The Cuckoo's Eye

by Holly Campbell

  *****

  Blair cried herself to sleep that night. She kept her face buried in her pillow, refusing to let me hear. I was not sure what had hurt her the most – her uncle’s actions or her aunt’s accusations. I tried to comfort her as best I could, the pair of us curled up together on her narrow bed. I lay awake, determined to be there until she had dozed off. At the skylight, there came the sound of tapping. I looked up and caught the flutter of wings. A bird? It continued to tap in short bursts of three. A flash of white around its neck stood out amongst the dark and I growled softly. I was not sure why but something about the creature unsettled me.

  Beside me, Blair stirred and grumbled sleepily. I slipped off the bed and went to the window seat. I wanted to remain vigilant. If something happened, if anyone tried to come near Blair, I would be waiting. My eyes roamed the garden and came to rest on the tree. A dark shape was visible, protruding from one of the branches and hanging down, not quite reaching the ground.

  Do you remember that night?

  The shape seemed to grow more defined as I watched, like details being added to a drawing. Legs, arms, a slumped head.

  You watched. You watched them come for us. You wanted it to happen.

  A sound echoed around the room, one I recognised. A steady creaking as something heavy swung back and forth. I remembered that night well. The shouting, the screaming, the flickering of fire light turning the shadows into twisted monsters. I had watched it all and been glad.

  I had been in Maeve’s cottage. She had found me in my home, next to the body of my sweet Liadan and had dragged me to her house. She had kept me there, letting me out only occasionally when I had pleased her. I think she had hoped I would fall for her charms and be hers once more. Perhaps I would have, given time.

  Then the villagers had come. They had dragged her and Cessair to the trees, bound them and suspended them from the branches. Cessair had died almost instantly. But Maeve. She had seen me watching, she had locked eyes with me and burned her image into my brain.

  But looking at the garden it was not her that I saw. Beneath the tree, I could make out blonde hair, pale slender fingers and a pink dress.

  Liadan hung from the tree, feet skimming the ground as the rope moved in the breeze. I could see it all with such clarity now. Her body was illuminated with fire that was not there. I could see the blood on her dress that always lingered in my dreams and my nightmares. The blood that stained my soul and my mind.

  All the women you love die. You slaughtered Liadan. You let me hang. Do not deny that you did love me once. Your touch is poison Faolan.

  The rope swayed, the corpse turning beneath the branch. As it rotated round to face me once more, it was no longer Liadan that I saw. Instead I was met with Blair’s lifeless form.

  I yelped and leapt backwards, falling off the window seat in my haste. My head snapped around to the bed where Blair still slept peacefully. My entire body was shaking as I stared at her in confusion and fear.

  I would never hurt her. I would never…

  You would have said the same about Liadan once. It is only a matter of time…

  WHERE UNWANTED THINGS LIVE

  BLAIR

  The dog was gone.

  I woke up to an empty bedroom. I had searched the house and found no sign of him. I wasn’t sure how he had got out of the house but I had to face the fact that he was gone. I tried to look at the situation rationally. When I’d taken him in, I’d known that it wouldn’t be permanent. But no matter how many times I told myself that, I felt like a part of me had been stolen away.

  For three days I stayed in bed, unwilling to eat or change my clothes. It was like all the energy had been drained from my body. I didn’t know what was wrong with me.

  Grayson and Elian were sympathetic. They tried to cheer me up and they talked about maybe getting another dog from the animal shelter. After three days with limited success, Grayson forced me to get up and go to school. Even then, it was like I was on autopilot.

  The twins were concerned that there may be trouble from Connor and his father and switched their shifts round so they could take me to and from school. They wanted to stay with me in the evenings as well, especially now that the dog wasn’t around to protect the house, but I refused. They couldn’t guard me for the rest of my life after all. Despite my resistance, they did start coming home just a little earlier. Not enough for me to call them on it, but enough to feel a little safer.

