Chapter One hundred ninety-three – Family Plot

On the way to the cemetery, Lord Andres regaled the boys with stories about his mother, their aunt.

Apparently, even though she was younger than The Father, she married when she was only eighteen, and had Lord Andres when she was nineteen. Andres was already grown when Lian was born, so they’d never really had much chance to spend time together.

At least that was what Andres said, but Pandy had her own suspicions about what had happened. At least on the surface, the story was remarkably like that of Bastian and Matilda. The younger sibling missed out on the estate and title, but because the older sibling seemed likely to die without producing their own heir, there had probably been some assumption on the part of the younger sister and her son that someday Andres would be Viscount Dunning.

Then Bryan Conroy got married, and Grace popped out not one, but two heirs, and there went Andres’ chances of inheriting. Unlike Bastian, he was still a lord, so his mother must have married into the nobility, but it would still have been disappointing to Andres to discover he would have to be satisfied with ‘Lord’ for his entire life.

True, some people would have been satisfied with that. Pandy, for instance. How nice would it have been to just have enough money not to have to visit food banks, attend free church suppers, and crash weddings in order to get something to eat? Add a title on top of that, and she would have thought she was the luckiest person in the world. She didn’t think Lord Andres was that type of person, though, and this feeling was confirmed when they reached the cemetery and the carriage slowed down.

Lord Andres gave it less than a minute before opening the carriage window and demanding, “Driver, why have we slowed down?”

“There’s a line, my lord,” a man’s voice responded with the tone of someone who knows they’re about to earn every cent of their paycheck.

“Go around them!” Lord Andres snapped. “This is the commoners’ section of the cemetery. None of these people matter.”

“I’d have to run over the graves, sir,” the driver responded rather desperately.

“Then tell them they can get out of the way, or you’ll do exactly that,” Lord Andres replied with satisfaction. “I wager they’ll move quickly enough.”

Thaniel had listened to this conversation with his expression becoming more and more horrified, and when his cousin pulled his head back inside the carriage, he said, “You can’t run over graves. There are d… d… people in there.”

Lord Andres seemed to realize that perhaps he hadn’t come off as quite the genial, friendly fellow he’d been attempting to portray, and smiled stiffly, going so far as to pat Thaniel on the head. “There, there, lad. Of course we won’t. It’s just that sometimes people have to be reminded of their place. They shouldn’t be blocking the road, you know.”

Pandy hopped over and peered out of the window, which was still open. Their driver was doing exactly as he’d been instructed, and people were scrambling to move out of the way. There were a number of smaller carriages, as well as buckets containing cleaning supplies placed neatly along the side of the road. It did make the space for driving quite a bit narrower, but even Lord Andres’ wide conveyance had been able to creep along, clinging to the edge.

 There was a thump, and Lord Andres muttered something Thaniel definitely wasn’t old enough to hear yet. The man stuck his head back out, glaring around until he caught sight of someone, and shook his fist at them. “That’ll get you a week in jail, boy! You can’t use magic to damage other people’s property!”

Thaniel was pressed up against Lian’s side now, and Lian had an arm wrapped around the smaller boy’s shoulders. When their cousin turned back to them, Thaniel said, “You won’t really send him to jail, will you?”

Face contorting with the effort, Lord Andres managed something akin to a smile. “‘Course not, m’boy. Just keeping them honest, that’s all.” The carriage picked up speed again, and he nodded, the grimace turning into a genuine smile. “There we are. You see? It just takes a firm hand. Now, let me tell you about the time my mother and your father…” He was off again, with another tale of his vivacious mother and her shy, quiet older brother, which was probably supposed to help the children feel connected to him, but actually served to make them very uncomfortable.

Pandy continued watching out of the window, one ear twisted around in case Thaniel needed her, as the road widened and simple gravestones changed to statues, then elaborate mausoleums. The carriage finally pulled to a stop in front of one of these, and Pandy was forced to question her assumptions about Lord Andres. He was certainly a bloviating blowhard, but he probably wasn’t poor and coveting the Dunning estate. The building containing his ancestors was almost twice the size of those surrounding it, and Pandy didn’t think it was just because his family bred like the proverbial rabbits.

“Come, come,” Lord Andres said, ignoring Pandy, just as he’d done since casting her a single disapproving look when Thaniel appeared with her in his arms. Opening the door, the man stepped down and strode confidently to the door of the mausoleum. It swung open easily, revealing a large space surprisingly well lit by large glass skylights.

Thaniel picked up Pandy, holding her a little tighter than was comfortable as he reluctantly approached the House of the Dead. Lian kept a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder, and they walked in together as Lord Andres gestured to one of the sarcophaguses – sarcophagi? – that lined the space. “This is my mother, your aunt, Lady Victoria Forrest, may Ismara bless her.”

Patting the cold stone box affectionately, he said, “I’ll allow you to take care of her this year, since she’s the only one you’re related to,” he chuckled, “while I clean up Uncle Abner, Aunt Mirabelle, and the rest.”

The carriage driver entered, carrying a large bucket filled with brushes and a bar of what looked like soap. He placed them in the center of the mausoleum, bowed to Lord Andres, and exited as quickly as possible. Lord Andres gestured to the bucket with great magnanimity. “Take whatever you’d like, m’lads.”

