by Carol Oates
Including Seth, I thought.
For now the law stands, Samuel said. Humans and Guardians are not allowed to be mated, and the Council will want to eliminate any threat to their control. You need to announce your blood right and claim your rightful place as queen.
I raised an eyebrow quizzically. How?
Ben shifted around in his seat beside me noisily, clearly wanting to add what he knew. Samuel nodded, gesturing for him to speak.
There’s a magic stone. He was almost shaking with excitement.
Of course, I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. There would be, wouldn’t there.
Well, Ben went on, disregarding my comment. It’s a stone cast with an enchantment by the first Guardians and it was used to announce the birth of the first child from a family in the royal bloodline. It will scream if you touch it, and all the Guardians everywhere in the world can hear it.
You can’t be serious. I looked at all the sober faces around me. Caleb squeezed my hand but otherwise sat still and silent. Fairies, gods, magical stones — what next? Where is it? Do you have it? I asked, exasperated.
Annice smiled at me graciously despite my attitude. No, you will need to return to Atlantis. The stone is called Lia F·il, Stone of Destiny. I recognized the name, like when Caleb had told me about Atlantis; it triggered some distant memory of my mother.
It’s at Tenair, in Ireland, the Hill of Tara, Annice finished.
And then? I turned to Caleb, trying to read his expression, but he was so guarded, even more so now that he knew I could sometimes work out his feelings with the colors I saw, and there were no colors now. He gazed directly into my eyes, making my heart speed.
And then all the Guardians will know that neither you nor Ben pose any threat to us, Caleb said. They will know that the Council lied, that they perpetuated a lie, generation after generation, to stay in power. What other reason could there be?
I don’t mean to be Devil’s advocate here, Joshua said. I have as much reason to detest Zeal and Lucien as anyone here. But how do we know for sure? How do we know they haven’t just gotten it wrong? Everyone makes mistakes.
Samuel leaned forward to stare at the floor and sighed, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck. I’ve had my suspicions for a long time, as did my predecessor on the Council. There are too many clues in the papers that were in our possession, too much evidence pointing to it being incomplete: missing words and defaced pages, phrases that didn’t make sense. They were corrupted to make it seem dark. It was my life’s work examining the pages in our possession and studying our records. When I began to question them, I was told by Zeal and Lucien it was in my interest and that of my family not to challenge them, and they used Caleb to force my resignation. My compliance and Caleb’s life in exchange for the safety of a single human that was the deal we struck. I felt Caleb’s fingers tighten and bite into the flesh of my shoulder. His eyes were guarded, watching his father’s lowered head. I sat quietly, absorbing every word he said and ignoring the prickling of guilt in my chest. If I had known, if Caleb had just been honest with me, I never would have allowed him to agree to any of it. I should have pushed harder; I should have made him talk to me.
They know, Samuel concluded grimly. I have no doubt they know, and if they know, then so did the ones before them. They have to be removed. If there is no Council, there is no deal with Caleb. I stood, almost bouncing from the seat. Let’s go, then, I exclaimed, suddenly eager.
It isn’t quite that simple, Caleb continued.
What now? I grumbled
A ringing phone cut into our conversation.
Pardon me. Samuel excused himself from the room.
I threw myself back onto the couch, away from Caleb’s arm. Ben reached over and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me to his side with triumph in his expression. Caleb glanced at me first and then at Ben before leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and lacing his fingers together tensely, graciously allowing Ben this one small victory over him.
Well? I prompted, waiting for someone to answer.
It was Joshua. It can only be done on a certain day, and that day is not today. He looked toward Caleb with sympathetic eyes.
More secrets, something still being kept from me. I turned to Ben, but whatever it was, he didn’t know. His colors flashed pure blue and then white. Total innocence.
All right, if that’s all we know for now — I waited, holding my breath and hoping someone would come forward with the details they were obviously hiding from me, but I was answered with a predictable silence. I acquiesced and released the breath through pursed lips; turning blue wasn’t going to get me answers. I think I’d like to call my aunt and uncle now.
