The Complete Chosen Trilogy (The Chosen #0)

by N. M. Santoski

  “I’m coming, I’m coming! Gods!” He managed to screw the top of his thermos on with one hand as he followed them out to the car.

  ***

  Alan stood in Keopelani’s office in Beachhead, waiting. As this was an official matter, she granted him permission to use her formal audience suite.

  His suit was impeccable, making even his bright hair seem sophisticated. He’d long ago perfected the art of masking his emotions, so the smooth planes of his face betrayed none of his inner turmoil.

  A knock at the door made him straighten even further. “Enter.”

  “Alan, the delegates from Lord Artifex are here.”

  “Send them in, Trafford.”

  Four men entered, also in suits, though theirs were ill fitting and slightly sloppy. Between them, they carried a polished box, about four feet long and made of green marble. They placed it carefully on the floor and stood up to face him.

  “Lord Alan, son through marriage of Lady Aqua, we greet you. We bring to you the bones of your maternal uncle, with all dignity.”

  He nodded slowly. “Welcome to Beachhead, gentlemen. We thank you for performing this duty. Please, while the rites are enacted, we offer you refreshment and rest. Trafford shall take you to dine, and bring you back when the ossuary is ready to be returned.”

  The four men thanked him and followed Trafford out.

  Alan turned and retrieved the traditional Aqua chest he had commissioned for his uncle’s bones. He placed it on the floor next to the ossuary and wedged his fingers under the marble lid, pushing it to the side to reveal his uncle’s remains.

  He had to admit—in a small, detached part of his brain—that Artifex had done well. His remains were perfectly clean and respectfully laid out on a bed of purple cloth. The leg bones were doubled over in order to fit the body into the box.

  Many lesser men would have picked up the edges of the cloth and simply dumped the bones into their final container. Alan knew, however, that the chest would be open at the beginning of the ceremony, and the shame of desecrating his uncle’s remains… it didn’t even bear thinking about. Instead, piece by painstaking piece, Alan transferred every single bone, leaving the skull for last.

  ***

  “Beware the ides of March,” Gia muttered under her breath as she climbed out of the car. Pyrrhus gave a half-hearted chuckle, but Nolan froze with his hand on the lip of the door.

  “What did you say?”

  “Oh, I was just… sorry. Thinking out loud.”

  “Thinking about being ambushed? I hope we’re not walking into an ambush.”

  “Well, if we are, we’ll just have to fight our way out. Pyrrhus—hope you brought something to do.”

  Pyrrhus lifted a hefty tome from the seat beside him. “Yup. Doing some research on the Æsir.”

  “Really? Aren’t they fascinating? I’ve been wondering about the connection between the Ásatrú and the numen…”

  Nolan took Gia by the elbow. “We can debate other gods and their Chosen later, I think.”

  They said their goodbyes to Pyrrhus and began the mile long walk to the gates of Beachhead. As they suspected, they met resistance at the gates themselves, where a burly guard made a quick phone call as his equally burly partner kept both eyes on them.

  “Lady Leiani says they’re okay… let them through, Ricky.”

  The gate buzzed faintly overhead as they passed through, and Nolan briefly toyed with the idea of pulling the electricity from it in case they needed to get through in a hurry later. He decided against it… no point in tipping their hand so early.

  Gia slipped her hand into his as they followed the guard up the planked walkway. The smooth clasp of the ring felt chilly against his palm, but her hand was warm. Nolan took Gia’s hand and began walking up the stone path toward the small door set in the side of the building. As they got closer, it became obvious that this was no service door. It was inset with shells and pieces of glittering sea glass, reflecting the weak winter sun with a brilliance that took his breath away. Before they could reach it, it opened of its own accord, and a woman emerged.

  Though he’d only seen her for a moment over a year ago, Nolan knew it was his mother who was standing before him. Her face was alight, despite the somberness of her dress—he’d only seen that much joy at his appearance in someone’s face once before. He stuttered to a stop, pulling Gia with him. Mother and son stood a few feet apart, waiting for a signal neither felt secure enough to give. Finally, it was Gia who broke the spell. She pushed against his arm until he was forced to take a step, and then his mother was holding him and crying, though she was trying to hold back her tears.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said into his shoulder. They had time for nothing more before the door opened again.

