Chapter 40 - Water Graves #2
In response, Tabitha gives her a glare from under her dark lashes while rolling up the map and setting it aside on the floor. But we all notice a quick smile tugging at her lips.
Jyn slides a chair from under the table, gesturing for Tabs to sit, and only mirrors her when she seems comfortable, her elbows propped on the table and her chin resting on her interlaced fingers.
We follow their lead, trying to be as quiet as possible, and take our seats while the atmosphere, still tense and gloomy following Tabitha’s early revelation, softens.
Next to me, even July seems to fit perfectly in the scene, as she offers shy smiles to Merya and Mack.
She reserves a quick, sad look for Tabitha, but only when nobody seems to be paying her attention.
Nobody but me—and Galen, whose glare lands on me like a boulder when I shift my chair to the left to make room for him.
“You’re unconventionally quiet, brother. Something tickling in your mind?” I smirk, patting the empty seat.
He gives me a wicked look. “Yes, actually. Something I can’t seem to scratch away for good.”
As if sharing the same uncomfortable feeling, July pretends to ignore our quick exchange, tracing the pattern of the table’s amber veins trapped under a thin layer of glassy resin.
Our fingers brush briefly, and I retract mine immediately, as if pricked by a needle of energy, causing her puzzled look. Every part of my body is drawn to her. Even the hair on my arms stands up, trying to get closer.
Galen’s feral expression glues me onto my chair. I smile nervously, looking away and hoping the heat in my chest will not turn into smoke coming out of my every orifice.
“You two need therapy.” July’s voice breaks the dark spell, and I finally forget about my unbalanced sibling and focus on the matter ahead.
In her newfound, confident voice, Tabitha says, “We believe that’s Roden’s doing.
He used those souls for his experiments, and when there was nothing left, he tore those villages into ruins.
He’s probably done it for a very long time…
Other - older - maps show islands that are not even depicted on that one,” she points at the paper on the floor.
July shifts on her seat as if to ask permission to talk without really interrupting. Tabs nods slightly.
“But how did he manage to empty entire towns without being noticed? I mean, traders and visitors must have realised that something was not right, especially when a whole population vanished into thin air.” July stops to take a breath and to search for an answer on our faces.
For once, her knowledge equals ours. In turns, we all look at each other, mirroring shrugs and clueless expressions.
Jyn covers Tabs’ hand with his and gently squeezes it, his gaze falling on July.
“He did it right in front of them. That’s how.
His most loyal Harvesters surely helped conceal the vessels and any remaining traces.
Roden is powerful, but he needs the assistance of his people.
We believe he used a well-crafted lie to charm the village he was targeting, and to gain free access to its inhabitants.
” Jyn closes his eyes as if to visualise his following words, but Tabitha stands up, cutting him short.
She paces the length of the kitchen, from the table to the sink and back, stroking her shoulders as though seeking comfort from the cold despite the warm day.
“We do not know if Roden was the first Harvester to use our gift when the Great Famine began. But we believe that something weakened him after the Famine, and he started to surround himself with exquisite pieces of shit willing to do everything he asked for a slice of power. The fact that he’s now seeking aid from the Herionos is only proof that he’s running out of time and resources—his people are opening their eyes. ”
Tabitha heavily leans over the sink, facing the window above it, her back to us as if allowing herself a few moments before dealing with the shower of questions she knows is coming.
“Some Reds are willing Horigeans, tired of fighting poverty and hunger. But once a Red explodes, like the man in Brenath, that soul is gone forever. Not even Roden can save them, and the Herionos are the fastest way to gather more subjects without raising suspicions. Roden is clever; I’m sure going over the possible side effects of his offer is never part of their discussion. ”
Nobody seems to find the right way to voice what’s on our minds, except for Merya. “Who would abandon their family to follow a stranger? Especially if that stranger is Roden?”
“Why did you go with Tabitha?” Jyn asks instead.
