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Power Corrupts: Moments Before Disaster (ch. 67)
🕑 Added 2021-02-20 15:43:36 +0000 UTCThis was Sheogorath's fault, I decided, spotting the Mark under the Emperor's feet. I was so not prepared for Emperor Titus to pop into Helgen unannounced.
"I believe," Serana spoke up, "I should make myself scarce. Too many eyes around for my liking." Meaning she was still concerned with her father finding out that she walked the world once again. That… was probably a smart move, all things considered. Things had changed rather dramatically so her father might be more active than he had been in the game. I was hugging enough crises at the moment, I did not need a vampire invasion.
I offered a nod, while the sounds of the people gasping at the fact that the Emperor was really here began to grow louder by the second. I looked to Lydia, "Keep Serana company for me?" I requested, earning a serious nod before I began to descend the steps. The crowd parted for me as Lydia broke off with Serana. Just in case Serana was right to be worried… or if she had second thoughts about helping us.
"I'm not dressed to meet anyone important, Jericho!" Hestia protested as we walked. I could see people below taking notice of us. It was kind of hard not to given the fact I was a head and shoulders taller than most people, to say nothing of Hestia's godly aura.
"You look fantastic," I reassured Hestia. "If anything, they're not dressed to see you." That got a dopey grin out of Hestia as I continued to walk down the steps. I only had eyes on the Emperor, who seemed to be engaged in a conversation with Sheogorath. Given the reactions of those around them, I'm guessing that this detour wasn't exactly planned.
Sheogorath gestured wildly in my direction, bringing Emperor Titus' gaze to me and Hestia. Wrinkles were gathered around his eyes, and his neatly trimmed beard was snow white -- he hadn't looked so old in the game, but, then again, neither had Ulfric or Balgruuf, and both men were over fifty. His expression betrayed nothing, it could have been made of granite for all the emotion he displayed.
It was different seeing him like this rather than a solitary man staring down an assassin and choosing to let them kill him. A man that was greeting the end with open arms… who was theorized to arrange his own assassination. That theory was a little hard to buy at the moment, seeing him standing tall in front of Sheogorath with a blank expression, after possibly being kidnapped with all of his guards… and a man who didn't even blink when I reached the end of the stairs and could meet his gaze because I was taller than his guards.
He had a good poker face, I would give him that.
His hand moved, a signal of some kind, and the guards in front of me stepped to the side, allowing me to pass by. He watched us approach, his eyes flickering between me and Hestia until they settled on Hestia when she hopped out of my arms to stand in front of the Emperor.
"Hello! I'm Hestia, Goddess of Home and Hearth! Sorry that there's no banquet to greet you, your highness, but someone didn't tell us that you were coming," Hestia began, offering a polite wave before glaring daggers at Sheogorath, who grinned unrepentantly. "And this is the Captain of my Familia, Jericho."
I had no clue what to address him as, I realized as Emperor Titus looked up at me with an unreadable expression. "Your Highness?" I offered, copying Hestia's polite bow, figuring I should just follow her lead.
A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. "A pleasure," he returned, his tone even. "Please forgive my sudden arrival for it too was… unplanned," he offered, not deferring to Hestia or kidding himself over her. With his words, all eyes turned to Sheogorath, the one that arranged this little meeting, to find her sitting on her cane as it hovered in the air.
She offered a careless shrug, "It would have taken you absolutely ages to get to Solitude at the rate you were going, and I want to get this little shindig on the road already." It was a very Sheogorath reason. "So, how about a thank you?"
"I would," Emperor Titus began, "but my ship is now adrift in the ocean with no one to man it." He pointed out, earning an owlish blink from Sheogorath.
"Ah… whoops?" Sheogorath responded, offering a shrug instead of an apology. Then she turned to me. "Where's Dibella at? I want to go already!"
My gaze flickered to the Emperor for a moment, knowing that he was calling the shots in this. When he gave no reaction, I looked up over people’s heads to see a general stirring in the crowd. “Looks like she’s on her way,” I pointed out before I glanced down at Hestia. Maybe she was right -- were either of us really dressed for the occasion? I had my feasting clothes from that mess in Falkreath, but the cloak was thoroughly ruined from camping out on the Throat of the World.
