Larkspur

by Christian, Claudia Hall

  “It is Latin,” Otis said and took a sip of soup. “This is lovely soup. I’m always amazed at vegetables in winter. I don’t know why, but it surprises me.”

  His eyes flicked to his elderly Russian bodyguard, Bruno.

  “He says, ‘Why you sit down here in the kholodnyi?” Bruno translated.

  “Cold,” Anjelika translated.

  “The gagul’ya thinks you should move somewhere warmer,” Bruno shrugged. “You no speak Latin?”

  “Bruno was always the scholar,” Otis smiled.

  “The cat told you that?” Jill raised her eyebrows in disbelief. She stifled a laugh.

  “That’s no cat, honey,” Yvonne smiled. “It’s a gargoyle. I don’t know what it’s saying, Jill, but it’s trying to tell you something.”

  “They hurled curses at Mom,” Valerie shivered. “We were terrified, and Dad . . .”

  “Did you see that?” Noelle yelled from the end of the table where the kids were eating. “Mom! They fell in!”

  “What happened?” Sandy leaned forward to look at Noelle. The girl was pointing at the television. Heather got up to turn up the sound on the television.

  “We’re replaying the tape,” the announcer said. They watched Jacob and Sam move across the destroyed construction site. They were almost to the safe zone when another earthquake hit. The ground they were walking on disappeared below them and they dropped in. Dirt fell around them and within seconds, there was no hint of the men. It was as if the earth had swallowed them whole.

  Jill and Valerie screamed and the babies began to cry. Blane popped to his feet and Mack fell off his lap. Mack began to cry. They all spoke at once.

  “Will you move somewhere warmer now?” Bruno didn’t look up from his soup.

  Stunned at his words, they fell silent.

  “What?” Jill asked. “What did you say?”

  “The gagul’ya,” Bruno said. “That’s what he said.”

  Jill reached out and snatched the cat by its neck. She pulled the creature close to her face.

  “You’d better undo this,” Jill said. “Now.”

  The creature said something and Jill scowled. The creature’s face shifted in a terrifying laugh.

  “What did he say?” Sandy whispered.

  “Not until the children are born,” Bruno said. “The father must not be near the mother until after the babies are born. Svyaschchennyi zakon.”

  “Sacred law,” Anjelika translated.

  “Dad was in a bad car crash on the way home,” Valerie whispered. “He was going to take us to the hospital but . . . It was just me and Mom and Delphie when Jake was born.”

  “Jake and Sam had better be safe or I will search this world and the next for you,” Jill sneered. “I will destroy everything you love.”

  The creature and Jill locked eyes.

  “Not one hair out of place on their heads,” Jill said. “They will be comfortable and safe.”

  The creature gave a quick nod. Jill dropped it to the ground. Scooter gave a deep growl and chased the gargoyle out of the room.

  “Then I will go somewhere warmer,” Jill said. She looked at Sandy and her mother. “Katy?”

  Jill held out her hand and Katy took it.

  “Mother, will you and Otis come up when you’re done?” Jill asked.

  “Of course,” Anjelika said. “I will bring the babies.”

  Jill nodded and left the room. Sandy waited a few minutes before making some excuse and following Jill.

  “I always knew she had the Bratva spirit in her,” Otis said. Everyone in the room turned to look at Otis. He shrugged. “What? She just threatened a gargoyle.”

  Tanesha and Heather laughed.

  “Go on,” Yvonne said to them. “We’re just waiting for you to leave.”

  Tanesha kissed her mother’s cheek and left the room with Heather and Mack.

  “You too,” Anjelika said to Valerie. “I will care for Jackie.”

  Valerie nodded and left the room.

  “Gee, I hope they’re okay,” Noelle said.

  Otis looked at Noelle.

  “She made an agreement with one of the oldest creatures on this planet,” Otis laughed. “They will be unharmed.”

  “Gargul’ya nahodisya pod knotrolom Dzhillian,” Bruno said.

  “Da,” Otis said.

  “What was that?” Sissy asked. “What did you say?”

