“She may have pinpointed the geographical location of the journal.”
“Did she tell you where that was?” Taban asked.
“No, because it’s not official. She won’t share anything that she isn’t sure about.”
“Thanks for telling me,” he purred. “You know how fascinated I am by your work.”
She looked around to see if anyone noticed their affectionate touching. A couple of students walked by and she stepped back to a more platonic distance.
“You’re my intern, so you’re an important part of this project.”
“Well, my interest isn’t just in the project.” He embraced her and rested his chin on her soft hair. When they separated, he saw her face had fallen. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“You know how I found the unique genes in the group of people I studied who were all between the ages of 110 and 120?”
“The deca-centenarians. I know.” Taban nodded.
“Well, if someone had a combination of several different genes my team identified, they could live a lot longer. I found a couple people with a higher percentage of the genes out of that group.”
“Fantastic. What’s the problem?”
“My theory about the descendants of a mythical race is going to sound like a crack-pot theory, unless I have a piece of historical evidence. I need that journal and I need it soon,” she sighed.
“I’m sure your genius will be appreciated someday,” Taban assured her. “Is Dr. Savali around?”
“She’s not on campus,” Abigail replied. “She told me she was headed for Ottawa,” she added when she saw his quizzical expression. “I don’t know if she’s leaving tonight or tomorrow night.”
“Is she close to her family?” Taban asked.
“Very much so, why?”
“Oh, no reason.” Taban remembered Stag’s comments about Daisuke, May Savali’s son. “Is her son still around?”
“I think so.” She tapped her chin looking thoughtful. “He should still be on campus? I think he’s staying in Halifax for a while.”
“Great,” Taban turned to go.
“Goodbye, then?” she said disappointedly.
“Oh uh, do you want me to come over tonight? It’ll have to be pretty late, but … what’s wrong?”
“It’s childish, never mind.” She waved her arms in front of her face. Taban took both of her hands between his and massaged her palms with his thumbs. “Who was the boy you were sleeping on in the lecture hall?” She asked. “Are you involved with him?”
“Who?”
“The brunette in the sweater vest,” she clarified.
“Oh!” Due to Eadowen’s gender identity, Taban was accustomed to people referring to his friend as person rather than boy. “No, no,” he assured her. “Xie—that is ‘he,’ the boy you saw, is just a friend. I was like really tired today. I don’t have any lovers other than you, of course.”
“Sorry, that was ridiculous of me.”
“It was,” Taban accused. “Do you want me to come over?”
“I only want you to come over when you want to,” Abigail tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I probably shouldn’t even be having this kind of relationship with you.”
“That’s as ludicrous as your idea that I’d be getting it on with some stuffy guy.” Taban turned his blue eyes skywards. “We’ve been through this. I love you, Abby.”
“I didn’t mean to …”
“It’s because I’m a young guy.” He pretended to swallow back tears and let his voice crack. “You don’t think I can be in love! That’s it isn’t it?”
“No! I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. I respect your feelings …”
To his amusement, she continued to apologize. He waited until she was almost out of breath before silencing her with a kiss. “Thanks. I’m so glad we had this talk. See you around midnight tonight.”
Once he was out of her sight, he wiped off his mouth and looked at his Ogham. It would only take a few social media searches and some asking around to find Daisuke on campus. Taban started to brainstorm ways to get Daisuke to share, and continue sharing his mother’s findings. He could probably talk him into giving something away by accident, but it would be better if Daisuke owed him his life. I think I can put him in a situation where he needs to be rescued before lunch tomorrow, Taban thought. I wonder if he knows about Martinique Beach.
CHAPTER 5
PREPARING TO DINE
WITH FAIRIES
“I THINK WE’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY,” Cassidy said from the passenger seat of the Reyes’ car.
Ms. Reyes’ Ogham had been indicating Cassidy’s statement for the last fifteen minutes, but Ms. Reyes slammed on the brakes, as though Cassidy was the first to mention it.