Eh… should be fine. Especially considering that Dibella came running down the steps wearing a silk sheet that had dreams of being a dress. She would have fallen flat on her face if it wasn’t for Fjorta catching her at the final step when she stepped down on the loose hem of her dress. There was a flash of one of her nipples, but Dibella just pulled up her dress and aimed a wide smile at me and Hestia instead of acknowledging it.
“Jericho! Hestia! Sheogorath! And… you… look important?” Dibella greeted, with a wave, pushing right through the guards who hesitantly let her by. I don’t think they got a signal to, but they were probably caught off guard by her godly presence. Or seeing godly tiddies. Either would be a fair reason, I guess. Dibella aimed the final words at the Emperor, looking him over with an easy smile. “I like your robe. It brings out your shiny head.”
I looked down at Dibella for a moment, thinking that was… blunt. I looked at Fjorta, who offered a deep bow. “Please forgive my goddess, she’s recently discovered ale.” The younger woman informed, more modestly dressed, but not enough so to hide the trail of hickeys down her neck.
“Ale is good! I like wine better, but I ran out,” Dibella confirmed with a nod, looking very pleased with herself as she latched on to Fjorta. “It’s cold, Fjorta…! Why did we have to get out of bed? We were just getting comfy…” Fjorta’s face flushed while Sheogorath cackled. All the while, Titus watched the interaction silently with a blank expression. I could only imagine what was going through his head at the moment.
However, it was Sheogorath who spoke next. “It’s time for the Moot, dear ‘Ella!” She informed, earning a puzzled look from Hestia.
“I thought the Moot wasn’t for another few weeks-” Hestia started before my vision went white. I blinked once, letting the light fade -- and, all of a sudden, we weren’t in Helgen anymore. The crowd that was gathered was suddenly gone, the market had changed, there wasn’t any snow drifting down anymore…
The tension in the air became thick enough to cut when the Emperor's immediate guards leveled their spears down, some pointed in Hestia’s direction before I put an end to that by stepping forward. They didn’t press the issue because it was obvious who the real culprit was.
“I’m tired of waiting! The Moot starts now! Sit tight while I gather everyone up," she ordered, before promptly winking out of existence. There was a moment of tense silence, all eyes on where Sheogorath had vanished, and it was only broken by the sound of Hestia facepalming.
"Let me apologize for Sheogorath, she's very…" Hestia trailed off, searching for the right word.
"Insane?" One guard questioned, his armor and cloak marking him different from the others. I couldn't tell for sure, but I'm pretty sure that he was Commander Maro, the guy on the bridge after the failed attempt to assassinate the Emperor.
"Sheogorath is very Sheogorath," Hestia hedged, her tone patient. That was probably the best way to put it.
I scratched at my cheek, "My bet is that she took us to Solitude. And she's playing pretty fast and loose with the Mark and Recall spell." I mused, looking around at the city. We were in a garden area, which was still vibrant and colorful despite the chill in the air. I'm sure it would be very pretty, but with over a hundred guards standing in the flowerbeds and rose bushes, it looked a bit cluttered. "I knew she set up a system in Skyrim, but I didn't know she went beyond it."
Mark could only teleport you between two locations. There was the hub in the Archmage quarters, but the Mark that had been used to teleport us… Sheogorath had set up a second system. Possibly more than one. She had been busy.
"I thought the gods had to give up their power to descend?" Commander Maro questioned, his deep frown echoed in his voice.
"They do. Sheogorath just so happens to be one of the most powerful mages in the world," I offered, and it was clear no one liked the idea of that. They would learn to. Sheogorath did her own thing, but she's only helped me this far.
Emperor Titus offered a nod, "So it would seem," he agreed, before he turned his gaze to Hestia. "It is a bit late, but I do admire what you have done with Helgen. The little that I saw of it was quite remarkable." Hestia beamed pure joy out of every pore while the Emperor turned his attention to Dibella, who stood still while Fjorta began to straighten out her goddesses dress. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Divine Dibella, and Captain Fjorta. Strange circumstances have brought us together, but I do believe that Nirn can be a greater place with your presence."
I kinda felt ignored, but I cared more about Hestia and Dibella's reactions. I wanted to know if he was lying.
