Flicker

  She sighed, pulling more gently on the hairbrush, trying to relax. Given how important his quest was to him, it was entirely likely that Rashid would have at least considered approaching the other omnivores about it. Elise knew nothing about any of them except the Queen, but if Rashid was turning to her, Elise doubted it was because he had any other options left. She was a complete beginner, barely knew anything about her powers or the world-- or perhaps that was the appeal. Perhaps Rashid thought that because of her youth and inexperience, she'd be easier to control.

  For all Rashid's talk about balance and equality, maybe he was lying to her. He had tried to sound neutral when he spoke of the effect the Queen's solitary rule was having on the male populous of the world, but Elise had detected more than a hint of fanaticism in him regarding the subject. It was entirely possible that he would use the very real problem of global imbalance to convince Elise, who could be no more than a puppet at least until she learned the ways of the world, to lend him her power while he took the place of the Queen and ruled himself instead. Elise was beginning to think she might agree that men needed to be represented in this secret governance-- she had always believed in equality. However, she wasn't inclined to think that one inequality would solve the problem of another-- and while the different cultures around the planet would undoubtedly take a long time to come full swing, Elise had to think in the long term. Her newfound perspective, that her life had the potential to last thousands of years, wouldn't allow her to do otherwise. If the balance of the world was offset to one side, it wouldn't fix anything to settle it on the other side-- if Elise was going to be a part of any changes, they would be for actual equality.

  Elise ground her teeth, rolling her shoulders as she tried to ease some of the prickling tension she felt. There was so much to this choice-- which man she would ally with, what she would do for the next several years, if not the rest of her life. She had to think of what damage might be done to her, personally, by her decision. Whether Rashid could help it or not, Elise knew now that what she'd said to Gregory was correct: Rashid wanted far more from her than just a partner in an endeavor. Elise had already had enough experience with their powers to know that the more any one of them was open to the influence of others around them, the more his or her own self was called into question. In order to counterbalance each other the way Rashid had talked about, he and she would have to be open to each other much-- if not all-- of the time. Elise sighed again, planting her palms on the top of her dresser and leaning forward to meet her own eyes in the mirror. Rashid was so intensely devoted to his beliefs, and Elise was beginning to wonder if, given the opening, his fervor might burn her up, consuming everything that she was. She had spent too long asserting her own independence and self-sufficiency to risk disappearing into Rashid's vision of the future.

  And Alex-- Alex would require that she give him just as much of herself. He was, in his own way, as broken as she was; she wasn't daunted by the fight they'd had yesterday, but neither was she fooling herself anymore. Being with him would take its toll on her just as surely as going with Rashid would.

  This was ridiculous. She didn't have to choose between the two of them, as if her life depended on which man she fell for-- she didn't need a man at all, and picking one side or the other weren't her only options. Neither of them owned her; she loved Alex, she knew that now, and she still wasn't certain how she felt about Rashid. But none of that mattered in the grand scheme of her life. She needed to do what was best for her right now. If Alex didn't want to follow her to college, that was his loss, and if Rashid couldn't wait for her to be ready for his war, that was his problem.

  “I am Elise Morgan Whitfield,” she said quietly but firmly to her reflection, watching her expression steady as she reasserted herself. “I will compromise myself for no one.” With a soft growl of frustration, she buried her aching head in her hands. It wasn't going to be easy, but her choice was clear.

  Elise allowed herself to wallow for a moment longer before she pulled herself together and grabbed her cell phone from her desk. She may as well get this over as soon as possible.

  As she'd anticipated, the conversation didn't go well.

  “Good evening,” Rashid answered smoothly on the second ring.

  “Hello, Rashid,” Elise said neutrally. “Please sit down-- we need to talk.”

  “I don't like your tone, kitten,” he said warily, sounding considerably less jovial. “Perhaps this is a discussion we should be having face to face.”

