Heirs of Avalon

by Alica Mckenna Johnson

  Anali’s mouth pursed and she grasped Gavin’s arm. I guessed she could feel the truth behind his pretty words, too. “Gavin, I believe our normal dress isn’t what one expects to see when dining at such a lovely hotel, this sounds like a good compromise.”

  I looked down at my new black yoga pants and long sleeved purple tee-shirt, certainly not what the other guests wore to breakfast yesterday morning.

  Gavin huffed. His anger felt hot against my protective bubble, but he stuffed it down and nodded. “I expect our meal options will be the same.”

  The manager bowed his head. “Of course, sir. In fact, I have taken the liberty of having a continental buffet set up inside for your convenience, and a waitress will see to your needs. If there is nothing else?”

  “No, thank you,” Anali said, her voice sharp.

  The manager inclined his head and walked away. As he passed me and Kayin, I felt his disgust. Jerk. Kayin stood taller, and I grasped his hand. While I didn’t like the manager, I didn’t take offense at his stupidity. My mom had left a journal with me when she sent me into a police station in San Francisco when I was five. For ten years it had been my only connection to her. I had memorized the quotes and lessons she had written down before hiding me and facing death at the hands of the Sons of Belial.

  People’s opinions of who you are shows more about them than about you. It doesn’t matter if they like you, hate you, look down on you, or admire you. How they feel about you tells who they are not who you are. So take a deep breath, and be yourself. Don’t allow the perceptions of others to make you change or pretend to be someone else. Not only will it make you miserable, but who else can you possibly be?

  “So?” Gavin asked as we walked into the blue banquet room.

  “He doesn’t like us much,” Anali said, sitting in the chair Gavin pulled out for her.

  Gavin snorted. “I could figure that out for myself. Was everything okay?” Gavin asked the trampoline troupe as the passed us to leave.

  They glanced at each other. “The food was good.”

  “But the waitress.”

  “She seemed a bit scared of us.”

  What? The three women and men that made up the troupe were the sweetest. All physically fit, but none of them huge or scary muscular. Why would she be scared of them?

  “I’m sorry. I’ll get this fixed,” Gavin said.

  One of the girls smiled. “It was nice being tucked away. We didn’t have to worry about being too loud, or getting looks for wearing workout clothes.”

  “Are you headed to the gym?” I asked.

  “Yes, it’s a mile away— that should help us warm up and give our meal time to settle.”

  “Have fun, we’ll see you there later,” Kayin said.

  I stood and headed to the buffet. Yes! Chocolate almond food of the gods was waiting for me. I snatched one of the pastries and put one on Kayin’s plate while he was looking over the selection. I added some crusty bread, several cheeses and some yogurt and fruit to my plate.

  “Good morning,” said Miu. Her straight black hair was pulled into two high ponytails on either side of the back of her head. Where in the world did she find workout clothes with pink sequins on them? My eyes watered. It was too early in the day for that shade of pink. “Oh. I was hoping for hot food.”

  “Good morning, and you can order anything you want,” I said.

  “Great! So have you run into any magical beings yet?” Miu asked as she filled her plate with fresh fruit.

  I thought about the band we saw last night, but decided to stay quiet. I doubted if I’d even see them again. “I saw some faeries and pixies yesterday while out shopping.”

  She cursed in Japanese, then Miu’s thin glossy pink bottom lip stuck out. “You went shopping without me.”

  “I made her go,” said Anali coming to my rescue. “Plus I knew we would be busy as soon as you all got here.”

  “True. We only have a few quiet days before we start performing. And Michael said something about performing at a party,” Miu said.

  What? I hadn’t heard anything about this.

  “Yes, we got asked to provide some entertainment at a charity event,” Gavin said. “I asked Michael, and he was going to get a few volunteers.”

  “Michael is going to check if Taliesin can set up the silks for the party,” said Sasha in his thick Russian accent, as he walked into the banquet hall. His red-streaked wheat-blond hair fell over his forehead in a messy GQ style. His blue-gray sweater enhanced his round gray eyes.

