The Sisters of the Woods Ch.14

“Heart sap?”

Nic nodded, holding his own under Orlin’s neutral gaze.

“We traded the pixies for it. I think she mixed it into the paint.”

“That explains a few things,” Orlin said.

“Sorry, explains what?” Nic asked.

Orlin looked back at Nic, briefly donning his teaching face.

“Fae magic is tricky at the best of times, and their reagents are no exception. Powerful if used correctly but get the balance even slightly off and-” He gestured at the ash pile. “-that is often the result.”

“I just don’t understand what she was thinking,” Renee said. “She had to know that one afternoon wouldn’t be long enough to get it right.”

“Uh-” Nic began, unsure if he should speak his mind or not. Orlin didn’t give him the choice, casting Nic a look that tolerated no argument.

“Something you’d like to share, Nicholas?”

Nic hesitated, only speaking when Renee joined in with a pleading look of her own.

“She wanted to have it ready, you know, for the show?” He gestured uselessly about before continuing. “And she couldn’t get the sap until today. Just ran out of time basically. It was really getting to her.”

Both elder techne considered him, Nic wondering if he’d said something wrong when Renee suddenly turned away, giving a small sigh. Orlin looked to her but was interrupted by Sylvie approaching.

“Any sign of her?” Renee asked.

Sylvie shook her head. “No. We’re still looking but we don’t think she’s come back to the house.”

“I imagine she’s still out in the forest,” Orlin said.

Renee stiffened at the words, turning to look at the treeline, an expression of absolute dread on her face. Sylvie noticed and placed a hand on her mother’s shoulder.

“The wards will keep her safe, she’ll be fine out there.”

“I should have noticed,” Renee said, not taking her eyes off the forest. “I’ve just been so busy with everything…”

“You can hardly be blamed Renee,” Orlin said.

Nic didn’t quite know if he agreed with that but said nothing. Renee, to her credit, didn’t seem to agree either but changed the subject when she spoke again.

“You mind hanging around a bit longer Orry? Least until Ve- Geniveve comes back?”

“Of course,” Orlin nodded.

“Good,” Renee said, making a brave, failed attempt at a smile. “Let’s go back inside, the girls are probably getting hungry.”

Orlin and Sylvie nodded, the three of them turning back towards the house. Nic followed, trailing the trio at a distance, taking his time and falling even further behind as they went. By the time they were passing through the door, Nic was still halfway down the lawn and making no move to catch up.

He looked over the remains of the stage. The intact projects and the blank canvas that still sat forgotten in the middle. He was about to turn away when his eye caught sight of something moving in the trees. Subtle but too deliberate to be a trick of the light or breeze. Something was trying to get his attention.

Cautiously, he approached the treeline, wary of a trap from vengeful pixies. Whatever it was shuffled in the undergrowth, parting the leaves to reveal a familiar face.

“Hey boy,” Nic said, reaching out to stroke the ridgeback’s mane. It hissed in appreciation, tilting its head to present a better spot on its neck. “What are you doing here?”

He was only half surprised when, in response to his question, the gecko pulled away and dropped low to the ground. Chuffing to himself, Nic stepped forward and climbed onto the gecko’s back.

“Alright,” he said as the gecko rose. “Take me to her.”

*

The trip was short, less than five minutes by the gecko’s stride. Fading sunlight filtered in through the thin canopy, just enough to cast the forest floor in a soft, shadowless glow, broken only by the flicker of fireflies.

Eventually the gecko slowed, emerging into the same meadow with the stream and pond they’d stopped in earlier. Geniveve sat on a fallen log next to the last, her back to Nic and showing no reaction to their obvious entry. Without a word, Nic slid from the gecko’s back, giving him one final scritch before approaching Geniveve. He moved slowly, a bolt of worry lancing through him as he got close, weirdly concerned that she might run off if he moved too fast. She didn’t, instead keeping her gaze fixed firmly out over the water as Nic reached her.

