18. Hope
18
Hope
T he news about Hope being a panom-to-be would have been way more exciting if she had known what to do with that information. Nina had told her that panoms used their hands to channel their magic, but no matter how many movements and complicated twirls or combinations she tried, the only thing Hope got closer to was a big feeling of stupidity.
“I’m done.” Hope sat down, opening and closing her fists to stretch the fingers that had been submersed in an intense twisting activity and now hurt and were stiff as the Fifth. As she saw Nina’s bless-her-let’s-give-her-a-break look, Hope added, “I mean, that’s as far as my imagination can go thinking about strange and not-strange things to do with my hands.”
“Fair enough.” Nina walked behind her in the grass patch and started giving a massage to Hope’s shoulders.
Hope moaned, closing her eyes as she tilted her head upwards, “Oh Five Cardinals, you are good.” Nina didn’t reply as she continued with those Cardinals-blessed relieving strokes on her shoulders and upper arms, but Hope could have sworn she was softly smiling.
By the time Nina took her hands off her body, Hope felt a deep improvement on her muscles and upper joints that had not been privy to many massages over the years of hard life in the woods of Verdania.
“Are you okay? Sometimes the blood pressure drops quite fast during or after a massage.” Two lines appeared between Nina’s brows.
She gave Nina her best comforting smile. “I’m all good, thank you. I was thinking about what we are going to do next.”
Nina started arranging some flowers she had picked before. “I’ve been thinking about that too, you know. Whoever sent us the messages and things maybe doesn’t send anything else, or the Fifth knows if they get in touch again. And since the magic doesn’t seem easy to learn…”
Hope appreciated Nina not saying it looked like all her attempts were an utter waste of everyone’s time and she better quit sooner rather than later. But Nina continued, “I was going to suggest we might as well go to Cralia and carry on with the plan and see if we can find out anything else.”
Oh yes, that plan that Hope had tried her best to forget. The one that involved her Nina seducing a roixer—hopefully one that knew important stuff but didn’t know enough to cause them trouble—and trying to get information out of them while doing so. That absolutely grand plan.
Hope took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, her eyes fixed on the beautiful daisies and poppies Nina was knotting together in a small bouquet. It wasn’t like they were doing anything useful by waiting in the treehouse, and magic-wise she was definitely stuck. Or maybe never-gotten-unstuck-in-the-first-place was a more accurate definition.
“We definitely need to do something. Especially now that we know where Raoul is,” Hope finally said.
Nina shook her head. “I can’t believe that Raoul is in the West House, and that you just found out your father is… Well, wherever the Organ Mandor is. The Organ House in Corentre, I guess?”
“The books always mention that’s where he resides, for sure. Everyone is in Thyria and here we are, arranging bouquets in the woods of a green island in the middle of the Radel Sea,” Hope chuckled.
Nina’s soft laugh was a beautiful melody in Hope’s ears. “It’s almost like Thyria is calling us.”
“After the compassom and your map and mother’s message, someone is definitely calling us. Now let’s see if we can figure out a way to get there without getting killed.”
The brownish plant-based dye on Nina’s hair suited her almost as much as her usual natural snow-white tone. And it was going to have to be enough to avoid any recognition amongst the Roix of the resemblance with her brother. Considering she had not been in Verdania for that long, the chances of avoiding identification were higher, or at least that’s what Hope kept telling herself.
Hope and Aurora had weapons strapped to them from head to toe, mainly daggers and blades, sheathed securely around their thighs and waists on top of their black pants. Nina was armed with a red jumpsuit that exposed the pale skin on her back and under her ribs, with interlaced red straps that revealed every single curve of her body. Hope found it absolutely jaw-dropping, and the admiration for the old woman who had made it in less than a couple of hours was none the less.
Walking in circles around her to double check, Hope confirmed the small pocket where Nina kept her red vial was unnoticeable. She hadn’t realized a very skilled tailor was probably more likely to save her friend’s life with her work than Hope or Aurora would be if they didn’t get to Nina in time.
