Sama said wait. I went and took care of the crops. Everything is doing well, and my scarecrow appears to be doing the trick. I didn’t have much to do, so here I am… waiting. I have never done very well when I’ve had to wait. I want Corrine to walk through that door NOW. A sigh escapes. She may not even come home tonight. I place my hands together where they rest on the bar, and I continue my silent vigil.
I just want to apologise! If she doesn’t want to talk any more about it, we don’t have to! I look down at my thumbs. But you know you’re not about to leave it alone, don’t you, Orion? A sigh and a groan slip out now. Yes. Yes, I know. BUT I’ll be more… subtle. I won’t act like a damn eejit anymore. Well, at least I’ll try harder not to.
The next thing I know, I realise I must’ve fallen asleep because my head rests on the bartop and it’s dark. I hear the crunching of gravel outside the door. I raise my head to see said door slowly opening.
The silhouette before me is Corrine’s, and I hold my breath while I watch her creep across the kitchen. I have no idea what time it is, but it appears as though she thinks she’s sneaking in. “Good ta know ye didna fall off a cliff,” I say calmly. She lets out a quick scream while I speak, and I see her shadow jump back. “Orion, you asshole! What are you doing sitting here in the dark like this?”
“It wasna dark when I started sittin’ here, an’ I must’ve dozed off.” She still catches her breath. “Well, I’m only here to grab a few things.” My heart drops to my stomach, and I stifle a gasp. “Yer leavin’?” I fear my voice may have betrayed too much emotion there. She caught it. She had to have. “Temporarily, yes. I need some space to think.”
“I was just waitin’ for ye ta come home so I could apologise for bein’ an arse. I shouldna tried ta get ye ta talk about what ye didna want ta talk about. I’m sorry.” She’s leaving! “Ye don’ haveta leave. Ye just got here. Er, well, ye did then I left then came back. But…” Alone again? I want to reach out and grab her then hold on tight so she doesn’t walk out on me, but I dare not. That got me nowhere last time. “Listen, Corin, Corrine, I’ll leave ya be. I was only waitin’ so I could apologise, like I said.” Nooooooo! She stands there during my agony, listening and not saying anything. Then, very quietly, she says, “I’m sorry I hit you over the head with the mug.” “Nay bother. I had it comin’. Ye still have yer room here. Don’ worry about me pesterin’ ya.” I want to scream. What do I do?
“Am I still your best mate, Orion?” “What? Yes! Of course ye are. Why ask?” “You keep accidentally calling me Corin. Am I just Corin?” She acts like she holds her breath.
Oh no. This has to be some kind of trap, a trick question. Evasive maneuvers! “I fear I don’t follow.” She huffs. “This is kind of perfect right now, you see? Or rather, you don’t. Am I Corin or Corrine? As you hear me talking, who am I?” “Your voice is Corrine. Other than that, yer you.” “Which do you like better?” “Oh no. Don’ do this ta me. Tha’s nay fair. Ye were Corin, ma best mate. Then ye wanted ta be Corrine, so ye chose to. Whoever you are, yer ma best mate. The one I like better is the one ye wanna be.” There. I’m a ruddy genius. “That’s a non-answer.”
I can’t take it anymore! “Gah! What do ye want from me?” I sense her backing up, but I still unleash my pent-up thoughts. “Why did ya never tell me, Corrine? Just answer me that, please.” She takes a breath. “What good would it have done? All it would accomplish is making you uncomfortable. You don’t even realise it, but I DID have a tester conversation with you this one time we were both taking our watch shift back in the campfire days. You said quite clearly that you would one-hundred percent never be interested in any kind of romantic relationship with a man, so that firmly shut that door.” “I don’ recall this.”
“It’s not a big surprise. It was ages ago. But it’s true, right? You don’t have to answer because I already know. Unfortunately for me, the damage was already done, but I got okay with it. I got on. I made life work the best way I could. Then along comes Mr. Snappy-fingers. Can you blame me for wanting to give it a go?” “Nay. Not a bit.” She doesn’t immediately start for the stairs or anywhere really, so I relax a tiny amount, letting out a sigh and putting my head in my hand. I try my best to put myself in Corin’s shoes. He’d developed feelings only to have them rebuffed swiftly and succinctly. I had no clue. “Ye were verra good at hidin’ it.”
I see the shadow in front of me relax. “I did my best. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable, and the last thing I wanted was to lose your friendship.” I nod even though she can’t see me. Then I grab the lighter we found across the bay and use it to light the oil lamp on the bar.
I glance over at her. Her hair is a mess, but even that doesn’t detract from any kind of sexy-as-fuck-ness. “Another thing I don’ understand.” “What’s that?” “So I now can grasp an idea of why ye’d wanna do this, but what I don’ understand is why he had ta make ye so damn perfect.” She laughs for a moment. “Oh wait, you’re serious.” “Aye, I am.” “I’m not perfect. Don’t be mad.”
I stand up, startling her. “Yer na? Wha’s nay perfect?” “Everything. I’m still me, just minus the scars.” I raise my eyebrows, and even though I’m making this up as I go, a kind of plan begins to form. “Oh yeah? As I recall, ye had some manky toes. I’ll bet ya those have changed.”
She sees me taking tiny steps in her direction. “They’re still manky.” “I don’ believe ya. Prove it.” I grin and feign a lunge for her. She flies past me into the living area. I’m happy she didn’t dart out the door. It gives me a measure of hope. She sees I’m still after her as I bring the lamp with me. “Fine! Here, look!” She sits down and removes one foot’s shoe and sock. I pounce, grab the foot, and hold it up to the light.
“Na. I had the right of it. Perfect.” I hold up her foot again for her to see it for herself. “You’re mad! Look at those toe knuckles! They’re a knobbly wreck.” In the back of my mind, I ponder where I want this to go and why I want it to go there. This is my best mate, sure, but this best mate of mine turned herself into a fabulously attractive woman. Maybe the question should be why SHOULDN’T I want to pursue this. After all, she all but said she has feelings for me, or at least did. That’s a huge confidence boost.
My thumb and finger rub the knuckles of her toes. “I detect nay knobblies.” “Perhaps you and I have a different opinion of what constitutes a knobbly.” “Mayhaps I should inspect the other foot.” Before she can pull away, I snatch her foot. “What are you doing?” she squeals. I grin. “I haveta inspect tha other one, don’ I?” I slowly and deliberately remove her shoe—then her sock, keeping a small smile on my face as I watch hers. I wish it were a little brighter in here because I can’t exactly tell whether or not she’s blushing.
Then I make a show of ‘inspecting’ her foot. I even smell it. It smells like a foot. “Naught wrong wi’ yer feet, Corrine. I’m afraid ta say this area of investigation has turned up naught but perfection, yet ye still maintain yer nay perfect.” I pause and look at her legs. Next I have to fight to keep my gleeful grin from showing when I look up at her and request, “Kindly remove yer trousers.”
She snatches her foot from my hand. “You’re a looney.” My grin breaks out for a moment before I can squelch it once more. “Why say that? I’m merely needin’ another place ta search fer imperfections. Seems the next logical place ta me.” This is too good. “I can tell you where I’m not perfect.” “Oh? An’ where might that be?”
I ‘casually’ rest my hands on her knees and see her point to her hair. I let out a little laugh. “Yer a comedian. Ye canna possibly say tha’s nay perfect.” Her jaw drops. “It’s a ruddy mess!” “Where?” I reach up and hold locks of her hair. “I need a closer look.” Before she can react, I grab her head and bring it to mine so that I can better look at her red curls.
I turn her head some and carefully investigate each curl I can easily reach, and I notice her breathing get faster. This is fabulous. Yes, I’m a blooming genius. I speak quietly to her ear. “It’s just as I thought. Perfect. Ye canna fool me, Corrine.” I pause and consider my next move. It might work. “Maybe it’s your neck. I should get a closer look there too.”
I pull back some of her hair, exposing the skin of her neck, and I move forward, breathing in and running my nose along and up behind her ear. She shakes just a little, but I take the fact that she’s not trying to push me away to mean that I might succeed with the next thing. “Perfect. It’s nay fair.” She exhales in a shaky rush. “H-how?” “Ta be so close ta perfection an’ na do somethin’ like this.” I very, very, very gently place my lips on the skin of her neck.
“But you just,” she breathes in, “did.” “Hm… so I did.” I do it again with a bit more pressure, and she tilts her chin up. My left arm creeps around the back of her, and I raise my head. My right hand grabs her chin and angles her face so that I can see it better. ‘Kiss me, Orion,’ is written all over her lovely features.
“I don’ know what I’m thinkin’ that I need to inspect yer lovely face, but here I am. I may as well see if yer lips hide any flaws.” At last, our lips connect, and it’s so sweet… at first.
She reacts in a way I didn’t expect. Granted, this is one of the main things I love about her—that I never know what will happen next, but I certainly didn’t predict that she would kiss me back like a raging wildfire. Her tongue dances around mine like a crazed flamenco dancer. I hear myself moaning with the strokes against mine sending a burning sensation out from my core to the tips of my fingers. My hands wind up in her hair as I silently beg her not to stop. She doesn’t, and I need further closeness. So, I part her knees and get closer in a single-second move. Now, in addition to her tongue, I have her curves pressing against my chest, and I clutch at her jumper.
A moaning whine erupts from inside her. I translate it as ‘oh, gods, Orion, more!’ Holy shit! So, I acquiesce to her request, but again, I’m not ready for her enthusiastic and explosive response. She’s lighting me on fire with nothing but the power of her fantastic tongue. I’m going to spontaneously combust. I want to rip off her jumper, but as clothing isn’t easy to come by, I manage to stop the kiss for a moment to grab the hem and lift it off her in another one-second move.
Braless, her perfect breast immediately fills my hand. Sorry, lips, but I need to relocate for a while. She makes a quick noise of surprise when I all but inhale a nipple into my mouth and start sucking. Meanwhile, my hands stroke her back before ending with grabbing at her ass. I don’t get to stay here because she has decided that my shirt also needs to be removed. I have zero problem with that and even assist. Then her swollen lips call to me, and I passionately answer.
Skin-on-skin now, pure passion ignites me. I didn’t expect it would get this far, but now, I need her. I burn with a desire so fierce that it’ll take an entire ocean to extinguish, and her hyperactive tongue makes me feel that surely my hair must be standing on end. At the very least, I wouldn’t be surprised to find it tightly curled the next time I look in the mirror. I leave her mouth, ready to devour every pinprick of space on her skin. Blooming hell, her skin even TASTES perfect. Once more, I’m at her intoxicating breasts, going wild as I draw in more and more into my mouth. She’s crying out and fisting her hand into my hair. My hands ride up her thighs to her hips and then to the fasten at her trousers, determined to get them off her. If I can manage it, the knickers will fall away right along with them. I’m going to bury my head between her legs and truly make her cry out.
“Orion, wait!” comes through the smoke in my brain thanks to my inner fire. “Mm?” I ask, undo the button, and hook my thumbs in the waistband. Oh fuck, I need this! She said wait, so I pause, but the second there is no ‘wait,’ I’m going to practically throw her upwards to get the rest of her clothes off. “Stop. Wait, please.” I’d say it’s like a bucket of ice water is thrown on me, but that is not the case. I’m still incredibly driven to get things going like I need them to be. I do, however, pause and look at her expression. She’s terrified. Oh fuck. No, no, no. That’s not right. My hands leave her waistband, and my arms wrap around her again.
I gently kiss her face, and my lips press against her skin as I ask, “What is it? Did I do somethin’ ye didna like?” She pants, catching her breath. “It’s too fast. It just… suddenly got very real.” I agree on the fast part. “I admit I didna expect it to get this far.” But that doesn’t mean I don’t want it to continue and especially press on. “I also didna expect ye ta be that fuckin’ good of a kisser.” “I am?” she replies way too innocently, and I shudder and wrap my arms tighter.
“Oh aye, yes.” I can’t resist but get more of those lips. However, this time, her response is tentative. I don’t much like that, so I decide to place the ball in her court, so to speak. I leave her lips and work my way back over to her ear. “Say the word, Corrine, an’ I’m yers. I’m burnin’ for ya.” A kind of whimpering noise falls out of her, and she wilts some in my arms. “I didn’t expect this. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I can handle this yet. I didn’t think I’d be so nervous.” I raise my head and look down at her again, my eyebrows coming together. “Nervous? Of me?”
She lets out a shaking kind of laugh. “Orion, you’re like a charging bull. I thought I could handle anything, but then there’s reality when things actually happen.” She sees my continuing look asking her to explain more. “Think about it: I’m a virgin… in every way.” I scowl. “I wasna plannin’ on coming at ye like a rampagin’ rhinoceros.” She gazes up at me. “So you WEREN’T planning on removing everything else seconds before I asked you to wait?”
My scowl turns to a sly grin. “Of course I was.” She breathes a little faster. “Well?” I blink a few times. Is she asking me to continue? My hand slides to her waistband, but I pause there. “Well what?” I want to go full speed ahead, but I also don’t want to fuck this whole thing up. “I mean isn’t that ‘coming at me like a rampagin’ rhinoceros’?” My smile grows. “Na. Just means yer naked.” Oh. She thought I intended to seal the deal right then and there. That would be lovely, but it isn’t my style. Her breathing shakes again. “You are… very intense.” Her eyes drop to my collarbone. “Yes?” My hand slips under her remaining clothing. She jumps. “Orion, you are really a very naughty boy.” I chuckle. “Ye think ta tell me somethin’ I don’ already know?” My hand moves around to the front, and I nudge her back.
She gasps and grabs my forearm, knowing where my hand is headed. “Wait.” One of my eyebrows raises. “Have ye tried this wi’ yersel’ yet?” My ‘very naughty’ fingertips push downward just far enough and move in small, light circles. “Orion!” She pulls my forearm up, and I let her. “I said wait.” “Well have ye?” I ask, going back to wondering how much self-discovery she may have done.
She looks away, facing away from the lantern, perhaps to hide how she turns scarlet. “Yes. It was… weird.” “Is it weird noo?” I tease what skin I can touch. Her eyes return to mine. “Everything is a little weird. How can it not be? But I’m not going to let that stop me, BUT Orion, please. I’m just not… ready.”
I work to hide the inner scream of anguish coursing throughout my body from showing up in my expression. As it is, I remove my hand and move to stroke her face. My voice can’t hide it, however, when I utter, “Okay.” I close my eyes, miffed I let a little too much emotion escape. Then her lips are on mine again, and I shudder from the herculean effort of repressing the amount of response I want to give. When her tongue becomes involved, I can’t hide my whine from the delicious torture. My arms tighten, and I’m dangerously close to that precipice where I’ll take it to the point when she’s begging me to stop again. Her hand works at undoing the button to MY trousers. Not stopping her but still surprised, I pull up and look down at her. She returns my gaze with a sheepish expression of her own.
“I’m not ready, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help.” Her hand moves in and easily finds me. I moan and pull her shoulders into me, being sure to leave her room to work her blessed magic with her perfectly soft hand. I mutter words of encouragement into her ear as my fingers bury themselves in her curls.
It’s incredible, but I suppose it makes sense. She definitely knows what she’s doing. “Oh, fuck, Corrine!” I start moving my hips in sync with her hand, moaning and crying out, losing my mind. Our tempo increases, and I yell out to the ceiling while she drives me onward at full speed. Then I’m coming, and she continues to hold me while I make a mess in my jeans.
I fall into her, pressing her back against the sofa, my head happily resting on her bare chest. I sense her smiling as she wraps her arms and legs around me. “Better?” she asks with a cheeky air. “Minx,” I reply, and she giggles, a wonderful sound.
A/N: I’ve given up with trying to keep the timelines between Victoria and Haven matching, and if I do, I’ll be pulling my hair out. Rest assured, they will perfectly link up later.
Yadira
I’ve eaten supper in my room for a few nights now, just to prove I can. However, being honest with myself, it kind of sucks, so I instructed Ali to inform the staff that I plan on having supper with ‘his majesty’ in the dining room tonight. She smiled widely and said she’d do that immediately. I sigh. She’s made it plain that she thinks Reck and I should ‘get together,’ that it would be perfect. At first, I wondered if Reck was paying her to say that, but eventually, I decided that couldn’t be the case. It’s too honest the way she says it. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Reck hired her, that she started with that opinion; that could be it.
Now I have the task of dealing with how obnoxious he’s going to be. He’s going to read too much into it. I merely want to sit at an actual table instead of eating off a tray. It has nothing to do with him.
That time arrives, and I make my way down to the regular dining hall. I was careful not to select anything to wear that would make him think I did it all for him. In fact, I look very plain. Taking a steadying breath, I push open the door.
I almost walk back out the second I enter the room. He’s wearing pants, has the hair on his head hanging freely, but what really gets me is that he’s only wearing a vest as a top. And it’s unbuttoned. He stands with his face looking out the window, and he doesn’t turn his head. I know he’s heard me come in because he says, “Evening. Such a surprise when the staff informed me of your decision.” His voice betrays no significant emotion. He still doesn’t look at me, acting like he doesn’t care if I’m here or not.
“I merely wished to sit at a table like a normal person. Nothing more,” I state and make my way over to my seat, the one I assume is to the right of the head of the table. Naturally, his place would be there. He must hear the chair move because he finally turns around. Then he scowls and swiftly strides over.
“What are you doing?” He points to the head of the table. “THIS is your place.” I give him a look. “Don’t be ridiculous.” I stubbornly stay in the seat, now even more wanting to sit here. He blinks and looks confused. “I’m afraid I don’t understand. You’ve on more than one occasion said that you outrank me. I thought it only natural to forgo my usual space.” He plops down at the head of the table.
He’s up to something. That’s not how he usually dresses. Someone walks in carrying a wine glass. They present it to him. “Thank you, and don’t bother sending for a fresh shirt. I’m comfortable enough.”
The man does a slight bow, and Reck turns to me. “In my surprised moment, I accidentally spilled a bit of red wine on my shirt. You don’t mind, do you?”
Crap. If I say I do mind, he’ll know that yes, in fact, I do mind—because I think he looks hot. The hair being down only adds to it. If I say I don’t mind, he’ll take that to mean that I like it. “You do what you like. It doesn’t matter to me.” There. Saying it doesn’t matter works.
“Oh good. I worried it would make you uncomfortable.” I’ve half a mind to take myself and move to the other end of the table. I would, but I also don’t want to make things awkward for the servers… whom I wish would hurry up and get to serving.
Seeing I’m not going to speak, he starts back at it. “I had a fantastic day today. I got to meet with an actual electrical engineer. Luckily for us, the old power plant was mothballed long before the wars since everyone went to nuclear power. It’s a miracle it wasn’t demolished. Still, we’re going to have to rebuild some of it from scratch. Fortunately, I have people with those kinds of skills, but they’re going to have to be taught what to do and how to get what they build to a safe standard.” Again, he pauses, probably staring at me, but I can’t look at him right now without possibly betraying my thoughts. “It’s progress. There is at least someone available to train others. Naturally, I’m placing him in charge of the entire operation and rewarding him greatly with a huge bonus should he manage to get it operational. Then our next challenge will be replacing the power grid itself not to mention mining the coal.”
