The Harvest of Souls

CHAPTER 11

"What happened, Anna?" Marta, who was serious, went straight to the point.

Lucky for Marta, Anna was also a straightforward and concise woman:

"Mila is fine, don't be worried. But apparently, there was some problem at the Asturian Manor," Anna led Marta into an orange room, full of books and a small table for two, facing the round window that overlooked the sidewalk. "Looks like Mila was attacked, and she has a wound in her abdomen," Marta widened her eyes and took a breath. "But it's nothing serious. I've seen the wound through my MC, and it's no big deal. Mila is fine; she's conscious and flushed," Anna took Marta's hands that were resting on the table. "The most worrying thing is not the attack on Mila, Marta, but the fact that someone intentionally inflicted an injury on one of us. It's violence."

Marta shook her head from side to side; violence was a word that belonged in the history books.

"I don't understand. What could have happened?"

"I don't know, but our boss took it upon himself to bring your daughter personally, so there must be something behind it."

The two women faced each other, still standing, over the years they had been together in the same room several times, both references in the subjects they dealt with, and never any topic had left them with such serious faces.

The large car comfortably drove Lélia, Fernand, Vaughan, Richard, Nair, Scarlet, Mário, and Mila through the streets of Astur; nobody was driving. The vehicle had left the small airport at Lions Bay and passed the ancient buildings of the old center towards the new center of Ástur, further south. In the distance, Mila could see the modern constructions, with their 80 to 120 floors, quite small compared to those in Arkadia. Mila hadn't set foot in Ástur for a few months, since her parents separated, the city seemed to bring back bad memories, but with her face pressed against the glass, watching the city's buildings, a strong nostalgia hit her, and she felt that, maybe, that was her natural place.

"So as not to create too much turmoil at Anna's house, I believe it would be better just for Lélia and me to accompany Mila," Richard said, running his hand over the girl's sweaty forehead.

"Okay, we can find some coffee shop to go to," said Fernand looking at the others inside the car. Everyone nodded, except Mário, who continued with a preoccupied face, hugging Scarlet.

Marta watched the black car approach the wide street in the new center of Ástur. Her heart racing to the point of discomfort, she got up and walked to the house door, Anna following right behind her. Nodding to the door, Anna made it open, unlike the moment when she received Marta, this time asked for a little more practicality and speed, so she chose to open the door with just a wave.

The car door opened, and the first people out were Richard and Mila, who walked with a limp. Marta began to cry when she saw her daughter leaning on the King's shoulder.

"Mila," she ran and stood for support on the other side of her daughter.

"Calm down, mom; I can't lift my arm," Mila said, pulling away from her mother. "Come here, hold my hand," she said right after seeing her mother's despair increase when put aside.

The three entered the house, Lélia following close behind, silently. Two people stopped in the street, not understanding what was happening: the sovereign of Asturias rushing into the well-known house of the Health Department Director carrying a girl who was injured.

"Come," Anna said, pointing the way. "Mila, my dear, sit here," Anna said, running her hand over the girl's forehead and removing the strands of hair stuck together by sweat. With a snap of her fingers, Anna made one of the chairs at the dining table, located between the entrance door and the book-filled room, fly up beside her. Mila sat down in the chair, and with a wave of her hand, Anna made the chair float a few inches off the floor. "Come on," Ana said again. "This way," she led them to the right side of the house, where there was a wide staircase descending to what appeared to be a basement.