Page 7 of Lucie
Chapter Four
Siblings
“Wait! No way! What do you mean I have to stay behind?” Mattox bristled and immediately began to protest.
Mistellealso added her voice of indignation. “Why do we have to remain here? Why can’t we go with you?”
YulenandAttyexchanged glances, which made Lucien wonder if they had discussed this beforehand. But considering theyhadn’t had the chance to be alone since they left the main hall, how could they? He mentally shrugged and racked it up to being another one of those inexplicable things which occurred between his parents because of their connection to each other.
Yulengave his first- and second-born a patient but no-nonsense look. “With your mother andIgone, I need you two to lead my soldiers.I need you to protect this compound.”
“Why does Luc get to go with you?”Mistellecountered. It was hard for Lucien to read her tone. But one thing was certain. His siblings weren’t jealous of his leaving while they were being required to remain behind. If there was anything to be said about their growing up, it was that their parents always treated them equally. No one was givenpreferential treatment. Not Mattox, who was firstborn, notMistelle, who was the only girl, nor him, the youngest—and, as he’d been told several times in the past, the child who should not have been.
“He needs to be tried,”Attytold them. “He hasn’t gone on any travels past Foster City or NewBearinger. He needs to be tested under fire. The same way both of you were tested.”
“But it’s only right thatweaccompany you,” Mattox persisted. His eyes reflected dark red with anger.Yulenanswered with his own hard stare.
“You’re right. We do need you to come with us, and your mother and I would like nothing more than to have you by our sides. But you both know why you must stay behind.” He grasped his son’s arm. “You know there is no one else Itrust to protect this compound. If something should happen to your mother or me, you andMistellewill inherit the title of Battle Lord and Lady. You were born for this, and we know you will uphold the ideals we’ve taught you to keep AltaNovisstrong.”
Mattox gave a single nod as he placed his hand over his father’s.Attymoved up to him, and he lowered his face for her kiss tohis cheek.
“We’ll see you later at dinner. Lucien, might as well go pack your satchel now. If not, be sure you have it done before you go to bed tonight. Tomorrow will come too soon, and things will be hectic as we get ready in the morning. You might forget something crucial if you put it off ‘til then.”
“I will, Mom.” He accepted her kiss and watched as she turnedto ascend the staircase.
Mattox left the lodge, probably to return to his bunk in the soldiers’ quarters, having moved there soon after the war with the Damaged.Mistelleretired to her room on the first floor of the lodge, and directly behind the kitchen area. AsYulenstarted up the stairs to join his wife, Lucien also ducked into the hallway to go to his room, but paused in frontofMistelle’sdoor that was across the hall from his. He knocked softly. A second later, his sister opened it and stepped aside to let him in.
“I had the feeling you’d want to come talk,” she remarked with a smirk.
He entered her room and slumped into the one chair sitting in the corner. “This is all so sudden, I don’t know what to think.”
“I’ll be honest,Luc. I don’t envy you in the least.”
She removed the soft leather armor, including the bandolier of knives she always wore over her clothing, and hung it on the hooks embedded in the wall. Once she divested herself, she sat on the edge of her bed to remove her specially-built boots. Dropping them onto the floor, she placed her hooved feet on the coverlet and scratched the arches.
“Matt is furious he’s not getting to go,” he commented.
Mistellesnorted. “He’ll get over it. He’s just mad he won’t get to mow down the enemy. You know how bloodthirsty he can be when he’s fighting. Hell, he even goes in for the kill during practice sessions.”
It was a remark he could easily relate to, having been on the receiving end of his brother’ssword during many of those mock skirmishes.
“How doyoufeel about having to go?”
Her question surprised him. “Huh?”
She sighed and gave him a patient look. It was one he’d seen countless times growing up. Where Mattox tried to help him live up to his name and family heritage when it came to war and battle,Mistelletook it upon herself to have him observeeveryone’s special abilities. Including those like himself who’s uniqueness wasn’t as visibly evident.
Mattox was the older brother trying to get his younger sibling to become self-sufficient.Mistellewas the sister who taught him the value of forming close, emotional bonds. Despite their age differences, Lucien couldn’t love them more.
“How doyoufeel, being toldyou’re going with them? You do realize there’s the possibility you may not survive.”
“Why do you say that? Because I didn’t catch the virus?”
She appeared momentarily stunned. “Oh, shit. That’s right! You didn’t get sick!”
“But many of us didn’t,” he reminded her. “I heard Dr. Fergus tell Dad one time that approximately one in three people in the compoundbecame ill with the virus. And out of those who did, the odds were fifty-fifty they’d survive. That meant half of everyone who got sick died.”
“Yeah, but the half who survived, if they wereMutah…” She made a disparaging sound. “Those were scary times, Luc. Shit, do you rememberTancyOlvering?”
