Chapter 14: Theridialis

The moment my feet touched down on the stone hall leading to Theridialis's tower, I breathed a sigh of relief, welcoming

the smile and warm feeling spreading through me, growing more powerful and cathartic with every step. Sequoia, normally

one step behind me, kept pace at my side, her answering grin a mirror image to mine.

Her father didn't await us at the platform where I left the guards. Nor did he come for us at all. Instead, Sequoia and I

traversed the length of the hall, my gaze drifting over the large balcony overlooking the city as we passed, my focus

shifting back toward the door to Theridialis's extensive laboratory.

We found him hunched over a set of beakers, humming off key to himself while he dripped tiny amounts of a glowing blue

liquid into each of them. My entire being relaxed as little puffs of smoke emerged from the line of vials, some squeaking

in a tiny voice, others bursting with rainbow light. The last one let out a giant boom so loud I jumped, almost missing

the soft belch at the very end.

Theridialis sat back with a delighted expression, thick hands patting the roundness of his belly as he turned toward us.

Joy lit his eyes, his pudgy face lighting with it as he held out his arms to us both.

"Dear girls," he said, gesturing for us to come to his side, "how lovely to see you."

Sequoia kissed her father's cheek as I hugged him and did the same to the opposite side, the warmth of his skin under my

lips and the scent of chocolate and cinnamon hearts waking the happy girl inside me.

He hugged us back before releasing us, beaming smile shining. "How lucky am I to have such delightful visitors."

Sequoia laughed and patted his hand. "Father," she said, "you're so forgetful when you're working. You asked us to come,

remember?"

I would have worried, except his daughter was right. I'd often spent hours watching him work, waiting for him to notice

me after he'd asked me to come visit. I never complained, though. There was such a lovely feeling to the old scientist

that brought me out of my Ruler persona and back into plain old Meems. It was nice to spend a little while pretending,

especially since his genuine nature shone through in everything he did. In fact, I don't think he ever once called me

Ruler.

I loved him for that.

Theridialis's face crumpled into a thoughtful frown a moment before he shook his head and laughed. "It will come to me,"

he said as he rose to his feet, round belly swaying as he waddled past us with a gentle squeeze to my hand. "Come, sit

and keep an old demon company while he tries to remember why he asked you here."

I joined Theridialis and Sequoia at a small table under a large window. His tower reached far into the sky, though no

match for the height of the Seat. I actually preferred his view, the closeness of the city, the way I felt as though I

were part of it instead of being so far above and out of touch.

My father's oldest friend reached for a steaming jug, pouring out a cup of nectar. The scent reached my nostrils, making

my senses flare and the old addiction rise. A flash of Sekaniphestat's face crossed my mind as Theridialis filled a

second mug. But when he moved to pour a third, Sequoia's hand covered the lip, a frown tightening her brow.

"Father," she said.

He tilted his head to one side before paling, setting the jug aside. Theridialis engulfed one of my hands in his with a

sad scowl. "Meira, my dear, forgive an ancient fool."

I managed a smile, one of many I'd forced to my lips in situations just like this. "It's fine," I said, even though I

knew it really wasn't.

It would never be fine, thanks to his dead wife. Her plan to control me, using her adapted nectar to speed up my

development and addict me to her brand of nectar, ruined me forever. Even now, as he turned from me and lifted the mug to

his lips, my mouth burst with saliva, the need for the flavor of the nectar so great I could taste it in the back of my

throat. My body begged for the chocolate deliciousness, for the burst of power promised in its depths. There was a time I

avoided nectar altogether, only to realize that strategy merely put me at a disadvantage. The first time Henemordonin

drank a cup next to me at a court dinner, eyes locked on mine the entire time while Ahbi held down my writhing soul, I

knew I had to find a way to desensitize myself from the burning need.

It took a few months to be able to sit still without Ahbi's help. And now, years later, I could observe with some

detachment despite my body's urgent desperation.

I wish I could have shielded you from what she did, Ahbi sent, tone sad and deep.

We've had this conversation, I sent as flares of memory rose-

I ache all over, screaming as Sekaniphestat stands over me, glowing eyes cold and calculating-

Hot nectar pours down my throat, burning a path through my system, my power flaring from contact even as my soul

shrivels-

I'm in a fog, the world around me distorted and webbed with cracks around the edges as I speak through my lips, though

the words aren't my own, fury and hate aimed at my sister who stands in a dark cavern, staring up at me in shock and

horror-

Child. I snapped out of the cycle, the sky suddenly too bright, the chair I sat on hard-edged and painful. My eyes fell

to my hands, half way across the table, reaching for the nectar while Sequoia and Theridialis stared.

I'm okay, I sent to Ahbi as I firmly tucked my hands back in my lap. "I need to be exposed," I said, keeping my tone firm

and level. "It's fine."

I'm tired of hearing you say that, Ahbi sent.

Best I can do, I'm afraid, I sent back.

