Vora had already gone through half of the notes Klev had gathered through the years. The penmanship noticeably improved. A lot of the information she figured out on her own as Monarch. But she learned the Chime that killed Klev’s mother seemed to target Ten Drowned in particular. With the Chime’s ability to control Soot, she was bound to send those in first. That helped keep their identity hidden.
“Nothing to lead me there.” Vora chewed her thumbnail.
“Vora. Supper,” came Madeline sang through the floorboards.
The purple-haired woman flipped off her bed and descended to the dining room. The smell of meatloaf rushed her nose holes when Vora plopped down. After exiting his study, Rudolf washed his hands and joined his daughter. The ink stains informed Vora her father was working on his actual job that night.
Cricket songs leaked into the kitchen through the slightly cracked window. The cool air fought at the center of the table with piping hot food. Madeline half-heartedly threw off her apron and finished the gathering of the trio.
“Won’t be long now when there’s one less at the family table. Our little girl: a woman,” Madeline declared with a smile. “You’ll be out in the real world. Knowing you, you’ll trip and stumble for a while, but you’ll figure it out.”
“You would stumble far less if you weren’t so needlessly rebellious,” Rudolf said, inserting a fork above his blonde beard. “Have you chosen yet what you want to do?”
“No, I haven’t. And it was because I was rebellious that I’m successful in whatever I do.” Vora glared at Rudolf.
“Your definition of success is juvenile. You’re messy and overly confident, my daughter.” The blonde geriatric wiped his lips with an embroidered napkin.
“I only hear hypocrisy coming from your lips.” Vora crossed her limbs.
“It’s not hypocrisy if there is a clear difference in wisdom.”
Madeline rose and slammed the table with her palms. Through her teeth, she sharply screamed. “Will you two grow up?” Her pale cheeks were red, her veins danced, and there was heat in her eyes. “This moronic, pointless spat has been going on for years, and it ends tonight!”
“Maddie—”
“You don’t get to ‘Maddie’ me! The constant talking down to each other. That’s if you’re not ignoring each other. You can’t have a conversation over two sentences.” Madeline put her hand on her chest. “I know what it’s like to be a teenage girl. The hormones make you mad. I didn’t get along with my father either, but we got over it.”
“Mother—” Vora rose.
“I’m not done!” Vora shot back down, and Madeline snorted. “There is something deeper going on here that I’m clearly not welcome to. Whatever that may be, you two are fixing this tonight. Now.” She put deep emphasis on “tonight.” “Or I won’t feed, clean, or fix anything for either of you again. And trust me, I’ll know if you’re faking,” she growled.
***
The two sat awkwardly in the garaged HC. Vora pressed her cheek against the passenger window, and Rudolf rested his chin on the wheel. Both wanted to run away but knew they’d die by the sure malice of Madeline.
“I, uh. I see you're getting honors for graduation,” Rudolf softly praised.
“I’ll be making a speech. So that’s fun.”
“I’ve noticed that there aren’t any Soot left in the city. You’ve been busy with that magic thing. There is that one that riffles in our trashcan.”
“Puggly. His name’s Puggly.”
“I see. Have you gained more control?”
“I have. But there were many times when I needed help. When I was thirteen, I certainly made a mess of things.” Vora turned to her father. “But I really did want to help. I don’t want you to be a Dowser. I don’t understand why you are one.”
Rudolf glanced over. “I just wanted you to listen for your protection, but it wasn’t fair that I didn’t explain anything. I became one because of my sister.”
“I have an aunt on your side?”
“Yes. Elsa was murdered before you were born. Only your mother and a select few knew I had a sister. She was older than me by a decade. She was stubborn and hardheaded, like you. But you have her many good qualities too. Elsa was a Dowser in pursuit of a world free of the Burning Bell, and she hated everything about it. Then, ironically, her name was announced to be saved. But the odd thing was, she didn’t fight it. She had a big grin on her face before the bell fell and said, ‘Whether there is a heaven or not, I’ll find out shortly. But the true heaven to me is a free Ruth.’”
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“That’s…. a speech,” Vora put lightly.
“Yeah, she was pretty bad at it. After that, I foolishly followed in her footsteps. It was the last thing she would have wanted. You’re so much like her, Vora, and I don’t want you to end up like her. I wanted to free you of your burdens. That’s what all fathers want to do for their children. I worried that your magic would make you a target for the Burning Bell, the Chimes, even the Dowsers desperate enough to take advantage of you.” Rudolf placed a hand on his daughter’s leg. “I hate how you must hurt yourself to do what you do. If we were both more level-headed, we could have worked together.”
“I know… It was always in the back of my mind. I just wanted to prove to you that I’m strong and useful. And I wanted to make you angry,” Vora chuckled.
“That’s fairly normal for a teen.”
“And I still do not want you to be a Dowser, let alone the leader. But I can’t control you as much as you can control me.”
“No,” he laughed. “We’re both stubborn. All three of us with your mother. Our last name should be changed to Stubborn rather than Snihde. I swear the world will be better for you once the Bell falls. I’ll die trying.”
“If you die, I’ll kill you. You’ll be happy to hear that I won’t be hurting myself any longer.” Vora created a caterpillar in her palm, and it inched around cutely. “I have enough control to lock away my curse forever. I must finish one thing first.”
