Poison

by J P Anderson

  "Who?" she yelled, now it was her who had the fire in her eye and Acruz that was faltering, stepping backwards.

  "Alister." he answered solemnly, ready to back up his case.

  "I can figure the rest out. Goodnight." she walked past him, quaintly hitting his shoulder on the way to the bridge.

  "Gen it's not what you think." his words faded away when she turned to face him, her green eyes welding with hot, angry tears.

  ""Love" as you call our relationship, out of revenge for your friend "getting" me first, is not "love" at all. I mean, is that what you think of me that I'm some prize to be won?" she yelled.

  "No, you misunderstand, you were always mine, alright, well that sounds bad too. Alister knew you belonged to me, and he…he took you!" he yelled, stepping closer to her, but her face was mangled with hate, red and wet from drying tears.

  "Goodnight Mr. Deveartae, best wishes on your wedding tomorrow." she thought for sure he'd yell after her but instead he just stood there, cold faced, letting her leave.

  "Wedding, right," he mumbled as soon as she was gone. "The happiest day of my life, also known as my funeral, super." he yawned and grabbed the champagne bottle as he walked back to the castle.

  "It's too back I can't get drunk, I so would like to be drunk." he mumbled. He looked at her washed on his pinky finger.

  "Always a brides maid, never a bride." he said with a smile. "Pity"

  Chapter 17: Morning from Hell

  Alister's eyes slowly opened from the blinding light coming from his west facing window, as Aldura rose from the tips of the trees of Eaton.

  "Dear Goodness, its five A. freakin M., what moron put a window facing west, I tell you some people are just plain stupid." he muttered throwing the sheet over his head and burrowing his face in his orange pillow. He sat there, stubbornly refusing to get up. An hour went by and he finally got up and looked out his window.

  "Uh, I'm up now." he said, staring at Acruz, of all people, pacing left and right talking to himself.

  "Too good." he teleported behind a large boulder until the opportune moment presented itself.

  …Thirty minutes prior…

  Acruzwoke from the deep of the night to the overwhelming screeching caw of ravens, a lot of them. With only a few hours of sleep, he tried to return to his love filled slumber but he could not. He got out of bed, his feet cold against the old wood. He went to his window which out looked the koi pond and was alarmed to see about a hundred ravens on the weeping willow outside his window.

  "Oh dear Elisabeth" he whispered, holding his heart and stepping back, away from the window. He knew better than anyone the signs of just about everything. Raven's where suppose to warn people of their death. He needed a wake-up call. He tried to think about anything else. He was getting married; this is not how he thought his life would have turned out. Who he would be marring and who hated him, and what he feared this horrid day would bring.

  Splash!

  He dove head first, completely clothed from last night, into the ocean.

  "You're crazy," he surfaced and pushed his hair back looking for the man who had dared called him crazy.

  "What did you say?" he asked eyeing the beach but seeing no one.

  "I said, are you crazy Mr. Acruz Deveartae?" the man said in a horrible mocking English accent.

  "Alister?"

  "Damn, pay no attention to the man behind the large rock." he shouted.

  "Alister Grey, get your ass out here!" Acruz screamed, pointing to the ground next to him.

  "Mr. Deveartae, you used profanity blow me down. You must really be in a pickle." Alister said now appearing laying on top of the rock, his hands forming a triangle cupping his face, "Let it be known, Acruz Deveartae used profanity!" He yelled, using his hands as a microphone.

  "The moment and this day in general calls for a, what do you say, lack of propriety." he said squeezing his hair of the remaining water.

  "I see, well I agree fully, although one of us can do nothing to stop it and the other can..." Alister said teleporting right in front of Acruz.

  "It's funny how you think I still have control over this anymore, I'm as much a witness to what is to come as you." Acruz told him.

  "Really, well I'll be right there, making sure that's the truth."

  "So will I, I suppose. If I must,"

  "Ah, what I tangled web we weave," Alister mocked a swoon, putting the back of his hand on his forehead and dramatically walked around Acruz, swooning and crying out.

  "I truly agree old friend," Acruz tried to keep his words steady but he was hardly holding in a giggle.

  "Dear Winter, we've wasted thirty minutes, its 6:30." Alister said, pointing at the town clock, far away in the distance. Acruz jolted forward, eyes closed, mouth open. His eyes started to flicker, and then they just opened, a blank sort of look came across his face until Alister slapped him across the face.

  "Acruz, snap out of it, you're having a vision." Alister said, taking too much joy in slapping him, as he wound up for another Acruz held up his hand.

  "I have business to attend to. You'll have to excuse me." he muttered, heading towards the forest of Eaton.

  ...5:30 A.M., the castle...

  Joshua was happily asleep in the servant quarters, under a filthy rag when a man screamed.

  "Get up Boy!" he hollered, throwing water on him making him sit erect.

