Oculus

by S. E. Akers

  “Yeahhh,” Katie whined. “She’s comin’ too — unfortunately.”

  “So y’all are all good now?” I probed. Last I’d heard, the two of them weren’t speaking.

  “Let’s just say our conversations are short, not-so-sweet, and limited to words claiming five letters or less.”

  “Isn’t Fergus the guy you went to the movies with that pissed her off?”

  “Yep, and Bethesda still doesn’t believe that we’re just friends. So if you happen to get a call from the Marblehead Police department, it’s me needing you to bail me out of jail.”

  “What’s in Marblehead?” I asked.

  “Cassie’s parents have a summer house up there. We’re leaving later this afternoon. You know, cookin’ out and watching the fireworks over the harbor. Pretty much what everybody else is doing today.”

  “Yeah,” I mumbled. Not everybody.

  “What have you got planned?” Katie asked. “I hope you’ll finally get to spark a few fireworks of your own.”

  A dull ache settled in the center of my chest. “Just staying here,” I tiptoed. I already felt pathetic enough; a blaring bold-faced lie would have just made me feel even worse.

  “I’m so jealous,” Katie teased. “I’d take a private evening with a hot guy over a crowded beachfront house party any ole day.”

  I would too, I grumped silently. “I hope you have fun.”

  “Thanks, Shi. I’ll call you when I get back tomorrow. I swear,” Katie promised. I started to reply when I heard Bethesda insisting that she was leaving right then — with or without her. The next thing I knew, Katie was shooting me a speedy, “Love ya — Bye,” and then hung up the phone.

  I stared at the handset, feeling a tad discarded. “Bye,” I mumbled, strictly out of habit. I couldn’t believe she hadn’t picked up on my sadness, not a bit of it, and I wasn’t even trying to hide it.

  Being the glutton for punishment that I was, I pulled the trigger with one more call. To my complete surprise, someone actually picked up on the second ring.

  “Yes,” my mother answered gruffly.

  “Hi, Charlotte,” I muttered and then totally blanked.

  “Chloe and I are on our way out,” she said hastily.

  I still couldn’t think of a thing to say, especially after hearing that they were “going out” today. Though after considering all the other holidays since Daddy’s passing, those two were always one foot in the car and ready to get out of Dodge.

  “Whatever you have to say — say it quick,” she snapped.

  “I wanted to wish y’all a Happy Fourth,” I said.

  Charlotte shot out a ruffled sigh. “It’s just another day . . . You didn’t need to call.”

  I pressed my head firmly against the back cushion. I did “need to call”, and yet again my mother couldn’t have cared less.

  “You’re absolutely right,” I replied and then sucked in a deep breath. “It won’t happen again.” I immediately dropped the receiver back on its cradle, resigned to the vow I’d made last night. I had enough emotional crap to deal with. I refused to let Charlotte be the final turd that ended up clogging my bowl. There simply wasn’t a plunger big enough to release eighteen years of her B.S.

  The alarm bell linked to Tanner’s door sounded a “ding”. He was leaving for his trip. I hurried to the door to catch him. A couple of soft “knocks” vibrated through the bronze slab before my hand touched the knob.

  I opened the door. “Are you heading off now?” I asked, aiming for nonchalant.

  Tanner nodded and lifted his posh saddle-brown duffle bag in the air. “I wanted to tell you good-bye before I left.”

  I smiled. “Well, I suppose I can walk you to the door.” The two of us headed up the stairs with a creep guiding our gaits.

  “So?” Tanner posed. “What are your plans for the day?”

  “Oh, I thought I would find the nearest park and crash a family-cookout,” I teased, though I made sure I was heavy on the pathetic. “Maybe even fly solo with some fireworks? I figure all of my fingers are safe this year.”

  Tanner didn’t bite. “That sounds like fun. Silas might want to tag along.”

  Nope. Not an ounce of sympathy from him either.

  “But you may run into some trouble with the pyrotechnic-part of your plan,” he warned. “They’re illegal in Massachusetts.”

  I stared at him blankly. Even my jokes couldn’t catch a break. “I could round up some carnelians and make my own. I might call Ferrol on his totem. Maybe he can run some over?”

