Addie was a curious lass, and as you know, I was a well-versed lad with extensive experience more than happy to indulge. Also, she was a quick study and a perfectionist with compulsive tendencies. All that’s to say: we had a blast in the theatre, and again later in the bedroom, and in the morning in the bedroom, and then in the bathroom, and again in the bedroom, and—right, you get the idea. So, after we’d worked it out of our systems for the time being, she helped me pack for Verena again—red frilly knickers and all.
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
“Would it be weird if I said I’m not?”
“If you’re not, then you’re not, and if you’re not, then I can worry less.”
“So not weird, then?”
“Well, it’s a little bit weird.”
I chuckled and pulled her in for a full-body hug, burying my face in the wild mess of fiery curls that always smelled like oranges.
“I wish I could go with you,” she said.
“If you want to come, you could always stay with Alexander and the subjects.”
Adeline peppered my face with kisses while she thought about it. “Tempting, but the crew may require my help with the binding, and I’d like to watch Enforcer Rhian while she draws.”
“Right, I don’t blame you. It’s really something. But look, if they don’t lock me up for murder, I reckon it ought to be smooth sailing. You won’t be missing much.”
“Zacharias and Sebastian would never let anything happen to you.”
“Works both ways, and Addie? Thanks again for last night.”
“I didn’t really do much,” she answered. “It was mostly the brothers.”
“The sentiment of it all, you know?”
Addie’s cheeks pinked up, and I cupped her freckled face in my hand. It took just about everything out of me to say what I said next, so I kissed her once first.
“I’ve gotta go,” I said, and together, we said a prayer to the goddess Rhian Lucky Sinclair. And mates, it took just about everything that was left of me to move my feet.
I’m making an executive decision here as both the owner of my life and the narrator of this very book, and we’re going to go ahead and skip the finer details of the logistics of Operation Verena. And before you think of writing in a complaint, Zack reads my mail, and let’s be real: do you really want him cranky with you?
So, here’s what had to be done, and here’s what we did:
? Ran to Jaska to pick up Della and Derek
? Said hi to Quinn who seemed to be having a nice time with the kids
? Ran to Oskari to pick up Elijah
? Ran to Alexander’s with Derek toting Elijah
? Packed the subjects up into the wagon and sent them off with Alexander to the old theatre
? Ran to the old theatre - the subjects hadn’t arrived yet, obviously
? Conducted a refresh of the plan, updating Della and Derek on the latest
? Conducted an inventory check which resulted in the following conversation:
“Are you planning to seduce someone?” Sebastian asked of the red frilly knickers.
“Nah, mate,” I answered. “They’re my lucky underpants.”
“Everybody knows lucky underpants don’t work unless you’re wearing them,” Derek said.
Della laughed, and Zack chuckled appeared amused.
“Historically speaking,” Elijah added, “Derek is correct.”
“Will you argue history with the Historian, Feargus Finlay?” Sebastian asked.
“I do look great in red.” I considered. “But mates, I wouldn’t be able to take myself seriously, and besides, I might like it too much.”
With a grin, Derek pulled me in for a quick hug, and I gave him a squeeze in return.
“Everybody all set?” I asked.
“To change the world?” Sebastian mused. “Always.”
We all had our roles, and to get us started, we broke up into three groups: Elijah with Derek and Della, Zack with Seb, and me with me. Now, seeing as I couldn’t be in all three places at once, my perspective on the whole affair is quite limited. I’ll tell you this though: the brothers’ job for now was the easiest and probably consisted of them standing together in silence.
In fact, let’s find out:
An Interview With Sebastian Vonsinfonie:
“It’s always a pleasure having you with us, Sebastian.”
“Tell me something I don’t know, Feargus Finlay.”
“I lost my virginity to my tumbling instructor when I was fourteen. She was seventeen, and in hindsight, the whole thing was ethically grey. But I liked it.”
“…”
“…”
“What’s your question for me today?”
“Operation Verena: what did you and your brother do on the other side of the wall, invisible while the rest of us did actual work?”
“We stood invisible on the other side of the wall while the rest of you did actual work.”
“In silence?”
“In silence.”
“Thank you so much for your time, Sebastian.”
“And thank you for telling me something I didn’t know.”
So, not missing much with the brothers.
