Chapter 47: Joke's On You

The consecration of various areas of the delta was an all-day event. After much discussion with the villagers, civil engineers, surveyors, and excavators, three sites were consecrated by the Bishop of Karap. The first site was on the largest of the delta islands, which had yet to start any development.

In the morning, several boats brought Tori, several village leaders, project and construction leads, and the Bishop of Karap’s party, including Brother Cassius and Constantine, to the largest island: Île des Rois or, as Tori often just referred to it - “Rois”.

After the consecration of the future church site on Rois, they went to an island slated for phase three of construction: Naos, where a small temple complex would be built. It was half the size of the test island and just next to Rois. Tori thought building a bridge between it and the church one day would be nice.

The party then returned to the encampment for lunch. In the afternoon, they visited an area further up river, past the encampment, that Tori had specifically asked to secure for the village.

They took boats to where a bend in the river made a piece of land jut out. It was dotted with trees and relatively flat; not as wet as downriver.

This was the area selected on the mainland to house the remains of the village’s dead. Soleil both cremated and burial their dead, but the villagers’ custom was a day-long cremation. According to Johan, the deceased’s ashes and bones would be gathered by close family members and friends to be put in a stone, ceramic, or simple pottery box and buried on a section of the family’s property reserved for burial.

If the family didn’t have property, then they’d be buried in a public cemetery. In the delta, no one had property where they could bury generations of family members. It didn’t seem that anyone really thought about this until Tori brought it up.

In her original world, she’d been to many cemeteries. Some, like New Orleans’ St. Louis Cemetery Number One, had been for tourist reasons: curiosity on architecture, culture, and local religious practices. Sometimes, the burial area had historical significance. Other times, it was for the more mundane reason of someone she knew being buried there.

So, she took the lead. She suggested looking for a place on the mainland where they could bury and entomb their dead. Tori scoured the area just beyond the previously allocated land and applied for an area to be allocated to the village as burial grounds. Brother Cassius was brought into the conversation, as she wanted to be respectful of religious traditions. In the end, the group mapped out a piece of land that would be divided into plots for families to use with both below and above ground burials.

Tori sectioned off an area within that piece of land to be used for the cremation, including a place for people to sit and a small house with a kitchen for the family to rest and serve food to mourners. No gathering was done without food, after all. There would also be places for select shrines.

They still had to plot out the finer details, but it was enough to have secured the land for burial.

Tori was fascinated watching the consecration. There was holy water and incense involved. There was a specific blessing made and a prayer said to the Belcoy pantheon asking for blessing and protection. Finally, a hand-sized piece of clear quartz carved with Old Sulfae was buried in the soil. Constantine told her that the quartz was kept in Temple Mountain for at least a hundred years before it is brought out to consecrate a site.

That meant on the delta, there were three of those quartz pieces now buried. After the consecration of the burial grounds, the Bishop of Karap stood overlooking the river at the edge of the piece of land.

“Lady Guevera,” the gray-haired man with blue eyes and wrinkled, tanned skin said. “May I ask why you selected this area for the burial grounds?”

Tori was standing beside him and pursed her lips. “It seemed like a good place for a ceremonial site. Far enough away from the edge of the delta where it wouldn't be bothered and perhaps one day threatened by urban sprawl, but close enough for the villagers to come. The surveyors and planners said this was also suitable land for modest burial and to build above ground tombs to hold remains.”

“It is on the west side of the river,” the Bishop said. He turned around to face the land. “From here, you can see the sunset.”

Tori smiled a bit. “Is it not fitting?”

The Bishop smiled as well and looked ahead. “It is very fitting. You have done well, Lady Guevera.”

“As Constantine said: we should all strive to do what the gods call upon us to do,” Tori replied. She heard the old man chuckle.

“Lady Guevera, as this area is not part of any duchy and their bishops, whose religious jurisdiction is it under?”

“As of right now, as this is property of the Imperial Family, I believe it’s under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Horizon,” Tori said. “Though, it is a bit far.”

“My jurisdiction covers many outlying coastal villages and islands in the gulf.”

Tori raised a brow and looked at the old man with a slight grin. “Your Excellency, are you asking to oversee the delta?”

“There is a good energy here,” the Bishop told her as he squinted into the distance. “The vein is strong.”

“Can you sense it?” She was impressed. Aside from Instructor Ignatius, who had perked up in the carriage as soon as they reached the general vicinity of the delta and its energy vein, no one else had mentioned it.

