The Park Family: Mairi: Retribution

by Lisanne Valente

  What was that something she had promised herself she would do? Thoughts were being washed away, shrouded in her exhaustion, but she needed to shake herself free of the fog. Yes, that’s what she had to remember, the fog that had entered her mind when she was in mistdream.

  What was that? It had sneaked through Adramelechk’s mist, but how had it managed to enter her mind so easily?

  Sweeping the heavy covers from her, she walked to the heavenly shower room. Declaring inwardly that what she needed was a hot shower, which would rid her of these concerns and guide her into seeing straight, she stepped inside.

  Turning on the flow of water, she washed her face. As the air grew steamy, the small mirror misted up.

  Rubbing away the condensation from the mirror, she jumped back, sensing someone was in the shower room with her. A cursory glance in the mirror confirmed her suspicions when she saw a fleeting reflection of something shimmering in blue. She immediately turned to see what it was, or whom it was she had caught sight of, but lost her balance and tripped. One ankle slipped behind the other, and she heard the crack of muscles and ligaments in her right ankle tearing as she fell to the ground.

  Everything moved slowly, but she couldn’t stop her head banging against the hard wall and was sure time was standing still, as it waited for her to lose consciousness.

  With single-minded obstinacy, she remained alert, although the pain from her injury ripped through her body and all she wanted to do was scream, release her pain, or yell for assistance from the many people who would be working in the house. To do so, though, would alert whatever was near to her. Instead, she held tight to her agony and kept as silent as was possible.

  Her eyes grew dim, the pain taking its toll on her body, but she stayed still. The water was still flowing, and the room had taken on a chill. There was a limit to the amount of hot water Appoloin had kept aside, in special reserve, for the shower room, and now it no longer flowed hot, but cold water began to run down the walls.

  Mairi shivered and held her arms around herself. Luckily, she had wrapped herself in one of the many huge white towels she’d found in the room, but as water began to run over the edge of the shower tray, it was getting damp as she sat holding her ankle while on the floor. It wouldn’t be long before she was completely soaked and the water would leak into the bedroom.

  Her mind began to wander as she tried to imagine different scenarios. The water might run down the walls into the breakfasting area, then Appoloin would realise she was in distress and save her. A fruitless thought, but it helped her forget the pain and the fear of the moment to fantasise. It wasn’t going to happen; she knew it.

  When had she become so dependent upon the Angel to save her, and why had she forgotten she was an able woman, capable of taking care of herself? When had she allowed that to happen?

  Scanning the room for any signs of the blue object she thought she’d seen, and finding no trace of it, she began to move. The sharp pain from her ankle shot through her leg like a stabbing knife. She grabbed on to it and bent over, pulling it closer to her, massaging the painful region. Tears began to stream down her face, and she grew annoyed with herself. What was the point in crying? No one would hear; nobody could help. She had to gain control of this situation and find a way out.

  Carefully, holding tightly to her now-swollen ankle, she began shuffling across the floor towards the door. She could still see no sign of whatever had been in the room. She was sure it was still there, because her senses were in overdrive, but she was past caring. She had to get out of the shower room before she froze to death. The water had not leaked under the door to the bedroom. Instead, it had remained in the shower room and was getting deeper, and as she sat on the floor, it had now reached past her thighs, moving nearer to her waist.

  The cold water and the depth it reached, made moving slightly easier. The cold masked the pain of her ankle, and she was able to shuffle quite rapidly nearer to the door. Reaching up, she grabbed the door handle and attempted to pull.

  It wouldn’t move. It stayed still as though seized.

  She tried again, but there was no movement.

  The room grew ever colder, and the water began to freeze over. Frost appeared on the walls and stretched up and over the ceiling. She shuddered in amazement when it started moving toward the central light. This was like all the lights in the house, with four lit candles on a circular frame.

  But hanging from the frame was Ephraim.

  Ephraim sat watching her agony and laughed.

  He was wearing a blue suit with a long, flowing cape.

  Mairi thought she was hallucinating and shook her head. She closed her eyes and glanced at her hands before tipping her head back to stare at the ceiling light. It was no illusion or hallucination, Ephraim was with her, in her bathroom, watching her as she moved in agony to free herself.

