"No."
Olivia grit her teeth. She had not been waiting outside the holding cells for the last half-an-other-cursed-hour just to be told no. "Please? I just need like, five minutes so I can give Banshee a report before I--"
"I'm sorry, Shadowheart," said a Flamepillar guard she'd never seen before today and did not sound sorry at all. "If your Luminary wishes to have contact with Ella Spiritcaller, she will have to do so herself. Spiritcaller's condition is currently far too unstable to be allowing civilians, whether Luminary sanctioned or not, into her quarters. You have my deepest apologies."
Olivia closed her eyes for a moment before nodding her head and walking away from the guarded passage leading down to where Ella was held. She pulled her Liaiser out of her bag as she reached Jason, who was standing beside a shadow-covered wall.
"I presume there's been no changes?" said Jason, looking up from his own Liaiser as she approached.
Olivia found Stefan's contact details and started typing out the message. "Nope. I think they've even put guards out front that they know won't cave into my asking. The guy out the front at the moment is a real hardass, but I've got one last thing to try before they can write me off for today, dammit."
[They won't let me in. I don't suppose you want to give that code word a try?]
Not long after she hit send on her message, Olivia received Stefan's reply.
[I'll be there shortly.]
Jason raised an eyebrow. "What's your 'one last thing'?"
Olivia told him about Stefan and the supposed code word. "But if that doesn't work, then I guess we go back and write Banshee and Cryo a note and hope they see it." She held onto her Liaiser with a firm, steady grip. And then I'll transform and march straight past that guard who thinks he can keep me away from Ella.
"I'll be sure Cryo receives word by tonight so he can investigate himself," said Jason. "Hopefully he'll be able to contact Banshee to accompany him."
Olivia couldn't help a small smile. Perfect. "Sounds like a good idea to me." Her smile slipped a little. "Hey, Frostsong?"
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you about this morning?"
Jason's face hardened. "What would you like to ask about?"
Olivia pressed her lips together. "I know the flower shop meant a lot to you, and I really did mean what I said--if you guys need help, I'm more than willing to help out with getting it back on track. But um, what I wanted to ask about was..." She sank her teeth into her bottom lip. The words sounded so dumb now she was about to speak them out loud. "Well, when the police turned the whole thing into my interrogation--" She threw a hand up. "--Ugh, I don't know. Nevermind, it feels stupid just saying it. Forget I said anything."
Olivia folded her arms and turned away, pretending to watch the walkways for Stefan when, a few moments later, Jason replied.
"Do you... want to know if my reaction was due to my emotions regarding the shop, or rather, if it was their personal attack on you?"
Olivia half-turned back towards him and gave him a sheepish look. "Yeah, pretty much that. But it feels pretty self-centred to say it out loud I guess, especially when I know how much you cared about Gerald and the flowers."
Jason's gaze fell to rest on his fingers, gently laced among each other around his Liaiser. "If I were honest, I'd say it was a mix of both. I am still rather upset about what happened to the shop, but I'd prepared myself for it before I got there. I was handling it rather well, I thought. But as soon as they began treating you like a suspect, my patience ran out. You were honestly trying to help, and they'd rather turn their suspicions on you."
Olivia pressed one palm into the other. "I wasn't too sure if you were mad at me or something to begin with. For not telling you about the Adande thing too. I swear I just kind of forgot with everything else going on."
"I can understand why you may not have thought I was a top priority to inform," said Jason. "But I promise that any important information you give me will be passed along to Cryo in an efficient manner."
"Gotcha. I'll keep that in mind next time the crimson-haired terror decides to pop into my life."
Jason nodded, his face still a little tighter than usual. His hair was still back in the ponytail, now secured with the green hair ties she'd given him. It was kind of funny seeing how his ponytail-tying ability had improved over the last few days. They were gradually getting neater, and Olivia had caught more than a few people stealing glances at him as he walked by.
"Hey, Jase?"
The tip of his tongue darted out to wet his lips before he spoke. "Yes, Olivia?"
One side of her mouth lifted up. "Thanks for caring."
His gaze flicked to her and he gave her one, small nod in return before going back to his Liaiser screen. Olivia pulled her attention back to her own Liaiser, but she found it hard to focus on anything for a second as her stomach did a little flip.
She shook her head. Pay attention. You have a job here.
She sat down beside him with her back against the wall, failing to distract herself with the Liaiser and instead decided to just keep a lookout for Stefan. The Flamepillar guard was still standing not too far away, watching her like he knew she was about to try and barge her way in there. Their gazes met more than once, and every time, Olivia made sure she was not the first one to look away.
