Fault Lines

by D. J. McCune

  Adam felt a weight lift from his shoulders. ‘Does that mean I’m safe?’ He grinned. ‘He can’t get me. He can’t get me!’

  ‘He can’t get you yet,’ Spike muttered.

  ‘Yeah, that’s true.’ Archie put his pencil down. ‘Maybe he’s going to wait till you’re in Japan and get you then. That way he can do it when Melissa’s watching too.’

  Adam stayed quiet. He’d barely seen Melissa all week because she had been working on a special project for art. He hadn’t told his friends that she wouldn’t be going to Japan. He was still hoping for that miracle she didn’t believe in.

  It was a warm, sunny afternoon when Adam left school. As he walked from the bus stop to the house he loosened his tie and slung his blazer over one shoulder. Opening the back door he was greeted by a hubbub of familiar voices. To his surprise Uncle Paddy was sitting at the kitchen table, with Ciaron on one side – and Caitlyn on the other.

  ‘There he is! The man in uniform! Give us a twirl, Adam.’ Uncle Paddy was grinning at him.

  Adam grimaced and did a mock curtsy. He was cringing inside. Was it because of the teasing? Or was it because Caitlyn’s bright eyes were fixed boldly on his?

  ‘Stop teasing him, you old rogue,’ Auntie Jo scolded. ‘Or I’ll give you some of my bionic wheatgrass and kale smoothie.’ She shook her glass threateningly at him.

  Uncle Paddy shuddered. ‘I’ll give that a miss, Jo, if it’s all the same with you. You look grand, Adam. If you’re going to wear a uniform, at least wear it well.’

  Nathanial was sitting at the table with his shirtsleeves rolled up. This was most definitely his off-duty look. ‘Our visitors are staying for dinner, Adam. We’ll be eating early tonight, if that’s OK?’

  Adam nodded and threw his schoolbag under the table. ‘Anyone want some juice?’

  ‘Caitlyn, get some juice for him, love,’ Uncle Paddy said.

  Adam stopped and stared. The worst thing was that no one else even batted an eyelid. Why would they? A girl was a girl, even when she was a visitor in someone else’s house. What else would she do, other than fetch food and drink for the men? He felt blood running into his cheeks, bathing them with heat. ‘No, it’s fine. I can get it myself.’

  It was hard to even look at Caitlyn but when he finally dared her own cheeks had two high spots of colour. Her hands were hidden under the table but Adam had a feeling that they were clenched into fists. She cleared her throat. ‘Can I go and see the dogs?’ She met Adam’s eye, with something as close to appeal as she would ever show.

  ‘Yeah, they’re outside,’ Adam said quietly. He slipped over to the fridge and grabbed two cold cans of lemonade. Caitlyn was already at the back door.

  ‘Don’t go too far,’ Elise said. She looked at Adam and nodded meaningfully at Caitlyn. His cheeks flamed hotter again but he managed to nod and get outside before anyone else could humiliate him.

  Caitlyn followed him out with a look of sardonic pleasure on her face. ‘Now Adam, don’t be taking me too far away. I’ve my honour to be thinking of. You might find me so irresistible you’ll ruin my prospects forever.’

  ‘She didn’t mean it like that,’ Adam protested – then tailed off. They both knew that was exactly what Elise had meant. He handed her a drink by way of apology and she took it with a sidelong smirk.

  Sam and Morty were in their pen, lying in the shaded end, panting beneath their shaggy coats. At the sight of Caitlyn they went mad with excitement until she rebuked them sharply in Gaelic. She ruined the effect by patting their heads and kissing their noses lovingly.

  They let the wolfhounds loose and followed them towards the paddock in companionable silence. Adam took a swig from his can and pressed it against his cheek, grateful for the coolness. He glanced at Caitlyn as she walked. She was wearing long boots, tights and a printed skirt that skimmed her knees. Obviously it was colder in Ireland than it was here. She was already shrugging off her thin jumper, revealing a black vest top underneath. As soon as they stepped off the gravel onto the grass she stopped and kicked off her boots. ‘Turn your back,’ she commanded and when she allowed him to look again she had rolled off her tights and was standing barefoot and bare legged in the long grass.

  ‘You get proper summer here,’ she said. ‘Pity you’ve no beach.’