After debating whether to say something or not for longer than Hope wanted to admit, she let the words leave her mouth. “You don’t have to do this, mother.”
“Excuse me?”
“You don’t have to do this,” she repeated. “Trying to come to a place you hated, to a being that hurt you and abandoned you. You shouldn’t risk your life for answers you don’t need.”
“I don’t need the answers, but I need you , Hope.” Aurora swallowed. “If you want to go to Thyria, I will go with you. If you want to sail the seas, I will go with you. If you want to fly the skies, I will go with you. I will not abandon you. Under any circumstances. Ever.”
Hope found herself smiling despite the sudden blurry sight caused by unexpected tears and emotion that knotted her love in her throat. “Thank you. This means everything.”
Aurora smiled back at her and turned to Nina. “Ready?” Aurora whispered in the small side alley that lead to the plaza crowned by the Roix quarters.
Nina nodded, her eyes fixed on the lateral door of the quarters in front of which different young people now gathered, some casually waiting, some chatting and smiling. All of them dressed way too nice to be common Verdania villagers. Some clothes and jewels they bore had most definitely been gifted by the roixers, unless they had gotten them from the Trading Table. Wasn’t it about survival, at the end of the day? These people were very much alive, so whatever they had used to survive had clearly proved useful.
Hope squeezed Nina’s hand and kissed her friend’s cheek, the skin soft against her lips. Nina squeezed it back and looked at Hope. Before Hope could tell her it was not too late to reconsider using her beauty and intelligence for this purpose, or more so, through these means , the double metal door at the right end of the Roix quarters opened.
The artificial light coming from inside brightly illuminated the villagers waiting in front, all apparently eager now as they faced the roixers going out for their well-deserved time off. The laughter, hugs and jokes were loud enough to scare any wandering animals looking for food in Cralia. Nina inhaled sharply, getting ready to walk to the roixers and catch whichever prey she was going to spend the night seducing.
“I wouldn’t go there if I were you,” the male voice coming from the dark end of the alley startled Hope, the daggers ready in her hands before she could fully acknowledge the threat. She took a small step in front of Nina, shielding her from the person standing in their hiding spot. A shiny reflection revealed Aurora’s daggers were already out. From the people standing in their hiding spot, Hope corrected herself, as another shadow appeared next to the man’s one.
The ricochet in the square was distracting and noisy. If Aurora and Hope killed the new arrivals, probably no one would notice. As if her mother had read her mind, she whispered “ Vitam ,” the first part of their long-term killing cooperation agreement.
Hope clenched her fists on the hilts of her daggers, an unconscious movement as natural as breathing, as she formed the second and last word of the mother-and-daughter pact “ Tra —
“Don’t you fucking dare, Aurora,” said a different voice, coming from behind Nina. Hope adjusted her position, leaving her friend against her own back and the wall, while she held her daggers at the ready, each to one side of the alley.
Where were these people coming from? There were no windows here, part of why they had precisely chosen this alley, and the ends leading to the busy and loud square and the very empty street on the other end were too far. Hope did not risk a single glance up as there were three of them here, but could perfectly picture the building around them being tall. If they had jumped from there without letting them notice… Fuck, they were good .
The brief shock at such realization and the unforgettable fact that the man knew her mother’s name. If anything, that could have been a better reason to slice them down to the ground, and no matter how good they were in the shadows or roof-jumping stuff, Hope very much doubted three of them could win against her mother and her. Still, she had not finished the second word of the agreement, the one that would give the get-go in any situation that potentially risked their lives, as they had practiced endless times. The last word of a blood-bound effort to start killing to keep living.
Vitam tradere . A blood-bound effort to start killing to keep living.
Aurora said, “Hold on,” and Hope knew she was talking to her, so she swallowed the word before she could finish it out loud, her daggers still firmly held at the stance as her mother’s sword was. Aurora continued, “Give me a reason not to, Marcus”.