  Elise sighed; she'd been dreading that suggestion. But if she was going to be turning him down, she may as well make a habit of it. “No, I'd rather not.” She spoke rapidly, wanting to get the words out before he could stall her. “Look, Rashid-- I've thought it over, and I'm not ready for what you offered me. I'm sorry, I am. But I can't do this now.”

  The line was silent for a long time. And then, very quietly, Elise heard him. “I need it to be now, Elise.” His near-whisper was entirely devoid of emotion. Elise began to tremble, and stammered out the first objection that came to mind.

  “Rashid, you want me to rebel with you against this establishment that I have to take your word and Alex's even exists! No, I won't do it-- I'm not executing some coup on a regime I've never even met. Maybe I'll be a little, I don't know, more inclined to insurrection after I've met this queen of yours, but how do you expect me to fight against her when I've never even looked the woman in the eye?”

  He snorted. “You have a remarkably old-fashioned view for such a modern girl,” he scoffed. Elise didn't say anything, and he continued. “This doesn't sound like your voice alone,” he pressed, and Elise could hear his voice shaking as he struggled to contain himself. “I hear Alexander's words on your tongue; I can feel his influence over you.”

  “My feelings for Alex have nothing to do with my choice,” Elise snapped before she could think better of it-- and then sucked in a breath when she realized her mistake. But it was too late to take back the words.

  “How utterly like a female,” Rashid spat venomously, no trace of restraint in his voice now. “You think with your heart instead of your head! Now you make the stereotypical choice-- your lover above all else. The whole world will suffer for your selfishness, and you want anyone to respect you?”

  Elise clenched her teeth, furious. “I am not choosing Alex-- I'm simply choosing not you! And your reaction is proving that I chose well.”

  She heard Rashid's harsh breathing-- she knew it was coming through the phone, but she was unnerved enough to turn and look behind her, just to make sure she was still alone. “Woman,” he ground out, but Elise could hear him struggling to moderate his tone. “You are turning your back on my life's work-- centuries in the making! I am not a man who faces the rejection of his dreams with a shrug and a sigh. But my passion does not make me evil.”

  Elise sighed. “I don't mean to paint you as the villain, Rashid. But what you're asking of me-- that level of trust-- I don't think I'm capable of it. And if I am, it isn't with you. I don't know if that'll change; who knows who I'll be in a century or so. But right now? No.”

  Very quietly, he spoke. “I am asking you one more time to reconsider. I need your help-- the people of this planet need your help. Look at the state of the world-- we may not have a century for you to make up your mind. I do not beg anyone, Elise, but I am asking you now-- please.”

  She had to swallow hard before she whispered, “I'm sorry.”

  The pause stretched out, until Elise wasn't certain he hadn't hung up-- but no, she could still hear the faint sound of his breath. Finally, in a harsh voice she barely recognized as his, he hissed. “You don't know what sorry is-- but you will.”

  The line went dead.

  Elise stood stock-still, dizzy and numb, her heart pounding furiously in her ears, for a long time. When she noticed the streetlights come on outside her window, though, she forced herself to shake off her terrified stupor and get herself together. She couldn't face her parents like t
his tonight, let alone Alex tomorrow-- and she couldn't tell him what was going on without revealing her meetings with Rashid.

  She paused in the act of pinching color back into her blanched cheeks before the mirror. “I should warn him, though,” she murmured to her reflection. What if Rashid struck out at Alex to get back at her? There had to be a way to put him on his guard without letting him know just how much she had hidden from him. She frowned as she carefully erased the log of Rashid's calls from her cell phone. She was being silly, she reasoned. Alex fended for himself against Rashid for centuries-- he would be fine now without any help from her.

  A door slammed downstairs, and Elise jumped before she realized that it was only her dad taking the trash out. When a deep, calming breath did nothing to loosen the knotted muscles in her back, Elise opted to grab a towel and head down the hall to the bathroom. What she needed, she decided, was a hot shower to wash away what remained of Rashid's influence over her. She had made her decision, and all that was left was to move ahead.

