Chapter Twenty-Six
The bright day felt off, considering the sadness he felt, though perhaps it should not. Maybe the sunshine was Heleth’s way of telling him that she would watch over his mother.
He chided himself for the thought. Here, he liked to convince himself he was not a faithful follower of any of the gods, but when it came down to it, there was some part of him that still found him reciting the old stories of the gods and believing that perhaps the gods were there, watching over him. Watching over all of them.
There was still much he needed to do. Meyer probably wouldn’t push for him to get back involved in other aspects of his responsibilities, but Finn didn’t want to avoid it for too long. He felt as if he needed to keep working with Meyer. Other than the pleasant morning spent with Jasmine, it was the only thing that he had.
Unlike Lena.
Finn would have to help her. Maybe not now, but he would have to start working with Lena to help her find a place, much like he had found a place. He didn’t want her to commit herself to the church if she didn’t want to, and he certainly didn’t want her returning to the slums where she took on jobs that she didn’t deserve and were beneath her. Lena was smart—smarter than Finn. She deserved something that would challenge her. Maybe Meyer would have something in mind that she could do.
He glanced down at the blank card he’d found in his room.
The hegen called him.
Maybe it was nothing more than Esmerelda’s irritation that he’d spent time with Jasmine, or maybe it was time they called in whatever debt, either way, the timing annoyed him.
When the bells rang, he paused. He still had an hour until the funeral, but he didn’t want to be late. Lena would be even more annoyed with him.
After passing through the Teller Gate, he turned to the Raven Stone, looking out at the massive gleaming stone situated on the outskirts of the city. It was a place of death, but it was a place of power as well. He’d seen how the hegen collected their items.
Finn made his way toward the hegen section, and when he reached the Raven Stone, he looked up at the gallows, instinctively already starting to check to ensure the wood hadn’t cracked, that there were no faults to the actual gallows itself, before sweeping his gaze along the top of the Raven Stone. He found nothing more to it.
The last execution within Verendal had been Sweth, but the last on the Stone was long enough past that he knew there was no reason for there to be anything atop the Stone, and there wasn’t.
He turned away, heading toward the hegen section, and as he approached he slowed, though he thought that perhaps he should not. Showing hesitation as he approached the hegen ran the risk of drawing their notice. Instead, he plunged ahead, following the twisty street, nodding politely to two older hegen, both dressed in colorful clothing, and smiling as a child saw him before turning and running the opposite direction. By the time he reached the red-painted door of Esmerelda’s home, he had already started to come up with multiple questions.
Finn knocked and waited. He glanced toward the rest of the city, tapping his foot.
He didn’t have time to wait.
When Esmerelda’s door opened, he was ready for his questions. What he wasn’t ready for was Jasmine.
“Finn?” She smiled at him. “I thought you were busy with errands.”
Finn swallowed. “I was busy. Am. But Esmerelda sent word to me.”
Before she had a chance to say anything more, Esmerelda came to the door. “You may return to your studies,” Esmerelda said.
Jasmine nodded to her before turning to Finn. “Will you stop by again? I had a nice walk with you this morning and don’t know many people in the city.”
“You don’t mind that one of the people you know is an executioner?”
“It can’t be all bad. One of the men I dated was a murderer.” She flashed a smile before heading into Esmerelda’s home.
“I think you will find that one to be trouble for you,” Esmerelda said.
Finn turned his attention to her. Esmerelda looked lovely in her deep blue dress, a shawl covering her shoulders. Her bright red lips were pressed in a frown.
He held her gaze. “Why would she be trouble for me?”
“She’s been through quite a bit, Finn Jagger. She doesn’t know what she wants. It has been my experience that women like her often struggle with understanding their place.”
Finn looked past her, into her home, but Esmerelda shifted so that Finn couldn’t see very much. “Why did Meyer bring her to you?”
“Master Meyer and I have an agreement that he would return our people if they are found,” Esmerelda said.
She hadn’t said anything in their time together, but now that she did, it made a certain sense. “I didn’t know.”
“Her mother was one of the people. Her father was not. She wandered, married, and was lost.”
“Did she know?”
“Do you mean did she know before Master Meyer brought her here?”
Finn nodded. He noticed movement next to him and saw several people making their way along the street. One of them was singing, another dancing, and still another clapping their hands. There was a general energy within the hegen section that Finn always found intriguing.
“She knew, but she didn’t know.”
“And she’s willing to stay here?”
“We take care of our own,” Esmerelda said. She looked over her shoulder.
Finn shifted, looking around him again before turning his attention back to Esmerelda. He needed to get on with the reason that he had come in the first place, and ask the question that had brought him there. Why the summons now?
What he said was not what he intended, though. “My mother is gone.”
Esmerelda nodded slowly. “Your sister came to visit one of the people.”
“They weren’t able to help.”
“Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done.”
“Would you have helped?”
