Eclipse (part 11 of 32)
Back to Part 10I look over at our new backseat passenger Mireille has chosen to
accompany us in the limo. It's the largest of the Soldats, the young man
named Henry. His hair is cut so close, I can see the skin of his head
shining. He now sits by the window, staring out, keeping watch. Uncle
sits in front, as usual, and is talking on his phone. Another limo
follows us at a distance. Mireille has taken no chances with our
protection.
I yawn, and feel Mireille's arm go around my shoulder, pulling me in to
her. She leans against the door, and I lean on her.
"Tired?" she murmurs in a low voice just meant for me to hear.
"Yes." I yawn again. I find it harder to fall asleep each night- I'm
scared of the dream coming.
"Me too." She stifles a yawn. I know I've kept her up at night being
restless.
"I'm sorry." I whisper, wishing we were really alone, so I could kiss
her. "It's my fault you don't sleep."
"Not your fault. It's the fault of Soldats. I will never forgive them
for what they've done to me, or you." she fiercely whispers. "That's why
we're in this mess now."
"Mirielle-" I start to whisper back, but she cuts me off.
"Don't defend him. He's just like the rest of them. I swear, if I had a
way to destroy them all, I would." Her angry whisper is in my ear, and I
glance sideways to make sure no one else has heard. Uncle is still
talking on his phone, and Henry seems to be a statue staring out at the
country landscape.
She pulls me in to her tighter, and leans her head down on mine. "Don't
worry about it. We're safe for now. Let's both take a nap- we have at
least another hour in the car."
I close my eyes. Safe. Maybe here, in the car, I will at last be free
from the nightmare room.
----------
"Stop it! No!"
"Kirika!"
"No! No!" I push away, but something is holding me tightly. The darkness
swirls away and I open my eyes to find myself pressed into Mireille's
chest.
"Kirika, I'm right here. It's okay." Her voice sounds near tears. "It's
okay." Her hands go through my hair. I'm sweaty and shaking. I can feel
Uncle and Henry staring at me.
"What happened?" Uncle asks, his voice full of concern.
"They were both asleep, then Kirika started screaming." Henry's deep
voice resonates over the car. "She acted like someone was attacking
her."
"Was it that dream again?" Mireille's voice is soft and soothing, and my
breathing begins to slow down.
"The same one." I adjust myself and try to sit up. "I'm sorry." I
apologize to everyone for my behavior.
"That kidnapping did this to you." Uncle sighs. "It makes me sick to see
it."
Mireille mutters something under her breath.
"Let's talk about something else." I squirm uncomfortably. I don't want
to be the center of attention over this. For some reason, I feel I can't
tell them about the nightmare room.
"Yes. Let's talk about why we're rushing to see an inmate at Laciaon
prison." Mireille sounds fully awake now, and back to her usual self. I
sit up, but continue to hold her hand. I just want to touch her right
now. She's the only comfort I seem to find.
Uncle grunts and turns half-way around in his seat, trying to face us.
"Ah yes. Today I received a letter from someone I haven't seen for
almost twenty years. He's going to be released soon. I wouldn't have
paid it much mind, but for two things; he asked to meet you both in
person and-"
"And so you're just taking us to see some common criminal like that?"
Mireille huffs out loud. Uncle looks at her briefly and purses his lips.
I can see she tries his patience.
"Droger is no common criminal." Uncle says, pulling out the letter
again.
"Droger! You mean Dumond Droger?" Mireille sounds shocked.
"Did you hear of him from your father?" Uncle asks.
"He used to call him Droger the fallen emperor." Mireille closes her
eyes. "He said that Droger controlled everything but himself- and that
brought his demise."
"Your father once dealt with him." Uncle clears his throat. "As did all
Soldats- before Droger's fall from grace." He turns the letter over in
his hands repeatedly, no longer reading the contents.
"He murdered someone ages ago." Mireille frowns, as if she's trying to
remember. "But I don't know how that caused a break with Soldats."
"It wasn't an ordered hit." Uncle creases the letter with his hands as
if he's re-tracing the past. "He turned on an innocent- one of his
servants... and killed her." He creases the paper in half and stares at
it.
"No." his tone is softer now. "He brutally murdered her. There is no
other way to describe what was done." He folds the paper again and puts
it back into his pocket.
"Turning on one of your own is a serious enough offense; but the way he
did it...left us no recourse but to exile him from our ranks. He lost
all trust, all honor on that night."
Uncle waves to the driver and we pull into a space. As if on cue, we all
take out our weapons and place them on the floor.
"Then why are we going to see an exiled Soldat that can't be trusted?"
Mireille grunts out as she pushes her gun under the seat with her foot.
Uncle raises his head and looks at us both.
"Because it's good to know the face of your enemy."
Onwards to Part 12
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