Page 31 of Petals for Vicious Secrets

“We would never forget that you fix all the people your mother orders her inferiors to hurt,” Sasha walked towards Indianna and sat next to her on the soft, massive couch, putting a reassuring hand on Indianna’s knee.

“Anyway, we’re the good guys.” Brendon winked, sitting back down on one of the velvety couches and taking a sip of his transparent, thick drink.

Lenna spoke, not looking at anyone in particular, half asking Ciaran and half asking the four other people in front of her. “I take you are all Elite because you earned your value in society rather than paid for your value?” That was highly unusual.

“She learns fast,” Sasha grinned.

So here were a top scientist of the labs better guarded by the Organ House, a communication consultant that helped ensure a respectful harmony between the petals and the Rulers and the Houses, an agent at the most secretive organization of Thyria, and a healer at the center the sickest people went who also happened to be related to the damned Roix Reigner. Damn all the Cardinals one by one if that wasn’t an “interesting mix of people”. And of course, the heirs of the West and North Houses had just joined the party. Both panoms.

“These brains of ours were noticeable enough to shine during our education years, and here we are,” Brendon opened his arms in front of him, towards his friends. “Some of us still shine,” he winked with a sideways smile.

“Some of us have a colossal head,” Indianna retorted without taking her eyes from Lenna. Her stare felt like a ray penetrating her mind.

Some inner instinct told Lenna that the Organ Mandor, her own father back at the North House, and many other high-ranking commands would not be happy that such an alliance existed between these well-connected and influential people.

They didn’t look like allies, though. How they moved and talked to each other… There was no apparent pretence-bullshit going on here, unlike what Lenna had very often seen in Elite gatherings. Or if there was, they hid it well. But they seemed comfortable, including Ciaran, which was a very positive indicator, considering how take-no-shit he was. And there was that unique familiarity that long-term friends have in the environment. That and—

“Why do I feel there is something else missing here?” she asked Ciaran, lowering her voice, ignoring the fact that the others, who now were interchanging stares while smiling or grinning, could hear her.

Ciaran bit his bottom lip, his metal ring shining against his teeth. He finally said with caution in his blue eyes and the corners of his lips tilting upwards, “I may or may not have donated some of my magic to them.”

18

Hope

The news about Hope being a panom-to-be would have been way more exciting if she had known what to do with that information. Nina had told her that panoms used their hands to channel their magic, but no matter how many movements and complicated twirls or combinations she tried, the only thing Hope got closer to was a big feeling of stupidity.

“I’m done.” Hope sat down, opening and closing her fists to stretch the fingers that had been submersed in an intense twisting activity and now hurt and were stiff as the Fifth. As she saw Nina’s bless-her-let’s-give-her-a-break look, Hope added, “I mean, that’s as far as my imagination can go thinking about strange and not-strange things to do with my hands.”

“Fair enough.” Nina walked behind her in the grass patch and started giving a massage to Hope’s shoulders.

Hope moaned, closing her eyes as she tilted her head upwards, “Oh Five Cardinals, you are good.” Nina didn’t reply as she continued with those Cardinals-blessed relieving strokes on her shoulders and upper arms, but Hope could have sworn she was softly smiling.

By the time Nina took her hands off her body, Hope felt a deep improvement on her muscles and upper joints that had not been privy to many massages over the years of hard life in the woods of Verdania.

“Are you okay? Sometimes the blood pressure drops quite fast during or after a massage.” Two lines appeared between Nina’s brows.

She gave Nina her best comforting smile. “I’m all good, thank you. I was thinking about what we are going to do next.”

Nina started arranging some flowers she had picked before. “I’ve been thinking about that too, you know. Whoever sent us the messages and things maybe doesn’t send anything else, or the Fifth knows if they get in touch again. And since the magic doesn’t seem easy to learn…”

Hope appreciated Nina not saying it looked like all her attempts were an utter waste of everyone’s time and she better quit sooner rather than later. But Nina continued, “I was going to suggest we might as well go to Cralia and carry on with the plan and see if we can find out anything else.”

Oh yes, that plan that Hope had tried her best to forget. The one that involved her Nina seducing a roixer—hopefully one that knew important stuff but didn’t know enough to cause them trouble—and trying to get information out of them while doing so. That absolutely grand plan.

Hope took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, her eyes fixed on the beautiful daisies and poppies Nina was knotting together in a small bouquet. It wasn’t like they were doing anything useful by waiting in the treehouse, and magic-wise she was definitely stuck. Or maybe never-gotten-unstuck-in-the-first-place was a more accurate definition.

“We definitely need to do something. Especially now that we know where Raoul is,” Hope finally said.

Nina shook her head. “I can’t believe that Raoul is in the West House, and that you just found out your father is… Well, wherever the Organ Mandor is. The Organ House in Corentre, I guess?”

“The books always mention that’s where he resides, for sure. Everyone is in Thyria and here we are, arranging bouquets in the woods of a green island in the middle of the Radel Sea,” Hope chuckled.

Nina’s soft laugh was a beautiful melody in Hope’s ears. “It’s almost like Thyria is calling us.”

“After the compassom and your map and mother’s message, someone is definitely calling us. Now let’s see if we can figure out a way to get there without getting killed.”

The brownish plant-based dye on Nina’s hair suited her almost as much as her usual natural snow-white tone. And it was going to have to be enough to avoid any recognition amongst the Roix of the resemblance with her brother. Considering she had not been in Verdania for that long, the chances of avoiding identification were higher, or at least that’s what Hope kept telling herself.

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