Chapter 81 - LXXXI. | What it means to serve... (1/2)

Emiliana moved toward the glass wall, just wanting to get away from the other people before they noticed they were standing next to some kind of freak. She stared at her hands in horror. 'I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life?'

'Yes and no,' said Chergoa, still trying to sound gentle. 'You can't exactly undo what's happened, but you can make further changes to yourself and potentially counteract any negative effects they've caused.'

Emiliana touched her face another time. Her rocky fingertips had lost all sensation, but with her palm, she could feel four little horns on her head--one on each cheek and then two on her forehead. Her reflection in the window was faint, but she could see enough to know that she already hated what she'd become.

'Mutation is the least understood type,' said Chergoa. 'I know that might not inspire much confidence, but luckily for you, I've studied it quite a bit, so I know more about it than most reapers probably do.'

Emiliana wanted to scream at her. It was disgusting. How could her parents let her become a servant if they knew something like this could happen?

Her parents.

Emiliana remembered.

Where were they? She wanted to yell at them. And cry at them. Most of all, she wanted to stop worrying about them. About herself. About everything. She pressed her hands against the window and dropped to her knees. Her claws left scratches in the glass, and she could not have cared less.

She settled wearily into a heap on the floor, letting her roiling thoughts slowly diminish. And perhaps it was the agonized wonder for her parents only a moment prior that was responsible for the sudden and inexplicably clear reminder of her mother's words.

Sacrifice is what it means to serve.

The woman had said it enough times that Emiliana nearly came to hate the phrase, but dammit if she hadn't also come to understand its meaning. Her mother wasn't just talking about being in the Vanguard. She was talking about being a servant. The power and responsibility it granted, the unwanted attention. Sacrifice was inevitable, and oftentimes, unknowable. The only thing to be done was to attempt to prepare for the worst.

And annoyingly, Emiliana abruptly remembered her mother doing exactly that. The Lady Elroy had indeed explained about the mutation type, along with the other five categories of abilities. She'd warned her of the possibility, told her to keep a clear head if the time ever came, even told her that might not be possible due to the way abilities tended to manifest via stress--and that, nonetheless, it was still necessary.

”Because you are an Elroy,” her mother had said. ”One day, someone will attempt to hurt you for no other reason than that.”

It wasn't fair, Emiliana felt. The only thing she wanted to do right now was blame her parents. And she couldn't bring herself to.

Chergoa was still trying to soothe her, Emiliana realized. 'I know this seems horrible right now, but you're okay. Trust me.'

Emiliana didn't even have the energy to glare at her.

”Are you unwell, child?”

Emiliana turned and saw the elderly woman from earlier standing there.

She was a tiny thing, even shorter than Emiliana and certainly more shriveled. When she saw Emiliana's mutated face, however, she didn't flee or yell. Instead, she merely raised an eyebrow at the girl.

Emiliana stood to her feet. She went straight for the first question she could think of. ”Are you Alicia's grandmother?”

”I am indeed,” the woman said. ”I apologize for not telling you right away. I was hoping to catch your pursuers when they revealed themselves, but it seems they intend to remain hidden.”

'Ah, I sense them fleeing now,' said Chergoa.

'That would explain it,' said a new reaper, phasing up through the floor behind Madame Redwater. 'I suppose Octavia and I have become a bit too famous to employ such discretion.'

”How dull.” Octavia offered Emiliana a pert smile. ”They never tell you that once you grow powerful enough, people tend to stop trying to fight you. I have not had a real fight in four years.”

'Six, actually,' her reaper said.

”Really? Huh.” The old gal shrugged. ”Glad it only seemed like four.”

'It's a pleasure to meet you both,' said Chergoa. 'I've heard of Octavia Redwater, of course, but not her reaper. What is your name? Mine is Chergoa, and this is Emiliana Elroy.'

'I am Wendissofigelroc,' he said.

”Just call him Wendy,” said Octavia.

