by Angie West
"Could be." Mike lounged against the door frame and, luckily for his own well-being, refrained from making any snide comments involving me and a length of rope. "What's this I hear about you leaving?"
I took a deep breath. "It's getting late and I need to go home."
"I guess I don't need to ask why you won't spend the night here." He straightened and I thought I heard a faint note of regret in his voice.
"No, you don't have to ask, but I don't mind telling you the truth. It's you."
"Ouch." Mike winced and advanced into the room. "You're hell on a man's ego, you know that?"
I lifted one shoulder in a shrug before turning away to fix my gaze out the window. So much for making it home before dark. Shadows gathered in the driveway and played along the edge of the forest. "I have to leave."
I turned around to find Mike standing in the middle of the room. He was staring at the mural on the wall.
"It's beautiful, Aries." His smile held genuine warmth when he caught my eye.
"I only helped a little. Your nieces are very talented."
"Yes, my nieces are." He put faint emphasis on the word. "I'm still getting used to having two nieces now, instead of one."
"Sienna's a great girl." I bristled instinctively, ready to do battle at the first hint of negativity where the girl was concerned.
"Of course she is." Mike nodded and shoved his hands into the pockets of his brown corduroy pants. "But I've known her for all of twenty-four hours. It's going to take time to get used to her, and she to me."
"Yes." I finally said, exhaling and folding my arms across my chest. "You're right, it will take time." That was true enough. It was hard saying whether I had a natural inclination to be hard on Mike, or if having time to get used to a situation was something of a foreign concept to me.
Probably a little of both, I figured with a covert glance at the man who had been busy sucking the oxygen out of the room from the moment he'd stepped over the threshold. He stood there in the middle of the floor, so casual, damn him. It didn't even bother him to be in the same room with me.
His eyes zeroed in on my own. The faint hum of conversation buzzed from the floor below, but I couldn't make out the words; it was white noise in the quiet semi-darkness of the girls' bedroom. I felt the tension begin to seep from my body and for the first time in weeks, the Coatyl and the war and the fear were far away.
Surrounded by pale pink ruffled bed skirts, painted bedroom walls and twinkling night lights, I felt a sense of safety that was such a rare thing in my world, I wanted to embrace it with both arms and fade into it all at once; I wanted to sit in this room and feel still and invisible and, for a few minutes at least, safe. It had been so long.
It didn't pay to think such thoughts or to covet such things and yet, at that moment they were more real to me than the fear, the grim acceptance of what life had become, of what simply was. It reminded me of happier times, days long gone and for a moment, I allowed myself to drift, to remember a very different version of Mike and myself.
"I've never met anyone like you."
His admission was quietly made, sincere, and I felt my heart begin to kick painfully in my chest. Suddenly, I was breathless.
"Will you do it for me?"
My eyes lifted from the spot at the ground I'd been smiling at, to his grinning face. "Will I do what?" I asked, confused.
"That thing you do with the lights. Can you make objects at will? Anything you choose?"
"Yes," I shrugged, baffled at his fascination for my light shifting, until I reminded myself that Mike wasn't from here–wasn't that an understatement–and so of course the idea of someone being able to create their own light was a novel idea. According to Mike, I was the first person he'd ever seen accomplish such a feat. "What would you like me to make?"
"It doesn't matter." he answered, staring at me with a warmth that made me want to duck my head again. "Whatever you want. I just want to see you create something."
I pursed my lips and sat back on my knees. The sky above was a dark pearl in the midst of full dusk. Another day was about to be put to rest and another night was just beginning. Beside us, the still waters of the lagoon sparkled with the rich color I'd already shimmered and spread along the pool's edge. Pinks, blues, golds, greens, and vibrant reds glowed along the surface and reflected their merry light. It was magic, just like this day had been, just like the night promised to be...just like him.
