She nodded.
“From what we were told, most of his friends called him ‘Will’.”
He couldn’t keep himself from burying his face in the napkin and the three people in the room were silent as his shoulders shook.
After a time he pulled his face from his hands, and his voice was almost pleading as he repeated.
“They died just last winter?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“But that’s so recent…”
Once again the occupants of the room let the young man process the information, Paul gave a quiet sniff and a cough as he blinked rapidly.
Nameless suddenly looked up, his eyes hopeful.
“Wait, what about, what about my mother?”
Sadie regarded him carefully, as if ensuring that he was ready for more information.
“Like you, your mother was an orphan. According to her birth papers, her mother, your other grandmother, died in childbirth. The father was marked as deceased. Your mother’s name was Kendra Wilburn, though she chose to take your father’s name when they married.”
Nameless took in a shuddering breath.
“William and Kendra… Armstrong?”
Sadie merely nodded.
Nameless heard a clinking of glass behind him before Paul dropped a drink in front of him, two fingers-full of amber liquid at its bottom.
He quaffed it without batting an eye, the burning alcohol warming him to the tips of his toes as he absorbed the fact that he was truly alone in the world.
“There is more.” Sadie began.
“Cass?” He replied with intuition that briefly surprised the older woman.
After a moment, she nodded again.
“We were told that you never saw Kendra without her best friend, a Troglodyte named Cass. They must have been very close. We don’t know the full extent of their relationship though.”
Nameless coughed, the burning in his throat overtaking him for a moment.
“When we were in the Sansee, the Trog there said that she had a life-debt. After being inside Jonathan’s mind, I thought it was to my father. I guess maybe it was to my mother?”
Sadie sighed as she had to deliver yet more bad news.
“I’m afraid we will never know. Cass died ten years ago. As far as we can tell, Evadne caught up with her in Karmest. From the lawkeeper’s reports it was… not pleasant.”
Nameless felt a surge of hatred overcome him, but it was quickly replaced by guilt.
“She was tortured wasn’t she? Evadne trying to find me after Jonathan went into his coma? Like my dad, she died protecting me.”
“Nameless I-”
“It’s fine. I get it.” He blew out a breath while shaking his head in amazement; “How did you two possibly learn all of this?”
Smoke swirled out of Xalanth’s mouth as she answered him in her rumbling voice.
“Patience, and some luck. My lady and I have a great deal of experience in finding people. Many times we have searched for other Empaths.” Her voice dropped into a deep growl that would have made Nina shiver; “To discover that Evadne was hunting them as well is… galling.”
Flames licked her lips as she spoke the last word, and for once Nameless wasn’t intimidated by the Dragon, instead sharing in her anger.
“Thank you, both of you. I’m going to go check in with the girls at the cottage, Paul could you-”
“I’ll look after Milly. Go be with your bond-mates.”
He held his composure through the quick farewells, and even out of the house.
It wasn’t until he reached the edge of the stone bridge near his field that he broke down.
Of all the revelations that evening, even that of his parents’ names, what disturbed him the most was how recently his grandparents had died.
He slumped against the railing of the bridge, and just as he had done in recent nights he looked up at the night sky, the faint burble of water a minor distraction from his inner turmoil.
Chapter 27:
All that Remains
Paul Fletcher’s barn was far cleaner than a barn had any right to be. The main reason for that was this was where they bottled Milly’s milk, though it still had several bales of hay stacked against the back wall.
It was here that Booker and his girls had ended up for the night, once Milly had gone back to the cottage for the night, Xalanth had claimed the guestroom for her lady and none dared contest her claim.
And it was here that Juni woke from a nightmare of fire consuming her.
It was a familiar dream, and relief washed over her immediately as she felt the swirl of water around her.
She was in her gourd, propped against the hay where Booker and Yana slept.
Rather than resting in the entirely too flammable hay with her bond-mate and her bond-sister, the Undine had settled in the cozy bottom of her mobile home.
But even as sleep crept up on her again, she felt the gourd being carefully lifted as Yana shouldered the sturdy strap and headed outside.
“Yana? What is going on?”
She poked her head out and yawned at the back of the Amazon’s head.
“Forgive me Juni, I did not mean to wake you, not yet anyways. I needed a private word while our husband slept.”
“O-okay.”
Juni had been worried about the Amazon for a while now. She had been so mercurial since Kar’s death, and after what had happened with Milly…
Once they were outside, Yana set her down again and fell to her knees as she turned to face the Undine in her jug.
Juni’s face peeped apprehensively over the edge.
They had been together a long time, but she had never seen the Amazon act as she had been lately.
As if reading her thoughts, Yana’s hand cupped the water elemental’s cheeks.
“Sister, forgive me. I have been so angry of late that I have not behaved well, to Milly, to you, to anyone.”
“Yana…” Juni whimpered as a lump formed in her throat.
“Juni, I am leaving.”
Her stomach flopped at the words.
