chapter Twenty-One
As much as Mathieu hated to admit it, he had reached the point where he could no longer put off speaking to Erik. At the moment, his father and Solomon were on the porch, both smoking, and having a very serious conversation. The two had waited until all the rest had headed for bed before going outside, telling Mathieu to stay put. Unhappy at being told what to do, he had defiantly done the dishes from dinner, then tidied up the main room. By the time he was done, they still hadn't finished talking. Huffily, he went to the door and pulled it open. He'd be damned if he was forced to stay inside like a child.
The conversation ceased as soon as he came out, but he paid them no mind, instead going to sit on the railing beside his beau. Solomon offered him the rest of the cigarette he was smoking, which Mathieu took.
After lighting up and taking a deep drag, he held the smoke in his lungs, looking towards the sky. The stars were brighter here, more alive. He knew what he had to do.
Blowing a stream of smoke rings, he looked at Erik, "Father,” his tone was rather stony, “today I couldn’t use Enak as my shield. He said you are the one preventing us from connecting."
"Is that so?" Erik raised his brow in a sedated way, "Well, if I did, it wasn't my intention."
"Erik, I told you a while back that we would talk. It would seem now is the time to talk." His father said nothing. Mathieu continued: "So if you wanted to offer an explanation to why you weren't there when Mom died, or why I went to an orphanage, I'd be willing to hear it." They all knew he wasn’t going to do it with an open mind, but he would listen.
Sighing and stamping his butt out, Erik gave Solomon a dismissing look. But Mathieu grabbed the back of his mate's shirt, keeping him where he was. Erik chuckled. "You're just like your mother." A momentary silence fell at the mention of the dead, then "Mathieu, there are some things we are willing to hear, but unwilling to accept. You and Solomon, for instance, is something I have taken the time to hear out, but I can’t…won’t acknowledge. Despite your ‘bond’."
Mathieu ran his fingers through Solomon's hair, cooling his own temper. "You're right, I probably won’t like what I what you have to say. But I want to hear your excuse.”
Erik’s eyes flicked between the pair of them before he inhaled sharply and started. "My ma is a very powerful and dangerous woman. Something you should know is that in our line, a gift is passed to the first and last child of every generation. My ma has it, as does your only surviving uncle. You were, of my brothers and I, the first child to be carried. Anita knew how my family worked and wanted to protect you from what they would do to you. She told me she wouldn’t allow then to demonize you with the change. Because I loved her, we ran.
"Oh, I knew my mother would chase us, but for Anita, I would do anything. After I believed that I had hidden her away sufficiently, I set out to find any source of power that would allow me to protect my family and sever the ties to my mother's dictatorship.
"With the help of my oldest friend, someone you know, I set out. My journey, after many failed avenues, ended in the Realm of the Gods where I met Enak. Unfortunately, by the time I return, my brother had already slain Anita, and you were gone. I presumed you eaten or taken by my ma. Either way, I could not save you. So, I retreated into solitude."
Solomon's face was painted with disgust. "You found yourself a god to protect your family, yet you would not use it to save your son?"
Erik shrugged, "You may condemn my actions as you wish, but it is in the past. However, Mathieu, you must go speak to your grandmother. She wields an unparalleled power, and we will need her to win. Bargain with her. You are too old to be gifted, and when she asks for your first born, tell her you foresee no children in your line. Show her your mark if she requires proof. You are her family, and she will be obligated to help." It seemed that he was unwilling to explain any further on what had happened in the past.
Mathieu was in a state of disbelief. "Let me get this straight. Not only are you going to be vague about what really happened with my mother, but you want me to go to the woman who pursued my mother to her death, tore my family apart, and ask her to help with an invasion."
"Yes.” Erik said, point blank. “She can amass an army with charms to protect them from bullets. Unless they have magic users, her army is invincible. While we move to the capital, she can capture the cities we don't. And they will only respond to those of her blood."
"That's a fair point..." Solomon said, leaning against Mathieu, lighting another smoke.
Mathieu sighed, also able to see how beneficial a force immune to bullets would be in a fight. "Fine; but only because I want every advantage for this fight. To lose as few as possible is my goal. I'll go in the morning. Where am I going?"
