“We should ask the Oracle, but this seems like something from a past life,” Mari said. “Sissy is an ancient soul, very powerful. Like Ivan. This Katia resents her power. Sissy will have to deal with her.”
“She’s a child!” Ivan said.
“She’s not a child any longer,” Otis said. “Anyone can see that she’s a young woman now. Beautiful.”
“She is old enough to marry here in New York,” Bruno said with a nod.
Ivan shook his head at their encouragement.
“And Nadia?” Otis asked. “You cannot have the girl and Nadia at the same time.”
“Nadia is family,” Ivan said. “Sissy. . .”
Ivan touched his chest. Otis looked at Mari. She gave an agreeing nod that Nadia was family to Ivan but that Sissy held his heart.
“Nadia says the same thing,” Otis said with a shrug.
“The question is how do we protect Sissy from this Katia?” Bruno asked.
“And get her the rehabilitation she needs,” Ivan said. “She has always had an extraordinary talent. She could have become a prima ballerina in every sense of the word. But now? There’s no way to know how she will recover. If her lungs don’t heal, she will not have the breath for ballet. If her chest isn’t steady, her stance won’t be accurate, and she won’t be strong enough. All of this assumes that she doesn’t catch an infection or need more surgery.”
Ivan’s voice reflected his desperation and grief. The men dared not look at each other. There was a knock at the door. Ivan went to answer it. Seth O’Malley stood on the other side.
“What did I miss?” Seth asked.
~~~~~~~~
Thursday morning — 11:05 a.m.
New York City, New York
“Hello?” Delphie yelled into her cell phone.
Sandy gave her a sour look. They were getting lunch at the hospital cafeteria while Sissy’s doctor gave her the once over. Sandy went to pay for their meals.
“Delphie?” Jill asked.
“Jill!” Delphie yelled.
Sandy hurried through the payment transaction to eavesdrop on the cell phone call.
“Delphie, you don’t have to. . .” Jill started.
“Oh, I know, dear,” Delphie said with a chuckle. “It’s just kind of my thing.”
Jill laughed.
“What can I do for you, dear?” Delphie asked in a normal tone.
Sandy waved Delphie over to a quiet table in the corner.
“I need some help,” Jill said.
“What’s going on?” Delphie asked.
“I went to pick up Katy yesterday,” Jill said. Her sorrow welled up at the thought of what had happened. Rather than cry, Jill cleared her throat.
“That bad?”
“She was. . .” Jill said. Her voice dropped. “I know she’s just a normal little girl. . .”
Delphie rolled her eyes and shook her head at Jill’s pig-headed assertion that Katy was a normal child.
“. . .but something dark, really dark, got ahold of Katy,” Jill said. “She was incapable of keeping it out. I had to. . .”
Jill knew that another word would bring her to tears. She cleared her throat again.
“You got rid of it, though,” Delphie said.
“Yes, but. . .”
“It followed you?” Delphie asked.
“It looked like my father,” Jill said. “Katy had a seizure, so I took her to the hospital but. . . the thing. . . and came here.”
“To the Castle?” Delphie asked.
“Yes.”
“But it didn’t get in,” Delphie said.
“Mike said it looked like crows,” Jill said. “Honey, too.”
“I see,” Delphie said.
“Mike got rid of it with the hose,” Jill said.
“In the house?” Delphie asked.
“No,” Jill said. “It surrounded my new car. I climbed in the back with Katy. Mike fought it with the hose. He said it looked like crows.”
“Crows,” Delphie said. “Black crows.”
“It still looked like my dad,” Jill said. “To me.”
“Roper?” Delphie asked.
“Perses,” Jill said.
“Lord Perses,” Delphie said in a quiet voice. She was quiet for a moment. “You’re sure?”
“Yes, why?”
“It’s a powerful offense to take the form of a Titan,” Delphie said. “Did you tell him?”
“Perses?” Jill asked. “Not yet.”