“There are times when even our abilities are limited, Finn.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I would’ve offered whatever assistance I could have, but there wouldn’t have been anything we could have done to help her.”
“Why not?”
She watched him, and he nearly took a step back. She had a vibrancy to her gaze, but it was something more than just that. She had a darkness there as well. “Had you spoken to your mother?”
“I spoke to her.”
“Then you know there was nothing we could have done.”
He looked over to her, and as much as he wished there was another possibility, he knew that Esmerelda was right. There wasn’t anything that could have been done—or that his mother had wanted to be done.
Finn regarded Esmerelda for a moment. “Did you know my father?”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand the question.”
Finn regarded her for another moment before shaking his head. It wasn’t fair to Esmerelda to challenge her about this.
Finn let out a long sigh, shaking his head as he looked around. This wasn’t the time for the question, but his mother’s death made him more introspective. “It’s probably nothing. I just thought that maybe the hegen were involved with my life before I got caught up with Master Meyer.”
“What would give you that impression?”
“Knowing that my father would have done everything in his power to help her. Thinking that perhaps you had some other reason to draw me in.”
“Did we draw you in?”
Finn smiled at her. “You didn’t?” He reached into his pocket, pulling out the card, flipping it. “You sent for me.”
Esmerelda looked behind her for a moment before turning her attention back to Finn. “Only because I thought you may benefit from this.” She reached into her pocket, pulling a card out, and holding it to Finn. “No obligation, just information.”
“Why do I feel like you’re trying to still manipulate me?”
“Why would you help me?”
“We pay our debts.” She handed him the card and closed the door.
Finn stared at it, and as he looked down, understanding washed over him.
The people pay their debts.
He had helped Jasmine. That was why she offered help now.
Now Finn had to use what he had learned.
This card was the easiest of the ones Esmerelda had given him but also one that left him curious. As he stared at the card, seeing what looked to be a splinted leg, the ink a bright red though not a blood red, Finn knew that there was only one explanation.
Seamus.
Why would she have sent Finn after him?
Another bell tolled distantly in the city. It was past time he return.
The priest spoke the words from the Book of Heleth, and Finn mouthed along with him, feeling comfort in hearing the words spoken in such a way. It was unusual for him, especially given that he had grown accustomed to hearing them spoken to one of the condemned.
The church of Heleth was a simple structure. The center part of the church was a tall stone room, the walls bare, leading to an open chamber high overhead from where Heleth was rumored to watch over her followers. Candles glowed throughout, illuminating the inside of the church, though not all that well. Shadows still drifted through the church, keeping everything shrouded in a dim light. Incense burned, giving off a soothing aroma, though Finn didn’t know if the incense was for the funeral or it was part of the typical services. He hadn’t been to the church in a long time to celebrate.
The priest was dressed in his ceremonial robes, the brown fabric draped around him, flowing to the ground. A simple silver chain hung around his neck, a star for the symbol of Heleth visible. He was an older man, with thick glasses and a neatly trimmed beard. Not any priest that Finn had ever seen while marching along with the Blood Court. Typically, those priests were younger, as if they were punished as well by ministering to the condemned.
There weren’t many people in the church. Master Meyer, Lena, and Finn. Two other priests stood near the back of the church, situated on the hard wooden pews, and the head priest, an older man Meyer seemed to know quite well, presided over the service.
A shroud covered their mother, and even covered like that, she still looked thin and frail, leaving Finn thinking that she had faded long before she had died.
He glanced over to his sister, taking her hand, and found her speaking the words of Heleth along with him. After returning from the hegen section, he’d almost been late. The service went quickly, and when the priest was done, he bowed politely to Finn and then Lena, and finally to Master Meyer.
Meyer left Finn, heading to the back of the church and then out. It left Finn and Lena standing together, with their mother, one last time.
“Father won’t even know,” Lena said.
“I know,” Finn said.
She looked over to him. “Do you think Master Meyer would have any way of sending word to him?”
“He doesn’t have the answers either.”
“How can he not have the answers? I thought he was in charge of all prisoners within the city.”
Finn looked around the inside of the church. The walls stretched high overhead, and though they kept their voices hushed, it still felt uncomfortable having a conversation like this in a place of worship. He wasn’t even a faithful servant of Heleth, but he didn’t feel as if he needed to question whether or not he should be speaking about such things in this place.
“Father was moved out of the city,” Finn said. “That’s all I’ve been able to find about him. I will keep looking, but I don’t know if Master Meyer will be able to help.”
Lena turned her attention back to their mother, and she reached forward, touching her forehead for a moment, and then took a step back. “It’s wrong.”
“I know it is,” Finn said.
She looked over to him. “All of this is wrong.”
“I know it is,” Finn said.
She looked over to the altar before glancing to the back of the church. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. Maybe I should join the church. Heleth would have a place for me.”
“Do you want to?”