He wasn't, as far as I could tell, based on Hestia's smile and nod. "I hope so too. I… know that we've been causing a lot of problems for mortals… but I think the Moot will be where everyone gets their acts together." Hestia offered, her voice firm. I glanced down at her, hearing the unsaid 'or else’ in her voice. "Jericho's barely been home because of those jerks! I'm going to make them pay! I wanted to cuddle a whole lot in front of the fireplace like Dibella and Fjorta, but he's been stuck running around the country!" Hestia stomped her foot, her hands curling into fists.
I think… she probably should have left that second part off. "Sorry, Hestia," I offered. I hadn't been home nearly as much as either of us would like.
"I said you could cuddle with me and Fjorta if you were feeling lonely," Dibella offered.
Hestia flushed cutely, realizing that she had overshared, but retained her dignified poise. A hand went up to mine, my hand engulfing hers. "Despite what the gods have done until now, I hope you will consider me an ally when it comes to achieving stability in the realm," Hestia said, pretending that she hadn't just revealed her true motivations for all to hear.
Dibella raised a hand, "Me too! Throwing really big parties is pretty fun… but I don't want bad things to happen to everyone else because I want to have fun." And that was… maturity. I think?
Emperor Titus offered a smile, "With the aid of the gods, anything is possible. A saying that has never been more true than now. You humble me with your favor, and you have the depths of my gratitude for it." He offered, not quite bowing, but offering a dip of his head that had much the same effect.
This was going alright, I thought. Nothing bad was really happening, and Solitude wasn't immediately combusting with the presence of the gods and the Emperor. He wasn't immediately decrying us -- not that I expected him to -- even though he had been technically kidnapped. Twice, even. Sure, he might have been kidnapped to his destination, but I'm not sure that canceled out the original kidnapping charge.
However, it would seem that our presence hadn't gone unnoticed. I saw movement in the corner of my eye, bringing me to the building whose garden we were standing in. Large, ornate doors swung open to reveal two servants that bowed as they kept the doors open, revealing who was really coming through the door.
A man and a woman, both richly dressed and each with a crown on their heads. The woman was Elisif the Fair -- she had dark red hair and blue eyes, with a strong jaw that matched her stubborn chin and high cheekbones. She earned her title, I thought. She appeared regal and proud. Standing next to her, given how her arm was interlocked with his, was her husband. And King.
High King Torygg. He was considered a young man, but he was in his thirties by my guess. Dark brown hair swept back over his head and was held in place with a crown. A neatly trimmed dark beard clung to a reasonably handsome face -- he looked like a king and dressed like one as well. It was weird seeing him. It was weird thinking that Skyrim had a king at all and wasn't yet embroiled in a civil war.
If things went the way of canon… then this Moot, possibly today, Ulfric would kill him.
Behind them was a god, I noticed. Black hair and a face that was half-covered by a bushy beard. He wore simple robes with a few pieces of armor layered on top of them, one pauldron covered one of his shoulders and he had a vambrace on one hand. At his belt was a sizable mace, making it easy to guess who it was.
Stendarr. The god of Righteous Might and Merciful Forbearance.
High King Torygg approached, the guards letting him by without complaint. Both king and queen dropped to a knee, bowing to the Emperor. Should we have bowed earlier? I feel a bit awkward about not bowing. "Your Imperial Majesty, welcome to Solitude. Please forgive the unworthy welcome-"
Emperor Titus let out a small chuckle, "My arrival was not expected for weeks. Not even by myself. You do not have to apologize for being unable to see the future, or incapable of predicting the actions of the Prince of Madness." He offered, gesturing for both to stand up. Both looked relieved. Given the circumstances, they were housing one of the largest events that's happened since the Oblivion Crisis. That would be stressful enough, but having your guests arrive weeks early?
Stendarr stepped forward, and to my surprise, his gaze was focused on me. "You must be Jericho the Tall," he pointed out, and… that wasn't what people were calling me, right? I was hoping for something a little less… lame. "Word of your deeds have spread all across Skyrim! Your actions reflect well on Hestia as a benevolent goddess. It is an honor to make your acquaintance," he offered a hand, and he was kind enough to offer the opposite hand to the one that Hestia was currently holding.
I shook it, engulfing his hand with my own. "I just couldn't do nothing. Especially when I was in a position to do something," I offered. Stendarr offered an approving nod before letting go of my hand.
High King Torygg looked to me, "So it is you that I have to thank for keeping my realm at peace.” He noted, his gaze roaming over me before his eyes dipped to Hestia. “I did not know what to expect when I finally met you… but, I will admit, I didn’t expect the rumors to be true. You truly are larger than life.”
