Page 60 of The Cerulean Sister
"You must petition this transfer," an elderly council member challenges.
"No," 99 answers flatly.
Both emperors glance at Lord General, who gives them a nod, excepting 99’s declaration, as informal as it was.
"Priestess Ferren, you are free to leave Viathan. However, we will not be able to protect you there. You will be going back to the temple you sought asylum from; this will negatively affect any future petitions for sanctuary. Do you understand this?" Emperor Angara leans forward onto her armrests.
"I do," I cut back. "You have left me no choice. I pray the emperors are never in such need for help." I am cut off by the press of 99's hand on my lower back.
"Careful,"he warns gently through our tether.
"Best outcome to you then." She flicks her head down to dismiss me.
I look at the emperors, their blank faces. I pity them in their emotionless strategy, all humanity removed in favor of probability and greater good.
"It's not right." August leans in as he watches 99 press buttons on the metal drink machine in the corner of our capital chamber."On top of everything else, we retrieved Viathan’s stone for them after they could not make up their mind where to keep it. I think they are forgetting that they practically owe Ferren."
"I know," 99 says solemnly, not taking his eyes off his busy work.
"They didn't go into that . . . thing’s cave." August continues to gesture wildly, pacing around him. "Without her we would have never even made it up that mountain. They should do anything she asks!"
99 sighs, exacerbated, and gives up making himself a drink to lean on the countertop with his arms crossed.
Calliape and I exchange a look at August's intensity.
"How can they not help? They were so willing to grant Ferren asylum. Clearly, they don't have a problem helping someone with ties to the priestess order. I don't understand," she says to the two of them.
"Granting sanctuary made the Viathan government look charitable. I knew they would have no issue passing it." 99 shakes his head, utterly disappointed. "But this would have entailed getting involved in another world's temple. With only the possibility of exposing Cosima's wrongdoings, it was not worth it to them."
"They saw no benefit in helping." Calliape’s voice is measured, like she is fully understanding. "It was never about helping Ferren's sister for them."
"Our emperors are known for their cold strategy, but the leaders of all three worlds are highly flawed. That is why there are three worlds and not one," August shakes his head, almost speaking the words to calm himself down.
It's odd to hear him say such things. Coming from him, they never quite sound like facts of devotion or verses of a prayer about our history. They sound innocent, like stories he was toldas a boy that quietly shaped him, not ones to use as a reason to punish. Just simple truths.
"I have sent word to the lord general requesting a meeting to delay departure."
"Delay?" I ask, panicking that more time is wasting.
"Another day. We need to make sure August's ship will not be gunned down when it approaches the Estate’s docks."
"They could try," August mutters somewhere in the room.
"And we need a better plan, a different one," 99 says.
Perhaps it should be a relief that he is so open to this secondary path we find ourselves in because his government is failing to help us, but part of the plan will be separating, and just thinking of that makes my stomach feel unnaturally empty.
I tug on our tether. I tug so hard that 99 turns to me as if I am asking him for his undivided attention.
I stare up into the metal of his visor where he stands against the mantel, and he tilts his head down just a little to let me know he is listening. He caresses my mind back and holds the space for me to speak.
But then I realize what he said.
"Did you say adifferentplan?"
Chapter
Sixteen