“Because of me,” Mack replies. His eye fixed on Tabitha. “Because we had nothing left to lose, not even ourselves. And Tabitha was the best option.”
At last, Tabs turns around to face us all. “Roden may think himself a saviour, but he also knows that miracles are what turn a mass of flesh and bones into gods. And he had years to learn how to walk and talk like one.”
“But if the Harvester’s blood is diluted and hard to find on Horigos, how does he fuel mixed souls with such skills?” Mack sets his fists on the table, slowly joining them together, mimicking the fusion of two souls.
“He’s feeding them his blood.” My voice comes from a dark place in my throat.
The ticking of a large, old, square-shaped clock Mack found somewhere during his reconnaissance trips adds to the already heavy atmosphere.
My attention is drawn to the female face painted on the right side of it: black hair, red lips and the smile of someone who was born before Roden’s time.
“Initially. Yes.” Jyn confirms my fear. “Roden believed the easiest way to make them new Harvesters was to mix their blood with his several times until their Horigean essence was utterly replaced. Only those who accepted to undergo the painful procedure were granted access to Libera.”
The happy female face fades out of focus at the sound of Jyn’s words, and I remember to blink. In the corner of my eye, July is studying me.
I slowly return the look, wanting to say something, but Tabitha comes back to the table and gently places a hand on my shoulder, nodding at the room.
“And for a while, they did feel different. Their minds began to work more quickly and effectively as if a veil had dropped between their reality and the truth beyond. They experienced our gift; they could sense the souls of others and how much time they had left to live. The beating of hearts they’ve never met. Probably never would.”
“What went wrong?” July asks in a whisper, shivering.
“Everything,” Jyn presses his fingertips together, resting his lips against them.
“Their bodies couldn’t handle it. Their blood began to reject the new cells.
It didn’t take long for Roden to notice.
And yet, he let them live in Libera’s most remote villages by the water.
Until it became clear they were a threat, he shipped them back to Horigos and exiled them to the outskirts of Cleryce.
Roden-made abominations with infected blood, neither Harvesters nor Horigeans. ”
The sound comes out muffled, as if even recalling past events is a sin to be kept untold.
“To keep the Harvesters safe?” Merya doesn’t sound sure of her theory.
Tabitha shakes her head and makes to approach the back door, hands wrapping her elbows. “Not only that. Cleryce was a secluded area at the time, perfect for discarding damaged vessels, doomed to turn to dust. This is why, for a long time, nobody was aware of his real experiments.”
July clears her throat to hide her discomfort. “What about the souls? Did he go back to collect them?”
Tabitha suddenly stops in the middle of the kitchen.
Surprise and gravity mark her voice when she admits, “A soul cannot survive for long without a new body. The majority simply were no more after a few days.” She looks over one shoulder, and her eyes quickly find mine.
“But we believe that some found their way to a new life—treasuring memories of what Roden had done to them.”
A nod, then she walks up to the back door, tracing a scratch in the glass panel overlooking the orchard before pressing her forehead against it.
“Imagine being so greedy as to risk your own life, and still be able to make it even after Roden’s discarded you like rubbish, while full-bloodied Harvesters lost their lives to a water burial only to save a mixed-blood soul…” Galen’s comment comes unexpectedly.
My head snaps towards him, and I’m not the only one. July is staring at him, as well as everyone else, even if she probably doesn’t understand what he’s talking about—our mother and the despicable end Roden offered in exchange for her loyalty.
In exchange for her sacrifice to save the children of a man Roden despised. Our father—a mixed soul who survived Roden’s playtime…
Galen’s words sting. I can see it on Jyn’s lips, pressed tight to keep his disappointment at bay, on Merya’s hand hovering over the table in search of Mack’s to stop him from peeling the skin off his thumb.
Tabitha’s nails scrape on the glass, a painful cry which, I’m sure, matches her feelings, followed by a bitter laugh.
“Don’t you see? He’s still doing it.” She turns and faces us with a sad smile, her hands now resting in her pockets. She cocks her head to one side.