  “I can’t believe you’re here.”

  Nolan broke away to see his brother standing with Leiani in the shadow of the doorway.

  “Nice to see you, too,” he muttered.

  “Oh, I can’t believe you’re here, either, but I was talking to her.” Alan turned and gave the narrowest of nods to Gia. “Lady Younger Zephyra, your presence was not requested, nor wanted. Your brother has been searching for you—I’m sure he will be happy to send someone down from Beaumont to retrieve you.”

  Gia held her head high even as Nolan stepped back to stand beside her. “Lord Alan, I am here to honor your uncle and to be with Nolan in his time of need.”

  “This is a ceremony for family only,” he sneered. “As you are not…”

  “On the contrary,” Nolan said, lifting their entwined hands to show Gia’s left hand for the first time to the assembled crowd. “Lady Younger Zephyra is my betrothed, and she certainly is family.”

  "Nolan, you're an Heir. You can't make your own marriage!" Leiani said, scandalized.

  "I'm not an Heir, Leiani. I'm the Swordsmith and the rightful Lord Fulmen. I think you'll find I can marry whomever I want," Nolan said coolly.

  "Must we do this now?" Mara said, her frustration colouring her tone. "Nolan, if Lady Younger Zephyra is your betrothed, then of course she has the right to attend. My apologies. It’s so nice to see Mother Mary’s ring again, too!”

  Alan and Leiani were too stunned for words. A thousand thoughts passed through their minds, but they were too jumbled to make a coherent argument until the moment was already lost. Instead, Alan blurted out the first full thought he managed to put together.

  "I don't know why you're so happy, Mother—he's been nothing but trouble for you since the moment he was born."

  "Alan!" Leiani gasped. "Really!"

  "It's true. He's the reason our grandfather had to flee instead of fighting his conviction, he's the reason the numina now have to take sides, and worst of all, it's his fault our uncle is dead."

  "Oh, really?" Nolan shot back, growing angrier with each accusation. "Maybe if you'd come back when we begged you to instead of hiding in California like a coward, he'd still be alive!"

  "Hiding? You're the one who's been holed up the gods know where for six months, leaving us to search for your ass like idiots and get harassed by Lord Artifex's security!"

  "Enough!" Mara snapped when it looked as if her sons would come to blows. "Nolan, dear, I'm so glad you're here, but the two of you will not sully your uncle's interment with your petty fighting. Understood?"

  He nodded, ashamed of himself. This has not started off well. "I'm sorry."

  "Alan?" Mara prodded when he stayed silent.

  "What?" he snapped. "I'm not apologizing."

  Nolan could see his mother struggling with her words, and remembered his uncle's comment about the Jenkins temper. "Alan, you're a grown man. I cannot make you apologize. By Neptune, however, I will make you wish you'd never been born if you ruin this day for us."

  "Yes, Mother."

  “We are going to be late. Let’s head down to the beach.”

  Keopelani was standing in the front hall with Azar at her side, visibly stunned as Mara swept by
with her youngest son in tow and the older Disanza girl following. Alan studiously avoided her glare as he brought up the rear with her own daughter. She managed to keep her peace until they disappeared down the hall toward the veranda. As she turned to unleash her shock and anger, Azar put his hand over her mouth—gently, but it surprised her enough to keep her quiet for a moment.

  "Think before you speak," he advised. He felt her take two quick breaths against his fingers, then a deeper one. "Ready?"

  She nodded, and he turned her loose.

  "What are they doing here?" Before Azar could speak, she continued, "I should call Michael right this instant!" Her hand was scrambling for her cell phone in her skirts when Azar stopped her once more.

  "What?" she demanded. "I refuse to be accused of treason!"

  "Hold," he said. "I have three questions for you. Let's go to your rooms—Leiani and Alan can represent you at the interment."