I’ll take you into the study, Caleb said.
Hello.
Carmel? I asked, though it was obviously her. I just couldn’t believe how good it was to hear her voice.
Oh, honey, I’m so glad to hear from you! How are you? Carmel said, her voice thick like she was trying not to cry.
I’m okay. I seemed to be saying that a lot today. I hope I didn’t wake you.
No, you didn’t. Lewis — Lewis, quick it’s Triona, she shouted, causing a sharp pain in my newly sensitive ears. I held the phone a little farther away for a moment and then returned it to my ear.
Is she okay? I heard Lewis shout in the background, and I rolled my eyes.
I waited while Carmel filled Lewis in on my call so far. I was standing in the study alone, since Caleb had left to give me some privacy with my aunt and uncle. A heavy, dark, wooden desk sat in the middle of the room with an antique, high-backed, ruby leather chair. There were no family photos on the walls, as with all the rooms I’d been in, but hanging on the wall to the right of me, there was a single framed portrait of a young family in front of an old style house. The man was dressed in an old army uniform, the woman in a long pretty dress that belled out from the waist downward.
Her lovely, pale hair was piled high on her head. Two boys stood in front of the couple, one about twelve and the younger one couldn’t have been more than a toddler. I squinted, unsure of what I was seeing even with my new and improved vision, and looked closer. It was Samuel and Annice I recognized his clothes as the uniform of a Union solider in the Civil War. I examined the little boys with their piercing eyes again; my initial thought on the portrait was correct: the boys were Joshua and Caleb.
Triona, Carmel yelled into the phone, bringing me back to the present.
Yes, yes — I’m here. Sorry, I stammered.
It’s so good to hear your voice, she sniffled. We weren’t sure how you’d react.
It hadn’t even occurred to me they might worry that I would be angry with them. Carmel, I love you, I insisted. I love you both. I shifted from one foot to the other as I spoke.
We — did — we — didn’t — she blubbered. I couldn’t understand a word she was saying through the choking sobs.
Carmel, can you put Lewis on the phone, please? I asked gently.
O — kay — More sobs.
I promised myself to make an effort not to cry so much; I didn’t know how Caleb ever understood a word I said.
Hi, babes, Lewis said.
Hi, Lewis, I said. I wanted to let you know everything is fine. I’m with Caleb and his family. Ben is here too.
Caleb’s family? He sounded taken aback.
Oh, yeah. I was just a little contrite. You don’t know. Caleb isn’t dead after all.
There was silence on the other end of the line, and my hand tightened on the phone in anticipation of his response before the quiet click as he placed the handset down, indicating I was now on speaker.
Well, how can I be surprised?
I could still hear Carmel sniffling next to him.
He didn’t know, I explained in defense of Caleb. He’s completely broken up over everything. He thought he was protecting me. But you knew. The last words came out harsher than I had intended.
He exhaled loudly. You have
to understand, Triona, there’s never been anyone like you or your brother before. His tone was soft and apologetic.
We didn’t know how you would mature. You could have been more like your father than your mother. He took another deep breath. We promised your parents we would take care of you both, and then, of all the boys that buzzed around you, what were the chances that you would bring someone like Caleb home? We were stunned, to say the least.
I bet you were, I interrupted, mulling over what their conversation would have been that night after Caleb came to the house. Annice, Caleb’s mother, thinks it was destiny, I added petulantly for effect, not because I believed it.
Yeah? Well, we did what we thought was best at the time, and then after the fire — He didn’t need to say any more, I remembered the excruciating pain of my injuries and the shattered looks on their faces in the hospital. I knew deep down they had acted in Ben’s and my best interests; they had no other way to protect us other than to keep our secret.
Lewis, I understand, I said. Carmel wailed loudly in the background.
