Chapter 26

Chapter

Twenty-Six

SILAS

As the four of us and Markson step out into the hallway, Dandelion gives Callisto a big smile.

"These clothes do have a purpose," Dandelion decides.

"Hey," Callisto says softly as he grabs his wrist and turns him around. "I… I know what it's like to think you're never going to have enough food… or any food at all. Or that horrible empty feeling… the despair that makes you wonder if giving up is better than this, because anything has to be better. And then when you finally do get food, you want to gorge yourself until you're sick because what if there won't be a next time? Or you decide to save it all for later and hoard the food, so you always know where some is. I was really bad when Markson came into my life. I kept stealing food and hiding it… and I'd get so angry if someone found it or questioned me about it. I'd make myself sick eating… or not eat enough because I had to savor it."

Dandelion is silent, watching him closely as the rest of us hang back. I don't want to stay back, I want to step in and grab Callisto and make sure he never suffers for anything again, but I know he's wanting to help Dandelion, and my reaction isn't needed, especially when Dandelion doesn't quite trust me yet.

"Silas and Markson both tried again and again to prove to me that I had plenty of food. That I could eat what I wanted and come back for more later, but it took me a long time… and a lot of trust. I guess what I'm saying is that I want you to trust me or us… or something enough to know that you'll always have food ready for you. We're not going to take it away… but until then, why don't we get you something that won't get moldy so you can keep it in your room for when you're hungry?"

Dandelion's quiet for a moment. "Can I still keep the bread?"

"Sure."

"I want you to have some," he says as he pulls a loaf out of his shirt and tries to give it to Callisto.

Callisto smiles but shakes his head. "Thank you, but that's all for you. You enjoy that bread."

He bites into it as he glances down at the fae. "You're a good one," he says and then pats him on the head, which makes Callisto flinch a little, but it doesn't break his smile. "Come, Papa. I want to get these clothes off, and fast. Will you finally let me be naked?"

The same servant who'd been traumatized the evening before trips over a rug and nearly drops what she's carrying.

"No, we're sending a message, and you need clothes for that."

Dandelion huffs and picks Callisto up before tossing him over his shoulder. "Then we better hurry."

Callisto manages to wiggle free as Markson leads us off. Madden rushes forward to inform Dandelion that he'll volunteer to be carried as Callisto waits for me to catch up.

The moment I do, I grab Callisto and pull him into me. "I'm sorry."

He glances up at me. "For having to deal with me turning into a vine cocoon this morning? I would be too," he teases.

"You know what I mean."

He's giving me a beaming smile now. "I do, but honestly, I just wanted to help him however I can. Maybe I can rewrite his traumatic memories of me sitting on him and trimming his hair and… other… things with good ones."

I kiss the side of his head since no one is looking our way. "I think you worry too much. Does that man look like someone who is fixated on you sitting on him?" I point to the monster of a man who is now dragging Madden down the hallway. I don't think this is what Madden meant, but he doesn't look all that displeased by the turn of events.

"Maybe…" Callisto says as I'm taken into a room where Markson gives me a paper which I use to write to Naledi. The stubborn woman will probably do nothing but irritate me, but it's worth a chance. Since the seer is Naledi's sister who refuses to have contact with anyone but Naledi, the only way I'm getting anything is through her.

Once Markson has magicked the bird off, we have nothing to do but wait.

Naledi surprisingly agrees to the seer's request, so we're taken to Anthony's room where he sets a basin of water on the table and fills it. The edge of the basin is coated in runes, some of which he touches before the water ripples, and after the briefest of moments, I can see Naledi's face. She grimaces when she sees us, like she can't even pretend to be happy about it.

"I can already feel my life being wasted by looking at you," she declares. "And even more wasted seeing Madden's face."

Madden looks at her in shock, like after spending nearly twenty years knowing this woman, he could possibly be surprised by how she is. "What the fuck have I done? I've just stood here looking handsome!"

