by J P Anderson
"This is what I told Peter, this is what I'm talking about." Acruz yelled, getting up for the second time.
"What did you say?" she asked her tone monotones and cold, her hands still out.
"I told him he doesn't belong here, he chasing after a person that doesn't exist. Genevieve X is dead, Genevieve Grave is alive and well, for now."
"Is that a threat?" she asked walking towards him, her hands still out in his direction.
"No, I'm simply saying that your personality is changing, he is wasting his time." he told her, no fear in his tone like she had been hoping. Acruz closed her open hand with his gloved hand and walked past her to the now up and ready to fight Joshua.
"And you! Do you really think I didn't know about you and Andria, I'm psychic for Christ sake, I knew before you did!" Acruz told him, with his very best 'duh' face, as Peter would call it.
"Sounds like punishment, for a certain sin." Joshua scowled.
"I don't have to explain myself to you, have fun at your party Genevieve, and good luck tomorrow, now I have no idea what horrors wait for us because of your stupid friend."
"Play." she whispered, staring at him as everything went back to normal around her, the dancers the music, but not her situation. She chased after Acruz to get some real answers. Like the fool she was turning out to be.
"What do you mean because of Peter?" she asked trying to catch up to him.
"It's late maybe you should retire," he said blowing off my question
"He's just a human he doesn't understand the weight of his actions." he turned around quicker that she could reach and got closer to him than she ever wanted to be, when her mind was clear. Paige was right, evil but gorgeous. His white-blonde hair was pin straight and fell a few inches after his broad shoulders; he always wore all white, the exact opposite from her. He held a staff he had retrieved from the butler in one hand and his overcoat he had taken off in the other.
"Just a human, you sound just like your father," he laughed dryly.
"I will NEVER be like my father." she got up in his face, a mistake that shall not be repeated, he smelled heavenly, he smiled, she could feel herself drift from reason into him but she quickly forced back her feelings and stepped back but was greeted by a wall.
"You're already half way there. The only thing that keeps you from being his twin is the stench of human that covers," he looked her over and stepped closer, pining her against the wall, "Your beautifully ominous body," his words made her skin crawl and head lean back as far away from his as possible.
"I would never lead your dearest love astray, beside the week minded fool can do that all by himself,"
"Why was it Peter's fault?" she asked.
"I tried to prevent you from dancing with Alister so I talked Henry into a fit so he wouldn't cheer up Paige into coming to the party. When Therius didn't see her he wouldn't ask Andria to get Champagne and put the rings in it. If Paige wasn't publically purposed to, Alister wouldn't be inspired to ask you to dance and confess his love for you." he told her in a broken up mess of words.
"That's really elaborate, evil, but elaborate, but it didn't work, how did it go wrong?" Gen asked. Acruz laughed.
"So you don't care that I potentially ruined your relationship with Alister or possible ruined your brother's marriage, you simply care what went wrong in my elaborate evil plan." he asked with too much of a grin to conceal.
"I care. I just want to know where this plan went wrong before I kick your butt." he laughed again.
"Dear Narcissa, an Akadian that waits for me to finish my story before the convict me, perhaps there is hope for this country yet." he joked. She made a 'hurry it up' like motion and he shook his head.
"Impatience, but I suppose something had to lack to make room for fairness," he finally got to the point, "But I forgot that it was me that went to your room to retrieve you after dinner."
"Where was Therius?" she asked, for it was him that brought her to the party.
"He was with Henry, and because I detained him Therius brought you to the party. After that time, he brought you to Alister."
"And when Henry and you came in, Henry was pissed, making sure he didn't go cheer up Paige." she continued for him.
"But, he made Andria upset so she left, making Therius have to come up with a different way to propose to a woman who wasn't at the party."
"So who convinced her to show up?" she asked.
"Peter, your Peter also convinced your Mr. Evingston to take action against me, hence the growing black and blue around my right eye." he pointed to his eye with his pointer and middle finger.
"I hadn't noticed." she lied. "Pu-lease, marble reflects Genevieve," he motioned to the shinned marble floor. She smiled.
"So Therius found Paige and asked her to marry him, but not in a public way. So when Paige persuaded her brother to ask you to dance, that's all she did. She didn't tell him she was going to marry Therius, so I thought my plan would be safe. But when you accepted anyways I had to stop you because," he stopped.
"Because what?" she asked, leaning closer.
"Because if you fall in love, you will never leave here, and I can't allow that." he told her.
"Why can't I stay here?" she asked.
"Because it will cost you your life, just like your mother" he told her.
"You're lying," she told him. He put his hand on the corset of her dress, she teleported to the other side of the room.