'Please don't. I hate that name.'

Octavia shook her head. ”He never learns. No one is ever going to call him Wednesdaywafflerocks.”

'Wendissofigelroc.'

”Whatever, Wendy.”

'Ugh. Wendy is a girl's name. At least tell them to call me Wen.'

”When what?” And the smirk grew slowly into Octavia's face.

Wendy only returned a flat stare.

”Get it? When what? That was a joke.”

Wendy just sighed and floated away.

”Anywho...” Madame Redwater turned to Emiliana again. ”You are safe now. Let us go find the rest of your family, shall we?”

Emiliana wanted to hug her, but she only managed a weak nod.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Mariana had to keep to an exact path. If the rain hadn't been strong enough that day, certain areas below the platform wouldn't be flooded enough for the boat to pass over.

It was a long while before they reached the edge. Beneath Aguarey, the persistent darkness was only occasionally offset by pillars of light and their accompanying waterfalls, both of which were provided by the few drains that weren't connected to the city's greater sewage system.

By the time they saw the gray sky again, Marcos had died. And the clock was ticking. Mariana had about eighteen hours to find the boy a reaper before his soul decayed too greatly and became unusable.

'Think this through calmly,' said Shenado.

Mariana didn't want to be told that. She was perfectly calm. She'd already cleared her head and saw the situation exactly for what it was.

But Shenado was insistent with her attempts at comfort. 'We can find a reaper for him. If we explain that it is an emergency, the other Rainlords will be able to recommend someone for him.'

There were multiple problems with that, Mariana knew, chief among them being the fact that she wasn't at all sure who among the Rainlords should be trusted. What little faith she had in her allies had already been shaken today. 'We rule out any family that has ties to the Vanguard,' she said.

Shenado frowned. 'I understand your caution, but that eliminates almost everyone in Intar. And half of us in Sair.'

'I'm not willing to risk contact with anyone in Intar, anyway. The Vanguard monitors all long-distance communications there.'

'True. They could be monitoring Sair, too. They don't have permission, but given what we've seen today, that probably wouldn't stop them. And they wouldn't need to monitor the whole country, either. Just the Rainlords.'

Mariana pulled out her phone. Now that they were out from under the platform, she finally had a signal again, but that wasn't why she'd held onto it all this time. She only wanted to see if she had any missed calls. And she did, all of which were from Emiliana. The temptation to call her back immediately was strong, even knowing that someone else could be listening.

Thankfully, it wouldn't be necessary. Mariana tossed the phone overboard and kept going, leaving Aguarey behind. She knew the exact coordinates of her destination even without Shenado reminding her, and after a while, she saw it there, bobbing up and down in the water. It was a boathouse and safe house all in one, tied to a tall pillar in the water.

In this area, the waters often receded enough to reveal the bare ground, and the boathouse was designed with that in mind, bearing a foundation that could stand or float equally well in exchange for sacrificing most of its aquatic mobility. It also wasn't terribly large. Even the few people she'd brought with her wouldn't be able to stay here comfortably, but it would have to do for now. She pulled up beside it and had everyone else board it first, then carried Marcos' body over with her.

The remote location was ideal for the current circ.u.mstances. Due to all the souls in Aguarey, Shenado hadn't been able to identify any of the reapers who'd been pursuing them; but now that they were far enough away from the city, any reaper stupid enough to have kept following would be immediately sensed and memorized by Shenado. Unfortunately, none of the enemy reapers had been that stupid.

'Whoever they were, they've given up chasing us,' the reaper said. 'Seems their reapers value their anonymity. I'd say that confirms that it's a watcher's unit, then. And that Charlie Day fellow--strange for an alteration type to be used as a watchman, but it might make sense if he had power over radio waves. Would also explain the heat he could produce and perhaps even the jamming of your cellphone.'

Right now, the only thing Mariana needed from this place was the encrypted satellite phone. It required a bit of setup, but she had it working within a few minutes.