"At the base of the highest mountain in the Outer Zone, which happens to be the one closest to the Eastern District, there is a passage that is always guarded. Tell them you wish to see Anastasie. Use your Shaper powers to prove your point if necessary." Erik stood from where he was reclined, "You can take a Shadowrider to the border, but you'll have to walk from there. That's all I have to say tonight. Sleep well, Son." He left them alone.
If nothing else, seeing his mother and then having this very limited conversation with his father had reassured him that they really were his parents. And while he still had issues to sort out with his father, he had his family, broken as it was. He set his head on Solomon's, sighing. "Will you go with me? Please?"
"Of course I will. You think I'd let the lamb go into the lion's den alone?" Solomon teased.
"I'll bring a wolf with me to battle." He nuzzled against the blond.
Solomon turned and picked Mathieu up, carrying him inside, "...You know I love you, right?"
"I love you, too." He said before he kissed Solomon.
~*~
The suns had barely hooked their fingers over the cliff when Mathieu woke. He lay between Solomon and Jo, Niveus on his chest. Lione was asleep on the far side of the bed.
Morning, Mathieu. How did you sleep? Mismatched eyes blinked curiously at him, head tilted.
He brought a hand up to scratch behind her ears, fingers gliding over the sleek white fur. I'm okay. Listen, Niveus, I was wondering if you could take Solomon and I somewhere later?
Like a secret date?
No. He rolled his eyes at her, Like a business meeting.
She wiggled until she was lying on her back, feet kicking at the air. Mm, okay. I'll do it for you.
Thank you. You're a wonderful little Shadowrider.
Her purring as he scratched her tummy was what woke Jo up, his face having been on Mathieu's thigh.
"S'going on?" Jo slurred, eyes unfocused.
Mathieu patted his friend's head comfortingly. "Nothing yet. Just so you know, Sol and I are going on a day trip. That means I want you to listen to Erik today, okay? And make sure to ask Kiev to start a load of laundry."
Jo clung to him tightly, "Take me with you..."
"I'll be back tomorrow morning, sweetie. I'll leave Tesla with you just in case. And he can reach me if something goes wrong, okay?" Mathieu petted the brunet's hair.
"...Fine, then." Jo huffed.
Mathieu chuckled until a toned, scarred arm looped around his waist, pulling him against Solomon's side. "Five more minutes, then we'll get up, kay?" The blond man’s voice was slightly muffled, face pressed into the pillow.
"No, no, no. You're awake, so get your butt up." Mathieu smirked at the groan he received. "I'll let you share my shower...." And that got Solomon's attention.
It took them an hour before they were dressed and presentable to leave the room, by which time Jo and Lione had gotten up, too. They said their goodbyes to the others, then went out onto the porch, Niveus behind them.
“It’s going to be a beautiful day out. I hope it’s this nice at the mountains. Should we head out now?” Mathieu asked.
Solomon wrapped an arm around his waist, kissing his temple, “Sure. There is an inn in the Eastern District that makes some great breakfast options, if you want to go there and eat before we go to meet Anastasie. Help get your strength up, you know.”
Mathieu nodded, picking up Niveus, “If you think that’s a good idea, just show her where to go.” He held his Shadowrider out.
The blond pat the Shadowrider’s head, silently communicating with her. “Okay, she’s ready. Let’s go, Mathieu.”
~*~
They had gone to breakfast at the dainty inn, and were now walking hand and hand towards the highest mountain they could see. The sky was overcast, making it cooler than it had been when they’d left; however, he’d grabbed a light jacket before they’d left. It was still fairly early in the morning, so only a few locals were up to witness their passing, but those who saw them smiled and waved politely.
Solomon picked a flower that was bluish-purple in color, then tucked it behind Mathieu’s ear. “Do you know anything about your grandmother?” Solomon asked.
“Not really; but then again, I lived in an orphanage, believing I was alone. I’m kind of…hesitant to go charging into her home.” Mathieu rubbed at his pant leg as they walked.
“It’ll be fine. You’ve still got me and I won’t leave you by yourself.”
“This is horrifying.” Mathieu said. “What if she won’t help me, or what if she wants to kill me?”
Solomon pointed to an arched hole in the mountain as they neared it. “I think that’s it. Try not to be too nervous, okay? Remember, you’re the resistance’s leader now.”
They entered into the passage, the walls close together but smoothed to the touch. It took a left almost immediately, and that was where they came face-to-face with a man and an extremely large wolf curled up at his feet. “Who the hell are you?”