She’d been crying. Heavily, going by how red and swollen her eyes were, a glimmer of tears still visible on her cheeks. She made no move to acknowledge Nic as he sat down next to her on the log, taking great pains not to disturb anything.

They sat like that for some time, neither of them speaking as the light slowly faded. The dreaded silence hung but Nic found himself not really caring about it. Anxiety was the least of his worries right now.

“Rough day, huh?”

Why had he said that? All the options he had for an opening line, and he chose that one? Might as well have said “hey, you really sucked at that huh?”

Before he could fall too far down that thought spiral, Geniveve laughed. Quick and bitter but not angry.

“You could say that.”

Nic glanced over at her, finding her already settling back into her silence. Before fear got the better of him, he soldiered on and asked the only real question that mattered.

“What happened back there?”

Geniveve looked away, embarrassment sliding across her features. She took a moment to collect herself before turning back, though still refused to look Nic in the eye.

“It’s, I just…,” she began, quickly losing her nerve. “It’s stupid.”

“Try me,” Nic said.

“They, they’ve always called me that. Little Veve, precious Veve, our Veve. Long as I can remember. Even Estelle has started calling me that.”

She paused, taking long shaky breaths to collect herself. Nic stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt.

“And I know they mean well but, they’re just, they’re so good at everything. Experts, masters, the best at what they do in all the world.”

Her head drooped, fresh tears gathering in her eyes.

“And then there’s me: Little Veve.”

Suddenly her head snapped up as genuine anger infested her tone.

“Watch out for Veve, she might blow something up! Gotta take care of Veve before she screws up again! There goes little Veve to fail at something else. That’s our Veve, the little girl who can’t do anything right!”

She’d worked herself up into a proper rage now, tears streaming hot and heavy down her cheeks as she vented a lifetime’s worth of grievance. Yet as quickly as it had begun, the vitriol seemed to drain from her, leaving behind something small and lost.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to…”

Somehow her face seemed to fall even further, guilt adding itself to the already considerable weight on her features. Nic wanted to deny what she’d said, tell her she was wrong, but some small voice told him that wouldn’t help. What would help he had no clue, but that same voice gave him an idea. He just had to hope it knew what it was talking about as he opened his mouth to speak.

“I almost destroyed Greytower.”

Geniveve turned to look at him, tears giving way to confusion.

“What?” she asked.

“Yeah. Set loose a bunch of robots with bad code and chainsaws.” She gave him an incredulous look, which made Nic turn away with a bashful smile. “Swear on the dark and dead.  Would have brought the whole place down if Orlin hadn’t shown up. Almost wish he hadn’t with how much trouble I got in.”

Geniveve laughed, quiet but so genuine.

“I can imagine,” she said.

“Eh, it was kinda deserved,” Nic said, earning a look from Geniveve. “Okay, entirely deserved.”

Another laugh, this one gaining a little more strength. The silence settled again, though Nic found himself not entirely opposed to its comfortable presence. The light continued to fade, throwing the fireflies into sharp relief, so bright that Nic could pick out details on Geniveve’s face. The tears had stopped, though she had yet to wipe away their remnants. Beneath them, the lines of her face had softened, a little of the sadness fading away to leave just that bit more of her behind. The sight of it brought a smile to Nic’s face.

“Thank you,” she said out of nowhere, not turning to look at him.

“You’re welcome,” Nic said

That would have to do for an answer as Geniveve offered no more explanation. Another silence fell, shorter this time, Geniveve breaking it after only a moment.

“They’re worried about me, aren’t they?”

Nic nodded. “Yeah, they are.”

Geniveve drew in a long breath, letting it out in equal measure. It didn’t seem to do much but there was the sense all the same that she’d found something resembling solid ground.

“We should probably go back then,” she said.

“Do you want to go back?” Nic asked.

She paused, staring off into the middle distance.

“Yes,” she said at length, though made no move to stand. “But…” She hesitated. “Could we sit here first? Just for a little while.”

Nic smiled, nodding at her.     

“Of course.”

*

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