Earthbound, p.9
Earthbound, page 9
The thought of so many people taken by earthbound made Tehran sick. How do we fight this? “But you left your home,” Tehran said, his respect for the man growing.
Alexxe shrugged. “My family was desperate before the earthbound plague arrived and we are worse off now. Jai stayed with us when he came through. Thankfully, he gave me a long pole and my wife and my boy are going to start making more for the cluster. He took them out to gather wood on the hovercraft before he left. Hopefully, they can trade them for food.”
A forlorn look returned to the man’s face as he contemplated the situation his family was in. Tehran put a hand on Alexxe’s shoulder. It felt bony and frail under his grip. “It’s a good plan. With poles, they’ll be safe.”
The worry didn’t leave Alexxe’s eyes, but he nodded.
“How can I pay you? Food or coin, whatever will serve your needs best,” Tehran asked.
“A little of each would be most helpful.” Alexxe’s expression lifted.
“I will have it arranged and someone will take you home when you are ready. In the meantime, take my bed for the night and make use of the house as you need.”
Alexxe looked shocked. “I couldn’t. A place at the fire would be more than enough.”
“Suit yourself, but I will be attending to business through the night and be gone before first light. If you’d rather the floor—” He let his grin communicate the rest.
Alexxe brightened. “Thank you, Overseer.”
◆◆◆
The evening lamps glowed warm as Tehran knocked on the Council Chair’s door and was ushered into the house. The sitting room he waited in was larger than his whole apartment. Stuffed furniture covered with rich fabrics filled the space before a brick fireplace. Thick carpet squished beneath his feet. Persephone Doccet, the head of the Rikken Council, met him an extended time later, wrapped in a night robe and clearly annoyed.
“I trust this is urgent, Overseer. The council chambers are more appropriate for cluster business.” The lean woman stood at the entrance of the room with arms crossed.
Tehran leaned back in the chair and met her gaze, saying nothing. If she wanted to posture, he could play the game. Doccet sniffed and strode to the seat across from him. When her ankles were primly tucked at the base of her chair, and hands folded in her lap, she put on a patronizing expression. “What can I do for you?”
A snide comment sprang to mind, but Tehran pasted on a neutral expression. “The earthbound threat is far more extensive than we thought.” He laid out all Alexxe had shared with him. “We need to move our food stores immediately. Commandeer houses if needed, any space off the ground. Use my house first.”
To his relief, Doccet nodded, her already pale skin taking on a green pallor. “I will tell the Council first thing. Do you have ideas for travel within the cluster?” she asked.
“Nothing revolutionary. Long poles, hovercraft and commissioning more stilted walkways to be built between dwellings.”
She lifted her chin, coming back to herself. “Possibly a raised marketplace as well.”
“Good idea.”
“Maven sent a few of Emilia’s designs to keep the creatures at bay.”
Tehran’s face went slack in surprise. “She’s in no condition to be working.”
“None of us have the luxury of wallowing at a time like this.”
“Emilia’s lost everything, Council Doccet. We can ask nothing more of her.” Heat flashed through Tehran, and he stood, fists clenched.
Doccet’s eyes pulled wide. What are you going to do, threaten the Council Chair? He turned to pace before the fire, the callous disregard for Emilia and Knox’s sacrifice stirring his own grief.
“If you are unwilling to protect us, what other options do we have than to use the skills of those in the cluster?”
Tehran stopped mid-stride and gaped at her. “Unwilling? I’ve nearly been swallowed by the earth twice in as many encounters with these creatures. If not for Knox’s sacrifice, I’d already be gone. What more do you want?”
Doccet pursed her thin lips, eyes narrowed. “I don’t know, Overseer. You tell me. Rikken has given you everything, providing for your needs your whole life. Now we face something we truly need protection from, the spawn of the Earth herself, and you are powerless. It makes me question why we pander and defer to the Sky, or her Overseers, at all.”