Mathieu took a gulp of air, finding his Zen in the moment, “I need to speak to Anastasie. You will take me to her.”
“Who is Anastasie? Don’t know her.” The man was short, fat, and broad with a large mustache.
“I know that this is the way to go see her, so take me to my grandmother.” He crossed his arms over his chest.
The man took a step away from wolf, giving Mathieu an appraising look, “A pansy thing like you? No way you’re a Roman.”
“I am, though. Need I prove it?” A twine of energy slid along his arm towards the man, snaking through the air. “Tell me how to reach her.”
The portly man backed away from the sinister energy tendril, nearly tripping over the monstrosity of a canine. “Jesus, just go up the passage three cross-paths and go down the right at the fourth, then follow it to the lift. There will be another guard there.”
“Thank you.” Mathieu pushed past the man, dragging Solomon by the hand. As soon as they were out of earshot, he giggled like a child. “Did you see his face? He was totally scared! That was so cool…”
Solomon patted his back, his tone joking. “Down, killer. That was just one guard. He said take the fourth left. Start walking.”
Mathieu put his hand on his hip, making an annoyed sound. “Oh, shut it. You can’t just let me have one moment, can you? Come on.” They started walking down to passage, counting as they went.
They took the proper right turn, then followed the twisting path. The deeper they went, the colder it got. Soon, he was shivering so badly his teeth were chattering. There was a strong draft coming towards them, and there was a wetness that tinted the air. He realized that there was water dripping down the walls as the passage narrowed. The passage narrowed further until Solomon was forced to walk behind him in single file in order for both of them to continue without either of them scrapping along the wall.
The cold was sinking into Mathieu's bones, making him shake so hard he had to use the bump of the wall to keep him moving forward. Just ahead there was a dead end, except for a cut out hole less than half his height and would be tight in width. Groaning, he slowly got onto his hands and knees, then crawled through the hole.
Mathieu crawled onto a metal platform, then moved out of the way and looked around. Above him was a metal grate that slid down. And across from him on the small platform was a huge white wolf, standing in front of the button to go up.
Mathieu gave a sigh of relief as the warm air of the shaft rolled over him. Once Solomon had gotten to his feet, he went to the canine and petted it behind the ears. "Hello, pup. I need you to move." In response, the animal gave a short growl, but moves aside. "Solomon, close the grate."
The blond did, so Mathieu flipped the small lever that a paw could flip with ease, then leaned against the wall as the lift gave a few rattles, moving shakily upward. There was a prevailing scent of wet something, but the air was drying out. Slowly, the artificial light that has been their guiding source faded, replaced by natural light. The trip upward was slow and tedious, the repetitive clanking putting Mathieu into a light doze.
A bright light stung behind his eyelids, forcing him to open his eyes and turn away. The grate only came up to his waist so he was able to see the glass tube their lift was going up. Next to it, there was another column of glass, presumably to go down, but beyond that was the whole of Korinth on one side, the Outer Zone on the other. Behind him was the side of the mountain that they were traveling up. Looking up, way high, there was what appeared to be an outcrop which the tubes were coming through.
The closer that they got to the outcrop, the more nervous that Mathieu became. Up to this point, he had done his best to not think about his grandmother, but now he had to wonder. What kind of woman would she be? Would he be able to see himself in her? Had she really been the reason that his family didn't exist, now just an estranged father and son?
Solomon's eyes were on him, sharing his unwavering strength to soothe Mathieu's fears. In a way that words couldn't articulate, the blond was siphoning his nervousness and replacing it with calm, giving him the clarity to deal with the situation. He knew that he wasn't walking into this meeting as the damaged goods he was, or as the grandson who escaped. In this moment, he was a leader of a cause in need of a powerful ally. An ally he prayed they'd be granted.
The invasion was set to begin one week and one day from then as night fell. He had planned everything to be planned, trained everyone as much as they could be trained, and had drilled the invasion plan into the minds of the unit leaders unto they could recite it without hesitation. This meeting was the last pawn to be set on the board.
The lift rose through the outcrop's bottom and into a hollowed room. The wolf nosed at the grate until Solomon opened it, then it stepped onto the landing and shook out its fur. Several loud pops and bone-snapping cracks could be heard.