I’m pretty sure that he was just buttering me up, but it wasn’t like I was going to stop him. He continued with it to, “Word about Markarth has reached us. As well as the other Holds. Undead armies slain single-handedly, a thousand duels with orc berserkers, rescuing one of my Jarls from the hands of a Daedra… pray tell, I must ask, why did you never stop by Solitude?”
“The last that I heard, Stendarr and you had rebuffed Sanguine's… invasion. When I heard that, I figured that Solitude would be the one place I didn’t need to visit.” I offered, earning an approving nod from Torygg and a light smile from his queen. Apparently, they liked that answer. “Speaking of Sanguine, is he still here?” I asked, wondering if I was going to have to be in the same room as the god that bailed and took half of the population of Markarth with him.
The High King shook his head, “No, he is not. After being captured, he simply ascended to his realm. I do know he has descended once again, though I do not know where.” Shit. That was annoying.
“I believe it is that kind of shirking of responsibility that this Moot is about stopping,” Stendarr voiced, earning nods all around. I tried not to shift where I stood, knowing that wasn’t exactly the case. There was that whole Civil War thing that was going on. And Alduin. I should probably mention the vampire invasion too. Maybe I should mention Miraak too?
Eh, it’s probably best to take things one at a time.
“- DO YOU-” I heard a harsh voice suddenly shout off to the left, and looking over, I saw Kyne. She looked the same as she had when I last saw her -- almost identical to Poison Ivy from DC Comics, but less bombshell pretty. Especially now that her face was twisted into a snarl, turning to glare at Sheogorath, who winked out of existence again.
She shifted, her gaze roaming over all of us and realizing that she wasn’t the first to get kidnapped by Sheogorath, and at the rate things were going, she would not be the last. So, she straightened herself up and turned her attention to a guard who was standing in the flower garden. She glared and the guard quickly backed up.
“You do have a lovely garden,” Kyne remarked, dropping to her knees before she began repairing the damage done by the guard's boots. The action made the guards standing inside the garden realize who she was, and they quickly removed themselves. More than a few dropped down as well to repair what damage they had done. I knew Kyne was a revered goddess, but given that they were meant to be guarding the Emperor…
“Hello, Kyne!” Dibella waved, earning the Goddess of Nature’s attention. Hestia offered a hesitant wave, to which she smiled warmly at. That smile promptly dropped when her eyes landed on me, though. But, she said nothing and I had nothing to say to her.
Ideological differences. I… I was probably the asshole, but I couldn’t accept it. Pacifism was fine and good, but when everything was at stake? When the entire world was at stake, and you were in a position to do something about it, but you refused because of some vow to not do harm… I couldn’t accept that. Personal values and pride didn’t outweigh the lives of everyone in the world.
"Greetings," Kyne offered, before she let out a small sigh. "I thought we would have more time, but Sheogorath seems to have her own timetable." She said ,before one of the flowers began to rapidly grow. I shifted a bit, putting myself between Kyne and Hestia. The action didn't go unnoticed, but it did go unremarked as the flower grew into a Spriggan. "This is the Captain of my familia," she introduced the humanoid form made out of roots and flowers.
Kyne's eyes slid to me for a moment before she turned her attention to the Spriggan. She gave a nod before the ground beneath our feet began to shift. Instantly, I had Hestia in my arms, ready to fight if it came down to it, only to see the garden shift. Along the edges of the garden, small sprouts began to grow. At first, they started out about as wide as a pencil before thickening until they became as thick as a tree.
Around the edge of the garden, a building began to construct itself. The gaps closed as the tree trunks melded together, their branches becoming support beams, the roots benches to sit on, while the flowers and rose bushes were moved to places more aesthetically pleasing. Looking up, I saw the roof being formed -- in the span of a minute, Kyne's captain had made a hall fit for a meeting between gods and men.
Hestia let out a sound of awe, clearly impressed. I was the same, but for different reasons. Did Kyne's Spriggan have a Skill already? I wasn't sure what else could explain how she just made this instantly from what looked like rose bush seeds.
"Thanks, Kyne! You're the best," Dibella cheered while the mere mortals gawked at the sight.