  “Please do,” he quipped, “and be sure to let him know that I’m not here.”

  “Oh, I doubt I’ll have to tell that stalker a thing,” I muttered.

  Tanner’s steps halted immediately. Now that crack seemed to spark a little fire. He took hold of my hand. “And that’s precisely why you’re staying here tonight, right?”

  And there went any wild & crazy thoughts of calling up Katie and getting directions to Marblehead right out the window. “Yes,” I groaned.

  Tanner clutched the straps of his leather bag tightly. “I’ll be back tomorrow — early.”

  I nodded, too afraid of the “please don’t leave me here alone” that might explode out of my mouth if it cracked open the slightest bit. It was a holiday for cryin’ out-loud, and his reason for leaving was because he had to go “fake work”. And what was my consolation prize? A wisecracking smartass playing the role of babysitter, which was a craptastrophe just waiting to happen. I’d rather wolf down an E. Coli laced hamburger served off the lid of a trashcan a thousand times over than to have to settle for a sucky deal like that.

  The sound of the helicopter rotors alerted our ears as we stepped into the foyer. Seeing it parked out there whipping all the trees and ready to take off just made it so slap-in-the-face real. He was actually leaving. Well, shit…

  Tanner lingered in front of the closed door for a moment, seeming uncomfortably hesitant. I really hoped some of his reservations had more to do with me than who he was flying off to see.

  The waves of tension were starting to build, and I couldn’t afford to let them rock my boat a second longer. We’d had plenty of awkward departures in the past, so with my new attitude leading the way, I decided to take charge of this one by giving him a modest good-bye hug. My embrace didn’t last long on purpose. One, because I could feel myself starting to inhale his bliss like a desperate smoker sniffing the hazy trails of lit cigarettes when they’re trying to quit and Two, because I could feel him.

  Tanner turned his head towards me, lavender eyes smiling. “What was that for?”

  I didn’t expect to be put so on the spot, but I had to say something — anything but the embarrassing truth.

  “You’re leaving me here with Silas. One of us might not be alive when you get back,” I said and then nodded to the chopper. “And your bones aren’t fused with diamonds. That could very well be the last hug you ever get.”

  Tanner wrapped his hand around the knob with a squeeze and opened the door. “You’re not that lucky,” he grinned. “You’ll see me tomorrow.”

  I moved over to the window as soon as the door closed. The man standing beside the helicopter waved him aboard and then hopped inside, closing the door behind him. He may have been up and on his way within seconds, but my heart had taken a sharp nosedive — and it didn’t have a parachute to put the brakes on its fall.

  Silas cleared his throat and sidled beside me. “Not to worry, Ms. Wallace. I foresee the two of us having a jolly good time.”

  I threw him a side-eyed glare. I couldn’t even dignify that crack with a snarky comment.

  Silas brushed off my response with a facetious pucker. “No?” he posed, shaking his head.

  I forced a quick smile, not wanting to give him an ounce of satisfaction. “So how long will it take him to get to New York?” I asked. I figured I would take a stab at some polite conversation, seeing how the two of us were stuck with each other for the next twenty-four hours.


  “A little over an hour,” Silas replied as he plugged in the vacuum. “Though I’m not sure how long he’ll be detained there. I don’t know how many guests Malachi has invited.”

  Guests? “Don’t you mean business associates?” I corrected.

  “Oh, yes,” he replied with a wave. “But then they’re all setting sail for his house in the Hamptons. It’s not the Jewleeana, but it’s a grand enough vessel to ferry them all.”

  “For the meeting?” I questioned.

  “And for the party Malachi hosts there every year,” Silas clarified. “Xcavare is known for his Independence Day soirée. You wouldn’t believe the people who turn out.” Silas glided over to a nearby chest and pulled a magazine out of its top drawer. “Here is last year’s Town & Country. See for yourself.”

  I snatched it out of his hand and started scanning the pictures. He wasn’t kidding. Most of the smiling faces were socialites, but there were a few notable celebrities. I counted five film stars, a couple fashion designers, four recording artists, and two freaking supermodels. The only thing keeping me from ripping the pages to shreds was the fact I didn’t spy Tanner in any of the photos.