  Two days later, the moon was nearly full, lighting Alexander's climb up his front stairs-- not that he needed the illumination. But it seemed romantic, and he was in a mood to appreciate such things.

  He'd left Elise's house early this evening-- her mother had reminded Elise last night that she still had to write her Oxford admissions essay, so Alex had insisted that she take advantage of the quiet house tonight to get it done. He, meanwhile, had taken advantage of the evening to himself to drive into the city for a decent feeding. He smiled now as he unlocked his door and entered the dark house, recalling the insincere way Elise had grumbled before he left, complaining about staying home alone to write a paper on a Friday night. Alexander knew she hadn't meant her griping-- one of the things he loved about her was that, unlike most other teenagers, Elise believed that the best way to ensure her future was to plan for it, and so she didn't mind putting in the effort up front. He laughed outright at the memory of the look on her face when he'd mused, on his way out her door, “If you get accepted, maybe I'll go back to Oxford, too-- last time I was there, it wasn't exactly co-ed.” Her mix of astonishment, amusement, outrage, and exasperation would entertain him for years to come.

  She'd also brightened noticeably as she needled him about getting enough sleep-- they had plans to go hiking tomorrow morning in Fairmount Park across the bridge in Philadelphia before they went up to New York so she could meet Sarah. She kept teasing him that with so much on their agenda, she would wake him early enough that they could see the sunrise. Alexander chuckled to himself, beginning the preparations for his solitary dinner-- he fully intended to call her cell phone from her front porch before six in the morning.

  While his food simmered on the stove, Alexander jogged upstairs to grab his laptop from his bedroom; he was expecting an email of the most recent information Gregory could find about Rashid's cult's activities. They would spend tomorrow afternoon introducing Elise to Sarah-- Alexander was crossing his fingers that both of them would behave long enough that they could have a civil meeting to plan their strategy for taking care of Rashid. He and Sarah, with Gregory taking a supporting role, had butted heads with Rashid and his cult many times over the centuries, but to say that Elise presented a complication was a monumental understatement. He sighed, rubbing his forehead, his mind running through all the ways tomorrow's meeting could progress. Alexander was bent over, his hand in the gap between the nightstand and the bed to pull out his computer, when he noticed the envelope. He froze.

  The envelope was a navy blue square, smaller than a standard greeting card, and he could tell just by looking at it that it wasn't something sold at the average Staples. There was no writing on it, no stamp-- clearly, it had been laid against his pillow by hand. Slowly, he straightened up, probing at it with his energy. As he'd suspected, Rashid's aura was all over it. Alexander's eyes narrowed, and without any further hesitation, he grabbed the envelope and tore it open.

  Inside was a plain, cream vellum card, folded in half. Alexander pulled it out gingerly; there was a slight ridge in the card that told him something was inside. Then he opened it, and any other thought fled from his mind.

  Inside lay a lock of chestnut hair twisted into a knot. Alexander didn't need to touch it to know it belonged to Elise.

  The card dropped from his nerveless fingers, the stark black handwriting on the inside barely read. There was only one reason for Rashid to have access to Elise's hair, or any part of her; the bastard had gone too far this time. The world was red as Alexander, cursing himself for leaving her alone, raced out into the night, his movements too fast for the untrained eye to perceive and the lock of Elise's hair clutched in his hand.

  Elise yawned, looking at the clock. The house was silent; her parents had long since come home and gone to bed, only checking on her briefly to inquire about the state of her essay. Elise was quite proud of it; she'd unabashedly told her dad that the essay would cement her acceptance to Oxford for sure. Given the percentage of students who actually got accepted every year, he'd just rolled his eyes, but as he read over the document she'd typed up, Elise saw his eyebrows rising, and he'd given her a firm nod before heading off to bed. Elise stretched now, saving one final time for good measure. It was past eleven, and given how much she'd teased Alex about being up to go hiking in the morning, she should have been in bed almost an hour ago-- she'd just wanted to make sure her essay was perfect. But now it was done, and she could put off submitting it until Sunday or Monday-- she had a big day tomorrow that she needed to rest for. Elise had to admit, regardless of how much she had been able to relax in Gregory's company after a little while, she was nervous to meet Sarah. From what Elise had gathered, she was rather less friendly than her little brother.

