by Bri Clark
After putting away our equipment, we donned heavy coats and headed to the surface. Finding out the base was underground was one of many surprises that happened on our first trip. The elevator ride was short and opened to a large hangar. There were a few vehicles and a small plane stored there.
Henry led us to the usual black Land Rover SUV we always took to town because of its all-wheel drive capabilities. Quality leather seats and wood grain trim were only two examples of top of the line luxury Henry insisted upon, along with the addition of some specialized aftermarket equipment.
Henry opened the car door for me. He could be the perfect gentleman at times, especially in public. This was sort of required as we masqueraded as a couple when out in public. It took approximately an hour to get to the café depending upon the weather and road conditions. The base was intentionally secluded for obvious reasons.
The scenery was exquisite. White as far as the eye could see, only broken up by the shadowy blue sky marking the horizon, the landscape was a blend of mirrored lakes nestled against majestic snow-capped mountains, and dotted with thick evergreen forests. It was like watching an artist’s painting unfold upon the canvas.
Every time we drove to Elias’s, I reminisced about my first trip. Thinking about being around other people, perhaps many, was daunting for me. Not sure if I would feel everything they felt or if it would bombard me like it could at times with Henry was debilitating. Abram had doubts about that first trip as well, although Henry was downright giddy about the whole thing. He had reminded Abram if I was ever going to be able to go on missions I would have to learn to leave the base. Abram’s greed couldn’t argue with Henry’s logic. Henry had explained that people paid Abram a lot of money for our services, which he needed to research Glazier and run our operation. It was this same desire to know all about Glazier that allowed me to tolerate Abram. Since the first time I met him, I hadn't trusted him.
As soon as we entered the charming café, I fell in love. The atmosphere was inviting. Cherry wood floors lined the open room and a bar commanded most of the space. Little wooden tables with lit candles fanned out from the center. A savory beefy broth smell floated on the air, making my mouth water. I noticed mainly men dotted the establishment. I found out later it served as a pub/café… the customers, mostly anglers passing through. It made sense given the town being a fishing port.
Several pairs of scathing eyes stared at me, causing my skin to go all clammy. Glazier stirred, unsettled at my discomfort… ready to take over. Henry’s arm wrapped around my waist, his steel-hard eyes scrutinized the room, and every head dropped under his icy glare. That was how the façade of us being a couple began.
The rest of that first outing was nice, for the most part. We dined on the beef broth and had hot chocolate for dessert. After I finished my meal, I rose to excuse myself to go to the restroom. It was all one terrible event after another then. Henry stood up as if he was coming along. Looking back, I should have known to trust his instincts.
While I was washing up, I heard two men outside the door. I didn’t think much of it at the time. There was a men’s room directly across the hall. As I headed back to our table, a man blocked my path and another stepped behind me trapping me in between them.
“Where you going in such a hurry, lass?” the greasy man in front of me slurred, obviously the leader. My Glazier instincts began to size up each of my opponents. They were both taller than me but not by much. I was tall for a woman, 5’10, an even 6’0 in boots. They were larger than I was, but not from brawn, from beer and fat. Their scent was ghastly, a sickening mixture of tobacco, fish and alcohol. Feeling Glazier’s icy mist stirring, insisting on release, I had no other choice but to let her out.
The leader pulled a knife and told me to back toward the door that led to an alley behind the café. A frozen invisible shield began wrapping around my body from the core of my bones to the top of my skin. I could feel the white cloud of Glazier glaze my eyes over, blocking out all rational thoughts and freezing my emotions, only allowing instinct. Her instincts.
“All right, pretty lass you just back it on up now and no one will get hurt,” he ordered as he waived the knife and showed off a toothless grin. It happened so fast, as if I was outside my body watching from afar. My fist came back, and I knocked the man behind me out. In the same movement, I picked the man with the knife up and slammed him against the wall. Still maintaining a solid hold around his throat, I easily disarmed him with my free hand while twirling the knife around and it projected forward. Large hands clasped my wrist, halting the man’s murder.
Reluctantly, I released the man and he fell to the floor, holding his neck and cowering. Henry gripped my shoulders and gently pushed me away. Then he picked the man up by his shirt and smashed him up against the wall. Henry’s usually beautiful crystal eyes looked malicious and deadly. He didn’t say anything at first, as if he was trying to control his anger. The man was in a stupor, unblinking, yet unable to look away from Henry’s lethal glare.
When Henry finally spoke, his words seethed with rage. “You will never come to this café again; you will forget this woman. You will forget the events of this day. When your companion asks you what happened you won't be able to answer him. You will leave now and never return.” The silence was more comfortable than the voice that came from his lips. I was scared of Henry that day. Death itself couldn't have sounded less heartless and fatal. Henry let the man down, and he then turned and left, still in a trance.
Henry‘s mammoth arm wrapped around my waist and he practically carried me out. He threw some money down on the table and nodded to Elias as we left. Elias' usual jovial face appeared grave. Finding myself in a daze, Henry put me in the SUV, buckled me up and left snow and ice violently saturating the sidewalk.
