by K Dezendorf
It came off as a little preachy in Rose's opinion, but it gave her a bit more insight as to what they were, who the Lore was, and the different levels of hierarchy they had. There were the followers, someone that gave an oath of wanting to seek knowledge and continuously learn and research and grow. Then there were the devotees, or sublores. Those were individuals who had reached a stage of enlightenment, and sought to spread the word and protect.
In the book it mentioned a total of twelve devotees, and there were never any more than twelve at any given time. A devotee had the option of stepping above into further enlightenment, which meant leaving the physical and becoming metaphysical, at which point an opening for a new devotee would be available.
It got interesting when, towards the end of the book, it referenced her. All of her struggles and everything she'd gone through, how she had found interest in time magic. And how time was related directly to history, to the Lore. And if she truly sought more knowledge of time magic, she might be encouraged to investigate the temples and become a follower.
Reading all this, it clicked in her mind. Edward had been a follower, Billy was a follower, they both practiced time magic. And these other followers basically wrote her a note in this book saying that if she was interested, to go there. On the very last page, it had some odd words and a note that said, 'If you so choose to visit the temple, recite the following incantation.'
Rose didn't notice how much time had passed until she felt a flux of magical energy. She closed the book, cautiously got up from the bed, and headed out to peek into the main area. She saw Edward and Billy emerge from the portal room. They looked… perfectly fine.
"I'm telling you for the last time," Billy was saying to Edward. "You should-"
"Shut up," Edward told him in a flat voice.
"Fine, but you can't deny what you saw." Billy caught sight of Rose and waved to her. "Oh, child!"
"Hi," she greeted them with a relieved smile.
"Everything good here?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm glad to see you both are okay. Is Granger all right?"
"Aye, I took care of Granger. He'll be okay now. But this one," he gestured to Edward. "When I came back through, no more than about five minutes after getting Granger taken care of, I went back to the fight. It was... pretty crazy. Something I'd rather not do again any time soon."
"What about Markeos?" Rose asked.
Edward grunted. "Markeos is in a... not happy place. And he's gonna be there for a while. Dimitri and him went at it, of course with me aiding Dimitri." He paused. "And there were some outside forces as well that intervened."
"Aye, one against three," Billy said happily. "He got royally fu-"
"Three?" Rose looked at him quizzically.
"Aye," Billy nodded. "Markeos versus Edward, Dimitri, and-"
"Outside forces," Edward interrupted grumpily.
Rose smiled knowingly. "It was Lore, wasn't it?"
Edward gave her an icy look. "I told you before about mentioning that name."
"Sorry," she muttered quickly.
Edward sighed and looked away from her. "You're safe here. I'm gonna go do a patrol." He turned and walked out the front door.
She watched him disappear into the night, feeling a tinge of frustration. As he did, Rose noticed it was dark out. She momentarily panicked, but then remembered she was not in the Umbra currently. Kyan was still safe for the time being.
"Aye, it was Lore," Billy murmured quietly to her. "Three against one. Markeos didn’t stand a chance. He may be a Paragon of War, but when the odds are against you, it doesn't matter how powerful you are. I wish I could've seen it all. Truly would've been something else. Two Paragons fighting one with a Paragon's devotee right there."
"It does sound pretty miraculous," Rose admitted.
"That's about as close as I want to get to him, just an FYI," Billy said with a chuckle. "That's a phrase you use over here, yes?"
"Uh, yep, it definitely is," Rose said with a small laugh.
"I'm still picking up on things, but I'm getting better."
Rose laughed even harder. She wondered what it would have been like growing up with Billy by her side. She could only imagine it would've been so much happier. At least he could've been there to make her smile during the bad times.
"Oi, what have you got there?" he asked, gesturing to her hand.
Rose realized she still had the book of Lore in her hands. "Oh, I guess I should tell you... we shouldn't be having any more problems around here."
His brow furrowed. "I don't follow."
"Edward wasn't the only one who got a holy intervention." Rose felt weird as she explained. "After you sent me here, I took your advice and I... uh, did the only thing I could think of. I prayed and... Jenkto’s brothers showed up. Before they could do anything, three people in robes appeared and chased them off. They gave me this and said this place would be protected."
Billy's eyes lit up. "No way." He reached for the book and Rose handed it over. "Oh, gracious be." He looked over the book, then at her. "No offense, but you're just a human child."
"Is this a big deal?" Rose asked.
"A little. Not too many... there aren't too many humans that join up. It's a rare thing for them to come to a human." He paused. "Wait, you said you started prayin’. Did you pray to..." He pointed to the book.
Rose turned pink and nodded.
He sighed. "That would explain it. That would be why... that put the pain on Markeos... and wait, what about this place?"
"Um, the men who came, they said they'd make sure this place wouldn't be interfered with anymore."
"Those are some serious boons." He looked around at the place. "That's like... devotee boons. And you're not even a follower."
Rose turned even more red. Billy was acting like she was the one who made the place safe, but it wasn’t like she actually did anything.
Billy looked back to her. "I can't lie, child. I'm a little bit jealous. I'm a follower and I've had this place for a while." Seeing her expression, he raised his hands. "It's all right. It's all coming from the same place."