I remember something Corin said about getting the coal. “And where will you get the workers for the mines?”
He almost breathes a sigh of relief… because I spoke? “Where else? More people arrive every day, and they’ll need jobs. Everyone gets assigned a job when they arrive depending on what the interviewers think of the skills they already possess.”
I chew on the inside of my lip for a moment. “I can’t imagine that working in a coal mine will be a highly-desired job.”
“It will if I make it better paying than some. Like anything in the past, different jobs have different pay scales.”
I cut my eyes over to him to see him watching me intently, so much so that I have to subdue how much it startles me. “Well, what if that still doesn’t entice people to the job?” I’m baiting him. I want to see if I can get him to admit to me what he possibly admitted to Corin.
He takes a breath. “Then I offer more until people bite. There is always a magic price.” I stare just as intently back into his eyes as he does mine. “But what if that price is higher than you want to pay? What if that price is so high that you decide to go a different route to get workers?”
He blinks and gives me a kind of shrewd expression. “Are you insinuating something, Yadira?” He pauses. “We ARE talking about coal miners’ pay, correct?” I back up in my chair. “What else would we be talking about?” Oh dear, I hope he hasn’t tried to make some kind of twisted innuendo out of everything I said.
He does a kind of shrug for hands. “I’m merely trying to determine the root of this line of questioning you’ve thrown my way. It doesn’t seem random.” I glare. “I’m merely expressing concern over how the labor force in this city is treated, especially when it comes to less-desirable jobs. I want to make sure that certain… methods… for handling the labor issue aren’t attempted.”
A look comes into his eyes now, and he returns my glare. “Are you trying to say that you’re making sure I don’t reinstall slavery as a ‘method’?” “Well, that would be one awful way to do it, wouldn’t it?” “It would, and, contrary to what I may have said more than a year ago, I have no desire to create that kind of a civilisation.” He must know that I heard about what he’d said from Corin. I do nothing but stare at him, trying to read his expression. “But you admit you said it.”
“I did. To Corin and no one else. It was a passing thought said in anger… as most things I said in those days were said.” He appears to be chewing his words. “He told us.” “Apparently, and now, I have an entire settlement of people having that opinion of me. Marvelous.” “Did you honestly expect anything less? Surely you don’t think they all see you as a hero in a fairytale.”
“No, but I didn’t suspect I’d become the boogieman of a bedtime story!” he yells. Then he takes a breath and puts his hands over his face. “Yadira, all I’ve wanted is for people to have a safe place to live. Yes, my motives were sometimes directed to gaining more power in order to create that safer environment. I suppose more than sometimes, but it was always in an effort to protect the ones I care about.” He takes another breath and moves his hands. “But that’s not how it’ll be remembered, will it?” “What I heard about you is that you crave power and whatever means you can use to get it.” “It’s true! But it’s because of all of us, I was the one with the cool head! The other three would just as soon punch someone as look at them. Leaders don’t think that way, not good ones. We needed a cool head to lead, and others were approaching us, wanting to join. I naturally became the leader, even they agreed, even if they insisted upon that ridiculous ‘council’ where all anyone would do would be sit there and argue while getting nothing accomplished. Since I’ve become king, I’ve taken this city from a grouping of muddy shacks to a proper metropolis.” “I’m not saying you’re not good at what you do. I just want to make sure you don’t slip back into the temptations absolute power can offer.”
“Like I could ever even consider doing anything of the sort since your arrival.” He doesn’t get to continue because at that time, the servers arrive with our food. As we eat, we have a bit of an audience. I can only guess this is nothing new, but I’d wager this is the first time they’ve actually bothered him by their presence. I can sense he has much, much more he’d like to say. As it is, he still manages to keep up a kind of small talk. We even talk about the weather of all things. “I hope you don’t mind, but I plan on stealing Niel from you a few nights a week.”
I can’t resist. “I didn’t think your interests went in that direction.” I smirk. He laughs. “I need him to teach me his martial arts.” Then his eyes pierce into me. “And my interests only go in one direction and have ever since she walked into my throne room.” Damn him and damn myself for setting that up so perfectly for him. “I was only teasing.”
“I wasn’t.” The corners of his mouth lift. I stand. “That’s me finished then. Good evening, Reck.” He stood with me. “I was hoping to continue our earlier conversation.”
I’m already walking to the door. “Perhaps some other time.”
Ah, so you have reached the third summary. Congrats, I guess? 🙂
Like with the last one, I’ll put special bits with their little marker **.
On with the show!
If you’ll recall, Sama had done all the work at the pub when Asa and she had first arrived at The Watch. That meant he owed her one. Later, when Macie showed up at the other pub, he offered to escort her to The Watch, giving Sama a break from her. Macie drives her nuts.
It doesn’t take long for Asa to figure out why. Macie. Doesn’t. Stop. Talking! He tries to tune her out until she mentions ‘the goddess.’ That gets Asa’s attention. She tells him how Yadira had healed her that day. She wants to go to The Watch to thank the ladies who managed to stop her from hurting anyone else, got her to calm down so that the guards could take her away.
When they reach The Watch, Asa tries to ditch her. He wants to visit Maren. Macie won’t be reasoned with and practically begs him, with her doe eyes, to come with her because she’s nervous. He reluctantly agrees.
Upon happening upon a member of the Order of the Lily, the woman kind of freezes up, staring at Asa with wide eyes. She barely acknowledges Macie.
Asa’s like, Is there something on my shirt?
Isolde invites them inside for tea. Asa tries to get out of it, but Macie gives him a panicked look. He goes inside.
** If I give the character a name, they either ARE important or I have some kind of plan in place for them to BE important. This is Isolde. She was one of the two nuns who were there to greet Lars and Yadira when they arrived. She’s the one who did the ironic ‘destiny’ line.
Freaking out, Isolde drops her tin of tea on the floor. Asa cracks up at her saying ‘bollocks’ because it’s the last thing he ever expected to come out of a ‘nun’s mouth. Then he feels bad for laughing because Isolde looks to be almost in tears.
Macie invites both ‘nuns’ to the picnic she has prepared. (There’s another one off screen who ‘all of a sudden’ had to go do something on the other side of the house.) The one in the above pic, Isolde, wants to make sure Asa’s going before she agrees. Again, Asa is kept from doing what he really wants to be doing, and he says he will.
At the picnic, Macie won’t shut up, but Asa and Isolde manage to convince her to go back and talk to Erin, the ‘nun’ who didn’t come with them. Macie agrees, and Isolde’s like, “finally!” Then she pounces on Asa.
Asa’s like, “whoa!” We learn that Isolde has prophetic dreams, and she’s been dreaming about Asa for about a month now. (hmmm… it took him about a month to get here, so the dreams started once the decision for him to make the journey happened.)
Then Isolde remembers herself and gets off him. She’s kinda embarrassed now, but Asa is really curious what she meant when she said the dreams were ‘involved.’ She’s backed off, but he keeps getting closer, asking her what he’d do in the dreams. She tells him, so he decides he needs to act it out.
There’s a kind of funny bit when he’s been pulling out her hairpins.
Woo! Get it, Asa! Well, it’s a little fast for Isolde, even though she’s been dreaming about him and it’s like she’s ‘known’ him for a month. Dream her and real her are two different people. Asa kinda freaks out when he remembers she’s a ‘nun.’ She almost laughs and tells him ‘not that kind of nun.’ Then she wants her hairpins back.
She’s fussing at him that she needs to put her hair up. He likes it down better, and he asks her if she likes being a ‘nun.’ She says it’s what she’s always known. “Then why the dreams?” He doesn’t really get a straight answer, but they agree to meet again another day.
Maren who? Yep. Now he doesn’t know what he was thinking. (Maren was the prostitute in the pub when he’d first arrived.)
Next, we see Sama at the beach.
That’s where Vik’s been hanging out. The two of them get it on, and after, while they’re talking and worrying about Orion, she sees a large group of people arrive at the beach. Vik looks and recognizes Orion… and Reck.
To him, it looks like an execution, and he’s not about to sit by and let it happen. He aims for Reck. Sama begs him to put the gun down because they’re outnumbered. He’s telling her to beat it, to run, because, yes, they’re outnumbered and he doesn’t know how long he’ll last after he kills Reck. Then Sama tells him she thinks she’s pregnant. That stops him. So, they wait.
They can’t believe their eyes. Reck appears to be letting Orion go, even though he’s still tied up, they throw a waterskin at him along with a small bag (the seeds). Orion easily brings his hands under his feet to get them in front of himself, and after yelling at Reck’s back, he gathers his things up, looks around, and makes a beeline for Vik and Sama.
** Mkay, it bugs me that I didn’t think of this: Why didn’t Reck have someone hiding to follow him? Idk. I guess that would make too much sense. Suffice to say I learned from my ‘mistake’ there. Hint. (rather obscure, but still)
After everything, even big, strong dudes cry.
Knowing that they gotta go or risk getting caught or worse, Sama dashes over to The Watch to find Asa. She tells him what’s happened, but he doesn’t want to leave yet.
He’s thinking that he can’t leave without at least ASKING Isolde if she’ll go with him, so he dashes away, Sama chasing after him. Then he barges into Isolde’s room –just like from her dreams– and asks her to go away with him.
And I get this song in my head every time I read this bit (that whole ‘sail away with me, to another world’) :
You’re welcome. 😛
She’s going. 🙂 The kicker was when Asa mentioned she may even know people there. She mentions Zuri, hoping she and her baby are okay. This hug is the result of him just mentioning Amina’s name.
** Isolde was there with Zuri when Amina was born, even though Zuri’d been ‘excommunicated’ from The Trags. She and Zuri are dear friends. (Yeah, that’s not awkward at all! lol)
Erin, the other ‘nun,’ figures out what’s going on, and she asks Isolde if she’s crazy, but Isolde tells her to tell The Mother that she knows this is her path.
Outside on their front porch, Macie has figured out what’s going on, too, and she wants to go.
Sama is just ready to leave immediately, and she cannot think of a good enough reason to tell Macie no. They all have to go now, and other than the bag that Isolde hastily threw together, they have no time to pack. Macie goes as-is.
Off they go!
So, the island of Haven’s population lost one woman–but gained two. Hm.
We’ll get back to them later. Now, it’s time for Reck. (BTW, this is chapter 42: The Answer… geddit?)
After dumping Orion on the beach, Reck has a full day of work ahead of him. He has meetings with all his what he calls ‘department heads.’ This is Rien, the only department head who’s named (so far). He acts as a kind of ‘casting agent’ for Victoria. He has the final say over who goes where, in charge of all the entrance interviewers. He’s the kind of guy who knows people and gets to know people, and he’s found Reck an electrical engineer, someone in his sixties who survived the plague, Carter. (named!)
We see other department heads: financial advisor who tells him there’s money for new schools and agricultural who reports the satellite settlement to the south is about to start oranges.
Meanwhile, during his full day, Reck’s mind is never far from the search that Niel is heading up in order to make sure that Orion doesn’t come back into the city. Plus, he has anyone in law enforcement looking for anyone with a westerner accent, just guessing that Sama and Asa might’ve come. Naturally, the guards don’t find them.
It’s the end of the day, and Reck goes back to his chambers to find a very aggravated Yadira waiting for him.
Why is she still here? Her room is fixed. After she throws the book she’s holding right at his head, he remembers that he’d ordered her in there since Niel and Angie, etc were busy, and he never sent an order to have her removed. He apologizes, and as he works at remedying the situation, her stomach growls. She hadn’t eaten anything all day.
Yikes. So he himself takes her down to the kitchens.
More of Reck being human, proving he’s not a posh, spoiled do-nothing and that he knows his way around a stove–and a campfire at one time. Of course, Yadira doesn’t see this. All she knows is she’s had a shite twenty-four hours.
They chat while she eats, and Reck, trying to think of anything to get on her good side, says that he could start bringing people by her chambers so that she can start healing the population. She’s like ‘duh!’ (my words not hers) Then she tests him to see what he’d say to her moving into her own place. He debates back that she can’t afford it. She could take donations. He’s like well, yes, but why when you have protection here? (He’s not saying it, but he still has a nagging fear that she’ll run off the first chance she gets.)
So Yadira finally starts her work of healing the hearts of the people of Victoria.
Fast-forward a few weeks. (The Haven crew are sailing back–will arrive soon.)
Yadira’s losing her mind. Reck still won’t allow her to leave to go do her own work. She just knows there are people out there who need more help than the ones she’s actually meeting with, but she’s not allowed to get to them.
Meanwhile, Reck has a very disturbing nightmare.
He dashes into her room to make sure she’s okay. She tells him she’s ‘fine.’
He’s like ‘yeah, right.’ Then Yadira finally looks up at him, and she has to hide the little jump she does when she sees him.
They talk, and she lets out that she doesn’t understand why he won’t let her go amongst the people herself. He finally admits that he’s afraid she’ll run off.
Of course, why he has to do this on his knees in front of her is a mystery. Well, other than he wanted to be sure and read her face. Yadira’s thinking like ‘damn, he smells good.’
Reck tries to explain his reasoning why she can’t leave. Everyone has left him. She’s like ‘I know I’m supposed to be here.’ He agrees. She recommends they try test runs, he can go with her or send Niel with her, etc, just let her do what she needs to do. He gets quiet, so she lets him think.
“Did you just SMELL my HAIR?” He doesn’t try to deny it. She says he can go; they can talk later. He’ll be busy later; they can talk about this now. They keep debating back and forth on whether or not she can go out.
He keeps scooting forward while their conversation/debate just goes in circles. She mentions how the people need her. He says HE needs her, for himself. So they debate that, her saying that’s not part of the deal.
He’s like, “Think about it: the king and his goddess.” That brings her up short, and she turns it on him. “What if it’s the goddess and her king, huh?” She means to imply she outranks him, but it backfires.
He’s like, “Sure, if that’s what you want.” More talking.
He closes in, and she’s like, “Reck, don’t you dare kiss me.” “Sweet goddess, Yadira, you would deny your truest worshiper a taste of your lips?”
Ugh! Really, Reck? It works… kinda. She tells him he hasn’t earned it, so he mentions he’ll just have to earn her forgiveness instead.
He kisses her anyway. Thing is, Yadira isn’t totally against it. She’s just upset at how he’s going about it, but even though she’s mentally duking it out with herself, she kisses him back.
Of course, Reck is thrilled. Though, the hand pushing against him needs to go. Gotta fix that.
So he starts kissing her face while she chews him out and he agrees with everything she says, kind of a trademark tactic of his. After all, why argue? Not arguing gets better results. Yadira kind of calls him out on it.
He admits that all of what just happened wasn’t planned, at least not like how it happened. She catches what that means being he’d planned it anyway. He’s like, ‘of course.’ More talking. More of him agreeing with her.
Then he pushes her hips forward, and she’s like maybe we should fight. He doesn’t want to fight her; he’d rather love her instead.
Then his hips get moving, and she’s like this has gone far enough. She stops him. He ain’t happy. Then she starts crying. He’s like dammit.
So he tries to hold her and apologize while she tries to beat him up. Eventually, in trying to grab both her hands, he has to let go of her back. She slams her head against the arm of the loveseat, hurting herself.
More talking while he does what he can to prevent her from hitting him more. Then, exhausted, she falls asleep.
Worried that she’d hit her head and now appears passed out, he decides to stay to… keep an eye on her. /facepalm.
Dude knows he’s in trouble… even if he’s not exactly acting conciliatory right now. He meant it when he said he didn’t mean for all that to happen like it did. That nightmare, that he can no longer really remember, freaked him out. He just remembers something was hurting her and that he couldn’t make it stop. He couldn’t get back to sleep when he woke up, so he thought if he could just see for himself that she was okay, he’d be fine. Then everything happened.
For all his faults, it’s real.
And here’s the point when it hits him over the head like a 2×4 that he’s in love with her. To him, that wasn’t supposed to happen. Attraction? Sure, that’s okay. Love? Nope, guard thyself. After all, guy’s been hurt by Zuri like twenty times. He doesn’t really trust his judgment in that department, but a little voice in his head says that he didn’t love Zuri. He was just obsessed with her.
** been a while since a little note: ‘When it looks like this with the single quotation’ it’s kind of an implanted thought… like it comes from somewhere else. Hm… I wonder who in this can communicate thoughts directly into someone’s mind?
** Remember when I said they have more than one “trick”? It’s not as if he’s controlling the thoughts, more like he’s speaking to them. However, to them, it almost feels like it should be their own mind saying it. Just a misinterpretation on their part, though.
Still, freaking out, Reck fights the very idea.
He carries her to the bed, now determined to leave the room and have whoever is on duty tonight go in and check on her every so often, but he stares at her for a beat too long.
He doesn’t really want to leave anyway. Although, her saying, “No, Orion” to him touching her face isn’t the best thing for him to hear.
She wakes up and is wondering why he’s here. He tells her because she hit her head. She tells him off and goes back to sleep. He really can’t string two thoughts together right now. Mostly, he wants to figure out how to get her to stop hating him, but he gets distracted.
He wakes her up again, and she asks him to stop it. Then there’s the “is this okay?” over and over again stuff to which she replies, “it’s not and you know it.” (not exact quotes) He’s wondering if she wants him to stop because she doesn’t like it or does she like it a little too much? She says she doesn’t have to answer that.
He’s not actually touching her. Still, though, too close. After he tells her she’s really quite lovely, she tells him to either sleep on the little sofa or stay to his side of the bed. He chooses the later. Then leaves before she wakes up–but not without leaving a little gift and a couple of notes.
The ‘gift’ is some aspirin (which, yes, can be made). The note says ‘for your headache’ with him figuring she has one. It’s kinda funny how Yadira refuses to take them. ‘I’m no dummy. I’ve read about drugs.’ The second note is ‘dress warmly’ attached to her chest of drawers. She shrugs and does as it says.
Then she sits and contemplates life, deciding that falling for a really good kiss is a very bad weakness to have. No more, she tells herself. Then Reck walks in and tells her that they’re going out for her to find people. She says it’s a good idea then charges for the door. Of course, he’s read her face.
He tries to get her to tell him what’s wrong. All he can tell is that it has everything to do with him. He switches from ‘poppet’ to ‘darling,’ which doesn’t help her with her wariness of him, and she lashes out, demanding he let her go. He does.
I mean, honestly, what was he thinking? She tells him not to kiss her and he does. Then all that other stuff, and he thought she’d be Miss Warm, Lovely-Dovey come the morning? smh.
He hasn’t a clue why she’s acting like this. Though, he’s not stupid. I’d say it’s more accurate that he doesn’t want to consider why.
They go to a tea shop as a kind of ‘let’s get our bearings’ first stop. More on that later.
Let’s jump to Corrine!
She’s seen the ship, and she ran to tell the others. The kiddos are sleeping upstairs, and Zuri and Rohan are waiting on the beach. Corrine figures that her being alone when Orion sees her for the first time would make it easier for him. Still, she’s a nervous wreck.
It takes Orion forever to show up, and when she hears him, he’s yelling. He and Rohan got into a fist fight. Well, more that he let Rohan beat on his face for a while since he came back without Yadira. Orion comes in ranting and raving about how angry Rohan is with him. Then he pauses.
