“What’s the matter? Don’t you like it?”
“How did you get this?” she asked, dropping her hair, reaching up to touch it.
“I, uh . . . . Don’t you like it?” He was nonplussed; her hair fell over his hands and he couldn’t see the clasp anymore. He let go and the pendent slid into her palm.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, and he realized that tears were running down her cheeks.
“What, don’t cry.” His stomach wrenched. “What’s the matter? Don’t you—”
“Yes, I like it.” She waved her free hand at him. “It’s perfect.”
He was definitely missing something. “Why are you crying?”
“I don’t know,” she moaned, wiping her eyes. “Don’t . . . look at me.” She ducked her head, half-braided hair falling in front of her face.
“Well . . . it’s . . . .” He paused. “It’s dogseye. A stone they mine here, I guess. They told me it’s like a . . . a good luck charm, you give it to someone you love to protect them from harm.”
That only seemed to make it worse. She made a horrible sound, which he realized was a sob. He squirmed, then also realized that he was digging his fingernails into his palms. He tried to relax, and said, “Li-Liseli, I’m sorry. About everything. But not last night, I—”
She looked up, then started to laugh tremulously as she wiped her eyes again. “I’m okay.” She stood up and hugged him around the waist. “I’m touched, that’s all. This is sweet. Thank you.” She stepped away, and put the necklace on herself. Her tears had stopped.
Russ felt like he was on a roller coaster, with no seatbelt. Or seat, for that matter. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, shaking out her hair. “But I have to do my hair over now.”
“I like it just out like that,” he said.
“It’s not the style here,” she combed through the damp hair hastily, frowning as it began to curl. “If you hadn’t noticed, all the women here have braids of one sort or another.”
He shrugged one shoulder, leaning against the bureau as she twisted sections of her hair together forcibly, bending them to her will. He could relate. “So? You don’t need to look like all the women here.”
“Yeah, well, I can’t even. They’re all tall and pale and raven-haired. I’m short and freckly and red.” She glanced at him before returning sadly to her reflection in the mirror. She wanted a compliment.
“You look nice,” he choked. She was still so hard to talk to. He’d always thought sex would make everything else easier. What a joke. A different reply came to his mind a moment too late: You’re like fire, they’re like ice. Why couldn’t he have said that instead? But maybe she’d think it was as lame as the island. He still thought that one was good; he did feel like he was shipwrecked on a forbidden island that he could either live off of or die on.
Liseli shrugged at the vague compliment. “Thanks.”
“The stone matches your hair.”
She looked down. “It does, kinda, doesn’t it? Huh.”
“I thought you’d like that.” Why, moron? She’s always complaining about her hair.
She smiled as she finished off her braid. She stood up and took his hand. “You look nice too. And no bleeding this time. Come on, let’s eat,” she pulled him toward the balcony. He was amazed. Eliasha had been right; it worked. Liseli had seen the necklace and seemingly forgotten about their whole argument and the dragging of her pristineness through the mud that was him. He followed her outside past the unmade bed, walking on air with relief. The roller coaster was climbing, again.
Chapter 14 ~ It Signifies Nothing
Russ and Liseli wandered out into the garden, finding it bustling with people. Workers surrounded the tents and tables that had been deserted the day before.
“I wonder what we’re going to be doing. After breakfast, I mean,” Liseli said, watching a man walk by with an armload of clothes. “For the Festival of Aysha, whatever that is . . . .”
“Who.”
“What?” She looked at Russ, wondering if he was asking a question or making a statement.
“Who it was. Aysha was a woman,” Russ said. “She was the Queen . . . and she was Arlic, Pillari, and Currun’s sister.”
Liseli frowned, trying to remember having heard someone tell them that the day before. She had been tired and a little overwhelmed by everything, but she thought she’d have remembered information like that. “When did you find that out?”
Russ stuck his hands in his pockets and smiled. “Oh. Eliasha told me.”
“Really. What else did she tell you?” Liseli’s eyebrows shot up.
