Hera’s hairy asscrack,” Adam swore under his breath. “That doesn’t give us very long to organize if we really want to do this. I’ll have to get started right away to pull it off by then, get everybody up to speed on the plan.” He rested his hand on Nora’s arm. “Will you forgive me if I take a rain check on another dance? If we are even thinking of attempting this without letting you get hurt, I’m going to need to get going on mapping out our strategy right away.”
Nora nodded, her head spinning slightly from the rapid sequence of events. “It’s fine, do what you need to. I’ll probably be spending the rest of the evening chatting up potential benefactors anyways.”
Adam paused a moment with his hand still on her arm, looking torn, before nodding briskly.
“I’ll see you soon.” Then he turned and left, his long legs carrying him swiftly around the corner and out of sight. Nora’s arm felt cold where his hand had been.
Once he was gone, Nora let out a deep sigh and let her shoulders slump. She turned back to Thad.
“I suppose you will have to leave too?”
He shook his head, offering her a warm smile. “No, I’m here to keep you safe as long as you are here. You’re the guest of honor after all.”
Nora propped her hip on the railing beside him, looking down at the sparkling sea of party guests below her and feeling rather distant from the celebration.
“I’m not sure I want to celebrate anymore.”
“Don’t be silly, you just need a fresh glass of bubbly.”
“I’m not sure champagne can fix my problems.”
Nora glanced over at Thad to find him looking at her expectantly, giving her time to continue. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, afraid that she sounded like a petulant teenager, but hoping Thad would understand what she was trying to say.
“I just… feel like my life has been split in two. One moment, I’m a girl getting ready for a party, worrying about how my hair looks and what pair of heels makes my ass look the best. The next moment, I’m waging a war against the physical incarnation of fear. It’s giving me whiplash, and I don’t even know who I am anymore. Am I a nerdy historian who gossips with her sister? Or am I some sort of warrior in training with a responsibility to save the world?”
Thad snorted. “Funny, I never took you to be someone lacking imagination.”
Nora shot Thad a quizzical look, and he sat himself on the railing next to her.
“Look, take it from somebody who knows,” he continued. “Putting yourself in a box of who you think you’re supposed to be gets boring after a while. Let yourself be new things, even if you aren’t quite sure how they fit with the old things. No reason you can’t have it all, the way I see it.”
“You sound like my sister,” Nora said, finding Odelle’s crimson form winding through the crowd below.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. She seems like she has impeccable taste. Do I get to meet her?”
Nora bit her lip and avoided Thad’s gaze. “I don’t know. I haven’t really…told her about all of this.”
“Well no wonder your life is being split in two. You’re hiding yourself from the people who are supposed to know you best.”
“I know you’re right,” Nora admitted. “I want to tell her. I just…”
“I get it. But she can handle it.”
