17. DELIQUESCE

seventeen

DELIQUESCE

T hank you for being so smart."

Maji glanced from the strong hands holding hers, up to Lucetta's face, curly hair transformed into a dark gold halo by the wall light behind her. She smiled, and Maji mirrored it.

"Ready to go?" asked Maji.

Tau and Oliver had already left the inn, as had Benjamin—reluctantly. Since Marcy vanished into the kitchen once they said their goodbyes, Maji wasn't sure why Lucetta chose to linger. Or why she hadn't yet let go of her hands, thumbs stroking the backs.

"I know this is awful timing." Lucetta's gaze dropped to their joined hands. "I should've asked about it sooner, really—"

"What's that?"

Umber eyes met hers. "You know when I said I like like you?"

"Uhm, yeah?"

"Did you…give it any thought?"

"Uhm." Maji hadn't realised she needed to.

"It's fine if not," said Lucetta, hastily. "I wasn't trying to pressure you or anything I just—"

"I've never really thought about it." Hurt flittered across Lucetta's face and Maji immediately understood her mistake. "Not about that! I mean about liking someone like…that?" Was she being presumptuous in thinking Lucetta was after a relationship?

She didn't hate the idea, but what exactly did that entail?

Maji had plenty of experience when it came to love. She loved a lot of people. Her family, her friends, even several of the villagers she'd grown up with. Although nothing had ever blossomed beyond companionship. She never stopped to consider what might lie beyond that.

"It's alright," said Lucetta, pulling Maji out of her ruminating. "I know you're not sexually inclined."

Maji started. This was the most upfront she had ever been with her. Mostly though, it hadn't ever occurred to her that a relationship, sexual in nature, was something Lucetta longed for—from her, specifically.

Bafflement quickly turned into fear. What if they grew apart as friends because she couldn't give Lucetta what she wanted?

The wall clock's ticking grew loud, and still the alcohol-tinged silence drowned it out.

"Are you two coming?"

Oliver's voice hurtled toward them from the corridor, snapping Maji out of the clasp Lucetta still had on her hands.

"I'll think about it, okay?" she stammered.

Lucetta sighed. "Sure." Did that sound slightly disbelieving? "Come on."

The last time Maji had seen Wandering Horrors, they rampaged through Plainwall and the mine, killing hundreds. Here in this strange world with a coral sky melting into a white horizon, and murmurations so dense they could have blocked out the sun—were there one—the Horrors lacked interest. Even took care in where they tread while scurrying past, dropping or collecting various items. They still terrified her, yet she stood her ground with a mettle brought on only by Tau's presence.

Something hard connected with her toes, its clang resounding. Maji sucked in her breath and lifted her leg to grind a palm over the tip of her boot, hoping to soothe the throb. Guffawing behind had her glaring at the offending red kite shield, halfway tucked into the dirt.

"It's okay," Oliver said, grinning, "I tripped on everything my first time here."

She watched him saunter past, hand in hand with Tau, who turned his head to regard her.

"Well?" he asked, startling Maji.

She hadn't realised he could be so impatient. "I'm coming."

Coins and lyres, ordinary-looking stones, strange wheels and dolls were only a few of what seemed like an infinite amount of objects scattered throughout. Magical, without a doubt, the hum ebullient over the ruckus of Horrors and constant pops of circular portals that appeared above them.

"This place is something else." Lucetta lightly sprinted to catch up to her.

Maji nodded, dazed by the glimpse they were being granted into whatever this place was. The source of magical ambits, maybe, if various portals opening directly into stone were an indication. "I know it's terrible, but I find it…"

"Fascinating?" Lucetta smiled. "I'm with you."

A storm of frustration and spite stomped through the grey sedge right behind them. Benjamin refused to meet Maji's gaze—or anyone else's, for that matter. Resolute in keeping an eye out for Emergence. The chances of them being here seemed slim, but better than mining for something blue, Maji supposed.

"Should we split up?" Oliver spun around to look at Maji. A move that might have been slick, had he not tripped over something hidden on the ground.

Maji snickered at him.

"No, we're sticking together," Lucetta interjected, adding loudly, "no matter how much of an arse one of us is being!"

There came no acknowledgement from Benjamin, aside from the pinch between his brows intensifying.

"Lucetta," Maji admonished under her breath. "Leave him alone. He's been through enough."

Lucetta's shoulders slumped slightly. "I know. Sorry, Ben."

"It's fine." He rushed past with deliberation to walk ahead, giving Oliver and Tau a wide berth.

"Still more than you gave Ollie," Lucetta muttered at his back.

Maji said nothing, unable to disagree. Benjamin had survived a terrible ordeal and clearly hadn't made enough peace with himself to help Samuel settle back in. She couldn't begin to imagine what that had to feel like, but pushing Oliver to prove some fabricated point about Tau—he'd gone too far. A wrong worsened by Tau's response. Maji hadn't ever imagined their Sentinel would lay a hand on anyone like that, when he'd spent his life protecting them all.

