My mind reeled with the number of revelations over the last two days. Tired of meditating, tired of running, I chose instead to ignore the information. While denial was as therapeutic as a psychiatrist dressed like a killer clown, at least denial offered my subconscious the time to process. Plodding on through my crazy life with some semblance of normalcy would be impossible without a healthy dose of denial. Changing into my pink yoga pants and high school track t-shirt, I opened my laptop and researched for our internship project.
For the next couple of hours, Google Scholar and I spent some quality time together. I listened to some Beatles music while I printed out articles. My phone beeped with texts from Meredith. Unfortunately, my trip through denial wasn't finished yet. On the third notification, I finally texted her back.
Just getting on the plane, see you soon
…
Flight delayed, running late
…
Just landing in Phoenix, if you care
working on project, can’t wait to see you! :D
I shook my head. Ha. And figure out what the hell else you were hiding.
Me too, kiddo. Should be checking in around 5, how about dinner at my hotel?
Sure, dinner with my demon Aunt sounds fab, but how about with my demon boyfriend AND my demon Aunt and my wealthy roommate instead?
Oh, I forgot to tell you, we’re invited to a friends house for dinner
Ok, formal or casual?
idk, my roommate’s sleeping, it’s her dad’s place, I’ll check when she wakes up
I didn’t get a reply from Meredith, so I continued with the project. A little after noon, Fia appeared at my doorway.
“Good morning, sunshine,” I said, grinning. A red silk robe hung on Fia’s otherwise bare body, and her short blonde hair mussed at odd angles.
Who was in her room? Gabe? No. Gabe wasn’t that type of guy. He was all class, he’d at least wine and dine Fia first. Maybe Kale had been over. Or Frank?
“What sorts of fun did you get into last night?”
A voice called from the hallway. “Hey, uh, Fia? I’ve got class in an hour. Can I get your number?”
I raised my eyebrows. Nope, not Kale. Or Gabe. Fia shrugged at me, then turned and said, “Honey, I’ll get a hold of you. See you in class.”
“And that was..?” I asked when we heard the front door slam shut.
“My calculus tutor,” Fia said, helping herself to a spot on my bed. She looked at my screen, then shook her head.
“How can you even think about school and projects right now? Tell me about last night,” she said.
“Well, we got something to eat, then he took me to his place.” Unable to suppress a grin, I met Fia’s knowing eyes. Girl talk was something I missed since Seema had gone to school. Although I couldn’t tell Fia everything, at least I could reveal my feelings about Dan.
“Yeah, and you got home at nine this morning,” Fia said. Her arms crossed, as if ready for an interrogation. Like cop interviewing a criminal. Maybe she just needed some coffee. She followed me to the kitchen as I prepared a pot of coffee, and I smiled at her.
“Well… you know we sort of knew each other several years ago, and I had a huge crush on him then. But now, it’s more serious. I don’t know what to make of it,” I said. “He makes me feel amazing, and…safe, at the same time, does that make sense?”
Fia raised her eyebrows, her green eyes flashing at me. “Look, it’s one thing to have a little fling now and then. But don’t go running into a relationship with someone you barely know. You’re 21 years old, hello! It’s not the time to settle down or anything.” I handed her a cup of coffee.
“Can you grab the milk? Oh, and a grapefruit while you’re in there,” she asked. Placing the milk and fruit in front of her, I continued.
“I know, it’s just, there’s something about Dan… different from any other guy,” I said.
“Like, he can bring you higher than anyone else ever can?” she teased, stirring her coffee.
I giggled, glad her eyes brightened. “Yeah, I guess you could say that.” Taking a sip of coffee, I thought about the way we flew over the town and the forest, and the king sized bed in the cabin. He did take me higher than anyone else, in more ways than Fia could contemplate.
“If you ask me, I say to get what you need from a man, and nothing more. Never trust a guy, they’re only after power or sex or money. If you don’t want to get hurt, you should own the same motives,” she said.
I pursed my lips. “So, you don’t trust any man?”
