Page 85 of Remnants: Disruption
Mary sits forward in her chair and snaps her fingers. Fires blaze to life across the room, transforming the entire scene into something far more ghastly.
Rather than bathing the room in light, the fires only cast further shadows. And the spirits seem to dance in their excitement at the thick patches of darkness.
They multiply even as I watch. A few appear in the silhouette behind Mary. Some behind the red-haired woman, and quite a few simply stand around me. Their voices already turn to hisses and whispers as I wait for the council to continue.
“They’re going to kill you,” one hisses and I flinch at its proximity.
The movement doesn’t go unnoticed by the cloaked figure beside Mary.
“Is something wrong, Hiraeth?” their voice sounds masculine but it’s monotone, like their mask might really be their perpetual mood.
My eyes flick to Mary before I shake my head, “No, just tired.”
“You slept for a week,” the man in green says, voice much higher pitched than I’d have expected.
“She broke her back fighting Darkrend, Loki,” the red-haired woman says, scowling at the other man. “Bite your tongue.”
“Enough,” Mary’s voice echoes through the room.
I return my gaze back to her. Her expression is an unreadable mask—like it had been this morning. Whatever warmth had been there seems to have been doused with the return to this place.
Typical.
“Yes?” Mary directs the question at me, and I realize I must have snorted in my derision.
“Am I allowed to talk?” I ask, titling my head. “I’m a little fucking confused right now. And as much as Ilovebeing in the dark, I’d like to know what’s going on.”
My attempt at a jab misses entirely as Mary’s hardened expression deepens.
“This meeting is not to inform you,” the figure beside Mary says. “It is for the God Queen to debrief us.”
“Oh, God Queen, is it?” I ask, shooting Mary grin that no longer feels very warm. “My powers are back, and unless you need me, I’ll be heading out.”
“No,” Mary says, leaning forward. “I wish to discuss the next steps. And as an acolyte, you will heed my instructions.”
My jaw tenses as I bite back words that would end up hurting me more than her. Physically, at least.
Because there’s no way I beat Bloody Mary on her home turf. Or at all, really.
“Darkrend knows her true identity,” Mary continues, looking to the council now. “He had the other subject in the room with him before she and Omen escaped.”
Subject?
The fire in my chest burns out immediately as I realize the gravity of her words.
“Told you,” A voice whispers and I see the movement of something in my periphery.
Anxiety erupts from the smoldering ruin of anger, and I take a tentative step backwards.
“We are still no closer to understanding Darkrend’s plan nor why he seems to be working with Damien Roberts and DAEMON,” she continues. “I believe the next steps will be to investigate that connection now that we have successfully taken a piece off the table.”
The portal opens behind me as I try to think of anywhere that might be safer than here. I’d been so stupid to believe her.
“Hiraeth,” Mary’s voice cuts through the spirits whispering. It’s so fucking loud.
“Don’t worry,” I say, my voice disgustingly broken despite it all. “I’ll be out of your hair. Enjoy your war with Darkrend.”
The darkness swallows me whole and I float weightlessly in the silence.
