His head shook, but he stayed facing forward. “They can’t risk them talking to anyone if they ever went back to their world.” He said stoically, keeping the anger out of his voice as best he could.
“We need to tell someone about this.” Amara hissed.
Vaughn smiled at his Elven Sløv’s reaction. She’d adopted his Naïve heritage as if it were her own from the start, flying to embrace the same feelings he was having deep inside him, that he wouldn’t allow surface. He’d always had an incredible imagination as a child so when his eyes were finally opened to the truth he, amongst all the Våpen, was the most accepting of thinkers The Protectorate had produced. Maybe that was why The Shrike had chosen him.
“Not yet.” He finally said, feeling the intensity of Amara at his back.
“We need more intel.” Allynna calmly interjected, wanting to support her sister but not able to embellish her feelings as much as Amara.
“Patience is like water.” Vaughn said, still looking at the Raven and its cargo, following their relentless march towards the building in the distance. When he looked directly at it, he could feel himself recoil against the inanimate objects own gaze that was cast back. It wriggled and crept inside him, ice cold and paralysing. He knew they were far enough away not to be detected for now, but he didn’t want to stay for much longer. The powerful magiks that protected this place could do untold horrors to a Lucid, both physical and mental. He watched the material of the walls shifting and vibrating as if it was struggling to remain in this reality, nausea rising in him. He turned his eyes away, sensing it wouldn’t be long before the creeping magik felt its way out to them and it wouldn’t do for a High Våpen to be caught sneaking around like this. Powerful people also protected this place, the levels of clearance needed to get in some of the highest he’d ever seen. Luckily, he’d been playing his own chess game and was close to getting some kind of legitimate access to the facility. Legitimate access that would lead to getting information, illegitimately.
“We have seen enough for now. I can express interest and mis-truths in the right circles that will get us in there soon.” He spun around, still in a crouch and saw all three of his servants staring at the building. He made a few noises to see if they were paying attention and they were, but they weren’t. Trapped in this half place of understanding and reality.
“It nearly has them.” He muttered under his breath and moved as silent as a ghost between them. “Come back to me.” He whispered to each set of dead eyes as he gently pulled their faces to meet his. When they were all back in the now, he waited patiently for them to throw up and regain their composure. “What did you feel?” He asked hurriedly, hoping that they’d remained undetected. One-by-one they told him in a few, shaky words that ice had taken them and explored their spirits. Talk of being invaded by a living thing was common amongst their stories, Amara retreating into herself the most at what the magik left behind.
“Did any of you feel the ice around your heart?” He pressed. Three shaking heads allowed him to calm down and release the tension from his body. He didn’t want to have to kill one of his family this day.
“Let us be gone from here.” He said, placing a loving hand on Amara’s shoulder and looking at her with warmth. She responded with a nod of the head and a smile, her trance broken by his kindness.
“I need to make a phone call.” Vaughn said whilst holding Amara’s gaze.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE - BLUE
Isabella found Eve laying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, a childish grin across her face. Looking down, she saw her holding a small box with the jade earrings gently in her hands. She looked so peaceful, even when Eve dreamily turned her eyes towards her. Isabella wanted to join her on the bed and wind away a few more hours before they had to get to work, just like the old days when they were children. Rosalind wouldn’t allow them to do this though. If she was starting disease outbreaks in the Naïve world, then they were running out of time and Eve especially, didn’t want any more lives to be lost under her watch.
“I’m not sure what happens to me when I touch these.” She offered the jewellery up towards Isabella who stayed staring at her, recoiling a little bit from the shining objects. “Last time I just woke up in a chair, so it should be okay.”
“Just in case, right?” Isabella said as she folded her arms. She tried to remain authoritative but couldn’t help herself from smiling at the memory of the last time Eve said, it should be okay.
