by Darci Darson
“How do you make a living, Rav,” she asked in a loud voice, sending him her joyful smile, her lips far too close to his cheek.
“I help Gerizpe... I help Felicia with the hotel that she calls her house,” he responded turning his face towards her. He seemed to be in a good mood, too. Their faces remained close each other. It was very dangerous yet tempting, gazing into his blazing, unearthly eyes.
“And the Elves?” Yasmeen adhered to Rav’s arm, whispering to his ear as she lowered and tilted her head. A fast and stabbing thought crossed her mind that maybe she was being too close and familiar to him.
“They play cards. ... And cheat,” Rav replied. He smiled to her with such an honest, boyish charm that she felt detached and at the same time content and satisfied. It was as if his gentleness was only a first layer concealing like a veil something strong and irresistible inside him. She could hear her heart pumping and she wanted to stay in this state forever. A choking thought tightened her throat. Rav was ancient and belonged in her parents’ past. The only reason he cared for her and protected her was due to his guilt and failure to keep Cherry safe. With this thought in mind, she started to get annoyed at his interest.
Kate moved from her place in front of the fireplace to a small space in front of Yasmeen’s feet under the table. The cat’s body was soft and hot. Everything around Yasmeen turned hot and a little blurry. Ettrian switched seats and took a chair on her other side. Yasmeen met Felicia’s warning glance as the Elf poured the golden alcohol into her cup again. The music flowed like a stream of crystal and orange joyful fun. Ettrian moved closer and swept his arm around her back. He stared at her and smiled mysteriously, his full-bodied lips dangerously close to hers as she turned her head to face him. His eyes studied every detail of her décolleté. She was so surprised that she could not move at first but was also intrigued and as the minutes passed she became very interested in deepening that acquaintance. Elves had such an appealing and unearthly appearance oozing an addictive, but dangerous charm. Ettrian was very generous in refilling her cup and also very eager to fondle her cheek with his finger travelling down one side of her neck. For a second, Yasmeen had this feeling of the earth scent and the freedom of sky mixed with a man’s interest in her physical assets. The Elf was attracted to her and she did not want to struggle with her inappropriate feelings towards Rav. She pretended that she did not see Rav’s disappointed and darkening eyes. She wanted to forget about him for a while and with Ettrian everything seemed to be much easier and understandable.
All of a sudden, she jumped up as she heard Rav growling something in the local language, giving a warning to Ettrian. Rav stood up in an abrupt movement, his chair making an unpleasant screeching noise as he leant towards her.
“Stand up, Yasmeen,” he ordered in a loud and firm voice. His eyes were dark and demanded obedience. His jaw clenched whilst his hand pulled at her elbow. He looked really angry with her.
She did as told, too shocked to protest. Ettrian sent his drunk and naughty goodbye to her with his mysterious smile as she followed Rav. He led her out of the Great Hall, holding her right elbow and aimed towards her bedroom. Kate walked in a slow pace behind them.
Yasmeen started climbing the stairs first as Rav released his grip and stumbled over the fifth step, putting her hands on the cold stone so that she would not injure her forehead. Elevating her body from the discreditable position, she was sure Rav would help her but to her great surprise, he did not do anything apart from following her in silence.
“I did not do anything wrong,” she moaned, but her outburst was rewarded only by a tense expression from Rav as she turned to face him. “Why do you even care? Are you my daddy or what?”
Yasmeen managed to cover the stairs in the span of two minutes and headed towards her bedroom. She entered the bedroom and turned back to face Rav once more as he stopped at the doorway.
“Get a proper sleep,” he said in a dry and emotionless voice.
Yasmeen stepped forward. Her mind started spinning. She was more than herself. She was a basic and strong instinct that was also very drunk. She raised her arm and put her hand on his cheek.
“Will you stay with me?” she asked with a sweet voice. She wanted him to stay. The large quantity of alcohol she had consumed was making her bolder than usual, but her request exposed her vulnerability.
Rav grabbed her hand and pulled it away, clearly trying to remain polite.
“No,” he said in a cold voice. He turned back and slammed the door shut behind him.
Yasmeen froze as her whole euphoria evaporated. The embarrassment spread in her body and burnt as if she were in the middle of an active volcano. It consumed her insides intensely and felt like slow and prolonged torture. She felt horrible as though everything inside her were about to crumble into a million pieces. The alcohol had stopped working and to her despair she had to deal with her pure and shameful reality. Why did he care? Why did she care? She moved towards a small space behind the green door and threw up into a primitive toilet which resembled those she had seen in a few old castles during her numerous school trips. When she fell onto her soft mattress, she noticed Kate sleeping at the foot of the bed. She felt as if she was insane and Rav was the reason for her insanity.
Chapter 7
She woke up dehydrated and with throbbing pain inside her skull. She had not slept well. She had never slept well after drinking even tiny portions of any kind of alcohol. Kate stared at her with her curious eyes, curling up at her feet.
Yasmeen sat up and stroked the cat’s head. It purred but exposed big and sharp canine teeth as somebody knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Yasmeen shouted with her tired and hoarse voice.
