by L. M. Fry
“Sorry to intrude. Dr. Lawless was eager to see my handiwork,” Victoria said. “I’ve told him all about the advancements I’ve implemented in my patients.”
Something about her tone bothered Theo – the way she called her dad “handiwork,” as if he were a broken clock instead of a human being. Aether tickled her senses, but she held it at bay, remembering the way Dr. Lawless reacted the last time.
“I, uh, I think I should find Julia,” Theo stammered, trying to find an excuse to leave. “I promised her we would talk,” she lied.
“That’s a shame,” the doctor said. “I was hoping you’d join our conversation. I’m sure your parents would like you to stay.”
Dr. Lawless looked at her mom and dad with anticipation. Her mother must have sensed Theo’s unease, for she took Theo’s hand and walked her to the door. Kissing her cheek and hugging her, she gave Theo a nudge out the door. Theo hesitated. She looked at the discomfort in her mom’s eyes.
“Is everything okay?” Theo whispered.
Her mother nodded and spoke loud enough for the room to hear, “I know you’re busy, sweetheart. Go find Julia and tell her hello for us.”
Dr. Lawless’ eyes turned to slits, and his smile disappeared. Victoria pulled at her sleeves and wrung her hands. Theo didn’t waste the opportunity to leave. She had no desire to watch the storm brewing. She whispered a quick, “Thanks.”
Skittering away from her parent’s room, she decided to go for a short walk. She needed fresh air and to be alone with her thoughts. On her way out, she heard Joe’s voice in the library.
“You can’t hold that against them,” he said. “Theo was put in a difficult situation.”
At the mention of her name, she slunk over to the door. Joe sat in a chair, and a second person stood in front of the fireplace.
“She made her choice,” the second person grumbled.
Victor. He’d never forgive her. His arrogance and stubbornness wouldn’t allow it. She was sick of his evasiveness. This time he was going to listen to her, like it or not. She steeled herself to face him. A thousand confident and witty thoughts went through her mind, but the closer she got to opening the door, the faster she lost her nerve. Her hand stopped just short of the knob. Victor ran his hands through his disheveled hair and frowned. He paced back and forth, muttering. Joe tried to console him, but Victor’s frustration was impenetrable.
Theo wanted to hold Victor and tell him everything would be all right. She wanted to confess how she felt about him and apologize. She wanted to have a normal teen romance with him and be a normal teen girl. But the ever present tingle of aether reminded her that none of that could happen. He turned toward the door and spied her. Their eyes held contact for a brief and beautiful few seconds, and then he turned away.
“I can’t.”
With two simple words, he ruptured any hope she had. He didn’t want her. Heart broken, she escaped to her room. Stripping down, she crawled under her blankets and cried herself to sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Julia
After her rendezvous with Eli in the gardens, Julia felt as if she were floating. He walked her to her room and kissed her goodnight. Everything was perfect. She slipped into bed and wished for sweet dreams of Eli.
As soon as she drifted off, her subconscious replayed her wonderful night with him. He held her, kissed her, and whispered in her ear. The air smelled like hot chocolate. The garden around them lit up like a million twinkling stars. She basked in their beauty.
Suddenly a cool breeze blew in, bringing with it the overwhelming stench of decay. She covered her mouth and nose, but Eli didn’t seem to notice. The twinkling lights blinked out one by one until they were masked in darkness. She lost hold of Eli. Stumbling around, she tried to find him. She felt a breath on her neck.
“Eli? Is that you?”
Arms wrapped around her waist, and she ran her hands along their length. Instead of skin, her fingers touched soft leathery scales. The breath came back, this time tickling her ear. It wasn’t a voice, but a long, slow hiss. She screamed. The snakes around her waist squeezed. The smell of damp earth swallowed her. More snakes entangled her legs, and she fell forward. Her face hit a hard cold surface.
Come to me, daughter.
Danu’s voice interrupted the hissing snakes, or maybe Danu was one of the snakes. Julia couldn’t tell. The serpents tightened, crushing her chest.
