The Warrior Returns - Anteros 04 (53 page)

so
there you
have it.

The last testament of Rali Antero. And all the Anteros who came before.

Only one of us will remain: Emilie.

She came to me yesterday in my brother's study, the old one-eyed cat clasped firmly to her chest. It was draped across her arms like a limp, gray bath towel, its head nearly as low as its tail.

"Guess what, Aunt Rali?" she piped. "I'm going to fix Pirate."

The animal looked up at me with its single eye and gave a great sigh of infinite cat patience.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked. "Other than the eye, that is."

'That's what I'm going to fix," she said, hoisting Pirate onto my writing desk. The cat purred mightily as Emilie stroked it. "Her eye."

"I don't know if that's possible, dear," I said. I touched my eyepatch. "I think once an eye is gone, it's gone forever."

"Maybe so, Aunt Rali," Emilie replied. "But I thought I'd try."

With that she made a flourish, chanting,
"Emilie
says come Spider, come."

There was a small glow in the air, and then a huge spider plopped down on my desk, fierce jaws clacking in fear. I jumped. And the cat hissed, arching its back and extending its claws.

"Stay, Pirate!" Emilie commanded. But the cat paid her no mind and started to scramble away.

Emilie grabbed for her, reflexively blurting,
"Emilie
says stay!"

Pirate froze. So did the spider. And I was suddenly immobile, as if gripped by a huge hand.

Emilie quickly saw what she'd done. "I'm sorry, Aunt Rali," she said. "I meant Pirate stay, not
you
stay!" And she swiftly reversed the spell with an
"Emilie
says go!"

A weight lifted and I was suddenly free again.

At the same time, Pirate bolted off the table, darting through the open door, and the spider leaped to the floor and quickly found a hiding place beneath my father's ancient leather couch.

Emilie stamped her foot in frustration. "Now I'll have to start all over again," she complained. "Get Pirate. Catch the spider." She extended her arms wide. "The whole thing!" Emilie gave a dramatic sigh. "I've been working
ever
so hard on this," she said.

I didn't ask her how she intended to use the spider to "fix" Pirate's missing eye. Whatever she had in mind, I'm sure it had a chance to work. Although the results might not be exactly what she expected.

Instead I said, as gentl
y as I could, "I know you're trying to help, Emilie," I said. "But maybe you shouldn't this time. Maybe Pirate wouldn't like it as much as you think. She's been without that eye for a long time. She's probably used to things the way they are."

Emilie nibbled on a finger, thinking. Then she gave me a sad look. "Are you sure, Aunt Rali?" she asked. "Because if I could make Pirate better, maybe I could make you better, too."

I thought, So that's what this is all about. I gave her hug.

"Thank you, Emilie dear," I said, feeling a tear mist my living eye.

Emilie grew sadder still. "That means you don't want me to do it, right?" she said.

I patted her red curls. "No, I don't," I said. "I'm like Pirate. I'm used to the way I am. And sometimes the world even looks a little better when you're seeing it through just one eye."

I pulled her up on my lap and kissed her.

"It was supposed to be a present," she said, a catch in her voice. "A going-away present"

My heart lurched. How did she know the time was drawing so near?

"I can feel the pretty lady waiting real close, Aunt
Rali
," she said, as if reading my thoughts. "She's going to take you away when you're done with that book, right?"

"That's what the goddess promised," I said, quite soft.

"Salimar misses you," Emilie said. She sniffled. "I can feel
that,
too. Even though she's far away. That's how much she loves you, Aunt
Rali
."

"And I her," I said.

"But you're not happy, are you, Aunt
Rali
? You want to go. But you want to stay at the same time." Her little arms clutched me. And she whispered, "You want to stay with
me"

A knot rose in my throat. I choked it back. "I want to very badly, Emilie."

"You love us both," Emilie said. "But you can't be with us both."

I couldn't answer. Not without losing control. So I held her tighter. We hugged for a time and then Emilie drew back, her face quite firm and serious for such a small child.

"You can't stay here," she announced. "It'd really,
really
hurt Salimar. And she needs you, Aunt
Rali
. She needs you something awful. She could maybe even get
...
deaded." She put her hand on mine. "We don't want her deaded, do we?"

"But what about you, Emilie? I don't want to hurt you, either. Who will take care of you? Who will teach you all the things you need to know?"

She shrugged, casual. "There's lots of people," she said. "They've been taking care of me all along. And teaching me all sorts of things. Sometimes they teach me so much I want to shout for them to stop. And they all love me, Aunt Rali. Derlina. Palmeras. Quatervals. And
all
the women in the Guard."

She spread her arms wide, declaring,
"Everybody
loves Emilie!"

Whenever I think of Emilie, I'll remember most of all how she looked at that moment. Red hair gleaming in the light streaming through the window. Face glowing with happy confidence. Delicate arms uplifted like the wings of a butterfly ready to take flight.

Grandly announcing that,
"Everybody
loves Emilie!"

In that moment, she gave me the strength to steer the only proper course.

I've made all the arrangements for Emilie's future. She'll be raised by our friends, who will have the wealth that remains in my family's coffers to ensure she never wants for anything. Palmeras will tutor her in magic, guiding her blossoming talents. Derlina and Quatervals will teach her about life and how to arm oneself against the worst of it. And Pip will make her canny, teach her how to see around corners and into untrue hearts.

Emilie is a glorious child. The last gift of the Anteros to the people of Orissa.

She has tremendous powers that will only become greater, and she'll have to be treated gendy as she grows. Like a god's child come to live among small savages and causing damage out of clumsiness or mischief rather than intended harm.

I have faith in Emilie. I know she'll eventually grow to be a woman of graceful power and beauty.

Whatever she becomes, however, all should remember that when "Emilie says," she
means
"Emilie
says!"

As for me—soon as I've penned the last fines of this journal I shall go find my niece and kiss her good-bye.

Then the Goddess Maranonia will carry me away to Salimar.

Once again we will live together in a crystal palace with jetting fountains and gardens of roses, all pink and red and yellow. We will have a life of laughing days and sweet sighing nights.

And by the gods, I will be loath to leave it!

My old scribe would have told me that at this point in the journal I should speak to Orissa's future. He'd want me to play seer like my brother.

I won't attempt it. Wise as he was, Amalric was too kind a man to see the future in anything but a glorious light. I have only one eye and it isn't kind, so I won't look into the hearts of those who dwell in this world that I will soon depart. I won't search for the blackness there and denounce them for sins past, present, and intended.

Make of the world what you want of it. It's not for me to judge.

But I will give you all a warning. As I said at the beginning, that was the final purpose of this journal. Heed these words:

I leave behind a child most precious to me.

Do not harm her or you will know my wrath.

It matters not if you possess riches greater than all the kings time has known. Or legions by the thousands to command. Or wizards with the powers of the Archons themselves.

If Emilie is harmed in any way, I
shall
return.

And if I come again, I will come with fire to blast your palaces.

I will come with cold to freeze your larders. I will come with vermin and plague and war. And those who survive will curse your name across all history for awakening me. This I so swear. I, Captain Rali Emilie Antero. Late of the Maranon Guard.