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“I’m going to go to the water source,” Rafferty tells me. I know I must look bad if even he’s treating me with kid gloves. I watch as he disappears into the crowd, headed toward the river that provides water to the Underworld.
However he’s treating the water is meant to be targeted. Souls that were absorbed into the dagger and scepter have no memory of anything being different. There’s really no need to alter their memories, which means that what Rafferty is doing is going to affect just those who need to have memories removed.
I catch sight of Margarita with her grandson, who grabs Taylor’s hand. The two snatch up two balls, tossing them for Spot and Shadow to chase after.
This is the right call. Pom gives a little kick of confirmation.
“Daphne?” Xavier says my name, and I turn to face him. Cat wanted to come with me today, but I told her not to. I want to be able to show her my realm in all its glory, not while people are still picking up the broken pieces of themselves the way I am.
“Yeah?” I ask. I want to cross my arms, but that just pushes my tits together so I have to settle for letting them rest on my stomach.
“I want to apologize to you.” Xavier rubs the back of his neck. “I shouldn’t have forced your hand and dragged you out of you house when things with Essos were uncertain. I shouldn’t have alluded to his death, and I certainly shouldn’t have made it seem like Galen would be helping in any capacity. You’ve done a great job with the Underworld in Essos’s absence. I thought I was doing the right thing for you and the Underworld by getting you out and moving and showing you that you had a lot to live for. I was wrong. Cat helped me see that.”
I squeeze his arm. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have hit you.”
“I deserved it for one thing or another. I’ll just count that toward my karma. After you died, I saw what it did to Essos. He stopped existing, and I didn’t want to see that happen to you. He immediately sank into it, and I thought if I kept you from that long enough, then maybe you could avoid it too. But like I said, I was wrong.”
“Wow, you said it twice. I should put this down in my calendar as a momentous day,” I tease, but I can’t even feign a smile for him.
Xavier chuckles then shoves his hands in his pockets as Rafferty returns to us.
“My work here is done. I also finished in the mortal realms with those exceptions you named. If that’s all, I’d like to go back to you people forgetting I exist.” Rafferty doesn’t wait for a thanks or anything, he just leaves.
“Since we’re friends again, can I ask you for a favor?” I say, looking up at Xavier.
He tosses his head back and laughs, and for a second it’s too painful to be near him. It’s so like Essos that I wish Posey had just carved my heart out with that knife.
“What do you want?”
“Can you get Cat and bring her to my parents? I want to check in on them in the mortal realm.”
“Which ones?”
I stop short. “What does that mean?”
“I mean, miss boo hoo, I was an orphan who now has not one, not two, but three sets of parents, which set do you want to check on in the mortal realm? Essos had the souls of your mortal birth parents stashed for safekeeping. Ron and Linda, right? They were at your wedding. I was the one that took them to their safehouse after, so I know where they are.”
I tap at the corners of my eyes, trying to catch the tears. Hormones are the fucking worst. “I meant my adoptive parents, but can you get Cat and my mortal birth parents and meet me at Phil and Melinda’s?”
“I’ll meet you there.”
He transports away, and I take a second, looking out over the Underworld. It’s small, but I can already see the change in people as their memories of what happened with the zombies washes away. By tomorrow, they will all have a freer future ahead of them.
* * *
I beat Xavier to my parents’house, and it’s a good thing. I never expected to have to prepare them to meet souls.
“Look at you,” Melinda squeals, hugging me close to her. Someday, I hope to introduceallof my parents, but for now, the mortal ones will do. I’m not even sure Esmaray would know what to do with mortals and I’m still undecided about Lairus. It’s nice and all that he’s claimed to be my father and willingly bled himself for me twice, but something about him doesn’t sit right with me.
“Hey, X sent me as reinforcements,” Helene calls to me just as I break free from the hug.
My mom’s eyes bug out of her head. “Is she also a goddess?” She asks out of the corner of her mouth. “I’m Melinda.”
“I’m actually Queen of the Seas and Goddess of Victory. You must be one of Daphne’s mothers!” Helene hugs my mom and she has no idea what to do about it. When Helene breaks free, she turns to face me. “This is not your baby shower, by the way. I know we’re goddesses and can make everything, but I learned about this thing mortals do where you design your own baby onesie and I thought since you were mortal for a hot minute, maybe you might enjoy that. It might be a surprise down the road, I don’t know. Well, aren’t you going to invite me in?”
My mom starts to faint, but thankfully my dad is there to catch her. “You know, this whole being the only people that remember anything is, hard,” my dad grunts as he picks up my mom. “Where is that husband of yours? He did this last time. I love your mother, but I can’t afford to slip a disc.”
“My brother is otherwise indisposed. That’s why I’m here. Cat suggested that you and Mellie might faint when X showed up with Daphne’s birth parents,” Helene says, pushing me inside and closing the door behind her. I notice how she mentions she’s here to help if my parents faint, but she hasn’t exactly offered to help even as my father grunts, trying to get a better grip on my mom.
