The Icon Unbound

Chapter Seventeen, Part A - Rigel

A few updates here for dialogue and  grammar. It seems those two things will be my cross to bear. Anyway, here is the first day for our group outside the (relative) safety of Waterwall. Enjoy! --Elizabeth, UPDATED 06/18/2017

Too many threads in Rigel's life seemed to be unraveling. He couldn't pull them together fast enough. Era's glass butterfly felt cold on his skin and he rubbed it absently. She would have been shocked at Meissa's announcement. Frankly, Era would have been shocked at every event that had happened since last night.

Saints.

He just wanted it to be over...

Honor looked like she wouldn't need a knife to go straight back to waterwall and slaughter every larva that came before her eyes. Until this morning, though, he wouldn't have thought her capable of it. His mother. A murderer. It was almost as hard to believe as Era's death.

They were all yelling now. Rigel tried to work up the energy to pay attention.

Meissa put her hands over her ears. "Stop it! Stop yelling! They're not monsters, mother! They're just... dying. They hope an infusion of blood will help them recover their numbers. Plus I can understand them when they speak. They think that it's a sign. Or something. Antares explains it better. It won't happen for years yet."

"You are not becoming his queen! Not for this, or any deal. That's it, and that's final." Saiph punctuated the statement by jabbing his sword back into its sheath.

Honor just growled.

"I told you, they're not. Please mother, the story will end as it must."

"Meissa," The Icon knelt and looked the girl in the eye. "I know your intentions were noble, but our relations with the People Under the Mountain have never been stable. Explaining why your foolish promise cannot be kept may strain things beyond bearing."

"My promise will be kept."

"You're so young..."

"You were younger than I was when you cut out your heart and chose a path. Why can't I?"

Rigel sucked a breath through his teeth. No one moved or spoke for several moments.

The Icon drew herself away. "Those circumstances...if there had been a way to wait..."

"We needn't discuss this now. We don't have to tell them right away," Honor said. "We are out here now. We can tell them when we get back."

"You mean when they've held up their end of the deal?" The Icon said. "Well, for all your years among us you still haven't learned the value of keeping your word."

It was so strange to see her without her veils. All her emotions played so easily upon her face. She looked young and vulnerable. And beautiful, in an ethereal way which was especially unnerving. One didn't look on an Icon, male or female, for beauty or lack of same. Even though his memories of this afternoon were fresh in his mind, when she had crushed scores of twisted monsters, he could not juxtapose the memory and the sight of the sweet young girl before him.

His brother stared at the ground, holding her heart in his hands.

Poor bastard.

Saiph would have a hell of a time hiding this for much longer.

Rigel turned away.