“Good,” Delphie said. Her voice rose in cheer. “Well, we knew it would start at some point.”
“Start?” Jill asked. “What would start?”
“The battle for Katy,” Delphie said with certainty.
“What?” Sandy whispered to Delphie. “What battle for Katy?”
Delphie waved her away.
“What are you talking about?” Jill asked. “Why would anyone battle for my Katy? She’s just a little girl.”
“Whether you want to admit it or not, she’s. . .” Delphie started.
“No,” Jill said. “She is a little girl first.”
“Well, yes, but. . .”
“As a little girl, she needs our protection and care,” Jill said.
The power in Jill’s voice echoed over the phone.
“You don’t know what I mean because you didn’t have a mommy,” Jill said. Delphie felt a stab of sorrow. “So help me God, Delphie, if I could go back in time, I would have protected you from horrible Levi. I would have helped you fight for your own soul. But I cannot do that.”
Delphie was so overwhelmed that she sniffed.
“I’ve tried,” Jill said. “I cannot protect you, but I will do whatever is necessary to protect my children. You should want to as well.”
“I. . .” Delphie started.
“I need your help,” Jill said.
“I don’t know how,” Delphie said. “As you know, I had to. . .”
Delphie closed her eyes to the flood of horrible memories that appeared before her.
“I know,” Jill said. “How do we figure out how to do it?”
“Well. . .” Delphie sighed. Her eyes flicked to Sandy.
“I’m calling a meeting,” Jill said. “I’m asking everyone who might know something to come here. Fairies, you, Heather’s out of the hospital, my father. . .”
“When?” Delphie asked.
“Saturday,” Jill said.
“Sissy is due to be released on Friday,” Delphie said. “Seth is bringing us home Friday night.”
“So you can be there?” Jill asked.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Delphie said.
“Can you ask Sandy?” Jill asked.
“Sandy — that’s a really good idea,” Delphie said with a smile.
“What?” Sandy asked.
“Jill’s having a little get together on Saturday and wants you to come,” Delphie said.
Having monitored the conversation so far, Sandy knew Delphie was manipulating her. She gave Delphie a hard look.
“She needs your help,” Delphie said.
“I will always help Jill,” Sandy said. “Any day. When is it?”
“Saturday,” Delphie said to Sandy. Into the phone, she asked, “Morning?”
“Ten o’clock,” Jill said. “We’ll figure out how to protect Katy and the boys, and, maybe in the meantime, how to protect ourselves. I’m really sick of my life and my children’s lives being captured by someone else’s bullshit.”
“Yes,” Delphie said. “My bees miss me.”
“I bet,” Jill said. “See you Friday?”
“Friday,” Delphie said and hung up the phone.
Delphie stared off into space for a moment. Sandy touched her arm.
“What is it?” Sandy asked.
“Katy was captured by a trickster,” Delphie said.
“What?” Sandy asked.
“They are like the magpies of souls,” Delphie said. “They collect bright, shiny, powerful souls to use in trades.”
“Oh, my God,” Sandy said. “And Katy?”
“Jill got rid of it,” Delphie said with a nod. “She doesn’t know it, but Jill and her family are one of two remedies for tricksters.”
“And you?” Sandy asked.
“I was captured,” Delphie’s eyes welled with tears. She fell quiet for a moment. “I. . . And. . .”
Delphie nodded as a fat tear rolled down her face.
“The other remedy is a pure human,” Delphie said. “Like you. Honey, too. You see them for what they actually are. The rest of us. . . We see what we want to see.”
“How did you. . .?” Sandy whispered.
“Sam,” Delphie said with a smile. “I’m not sure he even knows it. If he’s aware, he probably thinks Celia did it. But his humanity saved me.”
Delphie looked at Sandy and smiled.
“Human beings are more powerful than you know,” Delphie said. She wiped her tears and looked down at her tray. She scowled. “Mac and cheese again?”
“Let’s go out,” Sandy said. “Celebrate.”
