Chapter Text
It was a long way down from the cliff’s edge to the large lake. Edenye peered over the edge, trying to see the ground through the clear water. According to Helios, this lake was kept clean and healthy by the Imperial ecosystem department. But – she frowned at the lightly blue shimmering surface from the morning sun – he had also said that the lake was deep, a few hundreds of meters deep at least. The deepest parts were hidden behind the blue colour. She was not quite sure yet whether she should be relieved or not about not seeing the ground.
“Are you sure this is deep enough?” Edenye asked, shuffling away from the edge again.
Temare peeked over to her from where she was folding her set of clothes into a pile. “It is deep enough. Don’t worry!”
“I mean…” Edenye rubbed her bare forearms, a chill running over them despite the warm spring weather. “I had swimming lessons, but…”
“If you know how to swim,” Temare pointed out with a broad grin. “Then you can jump.”
“But never with something this deep!” Edenye chewed on her bottom lip.
“We’d be with you.” Cytharat jumped up to the small jumping board attached to the cliff. “Also, you know the trick?”
Edenye shook her head. “Trick?”
“There is one trick,” Temare shrugged. “Remember the Force jumps we have been practicing at the academy? Similar.”
Edenye frowned, dropping into a squat and back up, swinging her arms from behind her back to in front of her face.
“Yes, that one!” Cytharat smirked. “Just make sure you propel yourself forward and not just up.”
“Also, you will have to bring yourself into a downright position,” Temare added, pulling herself up to her tip toes with her hands clasped together over her head. “Like this.”
Edenye copied Temare, going on her tiptoes. The trick in using the Force to jump was to push it into the upward motion to propel herself up. For forward, she would have to channel it differently, which would….
“I can hear you thinking,” Temare teased. “Once you have done it for the first time, it will be easy.”
“If you say so,” Edenye muttered, dropping back down. “Where did your parents say they’d go?”
Temare and Cytharat exchanged quick looks. “They said they’d get the float out to discuss some matters with Malgus?”
“I do not see them yet.” Cytharat glanced around to look at the lake for a moment. “Do you want to wait until they are there?”
Temare pursed her lips. “Would be for the best? In case… you know.”
“Yes,” Cytharat agreed. “Father is a trained life guard.”
“Really?” Edenye gave out a short stunned laugh. “I just don’t picture him being that?”
“Just cause Overseer Jeth is the frigid block of ice?” Temare giggled. “Dad used to be in the marine part of the expansion force and they all are certified lifeguards.”
“Wait,” Edenye’s mouth had dropped. “You are telling me your dad was part of the force that reclaimed the capital city of Nicht-Ka?”
“He was!” Cytharat replied. “Even got his medals and Darth rank through it.”
“Medals?”
“There is an entire room filled with those,” Temare rolled her eyes. “For his actions leading the reclamation, he was recognized and after the war was assigned to be a lawyer for war veterans.”
Edenye felt her mouth drop open. “A lawyer for war veterans?”
“Some of our veterans join the work force or are in need of disability grants,” Cytharat explained. “He is there to make sure this goes off without a hitch.”
“Are there a lot of problems?”
“Some think they can evict veterans because they require mobility assistance or easier accesses,” Cytharat shrugged. “Public shaming and hefty fines usually do the trick.”
“Public shaming?” Edenye asked, now curious. “How often does he have to resort to that?”
Cytharat snorted. “Plenty! One even had to be executed!”
“Oh!” Edenye had her eyes wide.
“He had a factory going that exploded with a lot of war veterans in it,” Temare explained quickly. “Major scandal last year.”
“Last year?” Edenye looked to Cytharat who nodded.
“Was all over the major news,” he spoke, then with his eye-ridges drew together. “How did you not hear it? Weren’t you in the academy already?”
“I was. But we were not given any news or could be contacted from the outside.”
“Oh.” Cytharat trailed off, before looking to his sister. “Temare, are you going to jump or not?”
