Veiled Existence

by Barbara Pietron

  She didn’t wait for him to say goodbye, ending the call and pocketing her phone. “Stay wherever you are,” she muttered bitterly. After what Dale just told her, there was no chance she would let Ice put himself in harm’s way.

  Skulking along the deck, Jeni peeked into the windows of the Iowa Lounge while trying to construct a plan of action. The only means she had of identifying Elletre was the description given by Ice and Danny—although it sounded like the girl would be hard to miss. What she would do if she found her, Jeni didn’t know. She just hoped Ice didn’t find Elletre first.

  Pausing at the stairwell, Jeni decided to go up, but her search of the Vista Deck came up empty. Cursing herself for the bad choice, she trotted down two flights to the Cabin Deck and entered the Forward Cabin Lounge. About to descend the dining room staircase, a flash of black hair at the back of the room caught her eye.

  Jeni dashed behind a pillar and peered around it. Ice stood with his shoulder pressed against a door under a sign reading: Schoolcraft Library. His neck was extended so he could peek through the round window without being seen.

  The library was actually a central enclosed area from which passengers on this level accessed their staterooms. Unlike the other decks, where rooms were entered from the outside, the cabins on the lower level extended to the outer walls of the boat. More than a corridor of doors, the central space contained clusters of comfortable chairs and tables along with shelves of books, magazines, games and puzzles.

  Ice didn’t enter the library, instead moving toward the lounge’s side exit. When the door swung shut behind him, Jeni followed.

  She emerged into the stairwell, the sound of Ice’s footsteps pounding above her. Placing each foot deliberately, Jeni started up the steps. She picked up her pace as soon as the footfalls changed in timbre, and then slowed toward the top of the stairs. Craning her neck, she was able to spot Ice moving quickly toward the back of the boat.

  She thought he might be heading for his room, but he took the stairwell heading down. Pursuing him, Jeni was at first confused why he’d run up stairs to go back down until she realized he would end up back at the library. There was a reason he didn’t want to walk through the room and Jeni had one guess why.

  Elletre.

  Padding down the first flight of steps, Jeni paused at the landing to listen, unsure if Ice had gone through the door below. The wind whipped up the muddy smell of the river and lifted her hair from her shoulders. She shivered, rubbing the sore skin on her wrists and hating the flash of fear that heated her chest at the thought of coming face to face with Ice at the bottom of the remote stairwell.

  When the sound of muffled voices floated up to her, Jeni rounded the corner and crept downward. She didn’t see Ice. The voices came from behind the door to the library. Sidling up to the rectangular slice of glass in the door, Jeni peeked into the corridor.

  Ice’s back was to her. Beyond him was a beautiful blonde.

  Jeni gaped, recognizing the girl. It was the mean girl who’d smirked at her on the shuttle bus that day when they were leaving the church! She was Elletre? No, it wasn’t possible.

  “…not a spell, Ice. It’s a geis,” the girl was saying. “A destiny that you accepted of your own free will.”

  Jeni’s mind raced. If the girl was Elletre…oh God…it supported what Dale had told her.

  “I accepted it?” Ice asked.

  She smiled sweetly. “You did. When you left the cave.”

  “Why?” Ice maintained a defiant stance, hands balled into fists. “Why did the witch do this to me?”

  “The witch…” Elletre raised a delicate eyebrow, seeming to choose her words carefully. “Don’t take it personally, Ice, we all have a master to serve. And as it turns out, life requires sacrifice. The more life, the more sacrifice.” She bent her lips into a mock-pout. “You should take heart that you’re serving a special purpose.”

  “A special purpose?” Ice’s voice rose an octave in disbelief. “Destroying things I care about? Including people?” He lunged for her.

  “No!” Jeni cried, yanking the door open.

  Elletre gripped Ice’s forearms, holding him away from her. Amusement sparkled in her eyes. “This gets more fun by the minute.” She pushed Ice toward Jeni.

  “Jeni, get out of here,” Ice growled, not looking at her.

  “No,” Jeni said. “I’m not letting her take you again.”