  “He said the gargoyle is under Jill’s control,” Anjelika said. “I wonder if she’s aware of that.”

  Otis and Bruno shrugged.

  “I’m going to tell her,” Sissy said.

  When Sissy got up, Noelle followed her. Tink, Charlie, Yvonne, Otis, Bruno, and Anjelika ate in silence.

  “I always have the oddest time when I come to this house,” Yvonne said.

  “Yes,” Otis said.

  Anjelika laughed.

  ~~~~~~~~

  Friday evening — 6:05 p.m.

  “Jake!” Sam yelled through the dust. “Jake!”

  They had fallen into some type of concrete box. It was pitch black. Sam could feel the dirt in the air with every breath. He coughed.

  “Jake!” Sam yelled.

  “I’m here, Dad,” Jacob said.

  “Are you hurt?” Sam asked. “Jake, where are you? I can’t see a damned thing!”

  Sam felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and hugged Jacob.

  “Are you hurt?” Sam repeated.

  “I fell on my ass, so I’m bruised,” Jacob said. “You?”

  “Landed hard,” Sam said. “I wasn’t wise enough to fall on a padded part of my body.”

  Jacob chuckled. Sam felt Jacob’s hand tap his head.

  “What . . .?” Sam started, and Jacob turned on Sam’s headlight. Sam hooted with delight. “That was smart, son. Where’s yours?”

  “Gave it to Christy when she went down to those guys under the pillar,” Jacob said. “I meant to get another one, but they set up the lights and . . .”

  He held up a flashlight.

  “This one broke my fall,” Jacob shook the flashlight and it rattled. “I have the little flashlight on my key ring. You know the one I use to pick up after Sarah on my keys.”

  He took out his keys and tried the flashlight.

  “This will work in a pinch,” Jacob said. “Shall we look around?”

  “Son,” Sam said. “What just happened?”

  “We fell in,” Jacob shrugged.

  “No,” Sam said. “I was looking down. I saw the earth disappear below my feet.”

  “What are you saying?” Jacob asked. “We’re down here because of some magic?”

  “Jill must be ready to have the babies,” Sam said.

  “Then I’d better get out of here,” Jacob said.

  Sam shook his head and looked around.

  “Where do you think we are?” Jacob asked.

  “Looks like the big intersection of Hickenlooper Boulevard,” Sam said. He pointed to the round concrete holes going in four directions. “Sewer, sewer, sewer, sewer. This is the junction of all of that.”

  Jacob nodded.

  “Why did you say that about the boys?” Jacob asked.

  “How much do you know about your birth?” Sam asked.

  “Mom almost died,” Jacob shrugged. “That’s it. But we’ve taken every precaution and . . .”

  “I was on my way to bring your mother to the hospital when I got lost,” Sam said. “That’s what I told your mother, but I got lost . . . out of time. We told everyone I was in a car accident because I broke my leg and arm trying to get out of the car. I had promised her that I would be there. Her mother had warned her, but . . .”

  “What are you saying?” Jacob asked.

  “We’re stuck here until the babies come,” Sam said. “It’s up to us to survive this.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” Jacob said.

  “We’d better settle in,” Sam said. The beam of his headlight flashed around the space. “Look, there’s water.�
��

  Jacob bent down to a pallet of cold water bottles.

  “Is that food?” Sam asked.

  “It’s those packets of tuna that you like and those special crackers,” Jacob picked up a box. “Look, Cap’n Crunch with Crunch Berries.”

  Jacob looked up at the dirt roof of their prison.