“We’re sorry,” Danny said. “Please, tell us what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, dear, it’s better for you to not know, that way you don’t have to worry about it.”
“But I am worried!” Danny exclaimed, but only silence answered her plea. She fidgeted in her seat as though struggling to find a new topic of conversation beneath the seat cushion. “How are you doing?” She asked Cassidy.
In reply, Cassidy mumbled something that sounded like a combination of okay and fine. She opened her journal. Danny stopped squirming to admire Cassidy’s repose as she wrote. The key necklace highlighted Cassidy’s bronze neck, which smelled of fresh lavender.
I don’t really feel like writing right now, but I’m afraid Danny’s mom will read into anything I say or send to Danny.
Asking for another person’s genome is so invasive that I can’t believe Crane and Savali are getting away with it. Genomes are kept under high security and only accessed if legal or medical needs require it. I’m glad Eadowen stopped Danny, but I still don’t know whether to trust hir anymore than Crane and Savali.
I looked up Taban and Eadowen again. Because of their high privacy protection, I couldn’t find much about them, except that before Dalhousie they went to a prep school in Malibu. I hope I get into a good university. junior college is really hard. There were lots of tests to make sure students have the skills to go to junior college. I was too busy with school to think about asking someone out. Actually, it doesn’t feel like anyone gets in relationships anymore. I envy Taban and Eadowen. They seem to really be in love and I’ve never even kissed anyone.
She looked up from her journal and took a deep breath.
Geez … why am I thinking about Taban at a time like this? What’s wrong with me? My friend might get in trouble. Yes, that sounds more like me. Danny’s safety takes priority.
As Ms. Reyes eased the car into park, Danny leaped out. Her mother yelled after her to wait until the car had come to a complete stop, but Danny had already made it halfway up the steps to the front door.
Checking herself in the hallway mirror, Cassidy sighed. Since she shaved her head every four months to six months, her hair usually puffed up at an awkward length right before she decided to cut it. She patted her hair futilely trying to compress it, while attempting to ignore her pimples in the reflection.
Danny stood next to Cassidy. “I think you look great.”
“You’re just saying that!”
“Why do you care how you look right now?” Danny asked. “You don’t usually stress about your looks.”
“I don’t. Well I do. But …” Cassidy swept a mascara brush over her eyelashes and dabbed tinted sunscreen on her cheeks with a sponge.
“Are you getting dressed up for Taban?” Danny’s tone dropped at the end of her question.
“No! Well, I just want to look nice since we’re meeting new people. I like your colored lip balm by the way.”
“Thanks.” Danny applied the ruby shade generously to her full lips. “It’s pomegranate.”
“Are you sure you want to go?” Cassidy whispered.
“Yes, I …”
Cassidy realized Ms. Reyes was dusting a bookshelf next to them and finished Danny’s sentence
. “Really want to learn more about Dalhousie. What was your favorite part about the school?”
The shift in topic perplexed Danny until she noticed the swish of her mother’s duster behind her. “Oh, I liked the science building. Biology is really fun,” Danny replied hastily.
“Yeah, I’m into law, but it would be cool to overlap it with patents.”
“Wow. You actually have a plan,” Danny commented. “I don’t know what I want to do with my life or even school.”
“I wouldn’t call it a plan. I have to get into a pre-law program at a university. Those are really competitive.” Cassidy’s palms felt cold as she thought about applications.
As Ms. Reyes continued to hover around them doing various chores, Cassidy and Danny continued to talk about anything but Celtic mythology. As their conversation segued from the recent implications of string theory to a popular old cartoon about ponies, they heard the crunch of gravel.
Danny jumped onto a window seat and peered through a slit in the blinds she created. “Taban’s here, I think.” The clang of the doorbell resounded through the house. From her perch on the window seat Danny looked at Cassidy expectantly, but Cassidy, only an arm length from the door didn’t open it. Danny trotted over to let Taban in.