“Who’re you?” She tells him, but he’s thinking that couldn’t be. It’s more believable that she’s a changeling–just not a good one because she got it wrong. Then, sputtering, Corrine tells him that Zuri’s man, Yadira’s brother can change things, and he changed her. “Is he gonna change ya back?”
That wasn’t exactly the scenario she had her heart set on. She dashes out of the house and, when far enough away, starts yelling for Peter. Peter tells her not to base her decision to change back to Corin on Orion’s initial reaction, to give it time. That ticks her off, and she cries her eyes out somewhere in the woods.
Then she hears pounding footsteps. Orion.
He tries to get her to talk to him, but she won’t. What he DOESN’T do a good job of doing is telling her that when he asked if Peter was gonna change her back, he said it because he was assuming that it’d been done against his/her wishes. He’d had no idea that Corin wanted that kind of a change, and he’s a little hurt he was never told. Of course, he wants to know why. She won’t tell him. She just says, “I’m still me, you know.” Then she glances at him and KNOWS he’s about to ask ‘are ye sure?’
This is how she proves it.
There’s just one teensy weensy problem here: Corrine did that expecting the same kind of upper body strength that Corin had. Unfortunately, this new form didn’t come that way. She breaks her hand. Orion sees blood and bruising showing up and tries to get a closer look. Corrine tries to stop him, but he eventually grabs her wrist.
He tells her they need to get to Sama so she can wrap it up.
** I kind of feel sorry for Orion here. That is, until it occurs to me he’s a bit sexist. Okay, maybe more than a bit. If it were Corin saying he wasn’t worried about his hand, he’d just strongly suggest he rethink it, but he’s not going to let Corrine get out of going to see Sama. That, AND he really has no idea how to act here–that’s the bit I feel sorry about. In his shock, he almost goes into a kind of flirt auto-pilot because all of a sudden there’s a pretty girl next to him. His brain keeps trying to tell him it’s also Corin, but the two aren’t meshing well in his head.
This is how he handles the situation:
She has to threaten to literally kill him in his sleep if he doesn’t let her down. He does, grinning. Then she stomps herself up to Sama’s place.
Back to Reck and Yadira!
This is Reck trying to be friendly to the tea shop lady who’s kinda freaking out that the king is in her shop. Yadira has never been in any kind of shop, food or otherwise. She’s never ordered from a menu.
When the lady brings them their tea, Yadira grabs her arm. Turns out the lady’s holding a huge grudge at the people who bombed the dam near her home that caused a huge flood and killed most of her town. Yadira helps her start to recover from that memory, saying her loved ones didn’t suffer; they were knocked out by debris.
Then Yadira goes out and starts finding random people, and word spreads that she’s in the streets. A kind of mob begins to form, and Reck starts worrying over their safety.
Plus, she’s exhausted. They get inside, and she breaks down into tears, saying she can’t do it.
Reck does what he can to calm her fears. Internally, he’s happy she’s letting him hold her when all day she’d been very standoffish. He says she needs food, and he instructs someone to make a place setting for her at his table: something he should’ve done ages ago. Yeah, she ain’t so hot on that idea. She tells him where he can shove it and goes upstairs.
Reck assigns Ali as her personal assistant, letting her help as people schedule appointments with Yadira now. But this means he never gets to see her!
Knock, knock!
Now let’s go see how Rohan’s doing.
Not great. In fact, really, really bad. The worst.
He steps off the edge.
All of a sudden, he’s an owl, flying instead of falling.
Ye-ah, Peter wasn’t about to let him kill himself.
** btw, Peter (and Yadira later) really start ticking off the angel of death. Guess they’re a couple of meddlesome brats. 🙂
Rohan starts acting like an owl, even mentally. He’s happier, and he’s about to fly away to catch a rodent. Then the branch he sits on snaps.
“Didn’t want you flying off after that mouse.” Rohan is utterly disoriented. It happens. It takes him a moment to remember who he even is and even longer to remember how he got there.
Then Peter has to vanish for a minute.
** It isn’t mentioned, but I’ll say it here, he hops over to tell Reck he was only obsessed with Zuri, not in love with her. Then he pops back. 🙂 So… yes… physical distance means nothing to him. Neat trick, huh?
Rohan is angry with the gods, with the universe, with everyone and everything, saying he got a raw deal. Why did he have to fall in love with Yadira only for her to be destined over to Victoria anyway? Why not have her grow up in Victoria?
We officially discover there is a plan. It’s implied that it’s his mother who’s calling the shots, but it’s never actually said. (and I will neither confirm nor deny 😛 )
Peter tells Rohan that she was meant to grow up here in Haven. It gave her no sense of hatred towards any one group. The Goddess picked Sama to raise her daughter.
Why not have her grow up in The Land of Weird then? ** Empathy is crucial to Yadira’s ability, and Peter struggles with it. There’s kind of a clue there. Peter lacks empathy–and that’s not good. Yadira feels human; Peter never has. He kind of wishes he could empathize with humanity, but he can’t figure it out.
(Also, we kind of hear about how Rohan was probably bullied by the other members of the Skeeves. He was the youngest and the shortest and always the butt of jokes. It make him, as Peter puts it, kind of scrappy. More insight as to why Rohan was much less than thrilled when his old ‘mate’ Orion showed up on the island that first time.)
So, Rohan bemoans that, great, now he gets to go around with a big, gaping hole in his chest.
“You’d be surprised what can FILL a big, gaping hole in your chest.” (See, Rohan? I’m not done with you. Yes, I’m sorry you got such a raw deal, but hang in there, buddy.)
Now for Sama! (and mini-Rohan)
** The game really DID give Zane that appearance. OH YEAH, and in the first summary, I mention that I found a toddler I’d had no idea about. I never got back to y’all on that. It’s Sama’s son… from Orion. I did it that way because I didn’t want to screw up Rohan and Yadira’s relationship yet, even though I knew I’d need to in order to get the genetics right. At least, I think that’s how it happened. It could be that it’s Jovan (the other toddler) that’s the baby in the pics that are supposed to be Zane and that I made Zane in CAS with that as his first appearance, startling me as I expected him to look like Sama. Memory is a funny thing, and it’s been 2 1/2 years since. I have no idea, but it’s one of those two.
Anyway, Sama is getting Macie and Isolde settled. Zane has stranger anxiety and at first is scared of his own mother. It doesn’t last long, though.
Sama tells Macie that since Rohan isn’t using his house, she can live there. Isolde is living with Zuri for now (she and Asa aren’t at the move-in stage yet).
Sama goes upstairs but then sees Orion and some redheaded woman heading up to her house. Corrine walks in, and listening to her talk, she figures out who she is, shocked.
Orion is still mentally and emotionally wobbling, still trying to come to terms with what Corin did to himself by becoming herself. He mentions how the scars are gone, which makes the person seem even less like themselves. He knew the story behind each scar because he was there when they happened. Now, they’re wiped away.
Hand wrapped up, they head back home.
He really doesn’t know what to do with himself. Here’s where more of that sexist stuff comes in. He doesn’t feel like he can talk to Corrine the way he would talk to Corin, thinking that right now, he’d be regaling Corin with stories of everything that happened, but he’s not sure what he feels comfortable telling Corrine. (smh)
Of course, he still wants to know why it happened in the first place.
She doesn’t want to tell him, at least not yet, so he knows there IS a reason.
Back to Rohan!
Rohan is still miffed he’s alive. He doesn’t want to move back into his house, so he decides he’ll fix up the one dilapidated structure left on the island. Perhaps a project is just what he needs. He heads up to the main settlement to talk to Vik about perhaps getting some kind of metal support beam. He wants to keep the upper floor.
His old house sits and stares at him accusingly. Then someone walks out of it!
Who the feck is this? Where did SHE come from? WHY was she in his house? She explains to him that Sama said she could stay there but that she’d move out if he wanted the place. He doesn’t, but he’s upset that SAMA said what could be done with HIS house.
Sama comes out to see what all the fuss is about.
They argue with Macie pouting in the background. Rohan gets around to saying he needs Vik’s help with something, but Sama tells him he’s planning on making Corrine a wrist brace. He finds out why, that Corrine broke her hand punching Orion in the jaw. This cracks him up, putting him in a better mood. Well, have Vik come down when he’s finished with that.
Macie starts bouncing up and down, realizing a way she can thank Rohan for the use of the house: she can help him build the new one. He doesn’t really want the help, but Sama acts like she REALLY LIKES that idea. (gets Macie out of her hair)
So Macie follows him down there, talking incessantly. He’s ‘thrilled.’
He finally asks her to be quiet, but then he feels bad when he sees he hurt her feelings. He apologizes. She says it’s okay, that she’d heard about his story. He starts complaining about his life.
She tells him about hers in a kind of way to let him know he’s not alone in thinking life sucks. Only… her story is MUCH WORSE that what he’d experienced.
He starts wondering ‘how does she do it? How is she better at life than I am?’ He finally gets some decent advice: ya just gotta keep going. It’s not easy, and it doesn’t get ‘better,’ but you find happy moments and hang onto them with everything you have. We find out a little of why Macie was obsessed with Sama at first. She just knew her path lay with following Sama, not even realizing at first that she was the leader of a place far away. Now, she’s here, and it’s like magic.
“Do you believe in magic, Rohan?” He thinks about Corrine and how he flew as an owl. “Not as such, but something definitely akin to it.” “Then that.”
Back to Orion!
After a quick bit where we learn Corrine is bored, Orion remembers the small bag of seeds that Yadira had arranged for them to have. He hadn’t told Sama about it on the voyage home in case they didn’t survive the journey. Most of them did, and he shows her. She starts crying. He basically figures out from stuff she says that she might be pregnant. She says she doesn’t want everyone to know, and he promises they won’t tell.
That’s when he finds out that Corrine has gone off into her own little world while they’d been talking.
Sama mentions how Vik is making the brace. Corrine heads outside. After she leaves, Sama asks Orion how he’s doing. He replies that he’ll tell her as soon as he can figure it out for himself.
Outside, he stops and stares, thinking. He’s reminded of when people would paint portraits but leave out all the imperfections to make the person look better than they actually are. All the old imperfections were erased from Corrine. He guesses that perhaps this ‘Yadira’s brother’ guy must’ve been like ‘why not get rid of all the bad stuff?’ Then he compares her to a Barbie doll, more perfection stuff, and it kind of makes him angry. Still, he doesn’t want to be an ass, so he keeps his thoughts to himself.
Remember this bit? I’d really, really wanted to keep things matchy-matchy chronologically, but it all started making me want to pull my hair out. It was getting to where I was going to have to organize some kind of chart or something to keep it all straight, so I gave up. It’ll all match up later. Promise. *wink*
Anyway, Reck has been missing Yadira. He’d not been seeing her because they’ve both been busy, so he decides to visit one evening, hoping to convince her to dine with him in the evenings.
He tries to be charming and stuff, but Yadira doesn’t trust him at all, telling him no, she’d rather relax in the evenings instead. Being around him puts her on her guard. He still (smh) doesn’t understand the sudden increase in hostility.
“Do I have to spell it out for you?”
“Because I kissed you?” “I asked you not to.” “Yeah, but then, you kissed me back.” “Doesn’t matter.”
She chews him out, saying him kissing her anyway like that tells her he had no interest in how she felt in the matter. She may as well have slapped him for the effect her words have.
He tries, belatedly, to apologize, but she says she’ll only consider accepting it. Then, he reverts back to his old self for a little bit and says that either she eats with him in the evenings or she doesn’t eat supper at all. Then he storms out of the room.
When he gets back to his room, he’s devastated.
He allows himself to have a pity party for a few minutes before going and having a seat on the sofa.
He tells himself that if he wants her to stop hating him then first of all, he needs to stop acting like how he was just acting. He tries to come up with different things he could do but then shoots down each one with its likely outcome not being what he wants. Eventually, aggravated, he gets up and gets ready for bed. Then there’s a knock at his door.
It’s Yadira, at first furious then startled. Reading her face, accurately like he can do, he realizes she thinks he’s hot. WELL, that’s something he can work with!
Once she’s gathered herself, she demands he retract his proclamation that she only dine with him in the evenings. He immediately says he was in the wrong. (That strategy thing of his again: agree with whatever she says, even though he’d already decided that was what was going to happen.)
He starts wondering why he’d stopped the flirt thing back when she’d started unraveling him. Well, he’s ‘unraveled.’ That part of him didn’t change.
Trying to hide how just the sight of him disturbs her, she darts for the door.
Now, instead of devastated, he’s looking forward to the next steps.
Now onto Orion!
He and Corrine are back home from visiting Sama and Vik, Vik having given Corrine the hand brace. Neither of them have eaten a thing all day.
** I almost taught myself how to make CC with this. I could not find the kind of hand brace I needed for these chapters, so in the pics, she’s wearing the same wrap she was before. (Yes, believe me, I looked, but I think what I had in mind doesn’t even exist in real life. After all, it’s not her wrist that’s the problem; it’s the bones in her hand.)
Orion wonders if maybe they should’ve gotten more aspirin bark. Corrine has a better idea.
She’d previously found a bottle of Cuervo from a trip to the mainland. That’ll be a good painkiller. Orion’s like ‘it’s the middle of the day.’ Corrine’s like, ‘I don’t think Jose Cuervo would be bothered.’
So, Orion pulls down two huge mugs and pours way too much into each of them.
** Some of my own feelings about tequila get put into this. I’m more of a whiskey person. With my stupid sinuses, the burn is almost a blessing (medicinal! lol). And, knock on wood, I tend not to get bad hangovers if at all–but I sure as fuck do when I drink tequila.
Corrine giggles at Orion’s reaction as he thinks it goes down like water… until it doesn’t. She finishes hers off and wants more, but he’s like ‘ye’ve had like six shots already.’ He won’t let her, constantly moving the bottle farther away. She stands up to get it from on the floor beside the sofa next to him and trips over her own feet.
He catches her. It was an automatic thing. Yeah. Everyone together now: Awwwwwww. /facepalm.
So he realizes he’s probably had too much because he just consciously thought that his best mate is actually quite lovely. Kinda freaked out about that, he places her on the floor and sits next to her, saying ‘no mas, mi amigo.’ That makes Corrine giggle, and she goes about trying (and horrifically failing) to count to ten in Spanish, claiming she can.
Well… Ono, dus, threes, quatre… no wait. Oh yeah, she gets ONE correct: cinco. The whole thing has them laughing. They don’t make it past eight (which Orion incorrectly says octo) before she’s passing out.
Orion, also plastered, sits and stares at her, deciding she’s like Corin’s more attractive sister or something. He still wants to know why, so he leans in and asks, ‘Why did ye want… ta be… a lass?’ She mumbles, ‘So you would like me.’ Well, that confuses the heck out of him, and he starts wondering why the hell Corin thought he didn’t like him.
Then he realizes she meant the other kind of ‘like.’
** Yeah, ‘fancy’ would’ve made more sense here, but I kinda like that even almost unconscious, Corrine still wouldn’t be plainly obvious. In fact, in the next chapter, she’s glad she didn’t use ‘fancy,’ even though it looks like he’s figured it out.
And that’s that! To go to chapter 50, click HERE. Currently, this is the last summary since 50 is the latest chapter (51 tomorrow).
Thank you for reading! As always, leave a like or comment or both. 🙂
Howdy! Welcome to the summary of chapters 29-39, like the title says. >.>
If you’ve read the previous summary, then you already know I fill summaries with little tidbits of extra info as a kind of ‘prize in the bottom of the cereal box’ kind of thing. To be extra nice, I’m going to put a ** where there’s more info given.
Here we go!
We start off with Yadira doing something pretty stupid. She goes and visits Lars all by herself in the middle of the night while everyone else is sleeping. She still feels bad for him that his brother was killed.
She tells him they buried him, and she offers to take him to see his brother’s grave so that he can say goodbye. She asks him to promise that he’ll behave himself and come right back when they’re done.
He never actually promises that, instead distracting her.
** Lars would’ve made a great actor. He’s not the brightest bulb in the box, but he’s also no dummy. He’s really a treasure hunter by trade (interesting life in a post-apocalyptic world), but he also uses his knack for understanding the human psyche to better be able to track people’s movements, which is why he ended up on this expedition.
Yadira unlocks the door for him. /sigh.
He pounces and, after a struggle, eventually gets Yadira to pass out, even telling her before she does that she’s going back to Victoria with him as a kind of prize. He didn’t tell her this part, but he figured he’d better not go back empty-handed considering he was sent out to get Amina–and Zuri if it looked possible. (Amina is Zuri and Vik’s child that Reck thought was his.)
** Lars chose Yadira as his captive because he knew that Reck would be interested in this kind of ‘magic healer’ person he’s discovered her to be. He suspects she’s more than meets the eye.
Off they go into the night!
Rohan wakes up in the morning and finds her gone, and he freaks out. In searching for her, he wakes up everyone at the main settlement, and they all start freaking out too.
Then they notice Lars is also missing. Dun dun!
Orion comes running up as they notice Lars’ boat (really Corin’s) is gone. He says he saw the boat on the horizon. Now they all know they’re gone. The three of them race up to the main settlement and immediately start arguing over what’s to be done. Of course they’re going after them, even if Vik’s boat still needs minor repairs. Rohan insists he’s going. So does Orion. Asa points out that no one in Victoria knows him meaning he should go. Sama says the same thing. Vik ain’t so hot on that idea. Finally, Corin has had enough of the bickering and forms a definite plan.
Asa and Sama are going. Vik is in charge of the sailing. Orion is going to be backup muscle. Rohan is staying here.
Yeeeeeaaaaah, Rohan is furious. Yadira’s his wife, after all. It takes Asa, Orion, and Vik all carrying him down to the cellar cells so that they can lock him up in there until they’re far enough gone. He’s fighting all the way. They plan on tying him to the bed with Corin going to untie him later, but they can’t get it to work. Instead, Orion just punches him out.
Why isn’t Rohan going? He’s too emotionally involved and could jeopardize the mission by behaving rashly.
** As he’s giving the order (before they drag Rohan into the cellar), Corin’s voice cracks as he tells Orion that he’s going. Just a hint of some emotional involvement in that decision for him.
It takes Lars a month to get Yadira to the coast. The whole time, she tries to sail back while he sleeps. He’d wake up, slap her across the face, and tie her up again. Even with all that, the other team can’t catch them.
They arrive at what is now called The Watch, previously known as the Skeeve village.
** I’ve taken some serious artistic license and requests for the suspension of disbelief with the oceanic currents of a melted-ice-cap future. Going east-to-west across the Atlantic takes two weeks tops in a mid-sized sailboat (whoosh!). Going west-to-east takes a month or more (much more zigzagging needed against the current). They’re all still trying to figure out their changed world since it really did happen rather quickly. I tell myself that should I ever rewrite this, the time-frames will be fixed to be more realistic. When I’d started with Rohan talking about how long it took him to get to the island (in chapter 1), I’d still kind of thought of the world in more of a sims kind of world instead of finally deciding that it is, in fact, Earth. 😀 (by chapter 11?)