  Elletre laughed. “Isn’t this precious? You think this is about him.” She took a step back.

  A second later, Tyler came around the corner. He glowered at Ice and Jeni. “What are you two doing here?”

  “Confronting her,” Ice pointed. “She’s Elletre, Tyler. The one working with the witch. The one who kidnapped me.”

  Jeni gasped when her cousin stepped between Ice and Elletre, drawing himself up and squaring his shoulders. “How many brain cells did you kill for God’s sake? You’re delusional. Liv has been on the boat as long as I have.”

  Jeni’s jaw dropped. Wait. Tyler knew her?

  Ice shook his head furiously. “No. She took me and left me in that cave.”

  Tyler snorted mockingly. “Your crazy ideas have no limits, do they?” He glared at Jeni and then took a step closer to Ice, his face only inches away. “I’m sick of you guys and your fairy tale explanations for everything. Sometimes a girl is just a girl!” He stepped back and met Jeni’s eyes once more, challenging her to say something.

  But Jeni’s mind was still trying to process all the new information that’d just unrolled before her.

  Tyler turned on his heel and took Elletre by the hand, pulling her out of the corridor.

  Knowing that running after Tyler would get him nowhere, Ice turned and met Jeni’s wide eyes. They stood that way for a long minute and then he began to back away from her. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  Jeni didn’t move. “You shouldn’t be here either. Why would you go after Elletre?”

  He retreated into the library. “Because she was with Tyler. And because I’m under some kind of freaking spell. We can’t be in the same room. We can’t be together.” The last statement physically hurt. His chest ached as if he were hollow inside.

  Crossing her arms over her chest, Jeni followed. “Apparently, we can. And we really need to talk.”

  Ice moved farther away, putting two arm chairs and a table between them. “I’m so sorry I attacked you. I think I’m cursed to destroy things that I care about.”

  “Ice, if anyone should be sorry, it’s me.” Jeni dropped her arms, shoulders slumping. “You were right all along. I started this fiasco. The stone I touched in the church graveyard? It was Deirdre’s. Dale figured it out. I was talking to him when you texted me.”

  Ice shook his head. “You can’t take responsibility for everything that’s happened. According to that diary, the revenge killings have taken place over hundreds of years.”

  “Sure, but when I came in contact with that stone, it became personal.”

  Ice couldn’t argue; he’d suspected as much. “There’s no point arguing over blame. We need to figure out what to do now. I was about to call Dale myself when Tyler came to the room with Elletre.”

  Jeni stepped forward and Ice backed away, but she just rounded to a chair across from him and sat down. Despite her valiant attempt at nonchalance, Ice picked up on the jerkiness of her motions and the tense set to her face.

  He jumped when the door from the lounge swung open and a man strode into the library, shooting them a curious glance on the way to his room. Once the stateroom door closed behind the man, Jeni said, “Tyler was right, that girl—Elletre, Deirdre, whatever—she was on the boat after we visited the church. I saw her get on the shuttle and remember thinking she hadn’t been with us when we left the boat. She was in the Iowa Lounge, too, later that night.”

  “Did you see her Tuesday night? The n
ight I was kidnapped?”

  “No. Actually, I haven’t seen her at all since Monday night.” Jeni put a hand to her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Although…there was a girl with Tyler the night I asked him to go with me to Minneapolis. I wonder if it was her.”

  Knowing Elletre had been around all week eased a little bit of Ice’s concern about Tyler being with her now. “If she hasn’t taken him to the witch, maybe she’s been using him to keep tabs on my curse?”

  “Maybe,” Jeni said grimly. “Or maybe he’s the backup in case you don’t follow through. She was pretty clear about the purpose of the spell you’re under. It’s to get to me.”

  Reluctantly, Ice nodded. He’d sensed Jeni was in danger, never suspecting he was the threat. “I suppose I should call Dale and see what he knows about this spell.”

