I looked carefully at Lecanora. She had been lost too. No-one had ever claimed her.
Far as I knew, there had only been three occasions in the history of Aegira when people had become lost. The girl, the one I mentioned earlier. My mother’s aunt, who went missing as a child. Then Lecanora, adrift and belonging to no-one. And now Imogen.
Three mysteries. No answers.
Lecanora swam in a tight little circle on the spot. But, Rania. They shouldn’t know. The girls. The... Throaty Three. They shouldn’t know she’s missing. How do they know?
I was confused. What do you mean? She didn’t show up. For practice. Of course they know.
Lecanora made a soft, troubled sound into my overheated brain. They fixed it. They made it so no-one would notice. So no-one would… remember.
I stopped her pacing with my hand. What do you mean? Who fixed it? You’re not making sense, Norsha.
I watched while she forced herself to stop. The High Triad. I think they… decided the populace could not take the strain of knowing about Imogen’s disappearance. That it might be the spark that sets Aegira alight.
I couldn’t hold back my smile. Revolution? In Aegira?
But Lecanora wasn’t smiling. We are not as you remember us, Ransha. As the time of the prophecy has drawn nearer, the people have become frightened and distressed. There is no consensus about what will happen when Imd… when my mother re-joins her parents in the spirit world. Let alone what to do about what the prophecy says, about the end of the world.
My brain struggled to keep up. So…?
Lecanora resumed her frenzied swimming. So the Council initiated a cover-up. Supposedly to enable them to search for Imogen unhindered.
I was so not with the program, even after Lecanora’s careful explanation. I don’t get it. What, they just made everyone forget her?
She frowned prettily. No, not quite that. They did something to their thoughts. Scattered them a little so when they thought about Imogen, their minds wouldn’t hold on to the fact of her. I’m not sure how.
This was beyond weird. How the hell did the Triad confuse some of the most evolved brains on the planet? I could feel my heart, drumming and thumping against my ribs, and I thought again about the night before last. The pain, and the fear. The darkness of what I had seen coming to pass. I wondered if this was the destiny I was meant to disrupt. And whether if I did, I might get off the hook and see thirty. I had so little to go on. There was Rick, of course, and his damn cryptic message. Telling me I need to find those who are hurting. And those who can help as well. Who the hell were they? I could really use them right now.
I needed more from Lecanora. But how do they do it? The mind piracy thing.
She shrugged. I don’t know, really. I can only guess it must be Shar, some of his magic. I shouldn’t know about it. But I… overheard them discussing it.
I tried to mentally translate what she was telling me. You eavesdropped.
No. Lecanora skittered on the spot and I raised an eyebrow.
No. More firmly.
My eyebrow stayed firmly cocked.
Okay, yes. Yes, I eavesdropped.
Go, girl. I always knew she had it in her. No-one can be that straight.
She placed her hand on my shoulders as though to underline her words. I overheard The Triad talking to mother about Imogen’s disappearance. And about how they thought she should manage it. My mother, the Queen, she had wanted some space to try to work out what had happened to Imogen. To make a plan, to try to find her. She was fretting, fretting, every night. So worried about her. Worried for her. Like she was… her own daughter.
I was shocked. The Queen agreed to the mind stuff? Making people forget? Making people… misplace Imogen? I can’t believe she agreed. It’s outrageous. It’s disgusting.
Lecanora was quick to defend. I don’t think she knew about it before they did it. I heard them talking afterwards. But she didn’t explode like… like she should have. It doesn’t seem like her, does it? But she’s getting so old. She’s… not well. And then… I didn’t know how to help her. To help everyone.
Something in Lecanora’s face pulled me up. She was scared for her Mom. And I felt the gnarled hand of fear tighten its grip on my heart. Imd was indestructible. Like time. It was simply impossible that she could be