He looked at the sky in thought. “Well—”
A man stopped before them. It was Larzai, who had stood watch during dinner the night before. He was carrying a tray of freshly baked bread rolls, and beside him was a girl with a pitcher. “Are you looking for the family; sir, miss?” Larzai asked, with a perfunctory bow of his head.
“Yes,” answered Liseli, giving Russ a look to say we’ll get back to this later. They followed the two servants across the garden past the tents, walking through a hedge to a part of the grounds neither of them had been before. A large pavilion stood overlooking a patio. They walked past tall bushes trimmed into pillars around a shallow pool. A statue of a man in a toga was poised with his hands outstretched over it, water running from his fingertips.
Larzai led them up the steps of the pavilion, where they saw Arlic and the other Erykumyn seated around a table, already eating. Only Currun was absent. Liseli felt self-conscious as Arlic greeted them, and Eliasha smiled at her across the table in what she imagined was a knowing and judgmental smirk. She looked fresh and beautiful in her blue dress, her hair intricately braided and perfectly in place. Ivira sat on her right side, but the place to her left was free, so Liseli sat in it before Russ could. She didn’t know if that’s where he would have sat given the chance, but Eliasha smiled too much in his direction, for her liking.
“Liseli, how lovely you look this morning,” Martilia said with her placid smile. “You have a dogseye necklace! Such a large stone, I’ve only seen . . . .” Her smile wavered, then returned with a force. “Wherever did you get it?”
“Russ . . . gave it to me,” Liseli answered, pausing to glance around the table. Arlic, Pillari, and Halla had stopped eating to look at her strangely, but the children were uninterested, and Eliasha was very focused on her plate.
“Oh,” Martilia turned her smile on Russ, expectantly. Russ froze as the others’ eyes shifted to him as well, and he held his breath until Martilia finally prompted, “Where did you get such a lovely gift?”
“I . . . um.” Russ lowered his head and began to twist his napkin in one hand.
“From me,” Eliasha intervened, looking up at Arlic. Liseli’s mouth fell open as her stomach plunged in horror. She looked at Russ, who smiled weakly. How could you trick me like that? She wanted to yell at him. What were you thinking? It was humiliating. He’d pretended to give her a present, which was really from . . . Eliasha! And now everyone was staring at her. I can’t believe I thought it was sweet of you. You jerk.
Eliasha continued; “He needed a present to give her for Aysha’s Day. I suggested that the necklace would be a very appropriate gift.”
There was a moment of silence, as Eliasha stared at her grandfather with a neutral expression. Halla spoke: “Oh my word . . . .” She sounded as if something had just dawned on her, and she lifted her hand a little, half-pointing. “That was Ilia’s, wasn’t it?”
Arlic slammed his cup down on the table. “You are not to say that name.”
Halla’s head snapped to the side as she turned to him. “I will say whatever name I wish,” she said, in a voice low and soft like the faint warning rattle of a snake’s tail.
“Not at my table.” Arlic shook his head. Halla clamped her mouth shut, then lifted her chin and surveyed him from half-lidded eyes.
“What . . . I . . . what’
s going on?” Liseli sat up stiffly, putting a hand over the pendent. “Is—”
“Yes, it was,” Eliasha said to Halla, and Pillari shook his head at his plate. The children were still and wary, their eyes darting back and forth between the adults.
Liseli slowly tightened her fingers around the stone. “Who was—”
“She was my mother.” Eliasha glanced at her briefly, before clearing her throat and picking up her cup.
Russ let his breath out in a whoosh. “Your mother’s? Why did you—”
“I want her to have it,” said Eliasha, raising her voice.
“You had no right to give that away,” Arlic said, standing. Liseli wanted to disappear. She pulled on the stone until the chain dug into the back of her neck.
“It was mine.” Eliasha stared up at her grandfather without fear, setting her cup down with a bang. “I could do whatever I wanted to with it.”
“But that was your mother’s,” Martilia exclaimed in earnest amazement.
“Dear, dear Aunt Martilia,” Eliasha suddenly laughed, “I have a whole box of my mother’s old jewelry. Is one necklace that important?”