It was Felicia carrying a silver plate with some food. She entered, closing the door behind her.
“Good morning, Child. Eat something and I will tell Ausa to prepare a bath for you.”
“Thank you. Is Rav still very angry with me?” Yasmeen asked and fell silent, frightened about her abrupt honesty. Her boldness had always made her life more difficult and awkward. She also wanted to vanish as she was deeply ashamed of her behaviour at the feast.
“I don’t think so. The local alcohol is very strong and he knows it. Don’t worry, everything is fine.” Felicia handed her a silver cup filled with a clear fluid. “Children,” she muttered to herself. “You are so adorable.”
Yasmeen drank it quickly. Felicia left and a few minutes later the black haired girl appeared and prepared the bath as Yasmeen tried to swallow a few bits of a soft, dark roll. Ausa took out a shirt and trousers from the ornate, green wardrobe and smiled.
“Thank you,” Yasmeen said, pretty sure that the girl would not understand her.
Yasmeen came down to the Great Hall, wearing her white shirt and Victorian style brown and black trousers complemented by a pair of handsome ankle boots as her feet still felt achy. The clothes were a little too wide, but she was unconcerned. Kate was walking beside her but the cat then darted outside without warning.
Her heart pounded when she saw Rav having his breakfast at the enormous table. He was the sole occupant of the Great Hall, his body bent forward whilst his elbows leant against the table. Her gut instinct was to turn back and escape but he twisted his head and fixed his eyes on hers, his face devoid of all emotions. She steeled herself and slid into the chair next to him as her hand reached for a red fruit or vegetable; she did not know for sure but she did not care, either way. It tasted good, resembling a banana in texture and flavour.
“The Elves told me about Mora,” Rav said.” She is a magical and ancient creature. She may be able to help you to return home,” he continued in a neutral and flat tone.
“That’s wonderful,” Yasmeen said. “Where is this Mora?” She did not contemplate whether the idea of seeing Mora was good or bad. Rav would try his best to help her. She was confident about that and with her killer headache she knew that she was not in a state to make any decisions. It was very convenien
t to now have Rav making the decisions for her. She had to find the way to return home. Cherry and Imre must have been dying of worry and fear for her.
“We will call her and she will guide us to her house. Ettrian is preparing the wagon,” Rav answered. “But you can stay here if you want. I can go with Ettrian.”
“No, I want to go. I just... I... Are you angry with me, Rav?” she asked unexpectedly. Her voice was extremely hoarse.
“No,” he answered. “I told Ettrian to pack plenty of water,” he added with a hint of sarcasm.
Yasmeen sensed that he was being honest, but maintained a distance. He was unavailable, and she felt that there was something missing between them, like he was like a candle without its flame. Yasmeen’s cheeks were on fire. She had never felt so humiliated and an icy panic fluttered inside her. It would have been perfect if she could only erase the last evening from Rav’s memories. She punished herself for her horrible behaviour by replaying last evening’s events in her head over and over again. For just a moment a small part of her hoped that Rav was suffering the same headache as hers.
“I will help the Elves,” Rav muttered and stood up. “We will be leaving soon.”It was as if his last statement was addressed to nobody as Rav’s eyes did not look at Yasmeen; they seemed to look through her like she was a piece of glass.
When he disappeared, Felicia came in, her steps springy as if she was only thirty.
“I assume that you want to go with the boys and nothing will stop you,” Felicia said.
Yasmeen nodded and stood next to her chair to show some respect for her kind host, trying not to throw up as a sudden nausea attacked her weak body. She was determined to go even if she had to crawl to the wagon.
The old woman hugged her and wished her good luck. She also gave her a small bag of food.
“Some sweets,” Felicia added and smiled.” They are only for you, Child. Whatever happens you are always welcome in my house. If you somehow manage to return home, tell your mother that I miss her very much.”
“My mum misses you, too. She will be so happy when I tell her about you.”
“Stay with Radveriel all the time. He will keep you safe.”
“I will,” she promised. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
Yasmeen walked out of the castle. The wagon waited on the uneven basic road leading into the wood. The wooden vehicle was very simple, without a top and attached to two horses. They were small, turquoise and surprisingly muscular. Yasmeen had never seen such strange horses before. The animals stared at her with their dark green, friendly eyes and she stared back, her amazement ceasing the side effects of the alcohol consumption last evening for an instance.
Ettrian seemed to be a carter because he sat in front on a narrow bench.
Yasmeen jumped onto the wagon and Rav did the same, settling himself next to her. There were two big bags in the front of the wagon that must have been placed by the boys.
Ettrian said something in his language which sounded like a prayer or incantation. Yasmeen felt a strong gust of wind tearing at her shoulder-length, curly hair. She leaned out to see the front of the wagon and shivered. A sparkly, white mist had appeared and formed a thin line as if to guide them.
“This is creepy,” she said to Rav and hid among her thoughts. The primitive vehicle would transport her to the solution for her problems. Maybe she would soon be home again, attending her lectures at University as usual, far away from this odd dimension. It would be far away from Rav but much closer to her weird and dishonest parents. For a second, she wondered which would be a worse fate.