The air left Tehran’s chest in a whisper. “This is treason.”
“On the contrary, it is the Sky who has abandoned us.” Anger laced the deeper fear dancing within the dark hues of Doccet’s eyes. “The Sky. The Order. Our very Overseers have proven themselves impotent.”
Resolve steeled in his chest. What had Knox said? Hold them together. The last months had torn into the soul of this cluster, leaving them vulnerable. He needed to show them they were not alone, but he couldn’t do it on his own. “I’m leaving for the Capital.”
“Running, are you? You and Knox really are cut of the same cloth—”
“No.” His voice dropped with enough weight to silence her accusation. He ran a hand through his hair and then dropped to his knee before her chair. “Council Doccet, I am going to prove to you, to the cluster, they still have an Overseer fighting for them. This is not an isolated threat, and the Order needs to be brought to action, quickly. Jai does not have the authority to command such action, but I do.”
Doccet didn’t immediately object and he could almost sense a hungry, ravenous hope in her expression. It was the look of someone backed into a corner, believing themselves betrayed, regarding a single lifeline.
“Trust me,” Tehran said quietly. “Something bigger than our cluster is going on here. Communication interruptions, unprecedented earthbound, unrest; any one of these is a catastrophe, but all together? My gut is telling me we need to be ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“Anything. Rikken and the rest of the Reaches are children of the Sky as much as those in the Central Mercurial. If they know the full scope of what we are facing, they will send aid.”
Doccet’s imperious facade snapped back into place, and she gestured for him to stand. “The Council is not going to like you leaving. The last time we sent our Overseers to the Capital, we were robbed of one.”
A knot twisted within his stomach at the truth of her statement. Every journey to the Capital carried risk. He met her gaze, willing her to believe him. “Make them understand. I’m leaving before sunrise, but I won’t come back alone.”
Goodbye
Emilia
Emilia’s dreams started in treasured memories and slowly shifted into things of dread. She’d wake with a start, calm herself, and drift back to sleep only for the process to start over again. With twisted delight, she looked forward to each nightmare because for a moment, Knox lived again.
Her eyes snapped open. A creak sounded in the main living area. She looked towards the cot her mother had set up at the end of her bed. Maven lay asleep and gently snoring.
Another groan moved through the old floorboards. Emilia tossed the covers back and grabbed her wrap from next to the bed. Bare toes quietly touched the cool hardwood, and she crept across the dark room. In the main living space blue moonlight cut silhouettes of the furniture.
A great hulking shape leaned over the kitchen table, head drooped, hands planted flat on the surface for support. She stepped nearer and reached out tentatively to touch the edge of the shadow.
“Tehran?”
He jumped at her voice, his moment of introspection interrupted and rubbed his face into his elbow. “Em, you scared me! I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“You didn’t, the sounds of a large rat creeping around my kitchen did.” A low chuckle rumbled at her teasing. She moved to the lamp and clicked it on. In the dim yellow glow, Tehran’s true state became apparent. Red-rimmed eyes and the blotchy flush of his cheeks betrayed unchecked emotions. Stubble shadowed his jaw, and when he smiled, it hung cracked and uneven.
Wordless, Emilia moved to his side and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He stiffened as if bracing himself, and after a moment, relaxed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled in a steadying breath. “Sorry, this week has caught up with me.”
“When’s the last time you slept?”
His brows furrowed in concentration, clearly trying to remember.
“You haven’t slept, have you?”
“I have—”
“There’s still a few hours till dawn,” she noted and nodded to the darkened window. “I can get you a blanket if you want to take the couch.”
He shook his head. “I’m running late.” His eyes dropped to a paper before him on the table. “I wanted to drop this off, but I guess I don’t need it now.”
“What is it?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the paper guiltily. “A note. I’m leaving.”
“What?” For the first time she noted his apparel. Layers of clothing were topped with the heavy fabric of a travel coat. At the door sat an overstuffed backpack. “Where?” she asked, a lump forming in her throat.
