by Heloise Hull
I slipped in the stall before Manu could interrupt me. A mage, eh? If I knew what that meant, it might come in handy.
I was feeling almost giddy. I’d met a kindred spirit and gotten out of the Knot, which was really going to chap Manu’s chaps. Then I sat down to pee and a voice echoed up from somewhere around my feet.
“Hello?”
In one motion, I shot off the seat, spun around and hiked up my pants. I might have also banged my head on the stall door.
“Down here,” it called again, sounding more excited.
“Down here where?” I asked, rubbing my forehead.
“In the oubliette.”
“The what?” I whispered back. What the hell was I doing listening to disembodied voices in a bathroom? Had I learned nothing from reading Harry Potter to my twins? The voice echoed between my feet again, sounding mournful.
“The dungeon.”
“Where’s that?”
“You’re standing on it.”
I jumped back. “Did you watch me using the bathroom?”
“It’s mostly black, I promise. Now can you hurry?”
Being a current prisoner myself, I didn’t want to judge, but on the other hand, the Council didn’t put me in a tiny dungeon under a woman’s stall in the Arch. “I’m not going to lie to you. The mage pulling my strings is probably going to bust down this door any minute. He’s waiting just outside for me.”
“You have a mage following you?”
“I’m technically under house arrest.”
The voice went up in pitch. The tenor and tone reminded me of Nonna. Whoever was down there sounded ancient but excited. “You’ve crossed the Council?”
“You could say that,” I allowed, growing more wary. “Do you proposition everyone who comes here?”
“They do not hear. It’s been…”
I heard what sounded like clicking. Suppressing a shiver as I imagined long, black nails fingering scratch marks in the stone, I started inching toward the door. If Manu decided to rudely break into the women’s restroom right about now, I might welcome him with open arms. The voice was sending shivers skittering across my arms and the back of my neck.
“A millenia, at least,” the voice finally said, breathy at the thought of imminent release. “Yet… you heard me.”
“Did I? Maybe I’m a figment of your imagination. Maybe you’re a figment of my imagination. Maybe we’re both really figments of filament and the earth is just a construct. But I’m open to other options.”
The voice continued, talking faster, lower. Almost to itself. “It’s fate. She’s here to set me free. Whatever she did was preordained. Just to get me. I only needed patience. I see that now. I’m sorry for any thoughts I had of disobedience. I’m sorry for doubting. I will trust in you always.”
I backed out, making it all the way to the door before the voice addressed me again. “Are you almost done freeing me?”
“I’m sorry. I think you have me confused—”
The scream that followed could’ve shattered diamonds. It certainly shattered my composure. I slipped and fell, scrabbling for the door in a blind panic. The screams followed me as I ran with my hands over my ears.
Both the grotesque and Manu snapped up and stared at me like I was crazy. Perhaps I was. I was shaking and panting despite it having been, at most, a ten foot sprint. I put my hands on my knees. “Could you take me home now?” I asked in a small voice.
“Where is the Knot?” Manu asked.
“On the floor, and before you ask, you’ll have to get it yourself. I’m not going back in there.”
Manu frowned, but promptly turned and disappeared into the bathroom to recover his stupid Knot.
The grotesque leaned in. “Sweetie?”
“Yes,” I said, hoping she could shed some light on what had just happened.
“You’ve got toilet paper stuck to your shoe.”
Chapter Eight
I had a feeling the prisoner wasn’t something I should’ve heard, and it made me jittery. I could barely sit still in my seat as we headed west on the Metro. While Manu wasn’t the talkative type, he might inadvertently give me information if I asked the right questions. “Did you hear anything when I came out of the bathroom?”
“No.”
“Would you tell me if you did?”
“No.”
Okay, maybe I wasn’t going to get any information out of him. “Is that all you have to say?”
“No. I’ll add that you should ignore anything you hear at the Council of Beings.”
I swung my head around and gave him my best, “Are you freaking kidding me?” stare. “Anything?” I prodded.
