Poison

by J P Anderson

  "It is none of your business." she pointed out yet again.

  "Oh for fate sake, it is, isn't it? Alister Grey is more conceited then I, my dear, if modesty is your fancy you must look elsewhere." he almost joked.

  "Yes if you mean creatively witty and not pompously proud than yes he is more conceited then the likes of you," she said with a smile. He cocked his head to the side his eyes ravenous and more off-putting than angry.

  "You cannot be serious, you pick Alister over me?" he seemed more mad at her choice than angry that she hadn't thrown herself at him, like he had lamentably had been hoping for such an easy turn of events. It's much easier to carry the princess off into the distant on one's white steed if the princess isn't kicking and screaming profanity. Perhaps that is why they are always asleep when such an event transpires in Disney films.

  "There is no competition, you're getting married and I'm many things but a home wrecker isn't one of them."

  "So your real love is for conceited men, well you're in luck; there is one in front of you."

  "There is also one in his bed asleep in the castle,"

  "Sleeping alone?"

  "The conceited man I seek has always slept alone," she remarked, trying to lighten the mood from the subject of love.

  "Real conceited men are never alone." he implied, looking into her eyes. She laughed a nervous, angry excretion of air and frowned.

  "Goodnight Mr. Deveartae, I see no reason in prolonging this torture."

  "Or perhaps is it that you can no longer feel your feet for I have swept them from under you,"

  "In your dreams,"

  "You always are Sweetness." he whispered, his tone changed from playful to dead serious and then without warning he pushed her as hard as he could. She fell and landed on her bed. Sweetness, echoed through her room as she sat on her soft bed in shock.

  "That so didn't just happen." she said, but then opened her fist and Acruz's diamond ring was making a dent in her hand. She looked at the inscription. 'Genevieve Desiree Grave,' she lay there for as long as her eyes would stay open, trying to decipher what that could possibly mean.

  The hair stood up on her neck and her spine started to tingle, she turned to look behind her and the candle sconces started to blow out from Andria's room toward her while a man in a black cloak started to walk towards them. She felt woozy and she started to rock as the world went blurry and for the third or fourth time today her legs disappeared beneath her. She opened her eyes seconds later got up without her consent. She realized she wasn't controlling her own body. She got up and started to walk towards the man with growing speed and got into a stance as if she was going to fight him. Gen tried to release from her own actions but couldn't. A smile draped across its hidden face as it got in the same fighting stance as her. She wanted to flinch or run or at least look to see if Alister was still in the hall but her head wouldn't move or yell. All she could do was be a spectator of her mysterious fight with a hooded thing. It took off his hood and she gasped, inside and out. Peter Gallagher stood in front of her.

  "Peter?" she found herself saying.

  "Yes, it is I." Ok that's weird, that may even top the weird scale today, Peter usually would of said "that's my name don't wear it out" like a dork, not 'yes it is I' like a knight in shining armor/crazy psycho murder.

  "Let us fight." That voice, it came from her, but it wasn't her, she didn't say or sounds like that and as she was freaking out they began to fight. Her arm swung and hit is face. Holy shit I hit my ex-boyfriend. Then she round house kicked him and did a bunch of things she never would've been able to do. He knocked her to the ground and walked over to her and bent down.

  "I'm coming for you Genny Baby, you just wait," In his usual caring voice of concern and an edge of fear. Then he said something that shocked and confused her more than the entire ordeal.

  Chapter 13: The Hunt for Aurora

  "Get up it's nearly five." Gen opened her eyes with alarm, like ice water to the face. She was in a nice lavender scented bed, the biggest bed I've ever seen with a spectacular view, Alister Grey's fine-looking face about a foot above hers as he apparently repeated.

  "Wake up, your sister is getting married tomorrow and we have to stop it, and its five A.M. what are you, going to sleep the day away?" What was with that dream, if it even was a dream, must have been a dream, just shake it off and try not to think about it. She got out of bed and tried to find her bag, frantically turning over the throw pillow on the arm chair in the corner, looking near her apparently new bookshelves and by her window looking out upon golden hills and the red budded forest of Eaton. She searched the floor until she ran into a large squishy mass. She looked up to find Alister standing in front of her with the most curious expression on his face of pure amusement. She looked down; thanking every God she could think of that she was fully clothed. I do not even want to begin to deal with that this morning.

  "Looking for this?" he asked holding up her black messenger bag with one finger. She stanched it away from him and hugged it. She pulled out a black skirt, red knee high socks, her black combat boots, her favorite mid-drift present shirt and a black with red lace corset. There we go, so red and black, very matching, a skirt because I'm in a formal setting and I'll put my bangs back with clips and leave the rest down, now just to find the bathroom.

  "Paige will dress you." he said trying to cut into her buzzing thoughts. She sighed. I don't really care. I wish you would have told me before I got the clothes out. She was really groggy, and when Gen was groggy she could do only two things. List and complain, which isn't that different from her regular self. Peter would know not to mess with me in the morning, he would know that I need to be persuaded to get up and that I need time to plan and list. Uh, stop thinking about Peter, your with an incredible guy right now, who cares if your best friends isn't here, he sold you out for Berkley anyways. You care, Gen, you do. Talk again inner voice, I dare you! I wish you would do it! You think my graphic nature ends at blow-torch, that's just the tip of the disturbing iceberg.