  My phone vibrated daily, Rhydian texting and calling to check in on me. He came to the house once but Grayson told him I wasn’t very well. I knew that I should move on. It was just a dog after all.

  Almost two weeks passed and I remained in my slump. I spent my free time sleeping, usually plagued by nightmares.

  I woke in the early hours of the morning from a fitful sleep. My hand snaked across the bed, automatically reaching out for the warm presence of the dog. For the first few moments after waking it was like nothing had changed, then it all came crashing down once more. I sighed and fell back against my pillows. I wasn’t sure what had woken me and as I settled down, trying to doze off, my brain continued to make sense of the world around me, rooting out the cause.

  It was though something clicked in my brain. I bolted upright. I could make out a faint sound of something scrabbling downstairs. I slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs. As I moved across the upstairs hall, the sound became clearer and I was able to identify it. Someone was trying to open the front door, rattling the handle. I retreated hurriedly, my mind instantly switching to panic.

  There was light shining out from under Elian’s door and I had spotted Grayson’s shoes neatly arranged in the downstairs hall. It seemed like they were both in but then… who was at the door?

  I bit my lip. The front door gave a forceful shake and I scurried into Grayson’s room, which was nearest. He was asleep, one leg protruding from under the covers.

  “Gray! Gray, wake up!” I shook him.

  “Wha…?”

  “There’s someone at the door!”

  “And?”

  “We’re all in the house!”

  He blinked sleepily, my words sinking in and he jerked upright.

  “Go wake El. Then you go upstairs and lock the door. No arguments.”

  I nodded and left the room, hurrying over to Elian’s. He had fallen asleep while reading, book balanced on his chest. I shook him awake and explained the situation, rocking back and forth on the balls of my feet as I tried to quell my anxiety at what was happening.

  The twins both grabbed the heaviest object they could find and cautiously approached the front door. I lingered in the stairway, chewing my lip into bloodied shreds.

  “Blair get upstairs!” Grayson called. I didn’t move, unwilling to let them risk themselves while I hid. Grayson scowled but the door shuddered once more and he was forced to focus on that.

  Suddenly there was a click and it swung open. A man stepped across the threshold, tall with thick dark hair. Grayson rushed at him, shouting and Elian charged after his brother, swarming the intruder. The man let out a yell as one of the boys managed to strike him across the head.

  “What the hell are you two doing?” cried a female voice from the doorway.

  The boys froze. My blood ran cold.

  “Mum…?”

  The twins took a step back, both blinking in a state of shock. I crouched at the top of the stairs, watching.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m home! Honey, could you get the bags from the car?” she asked the man. He nodded, rubbing his head. Mum crossed the threshold, coming into the light. She was wearing a colourful loose fitting dress but as she moved, the cloth seemed to tighten around her waist and it became clear that she was pregnant.

  “Mum… we’ve not seen you in years… why are you back?” Elian asked.

  “Well I have been trying to call you for days to let you know I was on my way back. If any of you bothered to answer your phones!” My
mother crossed the room and sprawled on the sofa. “What a journey! Six hours delayed and then a thirteen hour flight.”

  The man returned with the bags. He seemed uncomfortable, looking anxiously between mum and the twins.

  “Right so you’re back… who is this guy and why is he in our house?” Grayson demanded.

  “This is my husband Nicholas.”

  “You got remarried?”

  “Umm… not exactly… boys, meet your father.”

  He gave a nervous wave. The twins exchanged glances. Neither of them looked happy to see him, which was hardly surprising. I’d never met the man, he’d left shortly before my birth. I wondered if the boys could remember him at all or if he was just a hazy figure in their memory, more fantasy than reality.

  “You’ve both grown up so much…”

  “That tends to happen when you leave for sixteen years…” Grayson muttered.