  “Milk?” Jacob asked. When he looked back down, there was a chilled, glass bottle filled with milk. A white china bowl and a spoon appeared on top of the pallet of water. “Wow.”

  “Jill must have some pull.” Sam picked up a water bottle and drank it down. “I did not have this kind of arrangement.”

  “What about . . .?” Jacob pointed above them.

  “Nothing we can do now,” Sam said. “You can be bright like me and try to get out. But you’ll only hurt yourself.”

  Sam went to the edge of the area and lay down.

  “We’re here for the long haul,” Sam said. “May as well get some rest.”

  “But . . .” Jacob said.

  Sam was asleep. Jacob scowled at his father. He tried to use his abilities to get out of the space. Nothing worked. Hoping he’d come up with something, he poured a bowl of cereal and settled in to wait.

  Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty-six

  Kingdom of Marle

  Friday night — 6:57 p.m.

  “How much do you know about your mother’s family?”

  Surprised, Jacob’s head wrenched over to look at his father.

  “Sorry,” Sam said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “I thought you were asleep,” Jacob said.

  “Just a nap,” Sam said. “I usually take one before dinner. Of course, usually it’s in my warm bed with the lovely Delphie by my side.”

  Jacob smiled.

  “Where did the lights come from?” Sam asked.

  “They appeared,” Jacob said. “I wanted to see what the Denver Post said about the earthquake and the site. The lights and newspaper just appeared.”

  “And the electricity?” Sam asked.

  “Electrical plugs.” Jacob pointed to the indoor wall plugs along the ceiling of the sewer junction.

  “Wall plugs?” Sam sat up to look. “In all my years of doing underground, I’ve never seen interior wall plugs in a sewer main.”

  Jacob laughed. Sam got up and walked over to Jacob. He kneeled down.

  “Beer?” Sam asked.

  “Just a couple,” Jacob said. “Would you like one? They’re cold.”

  “Sure,” Sam said. “I’ll have it with my . . . Oh look, I’ve been upgraded from tuna to salmon.”

  Sam chuckled and picked up the salmon pack.

  “I do like salmon better,” Sam nodded.

  “You were saying something about Mom’s family,” Jacob said.

  “How much do you know about your mother’s family?” Sam repeated.

  “Uh, they moved to Leadville around the time of the silver rush,” Jacob said. “They purchased the Marlowe mine and used their skills to get in where no one else could.”

  Jacob shrugged.

  “Anything else?” Sam asked.

  “Mom had a sister and her father died protecting Delphie from Johansen,” Jacob said.

  Sam nodded.

  “Why do you ask?” Jacob asked.

  “Do you mind if I tell you a story?” Sam asked. “It’s long, and I have no idea if it’s true. It was in a book Celia inherited when her father died. The book is in my room downstairs.”

  “I don’t remember a book in that room,” Jacob said.

  “Celia hid it,” Sam said. “I’ll show you when we get home.”

  Jacob nodded and Sam fell silent.

  “You were going to tell me a story,” Jacob said after a while.

  “Oh, you want to hear it?” Sam asked.

  “Sure,” Jacob said.

  “It’s long, and I don’t know if it’s true,” Sam repeated.

  “I have time,” Jacob said. “Does it matter if it’s true?”

  “Sort of,” Sam said.

  “All stories have been told before,” Jacob shrugged. “True or untrue, they are still interesting.”

  Sam nodded. He drained his beer and opened another. Jacob was about to ask again when Sam took a deep breath.

  “A long time ago . . .”