The old man chuckled and gave her a knowing look. “There are few crystal masters remaining, but we exist,” he said. “Also, Lady Guevera, the Archbishop of Karap and Temple Mountain, and the region’s coasts and islands, is Pope Zisos. He has heard of your project and is interested.”

Tori drew her head back and felt another wave of pressure sweep over her. “The pope is interested in my Lycée project?” Why did these important people keep becoming interested in her project?

“Specifically, the resettlement of refugees. The process may also be applied to people faced with natural disaster, as well as war,” the Bishop told her. “As you know, the Belcoy Church is heavily involved with such organizations and projects dealing with helping those who need it. He has asked me to extend the goodwill of the church to you, should you need it.”

Her mouth opened and remained agape as she tried to take in the Bishop’s words. “But...the church is already helping.”

The Bishop chuckled once more. “And should you need additional help, even if it is prayers or blessings, we are open to your requests.”

Tori could only nod, somewhat stunned that she’d received such an offer. This was beyond her expectations when she asked Constantine. She frowned.

“Your Excellency, is this because of Mr. Zisos?” she asked, her brows furrowed.

The Bishop smiled. “No, though he was the one who brought it to the Pope’s attention. He sent us to both consecrate the land, as asked, and to observe. The collaborative work is impressive. Everyone is eager.”

“There is a sense of urgency to get them settled and seeing the islands slowly develop is encouraging,” Tori said. “I can only plan and budget. It’s the villagers, students, professors, and hired workers that do the difficult work.”

The Bishop reached out his hand and Tori, having seen him do this earlier, lifted her head and brushed aside some hair that fell over her forehead. She heard him speak in Old Sulfae before pressing his thumb against her forehead and making a small circle. She could feel a bit of gentle, comforting warmth coming from that spot.

“Eshra, Karsar, and Surgrid,” he said as he pulled back his hand. “Your trifecta blessing is the goddess of mercy and benevolence, the god of fortitude, and the goddess of knowledge.” His eyes crinkled up and he laughed. “How very fitting!”

Tori smiled a bit. While all Gueveras had at least one of their blessings be from a god of wisdom, usually Suraelle or Surgrid, the other two were selected for what aspects the parents and godparent hoped the child would have.

Sebastian was also blessed with Surgrid, then Juhan, god of military strength and battle ability, and Saphira, goddess who protected the home, family, and children. Kasen was blessed with Suraelle, god of wisdom; Zoara, goddess of logic and reason; and, surprisingly, Phirus, god of passion and creativity.

She’d heard her mother lament that she should’ve had Kasen blessed by the goddess of patience and understanding, as Kasen used to get into fights all the time as a child.

“Your Excellency! Lady Guevera! The boats are ready!” Someone called from the makeshift wooden dock not far away.

“Lady Guevera, please do not feel pressured by my words or the words of Pope Zisos,” the Bishop said. “What you are doing now is more than enough.”

Tori gave him a small bow of her head and followed behind him. She took her seat on a separate boat, where she discussed possible buildings for the burial area. Tori wanted to wait until Architect Ebbadottir returned, as the woman was still combing the empire for quality resources to be used.

The Bishop was to stay until the end of the week and at first, Tori wasn’t sure what else he’d do, as she’d already given him a tour of the islands and the encampment. She didn’t need to worry. When he wasn’t giving counsel to villagers or leading a prayer, he dragged his small entourage of exasperated priests and guards around the delta.

To count, Tori knew he took a small walking tour along the shore with Brother Cassius, went bird and animal watching with Margo, which included a successful whale-watching trip, and heavily discussed crystals with Instructor Ignatius.

The day before the Bishop and his party were scheduled to leave, a worried Constantine ran to find her because the Bishop and Instructor Ignatius were doing a crystal experiment on one of the empty islands.

“They’re what?” Tori snapped her head up from the table, where she was reviewing the list of supplies the teachers had requested.

Constantine ran a hand through his hair and kept looking out the open door, towards the shore. “They just got on a boat. Brother Cassius tried to talk them out of it, but they insisted, and so he sent me to get you.”

Tori shot up from her seat. “Nanny Rey!” she shouted as she ran around the divider to her sleeping quarters. “Get the things from Daybreak Garden!” She rushed out with a large bag around her shoulder.

Constantine’s eyes narrowed, appearing confused. “What is-”

“Let’s go! We need to get there before they do something!” Tori ran past him. As they shot out of her tent, Nanny Rey was right beside them with what looked like a pile of thick, leather bags in her arms.