Stefan's definition of 'shortly' turned out to be a little longer than Olivia had anticipated, but shortly after that 'shortly' had passed, he arrived. Olivia jumped to her feet and ran over to him, pushing her Liaiser back into her bag beside Viri's glowing violet eyes.
"I was delayed a little more than anticipated, my apologies," said Stefan. He cleared his throat and gave her a conspiratorial smile. "Shall we see if this works?"
"I am literally dying over here to find out," said Olivia, making a sweeping gesture towards the guards. "After you."
Stefan took the lead and approached the guards. The Flamepillar guard had already been standing as straight as humanly possible, but his partner straightened up and placed a loose hand on the hilt of his weapon.
"Shadowheart," said the Flamepillar guard, the edges of his mouth turned downwards. "I believe we've--"
"I am Stefan Frostcaller," said Stefan. His voice was even and friendly, but there was a steel to it that instantly claimed control of the conversation. "I am here to see Ella Spiritcaller on behalf of the Luminaries."
"I'm sorry," said Flamepillar. "As I've made clear to miss Shadowheart, the Luminaries will have to come themselves if they require someone to speak with Ella."
"Ah, but unlike miss Shadowheart, I have a short message for you," said Stefan. He paused, just long enough for Flamepillar to open his mouth in reply. "When Fury is Poisoned, the Pillar of the Stars will tremble."
Olivia suddenly wasn't so sure that Stefan had simply made up the whole code word thing and thrown together a bunch of Luminary-related words, but to her surprise, the guards glanced at eachother and hesitated.
Flamepillar grimaced. "Stay here."
Olivia held her tongue as Flamepillar disappeared into the passage below. She resisted the urge to ask Stefan about the code. She just stood there, waiting, pressing her fingers into her palm until Flamepillar reappeared with another guard a few minutes later.
The guard with him was a Poisonpillar, one Olivia had figured was particularly high ranking. He was an older guard with a grey-speckled short beard and a few wrinkles on his face, but he moved with a well-worn grace and clearly had the respect of those he worked with.
The Poisonpillar guard regarded Stefan. "I understand you've used one of Harpy and Wyvern's code phrases, young man. You are aware they are no longer valid?"
"I am," said Stefan. "I invoked it regardless due to the current situation. As I'm sure you are aware, miss Shadowheart is working in close quarters with Banshee, who now, as the second Luminary pair, is entitled to her own set of code phrases. Given the recent circumstances and paperwork involved, I doubt Banshee and Cryophoenix have had an opportunity to implement such phrases, else I suspect miss Shadowheart would have invoked hers today."
Poisonpillar turned to face Olivia with a reluctant expression. "Is that so?"
Olivia decided to bite down on her pride for a minute. "What is it these code phrases actually do?"
"It requires any Speakers or Pillars to give the wielder of the phrase the same respect and permissions that they would give the Luminary themselves if they stood in their place," said Stefan. "Effectively, with Banshee's phrase, you are acting directly on her behalf."
"Then yes," said Olivia, looking Poisonpillar straight in the eye. "I would have invoked Banshee's phrase, had I possessed one earlier today."
Poisonpillar's expression only grew more begrudging. "You must understand, Shadowheart, that these phrases are not to be invoked carelessly for a friendly visit purely on your whims. We had good reason to block your entry today, and it would be in your best interests if you were to accept this advice rather than continue to waste the time of others."
"And it would be even better if you didn't write me off as a courtesy call," said Olivia, trying to keep the sting she felt out of her words. She took a breath and embraced her inner Jason, tilting her chin upwards. "My visits are requested by Banshee, who is unable to check in on Ella daily as she believes is necessary. My visit today is particularly important, given that yesterday a direct threat was made towards Ella by those known to be working for the Serpent. That she has been acting particularly out of character today only further concerned me, yet none of your guards seem inclined to believe that my visit could hold even the slightest bit of importance."
Poisonpillar's jaw loosened a little. "If today was so important, why was Banshee unable to make the visit herself?"
Olivia closed her eyes for a moment. Inner Jason. Inner. Jason.
"The whole point," said Olivia slowly, "Of me working with Banshee was to help lighten her load. I don't know if you're aware, but with the exception of last night, there has been a Manifested every single night for the last week, and Banshee and Cryo have responded to every single one. They're exhausted, and that's not even counting the actual lives they're supposed to be keeping up at the same time. Does that sufficiently answer your question?"
Poisonpillar glanced at Stefan, who nodded once before Poisonpillar's gaze came back to rest on Olivia. "It does. Please follow me. It will take a moment, but we will have arrangements made to ensure your safety."
