Chapter 41 - Nobody’s Child
July
The faces of all the people I met in Libera flip before my eyes like the pages of a book I’ll never finish reading.
I push my chair back, getting slowly on my feet because my stomach threatens to jump out of my mouth if I move too quickly. “That doesn’t make any sense.” I hear myself mumbling, ignoring the background voices asking me to sit down.
“I know, my child, but Roden is not seeking sense. He desires a rebirth, a clean cut. He was only waiting for the right time to come and for his patience to run out.”
“I’m nobody’s child.” I snap at Jyn, my hair slapping my face as I turn to point a finger at him. “A tool, this is what I am. A weapon—”
A hand lands on my shoulder and slides down my arm, gently inviting me to lower it.
“You’re July Sofia Crimson,” Kristyon’s voice brushes my cheek like a sweet spring breeze. “You love the feeling of ladybirds crawling on your fingers and the sound of thunder when you’re about to fall asleep.”
He lets his hand rest on my arm, waiting for me to decide if I want to break the physical contact.
I lower my eyes to the floor. “I am his daughter. His blood runs in my veins. How could you ignore that and remain so close to me?”
“Because we—”
The bubble of quiet bursts, pricked by a groan that quickly turns into a muffled scream.
I spin around, but the source of the sound remains invisible to me, shielded behind Kristyon’s body.
Nothing good, judging by how quickly Merya reaches for her brother to drag him away from the table while he fights to break free and run to—Galen.
“He’s trying to get to him. Let me go!” Mack twists his upper body, trying to escape Merya’s grip. “He’s not wearing the key. Where the fuck is the key?”
“Get him out of here. Now!” Tabitha shouts over Mack’s words.
“The key?” I bring my fingers to the silver chain around my neck. “It has a twin…”
Shutting off Tabitha and Merya’s alarmed voices, I push Kris out of my way, lunging for Galen, who’s now bent over the kitchen sink, pressing his palms against his temples and groaning like a wounded beast.
“Is this what Mack means? Is this what you need?” I make to slide the chain over my head, but Galen throws his arm back, stopping me from getting any closer.
“No…” he growls in a voice that I almost do not recognise. “Roden is on Horigos, and he’s trying to get inside my head to find you.”
The sudden silence rolls down my spine like a drop of liquid ice. I let the chain fall back on my neck. “But that means—”
A hand rips the veil separating me and Galen from the others and lands heavily on my shoulder.
“That our time here is up, and we have to move. Fuck—this is worse than I thought.” Tabitha doesn’t sugarcoat her worry and pulls me away from Galen, who’s, in the meantime, fallen on his knees. “Whatever happens, you do not take that necklace off, understood?”
She spins me around, pointing a finger in my face and not moving until I nod. “Good girl. Now—you go with Kris and Mack. Merya and I will take care of Galen. If we’re lucky, we probably have until sunrise tomorrow to understand what the fuck is going on, and come up with a last-minute plan.”
Merya steps towards us, with Mack in tow, followed by Kris, who seems ready to catch him should he decide to act wild again.
“He’s strong,” Merya states, nodding at Galen, who’s curled up against the kitchen counter. “But do you really think he will be able to hold out until tomorrow morning? Tabitha, we need to give him the key—”
“NO!” Kris and Galen shout at once, the first stepping before me, towering over his brother.
“I’ll take July and Mack to The Mother. That will buy us some time,” Kris says, earning a subtle nod from Tabitha but also managing to relight Mack’s fire.
“Absolutely-fucking-no! I’m not leaving Galen like this. I’m probably the only one who can help him.”
“You don’t have time to create another key. Stop being so sentimental.” Merya hits the counter with a fist, searching the room for Jyn, who has not yet expressed his opinion.
“Stop punching things,” Mack yells before shrinking and turning away when Jyn stomps towards him.
“Come on, boy, time to go, either on your own legs or on my shoulders. Your choice.” Jyn puts himself between Galen and Mack, fists on his hips.
“Mack, please.” Galen’s voice reaches us, weak as if coming from a dimension far away. “I’ll be fine. The tunnels will give us some cover, and Roden won’t be able to detect me. At least until we are all ready to go.”
It pains me to see him like this, struggling to get back on his feet as if he’s just been hit by hundreds of bullets. But it mostly hurts me to see Galen forcing a reassuring smile when his own face is so ashen and his eyes red.
