Consideration for Scoundrels

TWENTY-FIVE

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Celeste asked. "I have no idea how well this is going to work. So hold on tight."

They gathered together, pressing closely around Celeste, whatever weapons they could carry clutched to their bodies.

Whatever Evy's opinion of air travel was, it was decidedly better than this. Falling through the darkness, praying the girl at the helm could steer them to safety. She kept her eyes shut, but Rick couldn't; he watched as London flew by like a series of negative photographs. Felt his stomach lurch as whatever tethered him to Celeste jerked left and right, up and down through the streets and alleys. Until finally the darkness peeled back to the dim half-light of London. To the looming iron gates of the Shallows.

"I think I'm going to throw up." Rick heaved.

Celeste chuckled and brushed her hands on the legs of her trousers.

"Welcome to the Shallows."

"I've been here before." Evy looked around. "Many years ago."

"Not so many." Rick was quick to correct her. "We're not that old."

While her parents regained their bearings, Selena made her way to Celeste's side.

"Anything?" She asked.

"The ghosts are here." Celeste confirmed.

She had tried reaching for them; whereas they'd always come flocking to her, they were as out of reach as the stars. A distant glow of energy, almost certainly burnt out, only the memory of light remaining. "But...barely. The energy from this place has shifted, and..."

"Hey! No whispering you two." Rick called to them. "No more secret plans." He pointed at Celeste. "Alright ghost girl, you come with me and we find a good snipers nest. Lena, go help your mother do...whatever it is you're planning on doing." He indicated for Celeste to follow him with a sharp nod of his head.

"Stay safe until I get back love."

"Yeah, you too."

Selena watched as Celeste followed Rick. Chuckled as she heard the exchange of;

"Why are you leading? This is my territory."

"By all means, lead the way."

Watched as Celeste moved confidently through the graves, firmly at home amongst them.

"Selena, come take this."

Evy reached into the pack she'd been clutching and pulled out a small urn. It had been from the foyer, empty, now containing the entirety of the O'Connell's table salt and scrapings of iron.

"Salt and flecks of iron dust. As much as I managed to carry. Your father always teased me for having extra on hand." Evy handed half to her daughter. "You draw one circle, and I'll connect it to the other."

Selena nodded silently and reached for the urn, but her mother didn't let go.

"That's it then, is it?" Evy asked suddenly. "We're going to save the world in complete silence together?"

Selena's gaze strayed down on the ground. What the Hell could she say? Apologize? Beg for her parents forgiveness? Let the anger take hold? Burst into tears of rage and fear and regret and crumble into a useless husk?

"Fine, you don't have to talk. You can listen."

"About what Mum?" Selena felt like she was prepped to explode; "You pointing out how, you were right? That this entire time, you were right?"

"Selena,"

"How I should have just gone back to school, and none of this would have happened? How I got Celeste into a mess she never asked for? About Montgomery? Or Professor Wolfe? Or how I messed this up, so so badly we probably are all going to..."