Book 4: Chapter 38: Misstep

    It was, by all measurable metrics, a beautiful day in Tropica. The sun was shining, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and I’d used the local equivalent of witchcraft to create a boat last night. Even better, the smell of coffee was flowing from Sue’s bakery, the essence-filled aroma making my mouth water.

    “Fischer...” Sue said by way of greeting as Maria and I reached the counter. “May I ask why you’re being carried around like a dead fish?”

    “Not again!” I looked down, aghast. “Maria! What have I told you?”

    “That behind closed doors, I should refer to you as chef?”

    “No! Well, yes actually, but that’s not what I’m talking about! What have I told you about hauling me around like a dead fish?”

    “That you’re into it...?”

    “What? No! Okay, yes again, but not in public! Are you seriously telling me you don’t recall what I said?”

    “Fiiine.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Yes, I remember.”

    “Prove it.”

    “You said that you’re super into it—especially when I pretend I’m an injured pelican—but that doing it public might hurt your reputation with the newer cultivators.”

    “You do listen.” I wiped a fake tear away. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”

    Turning back to Sue, I made a show of straightening my already-straight clothes. “Anywho—where were we? Ah yes, two of your finest coffees and pastries, please!”

    Sue’s expressions had changed with each sentence, landing somewhere between amused and bewildered. “Before I take your order, did you plan on clarifying to the crowd of newer cultivators behind you that you’re joking?”

    Maria and I spun, finding dozens of people staring our way, some of whom had arrived in Tropica only a week ago.

    “I don’t think I will,” I said.

    “Nope!” Maria agreed, and we both turned back to Sue.

    She let out one of her hearty laughs as she slung her tea towel over her shoulder. “I should have expected as much. Same as usual?”

    “I’d love a little extra sugar, actually!” Maria said “Please and thank you!”

    “You would...?” I asked.

    “Yep. A certain someone requested sweetness.”

    “It was meeee!” Slimes sang, jiggling from Maria’s shoulder.

    I booped the little rascal on the head, making him wibble-wobble with evident joy. “Are you both sure you’re feeling ready? There’s no shame in waiting a little if you need more time...”

    Maria gave me a side-long glance, then peered down at my abdomen with a smirk. “Are you only asking that because you want me and Slimes to come fishing? Is that why you’re not letting me feel your emotions right now?”

    “I can tell you’re messing with me, but I’ll still remind you that we both agreed it would be healthy if we didn’t share our thoughts all the time.”

    She wiggled her eyebrows, connecting to me and confirming that she was, in fact, teasing. I returned the gesture, revealing that part of me was selfishly wanting her to come fishing. But my larger motivation—the thing weighing on me—was my care for her wellbeing.

    She looped an arm through mine, pulling herself close to my body. “He’s worried about you too, Slimes. Hit him with it.”

    Before I could ponder what ‘it’ was, the little familiar stretched his body and gave me the approximation of a lil kiss on the cheek.

    Why? his eyes seemed to plead.

    “Shhhh.” She leaned in close, covering his mouth with one finger. “Or I’ll do the other cheek too. I might just start lashing out at every butt in sight.”

    Maria immediately grabbed her cup and took a swig, ruining the art. “Ready to go, Fischer?”

    I nodded, swiftly collected the rest of our breakfast, then let Maria lead me through the crowd.

    “That’s right! You’d better run!” Sue let a string of threats fly, their contents so colorful that they didn’t bear repeating. They trailed us as we retreated to the next street. “And that goes for all of you!” Her voice boomed, echoing around the corner. “I better hear no complaints about drinking my art unless you want to be on the receiving end of one of these!” A second crack rang out, which I had good reason to believe was the tea towel hitting Sturgill’s other cheek based on the way he yelped.

    I let out a choked laugh.

    Maria’s giggle was much more pleasant. “Did you see the faces of the three cultivators at the back? Gods above—they thought she was serious!”

    “It was actually kind of brilliant, don’t you think? I seriously doubt anyone else is going to make a fuss after this.”

    “It was. A shame poor Sturgill had to be dragged into it. Not that a tea towel could hurt him.”

    “Imagine if she’d infused it with chi, though...” I shivered. “Sue is kinda terrifying. With the power she has now, she might have stood a chance against the king.”

    Maria almost missed a step, and a pang of guilt stabbed from her core, penetrating her carefully concealed feelings.

    “Sorry.” I squeezed her hand. “I shouldn’t have brought him up.”

    “There’s nothing to apologize for. I know it’s not my fault that I hadn’t unlocked my healing powers early enough to save him.” She shook her head softly, a strand of sand-colored hair falling from behind her ear. “Not that I could have, even if I’d had the breakthrough in time.”

    “I have something to tell you, but I need to preface it with another statement.” I gazed into her irises. Their oceanic depths centered me. “I have complete belief in you and your abilities, and the only reason I checked that you think you’re ready is because I cannot lose you.” I swept the strand of loose hair behind her ear, bathing in the way my words had made her eyes glitter. “All that said—even with my absolute trust in you—I don’t think you could have saved him.”

    I furrowed my brow, a thought occurring to me. “Do... do you want me to show you?”

    She didn’t respond right away, staring into the distance as she took the time to really consider my offer. I’d kept those memories sealed as best I could. Showing her was always a possibility, and I’d be lying if I said it hadn’t occurred to me when Maria accused me of hurting people. I could have shown her the truth. Proved that the king had been offered a way out, and sealed his own fate.But doing so would have been exceedingly selfish. It may have even altered the course of her breakthrough.

    “Okay,” Maria finally answered. “I think I’d like that.”

    I looked up to find her staring directly at me, her jaw set and gaze unwavering. Before I could ask if she was sure, Maria nodded. She was ready. I took a deep breath, connected my awareness to hers, and remembered.

    Skipping over the preamble, I started from the moment my torrent of unaspected chi flooded over all of the corrupted, presenting them with two paths: surrender their corruption, or be cleansed alongside it. No matter how necessary it had been, recalling the events knotted my stomach and left a bad taste in my mouth. I set my feelings aside as best I could. They weren’t important right now—only Maria was.

    The king’s response to my offer was a gut punch, both moronic and infuriating then and now. He was too far gone. There was nothing anyone could have said to bring him back from the precipice. His own wickedness had led him to the edge, I’d presented him with redemption, and he’d instead leaped into the abyss.

    I focused on the royals and the squad of birdlike cultivators, showing her their ready acceptance of my help in comparison. Unlike the king, they were unwilling victims of the rot afflicting them—well, except for Osnan Sr, who’d been burned away alongside his liege. The others, though? Even the people so far gone that they identified as birds wanted to be saved.

    Profound understanding came from Maria, pouring back along the connection I’d forged. My words hadn’t been empty; the king had truly been beyond saving.

    Potent emotions welled up within her, overwhelming all thought. Before they could make their way to my awareness, she slammed the door between us closed, shutting me off. It was so swift and jarring that I stumbled, taking a step back. Maria’s reaction was even stronger. Her cup of coffee, still half full, dropped toward the ground. Her lower lip quivered, her knees wobbling and tears already forming.

    The look on her face forced me to recover immediately. I let go of everything I held, catching our cups and pastries on shelves of solid chi. Faster than light, I was wrapping her in my arms, easily supporting her weight. She buried her head into my chest and tried to speak, but only muffled sobs came out.

    “It’s okay.” I patted her hair, regretting that this was the immediate result but knowing it would provide long-term peace of mind. “Take all the time you need.”

    Her small body shook as she experienced her emotions in full.