She doesn't look all that convinced as Callisto, the sweet soul he is, gives her his best smile. It doesn't seem to be effective, even after informing her that Callisto is not the real prince.

"It's really nice to meet another friend of Silas's," he says.

Naledi hesitates as she listens to what her sister, Belle, says before looking at him. "My sister said, ‘Isn't that the little shit who stole my coin purse and hid it in his undergarments before lying to my face?'"

Callisto hesitates then grimaces. "I… see that… maybe we've already met. Ha ha!"

Of course Belle would recognize and remember Callisto even if none of the rest of us did… I'm not quite sure how when he looks nothing like the fae I'd dragged around with us for a short bit.

"Belle wants her money back."

"Of course."

"She said there was at least five thousand in there."

"Oh hell no, there were like five coins in there. I remember feeling pity I'd stolen from such a poor person!" Callisto says before hesitating and smiling, seemingly remembering that he wants to be on their good side. "I will return your money and then some… as an apology."

Naledi doesn't seem convinced that this is enough. "She also wants your firstborn child."

"Hell no," Dandelion says like he's suddenly Callisto's legit kid. "I'll climb right through this water and fuck you up."

Naledi now looks confused.

Anthony weasels his way to the front. "I'm sorry to interrupt but as we explained in the letter, our time doing this is quite short and so far, all that's happened is people complaining."

"I wouldn't complain if it weren't called for," Naledi says. "We have such little interest in listening to a Langsten."

Anthony now also looks irritated. "Aren't you guys some part of a revolting group? It doesn't seem like you like Vermillion either!" he retorts, and for someone who thought we should stay on task, he's sure joining the "Not on Task" party.

"We like Langsten less," Naledi says.

Callisto pushes everyone out of the way so he can face Naledi. "What is the current status over there?"

Naledi sighs before shaking her head. "It's hard to tell from here, but it doesn't look good. The capital is overrun with this… darkness and there's been a flood of soldiers stamping down and killing anyone who goes against them. They're dressed in Langsten armor, but it's impossible for us to tell who is commanding them."

"But not all of them seem like that," I inform her. "When I fought against some, they seemed completely cognizant, which makes me believe that whoever is behind this—if it's not the king—is interweaving their own army into the other. Naledi, ask Belle about the prince. Was there anything more to that premonition that I don't already know?"

"She said no, you know it all," Naledi says. "She didn't know why she saw you killing the prince, that's just what she saw. She's seen nothing since."

Anthony tells them about the premonition he had, and they listen carefully.

"Belle says she doesn't know what the focus on the coin means," Naledi says.

"I think it means we should feast and go take a nap in the sun and let someone else worry about it," Dandelion suggests.

Madden nods wildly. "That is true. It's not like any of us are even obligated to help. I actually vote for not helping."

"We're all aware of how helpful you are," Naledi says.

Madden looks disgruntled by this accusation. "What the fuck? You just stalked around after Silas whispering creepily in his ear, ‘Kill Callisto. Murder him. Slaughter that poor innocent man.'"

"What the hell? I don't even know you!" Callisto cries. "Why would you want to kill me?"

She shrugs. "Now that I do, I'm not sure I've changed my mind."

"She thought you were the prince," I explain. "I think…"

Naledi just stares at him. "I mean, that's up to you lot if you actually want to do something. We're thinking about sitting back, watching the kingdom tear itself apart, and then swooping in at the end and placing someone else on the throne. Silas, perhaps."

"Absolutely not," I growl.

She's not deterred. "You were always fit to be a leader, Silas."

"The last place my ass is ever sitting is on a throne. If the kingdom tears itself apart then Langsten can absorb it for all I care," I decide.

Naledi tsks but doesn't say any more on the matter, and with that, the surface turns back to water.

Anthony looks concerned, likely not that the meeting ended so abruptly but that we accomplished absolutely nothing. "Sorry, I can only keep it for so long."

"Well, that was a huge waste of my life," Madden grumbles.

