Page 118 of Of Sockets Of Stitches
She lifted a hand to cup my face. “I shall always provide for you in your heart. The greatest honor of a mother is to experience the pain and pride of seeing her daughter no longer need her. You are ancient in my heart, Perantiqua. Always ancient.”
Dragging in a steadying breath, I walked to the tower, then returned to kneel by Mother with my needle in hand. She did not flinch from my gaze.
Nor did she flinch as I slashed through the stitch connecting her to the statue of a mother on her left. I tugged on the thread, but it would not pull through.Ah. The needle was important. I threaded the needle, and then pierced back through the hole in Mother’s palm. The needle slid through, and I tossed aside the thread that had anchored her.
I cut through the thread connecting her to Cassandra. The first mother did not break her vigil as I threaded the needle and repeated the act on my mother’s other palm.
Mother did not move. “Thank you, my Patch.”
“Do not thank me for doing what is needed for you to die,” I replied, then kissed her cheek. “I will see you again.”
“You will,” she answered, then joined with Cassandra’s chant.
I tucked the needle into my trouser pocket, then strode to the others. “Speak whatever words you must on the journey to the seam. Evil will attack as soon as it senses us. Remain close to my champions. They hold the real power against this sickness. Cassandra will do the rest, and you will each know your time to join the battle. This moment stands between monsters and our saved world. Fight for monsters. Fight against this villain who deserves no place here.”
I would not say goodbye. I would not admit to any doubt of winning.
I turned and leaped through the grave, and See was just behind me.
On the other side, I forced back the minions—and the humans who appeared more like vacant, rag-clad beings now. The carriage was there, as Has Been had reported.
See opened the door for Valetise, Picket, and Candor. Pawns strapped King No Change to the back of the carriage, and then the slumbering Huckery to the top. See sat in the driver’s box.
Each champion situated along the carriage shafts. They would draw the carriage, and my heart mourned for Life, who would have usually fulfilled that task.
Madness was a welcome reprieve. I set my thoughts on the remaining artery to be fixed, and let reckoning fill me.
I burst into the air, and felt the whoosh and cackle of champions behind me, the lumbering carriage in tow.
The last artery. The last frayed seam.
Goodbye to a mother.
Heal the heart.
Even filled with reckoning and ample madness,my mind whirled. And it could not. Not in this dire moment where so many unique and beautiful souls depended on me. I tuned out of my body and allowed my power to drive my body toward our battle.
My minds whirred and spun, offering up wisps before they calmed in the twist of their cogs. I sat in my thoughts until the ring and clamor of my mind was calmer. Not as calm as I would love, but calm enough to focus on the task at hand.
On accepting Cassandra’s departure and all that she had been for me.
On supporting my monsters.
See’s milky gaze flashed in my mind, and just as I was retreating from my minds, a wisp floated forward.Ulterior motive.
I wrenched to a halt in my thoughts.What is See here for?
He was here to help us escape afterward. Candor would have sensed the lie. But he was here for another purpose too. My brow cleared.Brotherhood.
See wished to ensure that King No Change was okay. Though he had not joined me on the healing journeys for Bring, Raise, nor Take.
So why one brother, and not the others?
No further wisp arose, and I stepped back into my flying body to find we were nearly there. I slowed to allow champions to catch up as I studied the hissing and steaming ground. Black, of course. Black dirt. Lifeless and sick dirt. Hissing and spitting as though boiling. Steaming with the heat of darkness.
My champions arrived quietly, and I nodded at them. See helped them to release King No Change’s panel from the back of the carriage, and the champions hurried to circle the Changes. The two other couples watched from within the carriage, barring Huckery who would have no awareness of this battle.
A violent hissing erupted in a wave of countries of old and continents too. The hissing was deafening and mind-robbing. Icalled back the stitch from the panel of King No Change. His shackles fell, but I could not hear the clang of them over the villain’s hissing welcome.