  They were silent as they climbed the curving staircase to her tower apartments overlooking the sea. They stepped out onto the balcony and watched from above as the remains of Robert Jenkins were sent to Sea. Azar lit a cigarette with his lips and turned it to take a drag.

  "I hate that," Keopelani said with a shudder, eyeing the burning tip with distaste.

  "I promised you not inside, didn't I?"

  "What are your questions? I want to call Michael."

  "First, I want to be a bit selfish. Where's Pyrrhus?"

  She looked at him with no comprehension in her eyes.

  "My son and Heir was with Giada Disanza the last time I saw him. Where is he now?"

  Before Keo could stammer more than a syllable, he continued. "Second, are you truly ready to fully throw your weight behind Michael? Do you think Aeron's cause is completely lost? You sit in an enviable position, my love. You are pleasantly sitting with a foot in each camp. Are you sure you want to do this?"

  "I have to protect my daughter."

  "Ah, thank you for leading me to question number three. If you call Michael, his little bulldog Selocrim will be down here as fast as she can manage, and I guarantee you that Nolan will not go quietly. Are you ready to stake the lives of your daughter and grandchild on that?"

  Keo's mouth went dry. "Grandchild?"

  "Come now, you must have noticed!" He peered at her expression and began to laugh, holding out his arms. "And here I thought you were just afraid to tell me that I would be bedding a grandmother in a few months! You didn't know?"

  "When?"

  "Full sentences, my love."

  "When did you know?"

  "I suspected when they returned from California. I knew for sure three weeks later, when she refused wine with every meal and had a face that matched her hair most mornings."

  "Why didn't she tell me? Why didn't you?"

  Azar puffed out a ring of smoke. "I already told you, I thought you knew. As for Leiani... I can only speculate."

  "Take a guess."

  "I imagine she didn't want to be locked in her room for the remainder of her pregnancy—don't think I don't remember how long you fell off the face of the earth back then."

  If Azar thought that would pacify her, he was mistaken. Her face contorted with hurt and rage. "It's for her safety—hers and the baby's! A strong Aqua fetus can cause all sorts of issues, and with her blood and Alan's talent...Neptune! She needs to be monitored! She needs to be resting! She needs—"

  "She needs her mother to keep the wolves from the door—or the dining room. I promise you, you can call Michael the moment Aeron and Miss Disanza are gone. Do not expose her to Selocrim. I have a feeling 'collateral damage' is not a phrase she understands." He saw she was starting to weaken and pushed just a bit harder. "If you want to, we can press them for details on what they've been up to, so we have something useful to give to Michael. Once that's done, you can confront her about the baby. Have we got a deal?" He stubbed out the cigarette on the edge of the balcony and closed it in his left fist as he offered her his right hand. She shook it vigorously, but he could see the wheels turning in her brain.

  "Let's go inside and greet them—it looks like they are wrapping up." He opened the door to the balcony with a bow and gestured her through. He paused and concentrated on his hand, a small spit of flame erupting from either side of his clenched fist. He opened it and let the wind take the ashes of his former cigarette out to sea before following his lover inside.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  The remainder of the Aeron family, meanwhile, exited through a side door that opened directly onto the veranda, and from there to the beach. Waiting there was a small iron chest, the numina symbol for Aqua imprinted on the lock. Beneath the chest was a swath of aqua silk, shimmering like the water behind it in the twilight. The chest was open, however, and inside...

  Nolan had to take several deep breaths of the sea air to stop himself from throwing up all over the beach. The gleaming white forehead of his uncle's bare skull was peeking just over the top of the chest, reflecting the pinkish orange light from the sunset behind them. They were facing the east, out over the ocean, where darkness was already gathering and a few stars twinkling. He looked at the stars and tried not to lose his composure. He felt Gia run her thumb over the back of his hand and focused on the feeling of her hand over his until he had his emotions under control again.

  Once he thought he could bear it, he looked again at the chest. The bones were piled neatly inside, the ribcage and skull resting on the top. Unlike a Power user, the liquidity of a Water numen's corpse meant that the medallion didn't fuse to the bones. Instead, it was set into a custom made slot on the chest, making immediate identification of the remains possible.