“Only one? Can’t pick, you know. For starters, we could have killed you any time in the last fifteen minutes you’ve been standing here. I can also tell you that Aridian told your pretty lady to not waste her time or life because we already tried what she was about to do. And our very skilled Aida was brutally fucked and killed at the hands of one of the brutes that used to work for you.”
Hope’s chest tightened as she inhaled sharply, taking a small step backwards so her shoulder plates touched Nina’s body, needing to remind herself that she was warm and alive and safe behind her. For now, at least.
“Why would we trust you?” was all her mother muttered, not lowering her blade.
“Because I can take you to Thyria. Well, your daughter can take us to Thyria, technically speaking,” Marcus explained in a matter-of-fact way. Nina’s touch on Hope’s waist was appreciated, as she definitely needed any reassurance on this unexpected succession of events. Marcus continued, “We need her help.”
“Why would I help you? I don’t even know who you are and your people don’t look like a very friendly bunch,” Hope’s voice appeared more confident than she had expected it to be.
Marcus chuckled before saying, “Courtrades, weapons down.”
Even through the noise in the plaza, Hope could have sworn she heard movement not only in the alley and the roofs leading to the alley, but also in the buildings surrounding them. Cardinals, how many people were here?
He took a step closer to them, but Hope didn’t relax her fighting stance. His short beard was perfectly cut, his dark eyes matching his dark hair.
“I am Marcus Olannet, courtrade from Orizane, and you are going to help me—help us— because otherwise you will not get to Thyria.”
As if the Cardinals would allow it to be that easy. “What makes you think I would want to go there?” Hope asked.
“Well, you were about to send the young lady you are protecting on a mission to be raped or killed by a roixer, so it doesn’t take a genius to figure out you want something from them. I can’t think of anything more important to risk a life than information. Plus, considering your mother was discarded from Thyria many years ago, she probably wants some revenge. If you have any idea of the reason you two were discarded in the first place and what is on your skin, young lady, you would also want to go there and rip some throats off.”
The knot in Hope’s throat that kept her mouth shut was not just a shock about meeting someone that apparently had known her mother before Thyria. It was also doubt. How could this man know about her mark? Was it common knowledge in Thyria, Orizane, or Cardinals knew where he had found out? Did anybody else know? A distant thought questioned if he would know what to do with her mark, magic, or powers. Because she clearly didn’t.
Aurora swiftly sheathed her dagger and spoke before Hope could reply, “Let’s hear your plan, Marcus. But if you fuck us over, I will kill you. All of you.”
Marcus smiled, his teeth flashing briefly under the dim light. “I expect no less from you, my dear.”
By the time Marcus and Aridian had taken them to the windowless building they were now in, Hope had one thing clear: these courtrades weren’t normal people.
She was convinced there had been at least a dozen of them in and around the alley, yet she didn’t see a single one until they crossed the metal door. She wasn’t even sure she could have spotted the building if Aridian hadn’t stopped right in front of it. And the way they moved… Goosebumps rose on Hope’s spine. They walked like they had a private dance with the night. As if the night was part of them.
The pale blue walls of the hall were full of beautiful patterns that resembled the waves of the ocean intersecting with each other, so different from the vast facade visible from the outside. Marcus had told them to wait there and Nina, who had been unusually quiet on their way and still looked magnificently sexy, didn’t wait to get closer to admire the artwork. Hope noticed Aurora’s rigid shoulders and her jaw still clenched. Stepping closer to her mother, she whispered, “Remind me who are these people again?”
“I thought the Rulers killed the last of them years ago. I don’t know why they’re here. But if courtrades want to go to Thyria, they are looking for trouble.”
Except Hope, Nina and Aurora also wanted to go to Thyria and didn’t even know where to start. Sure, finding Raoul was one reason to go there. The main one for Nina, that was obvious.
But Hope also wanted to look for her father. What next, she wasn’t so sure about. Have a few words with him? Tell him what a piece of shit he was for discarding her mother to a semi-survival island with a newborn baby who happened to be his daughter? Ripping some throats off didn’t seem such a bad idea after all. It was more than well-deserved, especially as Hope remembered all those years when her mother lived in silence with constant blurry eyes.