"You should dress better to avoid a cold, Dibella," Kyne scolded as she placed a hand on her Spriggan.
Dibella opened her mouth, only to be cut off when another person appeared. Nocturnal. She was dressed the same as I last saw her, a Nightingale behind her, who looked around bewildered.
"I could have arrived myself, Sheogorath," Nocturnal pointed out, looking to the god that was looking around the hall.
"More fun my way!" Sheogorath responded before clapping her hands. Then… people started gawking at the building around us. Everyone -- from Hestia to the Emperor. The only problem was that I had absolutely no clue why. The place looked exactly the same as far as I could tell. I looked to Sheogorath, cocking an eyebrow, and she caught my look and offered a shrug.
It was an illusion. Which I was immune to. Kinda lame, but whatever.
Then Sheogorath vanished again, leaving Nocturnal behind as the first Daedra amongst the gods and Divines. She crossed her arms, her expression blank as she seemed content to ignore the looks that she was getting.
"We," I began, knowing that someone had to say it but no one else was stepping up. The Emperor probably didn't want to tell the gods what to do. Hestia didn't want to say it because she didn't want to tell the Emperor what to do. The rest either didn't care or didn't dare to speak up. "Should probably figure out how we're going to do this. Knowing Sheogorath, she'll drag every Aedra and Daedra here along with the Jarl's. So, we have a little time to plan this thing out."
Emperor Titus nodded approvingly, "A wise idea." He looked to King Torygg, "I understand traditionally, a Moot is where you and your subjects discuss the realm."
"Traditionally, aye. But I'm sure my ancestors will forgive me for breaking with tradition on account of the gods walking the world." King Torygg offered, "The gods should discuss their business first."
"Ah…" Hestia started, making eyes all go to her. "Um… in my experience… the gods can be…"
"Stupid," I offered with absolutely zero hesitation. I earned a few sharp looks, but when Hestia nodded, the focus went back to her.
"Yeah," She agreed. "Whenever we had a Dentus, we always had a lead god in charge to control the flow of the conversation. Otherwise, it just devolved into name calling contests and the gods messing with each other. Normally, for the Aedra, Akatosh should be in charge, but since he's stuck maintaining the metaphysical barrier around Nirn…"
"I vote Hestia to be in charge of the Aedra!" Dibella announced, throwing her hand up, earning a bewildered sputtering sound. Dibella threw on a great big smile and aimed it at Hestia. "I don't want to be in charge, but I also think that Hestia would be really good at it." There was such a thing as too much honesty, you know? All you had to do was snip off the first bit, Dibella.
Stendarr offered an agreeing nod, as did Kyne. "Your gift has not been forgotten, Hestia. We walk the world because of you. We are more than ghosts haunting a world made from our bodies and ideals. If there is absolutely anyone that the Aedra could stand behind wholeheartedly, then it is you."
Hestia shifted, and I squeezed down on her hand ever so slightly. I didn't say anything. I didn't have to. So, I just offered a smile. It was good to see that Hestia getting some of the recognition she deserved. First, she sacrificed her Arcanum, then she turned Helgen from a hole in the wall village to a city that rivaled the capital. And now she would have the job of leading the Aedra in place of Akatosh.
She visibly gathered herself, as if she were trying to physically make herself rise to the occasion.
"It would be my honor! So long as the rest agree with the decision," Hestia added as Sheogorath stopped by with another Aedra.
After that decision was made, time moved in a blur as the High King and the Queen rushed to make the preparations needed. Seating was arranged with the help of Kyne. Servants brought in the thrones of the King and Queen, which were placed at the helm of the hall, at the other end from the doorway.
Naturally, that made the gods desire their own thrones, and each pestered Kyne or Sheogorath for them. Hestia had simply suggested a round table, but that meant that a seating arrangement had to be arranged. In the end, I decided to take a step back from the planning and decided to focus on what would be coming.
The moment was finally here, and after so long, now that it was here, I found myself at a loss as to what to do. I was the captain of a Familia, but that was a position that was poorly defined at the moment. And, the longer time went on as Sheogorath continuously popped in and out of existence with gods and Jarls in tow, it became increasingly clear that people didn't know what to make of me.
I thought I would prove more popular, but I caught glances thrown in my direction that were puzzled and cautious. I wasn't entirely sure why, though. In the end, there were four increasingly clear groups that formed each time Sheogorath dropped someone off. The Aedra, the Daedra, the Loyalists, and the Stormcloaks. And each stuck with their own kind, with only a few intermingling at all.