His expression turned earnest. “The Order needs to know the scope of what’s happening out here. I don’t trust they will listen to Jai, and we can’t afford any more delays.”
“I’m coming with you,” she said before he finished.
Tehran’s face froze, mouth open in stunned silence, before he stuttered, “Em, you—you can’t. Not after you— A trip to the Capital right now is dangerous. Knox would kill me.”
“Knox is dead, Tehran.” Her voice shook. “I need to do something, or I am going to lose myself.”
Tehran swallowed, shaking his head. “I can’t. He asked me to keep you safe. I can’t be worried about losing you too.”
A wave of emotion ached in her throat. “Please.” He seemed to waver, and she pushed. “I’ll be with you. What could be safer?”
It was the wrong thing to say. His lips pressed tight, suddenly resolved. “If that were true, Knox would still be alive.” He cleared his throat. “I won’t be gone long. Stay within the cluster and to the stilt-ways as much as possible.”
It was too similar to the argument she’d had with Knox before the great earthbound arrived. Tehran seemed to be thinking the same thing, his shoulders tight and expression guarded.
He expects me to fight. Emilia let out a long sigh and squeezed his hand. “I’ll stay.”
Tehran slumped and he rubbed a hand over his face. “Thank you. Something is wrong about all of this.” His voice dropped scarcely above a whisper. “I need Knox. He could see things from every angle. He’d know what to do.”
She made a point of meeting his eye. “Knox admired your intuition, Tehran. Trust it. You’re a great Overseer.”
Tehran took a shuddering breath, glancing at the window. The deep black of night was starting to fade into the velvet navy preceding dawn. “I should go.” He pulled her in with one arm and kissed the top of her head before he grabbed his backpack and flashed her one last broken smile before leaving.
Emilia stood staring at the closed door lost in her thoughts until Maven stepped from the bedroom wrapped in a blanket.
“Did we wake you?” Emilia asked.
Her mother smiled. “Even if you did, it’s nothing to be worried about.” She hung the kettle on fire and then joined Emilia. “It sounds as though Tehran is off to the Capital.”
Emilia arched an eyebrow speculatively. “You’ve been awake a little longer than it appears.”
Her mother’s easy laugh filled the space. “I didn’t want to interrupt, but I also didn’t want to miss anything.”
Emilia sighed. “He’s concerned for the region.”
“As he should be,” Maven agreed quietly.
“He’s this cluster’s Overseer. He’s not responsible for everyone.”
“Isn’t he?” Her mother didn’t give her time to respond. “How much do you know of their vows?”
Emilia looked at Maven incredulously. “Mother, I was married to an Overseer.”
“Then tell me what you know.”
“You know I can’t do that. I swore a vow not to divulge any of the knowledge I gained of the Order when I was bonded to Knox.” The impulse to protect his secrets remained intact. The memory stung as images of their vows flashed through her mind. She and Knox, happy and excited for all their future would hold. Her belly twisted and cramped in anguish.
Her mother gathered tea and biscuits with jam and continued speaking as she moved to sit in the living room. “I, too, swore a vow,” Maven said.
Emilia looked at her mother with a critical eye. As far back as she could remember, Maven had been a healer, and Emilia had never heard of a healer owing vows to the Order. “What vow?”
Maven smiled softly at Emilia’s impatience. “What do you know of my life before I came to this cluster?”
She thought for a moment. “Father met you on a trip to the Capital when he was young. He was apprenticing as a machinist and you two fell in love. When it was time for him to return home, he asked you to exchange vows.” She gave her mother an obvious look. “And you did.”
“Who were my parents?”
Emilia frowned. “I’m not sure. You never spoke of them, other than the fact that they were from Rook.”
Maven nodded. “Yet, I grew up in the Capital.”
“They moved when you were young?”
“No. I moved.” She looked at Emilia expectantly, obviously wanting her to put something together.