As for her mother, Hope had little doubt that she was solely here to protect her and not leave her alone in a search for answers that in part she had kept hidden for years.
She needed to figure out what to do with her mark, if it had been such a liability for her father that it had been the sole reason for getting them out of Thyria. Was he scared of it? Of her? Because if that was the case, she had even a better reason to figure things out. Hope’s thoughts stopped wandering with Nina’s gasp.
“What the actual Cardinals.” Nina’s finger was touching one of the thin lines on the wall. A line, Hope realized with surprise, that was moving slowly, separating from a bigger one and curving and stretching to connect to another one to its left.
Aridian, who stood quietly in a corner of the room while waiting with them for Marcus, casually said with a tone that left little room for discussion, “It’s a living map. Keep your hands to yourself or someone will end up where they shouldn’t.”
A door to the right opened and Marcus led them through a narrow corridor with a curved shape that could not fit two people side by side. It took them to a circular room with a long metal table. As soon as Marcus tapped the surface, forms and silhouettes appeared on it. Forms and silhouettes, Hope realized, that represented—
“The Frenya Archipelago,” Nina whispered, confirming Hope’s thoughts.
The waves of the false sea on top of the table were moving in unison, and different islands scattered around the dark blue depth broke the water's surface. Thyria was in the middle, with its four-petal shape Hope knew was secretly on her skin too. It was the biggest island by far. Verdania, with its uneven shape and full of mountains and hills, was about a quarter of Thyria’s size. There were some islands scattered around the waters that Hope was pretty sure she hadn’t seen on maps before.
“We’re here,” Marcus stopped walking and pointed to the mass that represented Verdania. “And we want to go there,” he inclined his neck, his gaze fixed on Thyria. “I have over twenty people that I need to take with me.”
Aurora inhaled deeply next to Hope. “So many people? It’ll be harder to stay hidden. If not impossible.”
Marcus smiled with closed lips. “It’s not up for debate. I need every single one of them. Besides, nobody is going to see us.”
Over twenty people. Hope was not sure if she wanted to know why he needed so many. She was not sure if she was more surprised by said number or his sheer determination. As if he actually had a workable plan to take them there and live to tell the tale.
Hope lifted her eyes from the islands and found his eyes staring at her. “That’s where you come in.” His voice left little space to arguing. “We need you to avoid being felt . And to fuel our method of transportation.”
So confident he was. So damn confident. Hope looked at Aurora, wondering if she was despising this man that wanted to boss them around to fulfill his own agenda as much as she did. Did he seriously think that she was a mere asset to be used? Did he realize what a horrendous idea that was? Aurora didn’t need to nod. Hope read it in her eyes.
“Do you know I am not a panom?” she said, her voice almost broken by saying the word. It felt awkward on her lips, in her mind, to acknowledge her connection to something that the most powerful people in Thyria bore as an armor. Something that still was foreign to her, and yet it was inked on her.
Marcus’s left eye half-twitched. “You are as close as we could find. The four-petal marks recognize each other. You have one, and that is better than none. That should work for us.”
For us . The uncomfortable, almost unnoticeable sidestep Nina took next to Hope told her she had also noticed it. Marcus might as well have asked Hope if she could slice the mark from her neck and hand it to him, since it was the only part of her that clearly interested him. Still, Hope couldn’t resist the question that followed.
“If you don’t have a mark, what do you have?” Her lips thinned as her jaw clenched. It hadn’t been the best worded question, but she didn’t know how to phrase what she felt around them, about how they moved and interacted with the darkness.
Marcus’ chuckle didn’t reach his hard-as-steel stare. “I didn’t say I don’t have a mark. Courtrades’ business is no one else’s business. But, unlike you, I don’t have the four petals on me.”
Aurora’s fist closed in a way Hope read as My daughter’s business shouldn’t be courtrades’ business either .
The scar on the neck underneath her mother’s impassible face, a constant reminder of the cruel past, was enough for Hope to say, “What do you need me to do?”