“There are things in the Council that aren’t for us to know.”
“You’re saying their secrets are justified, even to those they serve.”
“Yes.”
“Including you?”
Manu’s voice dripped with contempt. “Including everyone, except the most senior members. That is the price of safety.”
“That is the dumbest thing I’ve heard you say, and I’m including the time you stubbed your toe on the cedar planks of the Metro station and swore to eviscerate wood nymphs.”
“It would be a just punishment.”
“Seriously, you don’t want to know what sort of creatures the council is keeping imprisoned? They could be dangerous or falsely accused. Like me,” I added haughtily.
The farther I got from the Arch, with its whispers and vampires, the more perturbed I felt—at myself. I’d folded like a house of cards at the first sign of terror. All the big scary vampire did was nick my throat. Really, in the grand scheme of vampire horror stories, that was up there with Count Chocula. At least sugary cereal could give you diabetes.
As for that voice? Who’s to say I hadn’t imagined it?
But if I hadn’t… people should want to know what the Council was keeping. “What if it’s something dangerous?”
Manu barely shrugged. “I’m sure it is.”
“What if it gets loose?”
“It won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“The Council is very adept at keeping us safe. Now, would you stop talking?”
“What are you going to do if I don’t?”
Manu leaned back, his eyes shut. I hated it when he acted like he couldn’t be bothered with me. Like I wasn’t a flight risk or something impressive that needed to be watched. It fed on all of my insecurities.
“Something dark was in that oubliette,” I whispered, as the train car began to fill with more people. “Something the Council doesn’t want us to know about.”
Manu opened an eye at the word ‘oubliette’ and quickly resettled himself. He didn’t want to appear intrigued, but I’d clearly said something of interest. I knew it. No one was supposed to hear that prisoner.
I settled back into my seat as well, attempting to convey indifference. “Whatever it was sounded old. That’s all.”
The rest of the ride back to the suburbs was frosty, and when we arrived, Manu shoved me through the front door and stitched up the veil behind me the moment my butt crossed the threshold. “If the Council requires another audience, I will fetch you. Until then, don’t do anything stupid.”
“Who, me?”
“Is there anyone else around?”
“It was a rhetorical question,” I shouted, as the mage disappeared.
I got about two seconds to myself before Jim and Marla pulled into the driveway. Jim had a scowl on his face, as he slammed the car door and stalked past me. Marla gave me a little nod.
“You couldn’t even have dinner ready?” Jim yelled from the kitchen. “If you’re going to squat, you should at least go back to making dinner.”
“How about I order pizza?” Marla suggested.
At that, my stomach grumbled entirely too loudly. “Imo’s?” I asked hopefully. I never cared for the cardboard pizza while I lived here, but there was something about leaving that made me crave the
normality of it, if just for a moment.
“If you really want it…” Marla trailed.
I nodded vigorously. It was all I had to hold onto. Processed cheese and cracker-thin crust.
Marla left to order, and I went to wash off the day’s horrors. I could almost get used to this. Being waited on and cleaned up after was a nice change of pace—if it wasn’t for the simple fact that I’d experienced real life in Aradia with real control over my own destiny. I desperately wanted to get back to the island.
I ran the shower as hot as it could go and watched as the steam began to fill the room. I stripped and wrapped a towel around my chest, letting the steam work its way into my pores and enjoying the mini-spa session. I couldn’t wait to let the water pound out the stress I was holding in my shoulders.
With a wet fist, I rubbed a circle on the mirror to get a better look at the devastation today’s stress had wrought on my face. And yelped.
A familiar face stared back at me mouthing something. She had purple eyes and her long, blue-green hair whorled around her. Oh, and she was a demon.
“Thessaly?” I cried, rubbing more vigorously.
She shook her head and mouthed, “Stop!”
I froze. “I can’t hear you and I can barely see you.”
She nodded, doing some weird jazz hands routine around the foggy edges.