"To be honest, I'm a little surprised myself. I wasn't even sure I was doing it right," she said, laughing nervously.
"As long as you put your heart into it, they'll hear you." He rubbed under his glasses. "So he sent three devotees… I know you don't have the gold to go throw around. And Lore's not necessarily one for gold. Aye..." He scratched his head, looking her over. "You must be somethin’ special, lass. Maybe I was wrong to judge, and fighting against taking you on as an apprentice. Maybe I was doing his will, without even knowing it. I'll have to reflect upon that later."
Rose folded her arms across her chest, hugging herself. "Edward seemed really unhappy."
"Don’t take it personally, child. He was already riled up, having been so close to Lore in that moment. Like I said, the Lore wants to bring him back. And basically talk it over with him. Edward doesn't want to. All he wants..." Billy took a long pause before continuing. "If he could, I bet you he'd want to put a sword in the Lore, if he could. It makes me a bit sad, child."
Rose thought about how the devotee had petitioned her aid in getting Edward ‘back home’. The request was benign enough, but she still felt unsure if she should, or even could, assist with this.
"It's late," Billy said. "And I suppose it's safe. Have you given any thought about what to do with your Shade dilemma?"
"I've still been trying to work that one out," Rose admitted. Though she felt she hadn't had much time to think with everything else happening.
"Well, you have time to sleep on it here." Billy seemed to drift into his own thoughts for a moment before giving a shake of his head. "Don't mind me. I'm gonna be up for a while. I got a lot of thinking to do myself."
Rose nodded and watched as he went and pulled up a chair, sitting down at one of the tables in the kitchen. She decided to instead follow Edward outside. It turned out, he hadn’t gone far at all. He stood just a few f
eet away from the door, leaning against the outside of the warehouse.
“Hey,” she greeted tentatively. “Mind if I join you?”
Edward quietly shrugged. “Do what you want.”
Rose leaned against the wall beside him. It was freezing, white snow glittering all around. A stark contrast to the springtime the Umbra was currently in.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” she said.
“Of course I am. Immortal, remember?”
“I know, but I still worry. You’re always going off doing these dangerous things on your own.”
Edward looked as though he was about to answer, when he abruptly moved around her, pushing her behind him. “Leave, now.”
Before Rose could ask who he was speaking to, her question was answered.
“Stand down,” a low voice said. “I’m not here to fight.” From the shadows, Macklass emerged, his dark aesthetic all but blending into the surrounding night.
“Macklass,” Rose said, feeling both relieved and distraught.
“I’m alone,” Macklass informed, his hands raised in passivity. “I just want to talk.”
“Funny,” Edward said, his voice steeped in sarcasm. “Considering it’s your death magic that nearly killed her.”
“Edward, stop it,” Rose told him sharply.
“That is something I deeply regret,” Macklass stated, his voice remorseful. “It was not an attack meant for her.”
“But you intended to kill someone.”
As the two of them faced one another, their eyes caught bits of stray light from the moon above, casting vivid reflections that made their fox-like eyes gleam in the dark. Macklass, bright yellow. Edward, neon green.
“Edward, enough,” Rose snapped, elbowing her way past him. He didn’t stop her, but he stayed right behind her. “You said you want to talk,” she said, looking to Macklass. “Go ahead.”
Macklass lowered his head. “Rose, I understand your apprehension, I do. I’ve lived as a prisoner in my own skin for most of my life. Being a mage, and the offspring of a Paragon, life has afforded me little freedom. But that all changed when I came to know you. We can still make this work. Even shackled under my father’s rule, we will have freedom with each other, give each other what everyone else would deny us.”
His words caused an ache in her heart. Rose knew exactly what he meant. It was his company, his and his siblings’, which had made her otherwise hellish life more bearable. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about your father?”
“I wanted to tell you, but it wasn’t just my secret. Then you disappeared and the next thing I know, you’re under another Paragon’s influence.”
“I was never under anyone’s influence, Macklass,” Rose stated firmly. “I’ll admit, my actions and reasons were selfish ones, but I never once betrayed any of you. And then… your sister brought me to your dad with the choice of ‘join or die’.”
Macklass looked up at her, his eyes pained. “Believe me, I wanted to be the one to prepare you.”
“But you weren’t,” Rose said. “Jenkto brought me there, knowing what I was in for. He broke my arm, he nearly killed me. Jerome and Hadwin tortured someone under my care.” Anger and sadness were at war within her as she fought to keep her voice steady. “And you cursed me, because you were trying to kill one of my friends. And then, after all that, your sister threw a knife into one of my other friends.”
Macklass was shaking his head and he couldn’t seem to meet her gaze anymore. “Rose, I am truly sorry for everything you’ve had to suffer. But I cannot implore for my father’s mercy much longer. Please, come home with me.”
His heartfelt pleas tore and gouged at her heart, more fiercely than any Gorger or Shade could ever manage. “Why not come with me?” she countered. “You don’t belong with him, Macklass. You’re better than that. You all are.”
