Reunions (E 2.1, H 2.1, L 2.1)

Plover's mention of disappointing Litch reminds me of Zephyr earlier and how badly she didn't want to disappoint him either. I can't imagine that being such a big motivator alone, but maybe it's the spell Litch has woven over all the Talons, some Gray Wing magic at work. I can only hope the Whispers will shield me from falling into the same trap.

"Friends is a bit of a strong word," I answer over the wind and the hum of the engine. Hearing his name again makes me think of how I almost called him here to rescue me when I first arrived. I could try again now, if I wanted, but Plover is right - I think Mikkie just has opponents, and I'd hate to see anyone here killed over me. "We've talked before. We have...an understanding."

I wonder how Mikkie would see the Talons through the Whisper's lens of good and evil. Where do they fall? But another question makes its way to my lips. "Who did you hear that from?"

"You're not the only one," I answer drolly. Dakota is a slow server all the time, but she's even slower when she's not high. And without me around...

I banish the thought to the waves behind us, leaving the Belly in the wake. That place, no matter what it gave me, is in the past, and I must keep climbing else I'll fall.

The next time she glances back at me, I nod toward where Javan cuts across the water. "Is he always like that?"

I wonder when I last acted silly for the sheer fun of it. If there was a time, I don't recall it, and if I had the chance now, the dangers would be too great. I'll take stability over silliness.

"She gets mad about him goofing off?"

I'm about to ask if Javan is supposed to be next in line to rule the Talons after Litch when Plover makes her assertion, changing the wind of the conversation and pushing me off course. I blink in surprise, then realize I'm being stupid again.

"I imagine a lot of you might want to impress me, given what your father expects of me." Even Merlin changed his song on the dock when I proved I was the one writing the music.

The question is a set of jaws closing around me. On one side, the potential anger of a sister over a slight to her family. The other, the potential of some sort of romantic relationship within the Talons. Dangerous to say yes, dangerous to say no.

"I have a boyfriend." The words slip out before I can stop them. They feel safest, maybe stupidest, but safest. For now.

As soon as she says his name, I'm cursing myself for not telling her I'm getting over Kiwi still. That would have been safe and smart. I scramble for the next best answer to give. If I hadn't just told her Mikkie wasn't really a friend, perhaps he would have sufficed. At least people would be scared enough to keep their distance - a bad thing were I still working at the Belly, but helpful now. Wells would have been a good option - powerful and well-positioned - if only things hadn't taken such a terrible turn. Now instead of wanting me, he might just want me dead.

"R-Regal," I answer, unwilling to let the question linger for too long. Plover's interest is piqued enough without prolonged silences propelling it further. "Lucky doesn't know," I add quickly, trying to cover my lie already. It makes me wonder how Regal is, after what happened at the Vault. Did Lucky punish him for taking me there? Kill him? Did Amazon? The questions and the way we're floating out here, engine silent, with no way to escape, make me feel vulnerable. Suddenly I wish I'd taken the life jacket.

"Yes, that's him," I answer softly when she describes Regal. I opt not to answer her question about his chest though. "That's...my boyfriend."

I scoot closer to her again when she starts the engine and takes off, grateful to be moving again, but when she names our destination, I wonder if I'd rather stay marooned on our little island answering questions about Regal's chest instead. "I haven't," I answer her, not adding that it always seemed too dangerous, a neutral territory where no one has authority. It's even more intimidating knowing that I carry Hard Strike now too, not knowing how she might react to returning to the place she died.

I reach out to her - and to the Whispers at large, the conglomerate of them always listening as one. "You have."

Aloud, I ask Plover, "What do you do there?"

I definitely chose the correct driver for this little voyage. I watch Zephyr and Javan for a moment then ask, "Do you think they're closer to each other than you because they share a mom?"

Us Bank looms overhead.


Like everything else, it was beaten and cracked by the Second Great Flood. But it stands like a giant obsidian sword, pointed towards the heavens, with its innards open at many points for easy entry. Which is why countless battles have been fought for Us Bank, resulting in short-lived dictators who only fall to the next aggressor until now... when it sits empty except for corpses.

The Whispers are getting louder, Helix. Insistent and eager to see the watery graves.

I don't attempt to speak again as Plover speeds up. Perhaps silence is a better ally anyway.

Silence, though, doesn't last long. The Whispers' chattering almost has my teeth doing the same as we approach the stadium, and the darkness inside pushes at my ribs, squirming for a way out. There's no turning back now, but I fear the Whispers will smother me in their excitement. I remember how Hard Strike silenced them before, her stern leadership cowing them, and, though I fear her as much as they seem to, one voice in my head would be more bearable than hundreds.

"Hard Strike," I ask, filtering through the voices hunting for hers. "Can't you do something?"

They have always been one before - one entity with a thousand voices. Now, though, one has a name. That may be enough, if I can find her. If she is willing.

A bit of the tension between my eyes eases when her voice reaches me. She is terrifying, but it's easier than the cacophony as a whole. "No. That's not it. I want..." I hesitate. If I tell her I just want her to keep the others quiet, will they revolt? Of course, they're in my head. Perhaps they know already. "I thought you could tell me more about what happened. How you died. So Lucky has answers."