“You’ve taken up dancing?” I ventured.
She frowned.
“Okay, okay. Don’t get your chiton in a bunch. The water. You’re appearing through the water droplets.”
She nodded, and I started huffing hot air over the mirror to re-fog it.
Thessaly crossed her arms and frowned.
“A little help here? How can we communicate?” I asked, keeping my voice low and glancing over my shoulder every few seconds. While the door was locked, I didn’t want either Jim or Marla eavesdropping, accidentally or not.
Thessaly went slowly, making oversized movements with her mouth. “Read. My. Lips.”
Uh-oh. Not my strong suit, but I nodded for her to continue.
“Where. Are. You?” she asked.
“St. Louis. My old house,” I mouthed back. “I’m fine, but I’m stuck. Tell Aurick where I am, please.”
“You’re buck, no truck, no struck for Aurick?”
I smacked my forehead and almost dropped my towel. “Tellll. Auuuuriiiickkkk. I’m. At. My. House.” I pointed all around. “Must. Ask. Him. Quuueeestion.”
Thessaly nodded stoically and faded. It was amazing to see her, but I didn’t feel good about my message getting through. At least, not accurately. If possible, she was even worse at lipreading than me.
Instead of relaxing and scrubbing off the icky feelings from my encounter with Bruno, I stood in the shower and worried. Even if Thessaly understood me and even if she knew where to find Aurick, what hope could he possibly have at rescuing me? Plus, I didn’t like the idea of waiting to be rescued. I wanted to punch Bruno in the teeth and ninja jump out of the Arch.
I dried off and went to the boys’ room where I pulled out some wrinkled clothes. First order of business tomorrow was laundry. One messy bun and yoga pant ensemble later, I trudged downstairs, feeling very much how I suspected my teenage boys did when I insisted they join us for Sunday night dinners.
Luckily, the doorbell rang as I reached the bottom step.
“I’ll get it,” I volunteered.
I pulled open the door just as a white bone knife ripped through the same invisible spot it had cleaved only hours before.
Chapter Nine
Aurick was standing at my door and the only thing I could think about was the fact that he was seeing me without make-up or my hair done for the first time.
“Ava,” he murmured. He was leaner than the last time I saw him, but still corded with muscle. Despite the concerned look on his face, looking at him felt like looking at home, and a sense of calm immediately washed over me.
“I already tipped!” Jim yelled. “What’s taking so long?”
Aurick’s forehead crinkled. “Who’s that?”
“My ex.”
“Seriously?”
“It’s a long story.”
“It’s only been three days.”
“I know, but it feels much longer. Are you here for a jailbreak?” I asked hopefully.
Luca shuffled out from behind him, wrists bound by a Gordian Knot. I took a step back, my hands immediately raised into a sort of fighting stance. “What is he doing here?” My voice was low and harsh, and it made Luca flinch.
“His case got pushed back, so I’m stuck babysitting him. Thessaly told me your address—well, she was off by a few numbers so you might want to avoid your neighbors down there for a while—and I wanted to be here the next time Manu comes. We’ve actually been staying at a hotel not far from here, so that was convenient.”
I heard a familiar stomping behind me, and a few seconds later, Jim came into view. He took in the two men, his eyes growing progressively larger until they were approximately the size of cantaloupes. Both men towered over him. Aurick wore his blonde hair short and slicked back while Luca’s had been left to curl wildly around his ears. He’d grown a substantial beard. The Knot glowed blue on his wrists and his head hung almost to his chest. He refused to meet anyone’s eyes.
“Oh look!” I pointed over their heads. “The pizza guy is here. Jim, would you grab that? Jim? Take a breath. You look like you’re going to have an aneurysm. Never mind, I’ll get it.”
The delivery guy handed off the pizza with his mouth slightly open. With slow steps, he backed away, clearly wanting to watch the soap opera unfolding on the front steps. Aurick flickered once in mummy form and sent the kid scrambling. Bonus, Jim saw it too and yelped, falling backwards on his ass.
