Page 44 of Nineteen Eighty

Evangeline resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Maddy was more than an empath, Leena. She was… she was a unique soul, you could say. She wasn’t like anyone else, and being an empath was only the tip of the iceberg.”

“Being an empath is what killed her!”

“Oh, come on, Colleen. Really? No. No, it wasn’t what killed her.” Evangeline reached out and took her sister’s hand in hers. “It wasn’t. What killed her was her big heart and, I don’t know, her need to be at the center of the world’s events. The stupid need to save things that can’t be saved. I suppose being an empath fueled that, but that’s who she would have been anyway.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“When am I ever wrong?”

Colleen groaned and checked her imaginary watch. “How long do we have?”

“She’ll be fine,” Evangeline reassured her. “Not everything is a tragedy waiting to unfold, you know. Amelia has a mother who knows the warnings signs. Knows what to do. Mama did her best with us, but she wasn’t even slightly equipped for the shit we inherited from Dad.”

“Yeah…”

“She wasn’t.” Evangeline poked her sister’s chest. “But you are. And you can train Amelia to protect herself in ways Maddy never could. You can teach her brothers to look for signs too. You don’t have to do this alone.”

“I suppose so.”

“You’re just afraid to be happy.”

“I am not!”

Evangeline looped an arm around her waist, navigating them toward the Council chambers. “You are. Maybe we all are. But that’s behind us, Leena. We got through the worst of it. Whatever’s ahead are the best parts. Everything, eventually.”

The quarterly Council meetings had been mostly perfunctory when Colleen took over as magistrate. In the past four and a half years, she’d focused on restoring purpose. On something other than reading over the past notes and making random observations. Luther’s work building their network beyond their family had borne fruit, and next year they’d host their first get-together, at The Gardens, with allies from all over the world. Others like them.

She didn’t know what Ophelia’s eventual vision was, but she couldn’t help but think she’d be proud of the work Colleen was doing.

But they had another topic for today. Cassius was officially announcing his retirement.

“I don’t really have a compelling reason, other than I think it’s time for new blood,” he explained after the group hugs. “With my brother gone, and Eugenia focusing on family, I just think it’s time for me to follow her lead, you know? I think it’s time, is all.” He looked at his son, Jasper. “Time for the Jaspers of the world, and the Luthers.”

“Truly the end of an era,” Pansy said, sniffling. “It feels like it should mean something.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” her sister, Kitty, said. “But things have changed. It feels so different now.”

“Not bad, though,” Evangeline jumped in.

“No,” Kitty said quickly. “But different.”

“Have you found my replacement yet?” Cassius asked. Though only officially announcing it tonight, he’d told Colleen weeks ago. “Tough shoes to fill, of course,” he added with a playful flex.

“Elizabeth,” Evangeline blurted. “Obviously.”

“Why ‘obviously?’” Pansy replied, smacking her gum.

“Obviously y’all’s side has dominated the Council for way too many years and it’s our turn,” Evangeline retorted, doing her best impersonation of Pansy.

Pansy gaped at her, incredulous.

“It’s not that simple,” Colleen said tightly. “I’d love to see another Deschanel on the Council, but Lizzy’s just not in the right frame of mind for this.”

Evangeline spun on her. “And how do you figure that? Because she’s a seer?”

“That’s part of it.”

“No, come on, Colleen. She’s not a baby anymore. She’s married. She’s perfectly capable, and who else is there? We’ve already gone through Blanche’s line, unless you wanna bring in the toddlers next?”

---