by J P Anderson
"Honey, she's in a coma, she isn't going to be 'disturbed' by me not tiptoeing." Joshua whispered as softly as he could.
"Whatever, just put the flowers in the regular place and let's go, I hate seeing her like this, it's like watching yourself on your death bed, it's creepy." She shivered, moving a strand of hair out of her sister's face and smiled softly. "She's so white, so fragile." Andria whispered.
"Who're you callin' fragile?" Gen mumbled, clumsily whipping the dirty from her eyes and cracking her back.
"Genevieve?" Andria squeaked. "Oh my Fate, she's waking up! Genevieve, sis, it's Andria. Can you hear me?" Andria shrieked in Gen's ear.
"If I heard you two failing at whispering on the other side of the room what makes you think I can't hear you bellowing in my ear? And why are you talking like that?" Genevieve grumbled picking up on the subtle change from Akadian proper English and twentieth century lingo.
"I, uh, have been spending some time with Peter lately and-"
"Say no more, I understand. It's like everything he says, you find yourself saying even thought you would never say things, it's like a disease." Genevieve interrupted. "Where is Alister?" she sputtered, straining to get-up but Joshua held her shoulder and forced her down again.
"He isn't here. He left not but twenty minutes ago to freshen up, for the first time in days, mind you. He never leaves, just sits in that chair and waits for you to wake." Joshua answered in a cool tone. She noticed that the room she was in was her own, the bed was her own. She was even laying on her Twilight pillowcase with Edward's face blown up on one side and Jacob's on the other. She guessed that Peter had been here too because everything she owned and held dear was put in its place around the room along with orange roses on every open surface.
"The flowers are from Alister as well." Andria added with an unnecessary eyebrow raise. Gen just cracked a grin and but realized that her smile wasn't the only thing to crack, her dry lip had spilt and it was not bleeding down her chin.
"I'm glad we could have this little chat, Joshua, could you get me some water, I'm parched." Gen understated.
"Oh, I suppose you wouldn't know. I'm no longer a servant. I've been knighted by the king." Joshua told her with pride.
"Do they hand those out here?" Gen asked, yawning. "That's, um, great, how'd it happen."
"Well, after he heard that I was the one that killed Acruz after he tried to kill you, and Andria. The king saw it fit to knight me, it's that terrific?" Joshua asked. Genevieve however, had stopped listening after he said "killed Acruz" that part, kept repeating in her mind over and over and over and…
"Gen? Hello? Are you sure your fine?" Andria asked.
"Huh, oh yeah, yes I mean. Terrific Josh, now it's not illegal that you guys, like, go out or whatever you call it here. How's that water working out Josh?" Gen asked, so thirsty she could barely concentrate on coming up with even a reasonably make-up answer to a question she didn't hear. He handed her a glass and she chugged the entire thing within seconds. "Thanks" Gen choked. Her eyes began to get heavy again and she couldn't help but lie back down upon Jacob's head and close her eyes, just for a little while.
When Gen awoke the second time there was no shining light coming from her window. It was twilight but she couldn't decide whether it was very early in the morning or right after Aldura sets and before Telahane comes into view. She assessed her injuries. Head is bandaged, probably from when I fell down after I passed out. Stomach is definitely wrapped up, and I can feel stitches from where Acruz's blade pierced through my back and out through my stomach, gross. My right arm is also wrapped up, probably from where Acruz crushed it when he…She shook and tried to think about something else but his hand slipping from her arm, the life going from his blue eyes as he fell to ground, lifeless and covered in blood.
She moved her hand as it prickled. She would have loved to say it was because it fell asleep but she knew it was in remembrance of the last think that had touched it. Someone stirred, they where face down at her side. She guessed he had been sleeping on her hand, so when she ripped it away he had noticed. She looked around her room. Alister's orange roses are considerable more decrepit, since last she saw them, most of the buds lying limp over the sides there peddles covering the ground instead of their stem. There was a balloon from Earth that said "Get Well" from Peter more than likely with a bundle of fake black roses beside it on a coffee table.
She turned to her side table for a glass of water and froze. It was the ring she gave Acruz, his ring, the diamond ring that she handed to him as he went out to the altar. It was tied with a white ribbon to a red and whitevariegate tulip and a folded note. She threw herself at the note and opened it with great pain to her abdomen in the process.
Genevieve,
This never really belonged to me. I'm writing this from my favorite place at the ocean and I have just had a most interesting conversation with you about who I really am. I know, by now, you have heard of the reasons behind my actions. Forgive me and know that I have always loved you. I wish I could have known you better, but I feel this is not the end for you and I. Wear my ring so that I will always be with you.
With undying love,
Acruz Angelo Deveartae
She sat there, in bed, staring at that note. She blinked and tears rolled down her cheeks. She took off the ring and put it on her left ring finger slowly. The man stirred again at her side and she stroked his hair to calm him. Alister sat up as soon as she touched his head.
