who gets a gold star for not wetting herself?"
He laughs. "Oh, you are back." He stops to laugh again. "I was so worried about you, but see? Gideon was right, you cannot be coddled too much. It's counterproductive—counter-intuitive was what he said, actually—to be coddled."
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Everyone wants to be coddled once in a while."
He nods. "Yes, that's true. Do you require more coddling?"
I smile. "No, I've had enough, thanks."
He remains silent as he gazes out at the ocean. It's lovely here, really it is. I mean, who wouldn't want to recover from tragedy in a place like this? Paradise. This is paradise. The beaches are white, the water is a stunning blue-green, and the temperature—mixed with the gentle wind that the Sargasso Sea is famous for—is perfect.
Gideon’s penthouse apartment has a view that almost makes you want to cry when the sun sets and there aren’t that many people here on our atoll, most of them live on the other neighboring islands, so it’s nice and private.
It’s funny when I think about it. Ironic maybe. Because one of my last memories of my old life on Earth included a silent wish to spend some time on this very same massive artificial floating island.
I wanted to vacation here. And now that this is where I ended up—it’s not enough.
It’s never enough with me. It will never be enough with me.
Something is wrong with me.
Lucan clears his throat to pull me back to him, but he seems reluctant to start the conversation so I start instead. "So, do you have horns?"
He puffs out a laugh. "I can if you want me to."
"But would you ever, I mean, if no one ever asked you to have them?"
He nods. "Yes, I have horns at times."
"How about hooves?"
He looks down at me, his eyes bright with laughter. "Hooves, too. Is that scary?"
"Hardly," I snort. "But it is sorta cool…" We stand in silence again so I ask another one. "Is it that bad? That you can't bring yourself to say the words?"
His smile fades and he nods. "Let's do it another time. Is that OK?"
"Hey, it's your party, right? As long as it won't kill me to not know, I'm good with denial."
He laughs again. "It will not kill you."
"Good, then let's talk about Tier. Where is he?"
"In the Band. On Amelia. He's been running the worlds since I left. I've been back a few times, mostly to fight with Gib and Rache. We are like brothers in that respect. We often fight, but nothing too serious. They've forgiven me for leaving."
Oh. That was an unexpected revelation.
"But," he continues, "they have never cared for Tier, so they are still angry about that."
I snort at this. "Yeah, I guess. I mean the whole Deliverance thing, right?"
"Right. Yes. But it turned out better than expected?"
The question mark at the end surprises me. "You have to ask?"
"You came out behind on that one, Junco."
He's right. I'm the only one who lost that fight, besides the people I killed to get the privilege of killing myself, that is. "Well, I'm glad you and your brothers are on better terms and all, but when can I see Tier?"
"He will come soon. Let's not talk about Tier, let's talk about the future."
"I thought that was for another time?"
"No, that was a conversation about you, Junco, and what you are now. That can wait, I think. But the future is upon us. We must get ready for it. Very soon the High Order will be here to judge me and if we're not ready for them, it will not turn out well."
"Not turn out well, as in… they might be angry? Or not turn out well as in the end of the world?"
"The latter."
"Oh." Well, that's just wonderful.
"But we have a plan and we will require your help. Will you help us?"
I shrug. "Sure, I guess. Is it difficult, what you need?"
He shakes his head. "No, not difficult, it just requires accurate timing."
"OK." I mean, really. What am I gonna say? Hey, thanks for rescuing me from my evil mother who violated my body for two years, no, sorry I can't help you evade aliens when they
He laughs. "Oh, you are back." He stops to laugh again. "I was so worried about you, but see? Gideon was right, you cannot be coddled too much. It's counterproductive—counter-intuitive was what he said, actually—to be coddled."
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Everyone wants to be coddled once in a while."
He nods. "Yes, that's true. Do you require more coddling?"
I smile. "No, I've had enough, thanks."
He remains silent as he gazes out at the ocean. It's lovely here, really it is. I mean, who wouldn't want to recover from tragedy in a place like this? Paradise. This is paradise. The beaches are white, the water is a stunning blue-green, and the temperature—mixed with the gentle wind that the Sargasso Sea is famous for—is perfect.
Gideon’s penthouse apartment has a view that almost makes you want to cry when the sun sets and there aren’t that many people here on our atoll, most of them live on the other neighboring islands, so it’s nice and private.
It’s funny when I think about it. Ironic maybe. Because one of my last memories of my old life on Earth included a silent wish to spend some time on this very same massive artificial floating island.
I wanted to vacation here. And now that this is where I ended up—it’s not enough.
It’s never enough with me. It will never be enough with me.
Something is wrong with me.
Lucan clears his throat to pull me back to him, but he seems reluctant to start the conversation so I start instead. "So, do you have horns?"
He puffs out a laugh. "I can if you want me to."
"But would you ever, I mean, if no one ever asked you to have them?"
He nods. "Yes, I have horns at times."
"How about hooves?"
He looks down at me, his eyes bright with laughter. "Hooves, too. Is that scary?"
"Hardly," I snort. "But it is sorta cool…" We stand in silence again so I ask another one. "Is it that bad? That you can't bring yourself to say the words?"
His smile fades and he nods. "Let's do it another time. Is that OK?"
"Hey, it's your party, right? As long as it won't kill me to not know, I'm good with denial."
He laughs again. "It will not kill you."
"Good, then let's talk about Tier. Where is he?"
"In the Band. On Amelia. He's been running the worlds since I left. I've been back a few times, mostly to fight with Gib and Rache. We are like brothers in that respect. We often fight, but nothing too serious. They've forgiven me for leaving."
Oh. That was an unexpected revelation.
"But," he continues, "they have never cared for Tier, so they are still angry about that."
I snort at this. "Yeah, I guess. I mean the whole Deliverance thing, right?"
"Right. Yes. But it turned out better than expected?"
The question mark at the end surprises me. "You have to ask?"
"You came out behind on that one, Junco."
He's right. I'm the only one who lost that fight, besides the people I killed to get the privilege of killing myself, that is. "Well, I'm glad you and your brothers are on better terms and all, but when can I see Tier?"
"He will come soon. Let's not talk about Tier, let's talk about the future."
"I thought that was for another time?"
"No, that was a conversation about you, Junco, and what you are now. That can wait, I think. But the future is upon us. We must get ready for it. Very soon the High Order will be here to judge me and if we're not ready for them, it will not turn out well."
"Not turn out well, as in… they might be angry? Or not turn out well as in the end of the world?"
"The latter."
"Oh." Well, that's just wonderful.
"But we have a plan and we will require your help. Will you help us?"
I shrug. "Sure, I guess. Is it difficult, what you need?"
He shakes his head. "No, not difficult, it just requires accurate timing."
"OK." I mean, really. What am I gonna say? Hey, thanks for rescuing me from my evil mother who violated my body for two years, no, sorry I can't help you evade aliens when they
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