Temare flinched and shot her brother a questioning look. “The float is still too far away!”
Cytharat groaned. “It never takes that long for them to get out here!”
“We cannot just leave Edenye up here, though!” Temare argued back.
“Never said we would,” Cytharat growled.
Edenye moved back to the edge, peeking down to see where the float was. On a small, from up here, light beige coloured platform sat four figures. It still was moving out towards to the middle of the lake towards them.
“Well…” Temare trailed off, thinking about something, while Cytharat let out an exasperated sigh.
“Have you told her about the rules?”
“What rules?” Edenye asked, turning back to look at them.
“Oh!” Temare perked up. “I forgot! There are some rules here, well more advise than actual rules, but….”
“You are not allowed to swim outside of the main lake,” Cytharat interrupted. “Temare you are taking too long.”
“Why?”
“There is a protected underwater plant species that is under protection,” Temare explained. “And you are not allowed jump more than three times in a row.”
Edenye blinked.
“Dad’s rule,” Cytharat explained. “Says there has to be at least a break from such a high jump.”
“Stay near the float,” Temare listed off, nudging Cytharat with her elbow. “And if my brother wishes to say something, he can wait until I have finished speaking!”
Cytharat rolled his eyes. “Noted! Oh look!” His eyes flashed excitedly and Edenye turned.
The float now was stationary in the middle of the lake, the four occupants visible even from up here. Eleena and Malgus were lounging on two chairs opposite Illya and Helios, a low table between the two. But she could not see what was on the table, only that the four occupants were in deep conversation.
“Finally,” Temare groaned. “Edenye, just remember to push yourself as far away as possible from the cliff, alright?”
She nodded in response, stepping away again to let Cytharat take her spot. Swiftly, he lifted himself to his toes, back down, his arms swinging backwards. The Force rushed to him when he pushed himself off, propelling forward. Somersaulting a few times before he straightened down. He looked like flying almost and she stared wide-eyed at his widely spread arms before… he splashed into the water. Little white waves rippled out from where he had dived in.
“You go now!” Temare declared cheerily.
“What?” Edenye gasped, crossing her arms. “But…”
“No no! Just do it,” Temare was grabbing at her, turning her around. “Do not think, just do it!”
“Temare…” Edenye started to speak, but was shoved gently forward. “I….”
“Don’t overthink it!” Temare giggled.
Edenye now stood right at the edge where Cytharat had jumped off from. Down below he was splashing about, lying on his back. Far away enough for her to jump. So far down… She hesitated. Hairs standing on end, she swallowed heavily.
“Edenye…” Temare’s spoke lowly, seriously then. “Believe me, overthinking it won’t help. Just do the motions again until you feel ready.”
With a jerk for a nod, Edenye settled into the stance she had seen Cytharat and Temare do before. Just do the motions, she bent down, hands behind her back and swung herself up.
“Yes, like this!”
Another settling down, she closed her eyes, just not to see the water so far down below. Her stomach had tightened, like a stone weighing her down. Do not think about how far down it was… definitely not too high, no… She swung down and… the Force prickled down to her feet, like she now could do instinctually, without much thought.
And then… she pushed herself off. Eyes ripping open, she felt herself soaring through the air. Heart leaping right into her throat, she saw the world almost coming to a halt as she had propelled herself forward. A perfect standstill. Blue sky flaring brightly, she swore she saw two figures dancing in the clouds. Happily without a care about the world around them. Little auroras sparked around them….
Then the trees were in her view, a veil falling over the dancers… the water rushing to her….
Splash.
Needles shot into her skin as she crashed through the water surface. Loud thunder filled her ears as she was engulfed in tingling and prickling white bubbles as she shot down. They enveloped her, little white flimmers filled her vision. The dancing couple was back, but this time… she saw… Xemok’s face in one of their faces. Happier, softer. In shock she opened her mouth, water rushed in and she kicked her feet down. Blood-red seeped into the white bubbles and his eyes bled as black veins streaked through his face as his partner fell dead in his arms.