I cupped my hands and brought them to my face, taking a deep breath and considering all of the miniature animal shapes and bright stars I'd made over the years for the children in my village. And then I stared at the green eyed, sandy haired man sitting across from me on the smooth brown rock ledge. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and pictured a color. Red, I thought, my lips curving briefly before I visualized the light, concentrating hard, more so than I normally would, but I wanted this to be perfect.
Very gently I exhaled into my cupped hands, feeling the light well up from somewhere deep within, feeling the heady rush as it spilled over. Warmth filled my palms and when I opened my eyes, a brilliant, shimmering ball of scarlet light pulsed in my hands.
Mike leaned forward and watched with rapt, unblinking attention as I carefully slid one hand out from under the light, moving it up so the raw energy was cradled top and bottom. My fingers moved expertly, bending and dipping and subtly weaving the light into an intricate shape, smoothing here, swirling there until it was done.
"Here." I murmured, handing the glittery, glowing red rose blossom to Mike.
His hands shook, a quick tremor which he hastily steadied, as he reached out to accept the gift. "It's...incredible."
"There's no stem." I quietly told him, daring to scoot forward on the dark sandstone. "No thorns." I explained at his quizzical look.
"Aries." he murmured, closing the miniscule distance that remained between us and reaching for me.
"Don't leave tonight." I whispered a second before his lips pressed over mine, warm and tender and wonderful.
"I'm not going anywhere." he promised.
Behind us, children's laughter carried on the balmy evening air and we broke apart, turning to see a group of four or five children dart from the cover of a leafy fern and run away. A gentle breeze caught the fading sound of their high pitched giggles and threw it back at us as they disappeared from view, probably heading for the waterfalls at the end of the dome.
I leaned over the water and cupped my hand, my laughter joining Mike's as I splashed him and then dove into the lagoon, glancing back to be sure he was following, grinning wildly when I saw that he was.
“Ari?”
His voice pulled me from my reverie and I blinked up at his warm green eyes, relaxed as I so rarely was these days. Maybe that's why I sat down on the edge of Ashley's bed when Mike suddenly, impulsively asked me to stay, to sit with him for a few minutes more. "You're already late getting home." he pointed out reasonably. "What could it hurt?"
What could it hurt? I didn't particularly want to give serious thought to the question. Still, I managed to not bolt when Mike lowered himself to sit facing me on the edge of Sienna's bed. Our knees were almost touching and I sucked in a lungful of air, hoping it would calm my nerves. It didn't, but I'm pretty sure it kept me from doing something embarrassing like blacking out.
I was hoping Mike wouldn't notice, but I'd forgotten just how deceptive his easy charm was. Deep down, Mike was anything but casual. He was paranoid and intense and his shrewd eyes missed nothing. Damn him. Those eyes narrowed on me now, but his voice was soft when he said.
"I make you nervous, don't I?"
"Not really." He made me want to vomit but I was pretty sure it wasn't the same thing.
His fingers reached out and skimmed the back of my hand, subtly moving lower. My skin was pleasantly warm where his hand rested over my wrist. His fingers circled until he held my wrist securely, with his fingers pressing lightly over my skin. His hold tightened, and I could feel t
he force of my frantic pulse throbbing against his fingers. I jerked my hand away and held my arm as if I'd just been scalded.
There was no point in asking if he'd noticed the way my own heartbeat had just made a liar out of me and he didn't bother to say anything for several long, charged moments. I glared at his bent head; when he did finally speak, his words were hushed and his eyes didn't waver from mine.
"Nothing to say?"
Oh, I had plenty to say. Most of it probably fell into the category of stuff he wouldn't want to hear, but he wasn't leaving me much choice. This made twice now in less than twenty-four hours that Mike Roberts had cornered me and arrogantly assumed I had nothing better to do than allow him to grace me with his presence. "What would you like to hear?" I demanded. "That I'm so glad you're here, I'm ready to burst from happiness?"
He leaned back and regarded me thoughtfully. "And are you?"
"No." I exhaled and studied him. "I wish you'd never come back at all."
"That's too bad." he shrugged.
"Obviously." My eyes narrowed. "You're already here."