  “Is this the party we were invited to?” I asked.

  Anali nodded about to speak, when a waitress came in.

  “Can I get you anything?” the young woman asked. She kept darting looks between us and the door, which she had left open. What in the world did these people think we would do?

  “I’m fine,” I said.

  “Me too,” added Anali.

  “I’d like the kippers please,” said Miu, always one to try fish of any kind.

  “Of course.” She wrote down her order, took the menu and stepped back. She tried to make it look like she was focusing on the others, but her nervousness showed.

  After Sasha and Kayin ordered the girl was practically twitching. Gavin held his menu out his eyes hard as he stared at her. She whimpered a bit.

  “I want the eggs Florentine. I also want a server who isn’t afraid of us. You will not come back into this room.”

  The waitress squeaked out a, “Yes, sir,” and fled the room. I hid my smile behind my glass of juice.

  “So what is everyone up to this morning?”

  “Training, I guess” I said looking at Kayin, Sasha, and Miu.

  “Yes, I want to go through the routine again today,” Kayin said.

  “Do you want help?” Gavin asked.

  “Yes, please. There a few poses I am finding challenging,” Kayin said.

  “Taliesin and I are going for a run in the park before practicing,” said Sasha.

  “Where is our cheerful little unicorn this morning?” I said.

  Sasha rolled his eyes. “He fell into bed as soon as we got here and was sleeping when I left.”

  “Is he okay?” Anali asked.

  “Yes. Some girls figured out where we were staying and came to our room late last night and we had a difficult time getting them to leave.”

  Taliesin having groupies? This wouldn’t go over well at all.

  “Good morning,” said a young man with his back to us as he pushed open the door with a large tray balanced in his hands. “My name is Brandon, and I’ll be your server this morning. Now who ordered the eggs Florentine?” He smiled brightly, his rough London accent was refreshing.

  I looked up and met his bright blue eyes. The air shifted and sparked. His eyes widened, and he backed up. He shivered then smiled again, this time it didn’t reach his eyes.

  Gavin raised his hand. “Me.”

  “Wonderful, sir.”

  “What was that?” Kayin asked.

  I kept my eyes on Brandon as he set Miu’s breakfast down. “He’s something magical, but I don’t know what.”

  Taliesin walked into the room, his white hair loose and flowing around his shoulders. “Please, tell me there is coffee in here.”

  “Bloody hell,” Brandon whispered, almost missing the table as he set down Kayin’s plate.

  “Is there a problem?” Gavin said his tone sharp.

  “No, sir. Sorry about that,” he served everyone else.

  “So did you draw the short straw?” I asked.

  Brandon cocked his head to the side. “Miss?”

  “How did you get stuck serving us?”

  “Oh, I volunteered. I normally just clear and set tables. So this is my chance to show the manager that I can do a good job as server.”

  “Why exactly is everyone freaking out about us?” Miu asked, cutting into her kippers.

  Brandon went over to the door to make sure it was shut, then stepped closer to us. “Well, you
see, Americans in general aren’t regarded as quality guests. Add in the fact that you’re circus performers and have people from other countries in your troupe, they’re expecting you to be nothing more than common riff raff. Actually there is a betting pool about how you can afford to stay here.”

  “What are the choices?” I asked.

  Brandon grinned. “Well, we have had drug dealers, white slave traders, and kinky prostitutes.”

  “Oh, my,” Anali said her cheeks turning bright red.

  Gavin grinned. “If you add cat burglar to the list, I’ll start talking about jewels and museums and such.”

  “Gavin,” Anali slapped his arm. “Shame on you.”

  He snorted. “What? If they’re going to judge us like this I should get to have some fun with them.”

  “We could get some rope while we’re out today,” Kayin added.

  “Children,” muttered Taliesin, as he held on to his coffee cup for dear life.