More bubbles rushed over the image, swallowing him and she saw… two other figures dancing. Not the same ones… no, her body convulsed, trying to expel the water in her mouth and lungs. White noise filled her head, she kicked out again.
Sputtering, she broke the surface. Coughing and blind, she reached out to wipe at her eyes. She blinked, looked around to see Cytharat swimming over to her.
“So?” He asked.
“Didn’t think about the impact,” she wheezed out, feeling her nostrils burn.
He winced in sympathy. “Ow, that is something you just have to get used to.”
She coughed one last time, when a larger ripples swept past them. The float with the adults was slowly approaching them, Eleena glancing over several times whilst their conversation was still too muted from the distance.
“I wonder what they are talking about,” she wondered quietly.
Cytharat lifted an eye-ridge in her direction. “Better not. Legal stuff is incredibly boring.”
“How do you know this is legal stuff?” She asked, lifting her head to look for Temare who still had not jumped down.
“Why else would they have come out here?” He retorted. “No eyes and ears out here, and adoption is a delicate business. Especially when it comes to inheritance rights.”
She scrunched up her nose. Who even thought about inheritance already? But… inheritance was everything in the Empire. Sith had been killed for even having a sliver of a claim on some Darth’s assets. In a sense… if news got out too early, her head spun slightly. The outrage she could imagine, but the consequences? They seemed nebulous, the inner workings of Malgus’ environment and peers too vague to really know. Were there others who had a claim? Where would she stand?
“Don’t worry,” Cytharat sighed. “There is a whole week to just draft up the documents and after the parade, the final version, the waterproof one, will be sent off to Darth Mortis personally.”
“Darth Mortis himself?” She spluttered, blinking wildly at Cytharat whose face split into a wide grin.
“Of course,” he chortled.
A loud whistle and then a splash… Large waves swept over her and Edenye gasped out a bout of water.
“Temare,” Cytharat chided his too widely grinning sister who had surfaced from her jump. “Forewarning?”
“You had ample time!” Temare protested, paddling over to Edenye. “Did you swallow too much water?”
Edenye rubbed her eyes, trying to get most water out of her vision. “Not really, should have paid more attention.”
Temare frowned and swam over to her. “And? How did you find it?”
Edenye opened her mouth, eyes immediately drawn to the sky where she had practically soared through. “It was… I couldn’t believe it.”
“What do you mean?” Temare asked, leaning back to float on her back.
“One moment I was in the sky and then I was in water,” Edenye winced at how crude she made it sound.
Temare shot her a lopsided grin. “The rush of falling is addictive.”
“I can see that,” Edenye snorted, turning her head towards the floating platform that had drawn closer. “Didn’t your dad say we have to make a pause now?”
“One of his rules, yes,” Cytharat shrugged. “But! You have to see the landscape underwater before we go up again!”
“Underwater?” Edenye frowned and looked to Temare. “How deep does this go down?”
“A few meters,” Temare replied, rolling back on her stomach. “You should really see it! There is a whole destroyed building in there!”
“Destroyed…” Edenye’s voice went up in pitch.
How did a destroyed building get into a lake?
“We have as much of an idea as you,” Cytharat laughed. “It has been here for a while now.”
“Not even your parents know?” Edenye frowned, feeling a little chill settle around her feet.
Somewhere below her was an entire destroyed building and maybe more… She shivered at the thought.
“I don’t think they have as much of a clue than us,” Temare said. “But, it is gorgeous to explore.”
“You mean we will go diving down there?”
“Yes,” Temare grinned. “Don’t tell me you are scared?”
“No!” Edenye protested. “It is just… a whole building… How big?”
“Imagine the mainhall of our academy,” Temare replied. “At least that big and our parents think there is more hidden in the ground.”
Edenye’s eyes grew big. “That big? Can you even dive that deep? I thought…”
Cytharat snorted. “Only the roof is accessible since the rest has sunken completely into the ground.”