“What?!”
Yana’s hand covered her mouth at her outcry, not forcefully, but insistently.
“My love, I have to go away for a time.”
“Yana, why?!”
The Amazon warleader turned and looked into the night.
“Because I have to end this madness.”
Juni’s eyes were wide as tears welled in them.
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I have no patience for the councilors to debate on how to respond to this opportunity that Milly and Nina have handed us.”
Juni frowned in puzzlement, so Yana clarified.
“Evadne… her armour is not impenetrable, Kar showed us that, and now so have Milly and Nina. She is wounded. Even she will take time to recover from the beating she received.”
Juni reluctantly nodded.
“Yes, but she’s still too powerful Yana!”
“Maybe, but she isn’t the only one who is vulnerable now.” Juni’s eyes widened at Yana’s words; “If I take down Pym, then it’s over. A bonded monster bereft of her master is barely a husk of what she was. And without him she can create no more Tenebrae.”
Juni squirmed in consternation as she grasped the Amazon’s plan.
“We should talk to Master about this! You don’t even know where they are!”
She was pleading, but the Amazon shook her head.
“We both know what he would say, what the council would say. They would all advise caution and restraint, but there is a time for words, and a time for bold action.”
“Okay, but, you’re taking the others with you right?”
Her heart filled with dread as Yana smiled sadly.
“No, I will not risk their lives in this. It is something I have to do alone. I’ll have a much better chance at catching them unawares if I act unaided anyways.”
What she did not say, what she was too ashamed to say, was that sh
e believed that her war-sisters would only be a hindrance to her in her quest.
“And I have some idea of where to look. The rest of the Aegis is trying to hunt a Chimera, so I will hunt a man. Jonathan is human and as such he has human frailties, these are what will lead me to him. I will find him, and then I will kill him.”
She pressed her hands to Juni’s cheek, brushing her thumb over her moist face.
“Don’t leave me.” Juni sobbed and gripped Yana’s hand with both of hers.
“Shhh… my love, someone needs to take care of our husband while I am gone.” Yana jaw tightened as she continued; “When these Neucta took Kar from us… I was too arrogant. And I can’t forgive myself for what I said to Milly! Especially after she faced Evadne alone like she did. I am no longer worthy to call myself a warleader. Kar would be ashamed of me.”
Juni shoulders were shaking with silent tears as Yana leaned in close and pressed her lips to her wet hairline.
At length the Undine pulled the anklet containing her sister’s heartstone from her foot.
The Amazon couldn’t leave without it, but Juni knew that if she withheld it, Yana would take it.
The soul within, though it loved her dearly, belonged to the man sleeping in the barn and only his words could sway her this night.
Yana pushed the platinum-blue anklet into her cleavage and kissed Juni again, on the lips and with far more passion.
“This is yours forever and always. And I will return it before you know it, you’ll see. Take care of our husband, little sister, and watch for my return. I go to end this nightmare.”
She snuck back inside to return her bond-sister to the warmth of the barn without waking their husband.
Yana spared his sleeping face a momentary glance, a silent farewell to the man who held her soul.
While the Undine sobbed miserably in her gourd, Yana Brael, truly free of its incredible weight for the first time in years, slipped into the night as quickly and quietly as smoke on a breeze.
The mightiest warrior within the Aegis began her hunt.
__________
While Yana ran through the night, Nameless was pacing around the front room of the cottage, his breath coming in fits and bursts and his ears burning.
Grandparents! I had grandparents!
All his life he had felt detached, unmoored from the unknown entities that had brought him into the world. On the few occasions when he had dwelled on his parents, it was as an abstract ideal, a concept from the distant past.
Like all orphans he dreamt of them coming for him one day, but those were just the fancies of a wounded child.
People who had grandparents had roots, they had aunts and uncles and family history.
Sadie and Xalanth had brought his childish fantasies crashing into present reality and his nervous pacing had set his bond-mates on edge.
Ophelia reached out to him tentatively.
“Dearheart-”
“I had a family.”
“What-”
He stopped and stared into his Flutterby’s confused face.
“I had a family!”
She blinked and took an involuntary step back from his uncharacteristic outburst.
He began to pace again as he articulated everything that he had been feeling since Kar’s death.
“They took my family away from me! They took my father, my mother. And now…” Both hands gripped his hair in consternation as he explored the implications; “I had grandparents! I could have known them! Just a year ago and I could have known them!”
Even when he found out that his father had been murdered, he couldn’t bring himself to mourn; how do you mourn for a stranger? But now…
Abruptly he slammed his fist through the door of one of the cabinets.
Silence hung heavy in the room as he panted and his hand bled.
“Lover I- I don’t know what to say.” Erica’s voice broke.
He reeled on the Katje.
“Erica, she tried to kill Milly! She tried to take her away too!”
Volka’s wings flapped slightly in agitation as she held her hands up in a gesture of peace but before she could say anything Ophelia held her arm out and forestalled her, allowing the young man to continue.