I sat silent and unmoving…my eyes focused on nothing, an internal battle raging within my body, between Glazier and me. She insisted on control. I knew that the emotions waiting outside her protective veil were not at all pleasant, making it harder to regain composure. Suddenly, Henry slammed on the brakes causing the tires to slide. Then he turned in the seat toward me. Seeing his lips drawn, forehead creased and the crazy bulging of his eyes brought a need I never knew surfaced…a need to care for him more than myself.
“Marie, BREATHE! Your lips are blue.” He ordered as he shook my shoulders. His words registered in my unfocused mind. Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply. The crisp air filled my lungs enabling me to focus my thoughts and regain the level of awareness I needed to hold Glazier at bay. Henry’s comforting voice filled my ears, only that comfort was temporary. The tortured words he spoke were unexpected.
“I am so sorry Marie. This is my fault. I knew I should have followed you. I thought I was being paranoid. I should have listened to my instincts. I didn’t want you to be angry with me. Please say something. Yell! Hit me! Do something!” His misplaced guilt brought mine crashing down like ice water on naked skin. A large lump formed in the pit of my stomach and, painfully slow, moved up my chest catching in my throat making it impossible to swallow.
The cocktail of emotions that waited outside Glazier combined into one large bomb that exploded in my chest, suddenly releasing the lump lodged in my throat. My head fell to my hands while tears spilled through the creases of my fingers.
“Marie!” Henry’s usual deep bass squeaked. “Did they hurt you? I didn’t think they touched you.” Unbuckling my seat belt he moved me into the fortress of his embrace. His eyes and hands scanned anxiously over my body, attempting to see where I was hurt, only there was nothing there, nothing external at least.
“I…. am…. not… hurt.” I managed to choke out between sobs. The undeserving guilt I could feel from him only made mine worse. The inspection halted as he dragged my hands away from my face. Tears spilled down my cheeks, no longer obstructed.
“If you’re not hurt then why this? Why are you so upset?” His voice was barely audible but the depth could have made the windows rattle.
Unable to speak right away, I forced air to fill my lungs and let it escape with ease…tears slowed to a trickle. My teeth grounded into my lip before I made the weak attempt to explain. “I was going to k…” I couldn’t get it out, and the tears returned. Unable to hide my face, all I could do was close my eyes. He released my hands. They immediately resumed their previous station.
His strong, comforting bands encircled me, creating an almost fortress-like embrace. I turned into his stone chest. Holding me until the last tear was shed, he never even sighed. It took a long time before they subsided. When my body quit shaking, my eyes drooped from the emotional cyclone that had coursed through me. I couldn’t move; I had no desire to leave my safe harbor. Therefore, we sat in silence until he spoke. His voice was like a soothing lullaby.
“I’m responsible for this. I knew what could happen, but I underestimated Glazier. I didn’t realize that you were so powerful. In all our sparring and training you never seemed capable of...” His head shook defiantly, his lips pressed together in denial.
If there were any water left in me, I would have cried. I didn’t want him to feel responsible. He had no idea I had been holding her back all this time, never once giving Glazier total control. That is until that day. I was afraid to embrace her in sparring, a justified fear, and the evidence of today proved that.
“Henry this is not your fault at all. I am to blame. I have been holding back…. in training that is…. Glazier, I mean. I finally…. relinquished…”
“Make no mistake about it Marie; if today is anyone’s burden to bear, it belongs on my shoulders. I will not argue with you, I won’t let you shed another tear over today. Even if you held back, that is no excuse. I swear to you, I will never allow you to be in a situation like that again.” Icy flames burned from the silver prisms of his eyes, physical proof of his devotion to his promise. It floored me, making it impossible to look away. I felt no fear, no more pain. My heart began to pick up speed. I became all too aware of the tiny circles he drew with his fingertips against my arm.
“So you have been holding back on me, huh? Well we are going to have to remedy that. At least I learned something.” His attempt at dry humor brought another lesson to my attention.
“I learned something today too.”
“And what was that?”
“I learned what we are capable of. What I am capable of…” An involuntary shiver ran down my body.
He frowned. “I am capable of far greater things than what you saw today, Marie.” His face took on a sort of grave shame, and I realized two things. He misunderstood me and there was a lot I didn’t know about Henry.
“Henry, I’m talking about the stare. How you sort of hypnotized that man,” I explained.
He sighed. “I won’t go into detail now. I will train you soon enough. I just didn't want to overwhelm you. I was so scared you were going to black out again. It enraged me. You have worked so hard I didn’t want some waste of skin to…” His hands slid around my waist, hauling me closer, fisting together against the small of my back. He closed his eyes controlling his anger before finishing.
“I almost lost it. I have never been that close to losing control. However, that’s not important now. We have to be getting back. Abram will be expecting us. Are you up to go back to the base now? I will make sure you will never be in this situation again. I promise you, Marie.”