I simply watched Hestia run about, helping her where I could as she took to her new duty with a deadly seriousness that I rarely saw in her. I guess she understood the weight of today's events. Of the meetings that would happen. Of the words that would be spoken.
Today was a day that would forever change the future of Nirn.
Balgruuf was one of the last Jarls to arrive in the hall. He appeared at the center of the room, where the Mark had been placed. Around him were four tables, each gently curved to make a circle with a gap so no one could bitch about sitting next to a Stormcloak or Daedra. Each god and Jarl received a chair fit to be called a throne while the King, Queen, and Emperor each sat above the table. That, I'm certain, was done on purpose.
His gaze swept over the hall, and with some luck, they landed on me first. Balgruuf offered a thin smile as he approached, "Jericho, you look well. Seems like Ulfric and I were the last to arrive,” Balgruff pointed out, taking a spot next to me as he finished looking over the crowd. The air was heavy, almost heavy enough that it was hard to breathe. The gods’ presences layered on top of each other, filling the hall with the weight of their divinity.
And they filled it with the sounds of their bickering too. Despite being grouped up in two pantheons, it seemed like most of the gods were like Dibella and Sanguine -- who had also yet to arrive -- in the sense that the Aedra and Daedra never had directly interacted before. There were a half dozen debates about a half dozen different things between them, and nearly half of the Daedra had yet to arrive.
“Sheogorath might be a little impatient, but there's a method to her madness. The focus is on the gods to hammer out their rules first, and someone like Ulfric in the same room with the king and Emperor…” At the start of this adventure, I never would have thought that I would have been in Sheogorath’s corner. But, here I was because she had been in mine every step of the way.
“I’ll take your word for it,” Balgruuf remarked, not sounding like he believed me. He looked over to the Jarls that talked amongst themselves, while his eyes drifted over to the King, who spoke to the Emperor like half of his realm wasn’t plotting open rebellion. “Jericho, how many titles of Thane have you collected?” He asked me suddenly, looking back to me.
“Seven out of nine,” I answered. Dawnstar and Morthal had been taken care of during the month and a half I spent gathering supplies for my armor. “Just missing Solitude and Winterhold,” I added. Though, the latter would be mine if Azura kept her end of the bargain. Balgruuf let out a small laugh at that.
He shook his head, “That would explain it. Jericho, it would be best if you explained to the king that you don’t desire the crown. I know you don’t, but he doesn’t know that.” He pointed out and… yeah, fair enough.
I had entertained the thought about becoming High King. Mostly because I was pretty sure I could get a title out of it, and the idea sounded neat. However, after months of Skyrim…
Fuck this place, I decided. I didn’t want to be a king here. It felt like the kingdom was trying to shove cyanide pills and tide pods in its mouth every time I took my eyes off of it. Being High King was a nice idea, but in practice…? No. Actually, hell no. After Alduin was dead, I was gone. Hestia would be upset, but Helgen would be wrecked in the fight, so she might not be so attached then. Depending on the next world, she could create another city from scratch. And I could actually be there to help her with it instead of running around the country trying to save the world.
“Yeah, good idea,” I agreed, deciding to walk over and be blunt as hell. Simply put, he couldn’t pay me enough to become the king of Skyrim. However, the moment I pushed off the wall, another person appeared in the center of the room. Not a god. You’d think they would be a Daedra for all the sudden glares they received, but the Altmer weathered them well with a faint smile on her lips.
Elenwen, I recognized. Her skin was more gray than yellow, and her hair was a darker shade of gray that was borderline black, but she had the Altmer golden eyes. She wore Thalmor clothing, black, and gold. She was the head of the Thalmor in Skyrim if I recalled. As if their eyes were magnets, Elenwen and the Emperor's eyes met, and it was clear that neither was pleased to see the other, even if neither’s expression so much as twitched.
The impromptu staring contest came to an abrupt end when Sheogorath reached over and covered Elenwen’s eyes with her hands while standing behind her. There was a smile on her face that I hadn’t seen since the onsen months ago. A smile that was a little too wide, a little too sharp, and framed with a look in her eyes that promised death.
“Guess who?”
Oh… this was not going to end well.
