Redemption Arc

Those in the Collegium were unable to catch Belcourt, but they confirmed the First Inquisitor’s presence along with the former Duke of Villamar. That was sufficient enough evidence for Lucian to be cleared of any suspicion. That said, it certainly wasn’t the end of things for that day.

Lucian had to explain every little detail to the Collegium and the Concord—why they were in Cyril’s place, what Lydia was doing there, what Aurelia was doing there, the works. It was due diligence on their end, so Lucian couldn’t be too upset. Anytime it felt as though they were coming near poking a hole in his story, Aurelia got involved and vouched for him. No one dared doubt such a powerful monastic, especially not when she’d torn off Belcourt’s arm.

And right now, that arm laid on the table. It had been exsanguinated. Lorenna Brumaire studied the mark on the back of the hand.

Dean Mortimer sat across from Lucian with his legs crossed. “So, in summary, Cyril wasn’t the person with the alliance to the Heavenwatch Monastery. They’ve been acting on their own initiative this whole time, and you were one of their intermediaries.”

Lucian nodded. “That’s correct.”

“All of this was done at the behest of the True Divine Beast,” Aurelia said. “He’s a soothsayer, well and true. He’s staying hidden to avoid potential assassination by the demons.”

Dean Mortimer looked exhausted. “Well, I suspect that it’s been a very long day for you two.” He nodded. “You probably want to retire, now. I’m sorry to keep you, and thank you for being so cooperative.”

Aurelia smiled pleasantly, then stood. “Not at all. It’s what we should do.”

“Hold on a moment,” Lorenna said. Her fingers hovered near Belcourt’s Inquisitor’s Mark. “This thing… is dangerous. Very dangerous. I think it should be destroyed.”

Lucian immediately reached out and took the arm, then wrapped it up. “I’m aware of the danger, but this has a purpose in his grand plan.” He stood. “Don’t worry. Nothing will go awry.”

Lorenna didn’t look entirely settled, but she gave a nod. “If it’s the monastery taking part in this, I suppose that’s more reassuring. Even still, take care with that.”

“And… I’m sorry for your loss,” Dean Mortimer said. “I can only imagine how difficult it must be to lose two parents in this fashion. If there’s anything further you need from us, you need only ask.”

For a moment, Lucian didn’t know what to say. He’d known Lydia incredibly briefly, and Cyril the same—neither were endearing. He felt it was a shame, but nothing more.

Lucian merely brandished the arm. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Lucian and Aurelia left the school dean’s quarters. There was an awning outside, and they stopped beneath it, watching the rain.

“I can’t believe it’s still raining,” Aurelia muttered.

Lucian looked at her silently.

“Shall I predict what you’re going to say?” Aurelia asked. “’All you did was choose the winning side, Aurelia. I still can’t trust you. Back in the cage.’ Or maybe you’ll mention what Belcourt said, that thing about figuring them out.”

Despite the words, she faced him with a smile. She wasn’t bitter at all, just teasing.

Lucian snorted. “That was definitely the point you could’ve gotten free. If freedom was your aim, you missed it,” he said, watching her reaction. She gave none. “As for figuring them out… I suspect Belcourt was talking about his intentions to use up all nine of your lives once you had them. The demons view everyone as disposable.”

“…yeah, something like that,” Aurelia said distantly, then sighed.

“Let’s go sit there, talk,” Lucian said, gesturing for a bench beneath the awning. “We can wait for Theobald. I’m sure he’ll be swinging by.”

“Good plan.”

The two of them walked and took a seat on the bench. Lucian leaned back and watched the rain. She did the same.

“You seemed pretty happy to get that gift from Algard,” Lucian mentioned.

“Jealous?” She turned her head toward him. “I’m your two-faced bitch, remember?”

Lucian squirmed. “I can’t believe I said that stupid…” He sighed, and Aurelia giggled. “Do you actually want to study in the Collegium?”

She looked confused. “That’s off the table, isn’t it?”

Lucian eyed her. “Not necessarily. You saved my life. Not only that, I don’t think that you’d do something like this If you weren’t committed to this fight.” Lucian raised up Belcourt’s arm.