  "It's 5:30! The princess is getting married; she'll be needin' ya to fetch some water," he simply fell back in bed, if you can call a wrapped up jacket a pillow and hay a mattress. He didn't need or want reminding of the day or time.

  "Did you hear me Boy? Wipe the dust from your eyes and get to work!"

  "I hear you! I hear you! Can I not just sit for a moment? You did nearly drowned me to death you stupid pig." the man kicked his side hard, making him coughed and bit his lip to control his cry.

  "Get up now or you'll get another nineteen."

  "What say you?" asked the man, winding back for another,

  "Alright, I'm going, I'm going" Joshua yelled getting up from his bed of hay and walking the mile and a half to the icy spring where Andria likes her water. He breathed in the cold air like an old friend and closed his eyes, never had there been such an ugly 6:30 as this, he thought. He got his bucket and scooped up some water, he looked up from the ripples to see Acruz.

  "Hello Joshua." he punched him in the face.

  "That's for last night!" Acruz spat shaking his hand when he didn't think Joshua was looking.

  "I don't want to fight you, but I will." Joshua threatened, wiggling his nose around until it made a gross clicking sound, signaling it had fallen back into place.

  "Oh don't you do me any favors." Acruz said mockingly.

  "Haven't you caused enough trouble?" Joshua asked.

  "Not even close, the day has hardly begun." Acruz stated.

  "Excuse me; I have to give this to Andria," Joshua pushed past him with the bucket.

  "No, you really don't." Acruz said stepping in front of him, "Don't you think you should steer clear or her today? You might make her more upset then she needs to be."

  "I'll be the judge of that Acruz, now move or be moved." Joshua ordered, a snarl erupting from his lips as he looked Acruz in the eyes.

  "Goodness, don't you know your place by now boy?" Acruz said.

  "It's right here staring you down Sir, bout' ta' beat ya again," Acruz picked him up with his mind and threw his to his right.

  "Never learns," he said shaking his head and walked away. "Magic will always beat brute force child, learn it, live it." Acruz yelled to him.

  "Good luck with the whole 'trying to kill me' thing," Acruz paused, "You'll need it," Acruz added dryly.

  ...7:00 A.M...

  Andria's eyes slowly opened to see Joshua pouring water into a bowl at her night stand.

  "Joshua?" Andria questioned wiping the dirt from her eyes as she reached for him.

  "Shh...I didn't mean to wake you, I'll pour the water an
d let you rest." He whispered, caressing her face. "Whatever for?" she yawned.

  "Because, Acruz-"

  "Don't you use his name around me today." she whispered.

  "He said I should leave you alone." he told her, "And I think he has a point, I don't want you to be in any more pain than you already are."

  "Since when do you listen to him?" she asked with a smile.

  "Honey, drop the act, you don't have to pretend around me." her smile dropped, and was replaced by her real feelings, cold distance of inner thought.

  "I love you." he said, sitting on the bed next to her.

  "I love you too but I can take care of myself." she said, getting up and out on the other side.

  "I know you can, I just want to do whatever I can to protect you." he said, getting up.

  "I told you, you were to come with me when I leave." She looked into his eyes.

  "You really think Acr...he will allow me to come, face it dearest, this is the end of you and me if you marry today." he said.

  "Please don't say that," she whispered, her eyes closing as she tried to calm her breathing.

  "It's the truth; he'll probably just order me dead as well when your back is turned,"

  "Stop it!" she cried. She threw herself on her bed, hiding under the covers and sobbed quietly.

  "Don't cry, you know I can't stand it when you cry."

  "Go away!" she sobbed.

  "I'll do nothing of the sort, now come out now!" he yelled with a level of authority he not dare ever used in her presence. She let the covers fall away. He wiggled his pointer finger from where he sat at the end of her bed. She crawled on her knees to him and he held her close and began to speak softly into her ear.

  "I will never let anything happen to you, I will do everything in my power to make sure that when the clock strikes three P.M. you are not Mrs. Acruz Deveartae." she closed her eyes letting the tears fall, knowing that it was a fool's promise.

  "I must go. I have been assigned to tend to Mr. Gallagher." Joshua told her, letting her go and walking out of the room, as she stood on her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks, alone, as she usually was, trying to feel his warmth as if slowly left her body.

  "So cold" she shivered, crawling back under the covers.

  Paige opened her eyes and looked from side to side, this was not her bed, she noted. Memories shot back within seconds of last night. She sat up holding the covers to her bare chest.

  "Therius?" she asked.

  "Uh," he grunted.

  "Wake up!" she yelled as he sat up, blinking.

  "Hey, what, hello. I'm up, good morning." he kissed her and she put her hand on his chest and sharply opened her eyes.

  "Oh my Selene!" she said tracing the long scar that went from his shoulder to his belly button. "What happened there?" she asked.