Mathieu's eyes looked for hidden people, but found none, his focus returning to the animal, just in time to see something that made his stomach chur. Where the dog has been was a man, a very naked man, on all fours. His face was twisted with pain and under his skin, Mathieu could see bones sliding to realign themselves. The popping and cracking didn't stop until the man was able to stand, nearly a foot taller than him. The change had taken less than a minute, but watching the man's spine connect back together had left him nauseated and swearing it'd taken an hour, at least.
"Son of Erik, Anastasie has waited for your return. Come. She will see you now." The mysterious man said. He had the same reddish hair as Erik and was covered in scars most likely caused by thick, sharp claws.
"You know me, but who are you?" Mathieu said, not moving an inch away from Solomon.
The man sighed and went to the corner of the room, rummaged around for a moment, then returned, dressed to the waist. "I am Banin, eldest brother of Erik, and your uncle."
Mathieu wasn't the least bit surprised with the man's identity, but he was quite thrown off about his sudden change. "Well then, Banin, take me to my grandmother, if you will." He swallowed his apprehension and took a step forward, Solomon just behind him.
Banin nodded and led them out of the room onto an open pathway. Mathieu dared not look over the edge towards the ground, instead letting his eyes wandered to the objects that were as high up as they were. The choices were limited.
Soon they were inside again, this time in a foyer. The architecture was modeled after the housing style before the split in Unith and Korinth, making everything look rather squat. There was barely enough height to the room for Banin to stand up straight. They move swiftly through the house, and the deeper they went in, the more wolves that Mathieu saw. Some were large like Banin and the first wolf had been, but others were smaller, closer to a normal size. The small breed also lacked the intelligence behind their eyes that the larger ones had.
"This is it." Banin said, coming to stop before an arched entryway. Just beyond, Mathieu could see two rows of statues, all of the same animal, in different poses: standing, sitting, laying, attacking.
He steeled his resolve and passes under the arch, walking with a confident stride to the area beyond the statues. There was a ring of chairs, three of them already occupied. Mathieu stepped into the circle and looked at those gathered: a woman in her thirties, a toddler in a booster seat, and a teenage boy.
"I'm looking for Anastasie." He said.
The woman smiled and motioned him to a seat, which he took, "We know. She comes within the minute."
Banin took the seat to the woman's left as Solomon came to stand behind Mathieu. And they waited. The blond man’s hand was pressed against the side of his neck. It took Anastasie less than two minutes to appear, but time had slugged along between the pointed stares and awkward silence.
Mathieu's grandmother was nothing close to what he had expected. In his mind, he saw a wizened woman, eyes sharp and cruel. But Anastasie was nothing like that. Her hair and eyes were the same blackish-red that Erik and Banin's were, but her face had none of the same age lines. She looked like the younger sister of Erik, not his mother.
"Hello, child." She sat in one of the two remaining chairs, legs folded under her.
"My name is Mathieu, not child, and I don't believe you are Anastasie." He said. Vaguely, he wondered if this was some sort of test.
"Believe what you wish. I must say, however, I did not expect Erik's son to look so...feminine. Your face is that of your mother's." Anastasie grinned like a cat before continuing, "So tell me, Mathieu, have you come to receive the gift of change your mother denied you of? If you are, I'm sorry to say you are too old, and Vincent has received what was meant to be yours." He hand was like a small bird, flitting to touch the shoulder of the teenager next to him. The teenage boy looked around suddenly, eyes meeting Mathieu's. Then he looked away.
Mathieu raised a brow. "I didn’t come for your curse. As part of your bloodline, I am requesting your assistance."
"Continue." She commanded.
"As I am sure you're aware, Unith and Korinth are struggling for dominance of the country. Unith wants to wage war, to take our trade routes and fertile land, forcing us from our home. Before they can strike, we plan to invade and take the castle. We plan to unify the land and share the prosperity." Mathieu said in a measured way.
She laughed, "And what concern are your petty squabbles to me?"
"Because if the king takes over, he won't just leave the Outer Zone alone. You'll be next on his hit list. After all, the Roman’s are a source of tension for Unith.” Mathieu had done his homework about his lineage the night before. A long time ago, the Romans had been a predominant advocate for the freedom of Korinth. They had a military of their own back then and had driven back every advance of Unith to take over. Over the years, however, Korinth and the Romans had stopped seeing eye-to-eye; Korinth’s leaders wanted peace and equality, while the Romans wanted to have a dictatorial hand over the people. The Romans had subsequently retreated into the mountains of the Outer Zone, and since then had been the enemy of both countries.