It was painfully obvious that neither Thaniel nor Lian had ever washed anything except themselves before, as they picked up dry brushes and began to lightly scrub at the stone. They managed to move a bit of dust around, but really the stone coffin was already clean, since it was inside a weather-tight building.

Lord Andres watched them for a moment, then smirked and withdrew something from his pocket. He kept it concealed in the palm of his hand as he said, “Rillsong!” Out of nowhere, a small sphere of water formed in front of him, then burst without splashing, revealing a being that looked like nothing so much as a three-inch tall water droplet. Andres placed whatever was in his hand into the droplet, and it rippled in pleasure, then bobbed up and down.

Waving at all of the sarcophagusesei, Lord Andres said grandly, “Clean!” The water drop elemental went to work. It skimmed over surfaces, dipping into crevices and picking out any mildew or moss that had dared to spawn there. A few of the stony burial boxes had figures of their inmates carved into the top, and the elemental seemed to take particular pleasure in exploring these, lingering over cold and silent faces, disappearing into cupped hands, and flitting under folds of rocky cloth. When it was done, it returned to Lord Andres, who gave it another of the mysterious objects.

Only when the elemental had returned to wherever it hid when it was waiting to be summoned did the man look over at his young cousins, smiling. “The Forrests are Air and Water mages, you know. Quite well-thought of, of course. One of my great-great aunts married a prince!”

Lian carefully placed the brush he was holding back into the still-empty bucket. “I see. And it’s acceptable to use magic and elementals to clean these sarcophagi?”

Lord Andres seemed to realize he might have crossed a line. It was obvious he’d been trying to impress and overawe his young cousins, but Lian just looked coldly angry, his eyes like chips of blueberry popsicle. “Ah, well,” the man stammered, “acceptable, certainly. I admit, not everyone-”

Lian raised his empty hand. “Lumis,” he said, and a bright white spark formed above his palm. He fed the spark nothing, just pointed to Lady Victoria’s sarcophagus, and said, “Clean, please.” The spark bobbed, then flared so brightly it was like walking down the lighting aisle at a Home Supply store right after a child turned on every single switch.

Use 30 Corruption Points to resist Lucence?

<Yes!> Pandy thought, as she felt Thaniel flinch. She was resting over the dark gem buried in his chest, and even through his coat, she could feel a warm spot forming beneath her. Looking up at his pale, small face, she thought, <Thaniel! Get out! Leave!> He swallowed hard, throat bobbing, then stumbled backward, toward the door. Each step seemed to be an effort, and Pandy silently urged him on. <Go go go go! You can do it!>

Sunlight fell across them, cleansing in a very different way from the burning illumination inside the mausoleum. A shadow sliced through the light streaming out of the door, and Lian emerged, hurrying to Thaniel’s side. His face was pale, and his eyes roved over Thaniel as if expecting to find the small body riddled with holes. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “Thaniel. I didn’t think-”

Lian clasped Thaniel to him, crushing Pandy between them, but for once she didn’t care. The pressure allowed her to feel the heat draining from that small lump beneath her side, and that was all that mattered. Thaniel was fine. Would be fine.

“What ho?” another voice called out, and two entirely unwelcome arms wrapped around the boys, squeezing tightly. “Poor little lad. Were you overcome by the light? Or were you reminded of your mother? I hear she was a marvelous Light elementalist, though I never got to see it myself.”

Lord Andres stepped back, though he kept a hand clasped on each boy’s shoulder. “Thank you, Killian. I’m sure my family appreciates such a thorough cleaning,” he said grandly, then turned to Thaniel. “And you, m’boy? Are you a Light mage like Grace?”

Lian pulled away from his cousin, stepping in between Thaniel and Andres, so the man was forced to release them both. “I believe it’s considered impolite to ask about magic alignment, Lord Andres.” His voice was cold as the frozen tundra.

“Oh, call me Uncle Andres,” Andres said, his eyes sharper than Pandy would have guessed they could be. “Family needs to know, eh, what?”

“No, you don’t,” Killian said, taking hold of Thaniel’s hand. “We’ll make our own way back to school. Thank you for the… interesting day, Lord Andres. I hope we don’t meet again soon.”

“What?” This time the man sounded genuinely flustered. “Come on, lads. At least let me take you back.” Lian stopped, and Pandy didn’t know exactly what Lord Andres saw in his face, but the plump lord took a step away from him. He shuddered, then said, “You’ll be seeing me when I’m made your guardian, my boy, and it won’t go well for you. Now get back in the carriage!”

This time when Lian halted, he gave Thaniel a gentle push. “Keep walking,” he said softly, and Thaniel nodded, raising Pandy and burying his face in her fur. Pandy watched over the boy’s shoulder as Lian turned back once more.

“Lord Andres Forrest,” Killian said, in a voice Pandy knew from Gacha Love, “let me assure you that if I ever see you again, you will be the one who regrets it.” That was all, but the full-grown man to whom he was speaking went utterly white, and lunged for his carriage, yelling for the driver to leave the ungrateful brats behind. The carriage lurched into motion, and Pandy was glad it was pointed the other direction, so it couldn’t try to run them down.

As the rattle of its wheels died away, leaving only the creaking of the heavy door to the mausoleum and Thaniel’s soft, panting breaths, Lian turned around and followed his brother. Setting a comforting hand on Thaniel’s shoulder, Lian said, “It’s a beautiful day for a walk, don’t you think?” and Thaniel nodded, looking at his brother with a face shining with adoration.