  “Did he go to this party last year?” I asked, insecurity blazing.

  Silas smiled and flipped to the next page. “Yes,” he said, pointing him out in the background of one of the photos. “That’s him standing beside the brunette.”

  I sucked in a startling rush of pure A/C chilled air. Correction — THREE supermodels. And I recognized this chick from a damn Calvin Klein ad.

  I stared at the picture in a blank daze. The only thing I could feel were warm streams of breaths rolling over my pooched bottom lip. How the hell can someone even compete with THAT?

  Silas stepped closer and hovered over my frame like a vulture sniffing out a pulse. “Something wrong, Ms. Wallace?”

  I handed him the magazine without the slightest glance. “Not a thing,” I assured. “I’m heading downstairs.” I waved my hand over the triptych in a heated trance. I’ll be the one screaming into her pillow… All freaking fifteen of them.

  I couldn’t believe he didn’t tell me the truth about his “MEETING”. There wasn’t any need to consult my Magic 8-Ball App over this one. The movie starlets and pretty socialites were one thing, but a harem of supermodels? I charged into my room, cocked my head up to the cosmos, and slammed my foot down on the floor. Come on! SERIOUSLY?

  I snatched my iPod off the bedside table and packed in my earbuds. Undeniably this was a job for Taylor Swift.

  Oh yeah… I had some stowed away for just such an occasion. Whether they admit it or not, most gals do.

  Once I’d inflated myself with enough uplifting take-on-the-world tunes, I trotted down to the library for another round of hitting the books. I was starting to feel like the “Rocky” of reading, especially on this particular holiday. All I lacked was a pair of red, white, & blue spangly shorts.

  Silas came strolling into the library around six o’clock, carting an elaborate serving tray. “I thought you might want dinner brought down here, Ms. Wallace. I was instructed to prepare something special for you this evening.”

  I returned my stare to the book I was holding, positioning it closer to my face. I’d snuck off to the kitchen and grabbed a modest sandwich for lunch, trying not to put too much thought into food today. “I’m not hungry,” I blurted while my belly roared out a gurgly tune arguing the contrary. Traitor, I grumbled.

  “So you say,” Silas grinned. “Nevertheless, I’ll leave this down here in case your stomach changes your mind. It shouldn’t be that hard. I can count on one hand how many meals you’ve missed.”

  It was all I could do not to throw this four-pound book at him. “Thank you, Silas,” I replied, gritting my teeth.

  I waited until he had left before rising from my chair. I only prayed “something special” didn’t come with a set of wings and claws lookin’ to bite back. Call me paranoid, but Silas serving me something hidden under a dome and outside the walls of the formal dining room would always & forever leave me with a bad pre-aftertaste. With a slight wince, I lifted off the lid. All the air trickled out of my lungs as I stared at the special meal. Everything I would normally eat on this particular holiday was sitting there right before my misty eyes — from the succulent ribs dripping with barbecue sauce right down to the paprika-sprinkled deviled eggs. Now those little southern delicacies triggered an amused grin. I had a hard time processing Wolfgang Puck whipping up something so lowbrow. There was even a slice of iced vanilla pound cake hiding underneath a smaller dome. I sawed off a hearty section of the ribs and took the messiest of bites.

  Fall-of-the-bone delicious, I affirmed. I don’t know how Tanner knew, but he did…and it was perfect.

  Now I just wished I didn’t feel so alone. The melancholy feeling that was starting to wash over me quickly came to a screeching halt. A glittery revelation was shining as bright as the bulb going off in my head. I wasn’t alone. In fact, I was never alone.

  Not really, I mused curiously. My gaze slowly lifted to the third level of books. A twinkle sparked my sockets as soon as they spotted the familiar volume. I spiraled up the wooden staircase with my intrigue leading the way. I pulled out the first of four books stamped with a golden “F” on their spines. Needing to find the perfect spot for my reading, I wound back down the steps and then sought out the coziest chair. My feet plopped onto the ottoman as I cracked open the book. I only had to flip a few pages before I arrived at my desired entry.