  “Oh, sir, can I get you anything to eat?” Brandon asked, smiling softly. His gaze seemed a bit unfocused as he stared at Taliesin.

  I felt Brandon’s excitement and something else, almost a reverence. Taliesin felt tired and grumpy.

  “No, thanks. I’ll just have coffee.”

  Anali cleared her throat. The rest of us looked away. You do not skip meals around Anali. A few months ago one of the contortionists collapsed, and we found out she had an eating disorder. Anali was horrified. I guess they don’t have eating disorders in India. She bought a bunch of books and now watches what we eat.

  Taliesin sighed and flipped open the menu. “I’ll have poached eggs with sides of tomatoes and mushrooms.”

  “I’ll have it right out.” Brandon rushed out the door.

  I opened my mouth to let them rest of the group know he wasn’t fully human, when Miu spoke up. “Seems our waiter has a crush on you, Taliesin.”

  Taliesin glared over his cup of coffee.

  I was about to say something as the door opened and more than half of the circus performers came in. The room echoed with happy chatting in three, no four different languages, giving me no opportunity to share my sense of Brandon’s non-human nature.

  Brandon returned and set Taliesin’s plate in front of him, trying for a moment to make eye contact, but calls from the others drew his attention.

  “Anali, are you okay?” Her face had gone pale with a greenish tint.

  “There are too many different smells in here I think.” She pushed back her chair.

  I rushed over to her. “I’m done eating, why don’t we go upstairs for a bit.”

  “Honey?” Gavin said taking her arm.

  “I’m fine, you sit and finish eating.” She patted his arm and opened the door.

  His brow furrowed as he frowned. “I can finish it later.”

  “I’m feeling better already, honey. Please don’t worry. I’ll go get our jackets and we can head to the gym okay?”

  “If you're sure,” Gavin said but didn’t sit.

  “I can text you when we get up to the room,” I said standing beside her.

  Gavin sat. “Okay, I give up. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  “I have to get my stuff too,” Kayin said. Gavin gave him a grateful smile.

  Anali took slow steps and deep breathes all the way up to the room.

  “I’ll get my jacket and meet you back here,” Kayin said once we reached our floor.

  “Okay,” I said.

  Anali opened the door and her stomach gurgled. She slapped her hand over her mouth. I held on and rushed her to the bathroom where she threw up. Was she sick? I held her hair and rubbed her back until she finished. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, give me a moment to brush my teeth.”

  “Okay, just holler if you need anything,” I said and texted Gavin.

  I screamed when the door burst opened a few minutes later, how did he get up here so fast?

  “Where is she?” he asked as he ran to the bathroom door. “Anali, sweetheart are you okay?”

  The door opened. Anali stepped out, tears running down her cheeks.

  “Sweetheart, what is it? What wrong?”

  Anali sniffed and wiped at her eyes. I stood there, not sure if I should leave or not. I wanted to know what was going on, but I wasn’t sure if they remembered I was even in the room.

  “I was hoping, but I didn’t want to say anything. And I didn’t feel anything so I thought it was going to be like last time.” More tears fell from Anali’s eyes. “But now I’m sick. And I checked and I have a mommy line on my tummy just like my mom and sisters did. And I think everything is going to be okay this time.”

  Gavin led Anali to the edge of the bed and had her sit. “I don’t understand.”

  Anali’s chin trembled. “I’m pregnant.”

  My jaw dropped as Gavin gathered his wife in his arms and held her tight while she cried. Their joy and fear wrapped around me, the intensity making it hard to breathe. I walked to the door. This was private. I shouldn’t be here. I didn’t belong here right now.

  “I’m calling a midwife, you are to do nothing but rest until we know everything is fine.”

  Anali laughed as I shut the door.

  Chapter Three

  “People loving people doesn’t scare me. It’s people hating people, that scares me.”~ Mom

  I stared up at the white three-story building. “This can’t be right, there is no way this is a dance studio.”

  Kayin looked at his phone. “It’s the right address.”

  “Mum hurry up,” hollered a little boy. “Class starts soon.”