So, a month has gone by. Now, let’s back up a week. 🙂
The rescue crew has been gone for three weeks, leaving Zuri, Corin, and Rohan the only adults on the island with Zane and Amina as the kiddos. Zuri and Asa had been drifting apart, and before he left, they decided to end it amicably. Now, she is bored, which is never a good thing.
She loves going to the temple, and she’ll frequently leave Corin in charge of the babies, especially at night, so that she can go and do her priestess stuff. She never feels cold there, and she feels like she’s really being heard.
That’s because she is.
Tonight, she arrives to pray for everyone’s safe return, but there’s an unexpected man already here. He acts like he already knows her.
That’s because he does. They’ve already met and “spoken” before–that time Zuri brought Yadira to the temple for the first time. He just looked different then. He was a crystal. (not a rock!)
It’s Yadira’s brother Peter! He’s not just a crystal!
He’s a huge fan of Zuri’s, and he was dying to meet her as himself instead of a geologic formation. This is when we find out his main trick: transformation. He can transform anything into anything else, and that includes himself. (Yadira’s trick is healing.)
** Both Peter and Yadira have more than one “trick.” More will be revealed as the story goes on. Also, Peter tells Zuri that Yadira can’t see him yet in this form. I’m still not 100% on why at this point in time. I mean, I have a reason right now, but that reason may not stick. I know, that’s not new info, but I thought I’d give a little background to that. (the tiniest amount possible lol) I will advise the reader to pay attention to Peter. He’s kind of my deus ex machina when needed. I also pull his personality as a combination of my own thoughts (like when he’s giving moral stuff) as well as from other ancient deities (not always good ones). I doubt I’ve ever written a more truly neutral character. (If he were DnD, he’d be neutral unlawful.)
He does whatever he wants, and right now, he wants to do Zuri.
He tells Zuri that his Mother has told him to stay out of the mortal’s lives, but he doesn’t like to listen. He’d much rather have fun, and he knows Zuri likes fun. After some discussion, he decides to up the fun meter by slightly altering Zuri’s appearance.
Zuri’s totally turned on, and he knows it. He can read thoughts.
** Peter views the world as a kind of plaything. He can manipulate it. He can walk through it. He can vanish into it. In doing so, he learned how to read minds, by literally watching the synapses in the brain. After all, to change something, you need to know how it works on a fundamental, atomic level.
He uses those skills of his to go at it all night with Zuri. In the midst of that, she wonders if she’s going to get pregnant. He tells her no. Their DNA isn’t compatible.
They make plans to meet frequently in the future. Zuri is no longer bored, at least physically.
Now let’s zip back to the future! A week… back to Yadira arriving at The Watch.
Lars leaves her with a couple of what look like nuns, saying he’ll be back to fetch her but that she needs a bath. (Like he doesn’t? ugh.)
Upon entering the house, an old woman races up to Yadira and is all like ‘you’re here!’ She checks behind Yadira’s ear where she sees a mark, and she knows the one she’s been prophesying about has finally arrived. Yadira has no idea what she’s talking about.
Meanwhile, King Reck has been making judgments about farmer squabbles. Even though his farmers are his most important people (remember the wars were all about food supply), he can’t stand it. He despises all the arguing going on around him and wishes that humanity would just stop bickering and move forward, but survivors of the war remember their old enemies, and now, they’re all beginning to live together in Victoria. It’s not the utopia he wants it to be, and he knows he needs a solution before the powder keg of old hatred explodes.
His regular day ended, he hears that his scouting party (one of them) has returned. Instantly, he wonders why it’s Lars who is announced instead of Corin, whom he’d placed in charge of the expedition.
Lars fills him in. Amina is not his daughter. Rohan shot and killed Odin. Corin has defected. Reck is livid and wants immediate revenge on both Vik and Rohan. Lars tells him he may have already accomplished that. He explains he’s abducted Rohan’s wife then explains how there were already a few people on the island. He tells him that she’s extraordinary and, praying he’s not blaspheming, something of a divine nature. Reck is like ‘well, where is she?’ She’s on her way.
When she walks in, he phrases it: “It would be impossible to stop staring.” After some speaking with The Mother (the old lady who’d looked behind Yadira’s ear), he formulates a plan.
One of the only things that unites everyone is this religion that The Mother preaches, and now, this ‘daughter of the Goddess’ has shown up. Wouldn’t the king of Victoria and the daughter of the Goddess make a great pair? No one would challenge them.
There’s no chance in hell that he’s letting her slip away.
As he attempts to explain to her the part about bringing everyone together peacefully, she’s not interested, saying that’s his job. She’s already heard all about him from Rohan, Zuri, and the others. He’s nothing but a bully, and she won’t be his puppet.
He decides to change tactics. He now points out that she can be of better help to the population here where the population is larger. He talks about how she can heal the pain and loss experienced by everyone.
As he does, his OWN pain and loss fly into his mind in a way that he cannot block them like he’s done for half his life. Just before eop (end of plague), he’d found his brother shot dead and then found his father had shot himself, meaning he probably killed the brother before offing himself as well. Yadira comments like she’s seeing it as well.
Of course, he’s shocked as she explains to him that both the brother and father had gotten the plague. The father didn’t want the brother to die painfully, so he ‘did him a favor’ before ‘doing the favor’ to himself. She also tells him that his father was so happy that he (Reck) didn’t also get sick. Then, seeing tears in his eyes, she breaks down.
** Not particularly new news, but this act of giving him closure starts some healing in him that is a really, really big deal. It becomes more and more evident with the passing of time. However, ‘the monster’ in him is still currently in charge at this point.
Reck uses what she’d just done to him as further proof that she belongs here. She doesn’t say it, but she speaks ‘to herself’ that she understands now what Peter meant, that she might come upon a time when she wouldn’t want her memories of her life before. (What happened to her after The Land of Weird chapter) Peter had warned her.
Still, she says she wants to go home, saying Rohan must be worried sick.
Reck offers up a solution to that after startling her and spinning around after he’d looked like he was leaving the room. She doesn’t need to worry about Rohan being worried sick anymore. As king, he hereby dissolves her marriage.
** Seriously, did anyone even catch the Mel Brooks reference I made in this chapter? I had Reck internalize “It’s good to be the king.”
She argues back that he can’t do that, and they have a bit of a back-and-forth. Even though she’s disagreeing/arguing with him, he’s thrilled. He’s been striking quite the figure as king of Victoria, and women have been all but throwing themselves at him. That’s boring. Yadira arguing/etc isn’t boring. Yay.
Oh yeah, somewhere in this chapter, he gives her the nickname ‘poppet’ because of her saying she wouldn’t be his ‘puppet.’
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
Rohan is in a foul mood.
That’s enough of that. Back to Victoria…
Yadira is… kinda freaking out. The more she thinks about it, the more she believes she’s where she’s supposed to be, even though she doesn’t want to be there. She realizes that that means she may never leave even if given the chance.
Now for someone only seen in a few pictures but is still kind of important: Ali Campbell. It’s not for lack of trying, or maybe it is idk, that she doesn’t appear in many pics, but she’s mentioned frequently at least (in later chapters). Reck hires her to be a kind of assistant for Yadira, but he tells her not to tell her her life story. Yadira gets it anyway with some of her strange gift for seeing what deeply troubles people. Ali runs out of the room crying.
Then Reck walks in right after her. Yadira is really ticked off. She’s been locked in her room for about three days with no visitors other than the quick delivery of food, and that was with no conversation.
After telling herself repeatedly not to slap him or claw at his face, she notices he appears… calmer. Of course, that doesn’t mean she’s happy to see him just because he’s only the second person she’s spoken to in days. She’s accuses him of asking for her help then locking her up. He comes back with he didn’t want to let her loose on the public without first getting a better understanding of who she was and what she can do.
He’d just spent the last three days grappling with his personal issues.
He tells her he wants to test out her skills on an extreme case. Or… she could stay in her room alone for a while again.
She decides to give it a go.
Enter Macie. If you’re just reading along in the story, you have no idea how important Macie becomes later. Right now, she just looks like a kind of side-act. But you’re not reading along in the story, are you? Nope. You’re reading the summary. Macie is much more important to the story.
** I do my best to avoid any ‘un-fired guns’ in my stories, writing way ahead of what’s actually out so that I have the opportunity to throw in hints. 🙂 I say it once in an A/N: not much of anything is random or however I phrased it. That’s not to say… oh well. It’s just a hint to look for hints from time to time.
So, yeah, Macie.
Macie has gone utterly mad. Reck wants to see if Yadira is able to cure her or at least bring her to a point where she can function.
** Yadira discovers things from Macie in a smattering of scattered visions. There’s a lot of burning. Here’s a huge bit of info that won’t be released for ages yet: Macie was a child spy/operative. If you’ve gotten this far into the summary, I feel like that extra is earned. Now you know something that only Macie herself knows, and she’s not speaking about it.
All of her past as well as the most-recent stuff she’s experienced led her to completely break down when she reached Victoria. All around her was humanity succeeding, but where she was most recently from had a very odd phenomenon happen: a strange sound from a mountain made everyone lose their minds and kill each other except her. They killed her baby. Why couldn’t that success she saw be her group? What if what happened to them was her fault? What if she hurts everyone in Victoria? What if they KNOW she’s nothing but dangerous?! She went into a kind of self-defense psychosis and started attacking people.
Yadira steps in and does her best to calm her down, telling her none of what happened to her old tribe was her fault. (That’s Yadira’s bodyguard freaking out behind her. I like Niel. He’s not going anywhere.)
Then this happens when Yadira’s eyes close:
It’s a lighting effect! Hehe, yes, of course it is for the picture, but it represents a light coming from Yadira and going into Macie.
She’s sane again.
And his majesty the dunghead (as Yadira calls him) is realizing just exactly what he has, convincing him even more of how he’s not letting her go anywhere. (Three days does not a ‘monster’ cure.)
Reck and Yadira go back up to her room, and he follows her in there, deciding to pester her for the fun of it.
Guessing, correctly, that she’s an amateur at flirting (because he knows Rohan), he has his fun guiding their conversation in whatever innuendo he feels like at the time.
Then she shocks him by saying, “Stop it, Derek,” calling him by his real name, having guessed it like she’d done with others.
This ‘amateur’ turned it around on him, unraveling him further as she unwittingly attacks ‘the monster.’ She doesn’t exactly bring up any past traumas, but she does state that ‘Reck’ was carrying around a lot of baggage, so without the baggage, he has more room to care, meaning he’s more like his old self ‘Derek.’ He says some things that hurt her feelings, and then he apologizes. Then he’s like ‘I never used to apologise.’ He complains that she’s messing with his head, that he NEEDS to be strict, unbiased, and above the general population! She’s making him want to go out and kiss babies and all that bloody politician nonsense. He doesn’t need to be liked; he needs to be feared and respected.
She tells him that she did him a favor if that’s the attitude he was taking before. They have a kind of staring match.
Yadira suddenly surprises him with “What are you thinking about?” After all that, seeing her go from what he was perceiving as an omnipotent being to acting just like a twenty-something totally throws him.
They talk some more, and he almost regains control of the conversation. He tricks her into talking about her home, and she mentions two names: Asa and Sama. Sure he’s gotten info on as much as he could from Lars, but he’s always curious about more. Aggravated at herself for falling for it, she makes him leave. He does, grinning.
Wow. All that and I just finished 32?
Okay! Asa and Sama have arrived around Victoria.
They do the best they can to act like they don’t know one another, and they use their old names: Samantha and Asante. Bet you can’t guess who’s who. And I really like that hat on Asa. They also plan to use Orion’s accent, him having taught it to them on the voyage over. Even though he’s been trying for a month, Asa just can’t seem to grasp it whereas Sama picked it up right away. The reason behind needing the different accent is they know that if they don’t fake an accent, people would know where they’re from immediately. That could potentially be bad.
They walk into a bar, ahem, pub of sorts. Eh, it has rooms for rent as well. Asa immediately notices the fine ass of the girl standing at the bar proper. She says hi to him, but he remains quiet, having decided to be the ‘silent type.’
That girl and her friend are ‘working’ the bar. Eventually, she comes over to Asa and starts chatting it up with him. Sama, to pay for them to have some food, works by cleaning things up for the owner. She goes ahead and lets Asa do what he deems he wants to do. He’s an adult and all, but her doing all the work means he owes her one.
** If this place looks familiar, you play Skyrim. The entire The Watch lot is Riverwood made by someone else (will adjust if I can ever find it again and hopefully provide a link). It’s awesome.
Now Asa has a problem: he has to talk. When he opens his mouth, out pops a pathetic imitation of Corin’s accent. He has to stick with it now, though.
Then the fine-ass girl takes him to one of the rooms. On the way there, we learn her name is Maren.
Yes, she’s doing what she looks like she’s doing under the front flap of his shirt. Asa tells himself that he’s back there with her to get intel. This kind of woman would hear things, right? He EVENTUALLY asks her if she’s seen someone looking like Yadira. She has, and she tells him she’s gone to the castle. (Yes, it’s the future, and Reck has a castle.)
When they’re finished, Asa tries to act noble and say he could take her away from this. She’s all like ‘you weren’t interested in my life BEFORE we came in here.’ Yep. He gets an emotional slap in the face. Still, he goes out of the room to tell Sama what he’s learned. Then the bar owner tells them he has to deliver them to the guard so they can have their entrance interviews. (It’s what they do in order to help place people in jobs.)
Now, remember when Corin said that Rohan couldn’t go on the rescue mission because he may endanger the mission by acting rashly due to too much emotional involvement?
Orion starts doing exactly that. He goes on a solo mission. He knows a secret entrance he’d remembered seeing on the plans for the castle before he’d left. It leads first to the dungeon. (Reck insists upon calling it a jail.)
As he presses himself against the wall, he hears two women speaking. (Macie and a guard named Angie) Through them, he learns that Reck knows what Yadira is capable of. Even though stealth is NOT his thing, he manages to time everything perfectly and get up to Yadira’s door.
Yadira’s bodyguard Niel stands in his way. Niel hears him and says Orion may as well come out of hiding. So, he does. They fight. Street-fighter versus the ninja. 🙂
** Ninja is just what Orion calls Niel. I haven’t fully decided what martial arts Niel uses. More on that in later chapters, I guess.
Orion barely beats him by dislocating his shoulder then knocking him out. He finds the key on Niel and unlocks Yadira’s door.
“Shh!” He drags Niel into the room and closes the door back. Yadira’s shocked.
“I’m here ta take ye home.” “No.”
Now we jump to Corin! hehehe
Corin can’t sleep. He has a really bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he’s pretty sure it has everything to do with Orion. So, he decides to head out to the temple, leaving Rohan in charge of the kiddos. But when he arrives at the temple, it’s already occupied… by Peter and Zuri. Peter “hears” his thoughts. (So yeah, it’s not just mind reading if those thoughts are ‘loud.’) Then he tells him to come on out.
So Corin meets Peter. Now, Peter gets a better read on him, and he knows why he’s there. He answers Corin’s unspoken question: Is Orion okay? The answer is no, he’s not but that he will be. Corin almost breaks down. Zuri immediately gets it.
Zuri is one of the few people who knows Corin is gay… but not out. (Ages ago, she made a play for him which was rebuffed utterly. He eventually had to tell her in strict confidence–which she’s kept.) His emotions raw and totally on the surface, she realizes he’s in love with Orion and probably has been for some time.
Corin internally talks himself down, also trying to deal with being embarrassed that he let his guard down in front of people. Orion is his best mate. That’s it. That’s all. Peter ‘listens’ and agrees, saying that Orion is totally straight. Corin gives them both a ‘fuck off’ and starts walking away.
Peter’s like, ‘I’m surprised you haven’t thought of it yet. I can change things.’ Corin’s like, ‘You can’t change the way Orion thinks.’ Peter’s like, ‘No, but I can change YOU.’
Now it’s back to Orion! 🙂
Orion can’t believe that Yadira just said no to going home. Then she leans down to heal Niel, shocking him again. She tells him she knows she’s supposed to be here. He tells her that she’s supposed to be home… with Rohan. Then she tells him to tell Rohan that he’s free, as in no longer in any relationship with her. Orion is pretty damn sure now that she’s lost her mind, so he decides he’s just going to carry her out of there.
However, now healed, Niel wakes up and knocks Orion to the ground, where he hits his head. Then Niel knocks him out.
Back to Corin! 🙂
Did he seriously just hear what he thought he heard? Change HIM? Sure, before docs were too busy during the wars, it used to be a thing, but ever since the world ‘ended,’ it just isn’t an option any more.
Corin asks if it would be permanent. Peter says it doesn’t have to be. They debate it, mostly Corin internalizing his debate with himself as to whether or not he wants it to happen. His most prevalent question is ‘what if Orion hates me for this?’ This bugs Peter because Corin is basing his whole decision on what someone else will think when he needs to make it for himself.
Eventually, Corin decides to go for it. Seeing there’s a smidgen of reason that he’s also doing this for himself, Peter agrees.
He snaps his fingers, and the chapter ends. muahahahahahaha!
I’m not SO evil that I don’t start the next chapter with the Corin stuff. I do.
Boom. Peter pulled his/her new appearance from the image in his/her mind as well as his own preferences. He stares at her chest and congratulates himself ‘damn, I do good work!’
Corin notices scars on his/her hands are gone. Are the face scars also gone? Peter makes a mirror from a rock. They are! Corin keeps doing more personal inventory.
Peter’s like ‘are you seriously wondering what kind of SOLDIER you’ll be?’ like that’s not what Corin should be thinking. He/she’s like ‘it’s what I know.’ Peter keeps trying to get out of her if she likes it. She hasn’t gotten that far yet.
“How long do I have?”
“You’re not going to change back at the stroke of twelve, Cinderella.” Corin meant how long does he/she (sigh. SHE) have to change her mind. Peter swears that all she has to do is call out, and he’d be there. Then he advises her not to base her decision on someone else’s opinion. She can’t help it. She’s all about Orion’s opinion on this.
She finally does thank him, though.
** Corin the sim comes from a duplicate of a sim I made using Charlotte Taylor and Jarvis Watanabe (turned Taylor) from my Chain Reaction legacy. I was playing in CAS and made the sim then saved him. In my game, Corin’s last name is Notttaylor. lol. 🙂 Charlotte and Jarvis make pretty babies.
The link to the Chain Reaction legacy is found in the bottom half of the Stories I Read tab up top. Or just click HERE for the chapters. It is possible to start at gen 3 or gen 4 if you’d like.
Now back to Yadira!
Niel grabs Yadira then orders her into the corridor. She refuses, so he searches Orion for the key then shoves her out there, holding her arm. Then they march to Reck’s chamber.
Immediately, Reck knows something’s wrong.
** It gets said much later, but I wanna put this in as an extra bit: Reck didn’t speak until he was about four years old. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how; he just wasn’t interested/didn’t see the point. Instead, he learned to read facial expressions combined with body language to know what a person was saying. That was his ‘first language’ so to speak. (pun intended) Of course, this worried his parents at first, thinking autism. By the time he was seven or eight, he acted like any other kid, just incredibly intelligent. As he grew up, he was surprised that others couldn’t read expressions to his degree of accuracy, it coming so naturally to him that he thought everyone was like that. He almost had to teach himself to have ‘normal’ conversations and have people actually speak their thoughts. It sometimes amuses him how a person will ‘edit’ what they want to say. It’s this ability that makes it possible for him to frequently be very good at hiding his own emotions: the mask.