Delphie’s eyes scanned Sandy’s smiling face.
“Celebrate?” Delphie asked.
“Sissy is getting out soon,” Sandy said. “Charlie will be home when we get there. Our family is back together. Spring is coming. You are not captured by the magpie.”
“And we get to watch Ivan and Sissy fall in love,” Delphie said with a smile.
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Sandy said.
Sandy stood up from their table.
“We’ll let Seth pay,” Sandy nodded toward the door where Seth was standing.
“Good thinking,” Delphie said.
Delphie got to her feet, and they walked to the door of the cafeteria.
“You’re buying lunch,” Sandy said to Seth.
“Here?” Seth asked. His top lip lifted in disgust.
“Some place swanky,” Sandy said. “Where we can go dressed like this.”
Seth took in Delphie’s tear-stained face and looked back at Sandy. Her smile told him all he needed to know.
“I know just the place,” Seth said. “Ladies?”
He linked elbows with Delphie and Sandy. He kissed Delphie’s cheek and then Sandy’s.
“Shall we?” Seth asked.
They left the cafeteria.
~~~~~~~~
Thursday mid-day — 11:45 a.m.
New York City, New York
“Thank you, Denis,” Bestat said to her driver as he pulled up in front of the office building.
“Would you like me to escort you, ma’am?” Denis asked.
“Thank you,” Bestat reached forward and squeezed his shoulder. “I need to do this alone.”
“I will park the car close so I will be close,” Denis said.
Bestat smiled at him and started to leave the back of the Towne Car.
“Ma’am,” Denis said. He held out what looked like a white cotton handkerchief. “You’re smoking.”
“I angrier than I thought.” Bestat grinned at him.
He nodded toward a woman walking across the sidewalk. She smiled at him and got out of the car. She walked with what looked like casual ease and still managed to catch up with the woman in front of her. She reached the elevator landing just in time to get into the car with the woman.
“Bestat!” the woman said with false joy. “What a pleasure to see you.”
“Katia,” Bestat said.
Bestat endured the woman’s imitation of the ritual of kissing both cheeks. Katia’s practiced behavior lacked the warmth that went with the gesture. The elevator doors closed behind her. The women were in the car alone. They stood in a line facing the door.
“Are you coming to our little board meeting?” Katia asked.
“Yes,” Bestat said.
“With all that’s going on in your country — deposed dictator and military coup — I’m surprised you can take the time to attend,” Katia said.
Bestat’s eyes flicked to Katia’s face while her head stayed looking straight ahead.
“I mean, really?” Katia asked. “Don’t you have better things to do?”
“Clearly not,” Bestat said.
“But we’re just having. . .”
“A hearing to determine whether to censure the teacher for his relationship with Sissy Delgado,” Bestat said.
“Did you hear they were married?” Katia’s eyes gleamed with malicious glee.
Bestat sighed.
“You should tread very carefully, Katia,” Bestat said.
“I should. . .” Katia said. “Do you have any idea who you’re speaking to?”
“I’ve spoken with your mother-in-law,” Bestat said. “She was unaware of your campaign to destroy Ms. Delgado’s career. Further, she had no idea that, in her name, you forced Ivan into virtual servitude for a year.”
Katia turned to face Bestat.
“Your mother-in-law has spoken to her homosexual son,” Bestat said. “She has told him that she is willing to stand by him while they speak to his father.”
Bestat turned over her wrist to look at her watch.
“That should have happened a half-hour ago,” Bestat said.
Katia’s phone beeped twice.
“I’d guess that is your husband telling you the news,” Bestat said.
“You had no right!” Katia said.
“You requested that Ms. Delgado’s guardians attend this meeting,” Bestat said.
She turned her head to look at Katia.
“I am one of her guardians,” Bestat said. “So is Seth O’Malley.”
“O’Malley?” Katia’s voice rose a bit.
“Sissy’s sister is a guardian, of course,” Bestat said. “You know Otis? He’s an old friend of Ivan’s.”