Fia ate a piece of grapefruit. “Sure I do. My father. And that’s only because we’re related. He’ll always keep my best interests at heart. Because he has to, right, genetics and all. But all the guys who asked me out, it’s usually to get an intro with my Dad. My last boyfriend, back home in Tennessee, had the balls to tell me he wanted to work for my father when he finished school.”
“No!” I said.
“Yep. He wasn’t with me because he had feelings for me. He was hotter for networking with my Dad than me! Lord, he was freakin’ transparent. The story of my fucked-up dating life. Now I look for two things in people to date- number one, they either need their own money or they don’t care about money. Number two- they need to be smokin’ hot.”
I laughed. “What’s with the first rule?”
“Either way, I figure they won’t be after my money. I don’t want to feel like a sugar mama when I date,” Fia said. She raised her eyebrows at me, and we giggled.
“Speaking of mamas, will your Mom be at the dinner?” I asked. Fia never mentioned her mother.
Fia’s smile fell. “Uh, no. It’s just been Dad and me since I can remember. He dates every now and again, nothing serious. I’m not sure he ever got over losing Mom,” she said.
I nodded in understanding.
“My Mom died just after I was born. Aunt Mer raised me, so she’s like my mom.”
Aunt Mer sounded pretty similar to Fia’s dad, Michael. They were both independently wealthy and avoided serious relationships. What if they became interested in each other tonight?
Ew. Creepy. Mentally slapping myself, I pushed aside the idea Fia and I might one day be related by marriage.
“Do you ever talk to your Dad?” Fia asked.
“Um, no. I don’t remember my Dad. I’m pretty sure he’s alive. But he never contacts us.” I shrugged, pretending like it didn’t bother me. But reality head-butted me into the present. My Dad- was he a fallen angel? A demon? If so, why wasn’t he helping me? Was he ashamed of me? Why had he abandoned me if he knew how hard it would be growing up, being what I was?
“Ugh, our lives are a freaking basic cable soap opera, right?” Fia shook her head, standing. “My head hurts from all this serious crap. It’s making me all tense. I’m going to get a massage. Want to go?”
“That sounds amazing,” I said, grateful for the change in subject. “By the way, what should I wear tonight?”
“Dressy, but not formal. We can swing by a boutique on the way back from the spa.”
After our hot stone massages at a chic spa downtown, Fia and I shopped at her favorite store. On the way, I sent Aunt Mer a quick text on the “dress code” for the dinner. I chose a knee length strapless cream colored layered silk dress with muted dragonflies print. Fia picked out a short sleeveless number with bands of dark pink in the full skirt.
“How are you gonna do your hair?” Fia asked as we walked into the apartment.
“Just like this, probably.” I played with a piece of hair, shrugging. I never put much thought into my hair, preferring to leave it naturally wavy.
“It’d look wicked hot straightened. Do you not own a flat iron? Never mind, let me do it. Give me 30 minutes and I’ll be right in. Oh, by the way, Kale will be here in an hour to give us a ride,” she said in her hundred-mile-an-hour speech.
“Ok. Can we pick up Meredith on the way? Oh, and what about Gabe and Dan?”
“Sure. I texted Gabe and Dan th
e address,” she said. I sent Dan and Meredith a text. Meredith said she was at the hotel, and would see us soon. With our plans settled, the primping and prepping ensued.
Being girly with Fia pumped me with excitement. Meredith wasn’t the high-maintenance, make-over mom type. I always envied how perfectly she made herself up, but whenever I asked for girly advice, she’d shoo me away, saying I was beautiful the way I was.
Humming to myself, I felt like a weight lifted from my heart. Finally, I knew what gave me my empath-antenna. Shrouds of denial fell from my mind. Dinner tonight would be a welcome initiation into my new life. My acceptance of this new life. New friends. Tonight would be another revelation-free night, full of socializing and carefree fun, because no way demons and pahanas make for acceptable dinner conversation.
Origination concerns and legends could wait another day. Tomorrow, I would figure out the bigger picture. But tonight, it could be one more night for having fun and living in the moment.
