72 LXXII. | 'Gentle rain, learn well...'

Her father had not put the ceremony off a second time. Emiliana was a servant now, and the whole world seemed different somehow. She'd retreated back to her room, happy to finally be away from everyone. Except for this reaper, unfortunately. From the end of her banana-colored bed, she looked at Chergoa with uncertainty.

To Emiliana's eyes, the reaper was a glowing blue wisp, a kind of floating ball of cerulean flame. With eyes. And a mouth.

She didn't like it at all.

But apparently, they were supposed to become friends now.

Chergoa hovered around the room. 'You really like the color yellow, don't you?'

It was true. Emiliana's room was distinctly brighter than anywhere else in the house for that reason. She especially liked sunflowers. The one standing in a vase at the foot of her bed was easily the most precious ornament in her room. She used to have a second one, as her lord father had given her two for her seventh birthday, but Marcos ruined that like he did everything else.

She wasn't interested in telling any of that to Chergoa, however. "Why did Mama and Papa choose you?" she asked instead.

'A good first question. They chose me because I am an old friend of your father's reaper, Axiolis.'

"Is that all?"

'Understand that they did not pick me lightly. They are entrusting their beloved daughter to me, and that is no small thing. Despite my friendship with Axiolis, your parents still corresponded with me for over a year before they became convinced that I would be a suitable partner for you. Us reapers are already rather difficult to come by, but when family is concerned, it is best to be extra picky. Wouldn't you agree?'

"I guess so..."

From there, Chergoa explained at length about how the regeneration would work, how the enhanced strength would work, and how their souls were now bound together. Emiliana, more or less, knew all of this already, but she just listened quietly until the reaper was done talking.

"Mama said you wouldn't make me join the Vanguard."

'That's right. Your father asked me to let you live whatever life you wanted for yourself.'

"And you agreed to that?"

'I did.'

Emiliana breathed. "Thank you..."

'I will still be making you train, however. That is not up for debate.'

Emiliana wasn't exactly thrilled, but she supposed she couldn't complain.

'I hear you are already dreaming about marriage,' said Chergoa. 'Is that true?'

Emiliana just averted her gaze, unsure how to answer that.

'Fourteen is a bit young to be focusing on that, don't you think?'

She would have liked to tell the reaper that it wasn't any of her business, but unfortunately, it very much was. Emiliana understood that their lives were bound together now, and throwing a fit about it wouldn't do any good. Her mother had certainly made sure to hammer that much into her.

Still, she found it difficult to say anything. Of course fourteen was young. She was under no illusions that she was older than she really was. But that didn't change the way she felt.

'Hmm,' the reaper hummed, suddenly with the echo that indicated privacy. 'Could it be that you already have someone in mind?'

Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe.

'Ah. Is that really how it is? You can tell me. I promise not to tell anyone else without your permission.'

Emiliana blushed and looked at the ivory carpet. "Yes..."

'Who is it?'

She exhaled a heavy breath. "Don't make me say..."

'Do you know if they have feelings for you, too?'

"I... I believe he does..."

'Hmm. Is there a significant age difference?'

"Ah... well... he is two years older than me."

The reaper paused. 'It's not Cisco, is it?'

"What?! No! Cisco is my brother!"

'Just checking.'

"That's disgusting!"

'Is it one of Cisco's friends?'

Emiliana abruptly lost her fervor.

'Oh boy. And Cisco doesn't know, I take it?'

"If Cisco found out, I'm afraid he would kill him..."

'His reaper wouldn't let him do that. Might let him break a few of the boy's bones, though.'

Emiliana just frowned.

'Don't worry. I'm not going to tell them. If this boy really is such a big part of your life, though, then I would like to see him.'

"Okay..."

'Does he have a reaper as well?'

"No. But he does know about them... I think Cisco showed off to him once, maybe."