Edenye frowned. “Wait so…”
“Yeah, I kind of worded that wrong,” Temare pulled a face. “But the roof has had… statues of some sort? They are overgrown now, but you can still see what they were meant to be.”
“I see…” Edenye trailed off, thinking about statues just beneath her instead of a whole building. Not at all reassuring.
“Scared?” Temare teased again, kicking out and she started swimming towards the float.
“No!” Edenye yelled back, trying to follow her.
Temare laughed. “Prove it!”
“You want me to go down there?”
“What else?”
“Temare, no!” Helios’ voice cut through. “Not today.”
“What why?!” She cried back, clutching at the float’s edge. “I thought…”
“Too dangerous,” Helios continued a bit gentler. “Just jumping for today.”
“Dangerous?” Cytharat asked then. “Currents?”
“No,” Helios shook his head. “Darth Malgus is here, and he has a lot of enemies just like us. It hasn’t hurt anyone to be too careful.”
“Awww,” Temare bowed her head. “Fine. Do you think we can get a boat?”
“A boat?” Helios frowned. “Where are you thinking of going?”
“Around here,” Temare shrugged. “So we are out of your earshot.”
“True,” Helios conceded. “And you can row back for your jumps. But you have to stay where I can see you and reach you.”
“Yes, father,” Temare grumbled. “No diving today, Ed.”
Edenye pinched her lips together, her gut felt lighter at the ‘No’ from Helios. Danger, even here. Digging her nails into the polished wood of the float, she heaved herself up to sit. Even if, she had to take a breath.
“Edenye?” Temare asked quietly, pushing herself up to sit next to her as well.
“Just a breather,” Edenye smiled at her friend. “That was a bit much all at once.”
A smirk spread on Temare’s face. “Understandable. Cyth,” her brother lazily swam over. “No diving today.”
Cytharat scrunched his face up, pursed his lips and scoffed. “Really?”
Temare shrugged. “Dad’s orders.”
“Of course,” he snided. “We are Sith Acolytes… We can look after…”
“Look after yourselves?” Malgus’ voice cut through, lowered and derisive.
“My Lord?” Cytharat flinched, dropping the derisive look on his face.
“My enemies and those of your parent’s are numerous and far more powerful than you, a mere Sith Acolyte.”
Edenye looked down. Of course, Sith Lords had other Sith as enemies or Jedi…
“And since you are in one place…” Cytharat followed Malgus’ argument with a heavy swallow.
“Go on,” Malgus prompted.
“One place, easy to co-ordinate an attack?” Temare supplied.
“Yes,” Malgus replied curtly, Edenye craned her neck to see his yellow eyes burn brightly above his black armour and cloak. “Do as your parents tell you, especially for the next two weeks.”
Cytharat looked away, his embarrassment prickling underneath her skin and up to her neck. “Why be out here, then?”
Malgus regarded Cytharat coolly for a moment before releasing a sigh. “This is the only place where we can be sure no unwanted ears are nearby and you three would be within our sights.”
“I…see, my Lord,” Cytharat replied. “Now…,” he looked over to his sister who pinched her lips together. “I guess we wait for our boat?”
“Suppose so,” Temare rubbed her forehead. “I’ll ask mum.”
“What are you going to ask her?” Cytharat frowned.
“If we even should,” Temare retorted. “She calls those shots and you know that!”
“Alright,” Cytharat heaved himself up as well. “I will come too.”
“I can do this alone!” Temare protested.
“Sure?” Cytharat came up to his feet. “Last time, mum forbade you what you wanted to do.”
Temare huffed, lifted her chin and marched off with her brother right at her heels.
“Eleena talked to you yesterday,” Malgus stated then, halting Edenye in her movement to get up.
“She did,” she answered, clenching her hands together tightly. “I… she told me.”
“We thought you deserved the truth,” Malgus sat down next to her. “At least, an explanation of why we chose you.”