  “Go ahead,” said his mother, switching a baby wrapped in yellow from one arm to the other. “You know where your ballet class is.”

  The boy squeezed between Kayin and me, rushed up the stairs and slammed the door behind him. The glass panels rattled, and I held my breath waiting to see if they would break.

  “Sorry about that,” his mom said.

  “No problem,” I said stepping out of the way. We followed her into the building. The entranceway had worn gray-blue office carpet, and the walls were lined with cubbies for shoes. Above those hung wooden bars with hangers. On the inner door a sign: ‘Take off outdoor shoes’.

  The inside were polished wood dance floors. On both sides of the corridor were windows that covered the top half of the walls, allowing us to see into the rooms. In the left room the clowns were practicing, needing most of the room to move around.

  “Here we are,” Kayin pointed to a schedule taped to the door on the right. “We have thirty minutes to warm up before our turn. We’re in the center.”

  “Well, come on.” At one end of the large dance hall, a juggler was practicing his routine. He juggled the balls onto the floor instead of into the air as he walked down a set of stairs. A group of kids were sitting with their parents against the wall watching with wide eyes.

  On the other end two women flipped into the air, landing onto poles held up on either end by two men who balanced them on their shoulders. The crowd gasped as the women landed on the poles, which bent under their weight. Another few bounces and the women flipped into the air and landed on the opposite poles. A few of the little girls screamed and hid in their faces in their hands. The moms gasped and clutched their children tighter. I understood. Russian Pole scared the crap out of me too.

  My muscles ached as I began to warm up. It had been three days since I had done any exercise. I went through a series of yoga poses until I felt warm enough to move into deeper stretches.

  “It’s our turn. Are you sure you want to practice? You seem distracted,” Kayin asked.

  “Yes, I’m sorry. I’m fine.” I said, shoving all my worries and fears down and focusing on the routine.

  Kayin hit the play button, and our music filled the air. I focused on the slow, haunting cello as Kayin and I stepped onto a round platform. I let my shields open and tuned into Kayin, matching my breath to his. It had taken ages to be able to connect
to Kayin while blocking out the emotions of people around us. I didn’t want to get hit by the audience’s emotions and lose my focus. Placing my hands in his, I exhaled stiffening my muscles as Kayin lifted me up over his head.

  I kept my body firm as he moved me slowly to add drama and maintain balance. I moved into a handstand, balancing on his hands over his head.

  “Mummy, oh, mummy, please can we stay, please,” I heard a little girl ask.

  Once in a handstand I open my legs into the splits. Three breaths here, holding myself steady, while Kayin turned in a circle. His arms didn’t even shake as he knelt on the floor. I tapped into his calm control and centered myself into my breath as Kayin lay down on the floor while I continued to balance on his hands.

  Gasps echoed in the air. Kayin and I haven’t performed statue in front of a real audience yet, just other circus performers. I had to strengthen my shields as amazement, excitement, and envy flowed from the small group watching us.

  I brought my legs together as Kayin lifted his legs up. Curling, I sat on the bottom of his feet. When we started practicing this routine, I blushed the entire time. We are in constant contact from when I first take his hand until we left the stage. At this point I think I have touched as much of Kayin as possible without risking pregnancy.

  We’d always treated each other as brother and sister. The first time I slid down his body in time to the sultry cello music, I wondered how our relationship would change. Then Kayin giggled because the end of my braid tickled his side. And the awkwardness vanished in a moment.

  As the final notes echoed over the room Kayin lowered me on top of him and we curled together on the floor.

  Someone clapped and a bunch of others joined in.

  “You guys looked amazing!” Shin said, stepping onto the stage with a long wooden pole slung over his shoulder. “Very sexy.” He wiggled his thick black eyebrows.

  My brow furrowed. Something was off—he felt a bit sad.

  “Isn’t that the idea?” I said sitting up, reaching into my bag. I grabbed my towel to wipe the sweat off my face.