'Who are you calling first?' Shenado asked.

'Emiliana.' She didn't need Shenado to tell her the girl's number. She tapped it in from memory. It took a little while to connect and start ringing.

Emiliana picked up immediately.

Mariana exhaled a long breath. ”Yes, it's me.”

”Are you alright? Are you safe?”

”Good! Smart girl. I'm proud of you. Is Francisco with you?”

She paused.

Mariana's expression softened. ”Don't apologize, mijara. You didn't do anything wrong. Is Octavia there right now?”

”Let me speak with her.”

”What?”

Her voice was shaking.

Mariana stopped to digest that information as she looked around the cabin. The sloped windows all around her offered a full view of rolling hills among the flooded lowlands. Aguarey stood high to the south, appearing to almost float above the waves.

”You will have great need of that power, Emiliana,” said Mariana. ”I know you may not want it now, but one day, it will save you and those you care about. Remember that, mijara.”

Emiliana didn't respond.

Mariana had to press her onward. ”We'll talk more when I see you again. Put Octavia on the phone, please.”

There came a brief rustling, and then, The old woman's airy voice was familiar and welcome.

”Not as glad as I am to know you have my daughter,” said Mariana. House Redwater was one of the few she was inclined to trust. Of all the Rainlord families in both Sair and Intar, the Redwaters were probably the proudest and definitely the most famous. They were troublemakers, historically, not given to taking orders from anyone other than themselves.

”No. I don't know where he is. I fear the worst.”

”Unfortunately, I have a problem which takes precedence even over finding Zeff.”

Mariana nodded tiredly to herself. ”My son Marcos is dead.”

”I require a suitable reaper for him. I was wondering if you might know of one.”

Octavia was slow to answer.

”I am aware,” said Mariana. ”I was hoping you would have someone already nearby.”

”I thought as much. It was worth asking.” Searching for any single reaper could take months or even years, she knew. It was not uncommon for them to disappear, particularly after releasing a long-held servant. For many, replacing their servant meant replacing their very best friend. It wasn't a thing they liked to rush into. Or, depending on their circ.u.mstances, some reapers might go into hiding while they built up a new servant's power.

”You would only be wasting your time,” said Mariana. ”Unless you give me your word that you have met the reaper personally and would entrust them with your own child's life, then I will certainly not be entrusting them with mine.”

There came a long pause.

”Yes.”

More quietly, Octavia asked,

”I would like to see Emiliana. Did you take her to Red Lake Castle?”

”Yes, that shouldn't be a problem. I will be there shortly.”

”Thank you for all your help, Octavia.”

”No, I don't know. I will see you soon.” She hung up.

Shenado floated in front of her.

And Mariana could see her son's soul in the reaper's grasp. It was a faint, bluish thing to her eyes, a somehow pyramidic liquid, impossibly holding its shape with slow, trembling effort. She remembered the first time she'd started seeing souls, after years of being a servant already. It was unequivocally strange, suddenly being able to see what Shenado saw. The only apparent difference seemed to be that Shenado could see them even before a person had died, while Mariana could not--with the exception of aberrations, which were suddenly quite easy to pick out of a crowd.

Shenado looked like she had something to say, but she remained quiet.

Mariana made a few more calls. She tried Zeff and Francisco without success, and then she rang Joana Cortes again to inform the woman of what had happened. House Cortes was a burgeoning Rainlord line, an offshoot of House Elroy started by Joana herself. She'd chosen to take her commoner husband's name--a decision which had upset Zeff to no end--but Joana had at least made it clear that she still intended to carry on their bloodline with children of her own.

It was a particularly delicate issue for Zeff, because for many years, aside from him and his sister, there had been no other Elroys left. Zeff had inherited his family's fortune when he was only fifteen. And not due to peaceable circ.u.mstances.