His words gave me courage. “I’ll be okay,” I replied. I suddenly became scared that if Abram found out about this, Henry could be in trouble. “I don’t want to get you in trouble, Henry. I know you have to answer to Abram. If he found out…” I couldn’t finish the sentence. “I wouldn’t want to be a burden to you,” I finished. His companionship was everything to me and the prospect of losing him seemed overwhelming. If Abram had the power to make him my constant companion, he had the power to take him away.
He sighed and shook his head, his palm rising to meet my cheek. “Marie, you could never be a burden to me. I have so much more meaning now that I have you in my life, and I am not alone in this world. As far as Abram goes, I can handle him.” He winked. His face was so beautifully arrogant he could easily pass for a demigod.
My throat suddenly went dry, and all I could do was nod.
Chapter Eight
Marie
Outside Elias’s Café
As the car slowed to a stop, I awoke from my reverie and waited for Henry to help me out. We hadn’t been to Elias’s lately. Security measures and missions had kept us away. However, the little café had become like a sanctuary and I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until I was standing right outside.
Elias, always the gracious host, greeted us warmly when we would come. He would tell us the specials; take our orders, never allowing anyone else to serve us. He always seated us off to ourselves, providing as much privacy as possible. I mentioned this to Henry one day but he dismissed it. It was almost as if Elias knew what we were or that he knew Henry personally. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I didn’t feel threatened, but it was as if he was hiding something.
Henry relaxed his grip around my waist when we reached our table. He pulled my chair out, ever the gentleman in public, and pushed it in for me before he sat down. He was a different version of himself in the arena. A smile slid up the corners of my mouth at my private joke. Elias handed us our menus and said he would be right back.
“Why are you smiling? What’s on your mind? Henry asked his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
“I was just thinking that you are such a gentleman when we go out. It is just ironic that it’s such a far cry from your demeanor toward me in the arena.” He was thoughtful for a moment.
An impish smile spread across his mouth. “How do you know that I am not being a 'gentleman' in the arena, by letting you win and letting you shower first?”
Normally I would have been furious at his implications, demanding we leave and head to the arena so I could make him eat his words. We were competitive sometimes, especially when it came to sparring. However, we were both in a good mood and I wanted it to stay that way.
“Whatever you tell yourself to sleep at night. I can see how having a little, teeny, pitiful weak thing like me beat you up day in and day out could be so ego busting.” I grinned at the tiny stirrings of a temper crossing his features.
“How about we just drop it for now?” He cut his eyes over the menu.
Henry and I scanned over the menus then Elias came and told us the specials ending the comfortable silence. When I ordered my favorite beef broth and bread, Elias grinned. Henry chose a meaty dish with hearty vegetables smothered in gravy. After Elias left, the silence continued, and I allowed my mind to drift back to the dropped conversation.
The first time I outdid Henry in sparring was a memorable day for more than just the obvious. We had been doing hand-to-hand combat. Since the incident at Elias’s, Henry was encouraging me to release more of my hold on Glazier. He assured me that this would be the best environment but I was leery. We were circling each other in the arena, our instincts exploring the best course of approach, searching for any flaw or the slightest weakness. The atmosphere was serious. There was never any humor in training. My shield was firmly in place while Henry kept his down. Our gaze continued to linger over each other, sizing up the opponent.
He lunged forward; his muscle-laden physique missed me by a hair as I leaped out of his grasp. We kicked, spun, dodged, and ran for what seemed like hours. He kept me on my toes the entire time. Pure driven instinct, as for once, we were equals. We didn’t tire; the longer we went the more power Glazier ignited. One of the effects Glazier had over the human body was that as long as she was in control the person would not fatigue. However when she was no longer in control that person's body would become alarmingly weak.
Backing away, I tried to redirect the course of the fight. This move increased the space between us. One on one wasn’t going anywhere. His brawn covered the distance that separated us. It was like watching
a lion stalk me. I made an instinctive decision to attack from above. Just as he reached me, I climbed one of the twenty-foot pillars that encircled the arena and leapt, launching my body from the top. It was all so sudden. He was on his back with my hands on his throat, my legs straddled his chest, my knees pinned his arms.
Wide-eyed with surprise, he looked at my hand then met my eyes. Comprehension dawned on his chiseled face and his body relaxed. Palms up…admitting defeat… Shame pour off him in droves. I backed away. Wrapping myself in my arms, I stared at the ground, unable to look at him. Standing up with exaggerated care he dusted himself off, sighed and left without saying a word.
He did get the shower first that day. Unable to go to the room I sat in the training arena scolding myself. What had I done? He was my friend, my only friend. He had trained and protected me. How could I have been so cold? I knew it was Glazier.
That was what she was…all instinct, survival. She didn't know anything about loyalty and friendship. Her only desire is to follow her instincts and act. Still I found no solace in those thoughts. I was the only one who could control her, and I vowed I would learn how. All that ever came from allowing her to come into control was chaos. Feeling Henry approach, I thought about running away. Nevertheless, he would catch me. So I hid instead. He walked into to the middle of the arena and looked around.