As for Elijah, Della, and Derek, well—
An Excerpt from the Historian’s Historical Documents:
…It was with great luck I was invited to partake in the revelation—in fact, I was recruited to deliver the truth of Amalia outside our walls to Hannah Roth, lady mayor of the silver city of Verena herself.
The Anima known by the moniker “The Lovers” accompanied me as both evidence of my findings, and as protection lest I be accused of heresy or lunacy…
So, while they were doing that, I scaled the wall the same way I’d done the first time, but instead of scampering around the schoolhouse toward the research facility, it was the forest I wanted. It was an overcast evening which made for decent cover beyond the canopy of trees. And speaking of trees—let’s take a quick look back, shall we?
“As I said, not a single sane Partisan had much to say for certain about Amalia. Sure, we’d all heard the stories. Beasts as big as houses. Rock-slides, mudslides, and trees with roots that’ll eat you. Giant sinkholes, giant arseholes. Some are lies. But Endica? It was basically war. It was the uncertain versus the certain and neither was a brilliant place to be. Gus would have more fun with the trees.” - Rhian Sinclair, The First One
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“And so, we planned our final world tour. Just the two of us—following one whimsical clue after another as we entertained the masses. We were searching for six storybook creatures, my friends: aquatic forms said to influence the mind, miniature critters said to move more quickly than the human eye, forests—strong and steadfast, yet as alive as you and I.” - Sebastian Vonsinfonie, The Second One
“Not to mention, the idea that in order to help our friend, we had to read from a storybook was no more absurd than the idea of living trees.” - Andrei Strauss, The Second One
“This particular idea was the most dangerous of all the ideas—well, except the one with the trees.” - Me, This Very Book
So, trees.
I didn’t know much about trees, but the ones—or the one—I was looking for was supposed to look like an oak tree. But actually, quite a bit smaller than your average oak tree. Zack and Sebastian said I shouldn’t be fooled by their size, though, and you know what, mates? The same could be said for most Strachan and our heights, so I respected that.
The brothers told me the bark would be quite nearly black, so I weaved through the trees and ruled out all the pale-coloured ones. Zacharias had sketched me an example of what the leaves should look like, from the best of his recollection. He and Sebastian had then argued about it for just over nine minutes, but they worked it out.
I had a look at the paper again, and ruled out all the round-leafed trees.
Around and around the forest I went, and it was about as exciting as it sounds mates. So while I was doing that…
An Excerpt from the Historian’s Historical Documents:
...we began with formal introductions, though none were necessary for myself as I’d been chosen by the lady mayor to accompany the research team bound for Oskari. She was pleased to see me home, but saddened by the fate of my fellows. I relayed the details of the fire in Oskari, a targeted attack delivered by multi-powered Partisans known as Anima. Initially astounded, she ultimately responded the way we’d expected: that these Anima must be the false prophets sent by the Six—the ones our home faith warned and protected us against.
Respectfully, I told her she was wrong, but that in some ways, she was right…
Trees, trees, trees…
“Any luck?” Sebastian asked from inside my head.
“I’m beginning to think there may only be one,” I answered in my mind “I’d have spotted a grove by now. That or they’re spread out—oh, wait.”
“Waiting…”
There it was—but actually, there were two. The leaves looked almost exactly like the picture, and they had the darkest bark I’d ever seen.
“Found them. Two.”
“Unbelievable.”
“So I just sing anything?”
“Well, I don’t know about anything.”
“You both really should have come with me.”
“You’re non-threatening, and we believe they may be mad at us. We’ve gone over this, Feargus Finlay. But what can I say? They like music.”
I sighed, considering the twin oak trees.
So far, I’d danced open a door, whistled open a lock, and now there I was, about to be singing to trees. Rhian was right: I was having fun.
“When I was younger, I’d climb the trees…
…climbed the trees because the breeze…
…because the breeze put me at ease.”
"You’re singing to the trees about trees?" Sebastian asked.
"Aye. I love trees, reckon they should know."
When I received no argument in my head, I continued:
“When I was older, I’d count the leaves…
…count the leaves like one, two, three…
…one, two, three, leaves aim to please.”
Sebastian hummed. “A bit rhymey, but it’s not half bad, actually. The spirit’s there—“
“I’ve got loads of spirit, mate, but it isn’t working. I haven’t got another verse in me.”