“Really? You think it was a good move?” Aurelia pressed. He nodded. “Are you proud of me?”

Lucian narrowed his eyes. “Proud? The hell am I, your dad?”

She leaned in. “Would you like me to call you that?”

“Stop that nonsense,” Lucian said with a shake of his head, and she laughed again. “All I’m saying is, I think you earned a little leeway.” Aurelia watched him after he said that, and he asked awkwardly, “What?”

“I bet you never thought you’d be saying those words.”

Lucian met her gaze. “I never thought you’d tear off Belcourt’s arm when he offered you what you really wanted.”

She held his stare. “Desires change. He had nothing I wanted.”

Lucian raised a brow. “Do they? Really?”

“Well sure,” Aurelia said, looking away with a pensive expression.

“And do you desire to enter the Collegium?”

“I do,” Aurelia admitted. “But I don’t want to make you paranoid all the time. What if… what if I only attended classes at the same time as you? You go to this class, I go to this class. That way, you can always keep an eye on me.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Lucian was surprised she was the one offering to limit her freedom of movement. “I don’t think you need to go that far. Like I said… you’ve earned this. Algard, and now Belcourt…”

“Ah. I chose you over two very eligible, very handsome men, so now you know we share a true bond,” Aurelia said.

“Good lord, you don’t quit.” He groaned a little.

Aurelia smiled a while and stared off into space. After a bit, she looked back. “Can I… ask you something?”

“Just did.”

Aurelia looked back. “Did you know me? It seems like you… knew me, somehow, where I did something… different. Where you weren’t there to stop me.”

Lucian hesitated. He didn’t say anything for a while, contemplating the pros and cons. “Yeah,” he eventually admitted. “Not like we were friends or anything… but yeah, I knew you.”

“Meaning we weren’t as intimate as we are now?” Aurelia said dryly.

Lucian snapped a little. “Now that I think on it, the memories are flooding back. Yeah, Aurelia was totally braindead. Dumb as a bag of rocks. Irredeemable. Ugly, too, both in personality and appearance.” She glared at him, and he said smugly, “What? I wasn’t describing you. I was describing Aurelia. Oh, Aurelia… god, she was just awful. The worst. Subhuman. Every breath she took was a waste of air. Everyone that saw her envied the blind. Everyone that heard the idiotic drivel that came out of—"

“Alright, alright, I get it…” She rolled her eyes. “Though… seriously. What happened to me?”

Lucian rubbed his hands together, thinking. He supposed there was no harm in letting her know her fate on the dark side.

“You turned every single member of the monastery into a demonic beast, even the children,” Lucian said. “You made them your slaves. You used them like pawns, killing them off one by one in service of the First Emperor. You were obsessed with him. Wanted to be the First Empress, I guess. He never gave you an iota of attention. Ultimately, you died nine times in his service, just like all the monastics died in yours,” he finished, then looked over to her. “I could go into details of your further misdeeds in his service, but… that about sums it up.”

Aurelia couldn’t meet Lucian’s eyes. Her posture retreated into itself, and she placed her hands on her knees and clenched tightly. “…yeah. Aurelia sounds pretty braindead to me.”

“Ah, well…” Lucian shrugged, then babbled a little, “You got smarter. I guess. A little. Maybe. No use kicking a dog when it’s down, such and such… you know.”

Aurelia went quiet for a while. Lucian did the same, not knowing if there was anything more he could add.

“You know what, Lucian?” Aurelia asked. He looked at her, but she kept her face angled away. “You probably should’ve killed me.”

Lucian was speechless. Aurelia sniffed once, but the moment she did she stood and walked into the rain.

“Let’s get back,” Aurelia said, not meeting his gaze as the rain poured down. “I want to sleep.”

Looking at her face, it was pretty obvious why she ran out into the rain like that. Though, maybe…

Forget it, Lucian thought. I’m too tired to be suspicious.

“You’ll be sleeping alone, let’s be clear,” Lucian said, standing. He gestured toward himself. “Because you’ll never get this.”

Aurelia laughed like she desperately needed to.

***

Lucian sat in the cottage in the morning, enjoying breakfast with Cate and Aurelia. And he was enjoying it, surprisingly. Perhaps he should’ve been despondent after what happened to Cyril, but he felt unburdened, somewhat. He kept thinking about Lucian—the original Lucian.