He flailed his arms as he paced once more, blood streaming down his hand and flicking onto the floor.
“She tried to kill Milly, and she would have succeeded, she would have taken her away just like she did Kar and it- it meant nothing to her!”
He slammed his injured fist down on the counter and swept several plates off, the sound of the porcelain disks shattering on the floor would have been deafening if he hadn’t been screaming along with it.
His face was a blotchy mess of anger and tears, his eyes wild and nostrils flaring.
“And Cass! This poor woman, my mom’s best friend! Tortured! Before I was born they were taking from me! And my whole life other people took! Sophie! The kids at school! And, and those pigs in the woods tried to take you, Ophelia!”
Silently, Nina wrapped one arm around Erica’s hips as the Katje cried in the face of their master’s turmoil.
But the woman who had raised him had heard enough.
Ophelia strode forwards as Nameless vented his chaotic emotions, many that had been pent up for years. She seized his shoulder and spun him towards her as she all but shouted in his face.
“What are you going to do about it then?!” Her voice was demanding, challenging.
He faltered as she confronted him, confusion replacing his anger as he came to understand that he had no ready answer.
“I-I don’t-”
She slapped him across the face; the crack of her palm against his cheek drawing a gasp from the other girls.
“Not good enough! Milly gave it her all! She trained and fought as hard as she could! Erica, Nina, Volka… they all would have done the same! Even girls who aren’t bonded to you risk everything! Kar and Cass both gave up everything! All for you!”
Her voice was now as loud as his had been as she forced him to face his grief head-on, to feel things that his instincts had always taught him to suppress.
Limply he held his fingers to his reddened cheek.
She had never hit him before, even as a kid, no matter what he had done. Not ever.
“Well?! You aren’t a little boy anymore, you are a man! You are OUR man! Tantrums are for children, men take action! They make decisions and then work through the consequences! So what are you going to do?!”
Her question hung in the air between them, her face flushed as she too breathed heavily from the emotional outburst.
The other girls were holding their breaths, even Erica’s tears had halted at the shock of seeing the composed Ophelia strike their bond-mate.
He looked deep into her face as he absorbed her words; her pale cheeks were splotchy and red, flushed with her own anger, one strand of her hair had come loose from the bun that Erica had done up at the back of her head, it hung over one eye and tickled at her cheek.
She was his constant.
All through his life, she was there.
But seeing her so upset made him realize that she needed him to be constant as well, something he had never considered, even when he was at his most considerate.
She needed him to be strong, because Evadne had tried to take from her too.
First him, then Kar, and now Milly.
Nameless’s jaw clenched as his hands dropped to his sides, the confused expression fading from his face as determination took its place and he nodded as everything became clear.
“I’m sorry for losing it, Ophie. But I know what I want to do, and I can’t do it alone.”
After several deep breaths, Ophelia absently fixed the loose strand of her hair before tilting her chin down, knowing her love’s heart.
“You don’t need to ask, dearheart.”
The other girls, also sensing his intent through their own heartstones, each took a moment to consider before they likewise agreed.
He reached out and pulled Ophelia into a hug.
“Assuming they even let us, we need to go talk to Booker and Miranda in the morning.”
__________
“You’re sure about this?” Miranda’s voice was level.
At first, when Jan had roused her first thing in the morning and told her that Nameless needed to speak with her, she was annoyed at being woken, but now she understood the cause.
And he needed to be certain.
“I am. We’ve talked about it and I don’t see another way to go forwards.” He responded, his own demeanor a match for hers.
Her gaze turned to Aegis Booker, who was distracted with his worry for the missing Yana, but he took a moment to consider the young man’s request.
At last he tilted his head down in consent.
“It might actually keep him safer, and it would help to untie some of our resources, assuming Oldeera’s hive is still a resource.”
Miranda frowned but couldn’t fault the logic.
She turned back to Nameless.
“You know the words?”
“Yes.”
She nodded slowly, and then stood up straight.
Booker gave a shake of his head to clear his mind before joining her and addressing the determined young man.
“Alright son. Whenever you’re ready then.”
Nameless took a deep breath, gathering himself for what he was about to do, then began to speak, his voice steady.
“I swear to safeguard the hearts of the innocent. For their peace is my prosperity, their bond is my sacred trust, and their love is my eternal joy.”
All around them the other girls watched him; Ophelia wiped away a single tear as she smiled at the once nameless orphan while he spoke the thousand year old oath.
“Any who will join hands with these devoted girls will forever earn my protection, and any who will seek to harm them will incur my most terrible wrath.”
Milly was resting on the couch, Erica’s fingers intertwined with hers as their master swore his oath. While Nina, the very embodiment of wrath, gripped her hammer tight.
“In this I am the shield and I am the sword.”
Volka shifted in place slightly, the light of the rising sun streaming in through the window glinted off of her own shield.
Home of Consequence Page 35