“Good evening.” Taban stood close enough to hug Ms. Reyes. “Thank you so much for letting them come.”
“No problem, bring them back …”
“Is eleven okay?”
“I suppose,” Ms. Reyes answered.
“Wonderful. I’ll wait outside.”
“Well, he seems … nice,” Ms. Reyes said after Taban shut the door.
Cassidy breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a small white electric-solar car. She had imagined Taban showing up in something with a prancing horse logo. Taban was holding the front passenger door open. “Danny said you could have shotgun ’cause you get car sick on windy roads.”
Worried it would seem rude to sit in the back with Danny, Cassidy accepted.
As he gripped the steering wheel with his right arm, Cassidy saw that his Ogham strap was empty.
“Did your Ogham fall off?”
“We don’t use Oghams at our house, but it’ll be okay if you keep yours just for tonight. Do you both want to listen to music?”
“Sure. Just don’t turn it up too loud,” Danny said.
“Play song from Knots of Avernus,” Taban commanded to his car. “Your favorite, right?”
Cassidy looked down not knowing whether she was more embarrassed about liking the band or that Taban remembered.
The road began to wind more often. It narrowed from two lanes divided by a double yellow line to an unmarked paved road. The size of the deciduous trees in Nova Scotia couldn’t compare to the giant evergreens to which Cassidy was accustomed. Yet, as they drove farther from Halifax the trees seemed to come in larger sizes. She attributed the sensation of a dense forest of giants to a trick of the waning light.
Danny tuned out the electrical beats of Avernus and concentrated. The same memories the floral aroma evoked earlier that day returned, but this time she couldn’t identify the trigger.
“Almost there.” Taban turned the car directly off the paved road into what appeared to be forest. Cassidy yelled at him to stop. As the car pitched forward, she saw vehicle tracks on a narrow path into the woods.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I should have mentioned that the Tolymie’s driveway is hard to see.” Taban laid his hand on her arm; his touch soothed her and made her skin bristle at the same time. It reminded her of sandy waves splashing in her face when she surf kayaked.
The trees created a canopy, shading out the sunlight. They pulled up to a two story cedar house with an attic tower. The maple and oak grew so densely it was apparent where their limbs had been removed so as not to penetrate the house. To Cassidy the Tolymie’s residence seemed like it had been preserved from another time. Perhaps it was the warm firelight in the windows, or the bare wood instead of paint, whatever the reason, she wondered if she should’ve checked for white rabbits. Taban attempted to open the doors for Danny and Cassidy, but Danny had already exited the car and played valet to the passenger side.
“Welcome,” Eadowen said, from the doorway.
They removed their shoes in the hallway. A red tapestry with golden knots woven through it hung across from an armoire with a full length mirror. Three long teardrop crystals dangled from a chandelier. A long rug similar in appearance to the tapestry, but worn in places that the design was obscured, covered the polished wood floor. The mirror on the armoire reflected a fire blazing in a round green marble hearth in the center of the living room. A couch made of red leather, semi-circled the fireplace.
“Make yourselves at home.” Eadowen gestured toward the archway leading to the living room. “I haven’t quite finished making dinner. Perhaps Taban can show you around.”
Cassidy and Danny followed Taban past the hearth. A loveseat, matching the couch, faced a large screen surrounded by speakers and various electronic gaming devices. The screen flashed brightly as the image of a race car zoomed around a track. Unable to contain her interest in old-style video games, Cassidy inspected the equipment before noticing a teenager playing the game. Mud caked his sports jersey and a long lacrosse stick leaned against the sofa. He had pink sunburn on his broad muscular shoulders. The skin on his hands looked raw and dry, as though he’d scrubbed them too vigorously while washing.
“Donovan, greet our guests,” Taban shouted.
The teenager did not respond. Taban took off his large noise-canceling headphones. Donovan glared up at him with steel blue eyes. “What?” he asked in a bass voice.