  Leiani looked for her mother, but she was nowhere to be seen. “If we wait much longer, we will miss the sunset. I will stand in my mother’s stead.” She took a deep breath, pulling the words of the ceremony to the forefront of her mind. "Marama Jenkins Aeron, numen in good standing, I offer my condolences on the death of your brother, Robert Charles Jenkins. May he rest in Neptune's good graces."

  "Thank you, my Lady Younger."

  "Below us are his earthly remains, returned by Lord Artifex with all honour. Do you accept these remains as truly his?"

  Mara looked closely—far more closely than Nolan thought he'd be able to bear. After a moment, she pulled back, tearful but nodding.

  "Yes, I can see the notches in the leg bones from the attack that took my husband’s life—this is he."

  "Very well. As Robert Jenkins' family, I charge each of you with a remembrance, good memories to send with Robert into his mother ocean. Lady Aeron?"

  "Robert and I were always very close. As twins, we were the kind of siblings who went through their ups and downs, but always knew that our loyalty was to one another. When my husband died, Robert took me to Europe in order to give me time to grieve. I will never forget the strong, silent support he gave me as I came to accept my new role as a young widow and a single mother."

  She stepped back, and Alan stepped forward. "Uncle Robert was the father I never had. When my father passed away, he taught me everything I know about being an honourable man—and I regret that our last words were exchanged in anger." Alan's voice was tight, but his eyes were dry. Nolan didn't condemn him for that, however—many people were incapable of public grief, no matter how deep the pain ran. There were plenty of other things to condemn him for.

  Leiani took his place. "Uncle Robert was a wonderful playmate and teacher when we were younger. When I doubted myself, he was always there to encourage me and reassure me that I could be everything I wanted and needed to be."

  After exchanging looks with Nolan, Gia went next. "Dr. Jenkins was the most wonderful Proctor and teacher I could have asked for. He helped me hone my skills and was always ready to listen, even when the topic was of a... delicate nature." She caught Nolan's eye and blushed, and he filed that comment away to ask her about later.

  As she stepped back, he realized it was his turn. He took a step forward
in the sand, feeling it shift beneath him as he fought for balance. "Uncle Robert—I only met him again about a year and a half ago, but from the moment we were reunited he welcomed me into his life with open arms. He kept me safe through a dangerous year, and he... he gave his life for mine. His sacrifice will not be in vain.” He bent and scooped a handful of sand into his cupped hands, then concentrated. A flash of Power lit up the darkening beach, racing through the delicate wiring of his suit and bursting through his cupped hands. The sand melted into a glassy orb, mostly clear, but still flickering with the bands of Power trapped inside. "Let this be my debt marker—I will avenge this wrongful death, even if I must give my own to do so."

  He placed the orb gently in the chest, tucked in a corner next to his uncle's bones.

  The group watched silently as Nolan made his declaration. When he rose to his feet, brushing the clinging sand off of his knees, Leiani continued as if nothing unusual had happened.

  "And so, Robert, we consign your bones to the ocean, to rest for all time in Neptune's embrace.”

  Leiani took the chest in hand and closed it over, locking it with a click that seemed disproportionately loud and handing the key to Mara. Then she turned toward the ocean.

  “Let me.”

  They all turned toward Alan, who was striding toward his red-faced wife. They exchanged a few words inaudible to the rest of the group. Whatever was said, Leiani reluctantly handed the chest to Alan and returned to her place next to her mother-in-law. As the sun slipped below the horizon behind them, Alan walked straight into the water and kept going until he had disappeared completely into the waves. Leiani neatly folded the silk and passed it to Mara, who clutched it like a lifeline. They huddled on the beach, braced against the sudden wind, and waited.

  After a few minutes, Nolan noticed that the wind was whipping Leiani’s hair around, but he could barely feel it. He glanced down at Gia's hands and saw her fingers moving ever so slightly, redirecting the winds around them to keep them warm. He smiled at her as the last dying rays of light caught the ring on her hand, and tried not to think about the storm they had unleashed with his simple declaration of intent.