Theridialis set his mug aside, sadness suddenly altering into a light-bulb moment as he snapped his fingers. "Nectar!"

"Yes, Father," Sequoia said, worried eyes never leaving me. "Though I disagree with Ruler's choice to torture herself

so."

He shook his head, bald pate shiny in the light of the suns pouring through the window. "My darling daughter," he said,

"nectar is the reason I asked you here."

Wild hope surged in my chest, radiating outward as I leaned toward him. "You've found a cure?" He'd been searching for

years for the means to clear my system of the addiction.

His face fell yet again as he sighed. "No, I'm afraid not," he said. "But I do have something to show you." Theridialis

lurched to his feet, crossing the room to retrieve a flask which he brought back to me. My eyes locked on the deep indigo

liquid as he offered it to me. Sequoia tried to block him, but I seized the canister before she could, and she backed off

with a small nod of apology.

"This is nectar?" I sniffed it, grapes and what smelled like peanut butter calling me to chug the liquid PB&J. My hand

shook slightly but I was proud of my ability to give it back to him without submitting to my craving.

"It is," he said, sitting again, swirling the purple stuff around inside the vial. "As you know, there are many different

kinds of nectar." I knew that, intimately to my great regret. "Most are power inducers," he gestured at the mug beside

him, "a mild stimulant. Others are more intense and bring about rigorous response." Firsthand knowledge of such

concoctions almost dragged me into memory again. Only Ahbi held me firmly in place and I silently thanked her for it

while Theridialis went on. "This particular blend is new," he said, his round face now pinched with curiosity mixed with

concern. Knowing Theridialis treated everything with the child-like innocence of a true scientist, for the pure knowing

of things, the fact he seemed worried troubled me deeply.

"How so, Father?" Sequoia took the vial from him, sniffed the top, examined it as she held the deep fluid up to the

light. Purple sparkled in a prism across the back of my hand as the suns diffused the nectar and sent beams of color

around the room.

"Rather than boosting power," he said, tapping his thick fingers on the edge of the table, "it contains a mild

suppressant. It serves to soften the edges of magic, to soothe the monster within." I shivered at the reference. "I'd

heard of it, naturally. But this is the first sample I've been able to get my hands on."

"That makes little sense," Sequoia said, setting the vial down on the table. I swallowed hard, averting my eyes, keeping

them locked on the bald scientist so my addiction riddled mind wouldn't fixate. "Demons crave power, not the other way

around."

Theridialis stared out the window a moment, and when he spoke his words were soft, thoughtful. "Demon youngsters are

using it in growing numbers," he said. "Because the blunting of their magic is a novelty. They then engage in battles for

power that amount to little more than giggling matches." He shrugged, smiled as he turned back to us. "Harmless, and yet,

curious. Why anyone would consider creating this type of nectar in the first place has me baffled."

Ahbi hissed in my head. The Planeless.

I'm sorry, I missed your mental leap, I sent. What about them?

Meira, child, think. She shuddered within. The demons who are converting are powerless, correct?

That was what Ram said. I suppressed my own shudder as the implications became clear. You think a stronger version of

this could be the method the Planeless use on their followers?

Ask him. She mentally tapped her foot. Just ask him.

"Theridialis," I said, leaning forward as Ahbi stewed, "have you heard of the Planeless?"

Sequoia gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as her father shook his head.

It took only a moment to tell him everything I knew. Theridialis leaned back as Sequoia stared at the vial of nectar as

though it were about to bite her. "Fascinating," he said. "And entirely possible. This is a mild version of what could

very well be the controlling substance you would need to negate the power of demons."

"Which means they could still have their power," I said. "Rather than it being drained from them, it's only being

suppressed." That did make me feel better. If so, whoever was leading the cult wouldn't be all-powerful after all.

If, Ahbi sent.

"Sickening," Sequoia whispered, wide eyes meeting mine. "The demons who are converting likely have no idea they are being

controlled in the first place."

"I also detected a coercive in the nectar," Theridialis said, now sounding as troubled as I felt. "Again, a stronger

version could easily supplant the will of the demon drinking it, making him or her susceptible to suggestion."

"Maybe this is how they first introduce the cult," I said. "Beginning with the young demons in each city, supplying them

with this mild version. Then, when the Planeless begin actively recruiting, it only takes a dose or two of the real thing

to suck them in."

Ahbi's anger snapped and popped. Insidious and brilliant, she sent. And absolutely unacceptable.

"Theridialis," I couldn't help the snarl of anger accompanying my words, "is there a way to reverse it?"

He shrugged, fingers sliding over the glass vial. "Possibly," he said, "though I would need a sample of the full dose

nectar to find an antidote." He held up one hand. "If there really is such a nectar. We are only working on supposition."

I stood abruptly, nodding. "Time to find out," I said. "And the elements help whoever it is because, if they are drugging

my people, I'm going to eat them alive."

***