Chapter 53: Chapter 53

The Monteiros were buried in the castle cemetery. They now rested alongside the Van Duren cousins. After the ceremony, I requested a private interview with Prisca and Carmichael. To tell them about my visions, I choose my suite and welcomed them to my boudoir over a cup of coffee.

“And you warn me of this now!”

Carmichael looked pissed, but his sister calmed him down with a wave of her hand on his arm. With one look, she caught his attention and spoke.

“What you’re describing is impossible, Everliegh. No one can transmit their powers by touch or thought. Egeria was powerful, but such a thing is unthinkable!”

“Unless that isn’t the case,” continued Carmichael deep in thought. “And if Egeria had only transmitted visions that she wished Eve to see. It would be possible, right?”

“You mean that she would have deliberately transmitted her visions to Everliegh? Why?”

“To trap her or to torture her, what do I know!”

“By these visions, she wanted to say something to me,” I declared while joining the point of view of Carmichael; “In Amsterdam, she wanted to talk to me but I didn’t give her time. I thought she was desperate to get me away from the door where the six mummies I found next to Carmichael’s cell were hidden.”

“What mummies?! What are you talking about, Eve?”

“When I freed you in Amsterdam, Egeria did nothing to prevent me from finding you. But the moment I discovered the other cell, she pounced on me. This is where I discovered bodies wrapped in shrouds.”

“You didn’t tell me!” scolded Prisca, who had been part of the attack.

“They were mo-mi-fied! You understand, dead! And I talked to Blake about it later.”

“Does Blake know?” wondered Carmichael.

“Yes, I told him shortly after, but when he wanted to get them back, there was no one there.”

“And you didn’t think it wise to tell me about it!”

“Nope! You weren’t in full recovery of your faculties, Mr living dead, so I didn’t want to bother you with these stories, especially since you didn’t even deign to give me a call!”

Carmichael fell silent and gave a morbid grin. He gestured to his sister to take leave of him.

“We’re going to call the council together to talk about the death of the Monteiros. Many of our people stayed for the funeral and wanted an explanation. You’re expected at 9 p.m.”

At 8:55 p.m., Ethan was on my doorstep. The castle hadn’t been very empty and the presence of my brother became necessary at each trip. I could have found this overflow of company very unpleasant, and it was sometimes the case when I couldn’t use the courtyard garden as I pleased, but the activity in the castle was refreshing. The death of the Monteiros, which few knew about, hadn’t altered the ambient tranquillity that had reigned since the evening of the ball. Friendships and couples had been formed, and all lived in idleness intimidated by a scorching sun during this particularly hot summer.

Ethan wore a nice grey suit over a crisp white t-shirt. His attractiveness became more dazzling over the years. Only his expressionless eyes revealed his inner cracks. He accompanied me without a word but took my hand the whole time.

The Pomona room had regained some of its solemnity. The caste table had regained its centre and Carmichael his leader’s chair. The most eminent castes were seated, the others less important in the scale of powers remained standing. The huge room was still full of people. Carmichael motioned for me to sit beside him, forcing me to let go of my brother’s hand and experience the consequences. I pretended to be calm and found my place.

“Master Hand, what really happened to the Monteiros?”

Nicolas was accompanied by Abi for this meeting. Carmichael had made them sit in place of the Monteiros, which proved that the Hanlons were now among the most important castes in his eyes and that they were mature enough to participate. I knew that Nicolas had made many friends in the community and that his early predictions had resulted in successful missions.

“The Monteiros were murdered. Choked in their sleep with their own tongue.”

A wave of bewilderment passed through the assembly.

“This is the fifth murder in the space of a short time,” Salomon commented. “We must reinforce the guard!”

“I’m not sure that strengthening the guard can be effective against the murderer, especially since it’s a measure that we have already taken. I think he’s among us in this castle.”

Outraged exclamations agitated all the castes. Nobody was ready to believe it and I shared this point of view, but showed no reaction.

“The Monteiros’ eyes had been closed. We found them as if they died in their sleep next to each other. I don’t see any intruder taking this trouble for strangers.”

“I conclude that you don’t know how to keep your troops in your own house, Mr Carmichael.”

The voice which resounded in the Pomona room reached us like a biting echo. The stranger who uttered those sharp words burst into the room with a slow and sure step. Behind him, we discovered five other equally strange people. They seemed to be walking in slow motion, carefully scrutinising every corner of the room. My blood froze.

“Who are you?” Carmichael inquired, and I felt his concern increase.

“I am your king!”

The man’s declaration let an icy silence spread among my fellows. Then everything happened very quickly. Caleb got up and went to throw himself on the man, followed by a few castes ready to fight. They were stopped a few metres away as if an invisible barrier came to prevent them. Two of the men behind the stranger moved aside and levitated his assailants before throwing them against the vaulted ceiling. Their bodies fell like stones, I suddenly stood up and slowed their fall with my thoughts.

“Are you the young woman who saved us?” asked a woman beside the man.

“Who exactly am I dealing with?”

“I am Althea, sister of Egeria and caste queen for three thousand years. So is it you?”

