Chapter 898: Jules and Carey

Chapter 898: Jules and Carey

“The Herald of the Traveller?” Alex asked. “Are you serious?”

“Yes,” Carey smiled, looking quite pleased.

The courtyard had fallen silent.

Every eye was focused on the young woman who was both familiar yet unfamiliar. To the research team, Carey was a fallen colleague, one who had been mourned. To the Watchers, she was not only a colleague, but the symbol of a great failure, one where they had failed to protect a student under their charge.

Many here had attended her funeral in Generasi.

Many here had said their goodbyes.

And yet, here she was, looking as healthy and alive as she had before her death.

No, not as healthy and alive.

Healthier. Stronger. More assured.

Divine.

She smiled, her eyes sparkling. “When I passed into the after-world, I touched the Traveller. Her power flowed through me, and I reached her side in grace. My act of faith for my friends, against evil, and in her name, was enough to forge a bond between her and I. A deep bond. And over time, her energies continued transforming my soul, elevating me and letting me ascend to a new existence. I haven’t returned from death as I once was. Carey, the mortal, will never be again. I am Carey London, Herald of the Traveller. And in my new form, I am very happy to see all of you again.”

Before anyone could say a word, Professor Jules let out a choked cry.

She staggered toward the Herald of the Traveller, and Baelin stepped away from the two women, giving them space.

“I failed you.” Professor Jules bowed her head before the spirit in front of her. “You were my student, and I taught you every safety protocol I ever learned just to keep you safe. You were my responsibility, and I let those animals kill you. I don’t know if you can ever forgive me, but I’m just, so, deeply sorry, Miss London—”

“Shhhh,” Carey said, smiling gently at the little woman. “Professor, might I ask you for a favour?”

Professor Jules looked at her. Tears continued welling up in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. “Whatever you ask, it’s yours.”

“Forgive yourself.”

Shocked silence.

“Pardon?” Professor Jules finally said.

“I have been watching all of you from the after-world,” she said. “And although I wasn’t able to see everything I wished to, I saw that you have been torturing yourself, professor. Please stop. It’s not you who killed me, and you were not responsible for what happened. Villains took me, and I gave my life to save my friends. I did so ever so willingly, and I was rewarded for that sacrifice. You did what you could to protect me, and I was not a child, professor. I was a grown woman who made her own decisions. I chose to stay in Thameland, and others chose to rob me of my freedom. They have been punished.”

Carey looked at her former professor earnestly, meeting her gaze. “You do not have to punish yourself. Please, stop. At this point, you have suffered longer than I did. And pshah! I’m the one who died!”

She laughed at her own little joke, which startled the alchemist into silence again.

Professor Jules looked at Carey for a long, silent moment before she finally spoke again. “I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself, Miss London. But...I will try.”

“I will be most glad if you did,” Carey said. “Professor, after this day, I’m not sure how often we will see each other. As the Traveller’s Herald, I already have much to do. Much to do in both Thameland, and beyond. Far beyond. So, I will need to go soon. But I shall endeavour to look in on you, when I can. I shall endeavour to look in on all of you.”

“I, I think I would like that very much,” Professor Jules smiled. “It feels so strange to see you, here. You had your whole life ahead of you, and now...you’re talking about all of these divine duties. You were a young woman with a full life ahead of you. That’s all been stolen, and I regret that.”

Carey smiled gently. “Now, now, professor. My time as Carey the mortal might be over, but my time as the Herald will be eternal. I do believe I quite like the idea of eternity!”

She beamed, radiating a joy that was infectious.

‘Carey’s truly found her place in the universe,’ Alex thought, smiling to himself. ‘Maybe that’s better than most people can ever say for themselves.’

“Now if you’ll excuse me, professor,” Carey said, her eyes searching the crowd. “There is one other person I must speak to before I go.”

Her eyes fell on Merzhin.

The Saint of Thameland froze mid-step, as though he was a child caught sneaking away from something he was avoiding.

Carey called out to him firmly. “We need to have a little chat, you and I, Merzhin. I don’t want to see you torturing yourself either.”

Merzhin flinched, as though struck, then squeezed his eyes shut like someone building up courage to dive from a great height into the sea.

When he opened them, his expression radiated a mix of longing and dread. “Of course, Carey. If you’ll walk with me; a lot of people were gravely injured in the battle, and I must go to them at once.”

Ripp shook his head. “Life took a strange turn, at some point. Strange turn, indeed.”

The swiftling, goblin and crocodile went off toward where the kegs were waiting. Professor Jules was already there, guzzling from a tankard of wine, as a delighted Khalik cheered her on.

Leaving the crowd to their merry-making down below, Alex and Baelin ascended into the skies as the Castle shrank in the distance, while they climbed high enough to be well out of earshot.

For a moment, Alex took in the late morning air.

It was surprisingly warm.

Comforting.

Full of the promise of better days.

“So,” Baelin said. “Shall we begin scheming, then?”

“Oh yes, absolutely.” Alex rubbed his hands together, with a grin. “I was thinking, now that the Ravener’s gone, you and I could take a run and taking over Thameland ourselves.”

“Splendid idea,” Baelin said without missing a beat. “And I take it that—after we usher in a new age of darkness over your kingdom—we will both become overly greedy and betray each other, oh, in a thousand years time?”

Alex shrugged. “Meh, I’m still young and antsy. Why don’t we schedule all backstabbing for five hundred years from now?”

“Oh, daring are we? Let us say seven hundred and fifty years then. That’s my final offer.”

“Deal.”

The two archwizards grinned at each other.

Then, Alex’s smile slowly faded as his expression turned serious.

“Listen, Baelin—”

“You’re about to tell me you have found a key ingredient for a tincture of immortality, haven’t you?” Baelin’s eyes twinkled. “Uldar’s essence, no doubt?”

Alex smiled sheepishly. “No doubt. How’d you figure me out?”

“When I was waxing poetic about everlasting life, you brought up needing to speak with me. You are a Proper Wizard, and a Proper Wizard would never let something so valuable as divine essence slip through their grasp. How did you harvest it without leaving a mark on the body? I cannot imagine you began sawing Uldar up after teleporting him to a lab.”

“Hannah’s teleportation.”

“Ah, of course,” Baelin said. “I might have known...so then, what is it that you wanted to discuss with me?”

Alex took a deep breath. “—well I was wondering—”

“—if I would help you craft an elixir of immortality out of Uldar’s essence? Of course. I have plenty of experience with that exact task.”

“Am I really getting that predictable?” Alex sighed.

“No, but call my insight a benefit of my advanced age,” Baelin said.

Now it was his turn for his smile to fade, and he slowly looked away from Alex.

For an instant, the chancellor seemed caught up in indecision.

Then he nodded.

“Alexander.”

Alex flinched. Baelin had hardly—if ever—called him by his full name. “What is it?”

The chancellor looked back at him. “I have my own proposal for you. One that I will ask you to think on for a millennia or two.”

“...oh?” Alex asked. “What is it?”

Baelin looked at him directly. “What would you say to—in a thousand years or so—joining my cabal?”