"True. I'm here and I'm staying but that's not what I was referring to; I meant it's too bad you feel that way because most days I wish I'd never left this place."
“But you did leave.” I stressed, beginning to wish he would just shut up. Sure, we probably had at least one or two things to legitimately discuss, but in my opinion, all except one could wait. “Are you going to take a look at the Coatyl?” I asked, desperate to put the conversation–and us, really–back on an equal footing. I knew that after this morning's meeting, Mark and Bob had asked Mike to perform an autopsy on the creature and I had a hard time seeing Mike refuse the chance to explore something new and different.
Although, who knew if this was really his style: after all, there wasn't much a dead Coatyl could do to harm him. It might not be exciting enough to garner his interest. Mike was one of those people–and why did they always seem to be men–who was literally a walking contradiction. For a man who took phrases like 'safety conscious' and 'cautious' to a whole new level of paranoid, he was usually, surprisingly, willing to rush headlong into the fray when adventure came calling.
Maybe he was only overprotective with his family and friends, but when it came to himself, all bets were off? It was hard to say; Mike wasn't an easy man to figure out. Sometimes, he burned with an intensity that made him seem invincible and overwhelming, and other times he was so indifferent that he simply turned and walked away. No, I corrected, not indifferent, exactly, but...distracted. Definitely distracted. Not that it mattered, not at this stage in the game, and these days I had other things to worry about besides the shattered remnants of my short lived love life.
"Okay." Mike's shrewd eyes seemed to narrow infinitesimally on my face.
It was amazing how similar and all at once how different they were from his sister's. Claire's eyes were green but with a coffee color that added warmth and depth and expression. Mike's were dark and cool and a little bit murky, more like a moss covered lagoon or the darkest part of the forest in midsummer. In a lot of ways, those eyes mirrored his personality.
"I get it." Mike was saying, thankfully making no move to touch me. "I finally did what I promised to do almost two years ago. I came back." he added dryly when I remained silent. "You aren't ready to forgive me, are you?"
"No." I answered in all honesty, but there was so much more to it than that. How could I explain to him, something I didn't fully understand myself? Not yet, anyway. You'd think knowing in advance that Mike would return to Terlain would have given me an edge in having this sort of thing figured out. Not so. If anything, I was even less certain than I had been three months ago.
Before that, I'd been sure I never wanted to set eyes on him again. And really, even then the more practical side of my nature had dictated the complete and utter hopelessness of a reunion with him. He wouldn't want me if he knew...what I'd been through. I was sure, deep down, if he ever found out the trouble I'd run into, Mike would see me as forever damaged. Without a sliver of doubt, I was certain to look into his eyes and see either pity or revulsion, and maybe both, in the deep green depths; I wasn't sure which would be worse.
Probably the pity, I decided, bracing both hands on the mattress and shoving off the bed, my moment of calm effectively shattered.
Mike rose to his feet and held his arm out to me. "Shall we rejoin the family?"
I shook my head and strode past him without touching the offered arm. "I really do need to get home."
"But it's dark." he protested.
"Yes." I replied with a shrug. "That usually happens around this time of day. I've walked in the dark, you know."
The simple statement seemed to shut him up, even if the welcome respite wouldn't last long. Judging by the set of his mouth as we made our way, side by side, down the curved staircase, he was occupied with thinking about exactly how many times I'd walked alone in the dark since he had been gone.
Claire waited with her mother at the foot of the stairs. Maybe it was my imagination, but Mrs. Roberts didn't look overly excited to see her only son descending the stairs with me at his side. A second later, the older woman faced me and took both of my hands in her much cooler ones to halt my progress into the room and I figured I must have imagined the quiet disapproval.
"Aries, I want to apologize for...earlier. My husband and I are still," the woman exhaled and shook her head, "I suppose the correct term is 'in shock'. I hope we didn't seem awfully rude."
They had, but I didn't think it was polite to mention it. "You weren't at all rude." I reassured the older woman.