“I understood,” Edenye admitted. “Just…,” she bit her tongue.
What was she to them? A replacement? To replace their dead kid and now had to face the political consequences? Yet… who was she to choose? After everything they did to get her here? Could she really have the power to say ‘no’? A Sith would take something even if it was not freely given. He had freed her yes, gave her his name… and now? Over a year of having left her stranded in an academy, he wished to adopt her fully?
“You have your doubts?” Malgus asked bluntly.
Edenye’s shoulders tensed and she waited for the sour note of anger hanging in the air. No one should doubt a Sith Lord’s intentions, something the overseer at the lower academy had drilled into their heads. Here she was… doubting the Imperial hero.
A sigh and Malgus’ face softened a bit, while a feather brushed down her nose. “I won’t fault you for having doubts.”
She clasped her hands together and looked up to him. “You wish for a replacement?”
“Replacement?” He frowned, but it fell as soon as it had appeared. “I see… Of course.”
Of course? She tilted her head, what did he mean? That she’d notice? How stupid did he think she was? Anger flared up and she dug her nails deeply into her skin, to prevent snarl forming on her face. Was this what he wanted from her? Ignorance and blind obedience? Like a slave?
“No,” Malgus immediately shook his head. “I meant… I should have seen you concluding this.”
Edenye merely stared at him. How much had he planned for this? This seemed far too hastily fiddled together. How did he expect her to just…. She pinched the bridge of her nose.
“You,” he blew out a breath. “You are not a replacement to what we have lost, never ever believe anything else.”
“What then should I believe?” She could not keep the challenge out of her tone, but no guilt crept up as soon as she realized this.
How dare he do this with her?
“We lost the idea of a family,” Malgus began, twisting his lips briefly in distaste. “I cannot say when it started, but… there was a bond between us two. After…” he trailed off, leaving the unsaid clearly hanging in the air.
Her vision… Yet, how…? Head whirling, she blinked, trying to remember the moment. A bond… but those were rare! And they… she reached deep down, trying… there was a spark of warmth simmering there. Neglected, but there.
“But…,” she stammered out, one hand flying to her chest. “Those are…”
“Not as rare as your overseers make them out to be,” Malgus interceded quickly. “Maybe, think them as more unusual. Its existence made the decision easier.”
“Does not explain you giving me your name.”
“Political,” Malgus winced. “You were the fourth acolyte I brought to this academy, the three others died a year after I have brought them in. Someone was killing them and I sensed the overseer already…”
“Already seeing me dead?” Edenye cut in sharply.
“Precisely,” Malgus shot her a smile. “I… made that choice there and then.”
“So…,” Edenye looked briefly behind them to where Helios and Illya were conversing with Temare and Cytharat while Eleena watched her and Malgus with hooded eyes. “Not so political then?”
He smirked briefly. “That came much later.”
“Still,” Edenye exhaled. “Your offer is much and…”
“You do not wish to make that decision just yet?” He asked.
“I…,” she had to swallow heavily. “don’t know you. Only heard about you in my lessons or in the history books in the academy library.”
“Consider this break as your chance to make your decision,” Malgus offered then.
“I do wonder… how did you know that I would be here?”
“Your friend’s parents sent a message that they had you over and that they had a beneficial offer for us.”
“You take their son as an apprentice and…”
“I could talk to you without the academy and my enemies listening in. If they knew what I was planning on, they would have killed you on the spot.”
“I see…”
“As I said, you do not have to make the decision right now,” he slowly got up. “Yet…” he quickly glanced over to Eleena. “I do wish to welcome you as a daughter one day, should you wish to.”
Grey light filtered through the large windows into her chamber. Blearily blinking, she sat up, rubbing her eyes trying to make out any sounds of a bustling household. Silence… loud silence and her heart beating too loudly in her ears. No one seemed awake… With a yawn, she shook her head and looked over to the chrono on the nightstand next to her bed. Six in the morning. The time she had to wake up at the academy. Here, Temare would come around at seven to poke her head in. Strange to wake up this late, but… she could not go back to sleep now.