  Ice put the call on speaker and began catching Dale up on the day’s events. He paused when voices came from one of the rear exits. An older man with a girl around the age of ten approached the game shelves. Ice brought the phone closer to his mouth and lowered his voice. “I think she called it a ‘gice’? “

  The girl and the man carried a container to one of the tables painted like a checker board and sat down. Plastic pieces clattered on the lacquered surface.

  When Dale began speaking, Ice reduced the volume and Jeni got up to move closer. Nervous, Ice nearly missed Dale’s explanation. “A geis is pretty standard Irish lore. It’s usually a kind of destiny or curse that’s linked to something you must or must not do.”

  A surge of alarm struck Ice when Jeni took a seat on the edge of the chair that he was standing behind. He shifted away slightly, extending his arm so the phone was still between them while Dale continued. “One of the worst cases I can think of is a man under one geis to never eat dog meat and another geis to eat any food that a woman offers him. When a hag offers him dog meat, he’s screwed. Did Elletre tell you what your geis is?”

  “Not specifically. But I think decimating anything I care about has got to be close. And it seems that I accepted the geis by leaving the cave.” Ice eyeballed the couple playing checkers, but they were having a lively discussion over the game.

  “That would explain why you were babbling about not being able to leave,” Dale said.

  “Yeah, except that was more like a reluctant feeling. I didn’t actually know the consequences. If a person doesn’t know they’re under a geis, how can they avoid violating it?”

  “In all the legends I’ve read, a geis is told to the person who is bound by it—they know.”

  Ice scrubbed a hand over his face. “But if I knew what would happen, I would’ve stayed. I’d rather die than hurt people I care about.” He spoke the last statement quietly.

  Jeni leaned her head toward the phone. “What about your double geis example? Could she have made it so that Ice would forget when he left?”

  Dale’s exhale transmitted clearly. “I’ve never read any hard and fast rules about this, which makes me believe most anything goes.”

  “Well, she certainly banked on Ice leaving and accepting the geis,” Jeni said. “So he could do her dirty work.”

  There was a moment of dead space, and then Dale said, “So you guys think this goes back to Lake Itasca?”

  Ice met Jeni’s gaze. “In reference to Jeni, it’s what makes the most sense. The underwater monster was doing the bidding of another entity and I think that same entity is behind this.”

  “Do you think the witch will try to recruit Tyler because Ice failed tonight?” Jeni asked.

  “It doesn’t matter that Ice failed.” Dale’s intonation was grave. “He’s still under the geis.”

  “But we’re within feet of each other right now,” Jeni said.

  “Then there’s a condition that needs to be met. Like you have to be touching, or in the dark, or in the presence of a certain object.”

  Ice ran a hand through his hair, frowning. “Is there a way to break a geis?”

  Dale’s sigh wasn’t encouraging. “Not that I’ve read. But I’ll look into it.”

  Ice ended the call with Dale and fixed Jeni with a tense stare.

  “We should try to figure it out,” Jeni said.

  The little girl squealed with delight. “I beat you!” she exclaimed. The older man replied, “We’ll have a rematch tomorrow.” Game pieces clunked and rattled as they landed in the plastic container.

  Ice swallowed. “I…I thought it was because I told you I loved you.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

  Jeni’s held his gaze. “Then tell me again.”

  Heart thumping, Ice glanced to see the man and the girl walking to the shelves. The man, at least, was backup in case he attacked Jeni. “I love you.” The words were coarse with anxiety, but nothing happened.

  The man and the girl left the room.

  “I love you, too,” Jeni said softly. Then she stood.

  Ice’s entire body went rigid. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”

  Jeni swept her arm out like a game show host revealing prizes. “We’re surrounded by rooms with people in them and we’re right off the lounge. I’m sure a shout would bring someone running.”

  Ice grimaced.

  “And at least we’re not outside so you can’t try to drag me overboard.” Her eyebrows shot up and she raised a hand, palm out. “Wait. You poured water on your game console, you nearly tossed your medal into a river and then you tried to throw me overboard. Maybe it’s water, Ice.”