"Keep your ground or I'll, I'll" Her words strayed as his blue eyes caught her green ones and she couldn't think, all she could do was think of those eyes.
"You'll what?" he walked to her, his hand reaching to caress her face, eyes closed big mistake. The spell broke and she threw her heart and soul at his in a burst of wind making him fly to the parallel wall and cling to the side molding for dear life, his hair blown into a mess. He looked genuinely shocked, she on the other hand felt omnipotent for the first time in her life and she liked it.
"Or I'll do something like that," she brayed and walked away victorious.
"You try to save their lives and they hurt you, not making me want to save the world here girls, perhaps you should rethink your strategy." he mumbled, straightening out his pants and walked towards Alister. He had business to take care of, whether she liked it or not, he would save her life.
Chapter 16: After Hours
"Alister Grey," Acruz greeted with a smile. As if they were the best of friends.
"Mr. Deveartae." he answered, with no emotion or intention of stopping to chat.
"Has it really come to that?" Acruz yelled, completely fed up with this back and forth.
"Has it really come to what?" Alister asked still not stopping as he now passed him in the hall.
"We were the best of friends once upon a time, or have you forgotten all about that." He stopped but did not turn to face him, merely turned his chin slightly and said.
"I try too hard to forget those times." Alister whispered.
"Come turn to face me old man so that I can see how much you haven't aged." He sighed and walked to him.
"How unfair, that you can stay so young when I grow old,"
"You knew it was going to happen,"
"Yes but still, I am a wizard so I do age slowly but it's been almost twenty years and you look like you could still be in school."
"Acruz why are you really marring Andria, and don't say because you want a truce we both know that is bullshit,"
"Because I want her father to hurt for what he has done to us both,"
"Don't you dare pull me into this!"
"You can't really say with a straight face that your still friends with that arrogant…jerk?" Acruz asked.
"No, I'm not friends with him, I hate him I've never hated anyone more."
"Then why stay here? Why not leave? And don't say because of your agreement, because we both know you have no honor for the crown."
"On the contrary, I have a great deal," he said smiling like he always does.
"Come in." Acruz said pulling Alister inside his room, he took a bottle of champagne he had stole from the party and poured a whisky glass full and slip it to Alister, he smiled.
"Uh huh," He grabbed the bottle from him and took a swig then looked at him with his famous eyes.
"I stayed for Andria. Can you imagine having to live with that man without an escape? I stayed so that girl would turn out like him." Alister conveyed.
"Why stay now?" Alister looked down.
"You cannot be serious. Don't tell me that you're in love with that little morose firecracker" he forced him into desk chair.
"Don't you have anything stronger?" Alister asked. He handed him his whiskey. Alister took the whiskey and handed Acruz the champagne.
"I don't drink,"
"Since when,"
"I've never drank," was Acruz's answer.
"Maybe you should start," Alister offered, holding out the champagne. He looked from Alister to the champagne and looked at Genevieve's "water" ring that was on his pinky and flinched. He took a long swig of his first taste of alcohol and then another.
"We are bad people, we shall never change, or alter our ways for anyone, you may have to be here for your loves, daughter," Alister opened his mouth for an objection but he fell silent when Acruz kept going. "But if you are in love with Gen than-"
"Since when do you call her Gen?" he interrupted. Catching Acruz in the one sin he had allowed himself.
"I-well, if you're in love with Miss. Grave then we have a problem,"
"And what, pray tell, is that,"
"She is a princess and you're"
"And I am a prince," Alister interrupted.
"Of a dead civilization," Alister's eyes started to water even though he tried as hard as he could to stop them.
"Al, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be cruel but it's the truth, she's in a different class. She will marry a prince and live happily ever after and you will shine her shoes."
"I don't care about your opinion, do what you will, but if you harm Andria I won't miss like last time." he only smiled.
"You got water in your brain? Do you think for a second I would harm her myself when I can just pay people to do it," he held his hand up but stopped right before he hit his face. He got right in his face, hand still up.
"I suggest you stop thinking about what good for Alister, and start thinking about what is good for Gen, she isn't right here. I think she needs to leave, come back in a month or two, after all of this has calmed down." Acruz told him, bringing Alister's hand down.
"What so you don't have to worry about her ruining your plan to kill her sister, I think not." Alister yelled.
"Same old Alister, you have lived for so many years and yet you cannot see what is right in front of you." he shook his head.
"And what, pray tell, is that?" Alister asked.
"Genevieve doesn't fancy you." Acruz resorted to the depth in which his morals will go to make Alister make her leave.
"And how do you figure that?"