Callisto twirls the coin around in his hand before dropping it down into his pocket. "Yeah… if I never meet them, then I never have to pay them back, right?"

Of course that's what he's worried about.

"We really don't need to do anything, though," Madden says. "We fought our war. I'm not sure I'm up for fighting another. I followed their resistance thing around for a bit because I had nowhere else to go… but a war… I might just wander off and play dead if it comes to another war."

I glance over at him, not all that surprised he'd choose to stand back. I guess the years have changed all of us.

Callisto bites his lip before speaking. "I… don't want to fight a war… but what if doing nothing is what makes a war happen? Right now, whoever is behind this is moving across Vermillion… what if it's not to fight against them, but to drag more into their army? They seem to possess or control the people somehow, and we're not even sure if the people who aren't possessed are part of the king's army. What if once they've built themselves a bigger army, they plan to strike one of the kingdoms that border them? I know you three aren't from Langsten, and you have no ties here, and even possibly hate this place… but these are good people. You have to look beyond the lies and see for yourself that they're people worth fighting for," Callisto says with conviction.

Madden crosses his arms as he stubbornly looks at him. "Even if they are worth fighting for, someone else can fight for them."

"But if we can stop it before it becomes a war," Callisto says, looking hopeful.

"Be my guest," Madden retorts.

Honestly… I hear what both sides are saying. I don't blame Madden for wanting to step back. Underneath his ridiculous outer shell, he's really struggled with the death the war brought. Before he joined our cause, he'd been ill-treated and abused by the fae until finally finding freedom with us. The relief he'd gained with us was short, though, as the war took the teenager who had a new outlook on life and caused him to draw back in on himself. He barely spoke, he just killed when he had to kill. And beyond that, he mostly slept, like he could only find happiness in his dreams.

Yet I know Callisto isn't naive himself. He's not saying this because he wants to fight; he's saying it because he wants to avoid the fight. If we could get to the root of the problem before it became a war… we could end things.

But does it have to be us?

Callisto turns to me and takes both of my hands in his. He holds them tightly as Titus bounces around his head. "I'm not asking you to save the world with me. I just want you to realize that Langsten is worth saving. Please, allow me to show you how wonderful of a life it is here."

All of this would be ridiculously sweet and romantic if it weren't for Dandelion crunching down on what has to be the world's hardest slab of bread. Everyone turns to look at him as he waves us off, like we shouldn't be concerned about the bread that seems hard enough to crack teeth.

"Don't mind me… or wait, are you wanting one?"

"I like my teeth, so no," I answer.

"Do ya? They seem pretty useless. Now my teeth in my other form… those are good teeth," he says before chomping down just as Callisto opens his mouth to talk. All words are washed away by Dandelion's excessive crunching.

Callisto shakes his head before laughing. "Come on. All of you. Please."

"I'm taking a nap," Madden says.

"Hell no, you're not. If my papa says you're coming, then you're coming or I'm dragging you," Dandelion threatens.

Weirdly, Madden looks thrilled by the threat.

When we reach the town center, Callisto turns to us with a beaming smile. "What does everyone here like to do?"

"Crush skulls," Madden stubbornly says.

"Eat skulls," Dandelion tosses into the mix like that's just an everyday thing.

Callisto is a man who cannot be defeated. "Wonderful! Dandelion, since I know you enjoy food, let's take you in here. She makes the best sweets you'll ever taste."

And off we're ushered into a store where an older lady beams at us like we're the greatest thing she's seen yet today. She gives Dandelion a sample, and when he moans loud enough the woman's husband comes out to see what the fuck is happening, Callisto buys Dandelion a whole pack of sweets—likely out of embarrassment.

"I'd coat myself in those sweets if it made you moan like that," Madden says.

"You would immediately ruin the taste," Dandelion decides.

Madden scowls at him while Dandelion tries to feed Callisto one even as he tries to wave him off.

As Callisto battles off Dandelion, he turns to Madden. "Madden, what do you like?"

