Marie

Month 12, Day 31, 8:00AM

Marie was halfway through one of Poe’s exercises, using the floor in his room for half pushups, when the seal above her heart activated. If she hadn’t already been on the floor, she might have collapsed on it. So far, none of the exercises had triggered it, but she was in the middle of a strenuous section, and when she went down, she didn’t try to go up.

Marie could not quite recall the last time that she’d had the array hammer her so hard—this may have been part of the reason she passed out she’d accidentally stabbed herself—but now fully awake and aware, the sensation felt just the same as it had her whole life. She could only describe it like wet laundry squeezed in a mangle. Her heart slowed dramatically—introducing dizziness and nausea—then her eyes watered with tears from the sudden pain in her chest, she felt hot, and she let out an involuntary groan. Then all of the unpleasant sensation ceased, and her heart steadied to a slow and regular pumping.

“Marie! What’s happening?” Poe asked in alarm.

“Just my heart. Gimme a second.” Marie gasped. “It will pass.”

“The spell array?” Poe muttered.

Marie could only nod. When this happened, she could lose consciousness, but in this instance, she supposed her brain had sufficient blood to prevent it. When exercise raised her heart rate too much, the spell array would steady her heartbeat and reduce it into a forced calm, then after a few moments, it would return the control of the heart to her body. She felt that sort of detachment as the spell took control not just of her heart muscle, but also her emotions, so that she would not panic.

When she was a child this completely prevented her from most children’s games. As a pickpocket this meant she’d have never gotten away if caught. Now, it just meant that she’d have to go more slowly through Poe’s exercises.

Marie rolled onto her back and looked up at the ceiling in Poe’s room. She’d never noticed before, but there were spell arrays carved into the rafters, lined with silvered paint and strange glyphs. There was never any dust in Poe’s room, even though the office on the first floor accumulated dust normally. Marie wondered if it was a spell array or enchantment. Her mind meandered for a bit on that topic.

“Do you need anything? Water? Should we lift your head?” Poe asked.

Marie listened in her detached state, but did not respond right away, even as Poe knelt and hovered over her. The spell array kept her from feeling any desire to answer. After a few moments, Marie’s emotions began to gradually come back, and she mustered the energy to reply; like pouring molasses from a tin.

“No. It will take a moment for the it to wear off, but I can rest here.”

Poe grabbed a pillow off the nearest couch, then placed it under her head.

Marie felt grateful for that; the room remained warm, but the floor held a chill. Slowly, Marie blinked and felt her heart return to a steady rhythm. She sighed. She’d have to be more steady in her exercise.

“We should stop for today.” Poe said shakily.

“No.” Marie replied. “It’s just a heart attack. I’ll just go more slowly.”

“Go more slowly?” Poe said faintly. “Your heart stopped my dear. The spell array, all by itself, pumped the blood in your body and restarted your heart. If I hadn’t known it was there, I’d have assumed you would die in a few moments.”

“It’s no big deal.” Marie tired to brush it off. She’d had lots more of those attacks as a child. Running too fast, trying to work too quickly, even getting a scare could set it off unexpectedly. Well, expectedly, really. She did have a heart condition after all. Poe’s exercises had a gentleness to them that allowed Marie the first real improvements to her strength she’d had in her whole life. If she stopped for a silly thing like almost dying then she’d probably never do them at all.

“If you are certain.” Poe replied doubtfully.

“I’ll just use the less strenuous version we coved last week.” Marie rolled over and began a new round of the less difficult pushups. Poe now seemed to be staring at her with a careful eye.

“How did you manage the cellar at all with that defect?” Poe wondered.

“Controlling my heart rate has become part of me.” Marie said, between the low impact pushups “If I keep it low enough, nothing usually happens. Sometimes I can even increase my heart rate to the point just below the trigger.”

“We need a proper fix for your heart.”

“I’d like that, but I am used to it you know.”

Poe sat down on a couch. Marie thought he looked a little pale.

Marie counted out the last few push ups, and then got up and stretched.

When Marie looked toward him, Poe seemed to be blinking a lot.

“So. I have an errand to run.” He finally said. “But first, I think we’ll close the office today, and go take a bath.”

Marie grinned. Poe took them to the baths several times a week; a sponge bath in her room never suited quite so well as a proper scrub. A midday morning bath was unusual, but she certainly wouldn’t object. She bounced up and—mindful that she’d overdone her exercises once today already—she sped off to her room to collect clothes and bathing supplies.

Poe had preferences for bath houses, and one preference consistently prevailed since the Verdant Stag: Marie always had a private bath. That morning, soaking in a round wooden tub of magically heated water, Marie really looked at her tattooed spell array carefully. She’d never even drawn it, even though she now knew how.

