When Amira finished her outburst, Ro stared at her, mouth slightly agape. Her expression wasn’t one of surprise, or anger, or even exasperation; it was a calm patience, as though she were waiting for Amira to understand, as though Amira were simply a child who needed to be coddled. It was infuriating. Instead of responding in kind, Ro gently patted the grass beside her, motioning for Amira to sit.
“I’ll explain everything,” Ro promised, eyes widening imploringly. “Right here, right now.”
Bitterly shaking her head, Amira trudged over and sat on the patch of grass.
Ro clasped her hands together, teetering from side to side. For the first time, she truly looked every bit the mad scientist their trainers claimed her to be. “This is top secret information,” she began. “There’s a reason the king hired one of the best office tinting firms Melbourne has ever seen to tint all the windows in the palace. He didn’t do it to block out the sun, or just because he wanted a bit more privacy while he was showering.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Amira said dully. “I volunteered, and I was chosen. I came all this way. We’re training to be professionals. Do you truly think I cannot keep a secret?”
Ro looked stricken. “Please, Amira. I’m only doing what I was told. There’s so much security surrounding this information that Xylia was only able to get clearance for one person to know. I was ordered not to reveal it until we were within the maze.”
“And all the decorative glass? Melbourne is simply dripping with that stuff.”
Ro rested her fingers on Amira’s forearm. “That has an explanation, too.”
Amira cast her gaze to the grass. Perhaps her outburst had been in haste. After all, hadn’t Amira herself signed dozens of legal documents before she was even given a glimpse of the palace’s architectural design? This whole mission had been encased in secrecy from the very beginning. She really only had herself to blame, for not noticing it sooner.