Sequel

For those of you who read the AN, I’ll tell you this. Even knowing it was a set up, I still kind of tear-ed up. So if you cry, yeah, Lillow and the mesa have set Rel up, hoping to drive him to do something that I'm not certain he can even do.

To Wir from the chat! I’d love to talk to you about it, hearing about what others find confusing helps me out later on. I can keep track of everything… barely. Edno left without much statement, he left when several threats went out to partners from the Aniege terrorist group but investigation brought up no threats to Edno himself. He doesn’t have a wife or children …or anything really.

This was three paragraphs off finished when I posted the last chapter. So really, it didn't take much time to finish.

Someone commented, asking if Rel was supposed to make a new body for Mik to be reborn in. It made me giggle at the idea and you just know Paw would be fine with it but no. Una wants Rel to make a body for Ayato. Basically, get with the baby making so Ayato can be born where Una can watch and protect him. Because Rava has been let off his leash.

Rava and Ayato are allowed to use their powers under strict rules. When one is let off the leash, the rules are removed. And Now Rava can do something like, say, destroy the entire civilization, then take over the world and start killing people off randomly.

It's the gods' way of saying "bad, bad people."

Battery's dying and class is ending so!

Read, Review and Enjoy.





The council had given over to Una’s demands quite readily, namely because they wanted to live. Una had take up an apartment some thirty floors below Rel’s in what, Rel was guessing, had once been Mik’s old apartment. Paw had no problem giving the space up and so Rel made no remark as to the history of the place. Una’s last orders had been to Mari, telling her to gather the priest lines, he needed to speak to them. And then off Una went.

With Muan.

Three fucking days ago.

Three.

Days.

“You can’t kill him with a look,” Souse muttered, settling against the wall beside Rel as Rel glared at the door of the apartment, “and you certainly are not going to throw him off his… game? By staring at him through a door.”

“Go away.”

“Mari is sick.”

“So? She’s a big girl.”

“She threw up.”

“So?” Rel snapped, “clean it up, she’s a big girl.”

Souse sighed out, “perhaps you should show a little more concern for her. The woman has lost a good friend and now her entire life has been turned upside down. If she wanted one of us looking after her, we would be looking after her. We want them finished as much as you do. Muan is broadcasting all over the place and Paw can’t be reached, out like the dead, that one is.”

“Fine,” Rel grumbled, “I’ll go talk to Mari.”

“And shave while you’re at it,” Souse rubbed at his own chin, as if expecting to find a beard, “it’s weird how you people grow hair on your face.”

“Anything else, mother?”

Souse considered for a moment then shook his head, “nope, that’s it.”

Rel went to the elevator and pressed the button, grumbling the entire time about smart asses and Sidhe and gods and how they could all go screw themselves. The elevator doors opened and Rel stepped on, jabbing the button for his floor before he noticed the female standing against the opposite wall, a babe in her arms. Her eyes were huge, she looked at him, frightened.

“Hullo,” Rel said, jabbing the button again. She flinched and pulled away from him, as if that would get her through the side of the elevator. Which made Rel sigh, drop his head and add, “please don’t eat me.”

The Sidhe had been acting strangely since Una had arrived, like they were expecting every people to be Una, and like they were afraid of Una. Afraid that the man would hurt them, or afraid that the man would see all their secrets? Rel doubted it was the first.

“My name is Lil-oh.”

“Lil-oh?”

The female sighed and bounced the babe on her hip for a moment, “people call me Lillow.”

“Ah, well. Nice to meet you.”

“I was Mik’s daughter.”

“Oh.”

“This is Mik’s mesa. His and Paw’s,” the toddler gave Rel a big, watery look on cue to his sister’s words, “Can you bring him back?”

“No, I can’t,” Rel said, “I’m sorry, but dead is dead.”

“But you’re a Whisper. A people Whisper. You could reach through the veil and bring him back.”

“I can’t,” Rel said again, “I don’t know how and even if I did, the underworld is a dangerous place. There is more of a chance that I would be consumed in my attempt, than he would be brought back. I’m sorry, but. Dead is dead.”