  Adam smiled. ‘I can’t imagine my father running round in shorts.’

  ‘Never mind shorts. If we got weather like this I’d be wearing a bikini every day.’

  Adam had to put a lot of effort into not thinking about Caitlyn in her bikini. ‘Why are you here?’ It sounded more abrupt than he had meant it to.

  Caitlyn shrugged. ‘Da said we’ll be coming over a bit more. Probably so Ciaron can hang out with your sister. They were allowed into the parlour on their own today! Your mum was in and out about two hundred times though.’

  ‘Yeah, but why are you here?’ All his words were coming out wrong. There was something about Caitlyn; some edge that made him half pleased to see her and half nervous, like he might fall flat on his face at any minute.

  Caitlyn raised an eyebrow. ‘Well, I thought I’d be welcome.’

  ‘You are. Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s good seeing you.’

  She seemed mollified. ‘Da says I’m spending too much time with the dogs at home. I have to start seeing more people.’

  Adam looked at her curiously. ‘You sound as if you like the dogs more than you like people.’

  ‘I like them more than I like some people.’ She smiled. ‘You’re all right though.’

  Now it was Adam raising an eyebrow. ‘Thanks. It’s good to know I’m better company than a wolfhound.’

  ‘I didn’t say you were better company,’ she retorted and laughed at his expression.

  Sam and Morty bounded over, triumphantly bearing their favourite flat footballs. Adam threw one ball, Caitlyn threw another. Within a couple of minutes any awkwardness had gone. He was too busy laughing. Caitlyn grabbed the nearest ball and took off barefoot across the grass, holding the ball above her head to keep the dogs at bay, shrieking with laughter as they pursued her. Adam grinned and chased after her.

  She reached the hedge just before him and turned so he almost ran straight into her. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were very bright. She was still holding the ball above her head and the sunlight turned her bare arms a pale, golden colour. She was looking at Adam with that same knowing, challenging look she’d had in the reading room and he looked back at her, half hypnotised, the dark green leaves framing her face so she looked like something wild from a fairy story.

  Adam’s lips were tingling and his hands were tingling and most of his body was tingling. He wanted to kiss her. But she’s not Melissa, some shrieking, spoilsport voice called from the back of his head, but Melissa wasn’t here and never would be. Caitlyn opened one hand and let the ball fall to the grass beside her. The dogs took it and ran but Adam barely noticed because with the same hand she was reaching out and touching his face. Her fingers trailed from his cheekbone down to the corner of his mouth and they smelled like grass and salt and lemonade.

  She was still looking at him and he knew she wouldn’t do anything else. She was waiting to see what he would do. He wanted to grab her hand and pull it round his back and put his fingers in her hair and kiss her but that voice was still wailing, Melissa, Melissa, Melissa, like a siren and suddenly it was getting louder, loud enough that he could hear it over his lips and his hands and the rush of his blood. He took a step back, away from her.

  Caitlyn bit her lip and dropped her hand. Her eyes never left his. ‘Chicken,’ she said softly, without any anger.

  There was a strange, pocking, gravelly sound behind the hedge. ‘A-daaaaaaaaam? Où es-tu?’

  ‘Shit!’ Caitlyn squeaked – and the moment was broken.

  ‘It’s my mother!’ Adam lunged away from her while Caitlyn scrabbled for her boots and jumper. She thrust something into his hand and disappeared behind the yew trees.

&
nbsp; Adam stared at his hand. It took a few seconds for his eyes to understand that he was looking at her bunched-up tights. ‘What the hell am I supposed to do with these?’ he hissed after her, then balled them up as small as he could and shoved them into his trouser pocket.

  A second later a furious Elise wobbled round the corner on tiptoes, trying to keep her heels from sinking into the grass. ‘What are you doing? I told you to stay close to the house! Where is Caitlyn?’

  ‘I’m here, Mrs Mortson,’ Caitlyn said cheerfully. Adam hardly dared to look, but she had pulled on her boots and slung her jumper round her shoulders, knotting the sleeves modestly across her chest. She was holding up an old tennis ball. ‘Sam couldn’t get his ball out but I was small enough to reach it. It was all tangled up.’

  Elise’s eyes narrowed. She glanced from her visitor to her youngest son but obviously couldn’t find anything to reproach them for. At last she forced a smile. ‘Dinner is ready. Come, we must eat before the food becomes cold.’