Fia did my hair. Instead of straightening it, she decided on softer waves. She worked her magic with ceramic hairdryer and wide-barreled curling iron. Looking in the mirror, I noticed my red highlights popped out with the waves. My hazel eyes stood out against the muted cream-colored dress, and my copper pumps and handbag Fia lent me complimented the ensemble.
After doing my hair, Fia went to her bathroom to accessorize. The buzzer rang, and Kale announced himself.
When he entered the apartment and met my eyes, I could hear the thumping of my heart without a stethoscope. He wore a black polo shirt and khaki pants. His dark brown, almost black eyes were set in their usual serious gaze, and his long black hung in a low ponytail.
No.
His expression threatened my night of denial.
“Chelsea, we need to talk about tonight,” Kale said. I shook my head, cutting him off.
“Kale, relax, business tomorrow. Tonight, let’s just have fun.”
“Chelsea, going to this dinner tonight… let’s just say we’re the mice, and they’re the hawks. We’re not going to be eating dinner. We will be the dinner. You should know more about the prophecy, about the restoration of balance between the worlds-”
“Look at me, Kale.” I stared into his dark brown eyes. His eyes narrowed.
“I trust Dan. I don’t know why-”
Kale snorted. “I know why-“
I shook my head. “It’s not the reason you think, Kale. My heart tells me to trust him. He’ll be there tonight. My Aunt will be there. They’ve always protected me. With them, I don’t think we’ll be on the menu.”
I reached out to touch his arm, in a reassuring gesture. Instead, when my skin touched his, it was as if he was water and my finger a live wire. A sizzling noise filled the air, and I could smell the electricity. It smelled like wet hair under a hair dryer set to high. I gasped.
What the hell was that?
Kale shrugged, taking my hand and squeezing it.
“What in the world-“
“Hey baby, you ready?” Fia came into the living room just then, looking happy to see Kale. My eyes closed, wondering if Kale knew the extent of their casual relationship. Irritation bubbled in my stomach, and my shoulders tensed. Fia was not serious about Kale. Even though Kale knew this, I felt protective of him.
“I am hungry,” Kale said. He winked at me, and I stifled a laugh. Fia’s category of men who didn’t care about money included Kale. His upbringing on the reservation must have been much more spiritual than the materialistic majority of the rest of the U.S. Fia didn’t feel threatened by Kale because he could care less about her wealth. Kale cared about his people, his community. He definitely would not be interested in working for her father.
Fia hooked her arm through Kale’s and led us to her car. We chatted about the latest gossip in Hollywood, of which Fia had an insider’s knowledge. She’d attended a private school in Nashville with several celebrities’ children. Kale listened with the attention of a deaf elderly person, nodding at all the wrong times.
When we arrived at Meredith’s hotel, she stood like an entitled model, shoulders back and nose in the air, waiting just outside the lobby doors. She looked beautiful, as always, dressed in a red business suit with her usual revealing cami. Her long black hair hung well past her shoulders. Her hazel eyes, near identical to mine, searched the parking lot.
Grudges gave way to relief, and I jumped out to greet her. Many questions were bouncing in my head, but they'd have to wait. For now, it was just good to see the only parent I’d ever known, who’d raised me and kept me safe.
Her arms tightened around me after a minute, when she realized I wasn’t ready to let go. I took a breath to keep from crying, inhaling her familiar spiced vanilla smell.
“I missed you too, kiddo,” she said, patting me on the back before breaking the hug. She raised her eyebrows and her eyes narrowed in assessment. I pulled her into Fia’s car before she could ask any questions.
“Aunt Mer, meet Fia, my roommate, and Kale, her, ah, boyfriend.”
“So nice to meet you both. Thank you for making my Chelsea feel so at home,” Aunt Mer said. Fia appraised Aunt Mer from the rearview mirror.
“Oh, it’s perfect, Meredith, just perfect. Chelsea and I get along great. Isn’t it just fabulous we found each other online? Who would have thought, two girls so different, yet we get along incredibly well. I feel like we were meant to be friends or something,” Fia said in her rapid speech, then gave Meredith a tight smile.