Tori nearly ran the entire way to the dock, reaching it somewhat out of breath. As soon as the boatmen saw her coming, they opened the gate to let her, Constantine, and Nanny Rey through.

“Where did the Bishop and Instructor Ignatius go?” Constantine asked as they got into one of the boats.

“His Excellency and the instructor said they were going to Anahata Island,” the boatman said. Anahata Island was named after the heart chakra, as the first time Tori went on it, she could feel energy without trying. Nowhere else on the delta had she been able to sense it so clearly just by being near that particular island. It also happened to be the island furthest away from shore, but when viewed from the lagoon, it was spaced in the center. “Shall I follow?”

“Yes! Quickly!” Tori said, almost unable to contain her impatience. “We need to get there before they start.”

Constantine nodded. His look of worry didn’t fade. Across from him, Tori gathered the heavy leather pieces from Nanny Rey.

“What are those?”

“Leather aprons. They’re usually used in a blacksmith’s shop,” Tori said. “I also brought some helmets.”

He went quiet for a moment. His voice tightened. “Why are you bringing leather aprons and helmets?”

Tori avoided his eyes as the boat raced across the water to get to the island. “After the explosion, I noticed that the crystal shards didn’t pierce my leather satchel, so I thought to get thicker leather to use as protection, in case of another accident, and the helmets are to cover our heads...just in case.”

Constantine’s eyes crinkled up. “Lady Guevera....”

“It’ll be fine! Did you know His Excellency is a crystal master?” Tori said, trying to sound casual. “He knows what he’s doing.”

“Lady Guevera, His Excellency was banned from using crystals in Karap after his attempt to till the land quickly with crystals caused a small landslide,” Constantine told her with a helpless expression. “No one was hurt, but it took some time to clean up and it held back that season’s planting.”

Tori pursed her lips. “But...was the land tilled?” Beside her, Nanny Rey closed her eyes and let out a low breath.

Anahata Island was near. From the boat, they could see the two other boats that carried the Bishop of Karap, Instructor Ignatius, and the hapless others who were forced to come with them. Tori saw the group of guards, priests, and Brother Cassius standing by the shore as two figures seemed to be combing the island.

As soon as their boat landed, Tori jumped out, carrying the aprons and bags with her. Constantine tried to help her, but she shook her head.

“They’re heavy, let me help you,” he said as he reached for the aprons.

“No, no. You stay here. Nanny Rey! Keep everyone else back! I’ll go talk to them!” Tori trudged up the embankment, ignoring the looks of relief she got from the guards and priests. Joke’s on you. I’m here to join them. “Instructor Ignatius! Your Excellency!”

Instructor Ignatius turned around and beamed. “Lady Tori! What are you doing here?”

“Me? What are you doing?” she cried out, panting a bit from climbing up the island to reach them. Anahata Island was roughly the size of the test island, but taller. It had a lovely view of the delta from the top of its hill.

“Your instructor told me about your idea to charge multiple crystals at once and the explosion it caused. I thought about it and remembered that you used selenite, yes?” the Bishop said with an excited look on his face. Tori nodded. “Well, selenite is a lunar crystal. Instead of charging using earth energy, why don’t you try to harness lunar energy?”

“We’re looking for a place to set up the selenite charging plate for tonight’s full moon,” Instructor Ignatius told her. “Anahata Island is the strongest point of the vein and has this hill. I think it’s a suitable place.”

Tori let out a low breath. “Then, you’re only setting up an experiment?”

“Well, the preparation is part of it,” the Bishop said with a laugh. He furrowed his brows and gave her a curious look. “Did you rush here thinking we were doing an experiment?” He sighed and looked down the hill, towards the group of priests and guards watching them by the shore. He frowned. “They worry too much.”

“I didn’t want you to start without proper safety precautions in case of another explosion,” Tori said, holding up the leather aprons. “I brought helmets and thick leather aprons to protect one from any shards.”

The two men looked surprised by this and then were immediately elated. “You see, Your Excellency? I told you. She’s my favorite pupil for a reason!” Instructor Ignatius beamed.

“That’s a very good idea, Lady Guevera,” the Bishop said as he stroked his beard. “We’ll wear them tonight!”

“Tonight?” Tori furrowed her brows.

“Yes. We need to see how long it will take for a full moon’s energy to be absorbed and then channeled into the crystals,” Instructor Ignatius said. “Do you want to join us?”