As I try to make sense of everything, I start playing with the key at my neck. “Why are you not wearing yours?” I ask, even if I still don’t know how such a small piece of metal can be a barrier between Roden and our minds. Not that I ever thought something like this was even possible.
Kris clears his throat to call my attention and the others. “Because he gave it to me.” He digs two fingers beneath the collar of his shirt, fishing out a leather lace with a key identical to mine in shape and colour.
We all turn to face Galen.
Me: mostly curious to understand why he did such a stupid thing, knowing now what the key protects us from; Mack, on the other hand, openly showing defeat on his young, freckled face.
“You gave up. That’s the only explanation. Stupid, if you ask me, and—nope, just stupid. I’m—fine,” - he quickly waves Jyn away - “I’m not going to lash out again.”
“Yes.” Galen snaps. “I was going to drop everything and leave July, my brother and everyone I love at Roden’s mercy. Think again, you silly genius! Why do you think Evelyn gave her key to July?”
I gasp. Her key… but the others ignore me. Except for Kris, who brushes the back of his hand against mine.
Mack’s eyes widen.
“You get it now, right?” Galen bites his last words as if they’re struggling to come out.
He grunts, seeking the edge of the sink with his left hand.
“We weren’t hundred percent sure, but Evelyn noticed something had changed in Roden’s behaviour.
Lately, he was more secretive, even with the Chapter.
And then—he let July make that stupid deal with him as if he’d ever set her free.
We’ve never seen Roden acting so erratically.
He was just covering all the bases—” He spins around, coughing in the sink.
When he faces us again, fresh blood gleams on the corner of his lips, stretched in a wicked smirk, his eyes - those beautiful explosions of silver and rich browns - veiled as if trapped under a thick layer of ice.
“Hello, my children. It is not polite to start a family gathering without your father.” His voice coated in century-old, almighty smugness.
“Nobody move…” Tabitha opens her arms, a human barrier between us and Galen.
“Hello, Roden, you decrepit piece of shit. I was wondering when I would hear your voice again. Such a shame you’re not here yet; my hands are thirsty for your blood…
” She tries to force a stern tone, but the tips of her fingers are shaking.
Galen’s head cocks to one side, a lock of hair falling over his Harvester eye as he studies Tabitha head to toe, clicking his tongue.
“You’ve aged, my dear. Tell me, is that little lamb of yours still around?
Or did you eventually give her away? I’d understand if you did—after all, she’s half-bastard with no powers—”
With an explosion of strong muscles and a mass of loose silver braids, Tabitha lunges for him.
But Merya’s response is quicker than our surprise.
The young woman shoves me out of the way and pounces to grab Tabitha by her waist, followed by Mack, who dashes behind her before Jyn snatches him back towards the secondary door.
“You stay here, or I knock you out, boy.” Jyn rumbles in his chest, never losing eye contact with Galen. When Mack opens his mouth to voice his complaint, a final glare from Jyn shuts him up.
“Don’t get down to his level. This is what he wants,” Merya implores Tabitha, holding her with one hand while the other is slowly caressing the holster looped around her thigh.
Kris’ fingers flutter against mine, and I remember to breathe.
Unmoved by Merya and Tabs’ reaction, Roden chuckles through Galen’s mouth, “He’s fighting, you know? He’s actually telling me to fuck off—”
For a split second the Roden-Galen creature flinches, and I see my chance.
“Galen, I know you can hear me. Tell me what to do, tell me—” I step towards him, but Kris catches my hand.
The familiar green eyes that I saw almost every night stare into mine, not letting me think about the nightmare that has just barged into our reality.
“July? It’s going to be fine. Don’t look at anyone but me, and keep hold of that key.”
This must be a dream.
Blood thrums loudly in my ears, but I can’t get hurt.
This is a dream.
“Ah, how romantic. But not even Mack’s mind can create something so powerful to break the bond between a father and his precious daughter.” Roden’s voice, coming out of Galen’s mouth, congeals the blood in my veins; Galen is gone once again.
“What more do you want from me?” I spit the words out with the same poisonous tone the woman in the green dress had used for me.
“Make another deal? Serve you Kris’ soul on a silver plate?
Join you on the throne to help you turn every soul alive red—puppets you can play with when you feel you’re no longer needed? ”
Galen’s eyes widen, and something - pride - flickers on his grin, but I cannot say if that belongs to my lifetime friend or to Roden.