Author's Preface
Solana: That is Atania and Fletcher, but we have one last introduction to make before we end the first episode in this series.
Merkra: Penelope?
Solana: Penelope.
Merkra: Phoenix, help us. There will definitely need to be content warnings in the description…
Solana: Penelope Crux…Well, I am not a medical professional, so I don’t want to make any unsubstantiated claims. Suffice it to say she is a bit…unhinged.
Merkra: Sure, if by unhinged you mean batshit crazy.
Solana: Merk…
Merkra: Sorry, you’re right. Ummm… Every good hero needs a villain, even in a historical sense. Tien the Lucky had Horace of Netherstone, the Eigras twins had… You were right, this feels wrong.
Solana: The juxtaposition doesn’t work because the villains you’re referring to believed they were doing the right thing. That may be the only delusion Penelope isn’t suffering from.
Penelope gently prodded the perfectly uniform horizontal welts with the end of the willow switch. Shav’s whimpers fell on deaf ears.
“Where is Melrhos? Where is my horn?” she repeated.
He responded with a sob. Trembling muscles. No words.
Penelope’s grin never faded as she pranced around the wooden board she’d strapped Shav to and leaned over his head. Wild orange curls curtained their faces.
“All you need to do is speak. It will all be over.” She lifted her free hand and grabbed his chin to wag it with her next words. “Of course, Penelope. I’ll tell you everything.” She pitched her voice to mimic his supplication. Flipping her hair back dramatically, she stared down at Shav waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
Penelope’s eyebrows took a sharp downturn, though her grin did not so much as budge. “Speak!” She snapped the thin willow branch down again. Blood splattered across his chest and her face. He flinched. “You flinched!” She swiped the blood from her face, staring at it before wiping it on her bright yellow trousers, soiling the delicate violets printed on them.
She stared down at the wound, blood slipping from the thin line. The thin vertical stroke meant to divide the welts sat crooked, a half inch off. Imperfect. Ruined. “This simply won’t do.” She turned away, not wanting to face it. The pattern was broken. She would have to start over. “Gerard!”
“No, please!” Shav cried out, thrashing against the leather straps that held his wrists and ankles to the legs of the table.
Penelope turned on a heel, cocking her head. “Oh, did you want to speak now?” She skipped to his side again and peered down at his swollen, bloodshot eyes. “I think it can wait until tomorrow. I’ve got a busy day.” She slapped a hand over his mouth. The words may very well have been the ones she wanted to hear, but it was the principle of the thing. He’d ruined her work. So she had to start over.
Gerard padded into the cell, head dipped low. “Yes, Penelope?” The healer’s gray robes, stained with blood both old and new, clung tight to his shoulders.
“Why is everyone around here so slow?” she mused aloud before gesturing to the man still screaming into her palm. “Heal him up and put him back in his cell, please. Make sure he’s in tiptop shape for tomorrow’s session.”
She twirled down the hallway lined with cell doors. Most of them sat unoccupied. A waste of valuable space, to be sure. Mental note: send a few Blades to collect new toys. Stopping at the top of the stairs that lead back into the castle, Penelope spun in a tight circle. Bright pink smoke flowed from her finger, completely encasing her. It sunk into her clothing, swept across her skin, and into her hair, drinking the blood and sweat and stink that came with working in the dungeons.
“Gregor?” she sang out into the lavish castle corridor.
“Y-yes, Mistress?” Vibrant emerald eyes with metallic swirls appeared beside her. A second later, the crimson scales and dark brown leather armor followed.
“Oh good, you’re nearby.” He was always nearby. “I need you to run an errand for me. Go to the diviner’s wing and have them check in on Atania and Benicio. I should have my orb by now. And how is the child fairing?”
“S-she is acclimating well. I spoke with Virinax as you asked. He wanted me to extend to you exactly how d-dangerous what you w-were asking of him was. I t-told him that if you wanted h-his feedback, you would have asked for it.” Gregor hissed out, thin forked tongue flicking at the air between words.
“Well done, Gregor.” She held a hand out to the much taller man, who stooped uncomfortably low as they walked to let her pat his head. “Off you go then.” She waved a hand and he vanished on the spot. Why couldn’t everyone be as effective as her dear Gregor? She never had to tell him anything twice. He never questioned an order. Most importantly, he did precisely what she asked.
It was a short tramp from the dungeon to the council chamber, where she found herself already late for the meeting.
“Apologies, my king.” She bowed deeply as she reached the empty chair to his right. “I was detained.” She squeaked, but stifled the rest of the laugh as she sat beside him.
“I understand.” King Vilrut’s Null eyes scanned her a moment before sliding her a decanter with a dark amber liquid. “We have dignitaries from Ashoria, Misthaven, and Brimmark Summit arriving in two weeks. What preparations still need to be made?”
