𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 ✸ destroyed

as you summon to a feast day,
so you summoned against me terrors on every side.
In the day of the Lord's anger
no one escaped or survived;
those I cared for and reared
my enemy has destroyed.
- ʟᴀᴍᴇɴᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ 2:22

Sumin had a plan the whole time. Shed her life for the girl made of tears? She had regrets, but not that many. No, Sumin had not thrown her life away in vain. She knew what she was doing.

It started with Iphigenia.

Standing over the pulpy mush that used to be the child-faced monster, Iphigenia had breathed furiously, chest pumping air into her lungs, sweat sliding down her thick hair and her shoulders of lioness. Wood splintered everywhere, pages scattered from the rampage, paperbacks and hardcovers lying limply like dead birds underfoot. She had looked wild, regal, with the kind of fervour Sumin only saw in textbooks about ancient Chinese gods. Sumin craved her power.

And then the body had twitched, as if giving up its very last scare. Its pale little face contorted. Nixie had screamed, Cullen lunged to her. Alex reached for his non-existent gun. Spellmeyer froze, Sumin noted with disdain.

But instead of rising for Iphigenia's blood, or giggling creepily again, a wire sparked with blue electricity, snaking wildly into the air. Zip, zip, zzzt!

"Ow," Iphigenia said, more surprised than hurt, glancing at her calf. "It zapped me."

"It's part machine," Cullen leaned closer to look.

Nixie grabbed him by the back of his shirt, pulling him back. "Don't," she rasped.

"It's dead, then," Sumin announced. She glanced at Iphigenia. "You did well."

"Thanks," Iphigenia shrugged, then collapsed into a heap.

It was only a second, nothing more, but something was more alive in her eyes when Iphigenia sat up. The others fussed, fawned, but Sumin simply stared, trying to figure out what had changed. What had occurred between those single few heartbeats.

Iphigenia was a team player, a queen who collaborated with her people, so she told them the truth.

"My memory," she said, haltingly. "Just a little one. Of... a person. Short blond hair. I don't know who they are."

Cullen was increasingly fascinated, as much as Sumin found he allowed himself to be. He leaned to the monster again, and this time Nixie didn't stop him. "So killing that thing brought your memory back."

"A little memory for a little monster," Sumin said softly, nearly singing. She lifted her eyes, meeting Cullen's gaze, and for a split second they could both agree on something.

Spellmeyer and Alex both spoke at once: "Don't go hunting them."

Sumin laughed. "Why ever would we do that?"

Alex appraised her, his pretty blond hair slicked with sweat. "It's not safe. C'mon, Sumin, don't be difficult."

She ducked her head, chastened, digging her slippered toe into the carpet. "I won't."

Only the dead monster's face could see her smirk.

So yes, Sumin had a plan. A plan that she did not regret, even as Harvey's maggoty arms wrapped around her, or as his mouth opened, revealing hundreds of spiny teeth bristling and moving each on their own. She saw the black sheen of oil dripping in the back of his throat, just behind the dancing coin on his mottled tongue, and her resolve hardened.