Chergoa set her to meditating not long after that. It wasn't Emiliana's first time doing so; her mother occasionally made her do it in the past as practice. The woman seemed to think it good exercise for young people. Emiliana wasn't the only one of the Elroy children to have considered it a waste of time, but it was different now. This was the real thing.

After a while, the meditation put her in the mood to sleep, which was good because there wasn't much left of the evening, anyway. She went to bed, a little nervous about what the next day would bring, but she drifted off soon enough.

In the morning, she readied herself for school and was displeased to find her bras had become uncomfortably snug again. This was the third time in as many months, and dammit if it wasn't unsettling. The rest of her body wasn't growing nearly so quickly. For once, she was grateful for living in a place where it rained all the time, because at least it gave her an excuse to wear bulky clothing.

Then again, she'd heard that boys liked large breasts, so maybe this was good? She hoped that was true, because right now, these damn things just made her feel like a freak. And worse, a lot of the other girls at school seemed to resent her, too, as if she had any control over it. Or maybe they disliked her for other reasons. She couldn't tell anymore. After all, she wasn't the only one going through changes. When did everything get so confusing?

Honestly, if it weren't for her two best friends, she didn't know what she would have done. They were so much more adult than she was--maybe not so much physically, but definitely mentally. They'd always been able to take things in stride and make light of stuff that would have bothered her. Unfortunately, though, she didn't think she should talk to them about her latest problem. Becoming undead probably wasn't something they were equipped to advise her about, and if they became scared of her... No, it definitely wasn't worth the risk.

Emiliana attended the same secondary school as Cisco, who had recently gotten his license and was now able to drive them. Back on her first day here, she'd quickly discovered that her brother had a reputation as a bully, which made her a bit reluctant to be seen with him. On the other hand, she found that it also made people she didn't like leave her alone. And after a while, she realized that she didn't really think Cisco could be a bully, either. It was probably just some misunderstanding. That would be more like the brother she knew. He wasn't really mean--just a bit brusque and harsh, most of all towards Marcos, but of course, the little brat deserved it as far as she was concerned.

Chergoa followed her to school as well. Maybe this was just for their first day together, though, because Cisco's reaper wasn't following him around.

Emiliana got through the beginning of the day normally enough, thankful for the routine of it all. Chergoa often wandered off to have a look around and perhaps see what Cisco was up to. It wasn't until they broke for lunch that the next moment that Emiliana had been dreading arrived. Being two years younger, she didn't share any classes with the boy of her affections, but she did share the same lunch period.

His name was Alex Belos, and he was sitting on the other side of the refectory. Emiliana remained with her two friends, but she stopped listening to what they were saying as Chergoa wandered closer to look at him. Thankfully, at least, Cisco had a different lunch period and wasn't sitting right next to him.

'Hmm,' said Chergoa privately. 'I thought he'd just be some pretty boy, but he definitely isn't.'

Emiliana squinted. 'What are you saying?'

'Nothing. Just that I figured a girl your age would go for someone more... handsome.'

'What?! He is very handsome!'

'Eh.'

She wanted to yell, but that would have made a scene, so she settled for a curt breath as her expression of disgust. 'You don't know what you're talking about.'

'I guess he's alright,' said Chergoa, 'if you're into horsefaces and big foreheads. Handsome in the non-traditional sense, maybe.'

'Shut up! You're an idiot, oh my god!'

'So defensive. You really do like him, huh?'

Emiliana growled under her breath until she realized that wasn't very ladylike. The odd looks from her friends may have had something to do with it as well. She made the excuse that she'd just been trying to clear her throat, which they seemed to buy, more or less.

'What's so great about him, anyway?' asked Chergoa.

She'd been expecting this question for a while. 'He's sweet, thoughtful, gentle, kind, handsome, and smart.'

Chergoa laughed. 'You sure came prepared, didn't you? How do you know that he really is all of those things, though?'

'Because he has been friends with my brother for five years, and I have known him just as long.'

'That doesn't really answer the question.'

'Ugh. You want specific examples?'