"Aynal" he whispered, Genevieve guessed it was another language, perhaps even Elvin. He looked awful with his five o'clock shadow and un-ironed orange suit. His usually curly brown hair was oily and sticking in every direction but where it usually did. There were huge bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in days. His eyes, usually like beacons of light where dark and foggy. As she leaned into him just a little she was shot with such unbearable pain to her spine she had to gasp and bit her lip to keep in a scream. A thought suddenly occurred to her. Why hadn't she self healed? Usually when she got a cut or bruise she simply willed herself to heal and she was completely fine. But upon her arrival into Akadia every time she had gotten hurt her body didn't automatically fix itself.
"Why didn't I self-heal?" Gen asked as soon as she regained her strength to speak. Alister pierced his lips, thinking over his answer before he said anything.
"Self healing is only a preservation mechanism set in place by another witch to keep you safe. It usually has an expiration date and it is very hard to put in place. Are you absolutely sure you could completely self heal?" Alister asked skeptically.
"Yes, I'm sure! Why do you ask?" Gen asked.
"Because, the only witch that would be able to do that kind of that spell and knew about you and your sister is Acruz or Paige." Alister told her. Paige walked through the door and blew on her nails before she opened her mouth, looking up at Genevieve and stepping back.
"Gen, I thought you were asleep, I'll come back later." she sputtered turning around to leave.
"Nonsense, come here Paige!" Gen yelled playfully. She hesitated for a moment, sputtering at the door but something changed her mind because she abruptly came and sat at Gen's feet.
"So, what the hell happened that day? It's all an awful blur." Gen asked, visibly flinching as she saw the arrow go through Acruz's temple again and again like an awful kind of instant replay, slowing down to such a degree that she could see the glint in his eyes when he looked in her eyes and the horror reflected in his eyes as the light went out of them and he slowly let go of her arm. Paige and Alister looked at each other for a long time before Alister answered.
"Perhaps I should start from the beginning." Alister took a deep breath as if preparing for a dive. Genevieve leaned in, flinching as she shifted position four times to get off all her broken or bruised bones.
"It started off when Henry told me that Andria was going to marry Acruz. I started planning. I constructed a pretty sound proof plan. I even sent Therius a letter expl
aining his duties in my plan. It was all going good until the time came around and I figured out that you and Paige were coming before the wedding throwing off my entire plan." Alister began. She knew that much or rather she had figured out that much from hear-say during the course of her arrival. She wanted to know what he was exactly planning and why she would stop that plan.
"Why would I throw off the plan?" Gen asked.
"Because, my dear," He gulped as if whatever he was about to say was going to hurt. She braced herself. "Well because I knew the first time I laid eyes on you that you where the one Acruz had been searching for." he said coolly. She thought of what Acruz had said, about how Alister knew Genevieve belonged to him and he showed interest in her anyways. She looked at the look of shame on Alister's face after he admitted for perhaps the first time allowed that he tried, even if it was also out of real affection for her at some point, to hurt Acruz by getting Genevieve to fall for Alister. She felt used, and he hadn't even really got to the root of this entire twisted plan. She nodded quickly, just wanting him to continue. He seemed to understand that right now wasn't the time to explain that specific part of the story.
"Who was in the plan of yours?" Gen asked.
"Paige didn't want to be a part of it, but she did agree to…" Alister stopped.
"Did agree to what?" Gen persisted.
"She agreed to keep you from the plan, coast you away from danger and Acruz until he could be, disposed of." Alister said.
"So why were you so threatened by Acruz getting close to me?" Gen asked, her voice a little sharper than she would have liked.
"Because, unlike you, I know how the story ends. I won't sit around and watch someone I care about die for someone who murdered her own mother." Alister said in a cold, authoritative voice.
"He didn't "murder" anyone! You have no proof!" Gen screamed and then immediately held her stomach. Her hand shook when she raised her hand to look at it and it was stained with blood. She gasped and quickly covered her stomach with her blanket.
"And what of the wedding plan?" she asked, her attention wavering as she remembered yet another fall, the one she took off her horse, it was all coming back to her, pounding headache and all. She shook her head, trying to clear it. He had used her, undermined her, and caused her injury and killed Acruz. Her mouth opened, furious, she clenched her fist, reopening the cuts she had received from her earlier fall that had just about healed. Her heart swelled with hate.
She screamed. This was no tantrum scream, this was a gut wrenching, hell raising all the hate and hurt that filled Genevieve's Grave's heart at that very moment came out of her like a demon. Paige and Alister both covered their ears, all Alister's vases shattered as well as the opened windows. Alister had the audacity to reach for her mouth but she punched him, hard, in the chest with her left hand, the hand she had put Acruz ring on. Power blazed visibility through her hand and strengthened the punch. Alister grabbed it millimeters from his chest, his super fast reflexes probably made that punch go in slow motion, she thought angrily.
Tears flowed freely down her face, making her look ugly. Her face was splotchy at best. Her eyes were a murky green, filled with tears and rage. Her hair was matted and oily, sticking up from where it lay on her pillow. Her lips were cracked and pallid making her look dried out and sticky all at the same time.
"Genevieve, stop!" Alister commanded. She did. She stopped everything, breathing, living, caring, crying, blinking, she just stopped.
