37 Back to Saravia (2/2)
”She was looking for a book.”
”What book?”
”On raising the dead.”
”Raising the what?”
”The dead.”
”Why would she want to raise the dead for?” An Ning frowned.
”I don't know because she didn't find the book.”
”Where you here when she came back?”
”No. She went to see Ceres. To brag about how An Ma married her and about you, who now call her mother. It was very upsetting so the two of them had a screaming match. The book was thrown in the argument because Yu Yan got very angry. But she didn't find the book. Even when she looked for it she didn't find it.”
”Damn that woman,” An Ning said furiously. ”Damn her and her obsession with magic. She had men killed with her experiments and now she wants to raise the dead. Fuck!”
”What are you so angry about?” Taey had followed her and frowned when he saw her angry expression.
”Just letting off steam,” An Ning said. She turned to Enxuo. ”Merius acts as her right hand man, right?”
”Yes.”
”Have you ever met with her?”
Enxuo hesitated.
”Once I tried to...but your mother stopped me. She thought Yu Yan might have planted some bug in her to spy on her in case...it was too dangerous so we never tried to contact her.”
”She used some kind of a mind trick on the women. It was not very complicated but strong enough to fry their brains. They were kind of zombified when we found them. But I had them drink the water from Hippolyta's grove which seemed to undo the spell.”
Enxuo stared at her, shocked.
”The water from the grove? You mean the pool?”
”I have Taey here fill up twelve wooden barrels and gave it to the women to drink.I experimented on Nyra first and the effects didn't take long. She drank one glass and she remembered everything. She mentioned your name, in fact.”
Enxuo was still frozen in shock.
”Why didn't I think of it?” he muttered. ”Hippolyta once told me the water was enchanted. She said it was filled with her essence so every living thing that surrounded it will never die.Why didn't I think of it!” the last sentence was uttered in a choked scream as Enxuo became totally unhinged. ”I have to get some of the water. The water. I have to have some of it. Merius will drink it and she'll finally remember me. She'll remember our son. She'll remember how he died. I have to go get some of the water.”
Enxuo broke into a run in the direction of the jungle. An Ning followed him, screaming for him to stop. But Enxuo was deaf to her words.After twenty years, he finally found a way to bring Merius back to him. It had been hell without her. It had been torture to spy on her and never talk to her or never feel her.
Enxuo was tired of waiting. He had to go to Merius now and tell her about the Amazons' return. She will come back to him again.She will remember him. She will remember Trei. She will remember how he died. She will remember how she killed him as he, Enxuo, stood there horrified, watching his wife kill their only son. She will remember both of them.Otherwise...otherwise...it will be for nothing.
Enxuo broke into an anguished sob as the jungle swallowed him. After a while, his cries grew muted and distant. There was no trace of him when An Ning finally entered the jungle a few minutes later.