Meredith nodded at Fia, then turned to Kale and smiled. “You must be the Kale, am I right? How did you come to date a woman like Fia? You realize her father holds interests in several businesses that contradict your tribes beliefs.”
I glared at Meredith, regretting having told her about Kale’s animosity towards me. I didn’t have a chance to explain the 180 my life had taken on my second night in Flag. Meredith always said what was on her mind, not caring if it made others uncomfortable, especially when defending me.
“Mer, Fia’s Dad owns dental clinics.”
Meredith nodded. “Oh yes, true. But you don’t become a billionaire by just whitening teeth.”
Kale glanced at Fia. Fia shrugged returned Meredith’s innocent smile with a glare, then put on her sunglasses despite the setting sun. Turning the music to blaring, Fia sped along the highway. After several minutes, she pulled onto a remote exit with little more than an abandoned rest stop. She continued speeding over an unlit road. The moon rose, scarcely a quarter full, so it provided little light. Her radio blared hip-hop, the stereo system maxed to its limits as the beats vibrated through the seats. At least the awkward conversation ceased. I hoped Meredith would behave herself once we arrived at the Fox house.
Chapter Sixteen
Dragonflies
THE FOX CABIN was about 20 minutes outside of town, in the forest. But surrounded by thick silence and trees, it was as if we stepped into another world. Two stories and hundreds of rounded logs created the cabin-mansion. The home was dwarfed by the giant pines.
A log stable stood next to a paddock south of the house. My nose wrinkled when we stepped out of the car. Manure. Reason number eight hundred and fifty I didn’t like animals. As we exited Fia’s car, I held my breath.
Turning around the estate, I took in the house and stables. Everything set in a clearing the size of a football field, with a wall of ponderosa and white birch trees surrounding the estate in the woods.
“Baby, I’m going to give Candlewick some lovin’. I’ll be right in,” Fia said to Kale. Then waved at the rest of us before jogging towards the stables. I called to Fia.
“Hey, Fi, this isn’t our house…”
“Michael won’t be home for a little bit, he texted. Frank will show you in!” Fia called over her shoulder. I turned to Kale, who shrugged, used to Fia’s flakey ways.
“Frank?” Her other boyfriend was here? My eyes widened at the thought.
“The butler,” Kale said.
“Oh,” I mut
tered. So Fia hadn’t been seeing three guys? Only the two? I shook my head of the thoughts. So not my business.
I turned to Meredith, motionless outside of the car, her cheeks pale. “Are you okay, Aunt Mer?”
Kale raised his eyebrows, following Meredith’s gaze to the front entrance of the cabin. “It’s a monstrous dwelling. Unbelievable the number of trees felled, all to build accommodations for only two.”
“Two?” Meredith muttered. She smoothed out her wrinkle-free pants. “Oh, my, I’m a little dizzy. The damn altitude is getting to me,” she said in answer to my earlier question. “What are we waiting for, let’s go find Frank.”
She turned and marched towards the cabin-mansion. Kale and I followed a few steps behind. Meredith’s take charge attitude made me smile. She swam with the real estate sharks for a long time, and only the commanding survive in that fish tank.
My cheeks flushed when I saw Dan waiting on the wrap-around front porch. He and Gabe already sat on wicker chairs chatting quietly. Gabe waved as he noticed our approach. I returned the wave and glanced at Meredith, then back to Dan. Maybe it would have been better if I’d prepared Meredith for Dan’s attendance at the dinner tonight. On the other hand, sometimes surprises were best. This way we didn’t have an excuse to broach the subject I avoided. And dinner in denial could proceed as planned.
We climbed the stairs to the porch. Gabe wore a white t-shirt and black blazer with gray dress pants tonight. His black hair was messy, yet stylish.
Dan wore a suit and I almost tripped over a flower pot. A suit? My mouth hung agape as I took in the black vest, white long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and fancy dark gray shoes that made him look like a stock broker instead of a surfer. His dark blonde hair slicked back, not a stray strand in sight. He hadn’t shaved today, but the shadow increased his mature-factor by a decade. His demeanor matched the suit, formal, lacking warmth. He stood to greet us with a small nod in our direction.
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