“You know that you are not to wear that jewelry, or give it away. And that necklace is important.” Arlic pointed angrily, and Liseli felt pinned to her chair. “That is the necklace your father gave her on their wedding, which you know very well.”
“Oh my God.” Liseli closed her eyes, then reached for the clasp, “I’ll take it off. You can have it back.”
“No,” Eliasha said sharply, putting a hand on her shoulder. Liseli stopped, slipping her hand back down. Eliasha turned back to Arlic. “Yes, I know. That’s why I gave it to him.”
“Why? Why would you do a thing like that?” Arlic spread his arms incredulously. “Does your heritage mean nothing to you?”
Eliasha stood up, sending her chair skittering back. “How dare you ask me such a question, you would kill their very memory! You would—”
“Eliasha,” Pillari interrupted in a low, composed voice. He looked from his great-niece to his brother and said, “Arlic, we’re forgetting our guests. I think this a matter that perhaps we should settle in private.”
Arlic took a breath, and nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry. This is incredibly rude of me.”
“I’ll take it off,” Liseli repeated. “Really, it’s-it’s no trouble.” She glanced at Russ, whose shoulders were hunched as he stared at the table fixedly.
“No, Liseli, don’t,” Eliasha tried to stop her again. “It’s yours to keep.”
“Look, I don’t want it anymore.” Liseli batted her hand away. “It’s a family heirloom, you don’t give those away to strangers. My God.” She undid the clasp shakily and held it out. “Take it back.”
“It was Russ’s gift to you.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Liseli stared at her pointedly. Eliasha’s eyes lifted to look over her shoulder, but Liseli didn’t turn to see Russ’s reaction. He didn’t say anything.
“Excuse me.” Arlic held out a hand and waved it, shaking his head. “I’m very sorry. What’s done is done — you may keep the necklace.” He spoke stiffly, and glanced down to Pillari, who nodded.
“Why?” Halla asked, folding her hands and raising her eyebrows at him. She seemed merely curious.
“Eliasha is right, in a fashion.” Arlic held up his hand when Eliasha opened her mouth. “Her mother’s things were given to her. And it is only a necklace.” He sat down. “It signifies nothing to me; she may do with it what she sees fit.”
“It signifies nothing,” Eliasha repeated, her voice on an edge Liseli remembered hearing the day before in the garden. “Well. That is good. That is settled. You must put the necklace back on, Liseli.”
I must? I must? “No, I — look, no, I don’t want it.” Liseli shoved it at her. “It belongs to you.”
“It is a most generous gift,” spoke Pillari evenly, tapping the tabletop lightly. “That is the finest dogseye stone in Alisiya. It would be gracious of you to simply accept it, its importance to Eliasha making it all the more of an honor to receive.”
Liseli bugged her eyes out at him, stunned by the measured order. Everything in her rose up to tell him he could take his generous opinion and shove it, but she ground her teeth together, clamping her mouth shut. She closed her hand back around the stone and put her fist in her lap. “I . . . see . . . ” she said through her teeth, then paused and consciously forced a smile to her face. “Thank you,” she addressed the uneaten food on her plate.
Eliasha sat down in her chair, but didn’t scoot it back up to the table. Everyone was silent for a moment, then Liseli quietly lifted the chain around her neck and closed the clasp. She stared at the stone against her chest, and wouldn’t look at Russ.
“You have been able catch us all at our worst, I’m afraid.” Arlic relaxed, smiling ruefully. “Again, I apologize, I have been a terrible host thus far. Hopefully today will improve; early this afternoon the Festival starts. We have guests arriving from all over Alisiya, and we will see a performance by a magnificent band of dancers. They are to perform Thyvid and Zalisha, a wonderful play. Wonderful. And perhaps later you would like to go out and visit the Elharan Market. It is renowned throughout Alisiya — full of wondrous things from . . . all over.”
Russ cleared his throat. “Sounds great.”
“Mm-hm,” Liseli’s voice rose stiffly.
“Good.” Arlic nodded. “Good.”
“It signifies nothing,” Eliasha exhaled, standing again. She stared at her hands and folded them. “Excuse me.” She turned and walked away, trotting down the steps with a lightness that belied the mood on the pavilion.