Help me! Julia reached out to Theo and Valera.
Snakes, so many snakes, Valera shrieked in return.
Theo added, panting, I can’t breathe.
Julia woke inside a layer of ice that covered the entire room. She couldn’t feel the cold, but steam poured from her lips. Eli banged in the hall and yelled.
“Julia, is everything okay in there?”
He pushed his way through the ice-sealed door. When he saw the room, he shivered and wrapped his arms around himself.
“I must have done it in my sleep,” she muttered.
“Seems like a reasonable thing to do… sure,” he quipped and grew serious. “You were screaming.”
“Bad dreams.”
“I’ll get a fire started,” he offered.
She crawled out of bed, shuffled her way to the bathroom, and got dressed before joining Eli by the fireplace. They curled up in a chair together. He was all smirks. She’d grown used to his annoying grin, and if nothing else, he provided attractive scenery.
Valera’s head popped into the room. “Can I speak with you for a second?”
Julia nodded. The ice melted under Valera’s feet. She looked around the room, and didn’t look surprised. Julia looked at her quizzically.
Valera shrugged, “I woke up in a sauna, so who am I to judge.”
Eli shook his head and stood up. “I’ll never get used to you girls. I’ll be in the hall.”
“So, you two made up?” Valera quipped, sitting near the fire.
Julia felt her face grow warm, but scoffed. “I guess he’s all right.”
Valera laughed, “Uh, huh.”
Julia changed the topic before Valera needled her again. It was none of Valera’s business what she and Eli were doing.
“So, that dream last night felt… stronger than last time.”
“Yeah, it did. And lately, I’ve been having waking dreams. I think we’re running out of time,” Valera said. “We need to talk. All of us.”
Theo, are you awake? Julia asked.
Theo appeared in the doorway. Her hair stood on end as if she’d been rubbing a balloon on her head. Julia stifled a chuckle. Theo frowned.
“Yes, I’m awake,” she droned.
Valera snorted, “Rough night?”
“It must have been electrifying,” Julia laughed.
Theo raised her brows and looked around Julia’s thawing room and at Valera’s sweat ridden pajamas. They both shrugged. Theo smoothed down her hair.
“You two are hi-la-rious. Now, can we please get serious. We need to find the Trinity Key and the Relics of Danu.”
Valera bounced up and down. “The relics are in the village town hall. Gideon is studying them. I bet the key is there too.”
“Maybe he can help us.” Julia stretched her neck. “Before we do anything, we need to find a way off of—
“Off of what?” Victor growled.
All three girls spun around. Victor, Joe, and Eli stood in the doorway. Victor’s arms were folded over his chest, and he looked ready to slaughter them all. Julia scowled at Eli. He just smirked like always. He plopped down beside her, and she elbowed him in the side.
“What? The man was determined. Who am I to stop him?”
Julia grumbled inaudibly, and then looked at Victor. “Off of the island, duh.”
“Julia,” Theo hissed.
“What? We need to know which side they’re on – ours, or the Elders.”
“I didn’t realize there were any sides.” Eli smirked.
Julia sighed. “You know what I mean. We need to know
if we can trust you. Really trust you.”
Eli’s smirk faded. He rubbed the stubble on his chin. His brown eyes softened, and he looked directly at her.
“You know you can trust me.”
Joe sighed, “If you can’t trust me now, after all the trouble I’ve gotten into because of you three, then you’ll never trust me.”
Theo smiled, “We trust you, Joe.”
All eyes turned to Victor. He was a wildcard, but Julia knew he cared for Valera. He just needed to know the whole truth.
“Tell him about the dream, Valera.”
Victor scoffed, but leaned against the wall and listened.
Valera took a deep breath. “Every night, and some times during the day, we all have visions of Danu. It never stops. I hear her screaming and begging for help. Victor, I can’t live like this anymore. It’s torture.”
After a few minutes of scowling, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, “You’re going to go through with this no matter what I say, aren’t you?”