“You took on an apprenticeship? To be a healer?”
“I didn’t come to the healing craft until far later.”
“What are you getting at?” A hint of frustration coloured Emilia’s voice.
“I took a vow that I would not speak of it,” Maven said slowly, giving her a knowing look.
Emilia sat stunned, staring at her mother open-mouthed at the implication. Her mother had been in the Order?
“What do you mean? All this time—when Knox was struggling to move forward—” She felt heat rising into her face. “You could have told me. You could have helped.”
“Knox and I spoke of this on several occasions.” She met Emilia’s eyes, looking serious. “Albeit, in a limited way. You know these vows are not easily cast aside.”
The circuitous way her mother had shared even this small piece was evidence of the power the vows still held. She had led Emilia to the truth but not directly spoken it out. “Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because, despite what people will no doubt say, Tehran is doing what he must. It is his duty to protect those he can. As it has been my duty to serve this cluster as I can.” She reached out and took Emilia’s hand. “Just as it was Knox’s honour to sacrifice himself for those he loved.”
Emilia recoiled. “Knox renounced his vows. He gave up his strength; he had no duty to anyone but me and our child.”
“All I am trying to say,” her mother said carefully, “is these vows are woven into our very being. You know the demanding nature of the training, the ongoing assurances required day-to-day.”
Emilia sighed. Oh, I know. She and Knox had fought on more than one occasion over his unwillingness to eat anything she prepared. It wasn’t until they were bonded, and she had taken her own vow, that he shared with her what it all entailed. It was overwhelming. Some meats were allowed, prepared in specific ways. Certain foods could only be eaten raw, and others only cooked. She quickly realized many of Knox’s idiosyncrasies were actually an adherence to his vows.
Her mother continued, “I can only imagine how hard this is for you my dear, and I want to help you understand: Knox’s choice to intervene, Tehran’s choice to leave, are almost beyond their control and are in no way a reflection of their love for you. It is hard to quantify the power oaths hold. Anyone who saw you and Knox together knew the deep love he had for you and your child.”
Tears fell, hot and silent as an anger she couldn’t articulate became suddenly clear. Emilia wiped her face. The Order. It always came back to them. They manipulated those who served the Sky without considering the cost.
And now Tehran was off to try to save the Reaches, driven by vows that cared nothing for his well-being. Even her own mother hid her past to appease an Order that cared nothing for her.
“I understand,” Emilia answered, her voice taking on an edge. “The Order would make slaves of all of us.”
Maven frowned. “Emilia, the vows are a gift. Not a curse.”
“A gift for who? You are still bound.”
“Not in the way you imply. I only seek to protect those I love,” Maven defended.
“Maybe that’s what you truly believe, but I can see the truth. These vows still own you. You are not one of them and you still can’t speak plainly.”
Maven straightened, offence flashing in her eyes. “It’s not so simple.”
“Tell me then, as a mother to a daughter, something about the Order. Why would they be blocking our communications?”
Her mother’s eyes widened in surprise. “They wouldn’t. Their oaths are to protect the Mercurial.”
Emilia rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know. I was raised alongside two boys who chanted such things every chance they got. But if it were true, why would the Order do such a thing?”
A look of concern crossed her mother’s face. Her hand reached out and gripped Emilia’s arm. “They would not do this—could not do this. Where is this coming from?”
“Are you truly convinced there is no way corruption could exist in the Order?” Emilia pressed.
Maven clamped her mouth shut.
She met her mother’s eyes, expecting defiance. Instead of their normally warm depths, she met an icy fear. Her mother was many things, but she was never afraid. A chill ran down Emilia’s spine.
“You cannot ask such questions, Emilia. It’s dangerous. I don’t know what you heard, but you must forget it. The Order guards itself well from dissent.”
The shock melted with the words. Emilia’s mouth soured, and her fists clenched by her side. “How can you side with them? Knox is dead because of them!”
