Sunny had revealed a lot about himself in their exchange just now. While Noble was sure he concealed many things in his retelling, she still had gained the most important information that she wanted to know: he hadn't abandoned Rain, nor did he intend to.
Noble sighed. "My mother wasn't supposed to find out that I was in Bastion. It was safer for her if she didn't know. It's not that I didn't think she would tell anyone, but I didn't want her to have to lie for me."
"And yet you will tell me? If you think I will lie for you, you are sorely mistaken." Sunny smirked.
"You love Rain, and you will protect her. She's your family, and, by extension, that makes you part of mine." Child of Promise nodded. "However, I won't confide in you based on sentimentality. We've kept each other's secrets before. I have done far more than my fair share."
Noble hadn't explained to the rest of her family who Sunny was. She hadn't admitted to anyone that she knew him at all. More than that, Noble was the only one who knew where the publication by "Nobody" had come from. That alone had nearly landed her in very hot water.
"That is true." Sunny nodded subtly. Especially with his most recent admission, he had given the woman a lot that she had to keep to herself. "So, what? You are going to rely on mutually assured destruction as a safety net for my silence?"
Noble smiled. "Something like that. But also...I want to tell you. I want to protect my family first and foremost. On that, our goals align. For that reason, I trust you."
Sunny's eyes opened wider. He hadn't expected her departure to have anything to do with family matters.
Taking a deep breath, Noble shared her burden.
"In short, I went to conquer a Nightmare. I was successful, and I am a Transcendent now. But I don't want anyone to know, so I did it in secret with a cohort."
"You went with Roan." Sunny stroked his chin. "That makes sense."
Noble's jaw dropped.
"How could you possibly know that? Are you friends with Saint Roan?"
"While our paths have crossed, I do not think he would consider me a friend. Anyway, he did not need to tell me," Sunny chuckled. "My establishment was the last place he was seen before leaving town, and so his wife paid me a visit to ask some questions..."
Noble winced. "Was it bad?"
"It was not the most pleasant experience. Lady Tyris does not take no for an answer. She sent my poor emporium to shivering! Of course, she uncovered that Roan had left a note for someone at my establishment, but Aiko claimed that she had never seen the woman before or since. That note was for you. My cafe was the meeting point, and it was moved at the last moment." Sunny put all the pieces together.
"Telle was with him, so he had to change plans. Aiko really didn't sell me out?" Noble tilted her head.
"I think for the right price she might have, but that is neither here nor there. Aiko was convincingly frightened, and Tyris went searching elsewhere for clues." The shadowy Saint nodded. "But that is in the past. Now, all of Bastion knows that Roan was successful. It's all anyone can talk about. They are ignoring my food to gossip. Such a shame!"
Child of Promise furrowed her brow. "Wait. How does everyone already know he is a Saint?"
Sunny shrugged. "It was easy to guess. The sun finally came out for the first time in weeks."
It took a moment for Noble to realize what he meant. By accident or by design, Tyris had been holding the weather over Bastion captive since her husband's departure.
It was good that they came home when they did. If they had waited any longer, or worse, not come back at all…Bastion truly would have suffered.
Had Roan known that would happen?
'No wonder he didn't want his wife knowing who helped him. It's a good thing Lady Bel is dead…'
Noble coughed.
"I am glad everything can go back to normal now."
"Normal? I suppose. As normal as a pair of Saints pretending to be Masters can be." Sunny studied her carefully. "Why hide your power? Wouldn't it be easier to protect your family by flaunting it? People typically give Saints a wide berth."
"I don't want to take part in what is coming. As a Saint in Ravenheart, I would be forced to make a decision where I will have to abandon my family either way." Noble pursed her lips.
"You are talking about the clan war?" Sunny raised his eyebrows.
"How do you…I suppose nothing should surprise me about you anymore." Child of Promise was glad that she didn't have to explain further.
The man likely knew more than she did about the coming doom.
"I want no part of the fighting. I have family in both places. A human war is a terrible thing, especially when we have bigger problems to fight against." Nobel paused. "Wait! You are living in both places! What will you do when war comes?"
"Ah, I'm still working that out. I do have a plan." Sunny became serious. "I don't like the loss of life either. We need every powerful person we can get."
The young man contemplated for a moment.
"Yes, you should keep your head down. You've never been a killer, and I don't think it's good for you to change that now that two Sovereigns are having a tiff."
Noble clicked her tongue.
"A tiff? I suppose that is one way to put it. If only they would take their eyes off trying to take each other's power and focus on how our world is being absorbed into the Dream Realm, then maybe we might have a chance at survival."
"If only…"
Noble had intended to shock Sunny with the revelation, but he had agreed without so much as batting an eye. But then his emotions spiked.
"Hold on, how do you know the waking world is being absorbed?"
"I saw it happen in my Nightmare. I was in the Sword Domain before it was part of the Dream Realm. Gates were ravaging it just like they are on Earth now. How did you know the earth was being consumed?" Noble turned the question back on her companion.
"I…found Antiartica. I mean, it's in the Dream Realm already." Sunny rubbed the back of his neck. "I found an abandoned research station. It was definitely from our earth."
"That's great! I mean, not that you had such an unsettling experience, but that you found concrete evidence about what is happening. With proof for the masses to see, maybe we can knock some sense into the Sovereigns."
Noble felt a small bit of hope form in her.
But it was quickly squashed. "You cannot tell them. I'm the only one who has seen it, and I crossed multiple death zones to get there. It isn't exactly accessible to the common man just now."
Noble's emotions dropped like a stone. Hadn't Flint told her the Sovereigns controlled information? Without a way to back up her claim, she would be called a conspiracy theorist and ignored.
"So…it's hopeless then. War is coming no matter what."
"War is coming. It is indeed hopeless." Sunny smiled. "Fortunately, I'm quite good in hopeless situations…"