Page 53 of Petals for Vicious Secrets

Marcus went back to the cabin and started making carefully thought movements on the living map, including multiple calculations that had probably taken months to figure out.

“The only way to make them believe they are chasing us is to base the future pushes of the vessels on the usual panom forces across the net,” Marcus explained as Aridian and Jessica donned on every single weapon they owned. Nina and Aurora were outside the cabin, getting whatever they needed. Marcus looked at Hope and said, “I know you have all your blades and weapons on you every single time you are awake, but you need to grab your two rations of food.”

“I can look after myself,” Hope said.

Aridian rolled his eyes, “We know you are a super powerful woman that does not need any help ever, but take these two rations and shut up, will you?” He threw two portions at Hope’s chest and she grabbed them before they hit her, pocketing them quickly.

“How much blood do you need for all these jumps you are scheduling?” Hope asked.

Marcus looked at her, then at the crystal orb that stored the source of energy that her panom blood had now become. “Twice the usual amount, to be safe,” Marcus said. “In usual circumstances it would fuel the cellholt for six days, but if I can instruct the pushes to be more intense, the cellholt might get farther, traveling faster.”

So by the time the roixers intercepted it and saw there was no one inside, they would be too far to catch them within the vessels before they made their way out. Without further explanations, Hope cut her hand and let the blood flow inside the crystal.

It was all about time. Reaching the tunnel before the roixers caught them and tried to kill them all was like going against a time-ticking panom bomb. And about time it was indeed, as Marcus soon walked outside the cabin and said, “Time’s up. We jump from the cellholt while it’s moving, because if they are monitoring the living map and they see a decrease in speed, they will know when we have abandoned it and track us from here.”

“Isn’t it going faster than ever?” Nina asked Hope.

Hope held Nina’s hand, unable to ignore what the cold sweat on her pale skin meant. She looked at Nina, who was staring at Marcus with wide eyes and a deep frown, presumably considering if he had lost his mind.

“It is going faster so it can go farther and buy us some time,” Hope explained, but Nina didn’t take her eyes off Marcus. So Hope stepped in front of her and said, “We are jumping together, Nina. As we will climb the tunnel to Corentre. Together.”

Nina swallowed, her eyes less wide, but her frown still persistent. Hope continued, “Your brother might be right above us right now, and he needs you. But we need to get out of this net of vessels first. That is all we have to do. All we will do. And we will do it together.”

Hope squeezed Nina’s hand, and she returned the squeeze. Before Nina could reconsider, Hope pulled her hand until they were behind Aurora in the long line of beings. The line of courtrades was facing the back of the cellholt, where crates were now piled forming some steps that lead to the roofless top of the vehicle. As Marcus gave the signal, they started jumping out one after the other. Without hesitation. Without fear.

Far from fear, some courtrades seemed extremely excited to have some action after dull weeks sitting inside the same four glass walls of the cellholt. Never minding the fact that this action involved lethal military-trained roixers chasing them in an underwater net of Cardinally created vessels.

Aurora’s turn to jump shortly approached, and she winked at Hope and Nina before jumping out. Hope and Nina were next, only leaving Lidia, Aridian and Marcus behind them.

They climbed the crates to the top, unable to fully stand above them as their heads would hit the blueish and fast-moving top of the vessel. Hope held Nina’s hand tight. She was perfectly aware of how much sweaty and much colder her hand had become in the space of a couple of minutes.

“I’ve got you, Nina,” Hope said. “Let’s make this trip worth it. For your brother.” She counted to three, and their feet shot into the air.

33

Lenna

The Cardinals Temple was full.

The Organ Mandor had presumably temporarily removed the epitellia wards of the Organ House to allow the panoms to answer to his summons.

Panoms were separated into different groups, mostly the members of each House sticking together. There had to be almost a hundred of them. Some looked spotless, as if they had been readying for an encounter with the Organ Mandor for days, and they considered it an honor. Some looked rather wrecked, especially the parents of very young children who carried these in arms. A new mother was nursing her baby while she stood in the waiting crowd. The look on her face was much closer to pure anger than fear.

Lenna didn’t want to get anywhere near the what-have-you-done face of her sister, or the already judging expression of her father, nor her mother’s concerned eyes. She hadn’t missed them one bit since she had moved to Corentre. Lenna nodded in silence and that was as much as a hello-long-time-no-see as she wanted to offer.

She preferred to be with Ciaran, who was next to his father and what she guessed were a multitude of cousins, uncles and aunts. Even though she knew that affiliating herself with the West House was not a clever choice. Not considering where Raoul had been found. And who would be the first ones expected to give explanations.

Before she had time to search for someone in particular, the massive doors to the throne room opened, and everyone made their way inside. After the last person crossed the doorway, the doors closed with a loud bang. A not-so-subtle reminder that they were at the Organ Mandor’s mercy, in the Cardinals Temple at the Organ House.

Rhei Coralt moured straight into the throne made of black feathers and bones placed on the altar a few steps above the floor level. His short, black hair and silver eyes framed every marked angle of his expression. His dominant presence would have towered above them even if he hadn’t been on the altar.

Lenna held her breath as Jake moured in after him and stood next to his father. His face was completely emotionless. The face of the discarder of Thyria. The face of the Heir of the Organ House, only son to the Organ Mandor.

Lenna felt her guts twisting at that sight. She didn’t recognize him. She hated he was who he was.

A baby cried at the back of the room, and Rhei Coralt bared his teeth at the noise. He closed his hand sharply, Taking the voice of the child. Lenna hoped he had only Taken his voice and not the air of his little lungs too.

Nobody made a single noise as the Organ Mandor opened both hands and two sharp daggers appeared in them. One made of Cardinal-red glass, one made of obsidian black glass. The Lawful Stabs. The unbreakable ones used for centuries to inflict punishments.

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