Penelope poured a couple of fingers of the spirit into her glass as the Dwarf across from her spoke. Grank? Grant? Whatever his name was, the sound of his voice could easily be mistaken for a hive of bees infesting her earholes. She fought the urge to leap over the table and bash his beardless face into the gilded table until the noises stopped.
Food, drink, entertainment, lodgings, all for a bunch of people who were simply coming to inspect that their people weren’t being mistreated? Honestly, the nulls on the mainland lived better than they deserved. Vilrut even allowed some of them to amass wealth. The buzzing had stopped, replaced by the sound of an elderly woman who babbled on at great length about Father only knew what.
“Penelope.” The King’s voice caught her attention again, pinprick pupils focusing on him. For a Null Human, he was quite handsome. Tall, sun-kissed skin, perfectly straight teeth that looked human enough, but she knew from personal experience were incredibly sharp. The most important factor in her attraction was the power he wielded, despite not being Deviltouched.
“I’ve been informed we recently received a message from below.” And with that the fantasy crumbled. It was always something with normal folk. Something that scared them to the core and soured her perception. Oh well.
“Yes, we have. Just a simple request regarding one of the newborns. I’ve got it taken care of.”
“Good, that is a distraction we can do without. Our political climate is uneasy enough. They are the last ones we need coming after us.” He turned to other business, something about an Aether cannon, but she’d stopped paying attention.
The meeting dragged, giving her plenty of time to drink two more fingers of the fine liquor and contemplate her horn. Althea’s horn wasn’t something she needed, but that wasn’t the point. The rebellion was getting stronger. Taking the horn from them would be just the gut punch they needed.
The other counselors exited the room, leaving her alone with the king aside from the two guards sitting at the threshold. She lifted a hand, thick black tendrils of smoke extending to the doors and shutting them with a thud.
“My king, I’m curious. Why are we hosting these dignitaries?”
“The same reason I invited the bard to perform at the gala. It’s important for us to at least appear open to our friends to the north.” Vilrut finished his drink, but Penelope poured him another.
“I don’t mean to question your decisions, obviously.”
“You do.” The king interrupted her with a nod. “But that’s one of the reasons I keep you around.”
Her grin widened, and a flush came over her cheeks, even as her brows furrowed as if the two halves of her face were fighting each other. “All you need do is say the word. I can have a host of Deviltouched on a ship and take each of these nations in your name. We can show them that…”
Vilrut held up a hand to cut her off. “We’ve discussed this, Penelope. Perhaps it’s possible, though I think you’re underestimating Ashoria. The losses we would suffer in such a move would leave us vulnerable to threats closer to home. Perhaps were the political climate to change, we could revisit it.”
“So you are concerned about the rebellion.” At the last meeting, he’d brushed off her concerns. Since she hadn’t received a single invitation to his bedchamber. “I was concerned you thought I was mad.”
“Of course not.” He sipped at the drink she’d poured for him and gestured around the table. “These people are like jackals. They serve me only as long as I’m strong and in control. The moment I falter, they’ll eat me alive.”
“They will try.” Penelope’s eyes flashed to the dwarf’s seat again, imagining the art she could create in his blood splatter.
“My own infiltrators have been sent in. Hopefully, they can get close to this Melrhos and we can cut off the snake’s head.”
“They scatter like roaches each time we find a hideout.” She shook her head. “Why would your men work any better than mine?”
“Because they’re not Deviltouched.” He answered simply. “What do you all call us? Nulls?” He smiled at her and gave a subtle shrug. “Their lack of power is their greatest advantage in this situation. When a foe approaches your gates, you set up your defenses. When a friendly face arrives…”
“They will open up for them.” Penelope nodded, understanding the tactic.
Vilrut finished his drink and pushed the glass away. “I’ve matters to attend to. I hope to see you tonight, though.” He gave her a sidelong glance as he stood. When he was around the other Null’s it was easy to miss just how beyond them he was. She could not place exactly why, but something in the way he carried himself…
She bowed her head, but didn’t reply. If his spies rooted out the rebellion base location, she would infiltrate it and claim Melrhos’ head herself. Leave it on the battlements. Melrhos was a problem for another day. Today she had another issue to solve.
Ordinarily, this would be a job for Gregor, but this was a combination issue. Her dear Gregor was busy checking in the lackeys obtaining her orb, and Virinax seemed to have a question about her intelligence. She bounced through the massive halls of the fortress, people clearing the way as she passed.
Penelope lifted a hand; an ash colored tendril of smoke curled around the lab door and ripped it open with the force of a sea beast’s tentacle. A yelp sounded from within. The smoke dissapated around her, and she held her hands up in the air.