“I hate my father,” the real Lucian had said to Sancar. “I hate him with all my heart. I want nothing more than to choke the life out of him with my bare hands.He can’t be beaten. He can’t be broken. All that I’ve ever tried… it’s been nothing more than a trifling annoyance that he has to deal with.”

Perhaps, somehow, he’d proven to the Lucian that was gone that his father could be broken. Perhaps that was why he felt so buoyed, even after what should’ve been a bittersweet resolution. He wasn’t sure he’d ever know.

Beyond that…

They made me look like Conan the Barbarian, Lucian thought as he saw his image in the papers. In the image on the front page, he sat aback Aurelia, wielding Belcourt’s arm high in the air as lightning struck behind him. How fast did they make this? Damn… some journalist pulled an all-nighter.

For the first time, Lucian felt happy to read the news coverage. Aurelia read a book as she ate, flipping the pages silently. She read the book about the prophecies of the True Divine Beast. She seemed like she was in a much better mood. Cate, meanwhile, ate heartily, using a spoon for everything, eggs or bacon or bread. She looked very happy.

Then, the doors to the cottage burst open. Helen walked in, followed by Rowan.

“Lucian!” Helen shouted.

“Good lord. Relax. I’m not deaf,” Lucian said, turning toward her. “You’re a bit late.”

“Sorry, but Lucian! You have to read this,” Helen said, running up to him. She plopped a newspaper down before him, then settled her finger. “There!”

Lucian read the text.

Several of those that initiated the trial against Lucian Villamar have provided no comment when asked about dropping the trial. Our journalists speculate his opposition may be hesitant to proceed after the events of yesterday. Some went so far as to suggest to pursue the case further would be folly after such demonstrable proof of Theobald’s thesis.

Lucian read it soberly, feeling floored. Rowan walked up with crossed arms.

“Isn’t this amazi—” Helen trailed off, calming herself. “I-I… perhaps I shouldn’t be so exuberant. Your mother, Cyril… I’m sorry. This must be horrible for you, all of it.”

“I’m fine,” Lucian said. He could tell she didn’t believe him. “Don’t fret. No, this is good news,” he assured her, picking up the paper.

“They’re selling newspapers like paper’s gold out there,” Rowan commented. “Printing new ones every hour. And everyone is talking about you.”

“They should be talking about Aurelia,” Lucian said, gesturing her way. She was playing with her hair. “I couldn’t get Belcourt’s arm if I tried.”

“You probably could,” Aurelia disagreed. “Better you have the credit, either way. A good woman should build up her—" Lucian eyed her sternly, and she paused midsentence, looking amused. She changed her phrasing, saying, “You’ve not been credited for enough, in my eyes.”

“…anyway, I was wondering why you called me here,” Rowan said.

“Right.” Lucian finished the last of his eggs, then stood. “You were particularly enthusiastic about the notion of taking the fight to the demons.”

“And you were particularly unenthusiastic,” Rowan said with a nod.

Lucian walked to the corner of the cottage. “Well, things change.” He grabbed his parcel, then set it on the table. He unwrapped it to reveal Belcourt’s arm. It hadn’t begun to putrefy, remaining pristine despite the hours passed. Helen looked unsettled, but Rowan merely looked curious.

“I’m still eating!” Aurelia complained with a grimace.

“C’mon. These are your leftovers,” Lucian joked, and she picked up her plate and moved to where she couldn’t see the arm. She softly kicked him in the leg as she passed, and he chuckled before looking at Rowan. “Before, I thought it was too risky to even consider. But now that we have this…” He tapped Belcourt’s arm. “The circumstances have changed.”

Rowan looked intrigued. “Meaning…?”

“Now, you’re right,” Lucian said. “Honestly, maybe you were always right, and I was just too cowardly to accept it. We need to press the offense against the Hells. And I think we do that with the former Student Ambassadors.”

Belcourt’s Inquisitor’s Mark was a drop that he gave after death in War of Four. It was the drop of the game’s secret boss.

Suffice to say it changed the situation a lot.