Niel tells Reck that Orion is here, and for the first time, I actually call Orion a Scotsman. *gasp!* lol. Bet you couldn’t guess that one!
** Now that we’re on the subject: nationalities. In my world, people see them as that they USED to have them. When the world fell apart, most everyone dropped that idea. (Weeeeeellllll…. some took the other extreme but that’s a surprise later.) It’s common to say something like ‘I’m from an area once known as _____.’ Unfortunately, this non-patriotism doesn’t extend to forgetting old enemies. Then it’s a ‘we’ and a ‘they.’ This ‘we’ and ‘they’ is the only struggle with starting to call everyone in Victoria Victorians. (Makes me think of corsets and Gibson girl buns, bustles, terrible food safety, factories, etc.)
I keep getting distracted. Eh, I’m running 101 fever. (That’s Fahrenheit! I’m not bursting into flames lol.)
Reck gives instructions, knowing exactly how good a fighter Orion is. He tells Niel to pick four soldiers and know that Orion will be ready for him. Then he tells him to leave Yadira here.
Since I get to be ‘tell-y’ in my summaries, He’s livid. He’s convinced Yadira knew about some rescue plot. She tries to tell him otherwise, but he’s in no mood to listen to reason. She’s like, ‘Yes, he showed up, wanting to take me home…’
‘THIS IS YOUR HOME!’ Temper slipped through the mask. ‘But I told him no.’
That shocked him. Of course, he wants to know why.
‘Which is it? Do you want to stay or go?’ All he can read is that she’s conflicted, and it’s making him bonkers. She tells him that if she felt she had a choice, she wants to go, but she agrees with him that this is where she’s supposed to be. Not exactly the answer he wanted. He gets snarky then walks to the door, saying that he owes Orion a little something himself. Terrified, Yadira worries that Reck wants to kill him. He doesn’t say otherwise, and he has his guards force her back into the room before closing the door and keeping her in there.
Now, let’s pop over to Asa!
He and Sama have both been given one of the newcomer’s flats, where they put people until they themselves can afford to acquire better. Asa thinks about how much he likes it here, even if his job at the lumber mill isn’t the best. He’s impressed by the infrastructure, which includes the usage of old coins. (Paper money didn’t survive the fall.) There’s running water… but no electricity. He doesn’t know exactly how that plays in to what Corin told them about Reck wanting to reactivate the power grid. As long as the extreme scenario of Reck reinstalling slavery as a method for labor isn’t implemented, he’s impressed.
Here we have a pic of Asa trying to look cool. He’s observant, trying to pick up on what people call things and the overall custom. He’s at the pub/bar to meet Sama, who is actually sitting off in the corner while he pretends not to notice her for a while. Then he walks over, and they discuss how Orion isn’t back yet. Asa had warned him not to do his crazy, hair-brained scheme of a solo mission, but Orion didn’t want to listen.
Tomorrow is their day off, and Asa tells Sama he wants to go visit Maren again. Sama’s like ‘WHY?’ in a whiny voice. ‘She’s not interested in you like that.’ Asa notices Sama has hardly touched her drink. Sama doesn’t tell him, but she’s wondering if she’s pregnant.
Then Macie shows up. Yep: Macie.
She gets on Sama’s. last. nerve. They work together at the tailor on 3rd Street. Macie cuts the fabric then hands it to Sama who pieces it together to hand to a tailor/seamstress. Macie is blissfully unaware of how she gets on Sama’s nerves. She’s heard that Sama wants to go to the beach tomorrow and asks if she can tag along. Sama pleads with her eyes to Asa, reminding him he owes her one, and he mentions he’s going to The Watch tomorrow. Macie gets excited because there are two ladies she wants to visit there. Asa has successfully taken Macie off Sama’s hands, and he’s already wondering at the sanity of his act.
Back to Yadira!
She’s trying to stay calm and NOT rip apart Reck’s room, figuring that wouldn’t help Orion if she did. Reck bursts in and says Orion has been ‘dealt with’ and her room is being set to rights. Immediately, she interprets this as Orion’s dead. Reck smirks and tells her that he’s just been thrown in jail (the dungeon). However, he’s not sure what to do with him. Yadira’s like just don’t kill him. Reck’s like well, he’s a traitor.
Then, as if out of nowhere, he dive-bombs the question, “Is he in love with you?” She doesn’t have to answer; he can already see that yes, he is but that she doesn’t quite feel the same. He’s thinking ‘great. another one.’ But since this chapter is told in Yadira’s pov, we don’t exactly get that, but it’s not too hard to guess.
They debate back and forth as Yadira literally fights to save Orion’s life. Reck can’t see a way out of it. If he lets him go, Orion will only try again and possibly hurt more of his people. He doesn’t buy her saying he’ll do as she asks because he knows what a stubborn bastard Orion can be. He determines that although he doesn’t want to, he’s going to have to execute him.
Yadira. is. ticked. off.
She pulls her trump card. She threatens to do everything she can to undermine him by announcing herself. She’ll hate him forever and do whatever she can to remove him from power.
Reck is thoroughly intrigued.
She has no idea (and it’s not actually mentioned until much later **) that a good fight/discussion is a kind of turn-on for him. He opens negotiations. What will she bargain for Orion? She’s like I’ll hate you less. He almost snorts and says he can fix that on his own, do better. She’s like he already has her promising to help the people (which he’s also preventing her from doing) what else? He suggests she accept that she’s no longer married. They have a bit of church vs state debate on the topic of marriage. Church wins.
Fine. So SHE renounce her marriage if SHE’S the authority. She wants his promise that he’ll let Orion go. He doesn’t promise that, just that he won’t kill him or have him killed. Nope. Not acceptable.
She threatens that she’ll announce herself. The Mother will help her. HIS people would fall in line. There would be peace, but he would be irrelevant. For the first time in this discussion, he gets afraid, and he almost lashes out, asking her if she’s even capable of continuing with everything he has put in place. She calls his bluff before finally admitting that she’s not interested in taking his kingdom from him but merely pointing out that she COULD. (In the midst of this, we read how Reck is frustrated at getting the power plant running again.)
So he’s like ‘what if word gets out I let him go?’ She’s like big deal. Oh, I know. Just say it was the will of the goddess.
“Incredible.” ** He’s thinking to himself that he just sat here and watched her bloom into one hell of a negotiator. He doesn’t even care that he ‘lost.’ He later reveals that he had a death grip on the edge of his desk so that he wouldn’t either a: fall to his knees in a kind of almost-worship and/or b: kiss her like a madman. Either or both could’ve been disastrous.
But she has to concede something. He laughs when she scoffs that of course she would have to placate his ego. He says she has to renounce her vows to Rohan. If she does, Orion goes free. (omg I literally almost typed Scot free *facepalm*)(*sigh*)(That has seriously not occurred to me until now–with my fever brain.)
She renounces her vows. Then she asks for stuff. More on that later.
It’s later.
“You want… corn? … I think you mean maize.” “No, I mean corn.”
** I have done so. much. actual. research on this stuff. Good gracious, I had only the faintest idea of just how different American and British English really are (and that’s not even counting different dialects in both). Even now, I frequently go back and edit stuff depending on whose pov it is as to how I’ll even SPELL things, even if the meaning or pronunciation of the word doesn’t change (if it’s not fixed yet–give me time). Some things I already knew, but this ‘corn’ thing threw me. I just couldn’t believe it until I had four or five different sources confirm that ‘corn’ isn’t just ‘corn’ as in ‘sweetcorn.’ The word ‘maize’ to me brings to mind like the Aztecs or Maya or something: history lessons. Otherwise, we (at least SE USA) don’t use the word. Everything else goes by its specific name: rye, barley, wheat, etc., and really, rye and barley make alcohol, not often bread (though I see it in stores if I happen to look). That said, AS ALWAYS, PLEASE point out errors to me. I like to do things right and would prefer they be correct rather than protect any ego I may have going on. 🙂
Reck finally shakes his head and assumes Yadira means sweetcorn, deciding not to discuss it. This is Yadira’s little plan: The island hasn’t had any kind of grain going in its crops. She knows this has always bothered Sama, and she wants Orion to bring back a gift of wheat and –corn– seeds. That, and she asks for paper to write Rohan a letter.
Right now, Yadira could ask for just about anything, but her needs are simple. Reck has to explain to her how to use an envelope. He does it ironically at first, but, reading her face, he sees that she really doesn’t know what it is. Well, she once had one as a bookmark but that’s about it. She’d never seen an unused one before. (She’d read about them, of course, but it’s a surprise to her to see an unused one.)
He offers his desk for her to use to write her letter. She wants to write it in her room, but he says she can’t because her ‘hero’ fights dirty, and things got broken. So, she sits down to write. Giving her some privacy, he leaves the room.
To go visit Orion.
Then I have Orion say a line that would’ve possibly fit well for this guy:
This show, Still Game, I found on Netflix, and it heavily influenced Orion’s ‘voice’ in my head. (As long as it’s not Shrek’s voice, I’m good. lol) Anyway, this bartender would always say something cheeky when the main characters would walk in. (btw, I had to turn on subtitles bc I often couldn’t make heads or tails of what they were saying. lol)
I keep getting distracted. We’ve made it to 38, btw. 🙂
Reck and Orion talk, and Orion learns that Yadira had to bargain for his freedom.
He jumps to conclusions. Reck, for a moment, wonders if Orion can actually bend the bars. He lets Orion stew in his wrong conclusions for a while before he berates him for it.
He also wants to know who else came with him. He’ll get no answer about that from Orion. He warns that if he should find anyone else, he may not be so lenient as he’s about to be. Then he explains the terms of his release and how Yadira is arranging a kind of ‘care package’ to go back with him.
Meanwhile, Yadira has finished her awful letter. Reck walks in not too much later and sees she’s been crying. He offers her his handkerchief.
“Up yours.” After a bit more discussion, Yadira just folds up. She’s done. Just. Done.
Then, Reck, even with all his gift of reading people, acts like a true idiot and tries to cry friends. (Seriously, Reck? Now?) He has what he’ll later refer to as the ‘Yadira bug.’ He tries to tell her he doesn’t like hurting her, but of course, she doesn’t want to hear it. “Go to hell, you rat bastard son of a bitch.” After some thought, speaking aloud, he claims he’s already there. She doesn’t care, so he stops pushing. Well, he pushes the chair she’s in over to the window and then pushes over one of his armchairs to use at his desk.
Then there’s this long bit of introspection that I almost edited out. I decided to keep it because it shows Yadira just watching Reck (via the reflection in the glass) simply being a dude with a never-ceasing job. He’s going through the papers on his desk, signing some and putting others to the side, unsigned. I wished I could’ve better displayed how Reck looked, but the chair was actually set too high. I portray it, in the writing, as him sitting in the low chair and having to reach up to his desk in order to write something, and it makes him seem like a child who’s too little to sit properly at the dining table. It shows Reck’s humanity.
She falls asleep; then gets up; then falls asleep on the sofa.
He’s distracted, and we hear about his thoughts on recent events–that I included in stuff earlier. Right now, he hates himself for ‘breaking’ her. But, to him, what choices does he have? He knows that just letting Orion go is a really stupid thing to do, but he’s doing it anyway. Should Orion try again, he’ll be forced to take more drastic action, knowing it’ll only make her hate him more.
That said, he bemoans the loss of his mates. Now that he’s more like his old self, he sees where he went wrong, but that doesn’t stop him from missing them. It actually hurt that Orion threatened to kill him earlier (when he was overreacting).
He’s torn in so many ways, and above all, he wished he wasn’t pushed into doing things that would make her hate him.
Now to Orion!
He’s beating himself up over his stupid actions, especially worried about whatever it was Yadira bargained away for him. Somehow, he finds sleep, and the next morning, there is the sound of many feet.
Yadira’s here! Well, her, Reck, Niel, and six guards, but all he sees right now is her. She’s worried he has a concussion (he’d hit his head when Niel knocked him down); he’s dying to know what she bargained away.
She tells him, and he registers immediately what it implies.
“It’ll never work. There’s only room fer one man in ‘er heart, an’ it sure as hell ‘int you!” Reck’s expression says he’s not going to listen. Orion thinks to himself that that’s Reck’s own folly.
Yadira is determined to stay on target, and for her, that’s getting across to him not to do something stupid once he’s out, her eyes implying she’s already given up enough. (I love how I have Niel in this pic looking at Reck like he’s just dying to be given the order to pull her back away from the ‘brute.’)
The guards enter the cell to cuff him, and Yadira slips in with them, the guards being so focused on the mad warrior to bother paying attention to her. haha.
She puts the note to Rohan in Orion’s pocket, asking him to wait a while before giving it to him so that he doesn’t automatically toss it into the fire or something. Orion’s like take it back. take it all back. I don’t care what happens to me. She’s like well I do. Then she hugs him.
I stinkin’ love this look he’s giving Reck as Yadira hugs him. Old mates? yes. Old rivals as well? Oh yes. He leans down and kisses her. He’s expecting her to step away like she’s always done eventually, and he’s planning on using that scene to dig it into Reck’s psyche.
She doesn’t! And for a few, all-too-brief, very precious moments for Orion, it’s Yadira and Orion the couple, right here in front of everyone… until she gets literally snatched away from him. Niel finally got his wish and holds her away from the ‘brute.’ She yells at him, and Orion starts looking enraged, sounding warning bells in Reck’s mind. He tells Niel to let go of her before promising Orion no one will hurt her. Yeah, Orion ain’t buying it.
Now to Corin!
Or rather… Corrine. Zuri convinces her to change it to the female version of the name. Corrine is still battling to get used to being female. She misses her old amount of physical strength, and she wonders how she’d fare sparring with someone. Zuri only has the most basic of training, and Corrine wants a tougher opponent. That just leaves Rohan available to her.
She pays him a visit.
After some back and forth where Rohan says ‘he doesn’t fight girls,’ she’s beginning to realise what it means to be female in this post apocalyptic society. She calls Rohan a lazy fuck, which really ticks him off.
Rohan unloads his pent up frustration against everyone, especially her for saying he couldn’t go on the rescue mission. He lets out a beautiful rant. Corrine’s like ‘so that’s a no,’ referring to her questioning if he would spar with her.
She stands by her reasons for not letting him go, but he doesn’t give a rat’s left stone for her reasons.
WHEW! That’s the end of 39! Dang, and here I’d thought to do the whole 29-50 in one summary. Ha!
Thank you for reading. If you’d like to start reading chapters at 40, click HERE. If you want to read the next summary (40-49), click HERE.
A/N: Terrible attempt at blood. You’ve been warned. 😛 Also, for the record, Corrine uses the f-bomb quite a lot all the time. I know this isn’t news, but I thought I’d offer an apology if it bothers anyone. It’s just how her voice is constructed in my head.
Corrine
I wake up with the worst headache known to humankind. “Unh,” I moan, and I rub my face. Then I look around. Fuck. I slept on the sofa last night. Orion isn’t anywhere to be found in the room. Trying not to stumble, I get up and search for that aspirin stuff. I hear Orion as he flumps down the stairs about as gracefully as an angry ogre. Then he merely stands at the entrance to the kitchen and holds his head. “Whose idea was it ta drink that foul poison?” “Mine.” I hand him a glass of water. I’ve already had some, using one of the mugs from last night.
He takes it, but I can’t figure out his expression. Then he watches me as he drinks the water. When he’s had enough, he merely holds the glass with his gaze piercing me like a white-hot laser. “What?” “Ye said some stuff last night.” “I said a lot of things last night, and none of it makes any sense this morning.”
One of his eyebrows raises. “What? What did I say?” “Ye told me why.” No, he can’t mean that. “Why what?” “Why ye wanted to change.” He puts down the glass and then walks over to brace himself strategically in front of the door. Bastard.
I fight hard to keep from turning red. “Oh I did, eh? Well, who knows if I even made any sense. I don’t remember a thing about it. I wouldn’t take anything I said seriously.” He scratches at his beard. “Really? Because I’ve been thinkin’ aboot it all night, an’ it might very well make sense.” Shit! “What did I say and I’ll tell you whether or not it does.” He takes a cautious step forward. He must be able to sense my anxiety and realise my proclivity for lashing out. “When I asked ye why ye wanted ta be a lass, ye told me so I would like you.” His eyes pierce into me.
Fuck, fuck, and fuck! I want to strangle pissed me from last night. At least I said ‘like’ and not ‘fancy,’ although from his expression, he’s figured out what ‘like’ I meant. Still, I have to deny, deny, deny. “Did I? Well, that doesn’t make any sense at all.” I move to walk past him. He side-steps me. I try again. He blocks me. “Get out of my fucking way!” “Is it true?” he asks when I’ve backed up. Fuck. I can’t just charge at him; it’d be like throwing myself at a brick wall. There simply HAS to be an opening. “Is what true?” I’m stalling.
He lets out a huff. “What do ye mean ‘is what true’? Did ye do it so I would like you?” I let out a kind of stupid laugh. “Why would I think you didn’t like me, mate? Don’t be daft.” He steps forward again. “I think ye know ye meant the other kind of ‘like.’” My damn face betrays me, turning crimson. “Get out of my way.”
“Answer the question.” “What question?” Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit! He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, probably so that he doesn’t yell the next thing. “Did ye or did ye na change yerself so that I would like you?” “You’re mental.” I have to get out of here! This isn’t how I want things to go!
I do it. I make an attempt to get around him, but the fucker merely reaches out an arm and wraps it around my waist. I gasp and lamely try to one-handed pull him off me. Doesn’t work, of course. “Let go!” I could try other tactics, but I don’t want to hurt him. “No. Not until I get a straight answer.” He pulls me right up to him, my back to his front. “Answer the bloomin’ question, Corrine.”
“I was,” I try jerking myself back and forth, “drunk off my ass. You can’t,” I move again, but his arms tighten like a bear trap, “trust anything coming out of my mouth,” I elbow him in the ribs, “when I’m like that.” He grunts in pain, but he doesn’t let go. “Then why are ye fightin’ me, an’ why are ye tryin’ ta run off?” Then he cries out when I ram my heel against his instep, but his arms only slip for half a second before locking back into place. “I’ll jab your eyes next. Fair warning!”
“No ye won’t.” He puts his face in my hair, though, perhaps in an effort to protect his eyes. “Why did’n ye tell me before?” Oh ffuuuuucccckk! I stop fighting for a moment as something akin to fear shoots through me. “Did ye think I would laugh at ya?”
“Stop it! You know I don’t know how to fight you like this, and you’re taking advantage of that.” He does a tiny shrug. “So I am. I need ta do sommat ta get ye to talk aboot this wi’ me.” “Well trapping me like this isn’t the way.” He lets out a huff into my hair. “If I let go, ye’ll dash away.” “You’ve got that right.” “Why? Are ye suddenly afraid of me?” “No, you bastard.” I reach forward, needing to grab anything I can in order to hit him over the head with it.