“Sing about the treehouse.”
“How do you know about the treehouse?”
“Rhian, of course.”
“Sorry,” I said to the trees, holding up a hand. “Let me start from the beginning. I’ve just come up with a third verse I reckon you’ll really like, but I feel it loses its meaning without the build-up, you know? Well, I don’t know, actually. I don’t know much about music, but much like yourselves, big fan. So, here we go—
“When I was younger, I’d climb the trees…”
The ground trembled under my feet.
“Does that mean you want me to continue?” I asked. And maybe now, I was finally feeling nervous. Performance anxiety, or, I don’t know—
—maybe it was the fact that both trees wiggled and lurched, immediately reaching around with their branches. One picked me up under each arm, and another wrapped around my waist. I still wasn’t exactly sure if that meant they liked my song or not, but I was one critic away from being squeezed to death, so here was hoping.
Here was hoping, and I was drowsier by the second.
The brothers warned me this would happen.
An Excerpt From the Historian’s Historical Documents:
...the mayor was in disbelief until I explained to her the only way she would understand: Partisans and Anima were the true chosen ones, created by the Brothers Vonsinfonie. The Six were indeed the enemy to us all, though many Partisans remain unaware of the truth—brainwashed and made ignorant by the malevolent false gods who enslave them. But she also needed to know that among these Partisans and Anima were those willing to fight—just like we Verenians believed was our destiny. The Divide was designed to destroy the Brothers as, too, the Verenian faith supports. But we assured her they hadn’t died, that they’d gone into hiding to prevent another catastrophe. The lady mayor was in disbelief. The Brothers Vonsinfonie… alive? The Brothers Vonsinfonie not only alive, but here…
I dreamt I was in the treehouse back at Palisade.
Rhian wasn’t there, and Michael wasn’t there. He never was—Michael hated heights. Though sometimes he’d stand at the base of the tree and guard us.
I peered down out the window, but he wasn’t there either, so I sat on the floor and looked through our secret stash. A bottle of Hocks, stale snacks, a couple of knives. It was nice being back, but I wished I wasn’t alone.
I wished I wasn’t alone, and then I wasn’t alone.
Across from me, sat me.
My new clothes really did look great.
“’Ey there,” I said.
There were four overlapping voices coming out of the other me, what sounded like two males and two females. “We enjoyed the sincerity of your song.”
“Thanks,” I said. “But what do you mean by we? Aren’t you me? Why is me we?”
“We can appear however we’d like in your dreams.”
“So you’re the trees?”
“We are the trees, indeed.”
“Mates, all these rhymes are killing me today.”
The trees laughed, and so did I.
“How did you find us?” the trees asked.
“You say that as though you’re hidden, but you’re actually somewhere in the centre of a city’s botanical forest.”
“We know.”
“Do the Verenians know you can do this?”
“They don’t. They pray to us, and harvest our hair—our skin on occasion. It hurts sometimes, but they keep us safe.”
“Have any of them tried singing to you?”
“They haven’t. How did you know? How did you find us?”
Well, if the trees liked my song because it was sincere, lying wasn’t going to get me anywhere in this situation. “Do you remember the Vonsinfonie Brothers?”
“Our memory is infallible.”
“Let me just start by saying, they’re extremely sorry about what happened to your friends.”
“They weren’t our friends,” the trees said. “They were we.”
“Well, that’s even worse,” I answered. “But the brothers, they didn’t send those others after you, had they known what they were planning—”
“We know.”
“So you’re not mad at them?” I asked.
“They are our friends. Do you know where they are?”
“They’re waiting just outside the city.”
“We would prefer not to move. Can you bring them to us?”
I closed the lid on our secret stash, as if that mattered in a dream. “We might have a few things to take care of first, but they’re looking forward to reuniting.”
“Then we will wake you.”
“Thanks, mates. It’s been incredibly nice meeting you.”
Well, that went well, I thought.
Once I was awake again, the trees set me down gently, and I performed a bow.
“They’re not mad at you,” I said in my head.
“Good,” Sebastian answered. “And Elijah has just blown the whistle.”
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” I asked.
“Am I sure I’m ready to be worshiped?” Sebastian answered. “Always.”