But I’d called for real help and I was determined to get it. “Is the one Rhiannon and Lara know as ‘Mother’ one of us?”
To my surprise, Myrine answered immediately. “No. We haven’t sent another since Calypso. She was the last of you.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, something stirring in my gut. It didn’t make sense.
It was Myrine’s turn to sigh. She was quiet, but that didn’t worry me. Myrine had seen me through eons and lifetimes. When she took the time to consider a question, it wasn’t hedging. It was because it took time to sift through thousands of years of information. I could be patient.
“There was a group who left the island before the mists drew closed. Do you remember?”
When the Temple had finally seen that humanity was unable to accept us, the island had taken in as many parapsychs as wanted to stay safe, as wanted to stay cloistered for all eternity. Some had chosen to leave. For the most part, the Maere had stayed, though in those days we were priestesses. Our vows to the Temple were clear. We did as the gods asked. We did as the Temple decreed.
But a handful had, and rightly so, argued that their vows had not included reincarnating into the dangerous world we left behind, risking our immortality to be human for twenty-eight years. They saw it as a breach of contract, a violation of trust—a coercion. I had not seen it as such at the time. I was young then, and the group that made such arguments was older. I had not thought of them in an eternity.
“I remember the ones who left,” I answered. “How many were there?”
“But a few,” Myrine answered, vague in that way that told me this information was above my pay-grade. Not that I was being paid by the island, in any way, shape, or form. “Have you ever come in contact with them?”
“No,” I replied. “But that doesn’t mean much. As I remember it, they were not allowed to take their swords.”
Myrine laughed. “As though being swordless has slowed you down.”
She had no idea what it was like here. What it was like to be cut off from the full range of my power. From the gifts that now, only those on the island could use without a sword as a conduit to the Temple’s power. There was no use in arguing, no use in explanation.
So I stayed silent. But Myrine would have the last word. “This wasnotan emergency.”
I nearly sputtered with frustration. This wasn’t an emergency? Our swords were held by an unknown foe, we were being baited into getting them back, my cohort refused to fully assemble—and some unknown entity had been interfering in our mission here for years. Whatwasan emergency then?
Bitterness seeped through me like poison. My words were petty, sharp as the sword I simply didn’t have. “Isshegoing to get in trouble for visiting?”
It was forbidden for us to use our doors unless severely injured. Even Sera had not used hers when she’d been burned beyond recognition. But Rhiannon waltzed through with a guest. Myrine did not respond to that, of course.
My temper boiled over. “Fucking princess gets her way every time without so much as a scolding.”
“Princess or not,youare her superior officer.” Myrine’s voice was low and deadly. If I were at home, she’d take me to the mat and work me til I regretted my insubordination. “Perhapsyoushould give her a scolding.”
Myrine was about to hang up. I’d let my temper get the better of me, but I still needed her help. “Wait,” I breathed. “Wait.”
Myrine did not answer, but nor did the line go dead.
“What about the spirit traps? Do you know of a good way to disable them without destroying the Maere’s souls?”
Myrine sighed. “You have use of the Necroline boy, I assume?”
“Yes,” I agreed. It was a bit funny to hear her call Ares a “boy,” but of course, we were all children to the Admiral.
“Tell him to use one of your auras as a lens to amplify his power. If he does, it should help him calibrate his natural talent to the auric energy of the unascended. It will loosen the hold the traps have enough for them to escape. He will need time, though. Time to get it right.”
Relief flooded me, making me bold. “Thank you. Just one more thing…” Myrine didn’t jump in to stop me, so I continued, “Let Sera use her door. Let Max go with her. We need them at their best.”
“Fine,” Myrine assented immediately. My head spun with the ease of the past few moments.Should I have called sooner?“Do not call again.”
The line went dead, and I had two choices. Either let my feelings be hurt by the Admiral’s brusqueness, or laugh. I chose laughter. The whole thing was so utterly ridiculous. My life felt like a parody of what it was supposed to be. Still snickering, I crawled out of my closet to find my phone. It was on the floor next to my bedside table.
First, I sent a text to both Max and Sera, telling them I was going to call them. Telling them it was important. I dialed Sera first, but there was no answer. Then Max. The same, but this time, the phone only rang twice. They were there. They were screening me out.
“Fuck,” I swore at my phone. I so desperately wanted to tell them this in real time, to hear the gratitude in their voices when they thanked me. It was selfish, and I knew it.
I licked my lips, staring at the ceiling. I had my selfishness and pride, but I loved Sera more than just about any person on this godsforsaken planet. My phone was heavy in my hands as I sent the next text.