“Right. See you on the other side.” She slowly moved one of her hands towards the earrings, shining brighter and brighter as her hand got closer. As the light was almost unbearable, her fingertips brushed the surface of the green gemstone, glowing white as snow with the shining magik it contained. Her eyes closed, and her body went limp at the contact, the little box and precious cargo almost falling to the floor. Eve’s memories and parts of her past life rushed through and over her like the oncoming tide whilst Isabella suddenly felt awkward stood there like a protective mum. Eve was clearly going through a traumatic, life-changing experience and she was looming over her like a concerned parent who doesn’t understand her child. Lost, she reached behind her to grab a chair and she started pulling it towards her to sit down. Who knew how long this would take, might as well be comfortable she thought. Halfway through sitting down, arm on the back of the chair, crouching as she sat back, Eve’s eyes opened, and she sat upright in the bed. Frozen in the half sit, Isabella waited patiently, embarrassed at her strange stance. Eve put both earrings on patiently, a slight smirk on her face at how Isabella looked. Annoyed by her friend inconveniencing her, Isabella pretended to move the chair like she was rearranging the room rather than being caught in a partial squat.
“I need to see The Merchant.” Isabella gave up the rouse and her bum touched the seat, a gasp of frustration escaping her lips.
“That was very undramatic.” She said sadly.
“Not all magiks are fireworks and phantasm, Blue.” Eve smirked for a second time.
“Skell.” Isabella’s head dropped, almost as far as her knees at hearing that.
“Now now, Blue. No need to swear.” Eve winked at Isabella, immensely enjoying the memory of her friend’s childhood nickname and planning to overuse it as much as possible whilst she could.
“Apart from remembering that dreadful name and that dreadful shop owner, anything else useful come up?” Isabella said, exasperated.
“Yes and no.”
“I swear Eve, you say that one more time and I’ll take you straight to Obed.” There was no real threat in her words, just a reaction to the nickname.
“Rarely are answers either day or night, Blue. The truth hides in the special light in between.” A third smirk.
“Don’t quote Cleric Augustine at me. Haughtiness does not suit you.” She clapped her hand over her mouth at the second sentence realising she was doing exactly the same as Eve. It’d been a long time since Isabella had laughed as much as she had in the last few hours and she enjoyed this outburst with Eve too, joyful tears marking her face as they both recovered their composure.
“We should get moving.” Eve said, making to get up.
“Time has no master and Rosalind is already putting her plans to work.” Isabella said, worrying they were already behind.
“There’s that and I can’t wait to tell Tae about your nickname.” Eve smiled mischievously and walked past Isabella whose head had dropped again.
* * *
Purple lights were shimmering inside Tae’s cockpit after Eve told her about the name. They rippled out in waves, emanating from the front of the ship towards the back, waves of beautiful light whipping past Isabella’s sour face as she sat there embarrassed. She assumed the lights were a result of the ship laughing. She was right.
“After the fruit? That tiny, furry, smelly, soft fruit that bruises easily?” Tae said, rubbing some salt in the fresh wound.
“Yep.” Eve couldn’t help laughing at the new memory, casting a loving eye over towards
Isabella to make sure she knew it wasn’t out of malice.
“You were the last person to call me that you know. Do you know how long it’s been since anyone has said that to me?” Isabella threw her arms up in frustration and slumped back in her chair churlishly. Although the name brought uncomfortable feelings with it, she liked hearing Eve use it, knowing that more of the old her was coming back, piece by piece, little by little. Wearing her red cloak again she made her movements look a little more comical and exaggerated, wanting the teasing to stop.
“Is that why you wear a red cloak? Trying to forget?” Eve asked, pursing her lips to hold back another bout of laughter. Green eyes stared back darkly, silence the only answer Eve needed. She’d been caught in her deliberate choice of colour, wanting to shed the name by physically dressing in a way that would help bury it in memory. Fresh purple ripples cascaded around them, dying a little quicker than earlier this time. Tae’s spirit was young, even if she was older than both her passengers combined, and she knew when enough was enough.
“You may have once been called Blueprika, but I think you are more like the-” Isabella and Eve cringed at the noise Tae made next. Nothing could describe what she did, the alien sounds scratching the insides of their heads. Whatever Tae had said, it sounded worse than the harmless and silly fruit.
