Chapter 94: Chapter 94

The next day, at 9 o’clock, Estelle opened the door to my suite. She was the only one with the key. Her tray was laden with croissants, a glass of orange juice and a coffee, the smell of which pleasantly tickled my nostrils.

“Hello, Eve!”

“Hi Estelle,” I said, in a sleepy voice.

“My beauty, you are expected at 10 a.m. in the Pomona room, then at 11 a.m. in the office of elected officials.”

“What?”

“The office down the hall, a stone’s throw from Carmichael’s.”

“Uh… okay, okay.”

“At 2 p.m., if all goes well, you should all be leaving for Greece.”

“Estelle, it’s barely 9 a.m., how do you know about all this?”

“I’ve been up since 6 am.”

“Okay, I’ll get up!” I say, embarrassed,

I went to shower and came back to have breakfast with her. We talked for a moment about the living conditions during my detention in Greece, and I took the opportunity to tell her all my admiration for her services rendered on a daily basis. My stay on the island of Eos opened my eyes to the difficult task that Estelle, her mother Selene, and her father Paul were responsible for.

I then told her about the customs of the temple.

“The service was fit for a queen, at least!” she says.

“Yes well, I much prefer the freedom of the castle. I’m not going to deny that being served isn’t unpleasant, but other tasks that servants perform date back to antiquity.”

My mind then flew to Greece, in a candlelit bathroom, standing naked in front of Eric, and alongside two nymphs.

“Impeccable service, then!”

“It depends on how you want to be served. They must never speak, and if they don’t follow orders, they’re executed.”

“That’s atrocious!”

I often forgot that Estelle was human and that she didn’t leave the castle much. I decided to limit the details a bit.

“You have again undergone sacred trials, my poor Eve. I don’t know how you’re holding up after everything you’ve been through.”

“I can adapt to everything, I must believe,” I say with a sigh. “By the way, I met my mother!”

“She’s alive!”

“Yes, she’s locked up there. If she hadn’t been there, I would never have managed to escape.”

“So how is she?”

“Strange…,” I blurted out because that was the first word that came to mind. “I hadn’t made up my mind how or who my mother could be, so I had no expectations in particular. And she’s about eight hundred years old, so of course, she’s not like all moms, I guess.”

“Would you have liked a different reunion?”

“Without murder, sure, but no, not really… or maybe in a different context. But I rather felt sorry for her. I found her unhappy, her life was nothing but suffering. She didn’t have the chance, like me, to discover her powers. She wasn’t advised, supported or helped, she went through everything alone. One evening, after dinner, she told me that one of the happiest days of her life was when the pill was invented. Imagine! Before Ethan and me, she had nineteen children, only one of whom she really wanted. The child had been conceived when she was mortal, Eleanor. Then, centuries later, she met my father. She could communicate by thought with him, as she does with me.”

“Are you a telepath too?”

“No, I often sense what people feel, but I don’t read them. Only with my brother, my mother and Carmichael, I can communicate by thought.”

“With Carmichael too?”

“Yes, he has blood from my mother and blood from Magnus. This is also my case if we refer to my family tree. I believe that it’s the mixture of these two bloods which causes this family telepathy.”

“Carmichael has blood from your mother?”

“She’s his great-grandmother,” I said, while Estelle’s eyes widened in amazement. “Okay… I know, it’s fishy.”

“I’m lost.”

“And you still don’t know everything! My grandmother is Althea, the false goddess. And Priam, who is Althea’s brother and husband, slept with my mother to get revenge for her infidelity. He was Eleanor’s father.”

“Stop, I don’t understand anything anymore, Eve!”

“I know, it’s very complicated.”

“And how is she, Althea?”

“A madwoman, pretentious and cruel. She can kill without flinching. She despises anyone who isn’t of the Five and has a favourite pastime of torturing minds and fomenting schemes that allow her to achieve her ends at all costs. And she’s immortal, so I might as well tell you that she has time!”

“Is that what happened with Eric?”

A silence. Estelle sank back in her chair, wondering if she had been right to venture into that area. I hadn’t expected her to know, but I was forgetting the video too quickly.

“Yes, that’s what happened with Eric,” I told her while thinking about him and what we had been through together already warmed my cheeks.