Ash clouds gathered in the sky and the air felt electrified. All the birds fell silent. Kate emerged from behind the trees and jumped up, settling herself at Yasmeen’s feet. The wagon started, the sound of monotonous rattling sending her to sleep.
They moved through the dense wood for about two hours. Rav had not spoken a single word to Yasmeen. She had a long nap and then pretended that she was still having a nap. Finally, she just stared at Kate and from time to time her eyes swept over the thick walls of trees guarding the narrow road.
When her bladder was full to the point that it caused a dull pain, Yasmeen shook Rav’s arm, interrupting his light sleep. Her back and bottom were sour and her headache stabbed her temples with no mercy despite the time passing quickly.
“Rav,” she said timidly and flushed. “Can we stop for a minute or two?”
He looked at her as if he did not comprehend the meaning of her message.
“You know, humans must go to pee from time to time,” Yasmeen continued, her embarrassment travelled from her stomach to her throat flooding her face with its boiling redness.
Rav nodded and shouted something to Ettrian. The wagon stopped abruptly, throwing Yasmeen forward and back but Rav supported her with his hands, saving her from a massive injury to her head. She wanted to stay in his embrace for eternity but instead, crawled to the back of the vehicle and lowered her feet to the ground in a slow movement. As soon as Yasmeen’s legs touched the path, she discovered that it was covered by small, black stones and light brown mud, her boots sinking into the dirty plasticity with a squelching sound.
“Don’t go too far,” Rav warned.
“I won’t,” she responded. She turned left and immersed herself into the dark and vivid nature. The foliage was so dense that she did not have to go far. The heavy branches jabbed her skin and ruffled her hair. Kate had followed her closely like her bodyguard and Yasmeen felt grateful for the cat’s protection. When she was finished, she quickly returned to the wagon where Rav and Ettrian stood on the path, both leaning against the wooden surface of their conveyance. Yasmeen wondered whether their physiologies were similar to hers. They were both alien beings after all.
“Drink some water, Yasmeen,” Rav advised and something mischievous flickered in his eyes.
Yasmeen knew that she looked pale and unhealthy as every mirror in the castle had reminded her that she had drunk too much of the alcohol last night. She nodded as she reached for a small bottle. Rav and Ettrian erupted in laughter, talking to each other in the local language. Yasmeen returned to her seat and cringed on the uncomfortable, wooden bottom, Kate patting her leg with its nose. Yasmeen felt that she was going down below the surface of her choking shame. She wanted to disintegrate and then she wanted to kill Rav and Ettrian. But finally, she just prayed for a magical relief from her hangover.
They resumed the journey soon after, with Rav sat beside her, even closer than before, their arms pressed against each other. Yasmeen felt like she wanted to escape but also to hug him at the same time. Perhaps what she needed was just a coffin to lay in peace without her headache and nausea.
“Rav, could you please use your warm hokus pokus to take this terrible headache from me,” Yasmeen said, when she could bear it all no longer, feeling exhausted enough to beg for his help. Her dignity and pride did not matter at this moment as every sway of the wagon made her want to throw up.
“Why should I do this? This would not teach you anything,” Rav answered, clearly having fun at her expense but a moment later, he put his warm palm on her forehead easing her pounding head agony. It was still there but Yasmeen felt like she was reborn. Rav put both his hands to the sides of her head and sent another wave of his pleasant anaesthesia. She wondered why he had eased her pain further without being promoted as his first attempt seemed to have worked properly. She was tempted to ask him for a third round but he returned to his previous position and stared at the trees they were passing.
“Thank you, Rav,” Yasmeen said. “You should take money for this. If you lived in my dimension we could earn a fortune,” she paused as she realised that she had said too much.
Rav did not say anything as though he had wandered off somewhere in his head. It was as if he had gone hundreds of kilometres from her and she felt overcome by the desperate thought of being unable to fix things between them.
“Your mother had this wound,” Rav started u
nexpectedly. “This was the wound of a child damaged by a mother who escaped from problems.”
Yasmeen felt as if an electric shock had just hit her skull. She knew what he meant. Granny Madison had struggled with alcohol problems. Cherry never liked drinking wine or other liquors and Yasmeen would have a problem recalling occasions when there had been alcohol on the table in their house as they were so rare.
“Why are we talking about this?” Yasmeen asked, angry with him. It was too personal for her. Who had given Rav the right to discuss this?
“You were worried yesterday but instead of talking to me, you got drunk and sought attention of... another man,” Rav said in a very blunt way. “You escaped from your problems.”
“And you are jealous,” Yasmeen hissed. “Maybe you are the other man.”
“A Varuh is incapable of jealousy,” Rav hissed back, his eyes narrowing and darkening.
“You are not a Varuh anymore as you said to me yesterday and there is one human skill you should acquire quickly; this is the art of lying well,” Yasmeen said, repressing her urge to destroy him. He was infuriating, blatant, but so... disgustingly perfect. Not to mention being so attractive and tempting, so ... hot. She was completely out of his league. “You are jealous and really, I don’t know why you feel so responsible for me, but don’t be. Although I was born into a very dysfunctional family, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”