Katia’s head went up and down.
“Otis will be in attendance as well,” Bestat said.
Katia swallowed hard.
“He’s always liked me,” Katia said with a little too much confidence.
“Have you met his new life partner?” Bestat asked.
Katia’s eyes went big.
“Yes, he is off the market,” Bestat said. “Now, we cannot affect the contract you tricked Ivan into signing, but we will not stand by as you destroy a talented young woman’s career.”
“You have no idea!” Katia said. “He groomed her to be his. . .”
Bestat’s head turned again to look at Katia. Bestat sighed. A thin puff of smoke came from her mouth.
“You know full well that the only reason that he said he was married to Sissy so that a dying girl wouldn’t have to go to the hospital alone,” Bestat said.
“That’s not what his date for the night said,” Katia said. “And she was there.”
Bestat reached into her pocket and took out a USB drive.
“It happened in front of my home,” Bestat said. “This is the security tape. You can see him hesitate, and then make a decision. You can also see that Sabrina, the ballerina you referred to, was hysterical. You should also know that she’s been deemed an unreliable witness by the NYPD.”
Katia stared at Bestat.
“You have awoken a sleeping dragon,” Bestat said through her teeth. “Be careful that you do not get eaten.”
The elevator doors opened. Bestat walked off the elevator, leaving Katia in her wake.
Chapter Three Hundred and Fifty-seven
Why are you here?
Friday early morning — 2:12 a.m.
New York City, New York
Sissy awoke with a start as a wave of pain came over her. She automatically looked to the couch where Sandy had been sleeping, and glanced at the chair where Delphie had sat. For the first time since she was admitted to the hospital, Sandy and Delphie weren’t there. Abi was gone, too. The doctor had said that, in order for Sissy to be released early, she would have to make it through a night alone. After all, if she couldn’t make it through the night alone in the hospital, where she had twenty-four hour care, h
ow would she make it at home?
Sissy was determined to get out of this hospital. She stared straight ahead. Counting the holes in the sound tile above, she tried to figure out why she wanted out so badly. Leaving the hospital meant she was leaving New York. Leaving New York meant leaving her dream of being an apprentice ballerina. Sissy heard her door open and close. She pressed the button on the bed so she could see.
“Don’t,” Ivan said. “You need to be flat.”
In typical Ivan fashion, he took the control from her and laid her flat. She touched his hand.
“I’d rather see you,” she said in a low tone.
His eyes flicked to her face.
“Why are you here?” she asked.
As if it were working out the question, his left eyebrow moved up and down.
“I. . .” he stared. He set the bed control down. He gave her a slight smile. “I’m sorry. I treat you like a child.”
“You do,” Sissy said almost as a sigh. “I’ve been a child most of the time you’ve known me.”
Ivan eyes scanned her face.
“And you are not a child anymore?” Ivan asked.
Sissy looked away from him. Unsure of what to do, Ivan watched her face.
“I don’t feel like a child,” Sissy said after a few minutes. “I. . . remember dying — being outside of my body, and my dad. . . Delphie and Abi have done these. . . shows of your life.”
“My life?” Ivan asked.
“Some of it.” Sissy made a small nod. “I’ve known you my whole life, and I don’t know you at all.”
“Big mysterious Ivan,” he grinned. “I am, at my very heart, completely boring.”
She smiled.
“I. . . I feel like I used to see things as they related to me,” Sissy said. “Now, I’m starting to see bigger things. I’m starting to understand the world outside of me. You, me. . . I mean, for all the times I thought about dying, tried to kill myself, and. . .”
Sissy shook her head with such fervor that she gasped in pain. She panted for a moment before her eyes returned to him.
“I don’t want to die,” Sissy said.
“I’m glad,” Ivan said.
“I want. . .” Sissy’s eyes flicked to his face and she stopped talking.
They looked at each other for a while. Sissy looked away first.
“Are you coming to Denver?” Sissy asked.
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