  The tension in the room was unbearable. I decided it was best to sneak off before anyone noticed and dragged me into the conversation. Mum had a tendency to sweep all our concerns under the rug. She’d expect us to be thrilled at her return and of course absolutely ecstatic at the thought of a father in our lives. I just wasn’t in the right headspace to deal with that.

  As I stepped back from the stairs, intending to scurry away, the floorboard creaked. Everyone looked up.

  “Blair! What are you doing lurking up there? Come down and say hello!”

  Warily, I came down the stairs, eyes downcast. My mum smiled brightly but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  “Nick, this is Blair.”

  “A pleasure to meet you Blair… I’ve heard a lot about you.” Nicholas offered me his hand which I ignored, shrinking into Grayson’s side.

  “Blair, really, don’t be so rude.” Mum gave her husband an apologetic look. “She’s shy.”

  I felt a spark of anger strike inside of me. How dare she parade us around like animals to be judged? Grayson’s hand found mine and he squeezed lightly. Mum seemed to notice the hostile atmosphere developing.

  “Well it’s very late and we’ve had a long journey. I think bed now and the rest of your questions can wait until we’re all rested. Nick can you carry the bags up? It’s the first room on the right-”

  “Actually mum, since you’ve not been around… we turned your room into a storage room,” Elian said quickly. Mum looked offended.

  “I wasn’t gone that long! And you knew I’d be coming back! Why would you do that?”

  “We needed somewhere to put things. And you weren’t here. You’ll have to sleep on the sofa tonight.”

  “I did not travel for fourteen hours to sleep on a sofa. We’ll just have to use one of your rooms. Blair…”

  “I have a single bed,” I cut in hurriedly.

  “Oh yes, right. Elian, you can share with your brother for one night. Or take the sofa.”

  Elian visibly twitched at the suggestion. He was the sweeter, more reasonable of the twins but he was very protective of his own space. You had to be invited to make use of his space and on the rare occasions someone dared invade his room, he had reached levels of apoplectic that even Grayson was scared.

  “Mum. It’s 2am. You turned up here uninvited and without warning, waking us all and terrifying us. You haven’t lived here for years, you are essentially our guest and you have tremendously inconvenienced us. So you can be inconvenienced for just one night and use the sofa. Or leave,” Elian said, his voice arctic.

  Mum looked between us and I could almost see the cogs turning in her brain. She was working out how to blame this on me. I was the one who had poisoned the minds of her dear sweet sons, who would never dream of speaking to her so coldly.

  “Or you could go next door and use one of their rooms. Uncle Michael got kicked out so there are free beds,” Grayson suggested.

  “Kicked out? For what?”

  “Pointing a gun at Blair.”

  “What nonsense! Well, first thing tomorrow I’ll get that little misunderstanding sorted out.” She gave an exaggerated sigh and stretched out on the sofa. “If I must sleep down here, would you fetch us some pillows and blankets Gray?”

  “They’re in the laundry cupboard. I’m sure you can find them. We’re going to bed.”

  Grayson ushered me up the stairs and Elian followed quickly, all of us refusing to let mum get another word in. We gathered by the door to the attic, heads bowed in whispered conversation.

  “Why is she here?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? She’s going to hang around here until the baby is born, make a big display of how much she cares and then clear off as soon as she can. We can’t let her worm her way back in. She’ll take advantage, she always does.”

  “Tomorrow we’ll grab the boxes from her room. I don’t want her poking through our stuff. We’ll ask Noah if we can store it at his.”

  “You don’t think this is because of…?” Grayson trailed off as Elian gave him a pointed look. I frowned, confused. It was obvious they were keeping something from me. Something they thought might be linked to mum coming back? “Blair, time for bed.”

  I wanted to protest and probe them for information but I was just too tired. Instead I nodded sleepily, making a mental note to ask Grayson at a later date, and headed up to my room. I climbed into bed, staring up at the ceiling as I listened to the noises of the house. I could hear movement downstairs, mum and her husband getting settled into their accommodation, the soft buzz of voices. I sighed and rolled onto my side, looking out of the window at the sky, already beginning to lighten. Everything had been going so well. How could it all have gone wrong in such a short amount of time?