Marla skidded into the foyer, attracted, I’m sure, by all the commotion. They say couples begin to look like each other after a while. Marla certainly mirrored Jim right now with her eyes bugged out. She squeaked and clapped a hand over her mouth.
“Jim, Marla,” I said slowly. “This is Aurick and Luca. They’re… friends I met in Italy.”
Aurick nodded. Everybody else pretended like I hadn’t spoken.
“Well,” I said, clapping my hands together, “should I go make drinks?”
That snapped Jim out of it. He exploded to his feet in pure, unadulterated rage. “No way are these men coming into my house.”
“Our house,” I interjected.
“You’ve gone too far, Ava. I’m calling the police.”
“Go ahead,” I said breezily, despite the anxiety curling like vines around my mind. “In the meantime, white or red?”
“White for me,” Marla piped up.
“It’s a Monday,” Jim snapped.
“It’s been a long Monday,” I told her soothingly and poured us both a glass.
The moment Luca passed the barrier and entered the home, his Gordian Knot dissipated. I saw Aurick repair the tear with a little sleight of hand and pocket the dagger. He accepted his glass of red with a tight smile.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly, his eyes tracking to the fang marks on my neck. I covered them self-consciously and nodded.
We were interrupted by Jim yelling into the landline on the wall. “Yes, two intruders in my home, wait, make that three,” he snarled, shooting me a death glare.
I waved back and gave him a thumbs up.
Jim slammed the phone down and crossed his arms. “You might as well leave before the police drag you out in handcuffs, because I’m certainly pressing charges.”
It was the most delicious sort of revenge, watching Jim struggle to manage his emotions while two hunky foreign men stood behind me. Even if I was a poet, I couldn’t think up a more poetic form of justice. “While we wait for that glorious moment, does anyone want a salad with their pizza?”
I had no idea if the police would be dragging anyone out, but from the way Aurick’s eyes sparkled in mischief, I had a feeling they wouldn’t and I inten
ded to enjoy the show.
Jim stormed upstairs. To her credit, Marla stayed behind. I think she was curious. That was fine by me. I pulled out a chair for Aurick and Luca and quickly whispered behind my hand. “Can the police get in?”
“Of course. But don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it.” Just listening to Aurick’s soothing, rhythmic voice made me feel better.
“Okay, so are we busting out of here?” I asked hopefully.
“I’m afraid not. Your presence is still required at the Council.” Aurick took a bite of pizza and twisted his face. “This tastes like a squirrel threw up in my mouth.”
“How dare you! That is medium-quality Provel cheese. You can’t find this anywhere outside of St. Louis, buddy.”
“I wonder why,” he muttered.
Marla cleared her throat. “So, you’re from Italy?”
“Luca is,” I answered quickly, even though my heart was sinking. So this wasn’t a prison break. “Aurick is from the Tarim Basin.”
Flashing blue and red lights and a roaring siren sped down our street in record time. I could imagine the cricked necks of our neighbors as they strained to see what was happening in our quiet slice of heaven. Jim thundered down the stairs, a maniacal glint in his eye, certain he was finally taking control of the situation.
He met the officers at the door, their muffled voices echoing into the kitchen. They grew louder as Jim led them into our home and pointed at the table. “There they are. Arrest those two men. And that’s my estranged, squatter wife. Feel free to book her, too.”
I jumped to my feet, but neither Luca nor Aurick reacted. In fact, neither did the officers. The male cop took off his brimmed hat and awkwardly resettled it while his partner shifted her weight uncomfortably. Finally, he addressed Marla.
“Ma’am, are you married to this man?”
“Me? No!” Red splotches worked their way up her cheeks. “This has nothing to do with me.”
The two officers exchanged glances. No one knew what was happening. Then I saw the corner of Aurick’s mouth lift. Scratch that. No one but Aurick knew what was happening.