Page 24 of The Pactbound Angel (The Soul Mirror Duet #1)
A Vial of Whistles
The hag lifted into the air, hovering just a few inches above the ground.
She giggled with delight, pointing a finger at Ramiren.
“The pactmaker doesn’t want to talk anymore?
Fine by me!” A black light appeared at the end of the hag’s finger and shot out at Ramiren, who ducked down just in time.
The black bolt continued past him, hitting a surprised Georgina directly in the chest. She toppled and landed on her back, sliding a good foot or two from the force of the attack.
The hag howled in laughter. “Got one!”
Beep. “GEORGINA! ARE YOU brOKEN?”
Georgina groaned out a command as Raewyn ran over to her, “M.A.L.! Kill mode!”
Beep. “AFFIRMATIVE.”
The automaton’s eyes turned red, and he charged the same moment Ramiren and I did, my longsword and shield held high.
The hag grinned as electricity danced along her fingers before loosening onto M.A.L.C.O.L.M.
The automaton stopped in his tracks, arcs of lightning sizzling around him. He shuddered and a soft beep followed.
“RECALIbrATING. RECALIbrATING. RECALIbrATING…”
“No!” Georgina screamed, “Damn it, not now!”
Ramiren arrived a half second before I did, lunging at the hag. It was a sloppy maneuver. Easily dodged. I wondered if him being in a fight was a good idea.
As the hag moved out of the way, almost mockingly, her flank was left wide open. The thoughts of him not being in the fight vanished.
I took the opportunity and stepped forward, giving a backhanded slash with my longsword. It cut deep. Deep enough for the cackles to turn into wails.
“Ow! How dare you!” A red glow illuminated her hands as her acid-green eyes turned to me. I didn’t want to find out what it meant.
Evidently, neither did Ramiren. He feinted again, and I chopped down at the same time, leaving no room for the hag to move with her back to the table.
She tried to levitate even higher to get out of the way, but that only pushed her into my blade.
My sword sliced into the hag’s neck. She gurgled, holding her throat as the red glow dimmed, and dropped to the ground in a heap.
Running to check on our tinkerer, with a side glance towards her automaton, I came to Georgina’s side.
Raewyn sat hunched over a downed Georgina, peering at the wound.
The spell to her chest had left a gnarly mark, blackened and bloody, which had barely begun to heal with Raewyn’s ministrations.
Raewyn wiggled her fingers at Georgina. “Now, say pretty please with a cherry on top.”
Before I could chide her pettiness, Ramiren sighed in exhaustion. “Raewyn…”
Georgina shrieked, “Pretty fucking please with your long-lost cherry on top!”
Raewyn grinned and prayed to Minue. The black-sooted hole in Georgina’s upper chest lightened and disappeared, leaving healthy skin behind.
M.A.L.C.O.L.M. shuddered again, and he looked around, as though confused.
Beep. “IS IT OVER ALREADY?”
“Yes, it’s over.” I walked back to nudge the dead mischief hag with the toe of my boot, her hissing blood the same color as her green eyes that had been shut forever. “She’ll never trouble another again.” After leaning down to clean my sword on her skirt, I sheathed it.
Raewyn’s voice was tinged with confusion. “What was she saying about you and Ramiren? Flashes of flame and all that?”
My heart went into my throat. Ramiren replied without a hint of panic, “No doubt attempting to sow discord and cause hesitation. You shouldn’t trouble yourself over it, Raewyn.”
“But…you confirmed it. You said she had been scrying.” Raewyn narrowed her eyes, and the lump in my throat choked me.
Ramiren, bless him, replied again, “I confirmed the origin of the riddles, that’s all.”
“Oh, right. Well…” Raewyn shrugged, appearing placated. “...never mind then.”
The lump in my throat disappeared, leaving an ache in its place.
Thank you, Ramiren.
We searched through the vials in the large cupboard, reading the names on small tags attached to each one.
I started picking up random vials, smashing them on the ground after reading their names to see if it was mine or Raewyn’s.
We did not see any tools near the cupboard, which made Georgina groan.
“Not my hag!” She grumbled, heading back out of the cavern.
M.A.L.C.O.L.M. beeped. “CAN I STAY AND SMASH THINGS?”
Georgina waved a hand over her shoulder, not bothering to turn around as she walked. “To your metal heart’s content, M.A.L. ”
Beep. “WEE!”
I read the tag on the vial in my right hand, “Vassily Horngodder.“ Smashing the glass at my feet, my confidence rose when the purple glow contained in the vial released. Vassily now had whatever was stolen from them.
Raewyn called out, “Jamira Tipple… you’re welcome!“ Smash.
Beep. “I CAN’T READ.” Smash.
I picked up another from the cupboard and turned the tag over. “Ramiren O… wait, what?” Staring down at the vial in my hands, a faint golden glow emanating from the crystal-clear glass, I looked up at an approaching Ramiren. “You never said something was stolen from you.”