And the toddler sniffled and its face screwed up. Rel had a moment to think, gods no, before the babe let out a blood curdling scream and began bawling. The tears on the thing were huge. Rel couldn’t understand why he still found the child adorable. He looked to Lillow for help but she was in tears as well. Lips trembling, eyes all watery like she was trying not to.

“Oh now, please don’t-” but she broke down into sobs before Rel could finish.

The elevator doors, of course, pinged open on Rel’s floor as Lillow started sobbing. Ashun stood at the elevator, arms crossed, waiting for Rel. She frowned, looked from Rel, to Lillow, and back again and then rolled her eyes.

Rel scuttled off of the elevator and quickly put Ashun between himself and Lillow. The doors closed with a happy little ping that was totally not necessary.

“Mari’s in the bathroom,” Ashun murmured, “I’m going to find Lillow and make sure she’s alright. All but being a single mom, probably wearing her down.”

Ashun glanced over to where Paw was still sleeping as she pressed the down button on the elevator door. Rel ignored Ashun’s look and went to the bathroom, knocking quietly on the door before he ignored the ‘go away’ and slid into the bathroom.

Mari was sitting on the floor by the toilet, a ghastly look on her face which frightened Rel only slightly less than the pale look on her face.

“What’s wrong? What happened that’s got you throwing up and so…” worried out of her mind, afraid.

“The Illuen kicked me out.”

“Oh. They can do that?”

“To me, they can,” Mari sounded miserable, she leaned towards the toilet, “Said it was my fault they got upstaged at Mik’s funeral, said by right, it was their funeral to run. And when I said that Una demanded they all gather. Know what they told me?”

“What?”

“That I was foolish little girl and what did I know about anything? They threw me out of my own house. Had security manhandle me even though I didn’t resist. They’re going to strike my name from all the records. My children will never know who I was because…”

“Fathers are bastard,” Rel sighed, sitting on the edge of the tub.

“No, I’m the bastard,” Mari muttered, groaning for a moment before she sat back from the toilet, “my father thought he was beyond his years and so he went to a Deuen orgy, figured he should live life to the fullest while he was still alive. Nine months later my mother comes around and pops me out. De believes that seeds should fall where they may, Illuens believe everyone must be bred. Like dogs.”

“They didn’t send you here because you’re smart or because you’re the high priests youngest daughter…”

“They sent me so that I’d fuck up and they could finally be rid of me. PFP. Potential for Power. But I wouldn’t let them get another child from me only to take it away from me again so they were trying from the start. But I did everything right! I’m the messenger and I’m the one who’s punished. How is that fair?”

“It’s not,” Rel responded, “but life isn’t fair. Look at the bright side. You’re part of the program, thus, you have a place to stay. The Sidhe love you like family and the partners are coming awfully close to calling you boss lady.”

Mari let out a half laugh- half sob, “I’ve lost all my siblings, my family, my possessions, my rank and my religion and you say that.”

“Say what?”

“Your life sucks, so what?”

“Your life doesn’t suck. Your life is whatever you make of it and right now,” Rel motioned towards the toilet, “you’re making yourself sick over worry of your future when it should be clear to you. Your future is your choices and your fate mixed with your will winning out over everyone else’s.”

A thump in the living area made Mari and Rel look towards the door.

“I think Muan’s back,” Mari muttered, pushing off the floor with a groan, “not a mention of me being sick.”

“Sick? I never saw you being sick,” Rel muttered, “I just saw a cranky woman hugging a toilet that is in dire need of cleaning.”

“Damn right, that’s all you saw.” Mari muttered, straightening her clothing before walking into the living area.

Rel sighed and looked around the empty bathroom. When had his place become the place to gather, when had his privacy been given up for comfortable companionship?

And why was a woman puking in his bathroom some how perfectly acceptable all of a sudden? He should be upset that someone chose his bathroom out of hundreds of bathrooms, choose his toilet out of who knew how many toilets, to be sick in. But he was fine.

Perhaps there was hope for him yet.


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