  She had a point. A good point. But that didn’t slow his rapid heartbeat. In fact, as she stepped around the chair, Ice thought his heart was going to jump out of his chest.

  Their eyes locked. She reached and settled a hand on his shoulder. He could feel the tremor in her touch. Ice kept his arms glued to his body. Jeni placed her other hand on his shoulder. “We were kissing when it happened.” Her voice was low and uneven.

  Ice shook his head as his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.

  Jeni had to stand on tiptoe to kiss him. He flinched when their lips touched, but that was nerves. He didn’t feel compelled to hurt her. A smile played on her mouth and her green eyes gleamed. Ice tentatively put his hands on her waist and, for a moment, they resembled a middle school couple dancing. Then he leaned down and kissed her, melting away a good portion of his tension.

  “Thank God we can still do that,” Jeni breathed.

  Her phone chimed and she stepped back to check it. “It’s my mom. Wondering where I’m at.” She sent a return message and then looked up. “We’d better test the water theory.”

  Ice groaned, but followed her to the corridor leading outside.

  “You stay here,” she said, a few feet from the exit. Her text alert sounded again, and Ice took an extra step backward as she read the message. “My mom wants me in my room. I didn’t realize how late it was.” She regarded Ice. “Okay, let’s do this. I’ll hold the door open so you can see the river. If you come at me, I’ll just let go of the door.”

  “Fine.” Ice held his breath as a blast of cold air hit him.

  Swinging the door wider, Jeni asked, “Can you see the river?”

  “No.”

  “Then you’re going to have to come closer.” Her outstretched arm propped the door open.

  Ice shuffled forward, gaze fixed beyond the rail. There it was, the river, flowing like black ink. He shifted his attention to Jeni and lunged forward.

  She let the door go and bounded up the stairs.

  He nearly barreled into the door, but once the view of the river was eclipsed, he stopped short. After a brief moment of confusion, Ice realized that Jeni had proved her point.

  Water was the key.

  While the rest of the family took trolley tours and visited museums, Jeni and Ice spent the next morning seeking answers to their many questions. They visited both the Winona
Public Library and the university library. Maps of the area surrounding the church, books on Irish and Celtic lore and druid magic were their subjects of interest.

  Dale hadn’t found any information on breaking a geis, even a call to his uncle in Ireland yielded nothing. They drew the only logical conclusion: eliminate the source, eliminate the curse.

  To eliminate the source—the witch—they needed to find the talisman she used for rejuvenation and destroy it. Assuming the item would be located at her home base—or lair, as Jeni thought of it—they were looking for caves, especially caves near water. They were also compiling a list of magical items of legend that might be keeping the witch alive.

  The time passed quickly as they needed to reboard the boat for a one o’clock departure. The cruise was scheduled to arrive in Marquette by evening, allowing plenty of time for passengers to visit the riverboat casino docked there.

  As they’d done earlier, Ice and Jeni separated so as not to be together in sight of the river. As she waited for him in the library—because the two of them hanging out in her room wouldn’t go over big with her parents—Jeni texted with Carolyn. Her friend had checked in first thing this morning, asking how Ice was today. Jeni had told her the truth, that the poison gas wasn’t affecting him anymore and that they planned to spend the day together. Now, she gave Carolyn an update on the town of Winona.

  Jeni looked up as Ice came in. “Hey. Have you seen Tyler?”

  Ice nodded. “He’s back on the boat. I haven’t seen any sign of Elletre.”

  “I’m pretty sure he spent the day with Jake. I saw them leave together this morning.” She told Carolyn she’d talk to her later as Ice sat down next to her. “Did he say anything to you?”

  Ice shook his head. “Nothing.”

  “Then he’s still probably going to meet Elletre tonight.” Jeni rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I’m afraid she’s going to do something to him but I know he’ll never listen to us.”

  A crease appeared on Ice’s forehead. “I don’t know how we’re going to find the witch’s lair. We can’t possibly investigate all the caves we found.” Then his eyes lit up and his brows rose slightly. “What if we use their meeting in our favor? Maybe we can trick Elletre into leading us to the witch.”