Chapter Thirty-Five: ‘Tremulous friends, be wary...’

A pair of waiters scurried between tables, attending to the truck stop diner’s morning rush. The place was busier than Hector might have expected. Perhaps being in the middle of nowhere worked in its favor. There were maybe two other places to eat over the next hundred kilometers or so.

Colt sat across the table, his kids right next to him.

“What are their names?” Hector asked.

“Stephanie and Thomas.” He poked at the baby girl, and she grabbed his index finger. “Thank you for keeping them safe, by the way. Didn’t get the chance to say that before.”

A waiter arrived before Hector could respond. The man began to look rather concerned as they told him their orders, scribbling through several pages of his notepad. He advised them that it would be a long wait and disappeared again.

Hector struggled with finding something else to say. Colt wasn’t exactly his favorite person right now, but the man was an ally, and Garovel had reminded Hector at length about how important that could be. Yet even still, Hector couldn’t come up with anything that wouldn’t surely start another argument, so he decided to remain quiet. Colt didn’t seem too worried about keeping up a conversation, either.

Thankfully, the reapers soon returned from scouting the area.

‘Didn’t find any cops,’ said Garovel. ‘You?’

‘I saw a pair of highway troopers a few hundred meters north of here, but nothing else.’

“So we can relax,” said Colt.

‘Yeah.’ A beat passed as Garovel looked between the other reaper and servant. ‘I’m curious to know what your long-term plans are.’

Colt and Bohwanox exchanged glances.

‘I have none,’ said Bohwanox. ‘Other than following Colt for my own protection, my only intention is to continue reaping souls as I normally would. Why? What are your plans?’

Garovel floated around Hector. ‘How much do you two know about what’s happening in Sescoria?’

‘Are you referring to that incident a few weeks back?’ said Bohwanox.

“I know the Queen’s gone missing,” said Colt. “Why do you ask? Don’t tell me you plan on getting mixed up in all that.”

“We already are,” said Hector.

‘Hector and I were there when Belgrant Castle was attacked. We helped the Queen escape.’

Colt and Bohwanox shared equal surprise.

‘The attack was Abolish’s work, which I’m sure they’ve kept quiet. They’re looking to seize control of Atreya--or rather, I suppose they already have. As far as we know, the Queen has been looking for reinforcements in order to retake the capital.’

“Abolish?” said Colt.

‘A very powerful group of reapers and servants,’ Bohwanox explained. ‘Assholes, the lot of them, but not the kind of people we’re prepared to fight.’

‘Then you’ll have to leave the country, because they plan on destroying this one.’

“What the fuck?” said Colt. “What are you talking about?”

‘You already know, don’t you, Bohwanox? Abolish only wants to cause as much destruction and misery as possible.’

Bohwanox confirmed Colt’s inquiring glance with a nod. ‘You and Hector intend to do, what exactly?’

‘Hector will train while we observe the situation. We don’t know the details of Abolish’s plans, but supposedly, we have a few months before things will really start to get bad. Even if you don’t intend to fight them with us, it could be quite helpful if Colt and Hector trained together.’

‘Ah. I see.’

‘I’m sure you want Colt’s power to grow as quickly as possible, too.’

Bohwanox hesitated. ‘That would be agreeable. And I have never had a servant before. I could benefit from your insight into the matter.’

‘Very well.’

‘But I do not intend to have Colt fight Abolish.’

Hector furrowed his brow at the other reaper.

Bohwanox looked at Hector. ‘If you have something to say, then say it.’

He held his tongue. It didn’t sit well with him, but Hector already knew where their priorities lay. Even if Bohwanox were willing, Colt would surely not want to leave his children behind to go fight in some war with an enemy he’d never met. And for that, at least, Hector could not fault him.

Garovel picked up the conversation, first looking at the children, then at Colt. ‘I’ve been meaning to ask--where is their mother?’

Colt took his time answering. “She’s in an institution for the criminally insane.”

Hector blinked at that. He noticed the reapers exchange glances.

“And now you’re wondering why,” said Colt. “It’s because she tried to kill the children.”

“...W-why would she do that?”

“Doctors said the pregnancy made her snap, but I don’t know. She had always been violent with me. I just put up with it. And that was obviously a mistake, because one night, she decided to grab a knife. Attacked me first, then moved on to the crib. She managed to cut Thomas under the arm here.” Colt pulled the boy’s shirt up, revealing a scar along the right side of his ribcage. It was not a small scar. “I just about killed that bitch.”

Hector could only stare, mouth half-open.

“It went to court. My case didn’t play very well to the jury. I did beat the shit out of her, after all. Wasn’t hard for her to make it look like I was the one who cut Thomas.”

Everyone just listened.

“She was about to get full custody. I was about to go to prison. And that’s when Rofal showed up, telling me he could make sure I won the case.” Colt’s eyes fell to the table, and he scratched his forehead. “I’m still not sure how much of it he’d planned. He had her lawyer and the judge in his pocket. I suspected members of the jury, too.”

‘And then he quietly got a hold of your children?’ Garovel asked.

Colt nodded. He seemed like he was done talking. He merely watched Stephanie play with his thumb.

Their breakfast began to arrive in increments, the waiter apologizing for additional delays on certain dishes. Hector welcomed the distraction, and apparently so did Colt.

At length, however, Garovel revived the topic. ‘I hate to ask this, but who else knows about your wife?’

“We never married,” said Colt. “And why do you ask?”

‘Because you might make enemies who would use her against you,’ said Garovel. ‘Her mental state would only make her more appealing to Abolish as a potential servant. If they learn about her connection to you, then you could find her trying to kill you one day.’

Colt snorted. “I would enjoy that.”

‘What?’

“It’d give me more than enough of a reason.”