Valera nodded. “We have to.”
Julia expected him to yell, and then run to the Elders to tattle. Instead, he shut the door and joined them.
“So be it. I’m in.”
“What about Dr. Lawless?” Eli asked.
All three girls flinched. Julia certainly didn’t trust him. As far as she was concerned, they were going to leave him behind. His strange behavior hadn’t escaped her notice.
“I don’t trust him,” she blurted.
Theo and Valera visibly relaxed.
“Me neither,” Theo said. “But I’m pretty sure he has Professor Scrod’s notebook, which shows the location of the tomb.”
“Then we leave him out of it,” Victor muttered. “Probably for the best. I don’t like the way he’s been looking at you.”
“I’ll speak with Gideon. He’ll get us the Trinity Key and the relics,” Valera offered. “And maybe Nessie can help us find a way off the island.”
“I need to say goodbye to my parents,” Theo said.
Joe nodded. “I’ve a few things to take care of before we go as well… Grace is going to kill me.”
“And I should say something to Parmelia. Don’t worry, I won’t tell her our plan.” Julia took a deep breath. “Leave Scrod’s notebook up to me. We’ll leave as soon as we have everything in place.”
Everyone except Eli and Julia left the room. She was a big tangle of excitement and fear, and she had to gather her thoughts before facing her grandmother. Eli sat up and ran his hands along his long lean legs. Julia was acutely aware of his proximity.
“Uh, thanks for helping,” she murmured.
“Someone’s gotta keep you safe,” he whispered.
Julia could feel her face burning. The sun broke through the curtains, illuminating Eli’s eyes. Julia’s stomach twisted in knots. She stood up. Eli stood at the same time. Neither one took a step to leave. Their eyes met, and she swallowed a lump that appeared in her throat. He leaned forward. She closed her eyes.
Then, he murmured, “We should go find your grandmother.”
“I think she’s downstairs,” she sighed.
Her mind raced. Had she overthought their time together last night? Did he not feel anything for her? Why didn’t he kiss her? The last thing she wanted was for Eli to see her disappointment and uncertainty. She had no clue where her grandmother was, but other people would be downstairs, and right now, she needed to be around other people. She left the room and darted down the steps, two at a time. Sure enough, she heard Victoria’s voice in the library. Without knocking, Julia opened the door to find Dr. Lawless kissing Valera’s mom. Julia gasped, alerting them to her presence.
At first, she wanted to puke. The thought of kissing that man grossed her out. Eli let out a whooping cough and covered his mouth with a fist. Julia wasn’t sure whether to say something or try to disappear quietly.
“Oh, um, sorry, uh, I, well…” she stammered.
Eli stepped forward. “Do you know where Parmelia is?”
Victoria’s face turned crimson, and she fidgeted with the bun on her head. Dr. Lawless looked as if he were ready to commit murder. He adjusted his suit jacket.
“She’s most certainly not in here,” he seethed.
“We’ll, uh, try the gardens,” Julia blustered.
She shut the door and backed away laughing. She heard Victoria bemoaning the intrusion inside the room. Eli doubled over and guffawed. Julia wondered if Victor or Valera knew about their mother’s new “friend” – Daddy Lawless. She shivered.
“Well that was… fun. How about we check the gardens?” Eli snorted.
“Agreed.”
They were still chuckling as they emerged into the roses. Sure enough, Parmelia sat on a seat under a gazebo with Vivi dancing around her. Julia hadn’t thought much of the little girl, but seeing her with Parmelia made her smile. Parmelia clapped at the little girl’s performance.
“Bravo, you are the very image of a prima ballerina,” the old woman gushed.
Vivi’s green eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Absolutely,” Julia said, startling Vivi.
The little girl’s curls bounced. Eli held a hand out to her and bowed.
“May I have the next dance?”
Vivi giggled and took his hand. The two of them danced to non-existent music, circling the rose garden. His ease with the kid made Julia smile. He was amazing, which made her even more confused than ever. She sat next to Parmelia, who took her hand.