“Why. Did’n. Ye. Tell. Me?” Ah ha! I got something! One of the mugs from last night! I turn slightly and hit him over the head with it. It cracks in half and falls to the floor broken. Orion’s face immediately begins to bleed. He yells and reaches up to stop the bleeding. I’m not worried. Face wounds bleed a lot. He’ll be fine. I make my escape. As I’m running out of the house, I now wonder where the fuck I should go. The bright sunlight gives me a harsh reminder of the pounding in my head thanks to the hangover, but I ignore the pain. Orion could be after me in seconds. Where do I go? Zuri! She’ll stop Orion in whatever girlie way I haven’t learned yet.
I hear him yelling in the house. “Corin! Get back in here, ya ruddy bastard!” Shit. I don’t miss how he called me my old name. He means business. I may not be stronger, but I’m faster. I take off like the old cartoon roadrunner and make for Zuri’s. As I round a bend, I hear the front door open, and I pray he doesn’t see my obvious red hair through the trees.
Orion
This is what I get for trying to get my best mate to talk about something he’s… she’s afraid of. The person has always lashed out fighting. I knew it would happen, but I, at the time, couldn’t think of another way to approach the issue. I walk outside, and with the bright light and fresh air hitting me, I realise I’m a dafty bugger. That was probably the dumbest pig shite idea I’ve ever had. Holding my head to make sure the bleeding has stopped, I kick a random rock across the yard in my frustration. What the blooming hell did I expect to happen there? There was no chance I would ever get a straight answer from her, not if she didn’t want to talk about it and especially if she’s afraid.
With a sigh, I slump down into a seat, continuing to hold my head. I probably look a mess, but right now, I don’t bother myself with going to clean up because I feel I need to look a mess because I ACTED a mess. Are you some green youth who doesn’t know his arse from his face, Orion? On what planet did you think that would work? This is Corin turned female, and now you know why! So what do you do? You go and act like a numpty-headed lummox with all the social graces of a grizzly bear stomping around in a tutu!
I inwardly scream, wincing as I hold my head. I do know why I acted the way I did. I myself don’t know how to react to this new knowledge, and I’d foolishly hoped she would take the wheel. There ARE unanswered questions like for how long? Was there ever a time when he tried to tell me and I didn’t listen? Those are only a few, but they’re the most pressing in my mind. I’m not going to get answers if I continue to behave the way I did, though. Blast this damn headache! Tequila is evil, pure evil.
Pretty sure I’ve gotten the bleeding to stop, I run my hand down my face. But the evil tequila did accomplish one thing: She finally said it. Taking in and letting out a deep breath, I go back into the house, needing to clean myself up at the washbasin. Hm. The water will need replacing soon. The best water pump is up behind Sama’s house. I’m going to presume that Corrine headed up that way somewhere. I walk over and grab my bucket, intent on filling it up now rather than later. It’s not chasing after her… it’s going to roughly the same place. That’s different. I’m purposefully not going to look for her, but if she sees me and wants to talk, fine. On the way up, I run into who is now my blond-headed nemesis: Rohan.
He sees me and cocks an eyebrow. “Run into a tree? I’d say it got the better of you.” “Who me? Ye should see the tree.” I’m more than ready for a good fight if he should decide to start taking out more of his frustrations on my face. I let him before—when I’d come home sans Yadira. I deserved it and would’ve reacted just as he did, so aye, I let him. Not so now. I’ve already had a shit morning, and I’ll not take anything from him. Lucky for him, he decides to drop it, ignoring me. He’s on about some new project, but to be honest, I couldn’t care less. At last, I arrive at the main settlement and make my way to the pump. Sama is out hanging clothing on the line when she sees me. “Dear gods, Orion! What happened to your face?” she exclaims as she dashes over to me.
I hold up my hand. “I’ll be fine, hen. I’ve na need for yer cluckin’ over me.” “Don’ talk oot yer arse, an’ bend yer head doon, ya daft stoter.” She holds up a washcloth I’d not seen yet. In spite of everything, hearing her talk like that cracks me up. Spending all that time with the Skeeves after running away from home, I lost a touch of my accent; however, teaching it to her, she picked it up incredibly quickly, and she brings to mind my own mother… in a good way. I smirk and bend down a bit. “Aye, mum.”
“’Mum’ indeed. What’ve you been doing to cause your face to look like you forgot which end of the axe to use?” she asks as she wipes at my face. My smile slides to the ground. “It’s a long story.” “Does it have anything to do with why Corrine came dashing up here like a bat out of hell?” She raises her eyebrows. I ponder that. “’Bat outta hell’ jus’ aboot covers it. ‘Hellion’ works rather well.” “What did you do?” she asks as she finishes up. My jaw drops. “You assume I’m at fault?” I point to my forehead. “Do ye na see me war wound?”
She watches me shrewdly. “Of course I see it. And I’m wondering if you need stitches. But I’m wondering what would cause her to … It looks like she broke something over your head.” I sigh. “Fine. I was bein’ an arse, but I’d rather na talk aboot it.” I gesture to my bucket. “I only came up here for some fresher water. Tha’s all, I swear.” Contrary to my words, though, I do look around for that redheaded firebrand, curious.
“Mmmhm,” Sama replies like she doesn’t believe a word of it. “If ye would be so kind, step aside so that I might fill my bucket.” I hold it up and let it swing back and forth to further prove its emptiness. She purses her lips. “Fill the bucket, yes, but then come inside. I’m going to at least wrap up your head.” She then turns and starts walking to her laundry basket, muttering about how between the two of us, Corrine and I are going to fly through any and all of her first aid supply. I shrug. “Aye, Mum.”
Corrine
Orion knows, and I don’t know what to do next. I stand far back enough from the window so that he can’t see me but so that I can see him. I’m inside Zuri’s house. She’s not home, probably at the temple. What are they talking about? Sama has walked over to him with a washcloth in her hand. I wince when I see how badly I hurt him. After a quick back and forth, Orion laughs heartily. Then my gut twists as he leans down and lets her wipe his face clean. I don’t like the way he looks at her. It’s SAMA for fuck’s sake! Don’t tell me he’s now going to make a play for HER! He fills his bucket, and she gets the laundry basket. She didn’t finish hanging everything up, but she doesn’t appear to be bothered by it as she walks into her house.
I have to bite my lip to keep from screaming when I also see Orion walk to her house. What are they doing?! I can’t see because there’s a whole fucking building in the way. My feet carry me to the door, and I debate exiting the house so that I can spy on them. I have to know! If Orion has suddenly decided to chase Sama after failing with Yadira and then giving up on me, I’ll… I don’t know, but it won’t be pleasant.
Taking a steadying breath, I turn the knob and stealthily sneak outside. There’s a window that faces Rohan’s old house, so I make that my target, creeping as quietly as I’m able. Once I reach it, I have to jump back because Orion is sitting RIGHT THERE at the kitchen table, facing my direction. Luckily, he didn’t see me. So, I duck down and crawl under the window to get to its other side. Then I stand and flatten myself against the wall while peering in.
Sama is once again dabbing at his face with the cloth. I can’t really hear what she’s saying, but her expression looks like she’s scolding him. She pinches at his forehead, and again, I wince. Then she bobs her head and gets her first aid kit. Oh. She’s just being Dr. Sama to him. I’m being ridiculous. It’s nothing like that. Next she leans forward to be sure and wrap some gauze properly around his head, and her breasts practically shove themselves in his face. I feel my face go red as I glare and take a deep breath. Here we go again. I had to spend years, almost decades, watching as either Orion chased different women or they would throw themselves his way. I’d often wonder what they saw in him. Granted, I know what I saw in him, but they didn’t know him like I did. Sure, he had, has, a kind of charisma that could possibly be what would draw them in, but… She’s touching his face, looking almost like she’s telling him off. He nods and looks down. Then he sighs and moves to stand up and turn around.
Oh shit! He’s about to grab the bucket and exit the house. I can’t be here! Quickly, I duck down and dash over to the back of Rohan’s house before pressing myself against the bricks. I hear her front door open and close, and it sounds like Orion starts back down the hill.
This is a nightmare. Silent tears spill out of my eyes, and I sit down and fold myself into a ball.
A/N: I’m working on trying to portray the different heights of my characters. Both Orion and Reck are quite tall (and Macie really short), and it’s been bothering me that I’ve thus far not represented that fact. Just wanted to point that out in case anyone notices some discrepancies. I could tell everyone their heights, but I use feet and inches in my mind since that’s what I’ve used all my life. Dunno if that’s helpful for, well, most of the world. 🙂
Derek
I have a distinctly difficult time hiding my emotions on the what-feels-like-thirty-kilometers to my bedroom. When I finally reach it, everything crashes, and I hold my face in my hands, silently crying in rapid, huffing sobs.
She hates me! She truly and unforgivably hates me! She still refuses to so much as share a meal with me. I continue to bemoan the memory of the recent scene in Yadira’s chamber. The way her eyes looked at me! Down to the very pit of my stomach, I despise it. She regarded me like I was something evil and foul-smelling like she couldn’t wait for me to leave. What happened? That night in her room when I’d kissed her wasn’t ideal, but she acted like she enjoyed the kiss before I attempted to take it too far too fast. I love her, but she hates me. What am I going to do? I take a deep breath, and my shoulders droop. I won’t find answers by having a pity party. Getting myself under control once again, I move to have a seat on my sofa. My emotional excess spent, I’m better able to think constructively.
First of all, I have to keep from repeatedly doing and acting the way I did earlier—when I demanded that the only way she could get supper was to eat it with me. So, step one will be for her to continue to have her meals served wherever she wishes. Yes, that will make me seem less in charge, but honestly, am I? I’m certainly not in charge of her and never have been. I don’t want to be; that’s not what I’m after. I erroneously thought that since I’d missed her so much that she might feel the same. That was a mistake. I have given her nothing to bring about missing me. I’ve only ever been an ass. No. Not true. Not entirely. I have given her some freedoms. She can now control who comes to see her and when. She has free rein of… I pause. No, she’s never been given permission to leave on her own.
Fuck! I can’t let her have that! It isn’t safe, even not taking into account my personal feelings on the matter. No way could the Trags keep her safe from the excitable mob that forms whenever she’s announced. It sucks, but she’s still trapped here. I need to do something nice for her. What can I do as an act of kindness? Get her a kitten? No, that could be a disaster. And she doesn’t act like she cares about what kind of clothing she wears, so a gift of that nature wouldn’t work either. I have loads of jewelry and things that Lars has procured for me in his treasure hunting, but I doubt that will have any effect. She may even roll her eyes. I can see it.
Maybe we could don disguises, and I could give her a tour of the city. I’ve been wanting to see the progress with my own eyes myself. She might like that, to get out and visit places… only she’ll just see it as spending time with me and will probably reply with a resounding no. I let out a kind of growling snarl as I stand up and start getting ready for bed. Perhaps something will come to me in my sleep. I just need to relax.
After a few moments, there’s a knock at my door. At this hour? What’s happened? “Enter!” I call out. The woman of my thoughts storms into the chamber like a vengeful Valkyrie. She turns her head back and forth, and upon finally seeing me standing here, she jumps.
I read her expression. She’s frazzled. Startled. A bit embarrassed. Then her eyes close as if to block out something distressing. I’m shirtless… Is that it?
Her eyes open, and they quickly dart back and forth from my face to my chest quite a number of times. Ah ha! “Is aught amiss?” I ask, my soul beginning a slow smile.
She recovers herself and her apparent mission. “How dare you say that the only way I’ll eat in the evening is to do it with you? You continue to claim that I’m no longer considered a prisoner, but how can you make such a claim and then pronounce despotic edits like that?”
I shrug. “You’re absolutely right. I’m in the wrong.” I watch her and hide my smile at seeing her shocked expression. “Forgive me. That was merely the desperate act of a lonely man.” This is fabulous. If what I’ve discovered is the key, it is something I’m DEFINITELY capable of. “Tuh. You lonely? That’s a load of shite if there ever was one.” She folds her arms, trying not to look at me and mostly failing.
I slowly take steps in her direction. “Such unbecoming words from such a lovely lady.” My tongue runs back and forth against the backs of my teeth. I feel like I did that day when she’d cured the mad woman in the jail. I’d taken a step back from this tactic, of this particular kind of game, when she’d started unraveling me. Well, I’m unraveled. That part of me never changed. “I’ll speak how I like. Everyone else talks like that.”
“Just seems out of place coming from those perfect lips.” I haven’t stopped moving closer. I don’t think she’s too aware. She’s doing all she can to ignore my bare chest. So she claims to hate me yet at the same time is attracted to me. Yes, I can definitely work with that.
“Too bad.” She turns her head, and her eyes widen for a fraction of a second. She takes a step back. “Well, I’ve said what I need to say. Good evening.” She turns to leave. “You’re welcome to stay, if you wish.” I offer a tiny smile, wanting to laugh. I expect the answer no, of course. After being such an ass as I’ve been, I have to take baby steps. I just couldn’t resist the fun of her reaction. Her eyes fully travel over me in a single second, leaving me with a zinging feeling. “As if.” Then she spins about and exits the room, and I wonder if she even consciously realised that she checked me out like that.
I turn back to my wardrobe with a much brighter smile. Then I quickly rub my hands together in glorious anticipation. I will gain her affection yet.
Orion
Corrine holds up the hand brace for the nth time for me to see. “Vik is a genius. Look at this.” “Yes. I see,” I answer, my voice not sounding in any way impressed. I can’t help it. It’s now MY turn to have a wandering mind.
We make our way back and walk into the house. I look at the counter and see the cloth with the bark in it. “Should we’ve asked Sama for more of this? Do ye have enough?” “What? Oh. Yeah. But I have a better idea.” She grins then starts searching around in the lower cupboards. “Much better pain killer. If we’re lucky, we won’t feel our faces.” She pulls out an old bottle of tequila. “Do you mind?” She points down to the bottle, asking me to pick it up. “With only the one hand and all, I’d hate to drop it.”
I look out the window. “‘Tis the middle of the day.” She shrugs. “I don’t think Jose Cuervo would be bothered.” “Right.” I lean over. “You pour,” she says.
I reach up into the other cupboards and get down a couple of cups. More the size of coffee mugs, really, only wider. If they were more narrow, they could be steins, having the same amount of volume. They’d make decent soup bowls. I point to them. “This is what we have.” “They’ll do. Pour.” I raise my eyebrows and unscrew the top. “I didna think tequila was clear.” “Well, maybe it’s a different, er, blend.” She points to the bottle. “It says silver.” I shrug and pour some in our mugs… probably too much. That has to be six shots at least. Maybe if we drink it slowly, it’ll be fine. Corrine takes her mug and exits the kitchen. I screw the cap back on then take the bottle and my cup into the main room. She waits on the sofa, a goofy grin on her face. I sit down and try some.
At first, it goes down like water… until it doesn’t. I haven’t really drank anything alcoholic since before Corin arrived, but even if I had, I still think my throat would’ve reacted the same way. It doesn’t burn quite like whiskey, but water it is not. I cough. Corrine giggles, a very strange thing to hear. “I’m finished with mine.” She motions with her cup towards me. “More.” “Whoa there. Tha’ was like six shots, an’ ye’ve naught ta eat today, have ye?” “Don’t care.” She again pushes her mug to me. “Na.”
“Then gimme the bottle.” She goes to reach for it, but she misses it by a few inches. I move it to my other side. “Ye don’ need it. Ye’ve had like six shots already.” “I’m fine. Gimme the bottle, ya ruddy gargoyle.” “An’ yer speech slurred. Na.” I move the bottle yet again when she reaches for it. Now it sits on the floor and off to the side.
She stands up, and her mug gets knocked to the floor. She ignores it. “Get bent,” she says then laughs. “Rohan said that to me the other day.” “Sounds like one of Asa’s.” I watch her walk sideways before she has to reach out and hold onto the arm of the sofa to right herself. “See? Ya canna even walk right. Ye don’ need more, Corin.” I finish off my tequila and wince as it goes down. She stands straighter. “My name is…” In her attempt to walk straight, she trips over her own feet. On instinct, I reach out and manage to catch her, my mug clattering to the floor.
Since I caught her, she looks up at me. “Is Corrine now.”
I have one of those too-real moments, and two realisations hit me. One: She weighs quite a lot less now. I suppose I noticed that yesterday too, but I especially notice now. Two is by no means the lesser: My best mate is actually quite lovely. I’ve had too much as well. I blink and immediately move to sit her on the floor next to me. “That’s it. No mas, mi amigo.” She giggles. “You sound silly trying to speak Spanish.” “I think tha’ about covers what I know.” I make sure she sits properly.
She grins. “I can count to ten. Ono, dus, threes, quatre… wait, no. Fuck!” I laugh loudly. This is what I loved about Corin: all the weird, unexpected shit that could happen. I’m glad that’s still there. I have to remind myself this is the same person that’s been by my side all this time. This is the same person who spit in my face after asking for water. It makes me feel better to think like that. She continues. “Errrrrrr….. cinco! Yes!”
I smile. “Okay, big brain. Wha’s next?” “Sex.”
My smile falls off my face. “Wrong language.” She ponders for a moment. “Ah, yer right. That’s Chinese.” “Try German.” Spelled differently, I think, but… “All right. All right. Shh! Lemme think…” She stares into space. “Where were we?” Sex. “Six.” “Oh right, right.” She pauses, thinking. “September! THAT is six.” She slaps her hand once on her thigh.
I crack up laughing again. “Tha’s got naught at’all ta do wi’ six, mate!” I think for a minute. “I think it’s like… seize.” “Good good good. Now, seven. SEPTEMBER is seven. There.”
I don’t disagree with her even though I’m sure we both know it isn’t. She continues, “Now what… the bloody fuck… is eight?” She lays her head back on the sofa, and the two of us sit on the floor with our backs against the sofa like a couple of jaked numpties, which I guess is what we are.
I take a breath. “Octo.” Something tells me we’ve probably gotten none of whatever it is we’re doing correct, but it doesn’t matter. The room is bobbing back and forth like a ship at sea, and I’m utterly relaxed. “No, no. It’s… something.” She yawns and lays her cheek upon her hand, almost passed out.
I take this moment to look at her. It’s like she’s Corin’s more attractive sister. I still wish I knew why. I lean in and quietly ask, “Why did ya want… ta be… a lass?” She mumbles, “So you would like me.” My sloshed mind desperately starts trying to bail out the alcohol. What? So I would like her? Did Corin think I didn’t like him? Why would he think that? “So you would like me.” What did she mean by that? Of course I like her. I look in confusion at my best mate who wanted to become female… so I would like her.
I suddenly sit up, a rush of adrenaline helping to bring about a little more clarity.
A/N: 180 line jumping. oh well. And I realize that it probably isn’t exactly exactly exactly the right time chronologically to go back to Yadira and Reck, but it’s just a convenient spot to put it.
Orion
The following morning, I go downstairs to see if I can find anything for breakfast. There isn’t anything, but I’m not concerned. I’ll make my way up to Sama’s later.
