The Glass Weaver | A Novel #Wattys2018 #Wattys2019

Chapter 22

There was no possible way that Parker was the bondmate of Zara. He looked so sad when she was ignoring him. Did she not notice it, or was I looking too far into it? Three people stood behind her, and two of them were looking at Parker. Were they afraid of him? I guess they all had the right to be skeptical.

"Guys, this is Nevada," Zara pointed to me, to which I walked forward, "She is the one that was the bondmate to my sister. It is clear that she is the leader of this small group of renegades."

"Bondmate, huh? Didn't you say that you–" A voice spoke out on her right. The person right behind Zara smacked the person.

"Shut up, Keir." The voice harshly whispered. Except that it wasn't much of a whisper.

Zara sighed, "These are the others that help me run the small rebellion we have here. Keir, to my right, is the tactician. Behind me, the one that smacked Keir, is Ren; he manages the supplies. To my left is Eira, she manages the scouting out of locations for us to hit."

"I see." I replied, "My name is Nevada Greka, which you know. Right next to me is Corrig Falme. Over there is Parker Algernon-Helstone, who is too busy sulking to do anything. Behind me, next to the column, is Lacey Rivera."

"Oh, so all of you come from important families of Aquarius' past." Eira spoke, "I should have known. "

"How's that?"

"Well, my imperio has nothing to do with it. I should have figured from your names when Zara brought it up downstairs."

"I see. Well, what is everyone's imperio?"

Eira replied, "My imperio is that I can control anything that is cold. Cold metal, water, any of that I can control."

Keir spoke up right after Eira, "I can sense any living thing around me for an alright distance away."

Ren spoke, now softly, "I can manipulate water to a dangerous degree."

Lacey perked up, "Are you a Rivera?"

Ren shook his head, "No. I can't control water with such caution as you can. It is more like I can control water in living beings. I can dehydrate them if I wanted to, or I could keep them hydrated."

"Huh, interesting. You must have some sort of Rivera ancestry."

Zara then spoke up, "What about you guys? I think I remember Nevada's, but you guys I don't."

I pointed to each of us, "Well, I can control gravity. Lacey here can control water. Corrig can control flames. And Parker is a psychic."

"I see. Well, I will take you guys down into the base. I would not worry. There are a few more of us, but not many after the recent incident. I can't say they are what you are used to, but it is enough to keep you warm at night." Zara beckoned them to follow, "I suggest staying on this floor of the base. The others are not safe or you don't have the clearance for it, imperio or otherwise."

Parker nodded, "Alright. You have no reason to trust us, I understand."

Eira replied, "It isn't that. I am sure that Zara trusts you guys, especially Nevada out of everyone. She never stops talking about her and Li. It is a shame that we have to meet under such circumstances."

Parker grunted and we continued to follow Zara further into the base. We passed rooms of empty beds, some with hats and objects on them. Small trinkets and toys laid on some beds, while others held old, worn books and candles. I caught a shadowy face in a room, whose tears were visible. Children clutched to them, their tears soaking the shirt of the person. All these empty beds, they once had people. But now those people were residing with the gods in Empyr.