The Secrets of Ether

Chapter 13: To Lavande

Same day – 1930

Megumi turned away from the entrapped Setsuna to see Eustis laying on the floor.

“Yelena,” she asked, “would you help him please?”

Yelena got down and began to work on Eustis’s wounds. Megumi stumbled over to the steps and took a seat. Her face was flushed and her eyes seemed unfocused. That ougi must take a lot of energy to perform, Setsuna thought, and maintaining ice in this heat can’t be easy…

Yelena stood up and walked towards Megumi. “I’ve done all I can for him,” she said. “I can’t mend bones. He needs to go to a hospital.”

Megumi sighed. “… Alright.”

“I’ll ask my brother to put him in the car.” Yelena went passed Megumi up the stairs. “And Megumi,” she added, “don’t do anything to Setsuna.”

Megumi smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it!”

Setsuna watched Yelena go up the stairs. Yelena… how can you still worry about me? Setsuna could feel her eyes starting to well up again. I can’t cry in front of HER! Damn! Suck it up! She tried to cover her face, only to remember that she couldn’t move her hands. Setsuna silently cried, her tears freezing as they fell to the ice.

Neither Megumi nor Setsuna spoke the entire time they were alone. After about five minutes, Yelena returned with her brother. Margaret came with them as well.

“Oh, Eustis…” Margaret gasped, her slender hands raised to her mouth. She looked at the pool of blood around Eustis, then glared at Setsuna.

“How could you!?” Margaret yelled. “We trusted you Setsuna! How could you? Why did you kill Olivier!” Her voice began to rise in pitch. “And to this to Eustis as well!? Monstre ! Vous êtes terrible ! Monstre ! "

Margaret began to approach Setsuna when she felt a hand firmly drop onto her shoulder.

“We need to take care of Eustis now”

Margaret paused. “Yes… I, I know Janus.”

Janus walked over to Eustis, picking him up with little effort. He looked to Margaret, who looked unflinchingly at Eustis. “It isn’t as bad as it looks,” he reassured her. “And what are you going to do?” Janus asked, looking at Megumi.

“I’m watching Fuyutsuki. She isn’t going anywhere while I’m here.”

“…you look exhausted.”

“I’m fine,” Megumi insisted, “better off than the man in your hands. You should hurry on.” She gave a weak grin as she tilted her head to the exit behind her. Janus nodded and left with Yelena and Margaret.

***

It was still raining when they got to the car. Janus eased Eustis into the back seat, then started to head around to the driver’s seat when Yelena pulled him aside.

“Janus… I need you to do me a favor.”

Janus raised an eyebrow. “What do you need?”

“Well..” Yelena looked towards Margaret, who sat in the seat next to Eustis. Yelena looked back at her brother, and began speaking in a hushed tone.

“I need you to stay here. Something isn’t right.”

“Are you worried about Setsuna?”

“Yeah, umm…” Yelena broke eye contact with her brother before hastily adding, “b-but that isn’t the only reason!”

“Hmm?” Janus’s normally stoic face had a slight grin.

“Just stay here!” Yelena shouted. Then, lowering her voice again, she continued. “Something isn’t right… I know it.”

“…did you receive an oracle? In this weather?” Janus asked.

Yelena bit her lower lip. “No… just a hunch…”

Janus frowned at his sister. “You want me to stay behind because of a hunch? You know that I can’t simply move on a whim.”

“Then call it women’s intuition!” Yelena proclaimed. “I just need you to do it!”

“Women’s intuition? How is that any diff…”

“It is!” Yelena interrupted.

“Does this ‘intuition’ safeguard your heart?” Janus asked in a deep, solemn voice.

I’ll be fine!” Yelena insisted. “Don’t worry! You’re so overprotective!”

“I just don’t want you to get your feelings hurt again.”

Yelena hung her head. “I know… thanks.”

Janus placed an arm around Yelena and she reciprocated. After their quick embrace, Janus handed her the car keys.

“You can drive in the rain, right?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Janus watched the car drive off until it disappeared into the storm.

***

The storm had once again grown in intensity. The rain falling onto the car sounded like a bombardment of rocks from the sky. Everyone in the car sat in silence, listening to the howl of the wind and the roar of thunder. The dirt road that connected Sinclair to the rest of the countryside become a treacherously slick trail of mud.

“It’s a good thing that this is a mostly straight road,” Yelena stated.

“Are we almost there Yelena?” Margaret asked.

“I think so,” Yelena replied. “I think we should be there in about ten or fifteen minutes.”

The town of Lavande was approximately forty-five miles south of Sinclair Monastère. The road between the two, essentially abandoned by society, never had any traffic. Because of this, Yelena was still able to drive fast despite the poor weather; she had been doing over sixty miles per hour for the last thirty minutes or so.

“Yelena…”

The voice sounded weak.

“Is that you Eustis?” Yelena asked, not taking her eyes of the road.

“I’m sorry Yelena. I… shouldn’t have…”

“Hey, don’t worry about it.”

Eustis closed his eyes as pain shot through his dislocated arm. “No, let me say this… I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t have threatened you. You did nothing wrong.”

Margaret joined the conversation. “How did you threaten Yelena, Eustis?”

“I said… I’d kill her if Setsuna didn’t fight me.”

“L’audace ! Vous êtes mieux que ça, Eustis !”

“Margot,” Yelena intervened, “don’t be mad at Eustis. He has enough to deal with.”

Margaret let out a slow, deep sigh before responding. “You are right. I suppose I owe Eustis an apology when he regains consciousness.”

Yelena laughed. “See, your scolding made him pass out!”

Margaret laughed as well. “Oh? You understood what I was saying? You really do learn quick!”

“I have no idea what you said!” Yelena replied. “Your voice just had an angry tone!

***

Yelena and Margaret have left to take Eustis to the hospital. At his sister's request, Janus has stayed to watch Sinclair.  Is Yelena right to be weary? What will happen to Setsuna while Yelena is gone?

Next time: Why? - Please look forward to it!

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