"Oh. Well." Tish shrugged, seemingly flustered. "I felt like we may have given you the wrong impression earlier."
"Really." I smiled and gave the cool hand around my own a brief squeeze before gently pulling free of her hold. "No harm done. I imagine this is somewhat of a trying time for your family."
"What an understatement." Tish Roberts heaved a tired sigh and smiled ruefully at me. "First to find out what sort of trouble two of our adult children were in," she paused and shot a look first at Mike and then Claire, before continuing. "Then to find out a place like...this, exists." Her eyes grew wide in her pale face and she shook her champagne blond head, as though she were trying to make sense of it all over again.
"I can't imagine." I murmured sympathetically.
Mrs. Roberts nodded. "Let's just say it's a good thing Andrew and I have strong hearts."
"Yes, it is." Claire agreed with an indulgent smile. Mike winced and couldn't seem to hold his mother's gaze.
"So." Mrs. Roberts clapped her hands together. "Now that that's out of the way, who's ready for supper? Not that I feel much like eating at the moment, but the pot roast smells delicious."
"It will be." Claire steered her mother away from the stairs and toward the kitchen. "Marta is a fabulous cook. Besides, I have a feeling that if we don't want Megan to spend the rest of the night holed up in a bedroom, we need to provide a good example."
"Yes, I'm afraid you're right, dear." Tish's voice trembled a bit at the mention of her oldest daughter.
Their voices faded out the closer they got to the kitchen. I moved and bumped into Mike as he slipped into the space Tish had just vacated. True to character, he refused to move. I planted both hands, palms flat, between us on his chest, applied light pressure and fixed him with a glare I knew from experience would have sent a normal man running for the hills. But then, when had this man ever been accused of acting 'normal'?
"Move." I resorted to glowering.
"Why?" he asked idly, staring down at me with infuriating ease. "Are you going to stab me again?"
I exhaled and counted to ten, a technique I'd seen Claire use often enough. "I wish you would forget about the damned knife."
"Not likely." He shook his tawny head. "What a welcome."
"It wasn't meant as a welcome." I ground out. Eleven, twelve, thirteen...
"You can't leave before su
pper." he pointed out in that why-wont-you-see-reason tone, still refusing to budge.
"I'm not hungry. And that's not your business, anyway."
Mike rested one arm on the railing and I quickly ducked beneath it, twisting around him and striding toward the front door. I hoped he wouldn't follow because right then I was sorely tempted to use the knife he refused to shut up about. Fourteen, fifteen, sixteen...
"Aries, come on, be reasonable. It's dark out there. Aries, would you stop?" He reached out and grabbed a handful of the back of my shirt, holding fast when I would have rounded on him.
"Mike." I ground out. "I'm only going to tell you this once. Let. Me. Go."
"I'm sorry." he sighed. "But you know I can't do that. It's just too dangerous for you to walk home like this."
"So, you won't let me go?"
"No." His grip eased before I felt him stand up straighter at my back. He seemed to gather his will then because in the next instant his strong fingers had become vice-like once again. "Let's go and have dinner with the rest of the family and then you and I can sit down and discuss this. If you still want to leave, I'll take you back to the dome, where it's safe. Please be reasonable about this, Ari."
Words swirled through my mind like a fine red mist. Where it's safe. Be reasonable. What he really meant was 'sit down and be quiet'. Like a good girl.
Like hell. I gripped his arm, braced one foot firmly on the floor, bent ever so slightly at the knee and flipped Mike over my left shoulder.
He landed on the hard wood floor with a thud that seemed to vibrate and echo through the entire downstairs level of the house. I refused to feel embarrassed, even though I felt my face heat when a heartbeat later, Mike's entire family rushed into the front parlor to take in the scene.
Mike lay on the floor, looking slightly dazed, staring at me with what could only be called disbelief. Well, he'd asked for it. Behind us, his mother and one of his sisters gasped. Ashley and Sienna ran ahead of the adults who had clustered in and around the doorway, anxious to see what the commotion was and clearly not wanting to miss a moment of the action.