“That’s so great!” Rudolf smothered Vora with an unexpected hug. “You’ll be normal, just as you always wanted. What’s the last thing you have to do?”
Vora wanted to lie, but that would defeat the purpose of opening their hearts. “I plan to kill the Chime who killed Klev’s mother.”
Rudolf released his daughter. With an air of worry, he grabbed his pipe from his front shirt pocket and lit it. “That Chime is incredibly dangerous. She’s killed at least fifty Drowned that I know of.”
“She? Fifty?
“I don’t want you to pursue her. That’s what I want to say, but I know it’s pointless.” Rudolf drew in and released a cloud. “This large Chime woman can control Soot, specializes in spears, and worse of all, she’s Ascended.”
“What does that mean?”
“There are only seven Ascended, Maiden Sympha and Cherub of O’Landra being two of them. They can fly, and resurrect when they die, and Fallite barely affects them. Not just that, but their godly might is beyond their brethren.”
“Oh, is that all?” Vora went from a rising heartbeat to a flatline. She waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll be fine. It wouldn’t matter if I fought all seven ascended; I’m doing it for my boyfriend.”
“Did you say, boyfriend?” Rudolf’s eyes widened.
“Nope!”
Rudolf inhaled, then sighed. “We’ll deal with that later. As for my hair-brained suicide mission, we’ve been able to recreate Nigel’s bomb. The blasts will be the size of cities. And none will harm a single person. I want to plant these bombs on the eight chains that bind the bell to Ruth.”
“That sounds like a lot of work and coordination. Sure you can manage that? I’ve seen you play chess,” Vora grinned.
“I heard you banging your toes on that trashcan dozens of times, so I don’t want to hear it,” Rudolf puffed.
“Naturally….”
They exchanged laughter and declared their relationship was repaired enough to calm the monstrous Madeline.
***
Vora was exhausted from her and her father’s talk. Sadly, she couldn’t sway him from being a Dowser. She had to trust in him, and he in her. But the night was not over, and there was still research to be done, so she stuffed her crushed brows into her notes.
The squeak of glass made Vora cringe up to her window, where she saw numerous black tongues wetting it. With curiosity, she opened the window and looked down at Puggly in their backyard. He’d gotten much bigger over the past few years, grew multiple long tongues, and had an adorable potbelly. Adorable by Vora’s enigmatic ideals. He could reach Vora’s window if he stood tall, but he remained low, his wall eyes dim.
“Do you need something? Mmm. Sorry. Slipped my mind.” She slid a box from under her bed and opened it to reveal cookies. She returned to the window with the cookies. “Can you say Ma—” Puggle slurped up the entire box and crunched on it while looking around stupidly. “My grandmother gave me that oak box,’ Vora said drearily. She leaped out her window with a flip. “Your manners get worse each passing night. Hmmm. Puggly. Are you aware of a Soot called Behemoth?”
Puggly stopped his crunchy chewing and recoiled. He groaned with cowardice and slowly attempted to slip away. But Vora blocked him with arms crossed.
“You do know him. Where is he, Puggly?”
Puggly groaned again.
“Well then, could you find him for me?”
Another unchanged groan.
“Listen, Puggly. You won’t have to do anything outside of finding him. You do this for me, and I’ll—do something. Perhaps some cake. I’ll make it myself.”
Puggly groaned the same way as every time before without a tone shift.
“Thank you, Puggly.”
***
“Does he have to give him ‘the talk?’” Vora swapped her crossed legs while sitting on the couch. “Why do fathers have to do this? I take it back….” Vora pointed at her mother. “I hate him again.”
“No, you don’t, dear,” Madeline replied casually. She squinted at her crossword, then reluctantly brought out her glasses.
Vora had spent her morning prepping for her date. Her fair, smooth, soft skin shined, and her purple dress was frilly and gorgeous, accentuating her cleavage. Her hair glistened, and a butterfly hairclip was above her left ear. Her polished shoes were adorable and crimson.
“Appreciating it when someone looks out for your safety is essential. I wish my father had done the same for me,” Madeline added.
“If he did, I wouldn’t be in this situation. He’s in there, probably threatening Klev.” She pointed to the office door. “He’s a sweet man. I’m far more dangerous than him.”
“You’re not wrong.”
The door finally opened, and the two spilled out. Klev appeared sweaty and nervous, and he was holding a long box. Rudolf lit his pipe calmly. Vora grabbed Klev’s shoulders and guided him toward the front door.
Klev wore khaki trousers with a solid black belt with a silver buckle, a green tweed suit with a black cotton coat, his family fedora, and shining black shoes.
“I’ll meet you in the HC,” she whispered sweetly to Klev. When he was gone, she turned to the blonde-bearded man. “What did you say to him?”
“It’s something between gentlemen. Have fun with your date, honey.”
Vora went to the HC and jumped inside while Klev put the package in the trunk. When he plopped into the driver's seat, she asked, “Did he threaten you or something?”
Klev put on his heirloom hat. “Not at all. He actually warned me about you,” Klev laughed.
Vora grinned. “What was that box he gave you? I’ve never seen it before.”
Klev glanced at the back seat. “I’ll tell you another day.”