Dragoncrest Cliffs Cordelia

She had wished, once, that Erzulie and Rosalyn would live to see many litters of grandchildren. Today, however, she begged them to wait; to give their grandchildren many years before they could see the faces of those who had gone before. She would sing to the children the songs Erzulie had taught her, and tell them of Rosalyn’s bravery…But she prayed they would not meet their grandmothers any time soon.

Her daughter was the one to break the tension, only to bring forth more. Chacal clamped her jaws shut and nodded softly; terminating a pregnancy was not something she wished for, but some part of her was quick to accept the notion, given the paternity.

But Suzu continued- and stole her mother’s breath from her when she said she would go away and she couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of Swordfish.

Etienne was the first to suggest what Chacal thought her daughter’s intentions might be. She felt slighted that Suzu would turn her back on the ocean, for all that it did give to them.

Mireille spoke, and Chacal nodded knowingly; words were almost impossible to find as she reckoned with bubbling contempt. If she had been able to overlook the children’s paternity before, she struggled with it now.

”Do n-n-not take dem to deir f-“
The consonant smothered the words at her lips for a moment. She drew in a breath to loosen her jaw again.
”Go to Er-r-r-est-“ Her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth. She nearly gagged as her breath remained blocked in her throat. When she drew in a breath, it came with a gasp.
She gave her sister a pained look.
She felt exposed; her secret out in the light, where once it had been at least partially shaded. Even with song, her voice could not be coaxed without several hesitations.
”Wssssss…zzzzzz…zzzzzzOrdfish.”