She watched Tau, forced to slow his gait while tilting sideways, just so he could walk alongside Oliver and hold his hand. He'd never struck her as particularly intimidating before. Now, Maji didn't know what to feel.

The field of grey didn't seem to have an end. No trees or structures to be seen, other than a tottering hut ahead. Maji recognised it as the hut Samuel had occupied, having seen it through Onyx's portal before. Silvery moss festooned its roof and walls, creeping into the windows. She half expected Samuel to have returned here. Hoped that he and Benjamin would make amends, despite not being able to see things the same way.

The entire thing made her heartsick.

They strode past the hut that had no Samuel peering out its window, Benjamin hastening on without a second glance. He didn't even know where they were going. There were no changes in the scenery aside from a mountain far off in the distance, hazy against the white horizon.

Maji narrowed her eyes in suspicion, catching sight of things rolling down it like dead ants, and muttered a small, "Ah-hah." At Lucetta's questioning look, she pointed forward.

"Emergence."

"No, that's way too big," said Lucetta.

"Ugh, can't you smell that?" Oliver released Tau's claw to cover his nose. "We're approaching from the wrong side."

Benjamin would have surely heard, yet he powered on. He couldn't know what he was in for, despite Lucetta and Maji filling him in on what Emergence was during Oliver's recovery. After all he'd been through, Maji wondered if Benjamin was strong enough to be anywhere near such a horrific entity.

She opened her mouth to call after him, but her warning caught in her throat.

Grass rattled and the earth shook beneath her feet as the mountain moved. Terrifyingly quick, balanced on colossal legs and claws. Its gigantic, animal-like body dripped with black muck, carcasses and claggy skin fluttering in the wind.

"Came to gloat?"

Emergence's voices were as horrific as Maji remembered, and worse. The furore of a thousand beings. Screams and wails of terror, snarls and roars of fury. Everything They had amalgamated with spoke at once, cracking through the sky like a thunderstorm.

Maji hurried to stand beside the frozen-stiff Benjamin. She took his hand in hers and gave it a firm squeeze, but his horror-struck stare remained fixed on the abomination before them. Some of the fused creatures were still alive, limbs and mouths strenuously moving. Most were dead and rotting, tumbling down to spray rot in wide arcs on the ground as Emergence moved.

With an ease Maji was envious of, Tau approached the behemoth.

"No," he said. "Try again?"

"With what?"

Tau appeared to weigh his words with care. Then, "Failed. Miserably. Try again."

Finally, Benjamin tore his focus away from Emergence and turned it onto Tau. Unlike the rest of them, he hadn't been privy to hearing Tau speak before now. Their Sentinel sounded beautiful at any given time, but compared to the grotesque being before them, his dulcet tone was like a melody of the divine. Although after what he'd just said, Maji was sure they'd end up dead.

An awful cacophony followed—laughter. Mountainous shoulders shook, sending more carrion crashing to the ground.

"Uncovered the truth at last?"

"Yeah, you could have just told us from the start, instead of harping on about knowledge!" shouted Oliver, his arm curled around Tau's.

More terrible laughter that thundered against Maji's eardrums.

"I loved a human once," they said. "Now look at me."

"Different," replied Tau without missing a beat. "Try again?"

"No." Slowly, Emergence turned away. "I have done my part. No more."

"Fearful." A hint of annoyance afflicted Tau's otherwise neutral tone.

"You cannot goad me."

The earth rumbled, sedge shook like agitated snakes. Maji's grip on Benjamin's hand tightened in anger. She let go. Darted forward without thinking. Flung her arm forward, cultivating a vortex of leaves.

Razor sharp edges flayed Emergence's heel, sending bone shards and dead skin asunder. It did little harm, the vortex dying off like a zephyr shortly after, but it prompted Emergence to stop in their tracks. More rot sloughed off colossal arms, spraying Maji's new clothes with gore. She gagged in disgust, stepping back to glare up, forced to crane her neck all the way.

Behind her, Lucetta hissed Maji's name, coming to stand beside her. Clutched her hand tightly, too.

"You're going to give up after just one try?" yelled Maji. "That's pathetic!"

" Maji !" Lucetta tugged hard to pull her away, but Maji rooted her feet to the ground.

"You lie to Tau, trick him into opening that weird door. You make him feel horrible, thinking his home was destroyed. And for what? For you to just give up? You're pitiful!"

"What would you know of it, tiniest human?"

Maji swallowed around the thorns gathered in her throat. Emergence hadn't killed her yet. That was encouraging.

"We've seen what they've done," she continued, "and we want to end it. Tau wants to help, we all do. You'll have help this time!"

Emergence lowered to regard Maji, showering her surroundings in stagnant sludge. Faces of humans and animals and creatures unknown stared at her, some without eyes, others with blighted sclera. Blinking, unblinking. Forcing Maji to resist the overwhelming urge to step back— way back. Luckily, Tau appeared before her again, shielding both Maji and Lucetta with his body, while Oliver dashed to catch up.

"What would you have me do?" asked Emergence.

Maji rubbed her aching ears with both hands and looked up at the back of Tau's hood. She really hoped he had some kind of plan. Unfortunately, Tau stayed silent, and Emergence showed signs of impatience, shifting from one gigantic clawed-foot to the other.