  "Come on little groggy princess," he said, totally mistaking her silence for lack of thought. He locking arms with her and slowly gliding her to the fitting room she was in yesterday, which for some reason made her feel a little on edge. Once they arrived she told Alister to wait outside and he stood outside the door. She could sense him, hear his foot tap and heart beat, she was for some reason unknown by her in tune with everything. She felt like Peter Parker when he didn't need glasses and he had a six pack and all his other spidyrific powers. She stood in front of the mirror, concentrated on the outfit she had picked out and was forced to leave on her bed. She closed her eyes and meditated for a moment, her thoughts and worries swishing in a vortex of darkness. When she finally opened them, nothing happened.

  "Shit," she muttered. She concentrated again and this time she twirled and said "clothes on." I don't know why I though saying some kind of spell might work but I thought "what the heck". She opened her eyes again and this time the midriff and corset was around her knees and her skirt hung around her breasts. She sighed in frustration.

  "I missed it by that much…" she said then giggled at her 'Get Smart' quote, I'm such a nerd. She took off both with new found patience and put them on the right way and then walked out as Paige was walking in to dress her. She looked at Gen with a mix of question and surprise.

  "Did you do that?" Alister asked before his sister could.

  "Yup," she boasted like a kid who had just learned how to tie their shoe for the first time.

  "It usually takes years to learn a new power." he beat her to talking yet again.

  "He's right" she finally got to say, with less enthusiasm. She looked at Alister and then to Gen, opened her mouth as if she was going say something to Gen and wiped her head to Alister.

  "Can I talk to you a sec? Alister and not Genevieve," she asked.

  "Sure sis," Alister answered apprehensively. She yanked him into the room and slammed the door. Gen put her ear
to the door and tried to hear as much as possible.

  "She is a princess and you are an Elf, it is not going work. All it is going to do is bring hurt and sorrow for you and lessen the bond between Henry and us. You know we have nowhere else to go and-"

  "You know we have had this conversation before but last time I seem to remember it being the other way around, Paige!" he yelled, the first time she had ever really heard Alister really yell.

  "Therius and I are different! He isn't a human!" Gen's mind went to the cold greeting in the forest and the "tired" Therius that had to "sleep off his long trip" all day. Paige and Therius were lovers, Ms. Crumm and my brother where lovers. Gross and yet strangely I totally see it.

  "But he is a prince! Little sister I know your worried that I'm going to fall in love but I can control my feelings! I'm not a child! Just because you had eighteen years to grow up doesn't mean you can start telling me what to do!"

  "I'm just worried that you wouldn't be able to keep it professional. She will marry a prince you will honor your oath and be a service to the crown!" I wonder how long they have "honored the crown" so many questions filled my mind that I was hard for me to sit there without bursting. A shadow darkened her lap. She looked up to see that Acruz stood right in front of her, his smile burning through her, his ice blue eyes sent a shiver down her spine.

  "Hello little princess," He hit is black staff against the side of her stomach (or attempted to.) She grabbed his staff with a sharp movement and used it to pull herself up. When she was up, she finally got a good look at him. He was wearing an all white suit with a shiny paisley white vest and matching tie. She thrusted the staff centimeters from his face and smiled.

  "Think you dropped this." she whispered with a way fake smile as passerby's walked down the long black granite hallway.

  "Why don't you go back to Earth where you belong, this is not a kingdom of darkness, yet." he whispered in her ear as he snatching the staff from her.

  "Dark does not always equate to evil and light does not always mean benevolence your majesty you should know that." she quoted from somewhere deep inside her, looking over his clothing choice. And right before it was about to get ugly the door opened behind her and a overwhelming comfort of not being alone swept over her as a soft hand graced her shoulder and a shiver went through her as Acruz's eyes flashed red when Alister's hand was placed possessively on her shoulder.

  "Is there a problem here Acruz, I would hate to hear that you weren't being completely gracious to our newest member of the royal family." He is completely white, Acruz I mean. His suit today, and his suit yesterday, where both paper white. His shoulder length almost white blonde hair which reminded her of Legolas from Lord of the Ring's was now hanging to his board shoulders parted down the middle. His complexion was fair, he was very handsome, he, like many people in Akadia did not look there age, he chin was angular and his smile, when he laughed was actually quite sweet. His blue eyes, however, burned through her with sharp intensity, whenever he looked at her.

  "Alister shouldn't you be bringing the king extra towels and not be concerned with affairs of the, upper-class." Acruz spat.

  "The affairs of the 'upper-class' as you call them is exactly my job description. Not to be the servant." Alister argued, tightening his grip on my shoulder.

  "You follow orders for anyone above you, that's everyone, including the servants. Elves are at the absolute bottom of the food chain, so to speak." She could feel his hand clinch with anger. She wanted desperately to say something but she couldn't think of anything to say. Not one thing. She was out of smart comments. Since when was that even possible much less plausible. All she wanted to be like "yeah what he said", but he hadn't said anything either. Fish sticks!

