by Rue Volley
Theodore came walking into the room, a cell phone in his hand.
“Thank you so much! I will send her a card right away.”
He hit the button on his phone and slipped it into his pocket.
“Well… seems that I have an address for Elie,” he said, as he sat down on the chair across from Josh and I. He had a look on his face that kinda worried me.
“Well?” I said.
“She took them right to the gates of Valon,” he said.
“Great,” Josh muttered.
Chapter 13
Protect What Means the Most to You
“Johnathan?”
Elin leaned into the doorway of Johnathan's room and stared at him sitting on his bed. Johnathan looked up from a picture he held in his hands. Elin walked to him and sat down on the bed, brushing up against his side. She reached over and took the photo out of his hands, staring at it.
“Oh, this is a great picture of you and your parents,” she said, as she inspected it.
Johnathan looked out into the room. He didn't even react to her. Elin laid the picture down on his bed and pulled one leg up, so she could face him. She reached out and touched his face trying to turn it, so he would look at her. He shrugged her off. Elin sighed and let her hand fall to her lap.
“Listen Johnathan, I know that you are grieving, but you have to understand that you are not the only one in this house who is dealing with the loss of your father.”
Johnathan looked at her. She waited for him to agree with her wisdom. He stood up and walked to his window.
“I am not grieving Elin. I guess you would expect for me to, but I cannot grieve for someone I did not know. That is what I was thinking about, the fact that he was never home. I have no real memory of him. Nothing that would cause me pain.” He continued to look out the window, into the vast garden of flowers that covered the back yard.
“He was your father Johnathan, of course you would feel something,” Elin said with a soft tone.
Johnathan turned to her. “No, I feel nothing, nothing at all. It's like someone in another town died and I happened to read about, that's the extent of my interest.”
Elin stood up and walked to him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her. Johnathan returned her embrace, but continued to look out the window. Something about the flowers looked familiar to him.
Elin pulled her head from his chest and looked up at him. “Kiss me,” She whispered.
He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms up around his neck and started to pull him toward his bed. He reached up and pulled her arms from around his neck, pulling back from the kiss at the same time.
“What?” She asked him.
“I'm not, I don't really want to do this right now Elin. I'm sure my Mother needs me.”
Elin placed a hand on his face and looked him in the eye. “Okay,” she said softly. “Let’s go and find Elie, Johnathan.” She reached down and grabbed his hand.
He looked down to her. “Thank you for being here for us Elin. I appreciate it, I do.”
She smiled at him and they headed for the door.
They found Elie and Sophia downstairs talking, Elie had papers in her hand. As Johnathan and Elin came down the stairs, Elie looked up and smiled at them
“Ah, it is so good to see you two together,” she said.
Elin let Johnathan's hand go and ran up to her, kissing her on the cheek. Elie grinned and touched her shoulder.
“What are we doing here?” Elin asked, as she looked at the paper in Elie's hand.
“Oh, this…? Well Sophie and I were just going over the layout of this house and where we would like to place a few things,” she said.
“Oh, decorating! I love to decorate! Please let me help,” Elin said with enthusiasm.
She looked back to Johnathan, who couldn’t care less.
“Come here Johnathan, we can all decide where to place the mirrors,” Elin said to him.
Johnathan put his hands in his pockets. “Not really my thing,” he said.
Elin turned back to Elie and smiled. “Well, I guess it will be just the three of us then.”
Elie grinned. “Well, Sophie and I have pretty much decided already, but perhaps you can go with us this afternoon and pick out rugs for these cold floors.”
“Oh, I would just love to,” Elin said, as she clapped her hands together. “Seems that you two may be better company right now anyway.”
Elie looked at Johnathan and back to Elin. “He's not a very social boy.”
“I am standing right here Mother,” Johnathan said. “I hate it when you talk about me like I can't hear you.”
Elie grinned. “You need to register for school today anyway. Sophie already did, now you need to.”
“That's fine,” he said, as he headed for the door.
“Do you want company?” Elin called out to him.
Johnathan didn't turn to her, he simply grabbed the doorknob and started to turn it. “No, you go decorate or whatever,” he said with little interest.
Elin ran up behind him and hugged him from behind.
“I'll miss you while you are gone,” she whispered.
He didn't respond to her, he opened the door and walked out.
Elin stood there for a moment, with a look of hate in her eyes, then she turned to Elie and Sophie with a big smile on her face.
“He said he loved me,” She crooned.
Elie smiled and Sophie grabbed the paper and started to study it.
“Sophie...we need to catch up! How about we go shopping?” Elin asked, as she bounded towards her.
Sophie looked up from the paper in her hand. “Shopping?” she said.
“Yes! Let's give Elie some time to decide where she wants the things that are coming this afternoon.”
Sophie looked to her mother. Elie grinned and said, “Go... have fun, you go to school on Monday, you have two days to play.”
Sophie kinda grinned. Truth was, this was the first time that Elin had ever shown any interest in her at all. It had always been all about Johnathan.
“Okay,” Sophie said, as she shrugged her shoulders.
“Oh... wonderful!” Elin said, as she grabbed her coat. “Let’s go have fun!”