"What if—what if we try approaching from the–the chute?" Maji ventured, desperate. "That triangle door was too small for you to get through properly, but the opening over the landfill has got to be bigger!"

Wild speculation based on nothing other than the tremendous sounds she'd heard. It had sounded big, and the idea gave her hope. Maybe it would do the same for the others.

"That will not work. I caught them by surprise once. Never again."

That sliver of hope flopped to the ground to join the other vile things.

"Transport," said Tau. "Inside."

Maji gasped, knowing exactly what that meant. She had prevented Tau from doing it once before, during Emergence's first attack. Emergence was large then. Now, they were at least twice that size. There was no way Tau could transport something this massive and live through it.

The ground quivered with a blaring hum as Emergence contemplated the awful suggestion. "It would work. It would also end you."

"What? No, you're not doing that, then!" bellowed Oliver. He yanked at Tau's arm to get his attention.

"Guarantee elimination?" asked Tau.

"No!" Oliver pulled harder on the gauntlet. Proving fruitless, he slammed his fist into the Sentinel's side. Tau didn't so much as flinch. "You're not allowed. I forbid you!"

"No choice," said Tau.

"We'll find a different way," urged Lucetta. "There's no point in killing yourself over this."

"There has to be another way," said Maji, wishing Benjamin would join in on discouraging Tau. Instead, he only looked on at Emergence, still caught in a horror-snap.

"We just need to think about it more," added Lucetta.

"Exactly! Please, Sunshine. Don't do this to me." Oliver moved to stand in front of Tau. "I know you want them gone, but it's not worth losing you over!"

Finally, Tau canted his head to look at Oliver. He wrapped a long arm around his shoulders and pulled Oliver against his stomach

Relentingly, "Will wait."

An echoing, skull-shattering roar—Emergence was laughing again, turning back around to stomp away. "Now who is the coward?"

"It's not you," said Oliver, muffled against Tau's abdomen. "It's easy to throw yourself into trouble. It's a lot harder to think about things. I'd know."

The sound that left Tau was soft and genial. Peculiarly, like a laugh. Even from where Maji stood, she could see Oliver swooning. Beside her, Lucetta made an inappropriate noise, whereas annoyance set itself firm in Benjamin's face.

She reached out and took Benjamin's hand again, hoping to offer comfort. He looked down at her, amber eyes awash with sorrow and haunted by what he'd survived.

"Come on," said Maji. "We'll go back to Sam's hut. I think it's important we go there."

"You uh—you go ahead," said Oliver breathlessly. "I want to have a chat with Tau."

Maji wasn't sure what kind of conversation involved pawing at each other the way they were, but hoped they wouldn't get anything dropped on them by the Wandering Horrors.

Maji had never gotten a good look at the hut through Onyx's portal, being too short to see properly. It was much shabbier up close, sad with the way it stood atilt. Silvery moss shimmered in reflecting light emitted from portals overhead. It was quaint, in its own right.

Lucetta stayed outside as Maji led Benjamin up rickety steps through a ramshackle door. Very little occupied the cramped space, only a bed made of dried grass to one end, a stone firepit in the centre, and a frowsy table and chair stood off to the left. The windows were only cutouts. Below one stood a meat drying rack with what were likely canaries. Maji sincerely hoped Samuel didn't have to survive by eating them.

She let go of Benjamin's hand and watched him duck around a-frame beams. Her heart shattered into pieces at the sight of him. A man once of resilience and confidence, now withered into an angry shadow. Maji sympathised, but hoped being here would put Samuel's experience into perspective for him. Not that she knew much about it.

Still, she hoped.

Benjamin traced his fingers across scribbles notched into the walls. There was an attempt at counting the days. Six lines, only. A handful of attempts at cataloguing some items Samuel must have come across were also etched into the wood. Benjamin stood near the rack and stared out the window for a long time, his silence overwhelmed by the dissonance of twittering birds, the pops of portals, the shuffle and squelch of Horrors—it was already working on Maji's nerves, who was too used to the mine's dampened stillness. What would it have done to Samuel?

"He must have been so lonely," murmured Benjamin, barely audible.

"Yeah," replied Maji.

"I missed him every day. So much that sometimes, I thought I was dying. I've felt like only half a man, but at least…I had you three. Sam, he had no one."

"Yeah," she said again, more quietly.

"This is a different hell, but it's hell all the same."

Maji said nothing.

His eyes were bright with tears not yet spilt when Benjamin faced her. "I made a mistake. I think I've lost Sam for good now."

"That's unlikely," Maji said with absolute certainty. "Lucetta always said he's good at running away, but he's the one who got her to come to him and he's the one who found you in the end. I think you'll find each other again real soon."

"Thank you, Maji." Benjamin walked close and hunkered over to pull her into a back-popping embrace. "I needed this."

"It's okay." Maji pressed her face into his chest. She stroked his back in comforting circles. Once he released her, she smiled. "We'll get there. Everything will turn out fine, you'll see."