“Virinax! Just the man I wanted to see.” She spun into the room, pulling the tie from her hair to let the unruly thick curls loose. “I hear you had some questions about our little project?” She slapped her hands on the cool sheet metal table between them.
“I understand what you wanted.” His tone made it seem like he was correcting her, but surely that couldn’t be the case. “I just wanted to ensure you were aware of the possible consequences of trying something like this.”
“I see.” She nodded, ever present grin morphing just slightly as she whirled her jaw back and forth. “So you thought that I didn’t have the forethought to consider potential side effects?” She slapped the table again, using the force to jump up onto it. She took what were long strides for her across to approach him. “Do you think I’m an idiot, Virinax?”
“What? No, of course not.” He stammered slightly. “I-it’s just very dangerous, and I am nervous about it.”
“My sweet boy.” She squatted on her heels and tweaked the pointed ears holding back long dark hair. “There’s nothing to worry about. I have the utmost confidence in your ability.” Penelope reached over, lifting a glass vial with active burner beneath between her thumb and forefinger. She swirled the bright blue liquid, watching as the lack of heat caused it to shift to a soft green.
She eyed Virinax, waiting for him to educate her on how hot it was, or its being dangerous to handle. While his roiling, scleraless eyes cried out, he didn’t make a sound. She nodded and set the vial back, her fingers letting off a soft hiss as she licked their burnt tips.
“We start tomorrow. As you’ve already stated, I am not an idiot and have considered the risks. You will complete it in incremental steps, spaced out as I see fit.”
“Of course, Penelope.” He hung his head.
“Good boy.” She pinched the tip of his Elven ear before hopping off the table beside him. “I’ll see you first thing in the morning.”
Gregor returned to her side as she entered the dungeon again, where Gerard gave her fingertips a pass to heal the burns. The things she did to prove a point to these people.
“Alright, to the nursery!” She leapt into the air and landed in Gregor’s waiting arms. “Onward!” Penelope thrust a hand forward.
Gregor was not particularly strong, but he struggled his way out of the castle and across the grounds while updating her on the whereabouts of Benicio and Atania. They’d apparently found the mine, but couldn’t be located within. Probably something to do with interference from the orb.
King Vilrut was very selective who he allowed within castle grounds. Most Deviltouched lived in the small town they’d built up around the port, but a few handpicked individuals had their own quarters within the castle walls. The king had the final say so on who that was. Otherwise, Penelope would have some select alterations to make to the list.
The children, and by proxy those that cared for them, were not subject to such scrutiny. At least not until they turned sixteen and assigned their jobs. Some would have been training for years by that point, groomed to be the personal guard of the king. Others would end up as her lackeys, and the rest thrust into the defense force.
Penelope hopped out of Gregor’s arms, who promptly collapsed, as they approached perhaps her favorite place on the island.
“Penelope!” The children’s squeals of greeting sounded as they funneled out the gate despite and aged Deviltouched man hollering after them. “Where have you been?””We haven’t seen you in forever.””We missed you!”
Penelope met them halfway, almost suffocated by hugs from the kids. “I know I’m sorry.” Her grin softened, but didn’t leave entirely. “You’ve been minding Ms. Terran and Mr. Rekk though, right?”
They replied affirmations, but she glanced up to the older man anyway, who gave her a curt nod.
“Good, I promise I’ll be around more soon. The king and I have just been very busy, but I have good news.” She glanced over her shoulder at the collapsed Saurian. “I brought you all a new toy, but Gregor hid it in one of his pockets. Whoever gets it first gets to play with it.” She made sure to speak just loud enough for Gregor to hear.
Watching twenty Deviltouched youth use their various powers to catch someone whose talents were exclusively evasion was delightful, but she was here for a bigger reason.
Penelope stepped through the gate that enclosed the homes where the children and their caretakers live, prancing up to the closest door. She was careful to be quiet, knowing full well that the door creaked a little no matter how many times she demanded it be fixed. The two children in this house were the youngest and thus under constant supervision by her childhood friend Terran.
Probably alerted by her nemesis, the front door, a human woman with wide hips, a slender torso, and the most vivid bright pink eyes stepped out from the hallway rocking a swaddled child in her arms.
“Hey, Penny.” Terran whispered as she swayed over to her. “Just got her to sleep. You wanna hold her?”
Penelope nodded, holding her arms out to take the child. Taking her free hand, she gently traced the flawless features of the child. Her cute little nose, puckered lips, flawless light brown skin, and ended by circling the tiny points of bone that were breaking free above her temples.
“She’s beautiful.” Penelope whispered, tears slipping from her eyes and into the stretched corners of her smile.