  They followed her meekly back to the kitchen.

  Chapter 10

  inner passed off without any further misadventures. Elise allowed them to eat at the kitchen table, which was probably as much admission as she would ever give that Ciaron would soon become part of the family. There was one awkward moment when everyone had finished eating and goodbyes were being exchanged. Caitlyn stood beside Adam and held her bag against his hip, whispering from the corner of her mouth, ‘Put my tights in the bag.’ Adam glared at her in horror but she nodded down insistently and after a cautious glance around he stuffed them inside as though he were disposing of a live grenade.

  It was only after they had waved their visitors off and a grinning Luc slid up beside Adam and whispered, ‘Didn’t know you had it in you, bro,’ that a horror-stricken Adam realised their handover had been spotted. But before Luc could say any more, Nathanial cleared his throat. ‘I’d like to speak to you all for a moment.’

  Adam glanced quickly at Chloe but seeing that she looked as mystified as his brothers he knew it wasn’t going to be a betrothal announcement. With a sinking feeling in his stomach Adam realised it was time for the bad news to be broken to the rest of the family – the news he already knew. He tried to feign the same idle curiosity that Luc was showing. Elise’s lips were pursed into a tight line and he guessed that her bad mood earlier hadn’t just been because of his and Caitlyn’s disappearance.

  In the event, Nathanial had obviously decided to play down the significance of what was happening. ‘I wanted to let you know that we’ll be having a visitor. As you know, the Concilium are charged with overseeing all the work that we as Lumen do. Because of this they sometimes choose to spend some time in individual Kingdoms. I’m delighted to say that we are to have the honour of one of these visits and we will be joined by a Curator in the coming days.’

  ‘Which one? Is it Rashid?’ Aron asked. Adam knew that his brother got on well with the Indian Luman, who was one of the younger Curators.

  Nathanial tried to smile. ‘No, I’m afraid not. It’s actually an old friend of your mother’s. Darian.’

  Auntie Jo put her hands on her hips and stared from Nathanial to Elise and back. ‘You’re not serious? Tell me you’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting? Tell me I’m hallucinating!’

  Nathanial cleared his throat. ‘As I said it’s an honour to host any Cura—’

  ‘He’s not actually staying here, is he? He is, isn’t he? Well of all the …’ Auntie Jo swore and for once Elise didn’t even rebuke her. In fact, as Adam watched his mother’s lips were pursing so tightly they were disappearing into her face, possibly never to be seen again.

  ‘Darian is a member of the Concilium and is entitled to our hospitality,’ Nathanial said firmly. Only a slight pulse in his cheek betrayed his anger. ‘I have been informed that he has made his own arrangements for accommodation but will be spending some time beneath our roof as and when is convenient for him. He wishes to get a chance to speak with us all.’

  Luc was grinning. ‘He’s still looking for a wife, Auntie Jo. Just when you thought you’d been left on the shelf!’

  Nathanial frowned. ‘That’s enough, Luc. Apologise to your aunt.’

  ‘I was only joking,’ Luc protested but seeing Nathanial’s furrowed brow, he sighed and muttered, ‘Whatever, sorry, I was only messing.’

  Far from seeming offended Auntie Jo was looking thoughtful. She gave a small, strange smile and said nothing.

  ‘We must be careful,’ Elise said suddenly, making everyone jump. ‘Darian is a friend of the family – but my family in France. He is no friend of this family.’

  ‘Elise, there’s no need for that,’ Nathanial protested.

  But Elise was shaking her head. She looked at each of her children in turn. ‘Darian is not here as a family friend. He is here as a Curator. Everything must be done correctly. Yes?’ She looked at Aron and waited until he nodded. ‘No joking. No little stories. No slipping off to meet your friends.’ This time it was Luc she was eyeballing and he nodded guiltily. She turned to Adam. ‘If you must go to your school return immediately and say nothing.’ To Chloe, she simply said, ‘I know I can trust you, my darling. But if Ciaron visits, there will be a chaperon at all times, oui?’ She waited for a sign of agreement, then exhaled slowly. ‘Bien. He will find our home in order. Our Kingdom in order.’