  As Elise stood up from the desk, her phone rang.

  She blinked at it, frowning. Why is he calling me now? She wondered, confused. I told him “No” two days ago-- I hope he isn't trying to change my mind. But as she reached for the insistently buzzing device, she had no doubt that was exactly what he would try to do. She even understood, to a point-- but her impending early morning and big day left her with no patience to deal with him.

  “Look--” she started to snap as she answered, but his tone froze the words in her throat.

  “Do not speak; just listen.” He spoke with icy distance, as if to a hated stranger. Elise nearly gasped-- gone was any hint of the intimate conversations they'd shared, the offers he'd made. “I want to hear nothing from you but, 'Yes, sir.' Do you understand?”

  She bit her lip hard, beginning to tremble. “Yes, sir,” she whispered.

  “If you ever want to see Alexander again, you will take this down and be there by dawn.” Elise gasped, then scrambled for a pen and a piece of paper as Rashid rattled off an address. There was a heavy pause as he waited for her response.

  Elise swallowed a lump of broken glass in her throat. “Yes, sir.”

  He hung up.

  She stood stock still for a moment, frozen, as the bottom plummeted out of her stomach and her head spun. Dizzily, she grasped the edge of the desk. What have I done? Frantically, she hit the button to call Alex's number, but after a few rings, the sound of his voicemail recording made her clenched stomach roll with nausea. Now what?

  She'd have to sneak out again. She wasn't about to go charging off to wherever the address was-- she had no real proof that Rashid wasn't bluffing. With renewed hope, she dashed as quietly as she could stand out into the foyer, shoved her feet into a pair of supple, flat boots, and pulled on her cloak. Grabbing the small purse that held her wallet and keys, and taking care to lock the door behind her, she dashed out into the night, heading for Alex's house.

  Elise practically flew, running faster than her feet had ever carried her, and arrived in a matter of minutes. His front door was locked. She rang the doorbell, but when no one moved inside, she ran down the short driveway, past Alex's car, and around back to the kitchen door-- that was locked, too. She pounded on the wood
, but couldn't stand to wait more than a few minutes for a response. There were lights on in the kitchen, but she couldn't see Alex.

  She took a deep breath. If he was in the shower, or had run out to the store or something, she was acting like an idiot-- but what would be Rashid's goal in getting her to break into Alex's house while he was at the store? He could still be out feeding, but at eleven at night, where could he go that wouldn't require driving? And even then, why would Rashid have lied?

  Taking a deep breath, she looked at the back door. It was only locked on the knob, but she knew she didn't have the ability to flick the mechanism with her mind. Maybe Alex could have, but she'd have to find another way. The windows, though, looked more promising. Placing her hand on one of the little rectangles of glass, Elise breathed slowly, calling to her power. As her arm began to tingle and her palm started to ache, she envisioned the frigid chill of winter, the killing force of the deep freeze. She flexed fingers that were tipped blue, and the brittle glass began to crack, spider webs of fissures spreading out from her hand. She pushed gently, and the pane shattered. Elise quickly warmed her hand as she reached inside and flipped the lock on the doorknob.

  Cautiously, she stepped into the cheerfully lit kitchen and looked around. Her first real clue that something was wrong was the pot on the stove-- it was smoking. She approached carefully, then swore and closed the remaining distance rapidly when she saw what was happening. The burner had been left on, but whatever had been in the pot had long since boiled off, and the layer of food on the bottom was in imminent danger of catching fire. Elise immediately turned the stove off, used an oven mitt to chuck the pot into the sink, and ran some water into it, then checked the oven for good measure.