Swinging her legs out of the bed, she padded over to the large window that oversaw the more colourful part of the stronghold gardens. The window bench was padded and she crawled up to press her nose against the glass. Outside was cast into shadows still, the vibrant colours dimmed, but… she could feel a sense of solitude seeping through. Stillness, some peace laying outside… the silence that would soothe the strain of sound on her ears.
Would she be allowed to go outside? All alone? Without protection after being told that enemies could be lurking around? Pursing her lips she let out a sigh as she slid on her side, tucking her feet under the large pillow that lay on the window bench. Pushing her fingers into the soft padding, she watched the flowers under her window bend lightly in the morning breeze.
Still, no images, no flickerings… not like yesterday with the dancers on the clouds.
Until a shape moved slowly into her field of vision. Squinting her eyes, she turned her head to regard the figure moving slowly, casually, along the path towards a bench not too far from her window. Black cloak that billowed around the figure’s legs as it strode towards the bench. Slowly, she slid off the bench, keeping her head to the lower edge of the window. Curious as to who was up and walking the paths of the manor.
It stopped in front of the bench and the cloak slipped off the bulky shoulders. Malgus? Edenye felt her eyes widen as she watched him settle comfortably on the bench with a larger than normal datapad on his knees. What was he doing outside that early? Work? But… he always sequestered himself in his own ship for that. Tilting her head, she rose back up, trying to see what he was doing. Definitely not typing, his wrist made too many smooth arcs….
She looked to the door that led into a hallway that would lead to a small exit into the garden where Malgus was sitting. Biting her lower lip, she considered going outside. Talk to Malgus without anyone else being around. No Temare or Cytharat pulling her away or Eleena hovering nearby. Silently, she slipped back down, grabbing a tunic and pulled it haphazardly over her head. With trembling hands, she approached the door. Normally… in the academy she would have never been allowed to roam the halls freely that early in the morning. Now… she was in this manor that she was allowed to roam freely and all alone. Just had to take that first step.
The first step was always the hardest, Uom once told her when she was recovering from the first whiplashes on Relion’s orders believing she’d never be able to stand or walk again. But once it was taken, the rest will be easier.
Carefully, she opened the door, poking her head out to see if anyone was already around. The odd servant walked briskly by, with a small bow in her direction, but did not stop to ask her what she was doing outside this early. Quietly, she slipped out, trying to not have her footsteps make too much sound, with her shoulders hunched forward as she approached the door leading to the gardens where Malgus was in. Somehow she wondered how no one had seemed to have noticed him being there.
Or they knew very well and just left him alone. Carefully, she twisted the handle down slowly and opened it hesitantly. She pushed herself out, letting the door fall close behind her. The stone stairs were shallow and not a moment later, the gravel crunched beneath her boots as she slowly walked over to where Malgus was sitting.
He turned to look, yellow eyes glowing in the dim morning light. Surprise laced through the Force, mouth opened briefly to say something, but closed it again. Then, he shifted over and patted the spot on the bench next to him. A silent invitation to sit down. Hesitantly, she moved over and sat down next to him trying to see what he had been doing on his datapad.
“Up so early?” He asked then, holding the datapad out for her to have a better look.
“Woke up early,” she shrugged and looked at the offered datapad.
Smooth lines ran across the screen. This was a sketch of some sorts? She frowned as she distinguished bushes, a path with a – what must be a wall with a window let into it. Her room window! And the outside of it! Mouth dropping open, she followed the lines that formed the flowers whose petals were still closed and flicked between the screen and what was in front of her.
“You draw?” She blurted out, forgetting the title and everything else.
“I do,” Malgus replied evenly. “Helps me sort out my thoughts and it is a welcome distraction from all the Moffs and Sith wanting my attention.”