Ben is very pleased, I added casually.
He is a bit conceited about the whole thing, he agreed, his tone returning to normal. And the money —
Money? I asked.
Your inheritance.
It hit me of course there would be wealth. Caleb’s family was loaded.
The tiny inheritance I thought I’d received from my parents was another prevarication, but it made sense that the people I descended from would have amassed a fortune over the centuries in properties, antiques, jewels, and things I couldn’t even contemplate just like Caleb’s family had.
Before I got a chance to ask more about it, there was a knock at the door.
Hold on, Lewis, I said, turning toward the door and calling, Come in. Samuel poked his head in the door. Would it be okay if I had a word with your uncle for a moment? He was polite as always, but it wasn’t lost on me that he knew I was talking to Lewis rather than Carmel. He had been listening, and it piqued my curiosity about what he wanted to say to either of them.
Yes, of course, I replied, equally polite as he entered the room. Lewis, Caleb’s father, Samuel, would like to speak to you, I said.
Oh.
Lewis, I love you and Carmel and I — I — I spluttered, filling with emotion despite my earlier promise to myself. Samuel was next to me instantly and placed a supportive hand on my shoulder. I wanted to thank you both for everything, all these years. Thank you.
We love you too, babes, he said, sniffing.
Wondering if this would be the last time we ever spoke if things went badly, I reluctantly handed the phone to Samuel. He accepted it with a nod of thanks, and I moved to the door as slowly as possible, trying to catch what I could of the conversation.
Samuel Wallace, Caleb’s father said. His tone was calm, and his voice was steady and commanding. Yes — Really there is no need — Yes, I have — I agree. We’ve always believed the difficulty would lie with convincing — Yes — He paused for a long time. I understand, as you should. I love my son and I will do whatever —
I had to shut the door; my hovering was stretched as long as possible. I walked through the sitting room to the kitchen, which was deserted except for Caleb. His lips were on mine instantly, kissing me fiercely as he pulled me closer.
Hmm, I hummed. Where is everyone?
His lips were trailing along my neck. Gone to get Amanda. We’ll meet them at the airport.
Airport? I pushed him back, staring into his clear eyes.
We have flights to Dublin, he said, slightly breathless.
Amanda too? I wasn’t sure I wanted her involved yet. Caleb’s lips moved over my jaw line again, and his hands slid down to my lower back.
Ben insisted, he murmured, leaving a lingering kiss on my throat.
Are you trying to distract me from something? I gasped, attempting to breathe. My body began to tremble; my fingers dragged down the strong contours of his back.
Is it working? He blew against my ear seductively.
I gasped again, my fingers tightening on his waist, pulling him nearer to me. His muscled body pressed against mine. I couldn’t think of anything but him his smell, his skin, his touch, his taste.
Yes, I moaned.
He pulled back, gazing at me, and a clear red aura danced around him.
This time it was flecked with darker red and violet too. My skin prickled at his touch, but I paused, narrowing my eyes in consideration at the colors and my new understanding that they gave me an instinctual insight to his emotional state. His intense desire muddied with his fear and frustration at our situation but also his pureness of heart and soul. I could feel his physical need to be close to me emanate through his emotions and rekindle my own smouldering desire for him. I couldn’t stop the giggle of anticipation that escaped my lips when Caleb smiled sexily and grasped my hand, rushing me back to his room.
By early evening, we were in Dublin and had checked into our hotel, an imposing Georgian building with elaborate cornices and stained glass windows in the city center. Amanda, Ben, Annice, and Joshua were all somewhere within the vast structure as well. Samuel had stayed behind in London to meet with Eila; it turned out that she had been the one calling him earlier. I wasn’t so sure it was safe for any one of us to be alone with a member of the Council, but Caleb assured me that Eila was loyal to their family. She had information concerning them, and he thought it was safer to have Ben and me out of the way first. It wasn’t out of the question that Zeal and Lucien would have her followed.