  *****

  Rhydian met me from school the next day. I’d texted him, explaining my recent silence, and informed my brothers their guard services would not be needed that afternoon. When we filed out of the school gates, everyone shambling in the direction of the buses, I looked around for him. It didn’t take me long to locate him, perched on a motorbike with his helmet on his lap. Several of the older girls were whispering together, nodding in his direction, and I saw one, a particularly bold blonde girl from my class, approach him. She was fiddling with a strand of her hair in what she probably thought was a coy and flirtatious manner. I rolled my eyes and headed over.

  “Hey,” I said with a bright smile. The blonde girl scowled and went to speak, no doubt intending to tell me to buzz off. Before she got the chance, Rhydian climbed off the bike and grabbed my hand, pulling me in close. He kissed me softly and I swear I heard gasps from the other students.

  As we parted, faces still inches from one another, he smiled slightly.

  “Hey you,” he said softly, one hand stroking my cheek.

  I could feel the eyes of the students in my class, particularly the blonde girl who was glaring venomously at me, burning into my back. I pulled away from Rhydian and raised an eyebrow.

  “Did you want something Rebecca?”

  Her scowl grew and she turned sharply, letting out an exaggerated huff as she went. I suppressed a laugh.

  “Your chariot awaits my lady,” Rhydian said with a sweeping bow.

  “I didn’t know you had a bike.”

  “Well I wanted to bring a horse drawn carriage but it’s in the shop,” he teased. “Here, I’ve got a spare helmet.”

  He handed me the spare, put on his own and seated himself on the bike. Somewhat nervous, I put mine on and took my position behind him, tentatively wrapping my arms around his waist. He gripped my wrists and tugged my arms forward to tighten my hold.

  We set off, speeding down the country lanes. The wind whooshed passed me, stealing the breath from my lungs. The countryside was transformed into a blur of green, all sound was obliterated by the purr of the engine. I clung to Rhydian, my heart racing in exhilaration. I could forget everything else and embrace the moment.

  It didn’t take long for us to get home and Rhydian parked on the drive. He pulled off his helmet and grinned.

  “Ho
w’d you like that?” he asked.

  “That was amazing!” I replied, taking mine off. His smile grew as he stashed the helmets.

  “Don’t tell your brothers, they might kill me.”

  “They’ve got bigger problems at the moment, trust me. My mum came home last night.”

  “Just like that? I thought you said she was travelling.”

  “Well she’s back now. Pregnant and married. It’s just… a mess.”

  “It sounds it… are you going to be okay staying here with her?”

  “I don’t have anywhere else to go,” I said with a shrug.

  “You could come and stay with me if you want… I mean… if you’d be okay with that… I have a sofa bed… well, I have a sofa… with cushions and blankets on it.” He stammered out the words, flushing slightly as he spoke. I’d never seen him so flustered and it was a little endearing.

  “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

  “You’re not the worst company in the world Blair,” Rhydian told me, giving me a playful nudge.

  “Well thanks. But I’ll stick it out for a little while. If only to spare you from the wrath of the twins.”

  “Much appreciated. The offer’s always open.”

  He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and guided me into the house. I could hear noise from upstairs and I grimaced.

  “Brace yourself,” I warned Rhydian. We made our way up the stairs and as we neared my mum’s bedroom, I motioned for him to be quiet, hoping we could sneak past.

  “Blair!” Mum called. “Is that you?”

  I winced.

  “Y…yeah?”

  Mum stuck her head out of the room.

  “Can you carry these boxes upstairs for me? I would but it’s difficult in my condition…. Who is this?” she asked, her eyes focusing on Rhydian. Mum straightened up, smoothing down her dress. “Hello there. I’m Siobhan, Blair’s mother.”