“That’s why you…” Annie looks over at her sleeping brother with a worried frown and Omega nods.
“He’s fine. Once I hide my presence I’ll awaken him. He won’t know anything happened.”
“But how did you? I usually feel lingering traces when magic is used, ghoul or otherwise, but I felt nothing.”
“I am much older than young Aether and more skilled with my abilities. If I will it not to be detected, it won’t be. It’s how I’ve been able to remain hidden after…” He trails off with what sounded like a sad sigh before giving his head the smallest of shakes. Annie nods again with a small sigh of her own, wrapping her arms around herself as she chews on her lip in a worried gesture. Once more she feels a tickle in the back of her head as he reaches his powers out, probing to her to try and glimpse at what thoughts her mind held in the moment. Her own responded quickly and shoved him out but not before he caught sight of the mass of turmoil that has been swirling.
“Don’t do that,” she says softly, tightening her hold around herself. “I know that was you.”
Omega leans his head to the side as he looks at her a moment before lifting his arms, reaching for her again. She doesn’t flinch this time, instead moving willingly when he pulls her into a gentle embrace.
“It will be okay, Levanna,” he says softly as he rests the cheek of his mask against the top of her head. “You will have answers soon, and your Cardinal will be back before you know it.”
“That’s not all I’m worried about,” she admits in a soft voice while wrapping her arms around his middle.
“I know.” He pulls back to look down at her, his hand lifting to brush some hair from her face. “Just keep your faith. I know it’s wavering, especially after the events of late, but it will get you through all that is to come.”
“Is Alessandro going to be just as confusing when I talk to him?” Annie smiles softly with a light laugh that he joins in.
“Probably. But it will all make sense in the end. I promise. I really must go now.” He releases his hold and steps back, his form starting to shimmer and distort. “I’m still around, and I’ll be watching over you. You have nothing to fear. Not right now.”
Annie nods and watches until he disappears, his glowing purple eyes the last to fade from sight and as soon as he’s gone the sky lightens as though it was still close to mid day instead of early evening. The bells tolling the hour confirm as much and the sound rouses the sleeping ghoul. Kali shifts from where he lays on the ground and yawns widely, a hand coming up to wipe at his eyes before they blink open.
“Hm? Annie?”
“I’m here, Kako.”
“Shit… I must’ve passed out, too. You okay?” He looks at her, seeing her wrap her arms around herself, eyes almost vacant and distant, deep in thought.
“Yeah. Just a lot on my mind. The nap helped, but also didn’t.”
‘And I’ve got even more on my plate thanks to that mysterious ghoul,’ she thinks to herself.
Kali nods and stretches with a wide yawn, arching his back making it pop several times before he shakes it off with a roll of his neck. "Well, we may as well head inside. I'll help you carry your basket."
Annie flashes him a grateful smile and stores her abandoned boline in its sheath on her belt as Kali stands and lifts her basket, resting it on his hip as he pulls his balaclava and mask back in place with his free hand having had pulled them off when he reached her earlier. Holding his arm out she smiles and links hers through his and together they walk back towards the Ministry, Kali blissfully unaware of the ghoulish encounter she had with Omega, and Annie drawing into her thoughts once more. Two days until the full moon. Until she could get answers. But… was she sure she wanted to?
____________________________________
“How many more do we have here?” Copia asks Aether as they walk through the empty halls at the Abbey located across the fjord from the city they performed at in Norway. The broad ghoul pulls out his phone and scrolls through it a moment with a sigh, Copia’s cassock fluttering around his legs with his strides.
“Five initiations, two rank promotions, one wedding - nothing fancy, no big celebration, you just need to officiate it - and three ghoul summonings. We should relocate a younger Cardinal to assist Cardinal Havard. He’s getting a bit up there in age and is struggling. Actually,” Aether scrolls through his phone a moment more letting out a soft hum, Copia glancing over to watch him. “He put in a request himself a couple months ago for someone to be transferred to take over as he wishes to consider retiring.”
“It must have slipped through the cracks what with this Magistaratus threat looming over us. Pass the request on to Imperator.” Aether nods and types at his phone, forwarding the request to Sister Imperator as he steps behind Copia to allow a pair of Siblings of Sin to pass but the Cardinal continues. “I can summon the ghouls tonight, the wedding in the afternoon tomorrow and the promotions and initiations in the evening.”
“And Mass tonight?”
“I thought Bishop Alfsen was scheduled for that?”
“He’s insisting you do it.”
Copia sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose as he comes to a stop. “If I am to do Mass I cannot summon the ghouls and Havard isn’t strong enough to do one let alone all three. Ghouls are more important, no? Especially with you being here to help ease their transition.”
Aether shrugs with a nod, letting out his own sigh. “I’ll tell the Bishop, yet again, that while we would be honored, it simply would not work due to the tightness of our schedule.”
“Grazie Aether. And thank you for helping organize all this.”
The ghoul lifts his eyes and gives Copia a warm smile as he lowers his phone after locking the screen. “Caro, it’s what I’m here for. Should just be glad the others are behaving.”
“Si, I am somewhat surprised at that as well.” Copia checks around the corner before continuing his walk, nodding to another passing group of siblings as they greet him. “Dew especially is usually quite a troublemaker when out from under Imperator’s all seeing gaze.”
“He misses…home,” Aether says slowly, once more focused on his phone. “We all do.”
“It will take some time to get used to being on the road again, no? They will adjust.”
Aether lifts his eyes to glance at the man, brow arching behind his mask with his thumb hesitating over the screen of his phone. “That’s not what I mean and you know it.” He sighs softly, once more lowering his phone to focus on Copia. “You miss her just as much as, no, more than all of us. You know how I feel about this choice you’ve made.”
“It’s for her safety I have made this choice.”
Copia’s tone is firm, but his words waver slightly as his exhale is shuddery and barely hidden over the sound of leather against leather as he wrings his fingers together in a nervous gesture he hasn’t done in a long time. A human wouldn’t have noticed it, but Aether did and he gave another sigh.
“I’ve never known you to let fear guide your actions.”
“What would you have me do?” Copia rounds quickly with his harsh whisper-yell making Aether take a half step back seeing the almost fierce look on his face, his left eye flaring momentarily. “Stay home and risk hurting her when I have no idea what is going on with me? Causing the changes in me? I will not risk hurting her, accident or otherwise.” Copia’s face softens slightly as he turns his eyes away. “She has already been through so much. It would kill me if I were the one to hurt her, and I know if I had stayed, I would.”