Suddenly, I understood the meaning of her words. There were six. The afternoon’s conversation with Carmichael and Prisca and the absurdity of my lack of discernment shattered in my face. But who had I freed that day? My gaze met Thomas’ and I whispered the word Amsterdam to him. His eyes widened and the risk of our involuntary act crossed his mind too. How could I have guessed anyway that mummified bodies could come back to life? Was there no way to get rid of the castes with infinite lifespans?! Fire could have solved that problem, so why hadn’t Magnus used it instead of locking them away for eternity? And finally were they really a threat if they were a problem for Magnus? The question arose. But proclaiming himself king of the castes and disrespecting the current Master Hand wasn’t the best way to make friends.

Before answering, I walked towards the strange intruders, curious to see them closer. The woman had long, almost platinum blond hair that reached her waist. I guessed large clear eyes, but at this distance, it was difficult for me to discern their colour. She was dressed in a purple dress flared to the knees. The man was tall in stature and cold in face. His hair was the same colour as the woman’s. The contrast was striking with his sharp black eyes emphasising the importance he gave himself. He wore a perfectly cut midnight blue suit. Of the other two men, one was brown, the other dark, both had very pleasant faces. The two women stood out from the first. They had short red-toned hair, chalk-white skin, and fiery red lips. Twins, no doubt. They all looked to be between thirty and forty years old, but it was ultimately difficult to give them an age, they seemed so timeless. They exuded such grace, such elegance that I had the impression that if I had stayed a few more minutes contemplating them, I would have lost my mind. I looked away at my brother.

“Ethan, come close to me. Let’s be careful.”

My brother came to join me as well as Carmichael, Blake and Prisca. The rest of the castes were right behind us.

“I think you mean Amsterdam. You look in pretty good shape, for mummies!”

“Keep your tongue, scoundrel!”

The would-be king didn’t like my quip and took a few steps forward. He was stopped by my invisible barrier, and before he could protest, the girl named Althea grabbed his arm and told him to step back.

“Is it to you that we owe this series of murders in Mortain?” I asked with the slim hope of an answer.

“We don’t care about your internal quarrels, young lady,” said the woman. “We came to meet those everyone is talking about. Carmichael Burton Race and Everliegh Burberry, I guess that’s you.”

The lady was decidedly shrewd. Carmichael stepped forward.

“What do you want from us?”

“That you recognize the absurdity of your title of Master Hand!” shouted the would-be king. “Your father Magnus had usurped the caste authority because of our traitorous sister. There has never been a Master Hand before him and there never will be. Althea, my sovereign, and I, Priam, King and Queen of the castes, alone have the power to reign over this community and I enjoin you to follow us!”

“You’re the girl of the prophecy? Is that it?” guessed Althea, who cared little for the man’s annoying tirades.

“It seems,” I answered.

“Did Egeria tell you everything?”

These last words disconcerted me. Egeria hadn’t really had time to talk, come to think of it.

“I killed her before she could.”

My words caused an effect on the small troop. The six looked at each other and their eyes expressed agitation. I wondered now if they shared the same telepathic power as my brother and I.

“Your act had at least the honour of freeing us,” said the woman with an unkind tone.

In solemn silence, Althea took a few steps forward and said:

“I am Althea, your sovereign and I demand the release of Magnus Burton Race…”

My blood boiled, but Ethan grabbed my arm.

“… I ask that he be delivered to us safe and sound. He will come to live with us in peace on the Greek island of Eos, an island which the castes have always enjoyed. I see your reluctance, so beware! We are each over three thousand years old. Ask yourself how we achieved such longevity. No opponent survived against us. At six, we’re invincible and we won’t have to prove it to you if you pledge your allegiance to us. We are aware of the hard decision that is yours, and we agree to give you the time to make the most judicious one. We are also ready to let Carmichael, Prisca and Connor Burton Race lead the territories they occupy. The terms of our proposal are non-negotiable and we will come to ensure that they are respected.”

She had finished her speech with a faint smile, it was hardly conceivable. This moment seemed unreal to me and yet the silence it left weighed on my shoulders. Anger radiated from my throat, Ethan squeezed his hand around my arm.

“You won’t get Magnus!” I shouted, my voice loud.

“I am your queen, you will obey.”

Suddenly and without my being able to intervene, my body stopped. A force paralyzed me and I noticed out of the corner of my eye that it was also the case with my brother and all the castes in my field of vision. In front of me, I saw the twins freeze as one, palms open toward the centre of the room, eyes closed and focused. It didn’t take long for me to guess that the cause of the paralysis phenomenon came from them. Taken by surprise, I hadn’t had time to erect my defences, and even if I had, the power felt at the moment left me doubting my ability to fight it. I saw the two men behind the supposed royal couple slip away and return a few minutes later carrying Magnus. My eyes grew feverish, but I still couldn’t move. The feeling was unbearable and it felt like I was going to burst from the inside soon. Then my lower limbs began to tremble, as well as my fingers and finally I gradually regained my mobility. With some difficulty though, I stared at my opponents and planned to kick them across the room, but a force stopped me and I saw Althea’s focused eyes turn in my direction and stop my attack. She was struggling against my power and I was struggling against hers. Before I realised how much energy that exchange had taken from me, they were all gone at lightning speed. My body melted on my legs.