Starlight, it bothered her so, so much that even after her explanation, the guard had still looked to Stefan for permission, but she swallowed it down. Ella was more important than her own damned pride, no matter how much it hurt.
"You look like you're about to bite clean through your cheek," Stefan said softly as he walked beside her.
Olivia made an effort to loosen her teeth, but by the Other was it hard. "I'm fine."
Stefan's voice was even quieter. "Don't let them get to you. It's their loss if they write you off, not yours."
Olivia pressed her lips together before she replied. "I just wish I didn't have to prove myself to everyone before they had a little faith in me."
"I've always had faith in you."
"I think you might be the first."
Olivia and Stefan were asked to wait in a small room for the next twenty minutes as the guards did something that took way too long, especially considering that, when Olivia stepped outside again, everything appeared to be pretty much the same as it had been before.
The Poisonpillar guard captain guy--Speckles, she decided--stopped in front of her. "For your own safety, you will follow my orders. You will remain on this side of Ella's door. You will remain within sight of a pair of guards at all times. If you need us to intervene, the signal word is 'Shadow'. Understood?"
"Yup."
He grimaced, but nodded to the pair of guards behind him and stepped aside. Olivia and Stefan followed them through to Ella's chamber, but a few metres from the doorway, Stefan stopped.
Olivia turned around and gave him a questioning look.
Stefan waved her forward. "I'll be here. I wouldn't wish to interrupt."
Olivia bit down on her lip but walked the remaining distance to stand outside Ella's door.
It was eerily quiet as she approached to the sound of her own footsteps. Considering what the guards had mentioned earlier about Ella's alarming behaviour, Olivia had been expecting maybe some screaming, some yelling. Finding none of it was somehow worse, but--no. It wasn't silent. In between her footsteps, Olivia could hear the sound of a pencil scribbling furiously on paper.
Olivia pressed her face up against the glass of the door. She couldn't see Ella inside, who had apparently found the blind spots in her room. "Ella?"
The sound of the pencil stopped. "Olivia? That you?"
"It's me," said Olivia. "How are you going in there?"
The pencil started again. "I didn't think the guards would let you in today."
"They did their best to keep me out," said Olivia.
Ella gave a dry, harsh laugh. "Hah. Should have guessed it'd take more than guards to keep you out, eh?" She drew a loud breath. "Yeah! You hear that, you bastard? It's gonna take more than some Starlight-damned guards to control me!"
The sudden volume of Ella's words made Olivia jump, but when her feet were back on the floor, her stomach sank. She knew--or rather, Banshee knew--exactly who Ella was talking to. "What's going to take more than guards to control you?"
Ella's pencil started again, louder and far faster than it'd been before. "Oh, nothing I need to bother you with, Olivia. Don't worry. It's not your fault--don't worry. I'm guessing you're here about tomorrow, though? That you probably want to ask me if I'd be okay postponing the visit to Melissa?"
"I--well, I guess that was one thing I wanted to talk to you about, yeah."
"Well, I'm not changing my mind," said Ella. "I need to go tomorrow. I need to see Melissa, or at least try. I can't let it control me. I refuse to let it win and drive me insane while I stay down here. I am not changing my mind."
Olivia's stomach sank. "I see. Do you mind if we get a message to the Lumi's asking them to tag along tomorrow?"
"I think that'd probably be a good idea," said Ella. "If you can, tell them to come visit me later tonight if they get a chance. I have things I need to tell them."
"Anything in particular?" said Olivia.
"Nothing I'm going to tell you," said Ella. "You've already got a target on your back. You don't need a bigger one. He knows about you. He's been watching you. Listening to you." Another breath before she screamed at to the ceiling. "Yeah! She knows now! Bet you don't like that, hey, buddy!"
"What do you mean he's been listening to me?"
"I can't tell you," said Ella. "I can't tell you. It'd only put you in a whole lot more danger, and you're kind of half my total friend pool right now. Go, and tell Banshee I need to talk to her, tonight, if she can manage it. And thank you for coming, Olivia. It really does mean a lot."
"But--"
"Go," said Ella. "I'm fine, I promise. There's nothing more for you here today, and I need to concentrate."
Olivia tried to push Ella for more, but no matter how many times she asked, Ella refused to do anything more than stick out a pencil-holding hand from her blind spot hiding place and tell Olivia to leave. Olivia--despite the guards watching her--attempted to sneak the handle open but it had been locked tight. She jerked it in frustration and stepped back.
"I'll be back tomorrow, and we're gonna go see Melissa, okay, Ella?" said Olivia, looking at the ceiling.