Sophie handed the paper to her mother and looked at her, then to the floor.
“Be nice,” Elie said in a whisper.
“Okay,” Sophie said as she pulled her coat on.
They headed for the door, side by side.
“We will be back later on for supper!” Elin called out to Elie.
“Have some fun,” Elie said, as she looked around the room.
They stepped out into the chilled air. Elin wrapped her arm into Sophie's and Sophie looked a little uncomfortable. The sky was a bright blue with the sun shining, but the air had a sharp pain of winter in it.
“So... let’s walk Sophie,” Elin said.
Sophie crinkled her eyebrows. “It's cold out here, we could drive.”
“Oh... I just love to walk, it'll give us time to talk.”
“Okay, I guess,” Sophie said, as she watched her breath puff out white in front of her.
They walked down the path leading away from the house. Trees lined it on both sides. The leaves had already begun to change to the dead brown of winter and lay in scattered patterns under the trees, and in the pathway. They walked for about five minutes, without a word between them and Elin broke the silence.
“So... your brother seems different,” Elin said, with more questions lurking behind that statement.
“Um, I guess, I don't know, he's the same to me,” Sophie said.
“You two don't really talk much, do you?” Elin glanced over to catch a reaction, but saw no change in Sophie's expression.
“No,” she said.
“What a shame, you know he talks about you all the time Sophie,” Elin said. She kept her grip tight on her arm.
“I would have a hard time believing that Elin.”<
br />
Elin stopped. “Are you calling me a liar?” she said, with a strange tone in her voice.
Sophie turned to her. “No… I just would never imagine that he would talk about me. We have never been close, never. It's like we aren't even related,” Sophie said with no regret, then added. “You would know more about him than I do.”
Elin laughed. “Oh, well… you need to talk to him sometime, you'll see he just adores you and your Mother. You know, I wanted to get you alone today, because I wanted you to know that Johnathan has asked me to marry him. After we finish school of course, but I want you to help plan the wedding.”
“What?” Sophie asked a look of shock on her face. “He asked you to marry him?”
“Yes, and I have no family to speak of Sophie, you will be my sister now, I want us to be close.”
“Does Mother know?” Sophie asked.
“Oh no… no, not yet, this is our secret, Johnathan wanted to tell her himself. I am sure it would crush him if he wasn't able to tell her. So you must be quiet about it, until he feels the time is right… okay?”
Sophie looked down at the path they were walking on and a cold chill ran through her. She sighed and looked back to Elin. “I promise, I won't say a word Elin.”
“Not to Johnathan either, he wants to tell you both, but I am so excited. I just couldn't help telling someone! And who better, but my sister!” Elin ran up to Sophie and hugged her, almost knocking her over.
“Oh…! Okay Elin!” Sophie said, as she accepted Elin's excitement.
A black car pulled up at the end of the drive and Elin grinned while she held Sophie close to her.
“Oh... look it's my Uncle.” She pulled back from Sophie and grinned. The car pulled up next to them and the back window lowered. Elin kept hold of Sophie's arm. A voice came from the backseat. “What are you girls doing out here in the cold?”
Elin leaned into the window and winked. “Shopping Uncle, we want to spend some money.”
Sophie looked at the limousine and back to the house. “Listen Elin… I am starting to feel weird, I may be coming down with a cold, my head hurts.”
“Oh no, Sophie!” She turned and held her face in her hands. “Well, if you don't feel well, why don't you go back to the house? I will have my Uncle take me shopping. I promise to grab you something just fabulous, I promise.”
Sophie nodded and looked back at the car. She turned and headed up the path back to the house.
Elin turned back to the car.
“Well, you did not have to make her sick, I assure you she is harmless,” Elin said.
“Get in Elin.”
Elin reached for the door handle and pulled it open, she slipped in and brushed her hair from her face. “Listen Noble, if we are going to spend time together you better feed me. I feel weak,” Elin said, as she grinned.
Noble reached over and touched her face, then he pressed his lips hard against hers. She groaned as he pushed her to the leather seat and held her hands up over her head.
“Drive,” he said through the black glass, separating the driver from view.
The car started to move and Noble’s hand reached up under her dress, as he kept her hands pinned to the seat with his other hand.
“Oh, you are very aggressive today,” she said, as she grinned at him.
“I've waited... don't think that I am going to be gentle with you,” Noble said, as he bit her neck. Elin arched her back and gasped.
“Please don't be,” She whispered, as the window went up, and the car pulled away.
***
The black car pulled up to large building that looked like a warehouse. The driver got out and knocked on the door. He could hear moaning coming from the back seat. He stood there, arms by his side, waiting for a response. The door opened and Elin stepped out, pulling her coat up to cover the blood on her neck and dress. She smiled at the driver and Noble stepped out behind her. He looked at the driver and told him to park for a while. They entered the front of the building and walked to an elevator that had a wooden gate.
Elin looked around. “Nice place Noble,” she said, with a twinge of sarcasm in her voice.
Noble didn't respond to her. He pulled the cord and the wooden gate split and they stepped onto it. The elevator rose three floors until it stopped on a floor decked out like a mansion. Elin stepped off and looked around.