“I haven’t seen the video,” she said, “I just heard about it.”

“Do you blame me? I asked anxiously.

“Why would I want to? Sweetie, after everything I’ve seen at the castle for all these years, I won’t allow myself to judge your behaviour. Althea wanted you to cheat on Carmichael, and in that sense, she won. But would you have liked things to have gone differently over there, with Eric?”

I smiled, and she could read in me that I had no regrets. My cell phone rang. It was him. At the scarlet red that coloured my cheeks, Estelle immediately understood who it was, and in less time than it takes to say, she withdrew with the remains of the tray.

“Hello?”

“You’re leaving soon?”

“Right now.”

Hearing his voice made me smile. The deep, silky tone and his breath that I heard at that moment, I knew them by heart. Oh no, I didn’t regret anything.

“It’s nice to talk to you,” I said, not knowing how to start this conversation.

“Yeah.”

A silence.

“Have you seen Carmichael again?”

“Yes,” I answered while dreading where this question would lead us.

“Is he mad at you?”

“No, well, I expected worse. But, we only saw each other very quickly, so…”

“Did you sleep with him?”

“You can’t ask me that question, Eric!”

“I don’t want you to.”

A new silence. I thought I heard his breathing quicken on the other end of the line. What to answer? I had spent weeks with Eric, which would remain etched in my memory for all eternity, but I didn’t forget my commitments and what I owed to Carmichael. He was the man who fixed me after I died, Eric was the one who caused it, and the two hated each other.

“When the war is over,” he finally said, “I’ll not return to the castle.”

“I didn’t know you made such a decision! When were you planning…”

“I want you to come with me.”

“Eric…”

“Think about it when you return.”

And he hung up. I put the phone down, dazed, Eric wouldn’t come back to the castle! This news hit me like a bomb. What had I believed? That the three of us were going to be able to live under the same roof, to have happy days? Eric, facing Carmichael, and me by his side, every day of the rest of his life, when he had told me clearly that he no longer felt at home here after all that had happened. How was I going to endure a life apart from him? This thought left me in deep dismay, as I remembered Blake referring to Elizabeth Darville, the mortal woman he had loved so much. He had lived with her until her old age. He would have liked to leave with her when she had left this world, and rest at her side, but it was impossible for Blake. Finally, the absence of this woman he loved more than anything triggered in him the beginnings of his madness. Lately, I’ve been thinking about this story a lot, and it had reinforced my idea that I shouldn’t have any illusions about a possible future with Eric. But, if he left, I might never see him again, was I ready for that? This thought froze me, but a glance at the clock tore me from this painful reflection.

I went to the dressing room and took care to take comfortable clothes. The battle was looming and I wasn’t sure if I would have the chance to change before it took place. I wanted every chance of beating the Five, and even though it seemed futile at the time, I chose my outfit carefully. I opted for a flexible, very elegant cream-coloured suit, a white shirt and red boots whose heels didn’t exceed seven centimetres. I certainly would have been more comfortable in a sporty outfit, but I was a queen in the eyes of my peers, and as Johnny said, etiquette was important. I smile thinking of my best friend, who would have been very proud of me right now. Moreover, dressed in this way, I was able to run a hundred metres. I went down to the garden courtyard, crowded at this hour. The meeting in the Pomona room wasn’t scheduled for fifteen minutes. I made the choice to avoid the crowd and went to the library. I met Thomas and Caleb there. He opened his arms smiling.

“What a pleasure to see you, Everliegh!”

I smiled and went to kiss him. He hugged me a little tight but seemed sincere in his welcome. After months with the Five, I had to admit that his attention touched me. Thomas got up and came to meet me, while Caleb walked away. The embarrassment that came between us squeezed my stomach. In his azure blue eyes, scandalously beautiful, I guessed his thoughts: he had seen the video. Embarrassed, I pulled away a little.

“Next time you jump out of a moving car, will you let me know?” said Thomas with a hint of a smile.

“I promise to think about it.”

“I just had my brother on the phone.”

“Ah!” I blurted, suddenly uncomfortable.

“I thank you for saving him.”

“Oh…uh, that’s normal.”

“And I learned of my parents. At least we know the truth now.”

“I wish my mother wasn’t involved in their deaths.”