"Men who don't like me, apparently," Madden says as he kicks a rock around before dramatically slumping against me. "Silas… why am I destined to be unloved?"

I help him stand back up. "I… don't think you are. I think if you were less sassy, kinder to Callisto, and started cleaning Banks's stall every day, everything would work out better for you."

Madden glowers at me as Callisto reaches out and grabs his hand before dragging him off. Madden looks surprised by the hand on his, but Callisto is on a mission. He passes shop after shop before coming to an abrupt halt and hauling him into a place.

He walks past the leatherwork of mostly saddles and harnesses. "Hey, Davy! I'm taking these guys into the back!"

"Go ahead. It's good to see you back."

"I'm glad to be back!" he says as I get distracted by a very nice saddle. The leatherwork is exquisite. I might have to see if it fits Banks, since as a mule, his body type is a bit different compared to a horse. So I don't get left behind, I hurry after them and step into a room where Madden is dropping to his knees. At first, I'm wondering what's happening until I see a whole mess of large puppies come running past the rest of us and right to him. They're kind of funky-looking puppies with red eyes and creepy fangs with splotches of wiry hair, but Madden is melting onto the floor as they flock to him.

"Oh, so many lovelies," he says as they crawl all over him and lick him.

I step up next to Callisto, who looks pleased by Madden's reaction. "Did you see him as unfit to get to know the townsfolk and went for the… uh… creature folk?" I tease.

"I feel like he's significantly better at speaking to animals," Callisto says.

"Speaking to animals?" the shopkeeper, who Callisto called Davy, asks as he peeks his head in. "You can speak to any animal?"

"Much better than he can speak to people," Callisto responds.

"I have a dog, best damn dog I've ever had, but he's disappeared on me… he and the mother dog here ran off and only she returned."

Madden sits up and the horde of puppies roll off him. One hangs from his shirt by its teeth like Madden's a giant toy for them. "I can certainly ask her, but I can't guarantee anything."

"You find him, and you can take one of the puppies home as soon as they're weaned."

Madden, who was trying to collect all ten of the quite large puppies into his arms, looks thrilled. "Where's the mother?"

"She's outside right now."

Madden reluctantly puts the puppies down and follows the shopkeeper out.

"I can't leave the shop unattended right this moment, I have a meeting here in a few," Davy says, looking uncertain.

"We can go without you. Mutt knows me well enough that he'd follow me back if we find him," Callisto says.

"I'll have to take the female dog with us, is that alright?" Madden asks.

"Of course. She's fine off leash. Callisto knows her quite well," Davy says, and sends us on our way.

If I thought the puppies looked creepy, I wasn't prepared for the mother. Without the cuteness of being small and puppylike, she's straight up something out of a nightmare. But Madden rushes up to her and coos all over her like she doesn't make me shudder.

"I'm cuter, eh, Papa?" Dandelion asks.

"Um… I don't… think it's much of a competition, but yes, Dandelion, you're cuter," Callisto says, and Dandelion beams, pleased. He's so pleased that he stuffs some candy into Callisto's mouth.

I'm not quite sure Callisto was expecting it, but Dandelion seems to think that he did a good job as Madden lets the "dog" out and hurries after her.

"She said that he's this way," Madden says, and off we go.

"I think the pessimistic part of me wants to believe that one of you paid off all these people to act happy," I tell Callisto.

He laughs. "Right? I thought the same thing when I came here. I was so pissed at them all for being so stupidly happy all the time. I even told Markson that their ‘Ridiculously happy faces pissed me off.' He thwacked me across the back of the head and told me that pessimists live an awful life and then made me help the woman I was bitching about for an entire week . I had to deal with her happy face from the moment the sun went up to the moment it went down for a full week."

I grin. "Please don't make me help anyone."

"Oh, but I can still thwack you?" he teases.

"You do have permission," I say, and since the other two are up with the dog, Callisto gives my ass a smack.

"I don't know… I kind of feel like you enjoyed it."

"I kind of feel like I did as well," I say.