  ‘Does he think we’re doing something wrong?’ Aron looked puzzled – and worried. He was the Luman who had most recently come of age in the Kingdom of Britain. ‘Does he think I don’t know what I’m doing?’

  ‘It’s nothing to do with you, Aron,’ Nathanial reassured him.

  Adam wanted to nod in guilty agreement. It’s nothing to do with you, Aron. This is all on me. As usual.

  ‘Let him come,’ Auntie Jo said suddenly. There was a half-smile playing around her lips. ‘He’ll find us very hospitable. Most welcoming.’

  ‘Jo …’ Nathanial began.

  ‘I mean it,’ Auntie Jo protested. ‘I’ll make sure he knows how delighted I am to see him. In fact, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go and begin my preparations now.’ They watched her purposeful exit, Nathanial and Elise exchanging frowns.

  ‘This could be a laugh,’ Luc said. ‘Anyway, Darian is like the youngest Curator ever. He must be doing something right. I’m going to watch and learn.’

  Adam managed to restrain a snort. There was nothing Luc could learn from Darian unless he wanted a masterclass in murderous duplicity.

  There was a shift in the room as Mortson death senses flared. Chloe winced and rubbed her stomach. It always seemed ridiculously unfair that women could feel deaths but unlike the men weren’t allowed to be Lumen. It was especially unfortunate for Chloe, who was hair-trigger sensitive to any sudden deaths.

  Nathanial sighed. ‘A car accident. We were finished here anyway.’

  ‘Do you want me to do this one, Father?’

  ‘If you could please, Aron.’ Nathanial put a grateful hand on his eldest son’s shoulder. ‘You’ll do your usual excellent work.’

  Aron slipped out of the room, looking pleased. The others followed until Nathanial cleared his throat. ‘Adam, I wonder if I might have a word? In my study?’

  Adam nodded, his stomach clenching. He watched Auntie Jo, Chloe and Luc head for the den, while his mother’s heels pocked angrily out of the kitchen. He took a deep breath and followed his father into the study.

  It was a cosy, pleasant room in winter, although the afternoon sun had made it too hot for comfort. The heat amplified the smells in the room – old paper, beeswax polish and Nathanial’s understated aftershave. The walls were lined with books, including the most important book of all for Lumen: The Book of the Unknown Roads. It was a book – and a room – that Adam was much more familiar with than his father knew. Adam had sneaked in here on several occasions, trying to get information he wasn’t meant to have.

  Not that his father knew about that, of course. Adam watched
him open the sash window, letting cool evening air flood in, bringing with it the smell of hot gravel and flowers. Nathanial sank into the leather chair at his desk and gestured for Adam to sit down on the low reading chair near the door. It was all so familiar, even the hard edge of the seat base digging into the back of his thighs. How ironic that it should be in this room that Nathanial was going to make one dream come true and destroy another.

  Suddenly Adam couldn’t bear to hear what his father was going to say, even the good bit. He wanted to stall as long as possible. ‘Why is Darian coming?’

  Nathanial blinked at him. ‘I’ve already explained that, Adam. Darian is a Curator. He has the right to observe the comings and goings of any Kingdom.’

  ‘Yeah, but just because he can doesn’t mean he has to. So why is he really coming?’

  Nathanial studied him for a moment, then looked away, out towards the garden and the gathering dusk. ‘He has concerns.’

  ‘Concerns about what?’

  ‘Concerns about me, Adam.’ Nathanial turned back and fixed Adam with a level gaze. ‘He has concerns about how I run this Kingdom.’

  Guilt threatened to choke Adam. It was the injustice of it. Nathanial couldn’t have been a better High Luman but he was being punished because of his son – and of course his wife. It was easier to think about the past than his own role in all this. ‘Is this because of Mother? Because she married you instead of him?’

  ‘Perhaps a little.’ Nathanial smiled faintly. ‘I think that may have influenced Darian somewhat. But, rightly or wrongly, he has concerns about how I do things and has decided to reassure himself. And that is exactly what we will do. We will reassure him that all is well and as it should be. That our family is a typical Luman family.’ He paused, looking at his youngest son, and then sighed. ‘And you must play your part in this, Adam, as we all must.’

  ‘You mean by being a Luman and not going to school.’ Hearing the words didn’t make them any more real for Adam. Maybe it was the way his voice sounded, like it had been flattened.