He smiled pleasantly, a contrast with his words. “You assumed and did not ask. May I have the vial, please?”
I handed it over wordlessly, and Ramiren hesitated for a moment before smashing it on the ground. The golden glow flowed upwards like mist and then disappeared.
“What was stolen from you?” I asked quietly.
Ramiren pursed his lips together and blew, whistling a perfect, high-pitched note. He seemed satisfied and finally looked at me. “The ability to whistle. This exact mischief hag, it seems, was the one who took it from me. I thank you for helping me to retrieve it.”
“But you’ve never before been to the Fey Carnival. You said so.”
He inclined his head in acknowledgement. “Correct, I had never been there before. Merely in the wrong place at the wrong time in the Feylands.”
I didn’t ask, but why not say anything? What does he have to lose?
My scowl deepened. “And what else are you not telling me?”
He arched a black eyebrow. “Many things, but nothing that will harm you, I swear it.”
My eyes narrowed with suspicion .
He tilted his head, and his smile diminished but did not disappear. “I’ve never lied to you. Nor have I kept anything from you that might be dangerous. My secrets are my own, Nathalia. I keep them because secrets are powerful, remember?”
I paused and whispered, “There are some things that shouldn’t be secrets, Ramiren.”
He replied, just as softly, “And there are some that should always be.”
Georgina frowned. “Pretty please?”
Raewyn shook her head, shrugging. “I’m not being difficult this time, I swear. I can’t heal him. He’s an automaton. He’s not a living being, Georgina.”
Georgina cursed. “Well, then, what good are you?”
Raewyn rolled her eyes. “You know, Georgina, your attitude will get you in trouble one of these days.”
Georgina’s exaggerated eyes narrowed at my priestess sister. “But not today, Raewyn.” She inspected M.A.L.C.O.L.M. with a glance. “Will you be alright?”
M.A.L.C.O.L.M. beeped. “YES, GEORGINA. I WILL BE FINE. I LOST MY NUTS.”
Raewyn snickered, making Georgina go red. The tinkerer did her best to ignore her. “You lost nuts and bolts. You didn’t ‘lose your nuts’.”
Beep. “I DON’T UNDERSTAND. ISN’T THAT THE SAME THING?”
The gnome put her fists on her hips. “No.” Beep. “NUTS ARE NUTS, GEORGINA. AND I LOST THEM.”
Georgina frowned. “And bolts. It’s an important distinction.”
Beep. “MY NUTS ARE ON THE FLOOR.”
Georgina gritted her teeth. “And bolts, M.A.L.C.O.L.M. ”
Beep. “MY NUTS ARE brOKEN.”
Raewyn couldn’t hold it in any longer and started to belly laugh. Doubled over, she held her stomach with both hands. “Oh! Oh, I’m going to pee myself.”
Georgina huffed. “Stop it, Raewyn. You know what he means.”
Raewyn wiped her eyes as she giggled. “Ow, my nuts!”
I watched the proceedings silently. This kind of conflict can only lead to resentment. “Raewyn, please stop.”
Raewyn’s giggles subsided, but she still looked amused. “Oh, you old biddy. I was just having a bit of fun.”
“At another’s expense. We still have two more mischief hags to get to with a long way to get there. We cannot have this the entire way. I mean it, Raewyn.”
She smirked at me. “Then, tell M.A.L.C.O.L.M. to keep his nuts close by. Can’t just have them, you know, dangling there for me to grab.”
“Raewyn!”
She let out another laugh and walked off. Ramiren smiled when my helpless gaze turned to him.
Ramiren said, “A little levity is not unwelcome sometimes. And we did just have a nasty encounter. Perhaps give your sister some grace.”
I sighed, conceding the point. “Georgina, I apologize for my sister.”
Georgina frowned as she began to search for and pick up the aforementioned nuts… and bolts. “I can see why it would be funny, but I don’t like it. More of these fights, and M.A.L.C.O.L.M. may become non-functional.”
Her sadness was understandable. M.A.L.C.O.L.M was her life’s work. To see it destroyed piece-by-piece while you could do nothing had to be difficult.
Glancing at Ramiren again, remembering earlier, I wondered if our friendship would be chipped away piece-by-piece because of his secrets.
Why had he kept something important from me, from us? He knew one of the mischief hags had his vial, his ability to whistle. Why didn’t he say anything? Why keep quiet about it?
With a resigned exhale, I concluded his secrets were his business.
I was not privy to his entire life and believed him when he said he wouldn’t put me in danger.
Still, the knowledge that he was keeping things from me when I’d been so open with him stung.
My desire to know everything about him was the real reason for my reaction.
The fact that he didn’t want to was like a thorn in my side: ever-present and frustrating.
Be patient. I haven’t earned the privilege of knowing everything yet. Perhaps I will in time.