Rituals, Regrets, and Really Dumb People

Chapter 12: The Brotherhood of Outcasts, Part 3

I went right to my room. Lilly was already inside, holding Keith and talking with him. I went over to her on the cot side and sat down, looking out to the wall in front of us.

"Dunno what I'll do with Ishmael," I said to her.

"Couldn't figure out what to do with him?" she asked me.

"You saw him, Lil. How do you fight someone like that?"

Keith lit up with a cackle, his eyes rolling to look at me. Seemed like he knew what was up. "My master will get you, Sanguine."

"Truly?"

"Truly! He has planned this for years."

"Why did he go to Typhous, then? Why go to someone as incompetent as him?"

"My master, he needed a willing envoy on this planet. You will suffer the consequences all the same." He leaned up in Lilly's arms and shook his little baby fist at me. "I will finally have my revenge against you, tall one."

"Needed an envoy, you say. Why?"

Keith was often eager to brag and threaten, but this time, he held back. "For no reason."

I knew better than that. I narrowed my eyes on the little brat as his tentacles whipped all around him.

"I will protect Miss Lilly when the world ends, much like Nebby will for Miss Josephine."

"Aww," Lilly quipped. "Isn't he a sweety?"

"I mean, he's advocating for my demise and the end of the world—"

"Yes!" Keith cackled, clapping his fattened hands together.

"Oh," Lilly said, hugging the baby alien to her shoulder. "What a wonderful child."

Of course. "Well, damnit."

"Hello, anyone home? You back?"

I turned my head and looked at Dimitri, who was at the doorway. I stood up and I walked halfway across the room to meet him.

"What brings you around, Dimitri?" I asked.

"Wanted to talk to you before we hit the island."

"Are you well?"

"Yeah, about as well as I can be. Still a little sore."

"To be expected."

"Why save me? Why stick your neck out like that for me?"

"You know," I told him. "I was being sincere in the mess hall. I didn't feel right with you and the girl taken."

He reached up and he sat his hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. In a lot of ways, despite his silence, Dimitri really was like Reinhardt. "Thank you, again."

"I'll see us through this, Dimitri. I promise, I'll get you back to your little girl."

"If it was the old you, Sanguine, I wouldn't take you at your word. I think you really do mean that."

"I do. Dimitri?"

"Yeah, Sanguine?"

"Can you watch Keith the night for us? And tomorrow?"

"Keith?"

I pointed to Lilly and the baby. "Ishmael's alien-baby-slave-thing."

"Why?"

"Well, you're going to be on the boat tomorrow, watching over it and having it ready for us. If you mean tonight; I wanted to pray and study. I need Lil's help; I need my concentration."