“I see,” she tilted her head. “Didn’t think…”
“That I’d do art?” Malgus chuckled. “Eleena was as surprised as you are right when she first discovered it.”
She smirked up at him. “I mean, you are a War hero! Not something one would think would spend his time drawing.”
“Many people only see what they want to see,” Malgus pointed out, then his face gained a pensive look. “Do you still have your visions?”
Edenye tensed, feeling colder than before all of the sudden. “I do.”
“Confusing, aren’t they?”
“Most of the time,” she admitted. “I have been having one vision for a while now and one yesterday…”
“Tell me,” he offered, opening a new blank sheet on his screen. “The one yesterday, let’s start with that one.”
“Will you try and draw it?” Edenye frowned, seeing his finger hover over the screen waiting to create a picture out of her words.
“Yes. It could give us a clue to what the Force is trying to tell you.”
Edenye bit her bottom lip, trying to decide whether she should. This was Malgus, the one who had freed her and showed her the power of the Force… and now wished to become her father. Yet, it was so ingrained her to never speak of what she saw, felt or heard… how could one put this into words?
“When did you see it?” Malgus then carefully prodded.
“I… I had just jumped,” she answered immediately. “When I was between sky and the tree tops. And then when I was underwater.”
“An in between of sorts,” Malgus looked pensive, his hand making swirls for clouds and little shapes for the tree tops and then a line for what she thought was the water line.
“In the clouds,” Edenye continued. “I saw two figures dancing. They seemed happy, content.”
“Continue,” Malgus prompted after a moment of drawing. “Did you see anyone’s face?”
“No,” she replied. “But when I was underwater… I saw someone’s face. And he was dancing with someone else, I didn’t see their face. But then they were dead and he was bleeding out of his eyes.”
“Bleeding? Partner dead…,” Malgus trailed off. “Hmm, what do you think?”
“Someone dear to this someone is going to die,” she whispered. “And they will… I don’t know die too?”
“Bleeding from eyes…,” Malgus pursed his lips. “Blood-eyes are a mark of insanity.”
“Insane from that person’s death?”
“Maybe… Yet I wonder what the couple dancing in the clouds meant? Did you sense them being the same?”
“In…,” Edenye stopped. “No, they are not the same. I felt euphoric when I saw them. Distant, like a dream. And the person’s face I saw in the water… I sense,” her skin prickled, the words coming to her mouth from deep within her blood. ”A price that someone pays for the others to dance.”
“Grim tidings,” Malgus rubbed his chin. “I sense you know this person?”
Edenye sighed, clasping her hands tightly together in her lap. “Xemok.”
“Xemok?” Malgus asked. “That name rings a bell. Old Sith family?”
“Yes.”
“Karking…,” Malgus growled. “Have you crossed his path?”
Edenye shrunk, remembering the first night he had visited her group’s quarters, nearly choking them. The times he sneered at her or Temare. The time he had thrown her down the stairs, abusing her ears, her broken arm… she rubbed her wrist.
“What did he do?” The growl was low and deep, vibrating through her bones until her teeth chattered.
She told him, there and then. In the early morning hours in a deserted garden, she told him of the torture he inflicted on acolytes like her. What he had discovered, the weakness of her ears… how he had broken her arm the days before he had arrived. How she saw the shades clinging to him. Dead acolytes – she spilled trying not to choke on the knot in her throat – the ones who kept talking to her. Warning her… and she didn’t know what to do.
She told him the lines that haunted her. Of the death she saw coming, but could not see whose. The struggling to gain some semblance of control over her powers. That the control she had were over premonitions, but Emfort had forbade her to delve further. Finally the tears she had been holding back for all this time came forth until she was sobbing. All the fear, the crippling uncertainty of the future being taunted before her came out. Malgus sat there, absorbing it, hand on her back rubbing in a soothing circle.
Eleena found them later. Edenye had curled up on the bench with Malgus’ cloak over her while he kept watch.