Once more, Macklass shook his head, as though what she asked of him was just too impossible. “I cannot leave. I’ve been marked.” He raised his right hand, showing her the tattoo. It gleamed like a fresh brand. “Long ago, it was decided for me I should be a mage, and since then, I have been entrapped.”
Rose didn’t know what to say. This was the first time he ever spoke to being a mage with such… regret.
Macklass lowered his hand, the sleeve of his jacket masking it from view. “I want you to be with me, but I cannot choose between you and my family.”
“I would never make you choose something like that,” she whispered. So she would just have to make that choice for him. Even though it hurt just thinking about it. “It’s over between us, Macklass.”
Macklass looked at her, horror-struck. “No, Rose…”
He took a step towards her, but Rose recoiled. “Don’t touch me.” She backed away until she was standing beside Edward. “And don’t come after me anymore. Because next time, I will fight back.” Even as she said this, she could feel hot tears trickling down her cheeks. For as much as this hurt her, she felt even worse knowing she was hurting him too. It felt like she was abandoning him, but she couldn’t think of a way to save him. Not now.
Macklass inhaled a sharp, shuddering gasp, his dark eyes glistening. Then he turned sharply away and melted back into the shadows. Rose covered her mouth to stifle the sobs trying to claw their way out of her throat.
“Rose.”
Edward’s hand gently touched her shoulder, but Rose pulled away.
“It’s okay,” she said through choked syllables. She furiously wiped at her eyes. “I think I knew for a while it was going to be this way. He loves his family after all.”
Edward considered that for a moment before saying, “One love doesn’t diminish another. Or, at least, that’s what my mother used to say.”
“Is this your way of cheering me up?”
“Only if it’s working.”
“A little.” Rose took several deep breaths. “I guess the fact you’re willing to share something so personal means you can’t hate me that much.” Even so, she found it difficult to meet his gaze.
“I never once said I hated you,” Edward said severely.
“But you hate humans.”
“Rose…” He gave a long, weary sigh. “Please look at me.”
Slowly, Rose lifted her gaze to meet his intense stare. Her already aching heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand in her chest.
“You were never just a human in my eyes.” The words were so simple and sincere.
Allowing herself one more minute of weakness, Rose leaned against him, and he very gently held her, an embrace she could easily leave if she so desired. “At least one good thing came from this.”
He raised an eyebrow at her.
“I have what I need to get Kyan back.”
“There’s still the unnamed favor.”
“How did you-” she started, but stopped when she caught the ghost of a smirk. “Oh, you were there for that too, huh?”
“To be fair, it’s not as though I pick and choose when it happens.”
“Maybe the both of us should learn to get a handle on that.”
“Maybe,” he acknowledged. “Anyway… the favor.”
“Well, I may already have that one covered,” Rose said with a small smile. “I just need Billy to get me over there.”
They went inside and Rose opened the kitchen door to talk to Billy, but she came to an abrupt halt. At the table, Billy was sitting with his head tilted down and his eyes closed, softly muttering. The words were indiscernible, but it was clear to Rose what he was doing, and she didn’t wish to disturb him. Slowly and quietly, she backed out of the kitchen.
“He’ll be at it for a while,” Edward muttered, his tone disdainful.
“Its fine.” There was no need to be impatient. She still had time, she could wait until tomorrow. “Are you ever going to share the rest of that story with me?”
“Maybe,” Edward said. He gave her head a gentle ruffle before turning and walking away. “Not tonight though.”
> “Where are you going?”
“To finish my patrol.”
“The one you never actually started?”
“Shut up.”
Rose stifled a laugh. “Be safe.”
He gave her a small wave. “You too. Get some rest.”
With that he was out the door, leaving Rose to sneak past Billy into the bedroom where she eventually fell asleep.
************
The next morning, Rose awoke to the uplifting smell of breakfast. Something she was becoming greatly endeared to. She tucked the book of Lore away in her bag, not wanting to put Edward in a sour mood.
Billy was humming away, cooking eggs and ham. "Oh, morning there, child," he greeted. "I couldn't find any bacon but I got some ham. I hope it works."
"Ham is great," she said with a smile. "Thank you."
"All right, I'll have it ready in a minute or two."
Rose sat down at the table, noticing there were only two plates set out. "Is Edward not going to be joining us?"
"I talked to him and let him know that this place is like a sanctuary for you now. So, you needn't worry while you're here," Billy explained. "I gave him leeway to do what he wants to do again, because he is a bit of a cranky camper if you stick him in one place for too long. So, he's off doing a few things. He'll come and go. But he's not here right now."
"Okay," Rose murmured, feeling disappointed.
Billy brought the food over and filled both their plates. After setting the skillet back, he sat down in front of his plate and dug in.
Rose enjoyed the meal while trying very hard not to think about the night before. "Everything's delicious, as always."
"I'm glad," he stated between bites. "Very glad to be of assistance. It is my position, it is my role, it is my pleasure."
She was not entirely sure what he meant by that, but as long as she wasn't being a nuisance, she was happy. After they finished, he grabbed the plates and started cleaning them off.
"So, any brilliant thoughts come to you in your sleep?" he asked.
"Possibly, and I know I can't put this off forever."