  ~~~~~~~~~

  Friday night — 7:05 p.m.

  “What’s with them?” Tanesha whispered to Jill.

  Standing in the kitchen area of the loft, Jill, Sandy, and Heather looked over to the sitting area where Otis, Bruno, and Anjelika were arguing.

  “They do that a lot,” Jill said.

  Katy raced out of her bedroom wearing her footie pajamas. She slid across the hardwood floor to her mother.

  “What’s going on?” Katy asked.

  “Your grandmother is arguing with her father again,” Jill was loud enough for her mother to look up.

  A gargoyle sauntered out of Katy’s bedroom and started across the loft. Scooter caught scent of it and chased it around the loft.

  “Your grandfather would like to tell you a story,” Anjelika said.

  “About what is happening,” Otis said. “About our babies.”

  “I don’t think it’s appropriate,” Anjelika said.

  “She thinks I am an old man with old stories,” Otis said. “But sometimes, the old stories teach us about the present.”

  Anjelika groaned.

  “The gagul’ya would like you to tell the story of the kingdom of Marle,” Bruno gestured to the large gargoyle that was warming itself by the gas fire.

  Otis nodded.

  “I’d like to hear it,” Heather said. Sandy, Tanesha, and Jill turned to look at her. “We’re not doing anything but worrying. Maybe a story will make all of this make some sense.”

  Jill watched Sandy and Tanesha. When they nodded in agreement, Jill said, “I’d like to hear the story.”

  “I would too,” Valerie said as she came out of the nursery with Jackie.

  Jill settled next to the fire and Sandy sat next to her. Katy squeezed in between the women. Tanesha took a seat on the couch near the windows and Heather sat next to her. With Jackie in her arms, Valerie sat near the end of the couch. Seeing everyone gather, Charlie nudged Nash. He looked up from their video game.

  “We want to hear,” Noelle said from where she, Sissy, and Yvonne were painting their nails.

  “Come over.” Jill waved over Yvonne, Noelle, and Sissy. Charlie and Nash got up from their video game and took seats on the floor.

  “No one knows if this story is true,” Otis said. “But like all of the old stories, it has endured.”

  “The gagul’ya will correct you if you stray,” Bruno said.

  “This is very good,” Otis said.

  ~~~~~~~~~

  Friday night — 7:07 p.m.

  “It was a long, long time ago, when the world had fewer people and less good fortune.” Sam picked up another beer and opened his pack of salmon. He sat down next to Jacob and Jacob offered him a cracker. “Somewhere in Europe, maybe England, there existed the small kingdom of Marle. People had lived in the kingdom of Marle since the beginning of time . . .”

  “But . . .,” Jacob started.

  “It’s a story, son,” Sam said.

  Jacob nodded.

  “The harvests were good,” Sam said. “The people were prosperous and very happy. Their ruling king was benevolent and kind. He was well known to be able to move objects with his mind and he always knew the future. His wife was known to have a powerful tongue. The king and queen would use their skills to keep the kingdom free of intruding eyes. Alexander the Great, among others, was turned back at the border. The kingdom flourished in obscurity.”

  “Sounds lovely,” Jacob said.

  “It does,” Sam said. “There is a painting in the book that makes the kingdom of Marle look like something out of Disney. In fact, that’s part of the story. Walt Disney based many of his stories on the blissful and beautiful kingdom o
f Marle. After all, there was never again a land where people lived with such harmony, peace, and prosperity.”

  “What happened?” Jacob asked.

  “What usually happens,” Sam said. “Love. The third son of the last king and queen of Marle was restless. Not interested in his studies, he spent most of his life exploring the outer edges of the kingdom. He was an accomplished rock climber, hiker, skier, and . . . well, he was able to get around easily. On one such journey, he fell in love with a Celtic maiden.”

  “That can’t be good,” Jacob said.

  “It was not,” Sam said.

  ~~~~~~~~~

  Friday night — 7:11 p.m.

  “The Celtic version of the story says that the young prince of Marle raped the maiden,” Otis said.

  The gargoyle screamed and flapped his wings. Otis raised a hand and nodded.

  “Yes, yes,” Otis said. “The Marle story says they fell in love. In the way of love, they set up a small hut on the border of the two kingdoms. They lived and loved for at least a year until there was a baby on the way.

  “The young prince assumed the maiden would move home with him to be his bride. But the prince had not land and, as a younger child, no claim to the throne. To the maiden, he was a wealthy foreigner who would, of course, move to her home. They argued. In a fit of rage, she threw him out of their home. He started to make his way back to the kingdom of Marle when he was set upon by her brothers. The young prince’s defenses were weakened by his despair. They easily killed him.”

  The gargoyle hissed and the gas logs flared.

  “That creature is not happy,” Yvonne said.

  “No, he is not,” Otis said. “The brothers brought the young prince’s head to their sister; only then did they discover that she was with child. Her father swore an oath that his daughter’s violation would only be soothed by the death of every male in the royal family. The Celts went to war against the kingdom of Marle.”

  “But they couldn’t find it, right?” Katy asked.

  “That’s right, my dear,” Otis said. “They searched for months and could not find the kingdom. As the months passed, the baby grew inside the daughter until it was near time for him to be born.”