“Eric told me she didn’t know what she was doing, so let’s not talk about it anymore. And from what I hear, he probably would have died, too, if Ethan and your mother hadn’t helped you escape.”

“They took huge risks, but they will get through it, I’m sure. At least, if we attack as soon as possible.”

“Do you plan to see him again soon?”

My embarrassment increased. He was talking about Eric, and I didn’t know what to say to him. Anyway, I didn’t have the words to express a decision I hadn’t thought about yet. Moreover, his attitude revealed a bitterness that was difficult for me to ignore.

“Right now I have to focus on the war, so…”

“It killed me, this video,” he suddenly blurted out as if he had been holding back from saying it since the start of the conversation.

“Thomas…”

“The Five manoeuvred well. And anyway, neither Eric nor you are accountable to me. But this is my brother, and his happiness is close to my heart. If you’re not going to go back to him, then don’t wait to tell him.”

His translucent eyes locked on mine. A long exchange of looks ensued, as Caleb gave us signs that the meeting was about to begin. So we headed for the Pomona room.

It was crowded. Even at the ball inducting Carmichael as Master Hand, there were fewer people. I slipped towards the big table where everyone was trying to gather to listen to the latest news. My seat was empty, and I managed to squeeze through to reach it. When I finally sat down, silence suddenly settled. Embarrassed by this sudden calm, I squirmed in my chair and was relieved to see Carmichael push his way in my direction.

“You’re okay?” he asked, grabbing my hand.

“Yes,” I said, feeling the warmth of his fingers, “I’m fine.”

He didn’t even take the time to sit down. Every guest in the castle now hung on his lips. The hour of the end had sounded.

“Here is the plan, we have negotiated with the humans three ships to transport us all to the Isle of Eos. Once there, you’ll each have a mission, in a specific place. A list is at the exit of the room, each will have a group, and each group will have its instructions.”

“What will our strategy be?” asked Jorge Andres.

“The telekinetics will have to fend off attacks from human weapons,” I replied, “for we know they are heavily armed. The powerful will have to fight their counterparts. The telepaths will have to control all weak minds, and the pre-cogs will be in contact with Carmichael and me by radio. We’ll take care of the Five.”

“So, can we come?” Nicholas asked.

“Yes,” I replied, my voice lower.

The only reason that prompted me to take Nicolas and Abigael Hanlon was my fear of seeing them kidnapped by the Five during our absence. After reflection, I said to myself that, even if it means enlisting them in battle, they could be useful to us.

“I heard they had twice as many telekinetics as us,” Caleb pointed out.

“They have more troops,” I confirmed, “it’s true, and I don’t intend to deny it. Only, know that the Five will never gather all the telekinetics near them. They consider themselves far superior. Association with mortals is a necessity for them, and this is precisely their flaw. They assume that nothing can happen to them if they are together. We must succeed in creating the conditions that will lead them to separate. Also, I’m not sure that the castes who support them won’t change their minds when they see us coming, or when we take over. So if it’s not absolutely necessary to kill, don’t. We’re going to have to find a way to isolate the Five from each other. The role of all of you will be to keep their armies at bay, while we carry out our task. I already got two, together we’ll have the other five.”

“Besides,” adds Carmichael, “Eve killed their pre-cog during her escape, so they have no idea about the future, or how they can still beat us. But, if they replace them, they will have the means to anticipate our plans. So we’ll leave in three hours and attack tomorrow, let’s not waste time.”

The hubbub during the exit of the room calmed down only after long minutes. Each one was impatient to know his role and went to seek his name on the lists. These had been designed so that there was always one telepath for every three powerful, and several telekinetics per group, in order to protect them. The Hanlons, on the other hand, had to stay on the ship and transmit their visions to Carmichael and me, thanks to headsets lent by the army. Castes whose powers weren’t powerful enough would, unfortunately, find their absence on these lists. They were too easy targets, so we entrusted them with the mission of protecting the castle, in the absence of all its occupants. Of course, I knew the Five would stop at nothing, unflinchingly exposing their weakest castes as we engaged them in a fight to the death.

And that battle, you could feel it fast approaching. Three hours later, we all embarked on frigates, secretly lent by the British navy. No caste of our camp slept that night.