  "War with Corinth, don't tell Andria, I told her only my horse was injured,"

  "Why?" she asked.

  "She looked so worried; I couldn't tell her I almost died. She would have thrown a freakin' fit."

  "You almost died!" she squealed hugging him as hard as she could.

  "Somewhat like that, easy on the ribs." he flinched.

  "What time is it?" she asked.

  "8:06." he blinked, his only real power as a witch was the ability to instantly know the time, how dreadfully useless and useful all at the same time.

  "Breakfast starts in an hour." It was more of a statement than a question.

  "Yup," he answered, yawning. He closed his eyes as he laid back on his pillow.

  "Okay, wake me up in an hour," she said, laying on his chest and lightly placing her hand on his heart, the shine from her engagement ring sparkling against the wind catcher in his room as then both fell into a sound sleep.

  Peter grunted, rolling over to the cold part of the bed. "Uh," he groaned.

  "Wake up Mr. Gallagher, its Miss. Andria's wedding day," Joshua coughed, and nudged him. Peter grunted again and laid on his forearms.

  "Remind me who that is again?" he asked. His eyes squinting as a maid opened the curtains.

  "It's Miss. Genevieve's sister." Joshua answered cautiously.

  "Okay, coolieo, another open bar. What time does it start?" Peter said cracking his back and getting out of bed.

  "Breakfast is at nine. It's eight now." Joshua offered.

  "Uh," he fell back into bed.

  "Oh my goodness! Get up you lazy pig!" Joshua yelled with new found confidence.

  "Wake me up in an hour!" Peter grumbled.

  "Get up, or I'm going throw this freezing cold water on you!" Joshua yelled pulling the covers off Peter.

  "What is your name?" Peter asked in astonishment.

  "Joshua, Sir," Joshua stuttered falling back into his position.

  "You can call me Pete, Josh, not sir, didn't' I see you last night. Josh Joey something with an E." Peter instructed, adding hand movements.

  "Josh, I like it, yes sir. Evingston, sir." he said with a smile and a nod.

  "Hey, yeah, I know you; you were that guy makin' out with Gen's twin!" Josh put his hand to Peter's face.

  "Shh with that Pete!"

  "Wait, Why? Isn't she marring you?"

  "No, she's marring Mr. Deveartae."

  "Who?"

  "I believe he's the man that caught you trespassing."

  "Oh," Peter nodded, "yeah I hate that guy," Peter assured with a nod.

  "We have that in common," Joshua muttered.

  "You're an okay guy, Josh. I believe we could be good pals."

  "Are you always this friendly?" Joshua asked.

  "I've done some thinking. I really have, I'm starting anew here I've decided just now."

  "Good luck with that; I doubt they'll even let you live, knowing what you do."

  "Well aren't we a ray of sunshine, touché, but I got connections, I know the princess."

  "So do I, but that doesn't make me any less of a servant."

  "There, there, I'm sure your time will come." Peter murmured, as he always did, to calm someone down.

  Genevieve moaned when Alister tried to roll her out of bed.

  "Wake up, breakfast is in thirty minutes," A man whispered into her ear.

  "Uh, go away, I hate the morning time!"

  "Not this one, because I'm here," She opened her eyes.

  "Alister," she said touching his face but like water through a strainer her hand slipped away.

  "I can't believe this that is finally here, Andria, my little girl, is finally getting married, and to that man." he said, pacing about the room.

  "It's not like everything is changing." she tried her best to be a mix of realist and condolent, she knew she was awful at making people feel better, but she felt the need to try.

  "I'm not so sure it isn't," he whispered "I'm so tired of this fighting, of being second class, it's getting really old." he said raking his fingers through his curly hair.

  "Then don't let yourself be second class, don't fight." she told him, getting out of bed and going to her armoire. I'm so sick of blubbering men, just fix your problems and move on.

  "I wish it was that simple." he commented. She groaned,

  "And where is it written that everything have to be sooo difficult?" she asked.

  "Because that's the way life is." she turned her silver banded watch that only two days ago said 6:03 after her last dream of Acruz.

  "Holy crap, its Breakfast time, we need to go!"

  "This should be interesting," Alister muttered. She looked in the mirror and pictured a full Gothed out outfit, renaissance dress. Black in color and vibrant in paisley print, not too overwhelming to the eye but just enough of a mixture of pure black, silver and it, to make the dress look as if it where hand down for months. Her hair was up in a high bun, with curled tendrils hanging on either side of her thick, slightly curled under bangs. A black lace veil that went just over her lined eyes that attached to a small pillbox hat.

  "Wow" Alister said. Genevieve opened her black fan, and fan
ned herself dramatically.

  "Must look the part" she smiled a devilish grin and walked out, Alister drooling behind her.

  "I'm getting married today, can you believe it?" Andria squealed to no one in particular, as soon as Alister and Gen walked up to her outside the Dining Hall.