Sama. I remember the little purse that Yadira wanted us to have. Inside it are precious seeds. I pick it up and take it with me, ready to tell Sama the happy surprise. I didn’t during the voyage home because I didn’t want to break her heart should the seeds not make it. It looks like enough did.
I exit the building, and the first thing I see is a mass of red curls. Corin, or Corrine, is digging in the earth, beating it to near death with her little spade. “What’re you about?” I ask as I walk up to her.
“I’m going to plant a garden. I’m bored, and I can’t train with this broken hand the way it is.” “Ye could try readin’,” I offer. “I hate reading, and you know that.” She crouches back down to the ground. More dirt flings into the air. “Well, in yer diggin’, do ya mind not sending all the good soil inta the breeze?” She lets out a huffing sigh. “Fine! I’ll find something else to do.” She stands up and dusts herself off. Then she looks at me. “What are you up to?”
I hold up the little leather purse. “I’ve a surprise fer Sama.” “What is it?”
I back my head up. “‘Tis a surprise. If I told ya, it wouldna be a surprise, would it?” I go past her with a smile and start walking away. “Yer welcome ta come along,” I throw over my shoulder. She lets out an annoyed ‘augh!’ sound and trudges after me. We make it up to Sama’s house and let ourselves inside, and it suddenly occurs to me how no one knocks here. I find her sitting at her table, looking at yet another book. “What is it?” she asks me after I tell her about the surprise. Corrine stands nearby, not really taking part in the conversation yet not not part of it at the same time.
I carefully put a few of the seeds into my palm. “This. I didna tell ye just in case they didna make it, but they did.” “Is that what I think it is?” she asks, breathless. “Aye. Wheat. An’ maize.” I smile. “A gift. From Yadira.” She starts making little huffing noises like she’s about to cry. After gently replacing the seeds, I crouch down next to her. “What’s wrong?”
“We FAILED!” She falls onto her arms as they rest on the table, and her shoulders shake with her sobs. I rub her arm. “Ya canna fail where ya were never meant to succeed.” “It’s like it was all for nothing!” She sits up and wipes at her eyes. Corrine still stands in the background, staring off into space, thinking I have no idea what. “Not nothing. She made sure o’ that. We’re gonna have bread, Sama.” She lets out another sob, I hope a happy one this time. “Sorry. I cry all the time lately, sometimes at nothing.” “Er…” I pause. Well, she and Vik DO go at it like rabbits. “Do ya think…?” Sama had a miscarriage about the time Corin arrived, and she only shared it with Vik and myself. She didn’t want everyone to know. “Maybe, but I don’t want to tell anyone. Just in case.” She wipes at her eyes again.
“Understood.” I turn to the female version of my best mate. “An’ Corrine won’t say anythin’, will ya?” She suddenly jumps back and shakes her head. “Ehy? Won’t say anything what?” I give her a look, wondering what that mind in there is thinking. “Exactly.” Sama looks at her. “Oh, Corin, before I forget. I’m sorry. I mean Corrine, before I forget. Vik wants to see you at the forge. He’s designing an aluminum hand brace for you.”
“A what brace?” “A hand brace,” she repeats, but I think I know what Corrine’s really asking. “Aluminium,” I explain. I’m guessing that with the way her mind is wandering, it couldn’t translate fast enough and didn’t catch what Sama meant. They took off one of the I’s over here. “Oh. Right. I’ll go then. Cheers.” She turns and leaves the house.
After the door closes, Sama comments quietly, “That was the last thing I expected to come home to.” I let out a quick exhale from my nose and slightly shake my head. “Yer not alone there.” She looks at me. “Are you okay?” She’s so perceptive. “I’ll let ya know when I’ve figured that oot.” I nod as I leave the house, wondering how things are going at the forge.
As I walk outside, however, I pause and watch the pair of them, mostly Corrine. Vik is explaining to her how to adjust the brace and take it on and off, but that’s not what really catches my attention and thoughts. It’s just her. With the scars gone, it’s as if someone were painting a portrait and decided to leave out all the imperfections and that is the result.
My eyes travel lower. Too perfect, so much so that it makes my blood run hot–and not in a good way. Why did he decide to change? And… I suppose the thought process there is ‘if I’m changing anyway, why not make it good?’ I snort. She’s like one of those dolls people played with before the wars and plague. Barbie dolls. She’s like a blooming Barbie doll. This ‘Yadira’s brother’ changed him to her to a doll, and it all makes me want to clench my fists and scream.
However, I have to keep my calm. Corin turning to Corrine made the person only that much more sensitive, and I don’t want to pass judgment too soon. So, I walk over to the two of them, yelling at myself in my head not to be an arse.
Yadira
“Come in,” I say to the knocking at my door. Ally’s always forgetting something, so I’m not surprised. “What did you forget this time, Ally?” Then I turn and do a slight jump when I see who it is. “Oh.”
He’s smiling at me. Why does he have to be here? Why can’t he just leave me alone? This week has proven that we can work together yet not have to interact. I’ve even stayed in his damn castle. “I was hoping to convince you to dine with me in the evenings.” He watches my face like he can read my every thought through it.
“Why when it’s not necessary?” I turn my back to him and pretend to peruse my bookshelf. After a pause, he continues, “It would be a nice way for the two of us to share progress on our various projects.” “If you’d like a report on my progress, I’ll have Ally write you up a report.” I smirk. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.” Ah, I’ve finally cracked through the mask. “Honestly, is the thought of sharing a meal with me that disgusting to you?”
I slowly turn my head to look at him. “The idea of being in the same room with you puts me on my guard, and I’d like to relax in the evenings instead.”
His jaw drops. “What happened? Why the sudden increase in hostility?” I fold my arms. “Do I really have to spell it out for you?”
He throws his hands up. “Because I kissed you?” “I told you not to.” “Yeah, but then, you kissed me back.”
“Doesn’t matter.” “How can you say that doesn’t matter?” He steps closer to me, and warning bells sound.
I back up a step. “It matters that I told you not to and yet you still did. That tells me that you have no interest in how I feel in the matter, and that is NOT how you do it right.” I could’ve slapped him and gotten the same expression that covers his face now. Yes, I’ve cracked the mask, but I don’t have the sense of satisfaction that I thought I would’ve when I see a measure of pain displayed.
He backs up a step. “Of course I’m interested in how you feel in the matter.” “Coulda fooled me.” He swallows, and I watch as the mask reassembles. “I was an ass, and I apologise.” I turn back to my bookshelf. “I’ll think about accepting it.” I’m actually impressed he apologized. It was unexpected. Maybe someday, he’ll get better.
He stands straighter. Giving him a side-glance, I see the faintest hint of a glare. “Supper is served promptly at seven. I expect your presence there going forward.” His expression reminds me of day one. “No thank you.” Then again, maybe not. “If you decide not to show, I’ll take it as a decision to forgo supper altogether.”
It’s my turn to drop my jaw. “So it’s eat with you or not at all, is it?” “Precisely.” He spins about and storms out of the room.
I can’t believe he never told me! Did he think I would tease him about it? I suppose I can understand that, but I would’ve also understood and supported him. Perhaps I tease overmuch and that’s why he never said anything. Plus, the change just wasn’t possible. This person (god?) claiming to be Yadira’s brother offered him something that should’ve been impossible. It’s no wonder, then, that he couldn’t refuse the offer.
I watch as Sama wraps up my best mate’s very feminine, although bruised and bloodied, hand. His… Her scars are gone, scars that I knew the story behind each one because I was there when they happened. Now, they’re gone. It’s like he/she is a different person! Just… WHY? Hand wrapped up, we start making our way back to the house. I walk in front with my thoughts swirling around in my head.
“What IS this stuff?” I hear behind me. Turning a bit, I see she’s holding up a bit of cloth that houses some tree bark. I turn back, still walking. “Ye wern’ listnen? It’s aspirin. Ya chew it but don’ swallow.” Her voice is more subdued as she must be looking at the stuff with more appreciation. “Brilliant. How did she know what this was?” I shrug. “What else? Books.” Sama is incredibly intelligent, and I’m willing to bet it has a lot to do with how well-read she is. I suppose she had time for that sort of thing. Her and Asa both. It’s not like they had to fight off predators or competing groups of people. That’s another thing: Asa. The lad surprises me. He’s plenty brighter than what I initially gave him credit for. If I’d only listened to him, we might’ve been successful. It would’ve taken longer, but it might’ve worked… if, that is, Yadira weren’t already hell bent on refusing.
We walk into the house, and I’m not sure what to do now. My face aches thanks to Rohan, but compared to everything else, it’s only a minor annoyance. If things were how they used to be, I’d be regaling Corin with everything that’s happened, but now, I’m not even sure what to tell him… her. I watch as the redheaded woman in front of me tentatively tests the black bark, a thoughtful expression on her face. I want to scream! Why?! Why did this happen? What is going to happen now? Is Corin still my best mate or has too much changed? I can’t carry on the same conversations with Vik; I don’t have the patience. Rohan despises me for good blooming reason. I suppose there’s Asa. He’d probably be a good influence on my occasionally irrational mind. But it’s not the same! CORIN is my best mate. It works because we get each other… at least, I thought I did. We would both always laugh at the same things without having to explain why. It worked! This, however, I just don’t know.
“What?” she asks, noticing my silence and probably sensing my mood. “What am I supposed ta do now, Corin.” I have a sudden question. “Or… are ye still goin’ by Corin?” Her cheeks get a little pinker. “Er, Zuri convinced me to change it to Corrine.”
Blooming hell. I stare at her wordlessly for a moment, trying to let it all soak in. “Okee, so what am I supposed ta do now, Corrine?”
“How should I bloody know? I suppose go about hating me for this is a start.”
I sigh. “I don’ hate ya.” “But you’re not happy.”
“I jus’ wanna know WHY!”
She clenches her jaw, meaning there IS something but that she doesn’t want to say it. At least that hasn’t changed. “So ye don’ wanna tell me.” I put my hands in my hair. “I… can’t right now. I’m sorry. I just can’t. Maybe someday.” I take a deep breath. “Well, then I’m done for the day.”
“Do I still get to stay here?” she asks as I turn for the stairs. I scowl as I turn back to her. “Why wouldn’ya?” “Er… Because you’re upset with me?” “Don’ be ridiculous. Of course ye can stay. ‘Tis yer house too.” She doesn’t say anything else, and I make my way upstairs, happy to be sleeping in a bed tonight.
Rohan
That jackass godlet told me I still have things to do in this world. But what? I’m useless. Maybe I’m supposed to leave. Maybe I’m supposed to go off on my own. I doubt it. Didn’t he say THIS community needs me? How? Corrine was right: I’m a lazy fuck. I look at my tent. It hasn’t fared well in the hot and cold mix of the recent days. Either I move back into my old structure or I build a new one here. Here. The old one reminds me too much of her.
Turning my head, I spy the one remaining dilapidated structure on the island. I could fix it. It will take a while, a long while, especially if I’m working alone. I don’t mind.
I reevaluate the site. I think I may be able to keep the upper floor. That would be nice. Hm. I could probably use Vik’s help in adding some kind of beam or two to add support. I’m going to have to rebuild the entire floor of the upper level, but, unlike Corrine’s opinion of me, hard work doesn’t scare me. Maybe she’s NOT right. In fact, now, I welcome hard work. Anything to distract me from this ache in my chest. The following morning, I trudge up the hill to go and speak to Vik. My old house sits and stares at me in an accusatory way. Then I jump back when the door opens.
“What a lovely morning! Hello. I’m Macie. I saw you when we arrived, but you were… busy. How do you do?” She bounces her way over to me and holds out her hand. I stare at it like it’s some kind of foreign object. “Er… okay. Zuri said you were the quiet type. That’s all right.” I scowl. “Who are you again? And why are you coming out of my house?” Her cheeks get a little pinker. “Oh! I’m sorry. If you’re wanting to move back in, I’ll find somewhere else. I think Orion has a spare room.” “I’m not moving back in. But I’m wondering what you’re doing there.”
She looks at me warily. “Sama said it would be all right, that it was better than it sitting empty.” My scowl deepens. “Well, SAMA didn’t build it, did she?” I can’t believe this! Sama just thought to give away my house simply because I wasn’t living in it? Moreover… to a stranger? The woman jumps back. “I’m sorry. I worried this would happen. I’ll move out right away.” A voice sounds from the direction of Sama’s house. “What’s going on?”
I glare at Sama as she approaches. “You thought you could just let someone squat in my house?” “She needed a place to go, and that was being unused. I thought it could be a solution.”
“And you didn’t think to ask me first?” “No one could find you to ask. Are you moving back in?” Her eyebrows raise, both looking like she’s in no mood to fight yet would be determined to win if I tried. I back my head up. “No. In fact, I came to ask for Vik’s help with something.” “He’s upstairs with Amina and Zane. What do you need?” Now she just looks tired. “Well, a couple of steel girders would be fabulous.” I fold my arms. I’m wagering a guess that a trip to the mainland will need to be made. “And I want his advice on fixing up the crumbling house down the way.” Her eyebrows raise again. “So you’re wanting to fix up another house yet won’t let Macie live in this one?” She gives me a look like she’s thinking I’m a child who doesn’t want to play with all of his toys yet also won’t share them. “Fine!”
Macie sounds like she’s fighting tears. “I’m so, so sorry, Rohan. It’s nothing. I’ll go talk to Orion.” “No. Live in it. I no longer care,” I tell her. Then I ask Sama to have Vik come down at his earliest convenience. “He’s planning on making Corin, I mean Corrine, a hand brace.” “Eh?” “She broke her hand. Punching Orion in the jaw.”
I smirk. Then I smile. Then I laugh. Oh, that is precious! “So she did.” I address the new girl. “Well, Macie, you don’t need to live in a house with domestic violence like that.” The new girl watches me, utterly clueless like she can’t make sense of me. Join the club. To Sama, I say, “All right. Send him down after then, if you would, please. In the meantime, I suppose I can do a little more tidying up.” The new girl bounces. “Oh! I could help! It could be my way of thanking you.”
Sama and I speak at the same time. “No, that’s–” “What a wonderful idea, Macie. Yes, go help Rohan.” Feck. Sama knows I don’t want the new girl’s help. However, she sports a look of triumph on her face. Sighing, I let this Macie follow me down the hill.
She talks a lot. Her accent is a bit hard to place. I might try to figure it out, but I honestly don’t care.
“Macie, is it?” “Yes?” “Please be quiet.” I turn and glance at her. Her shoulders droop. “Oh. All right then.” Then she goes about continuing her very neat stacks of fallen bricks. I put my hand back on my forehead. Damn it all. Now I feel bad. I wish Vik would hurry up. “Er… what was that you were saying?”
“It was nothing.” I sigh. “Macie, I apologise. I’ve had a rough go of it.” She nods. “I’ve been made to understand. You were married to the goddess.”
I tell her the tale of how when I met Yadira I just KNEW she had to be a goddess, and I hear all about how Macie felt the same.
My heart pounds in my chest as she tells me the story of how Yadira helped her regain her sanity. Suddenly, I feel very small. So that’s what Yadira’s doing over there. Helping people. I think the godlet may have mentioned something like that. She’s over there to help thousands with the only price being me giving her up. I’m just one lone wanker an ocean away. I sit down and hide my face.
“Rohan? Is everything all right?” The new girl sits next to me, holding my shoulder. For once, I tell the truth. This chatterbox would probably get it out of me anyway. “No. Life sucks.” She sighs. “Yes. Yes, it does.” I huff and wipe my eyes. “No, Macie. You don’t understand.” “But I do.” Then I hear the tale of her life before she came to Victoria, and it’s a thousand times worse than anything I’ve ever experienced. No wonder she went mad.
I blink a few times when she finishes her story. “And yet, you go on.”
She sighs and shrugs. “What would be the point if I were to give up? Then everything and everyone I’ve lost would have been for nothing. I have to accomplish SOMEthing good or I have to wonder why I alone was spared in the first place. Maybe someday I’ll finally understand.” “Oh gods, I’m such an ass.” How is this simple woman better at this than me? Better at life? She playfully shoves me. “Balderdash. You are only a bloke in pain. Don’t be so hard on yourself. It takes a while, and it doesn’t exactly get ‘better,’ but you take it one day at a time, and you grow… accustomed to it. Sometimes, you even find happy moments, and you hold on to those with everything you have.”
She sighs again, this time a bit more happily. “When I met Sama, I knew that somehow I’d find my answer with her. Oh, nothing romantic, mind you, but I knew I had to follow her. Then I find out she’s the leader of Haven, a place I didn’t even know existed! It was almost like magic.” She smiles despite everything. “Do you believe in magic, Rohan?”
“Er… not as such, but definitely something akin to it.” For one, I think about Corrine… and about how I flew as an owl for a few moments. “Then that.”
A/N: This happens simultaneously with the previous chapter (the Haven folks anyway), and it explains why Peter was suddenly startled and then vanished away from Corrine.
C/W: Attempted suicide.
Rohan
She didn’t come back. My fists hurt. I lost count of the many times I lashed out at Orion. He had one job, and he failed. I’d actually counted on his obsession with my wife to ensure he’d bring her back, but he told me SHE WANTED to stay! Then he crushed me by saying she told him to tell me I’m free, meaning we’re done. I have no further reason to live.
Why did I have to meet her in the first place? Why did there have to be people already on this island? Why did I have to pick the one fecking place in probably five hundred kilometers that had humans at it? I could be fully ensconced as a happy hermit, not knowing what I was missing, but no. I had to meet the most lovely woman in all creation and fall in love with her. I got about two years of happiness. Oh, it wasn’t perfect, but it was damn near close. She’s tossing all that aside, tossing me aside. Now I know what I’m missing. I can’t bear it.
I make it to the cliff edge and stare down at the rocky surf. It’s even low tide, meaning I have a better chance of cracking my skull open on one of the boulders below. I’m not even crying. It’s like I was always meant to do this. I’m numb, and I just want it to end. I step out into nothingness and welcome the oncoming oblivion.
Then I’m flying. I’m not falling. I’m really flying. With wings. What the fuck? I look around. It’s disorienting, and I falter a bit but easily recover like I’ve been doing this my whole life. I can focus on things acres away. There’s a mouse. I see a squirrel with its tail twitching angrily–all the way across the bay near the abandoned village. Something is bothering it. Oh. It’s a housecat slowly stalking closer to its nest. WHAT THE BLOODY FUCK?
I turn my head again and see a man with shocking red hair waving his arm back and forth to get my attention. I aim myself in his direction. He changes his motions to imply ‘come here.’ I fold my wings in and go into a dive, headed right for him. At almost the last moment, I swiftly pull them out, nearly halting my descent, and I land on a nearby branch.
“Took to flying rather well, I see. I’d worried I’d next have to turn you into a fish, perhaps something with a little more self-defense. A dolphin, shark, or whale. Something like that, but no. You make a good owl, Rohan.” I have a name. Rohan. Something about that ruffles my feathers. It’s like a memory I don’t want to conjure up. I’d rather go hunt. I turn my head almost 180 degrees and see the mouse hasn’t moved too far from its position. It found some seeds. Then the branch breaks, and I fall to the ground, arms and legs akimbo. I let out an ‘oof!’ as I land. It was only a couple of meters, but I’m dazed.