She knew the story of how she’d gotten it, but she had no memory of it. When she was a baby, she’d cried a little, then convulsed and then, died for a short while. The midwife had to use a spell to revive her and they’d called a thaumaturge to see what was the matter. The woman had come and declared that Marie had a heart defect; she shouldn’t even be alive, because the valves of her heart didn’t work properly. As a baby, she was too small for the thaumaturgy to do anything, and besides, healing wouldn’t work: her heart was whole and undamaged, must broken in a way the Marie wouldn’t survive. Marie would die soon.

Marie’s Father was called, and his connections made it possible to get a second opinion. Marie never got the description of the person that came and applied the tattoo. The sorcerer put a curse on anyone that was there to see the spell array applied, including Marie. The compulsion had not noticeably faded for her, but there wasn’t much Marie could tell anyway.

Mama had always explained that this was the reason they worked for the Morrows; the Morrow sorcerer cost more than they could pay.

Marie stared at the tattoo, trying to quash her guilty feelings. She had survived, when she shouldn’t, because of magic. Blood magic. Poe knew, of course, and seemed entirely willing to protect her. She hoped that would last.

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She had to admit that she liked working for Poe, learning from him, and reading his books. He’d started spending much more freely, but he had received the bonus, so that seemed ok.

But she was increasingly worried about him too. He’d been secretive recently: hiding his notes from her, and people would forget him even more easily. And, there were also incidents, which Marie didn’t even know if he noticed, where people on the street would do more than ignore him. People, with no obvious consideration, would stride across the middle of the street to avoid him. When he walked the pavement, few people went before or after him.

He also wore his koi coat less, even as Marie wasn’t entirely sure what the coat did, but it was more than just protecting others from his strange curse. And, when he did wear the coat, the koi shifted regularly now, as if the water was agitated. Poe was up to something, and the coat didn’t approve. Nor did she know if Frig approved, and with that thought, Marie planned to ask her.

When she went to leave and dress, the attendant delivered a new black dress. With it, Frank included a little note.

‘Your frilly black dress is elegant enough, but you should have something more practical as my apprentice, especially since we will start on alchemy soon. I also worry you are cold. This dress includes a black cloak, like your usual one, but I think you’ll like the lining.’

The new dress fit well, with a sleeved bodice that covered Marie’s arms completely, and the sleeves buttoned so they would fit tightly, as well as high collar, but still had a shorter pleated skirt that she could exercise in and the skirt slightly covered the top of the Boots. This dress had no ribbons or silk, but it was made of almost iridescent black wool, so it was a tough, warm, and practical garment. The new cloak was also black, in the ruana style, but it had a hood. Marie marveled at the lining on the cloak, which had been embroidered with shiny black raven feathers. When she left her private room, she thanked Poe enthusiastically.

Later, at the Agency, Poe immediately showed Marie a spark shooting spell. Powered with a few components and a lamp, after several attempts, she could make a few dim sparks. Poe encouraged her to change the colors and make them brighter, but she tired quickly. Poe spent the rest of his day in his room, where is sounded like he was moving couches for hours.

That night, after Marie had locked up the main door, visitors arrived. Mama and Dinky knocked on the outer door, and Marie answered it. Each was laden with bags of food. Trailing behind them, Jemnie followed them in carrying more bags.

“Mama? What are you doing here?” Marie asked.

“I got a note that said we should get together for a new years’ eve feast, courtesy of your Poe. So, we picked up the food and came over.”

Poe came down the stairs and greeted them.

“Come up! Come up! I’ve got the table set out, and it’s ready for the food.” Poe said.

“Good! I’ve been carrying this food for blocks, and it smells wonderful.”

They began tramping up the stairs. Marie helped with the cloaks and coats they wore, and the managed the door. Before she closed the door, Marie glanced out to the street. Cory stood on the corner in the grey light of the cold evening. Marie wasn’t sure why she did it, but she turned to Poe.

“Can Cory come?”

Poe frowned, but he nodded. “She has to promise to behave herself.”

Marie strode out into the night to Cory. As Marie suspected, the poor girl looked practically blue with cold.

“You can come eat a New Year’s feast with us, if you want.”

“I’m supposed to watch you.” She replied doubtfully.

“You can watch us better inside where its warm.”

Cory’s eyes darted back and forth. “Aren’t you a Morrow? We’re supposed to be enemies.”

“Well, maybe so, but the August Agency is neutral, Master Poe says, and if that’s so, you can come eat with us. Just don’t be a jerk.”

“Alright.”

Marie guided Cory back to the agency, hung her coat on the pegs by the door, and then they climbed the stair to Poe’s room.