Tori’s eyes widened. “Yes-”

“Benedict Ignatius, you’re not inviting my sister to join you in a dangerous experiment, are you?” A low voice filled the area and Tori froze. Across from her, Instructor Ignatius’ face paled.

“Kasen!” He took a small step back.

I’m caught. Quick, Tori, soften him up! She whirled around and her face lit up. “Kasey!” She tossed the leather aprons at Instructor Ignatius as she ran towards her brother with open arms. “I missed you so much! You’re here early!”

“Hmm...I’m here just in time is more like it.” Kasen raised a brow, but smiled as he welcomed her into his arms. He squeezed her tightly, lifting her off her feet as he pressed his head against hers. “What did we tell you about doing experiments?”

“I have supervision!”

“Cry Baby Benny is hardly supervision.”

“Kasey....” Tori gave him a slight frown as her feet touched the ground. He smirked and looked past her.

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“Hello, Benedict.” He gave Instructor Ignatius a small nod of his head and looked towards the Bishop. “You are the Bishop of Karap. Good afternoon, Your Excellency.” He sounded much more respectful to the Bishop.

The Bishop greeted him and stepped in on behalf of Instructor Ignatius to reassure Kasen that the experiment was safe. Still, Kasen asked to review the Old Sulfae on the selenite disc before he allowed them to set up.

“Do you think it’ll work?” Tori asked as they finished setting up the disc on a cleared area at the top of the hill. Kasen had used his dagger to scrape a few more characters into it in order to ‘program’ the disc further.

“Only the experiment will confirm it, but I have to admit, it’s quite ingenious. You’re using a Metatron star to funnel specific amounts of energy to different locations on the disc and using a large clear quartz to store excess energy to try to keep the disc from overcharging the other crystals,” Kasen said as they walked down the hill. “If this works, it would be very beneficial, and people can reuse their existing crystals instead of buying new ones.”

Tori nodded. “I hope it’s as fast as I hope it to be. That’s why I started the experiment. I can ground and charge, but it’s very slow outside of the energy vein. Sebby was able to charge an aurora stone in seconds.”

“Sebastian is nicknamed ‘the monster’ for a reason. Don’t compare your ability with his abnormal one,” Kasen said. “Being able to ground and charge is more than many people can do.”

“You’ll also improve your ability the more you use it!” the Bishop said behind them.

Tori nodded. They reached the shore and Constantine and Brother Cassius rushed to ask what was happening. They looked relieved when Tori said they hadn’t started, but then looked somewhat worried when she told them they’d return later that night. Out of concern, they wanted to come, but Tori told them the fewer people the better, as she only had so many helmets.

In the end, Tori went with her brother, Instructor Ignatius, the Bishop, and two of his guards to the island. Kasen put a charm on her helmet for added protection and sat in front of her as they observed from a few steps away. The selenite was glowing and soon, the clear quartz started to glow.

“Full charge under the full moon for the selenite disk is twelve and a half minutes,” Instructor Ignatius said as he looked at a watch. Tori wrote down the time. “Quartz is now absorbing excess lunar energy and has been programmed to dim when full. Selenite was grounded to release any additional energy absorbed into the earth once the quartz is - oh, that was fast. Quartz is fully charged.”

Tori lifted her head and squinted. “Was it empty?”

Instructor Ignatius nodded. “I made sure to use an energy-less quartz to maximize the amount of energy it can absorb.”

“What’s the time for that, Benedict?” the Bishop asked.

“Two and a quarter minutes....” There was surprise in his voice. “Shall we test the other crystals?”

Tori and the Bishop both nodded with silent excitement. Kasen sat on a stool beside her and watched with some boredom as his sister wrote down their findings. He yawned as the trio threw out various theories and tested crystals.

“This entire time the disc hasn’t dimmed,” Tori said. “I wonder how long it’ll last.”

“We can leave it here and I can check. It would be good to see how long it’ll last when the moon wanes and there is a new moon,” Instructor Ignatius said.

The Bishop huffed. “Benedict, my boy, I envy you. If I wasn’t needed back in Karap, I’d join you. I have a few tests I’d like to try here, as well.”

Tori tensed up, remembering what Constantine had told her about the small landslide. “You are not allowed to test on any other island but this one,” Tori said firmly.

“And not until we bury some aventurine pillars around the island to contain and absorb any stray and excess energy that could cause damage to my sister’s village,” Kasen said with narrowed eyes. “Do you hear that, Sebastian?”

Tori looked down at the open comcry on her brother’s lap. She hadn’t noticed it and winced. Sebastian was listening the entire time. Her cheeks reddened. She had asked some stupid questions.