Anastasie's eyes narrowed, clearly turning his statement over in her mind. "What would you need of me?"
" My forces and I are going to take the castle, however we need to get there as quickly as possible, meaning we don't have time to seize every city. All I need from you is to lock down the cities we don’t travel through, and stop any reinforcements from coming to help Ateri. Their military resistance should be minimal." Mathieu gave a silent prayer that she'd agree.
Shrewd eyes looked over Mathieu. "For arguement's sake, pretend I agree. What do I gain from this?"
"What do you want?" He asked.
She feigned thinking, "Well, since my first born grandchild was denied from me, I shall accept your first born as payment." Her teeth, which were more like a wolf’s fangs, were bared in a winning grin.
Mathieu could have laughed. Erik had perfectly predicted her demand. "That's a problem considering I'm gay. I would never take a woman." For added emphasis to his statement, Solomon put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Ah. Then this means you have brought your...lover with you."
Solomon's voice was slightly softer than normal as he spoke, "Silly woman, a man would not send his mate into the clutches of a beast alone."
"Said the unnatural one. Where is your lovely sister, Solomon? I know she made the voyage with you."
Mathieu stood before any more words could be exchanged, "Enough, I don’t have time for this. Do I have your support for my invasion or not?"
Her body relaxed from the tense position she had taken, poised on the edge of her seat. "You will have my support, but should you win your campaign, you will leave me and mine alone. Complete autonomy. This is my offer."
"That's fine. The invasion begins one week from tomorrow. I will send word of where to meet us." Mathieu said, still positioned between Anastasie and Solomon.
She waved her hand. "That is sufficient. See your way out. And don't forget the trash." Her head tilted toward Solomon.
~*~
Mathieu was walking beside Solomon back down the road, a frigid silence between them. Solomon and Anastasie's tense attitudes towards each other had created an awkward vibe as they left, all of the animals giving them cold regard.
"How was I supposed to know that she was the Anastasie?" Solomon said with a frown.
Mathieu frowned in return. "And what does that mean?"
"She's been around for a lot longer than you think.” Solomon said, brow furrowed. “And she wasn't born here. Anastasie was born in Giath, where Mina and I come from. She was one of the most fearsome of her kind, those that change, and she made sport of hunting rare creatures. Mina and I were almost caught by her a handful of times before the dictator granted us asylum." He crossed his arms over his chest, having stopped walking while he talked.
Mathieu rubbed his forehead. "You know what, that doesn't even matter. You couldn't behave for twenty minutes so I could close a deal and get us reinforcements. We'll be lucky if she shows up, now!" His exasperation had him throwing his hands in the air.
"Oh yes, let me just forget about the years that my sister and I spent in terror, barely sleeping for fear that Anastasie would find us. I've felt her fang, Mathieu. It's not something you forget..."
"Solomon, I love you so much, but I wish you had held your tongue until we were out of there." Sighing, he hugged Solomon. He didn’t want to fight, and it couldn’t be changed now. "Let's take today off, okay? We'll go back to that inn, get some dinner, and book a room. You and I can spend the night away from the others...." He smiled sweetly. “No Jo or Lione in our bed.”
Solomon smiled, too. "That sound pretty nice, Mathieu."
Mathieu kissed him before pulling away and taking off down the road at a sprint, hurtling a cart someone had stopped in the middle. Solomon was right behind him and chased him all the way to the inn. That was something Mathieu really did love about Solomon. Since they had become a ‘them’, Solomon didn’t hold onto his annoyance or anger anymore. At least not with him, and that was all that Mathieu wanted. They ended up panting on the wraparound porch of the inn, leaning against the wall.
"I totally won." Mathieu said between large heaves of air.
Solomon took a deep breath, and stood up straight. "In your dreams. But I'll pay for dinner, if you'll let me."
Mathieu nodded and stood, too, following the blond into the dining area. They sat at a table by the window, waiting for the server. When she finally came around, Mathieu ordered a pasta and cheese plate, Solomon choosing a steak cooked rare. They smiled at each other, something sinfully unspoken between them.