Entering it was better than normal. The couches had been moved around, and some stacked, so that a big table could be set in the middle of the room. Marie thought it was actually some sort of workbench, but with a cloth set over it, you’d hardly notice. They didn’t exactly have proper chairs; instead they had to sit on couches.

The food was laid out on platters and Mama passed plates around. The food included a whole fish and rice, green rice cake with some sort of crushed nut filling, deep fried crunchy rolls with a pork and vegetable filling, translucent noodles with crab, slivers of carrot and radish, fresh wraps in edible paper of shrimp and noodles and fresh herbs, sweet candied ginger and lotus. Poe made hot smoky tea and served a cold soft cider.

They feasted.

Marie and Mama chatted. Cory and Jemnie seemed to get along, chatting about the cold and what sounded to Marie like a commiseration on the trouble of trying to follow Poe anywhere. Dinky watched Poe warily, but Marie thought even Dinky seemed happy, although he did not smile.

“Marie,” Mama said quietly, “I’m glad you aren’t at the Hands this year. It’s having one of their ‘celebrations’ and you know how that is.”

“Lots of drunk people.” Marie replied. ‘And lecherous men,’ she thought to herself, ‘some of whom would go after cleaning staff … no matter their age.’

“You might be in Stag territory, but at least this place is far from that lot.”

Oddly, Marie had a question that she hadn’t asked for a long time pop into her head. Maybe it was just that it was New Years Eve.

“Mama, do you know whether I could meet my father this year?”

Mama looked away from Marie, and did not answer right away. But then, Mama never liked to talk about Marie’s father.

“Not this year, especially not now. He’s important in the Morrows, you know, and you’d be …” Mama looked over at Cory. “Maybe we can talk about it later.”

Marie had gotten a similar answer her whole life that was sometimes longer or sometimes shorter, but she hadn’t really expected anything different now. Still while she felt melancholy, that wore off as she dug into the food. It was salty and sweet, herby and rich.

Finally, Poe stood and raised his teacup to the group.

“Indulge me if you will. Most of you will have almost no memory of this, but Marie will remember. And, as its a new year, a time to celebrate, I reckon we have not celebrated her apprenticeship properly. You, her friends and parents, should know that she shows great promise, and that I will do my best to make sure no harm comes to her. But more importantly, she should know that I believe that she is talented and intelligent. She’s make a fine sorcerer one day, and this celebration is for a new year, a new beginning.” Poe raised the cup higher. “So. To new beginnings!” Poe toasted. They raised their cups with him.

“New beginnings.” They said in unison.

Marie blushed with embarrassment, and found herself smiling. She wasn’t sure what she should say. Should she say something?

“I started the August Agency because I had nothing to do, nothing to be, and nothing to be remembered for.” Poe continued. “But, a new year is coming. Once we’re done eating here, I invite you to the roof to bring in the new year. I have prepared some magic I think you all will enjoy.”

They finished eating and Marie was still chewing a piece of the sweet lotus candy when they climbed up to the roof. Poe had cleared the roof entirely for a huge spell array laid out in glowing paint. Marie recognized some of the glyphs; they were the same ones for the spark shooting array she’d already seen.

“Stand there.” Poe pointed at a spot just outside the array.

In the distance, Marie could hear people singing and laughing, celebrating the coming new year. The parties would last for hours, some going all the way till morning. The night was already lit up with the lights from the city, but Marie could faintly see some of the stars.

“Now pay attention Marie; spark shooting arrays can do more than just a few small lights.” Poe said, and he smiled in the darkness. “Enjoy the show.” He sat down on the other edge of the spell array, drew out a huge beast core and his fist-sized conduit from his koi coat.

Soundlessly, there was a flash, and soaring up into the air a streak of white light, and after several heartbeats of traveling overhead into the sky, it bloomed like a flower of fire, then—as it faded— another huge blue spark joined it from Poe’s array and spread a sheet of blue sparks high in the sky. Marie marveled at the display, which Poe continued to produce even more shapes and colors in sparks and light: a green circle of tiny lights, a red rose that twinkled as it faded, a skykraken in purple, and plain bursts of color and light from deep red to violet and every color in between. Higher up in the city, toward the great surrounding wall, other flashes of magic began, seemingly not to be outdone by Poe’s display.

Marie squeezed her Mama’s hand. Mama looked at her and smiled. “Maybe magic s’ not so bad.” Mama said. Marie grinned at her and nodded under magic sparks.

It went on for some time, but not so long that Marie grew at all tired of seeing it. When Poe finished, he laughed.

“Happy New Year Marie.”

“Happy New Year, Master Poe.”