“How are you and Eli getting along?” Parmelia asked with a sparkle in her eye.
Julia tried to act nonchalant. “He’s okay. A little bit dopey, but he’s okay. I just…”
The smile on Parmelia’s face made Julia’s palms sweat. It was as if her grandmother could see her every thought. The old woman patted her hand.
“He reminds me of your grandfather, Declan. That man was a scoundrel with a romantic heart.”
“I wish I had known him.”
“He would have loved you.” Parmelia took a long breath and closed her eyes. Her translucent, wrinkled eyelids rippled over her eyes. After a minute, she turned to Julia. “I’m glad you came. There’s something I needed to discuss with you. I’ve been called back to Pacifica City. I think it would be best if you stayed here until everything is settled.”
Her grandmother’s timing couldn’t be better. She’d be happy to know Parmelia was safe in Pacifica City. She hugged the old woman’s shoulders and kissed her cheek.
“I’ll miss you, Grandma.”
“And I you,” Parmelia chuckled. “Oh, and Julia… Eli likes you very much. Don’t doubt that.” Julia’s grandmother winked.
She did know everything.
Chapter Fifteen
Valera
Valera needed to get to the village. With Victor acting as her mother’s pigheaded watchdog, she doubted she’d make it far. And he certainly wouldn’t renege on his duties. He may have gone along with their impromptu meeting, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t turn on her as some kind of payback. She had to get a feel for where his head was at – without him knowing it.
She strolled down the hall outside of Julia’s room, examining the old family portraits that hung on the walls. One of them caught her eye – a young woman in her early twenties with the same brown hair and green eyes. The girl’s smile was radiant. She stopped to look at it. Victor came up beside her and scratched his chin.
“Do you know who that is?” he asked.
“No, but she’s very pretty.”
Victor chuckled, “That’s Mother.”
Valera raised a brow. “I can’t imagine her ever being that happy.”
“I don’t think she was happy for long,” he murmured.
“Why?”
“She’d just had us. A month or so later, Juliet died. Mother lost her connection to aether. It’s been hard on her… you have what she never did.”
Valera felt tears form in her eyes. She’d never thought of her moth
er’s past, or how hard it must have been to lose the Trinity, not to mention losing a close friend. When Valera left, Victor must have felt like he’d lost her.
She turned to her twin and blurted, “I’m so sorry.”
He hugged her and patted her hair. “I know. Me too.”
After a few minutes, he released her and wiped her face with his hand. She smiled at him. He looked older than he had before she’d gone away. He looked tired.
“We should go find Nessie. I think she’s at the pub,” he said to her surprise. She’d been wrong about him. “We’ll stop by the town hall as well and collect the relics… and Gideon.”
“But what about Mother?”
Victor sighed, “I think I’m beginning to understand why you need to do what you’re doing. I thought you were corrupt like the Order, but it’s not that… It’s Danu. We have to end this, and if that means releasing her, so be it.”
Valera hugged her brother one more time before heading downstairs. Keeping an eye out for their mother, they snuck into the foyer. Out of the corner of her eye, Valera caught a glimpse into the library. Dr. Lawless and her mother were sitting close – too close – and whispering to each other. She’d already been through one evil step-father. She didn’t want another. Valera swallowed the urge to cause a scene. Victor harrumphed beside her, shaking his head. He nudged her toward the front door. Victor called for the mechanical horse, which clip-clopped out of the carriage house.
“I should warn you, Nessie’s in a bad state since the Cornelius has been dry docked,” Victor said on the way into the village.
“I really messed her up,” Valera muttered.
Victor shook his head. “I’ve been blaming you for a lot lately, and I was wrong. It wasn’t your fault. Besides, Nessie hardly needs your help getting into trouble. She is trouble.” He grinned.
Sure enough, they found their aunt in the pub – full up the knocker. She had a pint in one hand, a pitcher in the other, and her head on the bar. Her eyes popped open when they walked in.