“Roden still has the power to infiltrate our minds, even from a distance. We could take down hundreds of his soldiers. Those who want Horigeans to believe we are the real threat. He will always be moving our strings, whether we realise it or not. But this ends now.”
Tabs slaps a hand on her thigh, making Mack jump.
“We’ve been fighting a years-long battle - never a war - trying to contain Roden and those who are happy to follow his cruel dream of superiority.
To make their actions just a fraction less disruptive for Horigos and for what remains of its people.
At what cost and with what results?” Tabs seems to ask everyone, but nobody speaks.
“Exactly,” she continues, “We’ve done nothing but delay the worst from happening.”
Merya bolts upright, confusion and a hint of panic in her eyes, making her brother jump again. “But what about the people we kept safe? All those villages and towns we rebuilt from scratch? They must count for something.”
“What about stopping scaring Mack to death?” he pleads, raising his hands, palms up.
“Dramatic,” Merya snaps.
“Boring soul,” Mack mumbles.
“Stating the truth is not really an insult, brother. You’d better work on that,” Merya comments, taking a step back to give him a judgemental look.
“How do you do that?” July asks, and when six heads turn to her at the same time, she looks down at the table.
“I mean, since I’ve been here, I’ve witnessed all of you jumping from tales of terrible events to arguing, in the middle of a serious conversation, about ridiculous matters.
How do you not crush under the weight of what’s happening? ”
“Because we don’t have the privilege to have our memories reset like yours.”
“Mack!” Merya, Galen, Jyn and Tabitha shout at once.
For the third time, Mack jumps, but this time, he pushes his chair, sending it toppling to the floor against the wall. “Enough. Give me a script next time.”
“No, please. It’s…okay. Mack is right.” July’s voice carries a sense of want, a desire for answers so intense I want to take her hand and tell her that everything is going to be okay.
But Galen gets there before me. His fingers are already closed around hers.
“I know it must be hard pretending. You don’t need to and I hate this feeling of having something right in front of me, but that I can’t grasp.” Her words linger between us even if her eyes are trained on my brother.
“This is why I wanted all of us to have this conversation,” Tabitha finally speaks again, her leader’s voice and stubborn gaze slowly making a comeback.
“Are you sure about this?” Jyn asks.
Tabitha nods, gently squeezing Jyn’s arm. “I received news from Libera that I can no longer ignore.”
“How? When?” Galen asks without letting go of July. He silently reads Tabitha’s face, slowly tilting his head. “Evelyn?”
Tabitha hums in response, bracing her hands on the table.
“She used one of Mack’s kestrels. Those grumpy birds know the way here, so Evelyn could send a quick message, even if ignoring our coordinates.
But it was enough to explain the extent of Roden’s madness.
His plan this time was never to give July another chance to succeed at what he had tried for years.
He doesn’t care about Kris anymore because that beautiful, special soul Roden desired for so long is now but a weak flame.
Kris helped us save many souls that were about to turn red, but that came at a cost… and Roden figured it out.”
“...there was always a stubborn, last kernel missing…That’s what Roden said to me.
” July’s hand slips from under Galen’s. She sighs, looking at me with watery eyes.
“Roden always used me like a tracker. He would have ended this if he had the power to find Kris on his own otherwise. But he needed me to bring him to Libera, where he is at his full potential. Before that last spark of soul…”
“And Roden can’t leave Libera; he’s tethered to the island. With Roden gone, Libera will implode.” Mack completes July’s words, pinching his lips and seeking confirmation from Tabitha, with growing panic in his eyes.
Her shoulders rise and fall. “That’s true, but Roden has apparently grown tired of his exile and decided that it is time to father a new generation of Harvesters.”
“Tabitha?” Merya backs against the kitchen counter, bracing a hand on its edge. “What else did Evelyn’s message say?”
We all hold our breaths. Tabitha runs her hand over her face, inhaling deeply, her chest expanding.
“Libera is on fire.”