  Though faeries were elemental creatures that couldn’t “physically” let themselves be seen by their linked being, I didn’t think their punishment extended to making their presence known in some other way. There had to be a permissible avenue one could use to communicate with the Veil-beings — something that didn’t end with their banishment to The Darklands. A mystical loophole perhaps? No matter how gray?

  I reread the section highlighting their likes and dislikes. Faeries loved anything from nature, especially things tied to their respective element, though they all adored flowers of any sort. They were also drawn to sugary sweets and apparently couldn’t pass up a glass of milk or cream if their life depended on it. Faeries were immortal so they couldn’t be killed, only banished. However they weren’t without their own little bugaboos. Iron was extremely toxic to them, even to the earth elemental Pixies. Talk about sharing something in common. I couldn’t imagine the flinches coming from the faery bonded to me if they happened to be hanging around every time Silas pitched one of his cannonballs. Maybe it wasn’t just my cries I’d heard? Faeries weren’t particularly fond of lemons either. One little drop of the fruit’s essence would bind their powers like flipping off a light switch. I closed my book with a resolute “thump”. Now all I needed was a magical dinner bell.

  In the form of a summoning spell, I nodded and then sprang out of my chair.

  I started with the grimoires I hadn’t cracked open first. I skimmed through over a dozen of them until I found exactly what I was looking for. The tip of my finger ran down the page as I read through the list of ingredients. Then I pored over the spell’s detailed instructions. I laid the book down on the table, still open to its page, and then issued the cosmos a shrug. Conjuring one seemed harmlessly easy enough. Faeries were essentially silent shadows. Mine was basically there to keep tabs on me, never bothering me even in the tiniest of ways. How rude would that be? To carry on year after year without saying an official “howdy” to something so closely bonded to me in that way? I couldn’t have that on my conscience. Daddy had raised me with better manners than that. Plus, I needed some sort of communication, even if it only came in a cloaked form. Beggars can’t be choosers. My week had been rough enough. I kind of liked the idea of having a little fun. Especially tonight, I affirmed. It was July 4th. Tanner was off hobnobbing with celebrities and consorting with supermodels on Malachi’s yacht en route to the Hamptons. Where were my freaking fireworks?

  I charged up
the stairs like a racehorse to collect what I needed. My warden was busy in the kitchen loading the dishwasher. That gave me the perfect excuse not to disturb him as I breezed through the room.

  “Where are you going?” Silas posed as I grabbed the knob of the back door.

  Crap. “Nowhere,” I replied and then hurried outside. The red roses climbing the archway that led to his garden called to me like a sweet song of a bluebird. They were the ideal choice of florally faery-lure. Big, beautiful, and fragrant. By the time my fingernails had finished whacking, the holiday was looking a heck of a lot more like Valentine’s Day. I headed back inside, my nose sniffing the sweet success of my prize.

  Silas arched his brow. “No grapes this time?” he questioned.

  I ignored his crack and started searching the refrigerator for some cream, scanning its shelves from top to bottom feverishly.

  “What are you looking for?” Silas badgered.

  “Nothing,” I insisted. The glass bottle was actually resting in one of the slots housed within the door, filled to its cap with milky-white cream. Score, I grinned, not really knowing how much was needed to tempt a cream-a-holic faery. I pictured them as being “little”, but who knows what appetites they held? My stomach could stretch just as far as my eyes could sometimes. Sometimes farther.

  Silas’ suspicious gaze never faltered, even as I made my break for the hall.

  “Oh, Ms. Wallace . . .” he called assertively.

  His overbearing tone stopped me shy of crossing the threshold. “Yes?” I sang flippantly, half-turned.

  Silas acknowledged my tenor with a droll glare. “I simply wanted you to know that I will be doing a little late spring-cleaning this evening, down in the lower levels . . . in case you need anything,” he announced.

  I nodded back to him. “Okay.” I was just about to head off when he pointed to my haul, purposely halting my steps again.

  “Precisely what are your plans for those two curious nothings that you aren’t holding in your hands?” he inquired.

  Now I really didn’t like the smell coming from the kindling firing his nosey tone. I turned around fully this time, giving his nostrils the full whiff of bullshit they required.