At the moment, though, Mariana didn't have the time or patience to listen to Joana's questions or ramblings. As soon as Joana confirmed that she did not have a reaper for Marcos, Mariana hung up and called three other Rainlord families. House Garza, House Merlo, and House Delaguna. They were the only other ones without ties to the Vanguard, but as Mariana had expected, none of them had any reapers available, either. The tradition of turning one's own children into servants was a custom exclusive to the Vanguardian Rainlords, so it was unsurprising that they were not keeping any spare reapers around. Supposedly, House Blackburn had cut ties with the Vanguard a few years ago, but Mariana didn't know that family well enough. This matter was too important to entrust to strangers.

With no other calls to make, it was time to leave. Mariana knew that Zeff and Axiolis might turn up here looking for her, so she scribbled a quick note and left it at the helm. Then she gathered everyone back into the boat again, topped off its gas tank, and set out for Red Lake Castle. It was an easy place to reach, as the castle sat on the farthest northwestern edge of Aguarey's platform and doubled as a gigantic support column.

Red Lake Castle was a hulking, crimson structure with a tower on its northwestern corner that rose much higher than any of its others. The castle also had a port all its own, hidden away beneath the platform, allowing Mariana to take her boat right into its welcoming underbelly. She found Emiliana waiting for her inside, along with Chergoa and Octavia.

Emiliana looked relieved to see her mother. Until she saw Marcos' body.

”He is going to be fine,” said Mariana. The four small horns on her daughter's face did not escape her notice, but reacting to them now would serve no purpose, she felt. Instead, she turned to Octavia. ”I would like to speak with my daughters in private. Do you have a room we can use?”

”Of course. Follow me.” The old woman led Mariana's group to a nearby elevator.

Ramira hadn't said a word this whole time. Mariana shifted Marcos over to her right arm and held her left hand out for the girl. Ramira took it and walked with her.

The journey was painfully quiet.

Shenado took the opportunity to ask a private question. 'So when are you going to ask me to release your soul?'

Mariana only glanced at her.

'I know you're considering it,' the reaper said.

'I am more than considering it.'

'Oh, so you didn't think you needed to ask, then. You're just assuming I have no problem with letting you go and taking on your son as my servant, is that it?'

'I do not see many options, Shenado.'

'Yes, but are you sure this is the best one?'

Mariana gave the reaper a hard look. 'You are telling me to let my son die.'

'I am telling you not to abandon the rest of your children. The whole reason you chose to stay in Aguarey today was because you refused to leave them alone while Zeff was away. And now? We still don't know what has become of him. They may have already lost their father. Are you going to deprive them of their mother, as well? They need you now more than ever.'

Mariana had to turn away as she listened. There was truth in Shenado's words. She knew there was. And it gave her pause. The choice in her head wasn't quite so clear anymore.

'I know it is difficult,' Shenado went on, 'but think about this carefully. Yes, Marcos is only twelve. But Ramira is only nine. Emiliana is confused and distraught and looking to you for guidance. We don't even know where Francisco is. Hopefully, only captured. And then there's Gema. Obviously, she's gotten herself involved in something big and terrible. Wherever she is, I'm sure she could use your help, too.'

That argument almost convinced her. Almost. She steeled her expression. 'I am not going to let Marcos die. And I am not abandoning them. I am leaving them in your care.'

It was Shenado's turn to hesitate.

'They won't need me to guide them when they have you,' said Mariana. 'They're practically your children as much as mine. It won't just be Marcos. Not really. You'll take care of them all. I know you will.'

'I can't protect them from physical threats.'

'Yes, you can. Not with your body, but with your mind. By being smart. And by teaching them to be just as much so. We've already started. They know how the world is. Now, they will see it firsthand. And you will be there for them.'

'Mariana...'

'Please, Shenado. I've made up my mind.'

'...And what if I refuse?'

'Then I will never forgive you for as long as I live. And you might as well find a new servant, anyway, because I will never listen to any requests you make of me ever again.'

'...I thought you would threaten to kill me.'