A silence fell after that, but Garovel’s words began to nag at Hector. He soon turned to meet the reaper’s gaze, deciding to keep his next question just between the two of them. ‘Abolish will go after people we care about?’

‘Yeah.’

‘But then... Garovel, I...’

‘Your mother will be fine. For now.’

‘...And what about later?’

‘Depending on how things go, and if she’s still unwilling to listen when we return for her, then. Well. You may have to kidnap her for her own safety.’

‘Aw, man...’

-+-+-+-+-

Desmond Grantier scratched his chin, eyeing the checkerboard in front of him. It was not a complicated game, but Desmond liked to take his time in deciding his moves.

The person across from him did not seem interested in playing.

“More of a chess man, huh?” said Desmond. “How’s the pain today?”

The King of Atreya merely returned a haggard expression. The man’s silky white shirt hung loose over his missing left arm. Most of the shoulder was gone as well.

“We can get you more meds, if you like. Just no hospital. You need to look strong and presentable.” At William’s continued silence, Desmond shrugged.

Ezmortig had gone off to discuss strategy with the other reapers, leaving Desmond by himself on babysitting duty. It was a dull job and not one he would have chosen for himself, but none of the other reapers wanted to leave their servants alone with the King.

There were currently eight servants in Sescoria, including himself. Whenever Moss finally returned, it would be nine, but Desmond was starting to wonder if that would even happen. He’d tried calling Geoffrey, as well, but to no end. Normally, he would be tasked with hunting them down and confirming their deaths, but he was told that the mission took precedence this time.

Desmond turned when he heard the door open.

Two men entered, each with a reaper at his back. Stoker was the taller man with a shaved head and swirling tattoo on the side of his face. Karkash had bronzy skin and a thin beard, as well as one of the most penetrating stares Desmond had ever seen. Their female reapers were Nize and Hoyohté, respectively--which, to Desmond’s eyes, were wispy, black-cloaked entities with white masks instead of faces.

These four were different from the other reinforcements. They were on loan from the other side of Abolish--the 32nd Anti-Air Division under Dozer, to be precise. They had been added to the mission at the last minute, supposedly as “goodwill ambassadors,” but Desmond would have sooner proceeded without them if he could have. The key difference, he had always found, between the Morgunovs and the Dozers, was that the Morgunovs knew how to have a good time, while the Dozers were a bunch of uptight, joyless shitbags. And these ones here had yet to prove themselves as exceptions.

Still, they were allies, so he put on a smile for them. “How are the air defenses?”

“Will be completed soon,” said Karkash. His thick accent put a roll in his l’s.

“What brings you back here, then?” said Desmond.

Karkash reached into his sashed coat and retrieved a gray folder. He nodded toward the King. “Need stamps and signatures.”

Desmond shrugged and made way for them.

Karkash tossed the folder on the King’s desk. “Sign.”

William opened it slowly and began reading.

“Don’t waste our time,” said Stoker. “Hurry up and sign them.” His accent was much fainter than Karkash’s, and his voice had a rougher base to it.

“I do not sign things without reading them first,” said William.

Desmond rolled his eyes. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, Your Majesty. I can’t rip off your other arm, but I’m more than happy to find creative alternatives.”

‘Please,’ said one of the reapers, ‘there is no need to hurt him.’ It was Nize.

Everyone but the King turned to look at her, even her own servant.

‘Look at him,’ she said. ‘He will do as you say. Just have a bit of patience.’

The King picked up his pen, but a remnant of his stubbornness still lingered. “Please, just tell me what I am signing...”

“No.” Karkash placed a hand on the desk’s varnished wood. “Sign now, or I will bring your children here. I will torture them in front of your eyes.”

The King met his gaze evenly. “I do not have children.”

Desmond snorted, earning a glare from Karkash.

“I will find someone else,” said Karkash. “Whoever you care for. They will suffer. Until you sign.”

Nize left the room on her own. Stoker eyed the others hesitantly before following her.

“What’s with them?” said Desmond.

‘Do not concern yourself with them,’ said Hoyohté.

“Uh. No. That’s sorta my job here.”

‘It is not your place,’ she said. ‘We will see to the matter ourselves.’

The door opened again, but instead of Stoker and Nize, a little blond serving girl appeared. She paused when she saw the King’s guests and then proceeded with the offerings of tea. Desmond took a cup, but Karkash, having now acquired the King’s written approval, ignored her and left without another word.

William accepted a cup, as well.

Desmond eyed the girl. Her long bangs hid her face rather well, but he liked what he saw. “You’re a cutie.”

The serving girl cast her eyes down to the floor and said nothing.

“Haven’t seen you around before,” said Desmond.

Still, she persisted in silence.

“What’s your name?”

“Leave the poor girl alone,” said William. “Go on,” he urged her. “You are dismissed.”

Desmond frowned but let her go. “Pretty little thing like that should be careful around here.”

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

The serving girl shut the door behind her and leaned with her back against it for a second. She took a long, quiet breath, trying to steady her nerves again. That had been more interaction than she bargained for.

Gina knew that Roman would be upset if he knew she’d come here. She was starting to regret the decision herself. But the bug she had just planted in the King’s office would make it all worth it. Roman and the others needed someone to gather information on the enemy, and even though it scared the hell out of her, even though she knew that any one of the servants could kill her in a heartbeat, she was quite certain that there was no one better suited to the task than her.

Regaining herself, she straightened and proceeded down the hallway with her empty tea tray. She tried to avoid eye contact as much as possible. She especially avoided spying on the servants directly. There were beings around which she couldn’t see, and if they found her trying to eavesdrop on someone’s conversation, that would be the end for her, without a doubt. Which was why she had been putting listening devices around the castle all morning, instead.

Now it was time to get the hell out of this place.