The Mullinix Book 1: Ascension

by Rodney Mountain

  Chapter 75 - Iggy’s Plight

  Insegniferro paced around his room feeling pretty helpless to do anything about all the problems that were popping up all around him. He was usually a fairly calm person, but with Massimaferro sick and everyone removed from him he felt pretty damned alone, enough to cause a bit of anger.

  Marianna and Marina looked into the room and then at each other. They knew their Mullinix was having some problems but didn’t know what to do. They were usually good at calming people down, it was the main reason for the house staff’s existence, but Insegniferro had been nearly impossible to console lately.

  "What do we do?" Marina asked her, "He’s brooding again."

  "I don’t know," Marianna admitted, "I’ve never seen him like this."

  "Maybe he just needs to talk a bit," Marina suggested and smiled brightly, "Or even get another direction for that tension."

  "Good luck in getting him to do that," Marianna chuckled, "He hasn’t been with anyone since Molly, back when you were in diapers."

  "Maybe it is time he did," Marina suggested, "We’re here for a reason, you know."

  "I thought you were all hot on Medo," Marianna grinned, "What happened?"

  "I guess we’ve cooled down some," Marina sighed, "Ever since that power awoke he’s been changing a bit when I’m around."

  "He’s growing up," Marianna told her, "He’s had to do a lot of it and quick. There’s also the fact that some of what he can do with that power lets him see when people are pushing emotion…"

  "Something I probably don’t push much of," Marina nodded, "I’m not upset. It’s not my fault I am what I am."

  "He still cares for you, you know," Marianna reminded her, "He’s just growing to the point that he doesn’t need you as badly."

  "That’s all I ask for," Marina said, "I don’t ask for the love. I don’t see as I’m capable of giving it, at least not in the way a man like him needs."

  "After what you went through," Marianna nodded, "Probably not. Doesn’t stop people from trying though."

  "I guess I’m strange that way," Marina shrugged, "I feel better with just a bit of a shag rather than prolonging it. Medo is the only man I’ve actually cared to stay curled up with, but that was more cause he needed it than me."

  "I know the feeling," Marianna smiled, "Part of why we were chosen for this is because we feel that way."

  "That still leaves, Iggy," Marina said, "Should we at least make the attempt?"

  "Can’t hurt," Marianna agreed, "Let’s go."

  Insegniferro was still pacing around the room when Marianna and Marina walked in. He looked at them for a moment and began pacing again. They looked at each other and sighed.

  "You’re wearing a hole in the carpet, Iggy," Marianna told him, "That’s not going to help."

  "Have you heard anything else?" Marina asked him, "From down south or up north?"

  "Medo and Massy are on their way to the border," Iggy told them, "Nothing down south. I’m trying to figure out what to do about that cluster fuck."

  "I doubt there’s anything you can do tonight," Marianna said gently, "Getting all worked up over it won’t help."

  "I should be with Massy," Iggy said, "Instead I’m stuck here."

  Marianna went over and sat on the dais over by the wall of the room and looked at Insegniferro. She sighed and let Marina make the first approach, knowing that she would be better at it. She usually was.

  "What could you do if you were there?" Marina asked him reasonably, "It sounds like all Medo and the rest of them are doing is waiting it out much like you are. Unless you’ve been gifted with some healing skills that we weren’t aware of, you’d be doing the same."

  "If you can though," Marianna said, giggling a bit, "I have this pain right down on my back…"

  "Funny," Iggy said sourly, "I don’t see the humor in any of this."

  "Humor is where you make it, Iggy," Marina reminded him, "That’s what we’re here for, remember? If we let you take yourself too seriously then you’ll burn out on us. You’re right on the edge of doing that as it is."

  "I’m not that bad," Iggy protested, moving to the edge of his bed and actually sitting down, "I’ve got a lot on my plate."

  "And nothing you can do about it this late," Marina said, sitting down next to him, "We can help you take your mind off it, you know."

  "You know I don’t play those games anymore," Iggy told her, "I’m old enough to be your father."

  "Not mine," Marianna said, moving over and sitting next to him, "And she’s old enough to know better, so that’s old enough."

  "I appreciate it," Iggy said, "But…"

  "You think it would be a betrayal to Molly," Marianna said, "Right?"

  "Uh…" Iggy said, knowing he was being cornered.

  "I never met her," Marina said, "And I know you cared for her, but would she have wanted you to be like this?"

  "I’m fine," Iggy said, though his expression said differently.

  "I knew Molly," Marianna said, "She would be throwing a fit if she saw you like this."

  "It just wouldn’t be the same," Iggy said, "It wouldn’t be fair…"

  "Fair to who?" Marianna asked him, "To her? She’s gone, Iggy. I knew her, she’d want you to continue to live. To me? To Marina? This is what we like doing. This is who we are, Iggy."

  "It may not be the same," Marina told him, "But your logic in this is flawed."

  "How so?" Iggy asked her, wondering what she’d come up with.

  "You’ve been a virtual hermit at night since I’ve been here," Marina said, "Denying yourself the warmth of one of us, just because the major fire in your life has passed. It doesn’t make sense. We can’t take her place, but if we can give just a little comfort, then why not?"

  Marianna wanted to kiss the younger girl for that one. It was the argument that Marianna had been trying to think of for a long time, but had never managed to get out. Insegniferro was speechless for a few moments after that as he was not quite sure how to respond to it.

  "It’s been so long," Iggy said, "But with Massy like he is…"

  "If he heard you say that he’d smack you," Marianna told him, "You know that better than we do. He’s not here. You are and so are we."

  "You’ve got a choice," Marina said with a wicked smile, "You can either stay here, brood and piss us off or we can all spend a wonderful night together forgetting about all of that stuff on the outside."

  "And if you push us off again," Marianna said, emphasizing the point, "We’re going to be insulted. We even prettied up for you."

  Insegniferro smiled and looked at them, feeling a few stirrings of something he hadn’t allowed himself to feel for a long time. It was at that point that both of the women knew that they had won. Marianna slid behind Insegniferro and started rubbing his back, while Marina went over and kissed him lightly, letting him get the feel of it.

  "You two are something else," Iggy told them, "You know that?"

  "Now let us prove it to you," Marina said, "Shall we retire?"

  "I think we should," Marianna said, "You two go on, I’ll get the lights."

  It’s safe to say that after those lights went out, a lot of the tension that had been hanging in the room over the previous hours was long forgotten.