“Didn’t want you flying off after that mouse,” a man explains. “What?” I slowly sit up, rubbing the back of my head. Wait. Was I a bird just now? “Sorry. I couldn’t let you harm yourself. Looks like I intervened again.” He chuckles. “I’m out of control.” I look at him. He has wild red hair and… orange eyes. Can a person have orange eyes?
“Hello,” he says. “Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Peter.” He holds out his hand, looking like he wants to help me stand. “I’m afraid I don’t… understand.” I look out over the bay. I was searching for something a moment ago. “Yes, you’re a bit disoriented. It happens.” He reaches down and helps me up. I wobble on my feet for a moment before I remember what I have to do to balance. “You need to keep living, Rohan. You’re not finished yet.” “What?” I rub my head again. My name is Rohan, and I have to keep living. What is he talking about? “Give it a few moments. Let’s go have a seat while you regain yourself.” He guides me to a nearby bench. I’m in the temple. Why am I here? “I’m at the temple?” I ask.
He smiles while I hold my head. “Yeah. It’s my favorite hangout. Or… my favorite haunt.” He chuckles. Apparently, he thinks he’s funny. “Wait. I was over,” I point to the cliff-side away from us, “there.” I tried to kill myself. I would’ve succeeded. “You turned me into an owl?” “Ah, I see you’re coming around. Yes. I did. I’m watching you now, Rohan Gunn, so no more funny business.” “Who are you again?” He sighs. “I’m Peter, Yadira’s brother.” At the mention of her name, my heart pangs dreadfully, and I clutch at my chest. “She dumped me.” “One moment,” he suddenly tells me, and he vanishes.
I hardly notice his absence. All I feel is pain. Not only did Yadira not come back, but she told Orion to tell me ‘I’m free’ or some such nonsense. Would Orion lie about this? Yes, but the looks on everyone else’s faces told me it was no lie. I’ve never attacked someone so fiercely in all my life as I did to Orion earlier. I’m not allowed to go; Orion is; he comes back without her. That wasn’t the series of events that, in my mind, should’ve happened. Why did they leave without her? I would’ve stayed until I had her back, consequences be damned.
“She had to stay,” this Peter person tells me as he materialises in front of me. “It’s her destiny to help the larger population over there.” “That’s a load of shite if I ever heard one. Why not, then, have her grow up there? Why have her here and have everything happen the way it happened?” He gives me a sobering expression. “Think on it, Rohan. Think of the state of things at eop where you were. Now imagine you’re a helpless two-year-old.”
“And that’s another thing: Why two? Why not have her grow up in ‘The Land of Weird’ and then go to Victoria?” Why did she have to be here so that when I got here I found her and fell in love with her? “Empathy. I myself am trying to grasp it, but she, having been raised as a mortal, feels more human than not. She has empathy. It’s crucial for her ability.” He pauses. “Now imagine you’re a parent who has to give up her child. There were several options, actually, but Mother chose Sama and Asa. She knew Sama would bring them to this island, which, as you know, is safe.” He smiles. “And Yadira named it well. ‘Haven,’ because that’s what it is.”
“Okay, Mr. I Know Everything, why, then, did I have to fall in love with her? Why am I doomed for this heartache?” It’s probably a bad idea to punch a god. Probably wouldn’t work anyway.
He scowls. “Always with your fists, huh? It must’ve been hard being the youngest of your little group. You’re kind of scrappy.” “Answer the question!” Great. So he can TELL I want to punch him. “No. I can read your thoughts.” He ignores my open-mouthed expression. “As to the question, or questions. I can’t give you a full answer, Rohan.” He chuckles. “Right now, I can feel Mother pulling on me, trying to get me to leave you alone. But I WANT to intervene. It doesn’t really change things, but I think it’ll make things easier, so that’s why I show up.” He pauses as if thinking. Then he adds, “And Zuri’s hot.” He watches me scowl.
“Questions. Okay. Let me answer your ponderings this way: What if she weren’t here when you arrived? You would have either continued to sequester yourself with the other two nearby or would have found an entirely new location where you would’ve lived alone.”
“And been happier!” “And been lonelier. Back in what is now Victoria, you were always pushing people away. She changed that, to a degree. This community still needs you. You still have a purpose in the world.”
I glare. “Sure, I just have to go around with a big, gaping hole in my chest.”
He gives me a kind of knowing look. “You’d be surprised what can FILL a big, gaping hole in your chest.”
Sama
After finally getting Zane to calm down and realize I’m not a stranger, I get to hug my son. I guess he’s got a kind of stranger anxiety. It’s probably my fault. It wasn’t right for me to leave him like I did, especially at this crucial age. Now, he’s giggling as I cover his cheeks in little kisses. I still can’t get over how much he looks like Rohan, and I again wonder what, if any, personality traits he may have inherited from his biological father. He certainly SMILES more than his father. But Rohan has every reason to refrain from smiling. His world has fallen apart. I can’t imagine the pain he’s going through.
I make my way up the path to the main settlement and see Zuri and Isolde hugging one another like old friends. I like Isolde, having gotten to know her a little on the voyage back. She’ll be a good addition, and Asa looks over the moon. Then there’s Macie. The woman is apparently everything that annoys me, and she won’t leave me alone. I don’t want to be viciously mean to her, but I’m worried I’m going to snap. I had to frequently pretend to be tired during her waking hours so that her incessant chatter wouldn’t be directed at me. She sees me approaching. “Sama!” She’d started calling me by my chosen name on the voyage. “Is this your boy? He’s beautiful! I love those curls!” Zane starts screaming when she reaches for him.
“Sorry, Macie. He’s apparently picked up a little stranger anxiety.” And as far as she’s concerned, smart boy. “Oh. Well, hopefully it won’t last too long and he’ll get used to me.” “Yes. Maybe.” I really need to find her something to do before she makes me climb the walls backwards. I look around, wondering where I’m going to house the newcomers. I quickly figured out that Rohan has been living in a tent near the beach. “Hm. I suppose for now,” I also get Isolde’s attention, “you two could reside in Rohan’s house.” “Actually,” Isolde says, “Zuri has invited me to live in her place.” “Who is Rohan again?” Macie asks. Of course, we’ve told her about everyone. She forgets. “Okay, Isolde. If that’s what you want.” I turn to what has become my annoying little sister. “I guess you’ll be all right by yourself, Macie?” “But if it’s this Rohan’s house, wouldn’t he be upset if someone were to live there without his permission?”
Zuri cuts in, probably seeing my explosive expression. “Rohan has not been living in his house. You might have seen the tent when you arrived. This is why Sama says to live in the empty house. If Rohan wants it back, he will tell us, and we will find you a different place.” Macie ponders. “I think Orion said he had an unused room in his house.” Zuri puts up her hands. “No no no. That won’t be necessary. Orion will… have his hands full.” I look at the priestess in confusion. “Well, nonetheless, it IS an option if Rohan isn’t cool with the idea.” I wish I’d thought of that. Orion’s place is out of the way, meaning Macie won’t be RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ME. “I’m… I’m going to go get Zane situated. I want to just sit and play with him for a while. Alone.” I hear Zuri speaking to Macie, blessedly taking her off my hands. I watch out one of the upper windows as she starts showing Macie Rohan’s handiwork, and I breathe a sigh of temporary relief.
Walking over to Zane’s crib, I see a redheaded woman marching toward my house, followed by Orion. The woman looks familiar. Where did she come from? She’s holding her hand and doing everything she can to ignore Orion, and he looks to be holding in laughter. ANOTHER new person. I’m regretting not holding it to a vote whether or not Macie could join us, not that we would’ve had anywhere else to send her. As it is, I gather my son in my arms since it appears the pair are headed this way, and I go downstairs.
“Orion broke my hand,” the woman says, in a complete tiff over something. She acts like she already knows me. “It was his bloody stone skull.” Recognition strikes me hard. “Corin?”
A/N: Ever have those moments when nothing seems to go right? That was the whole second half of this chapter for me. For one, I really wanted Zane to be an infant since that made more sense according to timeline. I was happy that now it wouldn’t look so weird for him to already be toddler sized. Well, for some odd reason, no one was able to pick him up and just carry him. I researched it, tried different things, and nothing. It’s a known bug, at least as of last April, and everything they mentioned to ‘fix’ it either wasn’t a thing for me or didn’t work. That, and none of the sims wanted to do what I wanted them to do or looked the way I wanted them to look. I’m so tired of micro-managing and making poses for everything just to get what I want. I thought I wouldn’t have to do that for the second half of this. Ugh.
A/N: In the past, I have tried to Photoshop in blood. Let’s just say it was less than stellar. How about instead of me attempting it (and failing), we use our imaginations where applicable? hehe 🙂
Corrine
They’re back. I saw the sailboat an hour ago. I ran to tell Zuri, and we started implementing what we’d planned: she and Rohan would be at the beach to greet them while I watch the kiddos. Thankfully, they remained passed out asleep when Zuri and Rohan brought them over. They’re crashed out upstairs. I’m waiting here at home. I figure having a one-person audience would be better for Orion when he sees me. That way, I’ll know the reaction I see isn’t just an act. I want to scream. I WANT TO SCREAM! I can’t bear the waiting. They surely should’ve come ashore by now. What is taking him so long? I walk over and look out the window. No one.
Sighing, I have a seat on the sofa. My leg starts bouncing, and I don’t bother to stop it. I can’t stand this! So much rides on what’s going to happen in the next few hours. After what feels like days but is probably only ten minutes, I hear voices. Oh no. Vik. I failed to consider that he’d want to see his daughter immediately. And Sama too.
Zuri looks in the window, and I stare at her with wide eyes. She nods then makes a point to direct Vik and Sama up the outer staircase. I breathe a sigh of relief. Where is he? I get up and start pacing. Then I hear him. Yelling. Oh no. It sounds like he got into a fight with Rohan. Oh great. What if he and Yadira got together on the voyage home? I’m going to look like such a dumbass! I start for the other room, but I’m not fast enough.
Orion bursts into the room in a flurry of grumbling and cursing. “She refused to come back wiv us! An’ Rohan blames me. I did everythin’ save manage to carry her out o’ there, an’ I barely escaped wi’ me life! Damn wanker still blames me. Good thing she has his royal turdness wrapped ’round her…” He pauses.
I carefully look up at him. I’d slowly backed further into a corner during his rant. He’s staring at me with an impossible-to-read expression. I manage to eke out, “Hi.”
“Who’re you?” I glare and raise my chin now. “What do you mean ‘who are you’? You don’t recognize your best mate?” “Na. Yer some kinda changeling, an’ no’ a good one, at that. Ya got it wrong, mate.”
I feel my face flush, and I scowl at him as I sputter, “Zuri’s man…, Yadira’s brother…” I take a breath. “He changed me.” His eyebrows come together. “Yadira has a brother?” I clench my fists and stand stiffly. Of course you WOULD only hear the Yadira thing! “He’s the son of the Goddess, and he can change things.” My breathing gets faster.
“Is he gonna change ya back?” His eyebrows raise now.
My heart shatters, and everything about me crashes. I do my best to suppress a sob as I run out of the house. I don’t think that could’ve gone any worse! None of my imaginings could’ve predicted that. “Peter!” I yell out once I’ve made it far enough away. “Shh! Not so loud. I was curious,” he says as he materialises right in front of me.
“Change me back.” I can’t stop crying. This hard-to-control emotions thing I will NOT miss. “You’re going to base your decision on his initial reaction? Give it a little time. What did you expect to happen?” He pauses. “Oh. Well, maybe in a perfect world.” “But he hates me.” Peter shakes his head no. “I don’t think so. Give him some time.” He quickly glances towards the ocean like something startled him. Then he vanishes before I can say anything else. “Get back here, you bastard!”
I fold in half, still crying. Eventually, I sit down and pull my legs up into a fetal position, staring off into the trees and trying not to think too much. Pounding footsteps. Oh no.
“What the bloomin’ hell?” It is indeed Orion. I ignore him, instead picking up a stick and beating it against the ground randomly. I can feel him staring at me. “Why did ye run off?” He waits for me to answer, but I don’t. “Is this somethin’ ye WANTED ta happen? Why did ye never tell me?” Again, he waits for a moment but continues when he realises he’ll get no answer. “I’ll be honest wiv ya, I’m a mite hurt ya never told me.”
I let out a huff and hit the stick against the ground so hard that it breaks. I pick up a pebble instead. “I’m still me, you know.” A side-glance shows me a dubious expression on his face. He’s seconds from asking me ‘are ye sure?’ So, I punch him. Ow!
He rubs his jaw. “Okee, so ya are.” I toss the pebble into the trees, trying to ignore the extreme pain my girl hand is in. Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow. “Yer hand’s bleedin’.” I look down at it and wipe some of the blood away. Black and purple splotches already have started showing up on the back of my hand. “I’m not bothered.” I have to bite my lip to keep from screaming. “I think ’tis broken.” He tries to reach for my hand, but I pull it away before he can get it. “Let me see yer hand.” “No!” We have a small battle over who’s going to have control of my hand as I keep evading his grip. Then I yell out when he grabs my wrist. “OW!”
“Quit yer mewling,” he says as he carefully inspects my hand. “Sama needs to take a look at this.” “It’s nothing. A small fracture, maybe. I’ll wrap it up. It’ll be fine. Let go.” The last thing I want right now is to see everyone else’s reaction to my transformation. “Sama can wrap it up. Let’s go.” He stands up. I ignore him, instead getting another pebble with my good hand and tossing it into the trees. Suddenly, I’m lifted into the air by my waist.
I gasp and instinctively reach for his arms, which means I hurt my hand doing it. “Ow! Let go of me!” “I’m takin’ ye ta Sama.” The lug actually throws me over his shoulder!
“Put me down, you great stone gargoyle!” I start beating the living shit out of his back with my good hand. I think the bastard is actually enjoying this!
“Na. This’ll be faster.” A quick glance shows me that, yes, he’s grinning. “Orion. I mean it. Put me down. I will literally kill you in your sleep if you don’t.” Finally, he carefully lowers me to the ground. I can’t look at him, so I turn wordlessly and start making my way to the main settlement, holding my hand and wrist to keep them from jostling about as I stomp off. I no longer care what everyone’s reaction will be.
Derek
My personal guard does a sweep of the tea shop before Yadira and I enter. She acts aggravated while they do so, but unfortunately, it’s necessary. When we’re given the all clear, I escort her into the quaint little place, run by a now-extremely-nervous young lady. Although I told Yadira I like the place, I’ve only visited it once or twice.
I smile to try and ease some discomfort. Ever since being crowned and starting the city, I don’t get to get out into it very much, my duties keeping me ridiculously busy. Today, however, it’s all about doing my damnedest to try and make Yadira happy.
We take a table near the window, and I order for us, even though I’d hoped Yadira would do so for herself. She merely looked at the menu like it was a foreign object, shook her head, and placed it back on the table. It suddenly occurs to me that she’s never done this before. I keep forgetting how young she was at eop and how the nearby city had been utterly wiped out. Her expression reads ‘so what do we do now?,’ but she doesn’t say anything, instead looking out the window at people passing by. Our tea is brought to us, and as the lady starts to place Yadira’s cup, Yadira grabs the woman’s arm. “They didn’t suffer. Debris hit them and knocked them out.”
The woman pauses. “My lady?” “Your family. When the dam was bombed, they didn’t suffer.” She has to sit down. At first, my guards react, but I wave them down. Right now, I doubt the lady knows I exist as focused on Yadira as she is. “It’s true, then. You answer unanswered questions. Those bastards killed my whole village but for a few of us.”
“Those times are done. The bastards you speak of also suffered losses.” She takes a breath. “It’s time to move on. It’s what your family would want for you.” She nods, holding her hand over her heart. “I know, but I see them, and I hate them.”
“I know, but someone needs to take the first step. Since eop, we’re all in this together. We’re no longer separate peoples but one.” She smiles. “You don’t have to like them, but you need to forgive them as they need to forgive you.”
Once again, I’m awed. I’d honestly had no idea the tea lady was holding such a grudge. She couldn’t have been close to ten when her family, and village, was destroyed.
As the day goes on, word gets out that the goddess is in the streets, helping people. A mob situation begins to rise, and my guards struggle to maintain a sense of order. Finally, Yadira tells everyone that they will also have their questions answered but that she is only one woman. I myself have to put out a decree stating that if they threaten the peace with demands of being seen, they immediately get placed at the bottom of the ever-growing list.
At sundown, I have to practically carry Yadira back home. We walk through the door, and the second it closes, she bursts into tears. “I can’t do it!”
I blink several times. “What?” “I can’t. It’s too much. There are too many of them. Why does mankind have to be so horrible to itself?” She continues to cry. Without thinking much, I pull her into my arms. “That’s a question for the ages, and the answer is as complicated as people themselves.”
She doesn’t resist me holding her. “I’m glad I wasn’t there for any of it. Is it weird to say that Asa, Sama, and I were extremely lucky that every single person in our city died but us? We don’t even know who our enemy was much less know enough to hate them. Sama might’ve, but she’s never said anything.” Ever eager for more information I couldn’t glean from Lars, I ask, “How old was she?” “Twelve.” She sniffs. A clearer and clearer picture begins to form in my mind of how their life must’ve been. Yes, they probably were lucky. It would have been better to have an adult or even older teenager, but the way they brought themselves up gave them no room for learned prejudices, a perfect environment to raise someone who doesn’t harbor hatred. It’s like it was planned that way. If I continue in this manner of thinking, I’m going to become very religious. Instead, I bring myself to the present moment. She’s gone from a ‘don’t touch me’ stance she’d held all day to letting me hold her while she cries. “You need to get some food in you. Come, our head chef is probably very aggravated we’ve taken this long.” I instruct someone nearby to have them set a place for Yadira at my dining table–something I should’ve thought of ages ago. Prisoners eat alone in their rooms, and she’s not one. She pulls back and scowls at me. “I’ll be fine in my room.”
My jaw clenches for a moment. I should’ve expected the stubborn streak. “Would you do me the honor of dining with me?” She steps back and turns away. “Go to hell,” she throws over her shoulder as she barges past everyone on her way to her room. What… happened between last night and this morning? Yes, I was a bit of an ass last night, but I don’t think it warranted this much hostility. My initial reaction is to want to chase after her and get answers, but then I think that might actually make things worse. Whether it’s wise to or not, I let her go.
Over the next few days, I assign Ali as her personal assistant, leaving her in charge of maintaining a schedule for Yadira. I set aside a parlor where Yadira can conduct her meetings, and slowly, the people of Victoria really begin to benefit from her presence. But I never get to see her. We’re like the proverbial ‘two ships passing in the night,’ and a week in, it really starts to bug me… so much so that I find myself knocking at her chamber door.
“Come in,” she says from the other side, and I grin for a split second before opening the door. “What did you forget this time, Ali?” Then she turns and does a slight jump when she sees it’s me. “Oh.”
A/N: The next few chapters will focus on the Haven people, since there’s a week to catch up on and loads that’s going to happen. When we get back to Reck and Yadira, the last paragraph gets repeated so it’s easier to plop it down chronologically. 🙂
After the End 