'I suppose not. His true nature should be apparent enough if I observe him when he thinks no one is watching.'

'That's... that's horrible. You shouldn't invade his privacy.'

'Shouldn't. But I'm still going to.'

'I'm telling you not to!'

'Good thing I'm the boss in this relationship, then.'

'Agh!'

'He's not even your boyfriend yet, is he?'

'N-no... but...'

'But what?'

'I'm supposed to meet him after school today.'

'Ooh. Why?'

'He said he wants to give me a birthday present.'

'Your birthday was two days ago.'

'Yes, well, we didn't have school two days ago.'

'Sounds fishy. Maybe I should tell Cisco and have him meet you there.'

Her eyes widened. 'Don't!'

'Only teasing.'

'Agh...'

'It's not like Alex could do anything to you, anyway. For his own sake, I hope he doesn't try anything.'

'He wouldn't do something like that.'

'You sound convinced.'

Emiliana returned to listening to her friends. Or tried to. They were talking about the upcoming biology exam, which she wasn't especially interested in. Not because it was boring, but rather because she wasn't worried about it. Biology was one of her best subjects. As usual, they asked her to help them study for it, and she just kind of nonchalantly agreed.

For the remainder of the school day, Emiliana could hardly focus. She'd been anxious all weekend, wondering what exactly Alex was going to say to her or what his present would be; and now that it was so close to time, it was almost too much for her. Combined with all this talk of dreaming about marriage and her parents letting her live how she wanted, Emiliana's imagination started leaping away from her, wondering what she would do if Alex asked her to marry him. Of course he wouldn't. Not today, surely. But eventually? Was that possible? What would their lives be like? She could be a mother and--

'So how much do you know about your heritage?' asked Chergoa.

The question came out of nowhere and yanked Emiliana back down to Eleg. It took her a moment to realize that the reaper was probably just bored with her geography teacher's lecture and trying to make conversation. 'Why do you ask?'

'Of all the houses and bloodlines in this country, only ten of them are "Rainlords."'

'There are more in Intar.'

'That's true, but the Rainlords of Sair are considered the purest descendants of the old Arman people. I'm just wondering what that means to you.'

Emiliana hesitated. 'Honestly? It doesn't mean much to me at all.'

'Oh?'

'I know I'm probably the only one in my family to think so, but... Elroy is just a name. My ancestry doesn't matter to me.'

'Hmm.'

'What do you think?' Emiliana asked. 'You're ancient and wise, aren't you?'

'Well, I don't think a bloodline makes someone "destined for greatness" or what have you, but I wouldn't go so far as to say that your ancestry is irrelevant, either.'

'Why? I genuinely don't understand what the fuss is about.'

'It has less to do with you individually and more to do with how people see you.'

'Well, that's their business, not mine.'

'And of course, there's also the fact that your family name has given you an overwhelming advantage in life. I hope you're not so spoiled that you don't even understand how privileged you are.'

'I know that.'

'That's what everyone says,' said Chergoa.

Emiliana stiffened her brow. 'What do you want me to say?'

'Something convincing. The Rainlords and Sandlords of Sair are the oldest living bloodlines on Eloa. Your father is granted a seat on the Council of Lords in addition to being a Captain of the Vanguard. If that doesn't mean much to you, then I would wager that you do not, in fact, understand how privileged you are.'

Emiliana rolled her eyes and returned to observing the teacher's presentation. The man was busy talking about the Gulf of Emerson, theorized to be the result of a megathrust earthquake that cut through the continent some ten thousand years ago.

It was one of the rare moments in this class that wasn't just about memorizing the names of cities and countries. She didn't see much point in a geography course when she could look places up on her phone whenever she wanted--or even pull up a map of the entire planet in a matter of seconds. Maybe that was just the "annoying teenager" part of her brain, but this class really did seem like something that only an old person would consider important.

Probably not a thought she should share with Chergoa, she figured.