  "Well-" Alister started.

  "Since when did the party start without me? Good morning Alister," Andria intervened, cutting through the tension, God bless her.

  "Genevieve good morning to you as well," She hugged her and she whole-heartedly hugged back, that was one of their first sister hugs and she cherished every second of it.

  "What a weird group of people, eh, Alister, Genevieve and my future husband," She was totally oblivious. Acruz grabbed her side and hugged her, kissing her cheek violently and keeping his hand around her waist looked at Gen and gave her a good smirk. Alister stepped towards Acruz let his hand fall away from her shoulder to look at Alister. Andria obliviously to the feud, smiled at Acruz and hung on him, her foot high in the hair, she giggled and walked her fingers up his broad shoulders and playfully tapped his nose. His eyes softened and his face went from stiff anger to a relaxed laugh and smile back. Gen's face flushed red for reasoned could not begin to explain to herself much less anyone else and she looked away. I should not care what he does with his fiancé, it should not matter. She looked up and tapped her foot trying to look bored as she checked her nail bits. Yet it does bother you. Her inner voice commented like a smug child. Shut up, as if you know me, I'm Genevieve Grave! I'm princess of Akadia and Goth girl phenomenon of the world. I'm Goth, not a masochist. I'm not falling in love with the guy planning to kill me. She raised her head high and stared at Acruz, who was looking at her. Her heart beat with a loud thump and she immediately wanted to avert her eyes. I never said you were falling for him. You came up with that one all by yourself. Gen gulped. She was always a bad liar, even to herself, in fact, especially to herself.

  "I have to be going." he said and in a swift moment he stepped back and hugged Andria. She hugged Acruz back and spoke as if she were in a group of her best friends, Gen envied her lack of judging and since of calm. Her sister was sweet, calm and flawless, Gen's exact opposite.

  "We get to go horseback riding with some of our guests and the, um, rehearsal and all that, so, today will be fun, now that my sister will be the maid of honor." Gen whipped her head around to face her sister.

  "Bride-to-be-sister-say-what?" The words seemed to spew from Gen's mouth at such fast rate of speed before she could stop it.

  "Yeah silly, you have to be in my wedding." Paige opened the door and stopped short, shocked to see so many people on the other side.

  "Andria I need you for a minute." she ordered absent mindedly looking at the crowd outside her door. Gen turned to Alister and couldn't help but notice that Acruz was gone, the fine red smoke almost fully gone. After Andria left, Gen heaved a heavy sighed. Alister turned to her, looking decided, not a nervous, shaken mess like Gen did.

  "Will you come with me? There is something I would like to show you," he asked holding out his hand ruffled by frilled cuffs.

  "Sure?" she accepted apprehensively. He held her cold shaking hand in his as they strolled out into the dark mist of dawn. They walked out into the most beautiful garden she had ever seen, flowers of every color in boxes for miles, pathways going in every direction. She felt something wet and looked down. She had no shoes on. I knew I had forgotten something, ah jeez.

  "So, what did you want to show me?" he pulled the black handkerchief from the pocket of his black suit, this time his bottoms were purple circles. His tie was black with purple stripes and the handkerchief he now wrapped around her eyes was black with purple polka dots.

  "It's a surprise," She now clung to him, trying not to fall, she never had good balance. A few moments later he stopped. Her heart began to hurt, she had no idea where they were but she couldn't breathe and she wanted to cry. Must be Chucky Cheese, rat bastard's seeking revenge after all these years.

  "Say hello, to your mother," He took off the blind fold and she stepped back in awe.

  "It's..." she stared at the huge statue of an angel, with an inscription in huge letters.

  "Alison Alexandria Baker" Her voice was shaky and she was near tears, but she continued on never the less.

  A mother, a daughter, a friend

  and the most beautiful human to ever grace Akadia with her presence

  Rest in Peace, undefined queen of Akadia

  A tear fell on the edge of the huge granit
e stone as Gen fell to her knee's, feeling the rush of cold due water and surprised to see her name at the bottom of her memorial, covered by ivy she only saw The and Grave peeking out from the brush.

  "The mother of Genevieve Grave and Alexandria Grave"

  She got up and hugged Alister. "It's beautiful, thank you so much for bringing me here,"

  "You're welcome, Andria use to come here almost every day, now she hardly comes."

  "It so big, this is as big as Jefferson's memorial," she commented.

  "I made sure of that, wait who?" She laughed through the tears. "Never mind,"

  "I have something to give you," she said getting up and picking a black rose from its bush. She kissed it and handed it to him.

  "I will keep it always," he said and put it in his button hole.

  "Let's go to breakfast." Alister said.

  "Alright, why are elves so far down on the 'food chain' as Acruz said?" Oh good effing job Gen, you've gone a whole twenty seconds without mentioning Acruz. And in front of the grave of the woman he killed no less. God, you just cannot get off the subject can you? You really can't contain yourself. Talk about something else, anything else, Therius, Andria, even Henry! Just not the murder. Ixnay on the urdermay. Pig Latin, the best made up language ever.