"I'm counting on it!" called Ella. "I'll see you tomorrow, Liv!"
Olivia took a step away from the door before turning back, her mouth open to speak before she realised she had nothing to say. There was a strange, heavy feeling in her chest that she couldn't quite work out. It sort of felt like guilt, but that wasn't it. Frustration? Annoyance? At who? It didn't feel like her own emotions. It felt like someone else's had been crammed inside her head.
She frowned and forced herself to walk away from the door.
"Is she well?" asked Stefan, falling into step beside her.
Olivia sighed. "Something like that."
They emerged back into the open air to find the first traces of the auroras flickering across the sky. Olivia stopped for a moment to watch them, to listen to the colours, to let them inside her head with a deep breath of air before she walked over to where Jason waited.
Jason lowered his Liaiser as she approached and locked the screen. "Did you speak with Ella?"
"Yep," said Olivia, rubbing her forehead. The weird feeling was still there--the one that sat in her chest that wasn't quite hers. "She's... well, something is clearly up, but she won't tell me. She said she needs to talk to Banshee and Cryo about it, because telling me would put me in more danger. She also said she didn't want to cancel tomorrow under any circumstances. I suggested that we ask the Luminaries to tag along, and she agreed it was probably a good idea."
"We'll head to the Starlight Hall, then," said Jason, gesturing towards it.
"Would you mind if I were to tag along?" asked Stefan. "I wish to speak with the High Speakers about the code phrases and another matter. I have a blessing to enter the Hall's lower level."
Jason inclined his head. "Of course."
The three of them headed towards the Hall with minimal conversation, aside from Olivia adding a few other details about Ella's behaviour.
"The weird yelling was probably the worst," she said. "I think the Serpent might be speaking to her."
"What leads you to think that?" asked Stefan.
"Well, who else would it be?" said Olivia with a shrug. "I don't really know many other people who can speak directly into someone's head, and she isn't crazy. She still sounds grounded, just... backed into a corner."
"I agree," said Jason. "I'll inform Cryo that he has a message in his box that will need attending to immediately."
They reached the Starlight Hall. Jason set about writing Cryo's note. Stefan stepped aside to attend to something Olivia didn't quite catch until the High Speakers were available.
It left Olivia alone with her thoughts, and hugging her elbows close to her body, she found herself drawn to the open doorway that led into the inner courtyard where the High Speakers of the four active Luminaries wandered the space, their eyes on the blooming auroras above. Aurelia was one of them, the crimson and grey of her elaborate robes stark with the golden starstone as she raised one arm up, a finger outstretched like she could touch the auroras she tried to speak.
Olivia reached the edge of the Starlight Hall and stood in the centre of the doorway, watching them. She didn't understand how they could possibly claim to hear words from the auroras. The auroras couldn't be contained by a couple of syllables. They were a melody, a song, a breath of life and hope and beauty that spanned the sky, searching, reaching...
Their sound washed through her head, so much louder than they'd ever been before. It took her hostage and swelled through her body and her thoughts until she could no longer contain it and it burst through her lips. The notes were sweet and smooth, yet there was a flare between the layers of melody that swaddled her in sound. There was a life, a spark, a hope, and each one was more powerful, more stirring than the last.
Olivia was outside and under the auroras before she'd realised she'd moved. With her voice, she called them down from the sky. The teal and violet ribbons of light swirled around her, cocooning her in their glow as they swayed to their song. The starstone gleamed until the brilliance became too much, until the teal and the violet was lost within a crisp, white light.
A shape crafted from nothing but light and sound moved within the light. A human figure with flecks that glittered across their slender body as they twirled, almost like they were carved from crystal. Their long, silver hair swished around their ankles, and in a daze, Olivia realised the figure was dancing. Dancing to her song.
Song...
The figure stopped moving, one hand reaching out towards Olivia.
Olivia reached out, but her hand was getting further and further from the figure's, almost like she was falling...
Hands caught her by the shoulders. The white light vanished. Olivia found herself staring at the stars, the sky, the auroras that didn't seem quite as bright as before. There were voices around her. Faces. People. None of them had long, silver hair that reached their ankles.
But one of them had black hair that she knew was tied back in a short ponytail, a ponytail that could be absolutely magnificent, if only he let it. He was the one that held her shoulders, that was holding her right hand, and it was his mismatched green and black eyes that she was staring into right up until she blacked out.
*+*+*+*
A/N - ALL THE THINGS ARE HAPPENING. What's up with Ella? What did Olivia just do?
FIND OUT SOME OF THESE ANSWERS ON THE NEXT CHAPTER (or patreon *coughcoughsubtlereminder*)
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