“I need to know how large the island is and do some calculations,” her eldest brother’s voice said. “Cry Baby Benny, don’t do anything outside of tinkering with small gadgets, understand?”

Instructor Ignatius shrank back and swallowed hard. “Yes, Senior Sebastian.”

“If I find out something happened to my sister’s village because you messed up-”

“Sebby, I’m sure he’ll contain himself. He already has a slew of things he’s working on!” Tori quickly cut in before her brother could threaten Instructor Ignatius’ life with the Bishop of Karap standing right next to them. Kasen’s cold, formidable look already seemed to let Instructor Ignatius, and the Bishop, know the consequences.

“Tori, have someone send me the surveyor maps and excavator papers for the island and I’ll prepare,” Sebastian said.

“Do you know how much this will cost?” Tori asked, somewhat nervously. Big crystals were expensive, and it sounded as if big crystals were necessary.

“Don’t concern yourself with that. I was having trouble figuring out what to get you for your birthday,” Sebastian said, his voice much more affectionate when he was talking to her. “Let me fortify the island for your birthday present.”

Tori drew her lips into a tightline. I am so spoiled; I almost hate myself.

“Wait a moment. I brought it up,” Kasen said, frowning. “This should be my present.”

“You copied and translated that entire charms book from Master Ramos for her. The crystal energy fortifications are from me!” Sebastian told them. “Tori, don’t worry. I’ll have everything ready before you start Lycée in the fall.”

Tori wanted to protest, but she looked at Instructor Ignatius and the Bishop, who looked surprisingly excited at the idea despite clearly being threatened. She took a deep breath and nodded. “I will leave it to you, Sebby. You should come and see them when they’re being installed.”

“You’re inviting me?” Sebastian sounded elated and Tori cringed.

“If you’re not busy-”

“Then as soon as Papa and Mama return from the succession ceremony, I’ll come! Save me a tent!” As if to make sure that no one would refute him, he quickly told his siblings, or rather, Tori, that he loved her and to be good before the crystal dimmed and the call ended.

“Lady Tori, with the crystal energy fortifications, we can safely do our experiments on the island.” Instructor Ignatius looked almost breathless as he thought of their glorious, experiment-filled future.

“This is a good distance away from the rest of the islands,” the Bishop agreed with a serious look. “Small bursts of energy, like what happened at Lycée, won’t be a problem. Considering safety, people would be out of harm’s way. With your brother’s precautions, it would be enough to contain large waves of energy.”

“And remember, even large waves of energy from crystals do weaken the further out they go,” Instructor Ignatius told her. “I also highly doubt we’d work on something with that much energy on the island. There is just limited space. However, it would be a good place to do some ‘research and development’, as you’ve called it.”

Tori furrowed her brows. “I have no problem with this as long as it doesn’t negatively affect the village and the delta. That includes the wildlife and environment, as well as the people and the structures.”

“Of course. I’d hate for there to be a negative impact on the quality of life here,” the Bishop said with seriousness. “Where would the otters live?”

“Kasey?” Tori turned to her brother. “What do you think?”

“It can be done,” Kasen said. “Although, I think that aside from Sebastian, you should try to find another master.” Tori slowly lifted her hand to point to Instructor Ignatius and Kasen snorted. “He’s a master in the loosest of terms.”

“Considering the scope of this, I may not be of as much help,” the Bishop said as he furrowed his brows and frowned. “I am also required in Karap.”

“Your Excellency, do you know of any other crystal masters who may be able to help?” Instructor Ignatius asked.

The old man frowned and appeared stumped. Tori looked down and wrinkled her nose. She didn’t know who else to ask. Perhaps Sebastian would know. She reached into her pocket and took out her comcry to call him back.

Her eyes widened with surprise to find it glowing. She flipped it open, wondering who it was as it wasn’t time for her nightly Ilyana-call. Across from her, the Bishop looked at Instructor Ignatius with some disappointment.

“There is one, but he’s kept a low profile since his retirement-”

“Hello? Mr. Ramos?” Tori stepped a bit away to take the call.

“Lady Guevera, how are you?” an amused, scratchy voice asked from the comcry.

Tori smiled. “I’m doing very well! How are you? Are you calling with more books on charms?”

She heard him laugh. “I’m still collecting a few for you. I received a call from your brother just now.”

Tori drew her head back. “My brother...?” She looked at Kasen, but knew he hadn’t called anyone else. She narrowed her eyes. “Sebby, I mean, Sebastian?”

