In Which Laveria Owes Nothing

December 23, 1176

Laveria racked her brain for anything she might have forgotten to pack. Nightgown? Check. Presents? Check. Her good dress for Christmas dinner at Severin's? Check.

Oh well. If it turned out that she was missing something, it wasn't as if it was a long walk back. Rifden and Aerina's new house was right by Falidor and Raia's, and that wasn't too far outside the village. Besides, if she was feeling lazy, she supposed she could always bully her son-in-law into going back for her things on her behalf. Now, just to grab the keys and snuff any remaining candles...

Knock!

...or not. Customers. Laveria sighed. "What is it?"

"Nice place you have here."

Laveria's spine turned to ice but it was thawed by the fire in her gut. So much for hoping that this new parish priest of Lorn's was some bizarre coincidence. "What do you want?"

"Does a man need a reason to call on an old protege?" He closed the door and shot her a smirk. Even after all these years, his mere presence left her tired and queasy. "I see you've let yourself age."

Laveria sniffed. "I see you haven't--and I was never your protege."

"I think we're both better off believing that which helps us sleep at night." Was that his idea of a joke? Frankly, she couldn't remember Remiel ever sleeping at all. "But anyway. I met an interesting little girl some weeks back. A very strange energy, she had, an impossible energy or so I'd thought. Imagine my shock when I found out she was your granddaughter."

That did it. On reflex, Laveria thrust her fist into counter, then stormed toward him, close as she could get without surrendering herself to his reach. "You stay away from my family, you hear?"

Not that such a demand was enough to threaten Remiel. If she'd known then that he'd still be alive and kicking now, still able to find her, she would have killed him when she'd had the chance. Now that he knew she had loved ones, 'regret' was not a strong enough word. "Ah, but that's precisely what puzzles me. You're hardly the first I've come across and of course there are records from long before my research ever started, but never has there been an instance of anything like you producing viable offspring."

"Have you considered that might just be because I'm the only one who survived long enough?" Really, though... he should have figured it out earlier. What did he think those potions he'd caught her brewing those couple times were for? Then again, perhaps she could just chalk that up to his being a man. "Getting away from you probably didn't hurt either."

"And I'll never forgive you for that. Do you have any idea how long it took to find a replacement?" If he was still alive, then not long enough. "At least I had the foresight to take certain precautions with this one. He can't even attempt to run away."

"Monster."

"A bit rich, coming from you." Her fist clenched. She would have struck him if that hadn't meant touching him. "Regardless, I'm still curious about these progeny of yours. How many are there? Sons, daughters... both, perhaps? Your granddaughter said she was married; have you any great-grandchildren, perhaps?"

"None of your goddamn business." She turned away and snatched a couple coins off her of scales. She'd been using them as weights, but perhaps they could serve a more pressing purpose. "I seem to recall you paying my uncle approximately as much? If that amount buys a person, it should be more than enough to make you leave."

She braced herself for some enraged grasp, but it never came. Perhaps at her age, her essence had lost its luster. Good. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"A hint." As if she had to ask what for. Within her veins, her blood boiled. "A name, a location, anything. I think you owe it to me to help me out where you can."

And if he thought that, he could shove it. "Remiel, get the fuck out of my house."

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