Finally, her last class let out, and she grabbed her lemon umbrella and made her way around to the far end of the gym. She walked fast. Cisco was supposed to drive her home, so if this took too long, he would start wondering where she was.

She spotted Alex waiting for her beneath an overhang. With a knot in her chest, she approached him.

He smiled at her. "Hi."

She returned one of her own. "Hi."

"Thank you for coming."

"Of course."

At the sudden awkward silence, she couldn't help growing a bit impatient. "Is everything alright?" she asked.

"Sorry," he said, "I'm waiting for one more person."

Her smile waned. She was about to ask who he meant when someone rounded the corner and she saw that it was Cisco.

Emiliana's breath caught, and she turned to Chergoa.

'Hey, don't look at me,' the reaper said privately. 'I didn't tell him. Your boyfriend here obviously did.'

"So what's all this about?" said Cisco. His reaper still wasn't with him. Dennex was always rather dutiful about going out and reaping souls while Cisco was occupied with school.

Everyone's attention was on Alex now, and he shrunk a little, seemingly under Cisco's gaze the most. "I wanted to ask you... well, I wanted to ask her if she would go on a date with me--"

"Excuse me?" said Cisco, while Emiliana's eyes lit up.

"--but I want her brother's blessing as well," said Alex. He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a silver locket, holding it up for them both to see. "A token of my sincerity. So you know that I'm not--"

Cisco grabbed the boy's wrist. Alex flinched.

"Cisco, don't!" said Emiliana.

Cisco eyed the locket. He opened it with his other hand but didn't take it from Alex. There was no picture inside. Not yet, at least. He cocked an eyebrow at his sister. "You like this guy?"

She nodded furiously and with gritted teeth, said, "Don't hurt him!"

Cisco released him and then stared at the both of them with those steely eyes of his. That face owed so much to their father, more so than any of the other Elroy children. His hair, on the other hand, had been taken from both parents. It had their mother's waves and their father's jet blackness. If Cisco ever bothered to run a brush through it, his hair might have been quite appealing, but apparently, he preferred looking like an unkempt beast.

"No," said Cisco.

"What?" said Emiliana.

He stared at her. "No. He's not even brave enough to date you without seeking my permission first. I bet the only reason he asked us both to come is because he was worried I would beat his ass and wanted you here to stop me."

"That's not true!" she said. "Right?"

Alex's face scrunched up, and he just kind of shrugged.

Admittedly, that did dampen her enthusiasm a bit, but she was determined now. "Well, I don't need him to be brave," she said to her brother. "I only need him to be kind and sweet and thoughtful--which he is."

"Yeah!" said Alex. "I'm super nice!"

"Listen," said Cisco. "Alex, you're my friend, and I like you, but you are not a good match for my sister, and I'd rather you stay away from her."

Alex immediately nodded. "Well, okay, if that's how you feel--"

"Shut up, Alex," said Emiliana. "You don't need my brother's permission to date me."

"That's true," said Cisco, making them both blink at him. "But he asked for my blessing. I'm only telling him that I'm not going to give it."

"So, wait," said Alex. "If we start dating anyway, then... you're not going to murder me in my sleep?"

Cisco took his time answering. "Of course not. Don't be silly." His words didn't match the threat on his face and in his voice. "I would never hurt you. You're my friend."

"I'm glad that's settled." Emiliana took the locket from Alex and enveloped one of his arms with both of hers.

"Eh... y-yeah..."

"Where should we go for our first date, then?" she asked.

"Uh... I was thinking a movie, maybe...?"

"Great! When should we go? How about tonight?"

"Er--if you want, I guess we could--"

"By the way," interrupted Cisco, "now that she's fourteen, Emy has a reaper, who will probably be spying on you whenever you think no one is looking. Have fun with that."

"Cisco!"

'Hey!' said Chergoa. 'It's no fun if he knows I'm watching! You're only supposed to ruin your sister's good time, not mine!'

Alex just gave a nervous laugh.