“What was that?” Isabella asked, stretching and flexing her jaw to rid the sound from her ears.
“It’s the name of the most beautiful flower on my world.” Tae said innocently, a little hurt that her new friends found her mother tongue harsh to hear.
“I’ve never heard of it.” Eve chastised Tae, thinking the ship had gone mad. Purple light pooled close to Isabella, Tae trying to show that she was looking right at her. Without eyes of her own, Tae had spent years experimenting with ways to mimic having them, always failing and making her subject uncomfortable. In combination with the light, she intensified the mind link between her and the Våpen, wrapping her attention around her.
“It’s from our home world.” Tae offered, not wanting to go into detail about that. She wanted to go into detail about the flower. “There were only a few on our planet when we left, but I saw one once. They say that its beauty can trap the viewer for so long that they die from starvation. Mesmerising blues shimmer across its surface, dreamily letting blue streams of light drift away from its surface in an endless cascade of beauty. And at night.” The pooled purple light brightened at the memory, her consciousness intensifying on Isabella and trying to help her see the flower too. “It’s like watching the soul of nature dancing.”
Isabella was looking into the pool, a tear rolling down her face at the touching story of something she could only imagine. Shards of a partial image flickered as Tae tried even harder to share what she saw in her own mind. She’d read Isabella well, knowing her strength and frailty intimately. “You are rare and beautiful, like the Dancing Blue flower, Isabella.” She said earnestly. A burned hand reached out to touch the purple in thanks, it brightening to a new level at the touch and shared emotions they were feeling. Isabella knew that the ship wasn’t just saying this out of pity or to make her feel better. The old-young being believed what she was saying and paired with the admiration and respect that came with it, Isabella embraced the feeling of being loved with open arms.
“Couldn’t agree more.” Eve said, resting a hand on her friend’s shoulder, matching the tear she saw on the light brown cheek with one on her own.
“We’re here.” Tae suddenly said heartily. A door melted in front of the two women, revealing a store front filled with horrors.
“Shall we, Blue?” Eve waved her hand forward, knowing that the new meaning of Blue was how they would use that name from now on. Nodding, Isabella led the way towards the dirty windows, streaks of filth barely concealing the terrifying ornaments and artefacts of myth. Walking confidently into the shop and through the grotto of torment, they met an old, dark skinned man sat in a rocking chair. Naïve voodoo dripped from him, a painted skull on his face, black and white trying to scare. Remains fell down his chest on a soiled necklace, having nearly lost its battle to wear and tear. He swayed in his chair, eyeing them both with smoke flowing out of a cup and over his hand, yellowed teeth bared in poor attempt at a smile. They stopped a few feet short of him and waited.
“Eve.” The emaciated man drawled, his voice weightier than his frame suggested. His hand whipped about as he whispered to himself, the shop and his form, shifting as did he. The door locked, and keeping up the shop front’s pretence, the contents boiled and churned. Sight and sound merged, dissipated, reformed and dragged itself together in the centre of the room before blinding them all. “Have you found her yet Eve?” The heavy voice continued.
“Found who?” Confusion in her response.
“Your imposter. The one who came here looking for seeds.” Isabella and Eve exchanged knowing glances.
“Did you give her any?” Isabella asked hurriedly, scared of what The Thousand Curses would want with them.
“I had to.” Anger was in The Merchant’s voice, mixed with a small amount of shame.
“How did you know it wasn’t me?” Eve asked, still confused.
“She didn’t ask me about the amulet. I knew what you were about to do all those years ago, so I told myself that if I ever saw you again, it would be about that.” The Merchant walked across the now, pristine shop floor expecting them to follow. They weaved past glass plinths, rare items and exuberant plaques, making their way towards greenery and comfortable seats. He sat down on one of the two sofas, gesturing for them to sit across from him, keeping the dark wood table and rug between them.