Lena took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, before shaking her head. “I don’t think I have the right faith.” She looked over to Finn, her brow furrowed. “Isn’t that terrible? Here we are, in this place, and knowing what I know, and I’m questioning whether I have the right faith. It’s just that…”
“I don’t have the right faith either,” Finn admitted. “And I’ve escorted several dozen men to their deaths.”
“Is it hard?”
“Not having faith?”
“I know how that is. And it’s not that I don’t have any faith,” Lena said, looking back to the altar. “It’s just that I question. I wonder which of the gods I should follow, if any of them. I wonder if the gods even pay any attention to us.” She shook her head, looking back to Finn. “Not that I question the existence of gods. I know some do.”
Finn was one of them.
“It’s just that I start to wonder about my place. Maybe I should just start to follow the Church of Fell.”
“I don’t know if you have enough money to do so,” Finn said.
Lena’s eyes widened slightly, and then she started to smile. “They do prefer those with money, don’t they? I was invited once, but I never took the opportunity.”
They fell into a silence, looking to their mother, up at the altar, and finally Finn inhaled deeply. “It’s time.”
“I know.”
As they headed through the church, a darkened figure near the back of the church stepped forward.
“Oscar,” Finn said. He glanced around but saw no other priests. Oscar had dressed in one of the priests’ robes and had likely been there the entire time. “How did you hear that she was gone?”
“I’m sorry.” Oscar looked over to Lena. “I know how much you did for her. I know how much it meant to her. Your father cared very much for her.”
“I know,” Finn said.
Lena remained silent next to him, and Finn didn’t know if it was because she didn’t care for Oscar or that she was mourning. He knew that she didn’t necessarily love Oscar, and she blamed him somewhat for what happened to Finn, but at the same time, what happened to Finn had actually helped their family in some regards.
“I just came to pay my respects. I didn’t come to get in the middle of the two of you.”
Finn glanced over to Lena, worried that she might snap at Oscar, but he needn’t have worried. “Thank you.”
She pulled away from Finn, stepping out of the church, leaving Finn with Oscar. Finn wanted to stay with Lena to comfort her, but felt he had to talk to Oscar.
“I wish that I could’ve helped her more,” Oscar said, looking after Lena. “After your father was pinched, there wasn’t much that could be done. I tried, but…”
“Are you talking about my mother or Lena?”
“Both, I suppose. The only thing I knew how to do was help you. I figured you would do the right thing and take care of your family.”
“I tried,” Finn said.
“You did more than just try,” Oscar said.
Finn inhaled deeply. “Thank you for stopping by.”
“That’s all you want to say?”
“What do you think I need to say? That I appreciate all that you did for my family after my father was caught stealing with you?” There was more he had to do, anyway. Get back to Lena, figure out why Esmerelda had given him a card indicating Seamus, and make sure Bellut didn’t harm anyone he cared about.
“Finn—”
“I know it wasn’t your fault. And I know I got caught up in the same thing, following in his footsteps, but I can’t help but wonder what might’ve happened had he not gotten caught.”
“Why do you think yo
ur father started taking the jobs in the first place, Finn? He wasn’t always a thief. He might not have always paid for everything, but he didn’t pull jobs. Not until he had to.”
Oscar kept his voice low, and in the confines of the church, it felt as if the building itself swallowed the sound. Or perhaps Heleth scooped up what Oscar said, keeping it for herself. Either way, the words were muted.
“She was sick all that time?”
Finn had very few memories of his father from that time. Finn knew that he had been stealing, and Finn had even watched him get followed by the Archers, knowing the danger in it, but he had never really understood why his father had done so. As he had grown, and trapped as they were in the section of the city that they were, Finn had believed that it was simply a matter of trying to get an advantage. They were poor, and who wouldn’t have wanted to have a chance to earn more?
“It was something simple. At least at first,” Oscar said. “She had a cough. She was tired. Nothing more than that. When it lingered, they tried to get her more help.”
“What kind of help?”
“First they went to surgeons, but they didn’t know what to do. They were cheaper, of course, and your father still grumbled about the expense, but the surgeons couldn’t do anything. He tried going to several different apothecaries after that, but none of them were helpful.”
“I didn’t know.” He looked back to where his mother rested. She would remain there for the rest of the day before the priests removed the body. From there, Finn would never know what happened. It was part of the celebration of Heleth, something that those outside of the priesthood never had an opportunity to see.
“He didn’t want you to know. He didn’t want your sister to know. He thought he could get enough money. He tried everything that he could think of, but nothing worked.”
“She wasn’t that sick when he disappeared.”
“No. Not that sick, but getting sicker. He knew that. She knew that. And the two of them did everything that they could to try to get her help.”
“Did they go to Meyer?”
Oscar shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know if they went to him, or if they went to a physician. Regardless, they knew they needed something more.”
The Executioner's Apprentice (The Executioner's Song Book 2) Page 33