“Say ‘hi.’ ”
“Hi,” Donovan replied, running his hand over his crew cut.
“Cassidy, this is Ea’s youngest brother. Cassidy likes to play video games, so we’re going to join.” Taban patted the seat next to him for Cassidy to sit down.
***
Meanwhile, Danny stood next to the fire. She detested that style of gaming because she could never coordinate the buttons with what she saw on the screen. The modern versions with simulation gloves and visors suited her better. Fortunately, the golden knots in the hall tapestry interested her, so she returned to it. As she ran her hands over the fabric, she heard a scratching sound underneath her. At first she thought it was a rat, but the sound was too decisive to be a rodent. She started to kneel to put her ear closer to the floor when she felt Eadowen’s wheelchair rolling along the carpet.
“What’s wrong?”
Turning to address him, Danny wondered if Eadowen ever changed expressions. His face reminded her of how a spokesperson for a new medicine looked after listing the possible side effects: sweet, trustworthy, and blank.
“I don’t like video games. I suck at them.”
“Would you like to join me, while I put the last touches on dinner?”
Danny could hear Cassidy’s laughter from the living room as she followed Eadowen. Her throat burned as she pictured Cassidy’s beautiful smile directed at Taban.
“I have more concern for your comfort than for possessions,” he replied. “You must be curious about all that has happened. Come with me. I’ll explain.”
She followed him into the kitchen. Danny had not yet seen a door, aside from the front door in the Tolymie’s house; neither kitchen nor living room had doors separating them from the hallway. The kitchen was the same dark cedar as the rest of the house with brass and silver pots and pans hanging from the walls. The brass and silver shimmered as though they had never been touched, but their hangers had been worn by many years of use.
Eadowen rolled over to the sink. “Get comfortable wherever you like.”
A lamp with a red shade lit the kitchen from an oak table. A basket of round bread rolls, a glass bowl containing a spinach salad with vegetable toppings, and plates of rice noodles, covered in almond slices and peanut sauce surrounded the lamp.
To prevent herself from rudely eating the food,
Danny settled on the low countertop next to the sink. The same black-green as the hearth, the polished countertops reflected the little white candles burning on the window sill. Danny enjoyed the lilac scent permeating from the candle smoke.
“Why is Mom so scared and who are you?” Danny asked.
“You and your mother came to visit nine years ago. Do you remember?”
Eadowen filled a kettle with water from the sink. With his closer proximity she detected the other floral scent she recognized from earlier that day.
“I smell something that gives me déjà vu.”
“Hm. You were pretty young when you came over.” He bit his lip. “Please describe the scent.”
“Fresh and earthy. I think it’s on you.”
“Oh! Why didn’t I think of that?” Eadowen set the kettle on the stove with a soft, but punctuated clang. “When I was a kid, my parents took me to Scotland. I liked the smell of the hawthorn and thistle flowers, so my dad taught me how to extract the smell and wear it. I had it back then too.”
As he glowed with enthusiasm, his dull expression melted, but to Danny’s chagrin, he snapped back to his original demeanor almost immediately.
“Let’s see if we can jog your memory.” He tilted his head to the side and stroked his neck directly under his ear. “This is where I put it on.”
She leaned forward and inhaled above the place he’d indicated. The memories started to patch together. Mom was in a heated argument with two people in front of that nice fireplace in the Tolymie’s living room, Danny thought. When the argument escalated, eight-year-old me heard someone crying and followed the sound. I found a kid whose whole body was covered in bandages.
“There was a kid crying,” Danny summarized to Eadowen.
“I was upset because my parents were arguing with your mother. You comforted me. My father found us asleep together. I wasn’t going to show you this, but since you remember …”
He took a printed photograph out of a drawer and held it up for her to see. Danny recognized her younger self in the photograph curled up with a severely hurt, but identifiable Eadowen. The picture approximated her mental image of the event. She scanned it with her Ogham.
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