“I did my best not to give her pure ones though. I let her choose from a box of lower quality seeds, hoping that whatever she did with them would end up being broken or useless.” The Merchant was getting straight to business, Eve had always liked that about him. He was an incredible showman when he wanted to be, but right now he wanted to help them.
“I thought only the Landscapers could tell the quality of each seed?” Isabella asked, doubting the man’s claim at giving away poor-quality lifers. She trusted the huge man about as far as she could kick him, always erring on the side of scepticism because of his shadowy past.
“You would be right to think that my dear.” Leopold said with a knowing smile. Isabella’s eyebrows raised, questioning. Did he know a Landscaper? She thought they were all dead and couldn’t help but enjoy the childish feelings of wonder swell up in her stomach.
“Another story for another time.” He directed the statement at Isabella, quashing her curiosity.
Eve thought about the events that were escalating around her, and more specifically, what Rosalind had been up to since she escaped. Some fear and urgency creeped into her voice as she asked The Merchant where the amulet was.
“In a safety deposit box in the Salem Five Cents bank.” He said matter-of-factly, to two confused faces.
“It’s a bank that I started in the Naïve world after you came to me. I knew I couldn’t store it here.” He waved a large arm around store. “So I chose somewhere… Less obvious. Too many eyes.” He looked at Isabella again, this time making sure she understood his distaste for The Protectorate and how they strapped those Orcs to the network. For as long as he could remember, he’d been finding ways to conduct his business without interference from that oppressive organisation. He’d been operating for longer than they’d been here, feeling it was his right to do as he pleased. Isabella met his stare, understanding the man's viewpoint but infuriated that he believed he was above the law. Any law, whether it be from The Nameless or otherwise. These kinds of men, women, wytches and wyzards of privilege could do more damage than good in her opinion.
“I needed a safe place in the Naïve world where no one would think to look for it. Just as you instructed me to do.” Thinking Isabella had understood him, he’d turned to speak to Eve.
“What?” She looked lost as she said it, no memories coming ba
ck to support his story.
“Ah yes. How forgetful of me.” The massive frame of Leopold eased itself out of the sofa without a hint of struggle and made its way to a bright and clean white wall. Saying words neither of them could recognise, two giant hands started shoulder width apart on its surface, a faint gold glow growing intensely until he nodded to himself. The gold light began fluttering and dancing in time with his swift, deliberate hand movements and archaic language until he was done. Sighing, a large portion of the wall fell away to reveal another room. Brilliantly white, like the shop floor, it contained a green leather chaise longue and two green leather armchairs, all in the same style of the sofas they were sat on. Bowing slightly, the huge man waited for Eve to get up and walk into the room, to see a small bracelet lying on top of the reclining seat.
“This should bring back the rest of your memories.” He said mournfully. He led her to the side of the chair and delicately removed the bracelet, so she could lay down. Eve melted into the chair, feeling its comfort envelop her, the softness and the smell of the leather making her feel at peace. She placed her hands on her stomach and opened her eyes to look directly at Leopold.
“Ready?” He asked, her head nodding back as she offered a wrist to him. His great hands made hers look tiny, the bracelet looking like a ring in the giant fingers. They could crush her, she thought, knowing they’d done their fair amount of crushing in the old days. You don’t become The Merchant, without handling a few clients. She knew his ways of ensuring payment were much more potent now, some of the stories of The Sunder coming forth with the Jade earrings. It was subtler than how he collected debt in the past, but carried a much heavier price in tune with the increasing value of the goods he traded in. Isabella had also told Eve of The Merchants dealings, before Tae got wind of her nickname, and she didn’t judge him for it. She liked that he’d found ways to protect himself and his treasures. As dark and seedy as the work he did was, he’d always upheld his side of the bargains, an odd integrity to how he conducted business. He honoured privacy and the value of what he traded in, exampled by how he was treating her now. He gently placed the bracelet on her wrist with the utmost care and respect, the object getting ever brighter as it made its way to its final destination. He saw her eyes close, but before he had a chance to lay her hand back in place, Eve was awake, showing no signs that anything had changed in her.
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