"I was going to be happy." she whispered, Acruz's face appeared in her mind, he turned his head to look at her and as soon as their eyes met he blinked, taken aback by something, she reached for him but the arrow had already gone through his head, the trickle of blood going into his eye, covering the blue with a dark red as he fell back into darkness. She blinked back into reality with the abrupt snap of Alister's finger. She wiped away her tears that were half way down her face. Paige looked unmoved by Gen's performance. She sat in a chair on the far side of the room with a bored look on her face. Gen breathed, trying to regain her slipping sanity.
"Gen, no one blames you for reacting the way you did, we'll leave you to your grieving." He told her in a cold defeated pitch. They stood in unison. She grabbed desperately for Alister's sleeve.
"Alister, I haven't asked you for much. Please, I am begging you, continue." she whimpered, trying her very hardest not to cry. He flinched, but sat back down.
"Well, Andria was to go through with the ceremony and when it was done with, and there was a lull where she was away from Acruz she was going to run to the door where Joshua would be waiting to take her to Earth and Paige would get her situated and you would never have to come here. But since the wedding came earlier than I would have liked, you came so we had to prepare another plan set up. Thank goodness Peter showed up, I don't know who we would have gotten to get Andria situated." Alister continued. She looked up from her thumb twiddling.
"Wait, you were going to send my Peter away and my sister without letting me say goodbye?" she practically screamed.
"Well I didn't." Alister argued.
"Yes, only because your plan didn't work!" Gen yelled, wincing at another wave of pain to her stomach.
"Anyways, so instead of following my detailed plan, Andria decided to skip out of the ceremony and torch anyone who tried to stop her. Honorable until she stopped in the middle of the forest decided to fight Acruz right there." Alister carried on.
"And that would be when Acruz killed you, you miraculously returned and Joshua killed Acruz. How did you survive that?" Paige asked from the window. She was looking out at the ocean. Gen tried to find the old Ms. Crumm inside the young voluptuous girl in front of her but she could find a speck. The woman who raised her was dead, and replaced with a tall, tan, unbelievably gorgeous elf that looked like she could still be in High School. Her absurdly short skirt was a golden metallic fabric. Her bra-like excuse for a shirt was covered with a matching sash that connected in the back of her skirt, came up the opposite shoulder and came around to connect to her top.
"Alison brought me back, which Acruz knew would happen and planned for." Genevieve insisted but Paige wasn't impressed.
"Uh huh, sure he did." Paige nodded sarcastically wandering around her room, absently opening books and letting them close as if something disgusted her about them. Gen glared at Paige and turned towards Alister.
"Paige maybe it's time you tended to Therius." Alister instructed. She looked at her brother and then back to Gen and then clicked out of the room, her hips swinging, her hair lightly rustling.
"You know I did all those things to save you, to protect you from danger." He told Gen earnestly.
"Yeah, because you think I can't handle it. You think I'm like Andria, always needing protecting. Well I'm not, I'm not like her and I can handle the things that go bump in the night and the scary-"
"Yes, you can most certainly handle it, which is why in the course of a day you had fallen in love with the enemy." Alister argued, cutting her off.
"And who says that?" Gen asked.
"It's fate." Alister whispered, staring down for a few seconds, as if a fact had just occurred to him, but as soon as she noticed his look of confusion it was gone.
"For your information, I most certainly do not love Acruz. I had been contemplating the idea of you and I until I learned you only spent time with me to lead me away from your plans to kill my sister fiancé." Gen told him, although she wasn't entirely sure any of it was true. She knew as well as Alister did that she was in love with Acruz. People do not have mental break downs when their enemies die. She had liked Alister's personality, but after all of this she couldn't exactly entertain that idea anymore nor did she particularly want to.
"I spent time with you to get to know you not to coast you away. Elves are notoriously precocious and precautions. We must live with some sort of order or we are extremely unhappy." He told her, as if the norm of his species had anything to do with his actions. Just because some hum
ans are sociopaths doesn't mean I'm excused for being crazy, she thought.
"Well I'm the very definition of disorderly, I'm rebellious, wild, spur of the moment and totally antisocial so I can't you and I would be a very good match then, I mean-" Gen rambled, he put his finger to her lips to silence them.
"Perhaps that is why I find you so fascinating. And besides, I can most certainly be spur of the moment." he whispered leaning into her and kissing her. Genevieve, having not planned for such an event to occur was mentally freaking out at this point. Holy crap Alister Grey is kissing me. He's surprisingly good, I mean, it makes since because he is like a thousand years old but for some reason my mind just can't fathom that idea. She pushed him back far before she heard a loud "I'm making my presence known as loud as I physically can" cough. Carefully, she pretended that it was the presence that had repulsed her. She leaned away from Alister, out of their kiss awkwardly and turned (as much as one can do with a huge hole in one's stomach) to face the visitors. Therius held a teddy bear that said "Get better" and Peter held a Mountain Dew and Sour Punch Straws. Genevieve jumped out of bed and grabbed the blueberry goodness of Sour Punch Straws and ripped open the package and gobbled down a straw and took a swig of Mountain Dew before she spoke.