"She never told you that she chose me over you in her dream that she chose to dance with me over you." Acruz explained. Alister looked away, thinking, Acruz assumed.
"And there is the ring incident, but I needn't mention that."
"Out with it, we both know you're going to tell me eventually, you are a horrible secret keeper."
"Gen gave me her ring, something about, it meant a lot and she wanted me to have it." he told him.
"That means nothing," Alister finally assessed, "She also said you were conceited." Acruz smiled.
"This is why we are not friends, you care nothing for me, or the people I love,"
"On the contrary," he grabbed the black rose she put on Alister's jacket and crumpled it, letting them fall on Alister's face, "I care a great deal," He smiled and left. Alister turned and grabbed the bottle, chugged, then threw it at the door in rage just as Acruz closed it, the whiskey rolling down the door, not unlike the tears that ran down his ivory face.
After Genevieve tossed and turned for a couple hours she gave up on sleeping and walked down the hall. She swore she heard giggles coming from down the hall, almost resembling Paige, but she was too focused on her first sight of the garden to care. The Koi Pond at night was so beautiful; the lanterns glowing on the water. A figure of a man shinned off the water, she looked up and was shocked to see Mr. Acruz Deveartae sitting with his shirt unbuttoned quite a few buttons, and untucked from his pants. His tie loosened almost completely and hair down, gorgeous tendrils falling across his tear covered face and a bottle of champagne in his hand looking down at his shoeless feet, dangling from the bridge. In shock she stepped back, but stepped on one of the lanterns and it shattered. Making him look up and the same look shock come across his face as he coughed and straightened his shirt as best he could.
"Genevieve." he said in a seemingly innocent voice, timid even.
"Rough night?" she guessed. Her voice was unsure and quite.
"Rough life." he answered with a quite sort of laugh. Yet another side? How many does he have? Crazy, threatening, unforgiving, frightening Acruz, not so likable, rugged and on-edge. Mocking, self confident, funny, annoying Acruz, deep, like that's the him he likes the most, the real him. There is also a sentimental side, which loves bring up the past because they were better times and he wants to stay there. And now for the first time, I see real weakness, my weakness. The same, horrible life experiences of abandonment that could bring us together. It is something we have very much in common, but is it a good thing that I have the same problems as a murder?
"I can relate," she decided that no matter what, she was going to get some answers tonight, the real story. She walked over to him and sat down, gently taking the champagne and putting it to her right, away from his reach.
"Ge-Genevieve, how can you stand being so different? I know I couldn't do it, come on, you're an abomination, look at you, all morose and covered in black." he stuttered tapping her nose and laughing.
"Your drunk," she laughed, so much for all her answered getting answered tonight, "come on, let's you get you inside."
"I'm not drink, drunk. W-whatever." she laughed and threw her head back. I liked "drunk Acruz" better than "sober Acruz".
"I mean it. My life in the last eighteen years has s-sucked. I've had to deal with losing all my friends and family, other than my sister, and now I love this girl but I'm m-marring her sister in less than six hours, what would you do? And I mean, no one is listening to me, and you're going to die. I mean, with information like that, I'd thought for sure that would spike the interest of your Alister, who by the way never believed in you like I always have." She sputtered, unsure of what to say. She's sure he wouldn't remember, but it was obvious what he was talking about, but was he serious, about the love thing, or more importantly about the dying thing. It was very much possible that it was just a drunk man blubbering. His blue eyes weren't red so he couldn't be that drunk. She reached her hand out and he took it but rocked from side to side. She held him, to steady him. He turned his head so it was inches from her face.
"Acruz, how many drinks have you had?" he smiled
"Not nearly enough." he kissed her, his mouth did not taste of alcohol it tasted more of peppermint with just a hint of champagne. She didn't immediately reject him like she should of or stop the intensity of his actions. She just let him hold her, she needed to be held.
"Acruz," she said releasing herself, gasping and stepping backwards until she hit a tree, the willow.
"Yes." he answered, biting his lip, coming towards her with the worst sort of look on his face, one that more similar craving than longing, desire of the worst nature, that of primeval need, lacking law abiding nature that would hold back any normal person from taking what they want.
"Acruz." she repeated, he leaned into her but she put her hand on his chest.
"Acruz." she warned, then continued, "Goodnight,"
"Do you have any real idea what I've done for you? How long I'
ve waited, just so you can find a conscience five seconds before I get what I want." he questioned.
"I have a conscience for the reason you just kissed me, yes. Who did you talk to before coming here?" she asked a question he hadn't really been counting on her asking. Why would she care? That had nothing to do with right now, well it had everything to do with right now, but how would she know that.
"That is none of your concern." he faltered.