Liseli had wanted to leave almost the minute she’d sat down, and she took the opportunity to stand as well. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m hungry this morning,” she said. “I’ll, um, look forward to the play . . . dancers . . . yeah.” She backed up.
“Do as you like.” Arlic was still staring after Eliasha’s retreating figure.
“Thank you.” Liseli glanced at Russ, then turned hastily and fled down the steps. She didn’t get very far down the path before she heard him behind her. She walked briskly, heading for the hedge.
“Liseli, stop.” Russ jogged after her.
She glanced over her shoulder. “I want to be alone.”
“Hey, come on.” He came up beside her and put a hand on her arm, turning her around. She stopped, but jerked his hand away.
“I mean it, Russell, I just want to be alone, that’s all.”
“Fine.” He spread out his arms. “You can be mad at me if you want to. But look, you didn’t eat anything on Tuesday, you had this little tiny breakfast and lunch yesterday, you didn’t eat dinner, and now you’re not gonna eat breakfast? What?”
Liseli rolled her eyes and turned a little, putting one hand to her hip. “What do you mean, what? You’re counting my meals, now?” She nearly wanted to appreciate his concern, but clung to her anger and humiliation.
“I can’t, you’re not having any meals.”
“Yeah, well, why don’t you put that amazing perception to work and figure out that it was a stupid idea to take that necklace from Eliasha and, and give to me like you mined it from the damn mountain yourself!” Liseli put her hand to her forehead, then waved it at him, fighting a note of hysteria that surfaced in her voice. “I mean, what were you thinking?”
“I didn’t think it mattered.”
“Oh, don’t give me that. You knew. That’s why you didn’t answer me when I asked you where you got it from.”
“Alright! I’m sorry. I wanted to give it to you. I didn’t think about it . . . being from Eliasha.” Russ shrugged, looking miserable. “I didn’t know it was her dead mother’s, for God’s sake. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well you’ll have to be more than that,” Liseli spat. “That was humiliating. And why am I still wearing this? Why? ’Cause it would be ‘ungracious’ to refuse. Oh yeah. Thanks, Russ. Really.”
“What do you want me to do?” He stared at the ground.
“Leave me alone. Right now. Right now I want to be alone. All I want is to be by myself.”
“Alright.” He lifted his head and looked her in the eye. He gave her his wounded eye twitch and stiff jaw, but she was too angry to feel any guilt. “Alright. Fine. I’ll see you later.”
Liseli turned around and headed back down the path. But Russ wasn’t quite finished. He called after her, “You know, you’re just like a cat I used to have.”
“What?” She stopped and half-turned, staring at him incredulously.
He put his hand in his pockets. “I asked for dog, for my eleventh birthday. My mom gave me a cat instead.”
“Russ.” She held her hands up near her ears, wanting to scream. “Just stop with the stupid analogies.”
“It’s not stupid.” He jutted his chin up defiantly. “That cat was really weird, most of the time she’d scratch me if I looked at her wrong, but sometimes she wanted attention, and then I couldn’t keep her off me. She’d roll all over my schoolwork and scratch my guitar and meow, meow, meow until I’d pet her. Then, when she didn’t like it anymore, she’d scratch me and run away. I think I still have scars.”
“Oh lovely. Good for you. I’m going now.” Liseli threw him a glare before turning back toward the hedge. Leave it up to Russ to call me catty after being an absolute jerk. She’d have thought Eliasha had given him the necklace just to humiliate her that way, if it wasn’t for how upset Eliasha had seemed. But Liseli still didn’t know why Eliasha had done it. None of it made any sense. She shook her head. She didn’t really want to think about it, it made her too angry and frustrated. The more she dwelled on it she felt as if she wanted to scream, or run, or break something.
And she was starving.
Chapter 14 ~ It Signifies Nothing, part 2
Russ watched Liseli retreat, shaking her head and waving her hands down at her sides as if she were still yelling at him in her mind. He still wanted to run after her, and maybe shake her this time, till she understood that it didn’t matter. It was just a necklace. It was . . . .
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