Amanda was surprisingly calm, given the situation. As soon as Ben met up with her at the airport, he told her that things had changed for us and that for the moment it may not be safe to be around us. He gave her a choice to join us here or not. Of course she wanted to be with Ben no matter what, and when we met them at the airport for our flights, she even seemed excited about the insignificant detail of us being a royal bloodline from Atlantis.
I wasn’t sure she understood all the implications of what was being explained in more detail in some room nearby. Caleb wasn’t happy about her involvement; he called it a needless risk and sulked for most of the short flight to Dublin. I wasn’t convinced her involvement was a good idea either.
Besides the fact that she was human and defenseless against the Council, she was a distraction for Ben, and I wasn’t sure we could afford that.
I stood at the window of our hotel room, looking out across the city.
Our suite had amazing views of Trinity College and the Grafton Street area, places I had planned to visit before this new chapter in my life had begun just a few days ago. It felt like weeks already, and my main ambition now was to have everything sorted with the Council so that Caleb and I could have some kind of normal life together. Normal, the concept seemed so distant to me now. I closed my eyes for a moment, attempting to remember that underneath my new appearance, I was still me. Annice had assured me again that my role would simply be to embrace both my human side and the Guardian in me and that fate would take care of the rest. Guardians and humans would eventually realize that we could all live in a world free from fear or jealousy of each other. I scrubbed my hands roughly over my face, growing frustrated at all this waiting around.
I didn’t have the confidence in fate and destiny that Annice had. I still thought she was making it all sound a lot easier than it actually was. I felt like a mongrel, not fully like Caleb or his family and not fully human like my family in Camden, either. The only other person in the world like me was Ben, and he was so ecstatic about it all, all keyed up and excitable, acting like a kid at Christmas who couldn’t wait to find out what other secrets were hidden under the tree. It was like it was unfathomable to him that anything could go wrong, like he was indestructible. He couldn’t understand my anxieties, but he hadn’t seen the fight between Caleb and Seth, so I doubted he understood as well as I did how dangerous our situation really was. I frowned, opening my eyes again when the ima
ges of that night flickered across the back of my eyelids like an old horror movie, and I remembered the pain in Caleb’s voice as he admitted that most of his kind felt so betrayed by humans that any Guardian mated to a human would be killed. Humans who found out about them hated Guardians so much that they committed genocide. Now, I was stuck between them, and it was daunting.
Caleb’s arms snaked around my waist from behind, and I placed my hands on top of his. He rested his head on my shoulder so that our faces almost touched.
Tell me again what we are doing here? I asked.
We are waiting for my father to join us from England. I felt his warm breath on the side of my face and inhaled, tasting the delicious scent, then I squeezed his hands under mine. I meant in this room, I glanced over my other shoulder derisively.
He unwrapped his arms, and I turned around to see him gesturing around the huge suite we were staying in.
You don’t like it? His brow was furrowed, but his tone stayed even.
It’s just so big. I sighed. It has a staircase, for Pete’s sake. I looked around the enormous suite; it consisted of a living room, a boardroom, and a bedroom and that was just the floor we were on now. Antique furniture sat beside high-tech gadget in a flawless combination of nineteenth and twenty-first century styles. Slightly pretentious for our current requirements.
He took me in his arms again. I just want to make you happy, he whispered into my hair. Is that so bad?
I wondered for a moment if he was being patronizing and pulled back to check his expression, but he seemed earnest.
No, it’s not that, but I don’t need these — things. I leaned away from him and picked up a bottle of expensive looking champagne that lay unopened in an ice bucket beside us, compliments of the hotel.
It has practical uses too. He grinned.
What possible use could we have for a gym in our room? I protested.
I mean, isn’t the one in the hotel enough; you need to have one you can fall out of bed and directly into? I paused as a thought struck me. Do we even need to work out? I liked that idea; never having to work out again actually had possibilities.