B2 Chapter 5:

When we stopped for a short break at lunch to stretch our legs, the seating arrangement changed slightly. One swapped with Four, and Six got Three, who switched with her. It wasn't perfect, but Four seemed to be using this to her advantage.

We had a quick talk before Four immediately glued herself to my side. She was still a bit hesitant, and I had never been physically this close to her—except for that one night after we assassinated the king. And even then, there had been a liberal lubrication of alcohol. This time, it felt more like she was testing the waters rather than doing so as part of her character. She pulled my arm over one shoulder and down to her waist as she snuggled in, making it a little bit difficult for me to finish eating. But she held my plate for me.

The other Numbered mostly ignored her, though I did catch Six giving her a slightly odd look. They chatted about many things—things that were relatively innocuous, at least nothing that raised my warning bells. Everything from the latest fashion trends in various cities to favorite kinds of poison came up in conversation. Three surprised me, showing more of an interest in fashion than I had expected from her, seeing as I had only ever seen her wearing the same thing. But as I listened in, I found that it was less about fashion for herself—rather, she enjoyed getting the other Numbered to try out different outfits.

Apparently, she would never be the sneaky sort of assassin, but most of the other Numbered were very good at it. Three was more along the lines of me—basically the polar opposite of Four. Three and I both walked into our targets' locations in full openness, and there was just nothing they could do to escape. I didn't need to do that, but it seemed to suit my goals better most of the time. Shock and awe helped build my reputation. If I wanted someone dead with no one knowing I did it, I would send someone else.

Someone like Nine or Four. They would worm their way in close, either by being unseen or unnoticed. Most of the rest of the Numbered fell somewhere in between that spectrum, using some variation of skill, sneakiness, or pure martial prowess. Even my shadows pushed me a little bit from the pure martial power path that Three walked.

And while her image couldn't take her wearing a fancy dress or anything too fashionable, she did like playing dress-up with others. All the other Numbered seemed to put up with it—if not, enjoy it. From context, I gathered that I had put my foot down and not let her try it on me. That gave me an idea of where I could go to maybe connect with Three on a slightly deeper level, but I would be very, very careful with that.

I still didn't understand why she was so insistent—or why everyone else was so insistent—that she would care about the actual me rather than my replacement. But,  I had decided to take care of all my Numbered one way or another. As much as One and Four seemed to think that sleeping with them was an essential part of the deal— it probably was to maintain my cover, but not in the way I had originally thought.

Still, when we piled into our carriages, Four took the spot next to me. As everyone dozed off in the carriage after another long day of boredom, she leaned in close and began whispering in my ear, hidden by her hair so that no one could hear or even tell that she was speaking at all.

"I've been thinking a lot," she said.

A little part of my brain flared up in warning. The idea that a woman telling you she's been thinking a lot instinctively seemed like a bad sign. I tensed ever so slightly, but Four noticed before I did and stroked my arm reassuringly.

"I mostly agree with One's assessments of the others, but I think we can be a little bit more aggressive, or ambitious, at least. I think that you definitely will be able to tell Nine and Six. Five too. She plays tough, but if you don't give her a choice, she will eventually accept it. Now that we know you are strong, I think One might agree with me. Eight is hard to predict. She seems to know things, though and doesn't seem to let anything slip on accident, so I believe we can trust her.

"Seven—I think if framed correctly, the framing will be much more important for her than time to adjust. She's much more rigid than the rest of us, but if we can think of a good argument that she can't disagree with, she will be fine. But, you'll see when you meet her.

"That leaves Two and Three. I believe you could tell Three. Two, she wouldn't care as long as you give her what she wants. Or don't give her what she wants."

Four said this, and I could feel her lips smile against my ear as she licked its lobe. I blinked, surprised by her forwardness. Was she just experimenting, or was this playfulness always there? It seemed so different from the fearful woman I'd gotten used to. Had all of that fear really been directed at me?

"The issue with Two is that… Two and Three are nearly inseparable. Not always, but they try to be."

"You do send them on separate missions?"

"Many times, but the odds of Two not telling Three would be slim. She has entirely too much faith in Three's rationality. Three, though... I think with enough time, the right framing, and our support—being there to defend you if necessary, really just delay her. You can kill any of us with a flex of your will. If she can't surprise you too much... well, I think we could probably get her to understand if it was framed more like an amnesia sort of thing. You're the same person. You just don't have all the same memories. I don't really know her story. One does, but I have a slightly different read on her. One and I will work together, though. We discussed it briefly. I think a good goal would be for everyone to know."

Four pulled away slightly, and I turned to look her in the eyes. I saw something that made me lean forward and steal a brief kiss. Her lips were soft and warm, and they responded to the quick peck with nothing unwelcoming, just welcoming movements of their own. I gave her a small smile and said, loud enough for both to hear, "Thank you."

"Okay, I will wait eagerly to hear the results. But I also have some things I wanted to talk to you about while you are off with Five and Six."

Four grimaced. "It feels like..." She looked over at the other two Numbered ones, who weren't actively listening in but could probably hear us talking at this point. "It feels like it's too soon to leave."

I gave her a half-smile. "Yeah, you won't be gone for long. Besides, I think it might be good for you."

She looked over her shoulder. "Well, I suppose I can work on Five and Six while I'm away. Maybe we'll have some surprises cooked up for you when we get back."

I laughed. "Yeah, Six, I think, will be particularly good at toppling power structures and making sure that they're bound to me by oath and leadership. I want you to do what you normally do and pay attention a little bit more closely to the inner workings. Make sure that I will actually have loyalty—not just a fake one, but as genuine as you can get it."

Four frowned. "I can help with that, but... I mean, it's not like—" She hesitated. "You know, my magic has limits."

I nodded, despite not knowing any such thing, and she didn't seem to realize her slip-up. "Hmm, do what you can. Yes. Support Six, and lean on Five when you need the muscle," I said, putting my hand on hers and giving it a squeeze. "But I trust you'll do a good job. I'm going to be trying to send out more of my Numbered in small groups to accomplish, I think, more complicated tasks than I have in the past. Things are going to be more hectic than they likely ever have been, and I'm going to need more than just simple instruments. Some of my Numbered excel at that more than others. I think you will be able to handle delicate situations, and you're going to need to do so more than you ever have before, Four."

She grimaced but nodded. I reached up and pinched her cheek slightly. "Don't make that face."

"I don't want to be away from you that much," she said. "It sounds like it'll involve a lot of traveling."

"Yes, but with good work comes good rewards, too," I said with a smile. "And, it's what I really need."

She sighed. "I suppose so. But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"No, I suppose it doesn't."