“Yes, the young lord. The most...stubborn of my pupils,” Mr. Ramos said, with a hint of exhaustion in his voice. “He was rambling on about something and mentioned you. He was annoying, so I ended that call and thought to call you instead. Tell me, is it true? Do you really have an island on an energy vein?”

Tori blinked and slowly nodded. “Yes, it’s in the Cosora Delta. I’ve been assigned to resettle refugees from the eastern war front here. The first time I came, I noticed it was on an energy vein. A rather strong one.” She looked up and saw several pairs of eyes staring at her in silence. Tori raised a brow and turned around. “The peak seems to be a particular island furthest from shore. My brother says to put aventurine around it to contain energy.”

“That idiot. Aventurine can only do so much. You’d need black tourmaline and clear quartz, as well.” Mr. Ramos snorted. Tori could almost see him rolling his eyes. “I can’t leave such an important place to him....” He muttered.

“Mr. Ramos, you know a lot about crystals, don’t you?” Tori asked. “Do you know a crystal master who could come and oversee the development of the island for experimenting with crystals?” She didn’t hear the Bishop almost choking behind her.

“It’s in the Cosora Delta?” Mr. Ramos asked. He seemed to pause for a moment. “Lady Guevera, would it be possible to come and see it?”

She was a bit surprised at the request, but wouldn’t stop him. If he was Sebastian’s teacher at one point, then he was likely a crystal master in his own right.

“Of course, Mr. Ramos! Is that all right though? What about the antique shop?”

“Ah, it’s fine. I can close down whenever I want. I’m retired, you know,” he said with another laugh. “Give me two, no, one month, and I will be there.”

“I’ll have a tent prepared for you, but I won’t be here to welcome you, as at the time, I’ll be in Anlar.”

“Ah, yes, for Lady Siobhan’s succession ceremony. Don’t worry so much about hospitality. As long as there is a roof over my head and a place for me to sleep, I’ll be fine,” he said with a reassuring voice.

“Then, I will have everything prepared for you, Mr. Ramos!” Tori smiled widely. “I’ll let my instructor know to expect you. He can show you the island.”

“Excellent, I look forward to it. Also, I’ll bring you some interesting things, yes?”

Tori giggled. “Sounds great. I’ll see you in a few months then, Mr. Ramos! Safe journey!” She slid her finger across the crystal and turned around. Her excited smile faltered as she saw the Bishop and Instructor Ignatius staring at her with a strange mixture of disbelief and...terror.

“Lady Guevera.” The Bishop’s voice shook just a bit. “Who...who was that who called you?”

“Oh, Jorge Andronikos de Ramos,” Tori said. “He owns the antique shop in Presidio where I bought that charms book. I didn’t know he was Sebby’s crystal master.”

The Bishop lifted his hand to his mouth and almost whimpered. “My dear Lady Guevera...do you know who Master Ramos is?”

Tori tilted her head to the side, confused.

“Tori,” Kasen said as he stood up. “Master Ramos isn’t just Sebastian’s crystal master. He is the premiere crystal master in Soleil.”

“That being said,” Tori said as she sat on her bed, cross legged and looking down at her comcry in front of her. “Is it possible to use that island to do crystal experiments?”

“There is no reason for it not to be,” Piers replied. “The entire delta is under your jurisdiction.”

“I know, but the land is property of the imperial family,” Tori told him. “It’s under my jurisdiction now, but what about after the project is over? Can we still use it to do crystal experiments?”

Piers didn’t answer at once. “You can do whatever you want on the delta.”

She rolled her eyes. “All right, I’m going to go through with this in order to have a place to do experiments and develop things.” She thought for a moment. “What if I buy the island from your family?”

“That’s not necessary.”

“I was already considering buying this particular island that had a really nice view, and maybe build a small place to come and relax-”

“You don't need to buy it.”

“I can’t just ask for it to be given to me. I know we’re not using up all the islands, even the ones that can be built upon, and that a few families want to settle on the mainland, but I can’t just claim an island for myself.”

“Yes, you can.”

“Piers.” Tori sighed, tired.

“Tori,” he said. She could hear a hint of amusement in his voice. “Consider the delta as yours. You can build whatever you want. You can build a store, a restaurant, a mansion.”

Tori cracked a small smile. “I can build a crystal research and development facility on an island?”

“If you want, you can build a crystal tower seen from across the lagoon,” Piers told her, causing Tori to laugh. His voice softened. “Tori, you can do whatever you want.”

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