“Well, this is more your style,” she said.
Noble stepped out and walked to the bed in the middle of the floor. It had red mesh spun around it, on high pillars. He started to take off his clothing. Elin grinned and shed her coat, dropping it on the floor and walked towards him, as she shed her dress. She wore nothing under it. Noble grinned as he watched her stand before him naked.
“Come here,” he said.
She stepped forward and he reached out taking her hand. He pulled a blade and ran it across her palm. She sucked in her breath and closed her eyes. He put his mouth to her palm and drank the blood flowing from it. She put her hand into his hair and pulled it, forcing his mouth from her palm. She grinned, showing her teeth, and pushed him onto his back. She crawled on top of him and straddled him slowly. He drew in his breath and she stared down at him.
“My turn,” she whispered.
She reached over and grabbed the blade in her hand, she turned his palm over and ran the sharp edge across his palm, the blade glowed as light escaped his hand. He gasped, as she pressed her hips down on him and raised his palm to her mouth. She put her mouth to his palm and took his blood into her mouth. She closed her eyes and started to tremble. Noble took the blade from her hand and grabbed her by the waist, rolling her over until he was on top of her. He grinned at her as he saw the blood on her lips. He leaned in and bit her lip, their blood mixed to together inside their mouths, as his tongue forced her mouth open. He pressed hard against her and she cried out as she grabbed at the sheets, clutching them in her hands. The driver had his window down on his side of the car and he looked up at the building. He could hear her crying out. He grinned and rolled the window up.
***
Elin returned to the house five hours later. She walked through the door and had a new coat on, this one was red. She pulled it off and laid it over the chair. Her hand lingered on it for a moment and she smiled. She also had a bag in her hand, gifts for Sophie. She picked it back up and called out for anyone. She waited and heard a faint “Hello?” coming from the back of the house.
She headed towards the voice and came to a large room, with a fireplace lit up. A large table had been set and Elie, Sophie, and Johnathan sat at it. Elie was at the head of the table, the fireplace burning high behind her. Johnathan was on the right side and Sophie on the left. Elin looked at all the food on the table and her stomach growled. She placed her hand over it and giggled.
Elin smiled at her. “Sit dear, you must be starving.”
Elin pulled the chair out in front of her and sat down at the head of the table, at the opposite end. She sat the bag down by her side.
“What have you brought?” Elie asked her.
“Ohhh… it is a dress for Sophie! My Uncle is so generous. He insisted that I get it for her.”
Elie looked at Sophie and Sophie stood up and walked to Elin. She looked down at the bag on the floor.
“Go ahead… look at it Sophie!” Elin said, excited.
Sophie reached down and pulled out a blue dress, it shimmered in the room from the light of the fire burning.
“Ohhh, it's beautiful,” Sophie said, as she held it up to her and turned to Elie and Johnathan.
“Oh, that it is! You must thank Elin's Uncle when he visits Sophie,” Elie said, as she stared at it in Sophie's hands.
“Look Johnathan... isn't it pretty?” Elin asked him.
He raised his eyes and saw the dress, he sighed. A flash of something went through his mind and he closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to them.
“Are you okay Johnathan?” Elin asked, with a look of concern on her face. “Did
you get what Sophie had earlier?”
“I… I don't know, I don't feel that well,” he said.
Elie stood up and came over to him, placing a hand on his forehead. He pulled back from her.
“You feel as if you may have a fever, go lay down and I will have the maid bring you some soup.”
Johnathan pushed himself from the table and stood up.
“I think I will lie down, don't worry about the soup Mother,” He said.
“Very well,” Elie said, as she returned to her chair.
Johnathan stood still, leaning on the table for a moment, and then straightened up. “Okay… see you in the morning,” he said.
Elin reached her hand out to him, as he passed her by. He ignored her and ran up the stairs. Elin looked back and saw that Sophie was staring at her,
Sophie quickly looked down at her plate and poked at the glazed duck. “I don't feel that well Mother,” she said. Elie laid her fork down and looked at her.
“Well, if you are still feeling bad… you can be excused,” Elie said, without much emotion.
Sophie pushed her chair back and stood up. “Thank you, Mother,” she said. She left the room without looking at Elin.
“Seems that we have a bug in the house,” Elie said.
Elin grinned. “Well, I feel wonderful, so I don't know what they have.”
“I am sure they will be fine after a good night’s sleep, too much excitement lately,” Elie said as she pulled her napkin from her lap and laid it on the table. “I think I am going to retire to my room,” she added.
Elin dug in to plate, taking delicate bites of her food. “Okay, I'm going to finish my meal and get some sleep then.”
Elie walked to her and touched her shoulder. “I am so glad that you are able to stay with us Elin. I appreciate a familiar face with your contagious charm, my dear.”
Elin placed her hand on top of Elie's and smiled. “You know I would do anything for you and your family, I will always be there.”
Elie grinned and walked to the stairs.
Elin looked down at her plate and dropped her fork. She picked up a piece of duck in her hand and bit into it. She finished it and licked her fingers.