Anna Peregrine--A Map of Days

Chapter Ten

   Once we got out of 1965, I started to fall asleep in the car, handing Abe's logbook off to Emma. The noise of the interstate helped me drift off, into the hands of Mr. Sandman.

    The white light blurred away, and the corridor leading to the Council of Ymbrynes meeting room was in front of me. I started walking down the corridor when I saw Isabel and a teenage boy with dark skin come out of Isabel's office.
    "Do you really think she will do that? Side with Miss Avocet and the other Ymbrynes?" the boy asked, revealing a thick French accent.
    "She doesn't want to, but she is so tired and done with fighting her," Isabel replied.
    "Isabel!" I called, running to catch up with her.
    She didn't turn around, nor did the boy. Another door opened, the one that led to my mum's office. My mother walked out of the room, her face tear stained.
    "Alma . . . ,"Isabel said, with sadness in her voice.
    "Hello, Isabel," she replied.
    "Mum!" I exclaimed, joining them. "What's going on?"
    She didn't make any sign of hearing me, and I started wondering if this was a dream where they couldn't hear me.
    "You know this is the right thing. I hate it, too," Isabel said.
    "I never thought I would have to do this.", Mum said quietly.
    "You don't have to."
    "I have to, or else Esmeralda will think everyone in my family is dangerous, including myself."
    "No one thinks that."
    "I had a child with a wight, Isabel. If a Ymbryne courting a wight doesn't scream dangerous, then I don't know what does."
    "You gave Ethan a chance. If I was in the same position as you, I would have done the same."
    Mum smiled for a second before letting it fall. Isabel turned to the boy, "Go back to Myron's home, I'll be back by dawn."
    She sent him away before her and Mum continued down the corridor. I followed, confused as to what was going on. Did it have to do with me? Why did my mother keep referring to our family as dangerous? Especially because we're the only two alone? And why did she bring up Golan, who I guess was actually a man named Ethan, and me?
    "I don't want to do this, Isabel.", Mum said, on the verge of crying.
    The two women stopped walking as Mum started to sob, something I hadn't seen her do since I was younger. Isabel hugged her, rubbing her back.
    "It's alright, it's going to be alright," Isabel said.
    "She's going to hate me! She's never going to speak to me again!" Mum sobbed.
    "Not true. You have helped her so much. Alma. She will come around, you know she will."
    Mum sniffled, wiping her eyes, looking down the corridor where the meeting room stood.
    "Ready?" Isabel asked.
    My mother nodded. THe two women continued, and I followed. Isabel opened the door, and I followed them in. Inside, all the Ymbrynes were in their respective seats, Isabel took hers, and Mum walked to hers, standing beside it. I took my seat, despite them not being able to see me.
    "Welcome, ladies," Miss Avocet said. "We will start this meeting with what we are all here for. Alma? Your decision?"
    Mum swallowed, Isabel grabbed her hand. Mum looked at me–my chair, then at the table in front of me, where my initials laid. She looked at the other Ymbrynes, "When I found out that Anna was a ymbryne, I was excited, thinking of all the things that I could teach her. As she grew up, she showed so much potential and responsibility. All of you saw it. There were times where I thought about telling all of you that she's my daughter. She was the definition of an Ymbryne."
    "Anna helped me so much with all of my wards, especially when I created my loop, and she proved herself even more when she freed us from my brother. But as you all know, that has changed. Her disobedience and running off has proved that she is not responsible enough to be a Ymbryne. I apologise for defending her for this long, but I now side with the majority. Anna Marie Peregrine must be removed, and demoted from being a Ymbryne."
    It felt like the air was sucked out of my lungs. The whole room went cold. Was this real? No, this was a dream, I already established that, or was it?
    Miss Avocet nodded, satisfied. My blood boiled as the leader looked at the Ymbrynes one by one, all who nodded. A younger ymbryne who I recognized, approached the table with a chest which held all our promotion papers. Miss Avocet opened the chest before fingering through it.
    "Esmerelda, I'm sorry for this. I thought she was mature enough, especially after helping her friends across England," Balenciaga apologised.
    "She was only driven by saving Alma," Miss Avocet said.
    "If she wasn't, we would all be dead," Mum said.
    "Was I speaking to you, Alma?"
    "No, Miss," Mum said quietly, looking down.
    Miss Avocet took out my paper and looked it over, "Let this be known. Any ymbryne that is the child of an Ymbryne can never be an Ymbryne."
    "So Anna can never be promoted again, even if she were to prove herself?" Isabel asked.
    "Never.", Miss Avocet focused her attention on Mum. "Do you regret anything?"
    "I regret not helping her more.", Mum said. "But as much a you want to hear me say the opposite, I will never regret having her."
    Miss Avocet stared daggers at her as Miss Raven asked, "When will we tell her?"
    "When she returns from her trip, of course.", Isabel said.
    Mum shook her head, "No, we have to go after her. I'll start searching tomorrow–"