  “Why don’t you help me, Ephraim?” she asked, angrily.

  “Why don’t you help me, Ephraim?” he mimicked. “Because I’m enjoying watching you slide around like a floundering fish out of water, that’s why.”

  “You’re not Ephraim,” she said as fear gripped her heart.

  He disappeared, and Mairi found herself searching the room for any sign of him. All she could see were infinitesimal trails of blue dust.

  “Ephraim?” she said quietly, hoping there would be no response. When none came, she became bolder, speaking louder. “Ephraim, where are you?”

  Nothing. Her ankle was throbbing, and she wrapped her hands around it, applying pressure. Mairi started shuffling again, but searching around, she could see there was no ice, no water, no frost on the walls, and the shower flowed again with hot water. Taking a chance, she yanked on the door handle, and the door flew open, surprising her so much she had no time to stop herself from falling backwards and hitting the floor, landing with a thud on her left shoulder. Releasing her ankle, she slammed her left wrist onto the floor as an automatic response. A jarring pain shot up her wrist to her shoulder, which she could no longer move. Looking down, it was clear the shoulder was pulled forward in an unusual angle, and attempting to move in any direction caused her to drown in a sea of agony.

  She squeaked Appoloin’s name, and with her strength and resolve beginning to return, so did her courage, and her voice became louder, until she was eventually screaming for Appoloin. No longer scared of what she’d seen in the shower, she was more intent on getting any help possible.

  “Did you hear that, sire?” asked Harviel.

  Appoloin was deep in thought. The three Angels had discussed every outcome of what they’d learned, and he had not heard Harviel ask him the question.

  “Sorry?” he faltered. “What did—holy hell!” he yelled. “Do you hear Mairi? Oh, dear God!” Appoloin leapt from his chair, the two other Angels by his side in a flash, and with a flourish, the three released their wings and, as one, flew to the ceiling and vanished with a flurry of feathers floating to the floor.

  Appoloin was by Mairi’s side, his wings still open, when Harviel and Ariel landed beside him. He noticed the dislocation of her shoulder and gently spread his hand across the joint. She felt nothing as he moved it back into place, but when he started to lift her, she let out a scream.

  Stunned, he lay her across his lap and indicated to Ariel he should find out the cause of her distress, but he immediately saw her ankle was swollen and twisted. Ariel touched her ankle, and the swelling began to recede, but Mairi was still in pain. Now able to lift her without causing too much discomfort, he gently carried her and laid her on the bed.

  Mairi closed her eyes. Her ankle felt better, but there was a throbbing pain in her wrist. She opened her mouth to tell Appoloin, but no words came out. He appeared to be so worried she thought, and tried to speak again. Lifting her right arm, she stretched over to touch him, but he was disappearing. Why was he leaving her? Could he not see she was in pain?

  Get Baglis, she mouthed. Get her to help me.

  “What is it she’s s
aying, sire?” asked Ariel.

  Mairi was confused. Why could they not hear her? And then it happened…

  Her body became wrapped in a blue mist. It swirled around her, an energy moving her to mistdream. Yet this energy was different than that of Adramelechk; it was suffocating, threatening. She searched Appoloin’s face for any recognition of what was happening, but he was looking through her, not at her.

  “Mairi,” he said gently, “stay with me. Don’t go to mistdream.”

  Harviel was at his side, laying his arms on Mairi. “Stay, my lady, do not let this take you to mistdream. Stay.”

  When Harviel touched Mairi, she let out the loudest scream, and it pierced the air, making Ariel cover his ears. She heard a hiss from the mist around her, but it began to dissolve, moving towards Appoloin.

  She screamed again, and the mist stopped midair.

  She could feel its energy. It was full of hate and anger, yet her screams seemed to be preventing it from carrying out some obscene act, of that she had no doubt. It was reconsidering its position, surrounded by Angels and a Mistdreamer, and with an obnoxious laugh, melted away with only a trace of blue dust landing on her leg. She leaned forward to brush it away, but was too late. The dust was burning through her skin.

  Blisters started to rise, encasing the powdery substance within the layers of the epidermis, and it was burrowing deeper and deeper into her body.

  “Baglis!” Ariel shouted. “Baglis, quickly come forth!”

  “No need to shout,” Baglis said as she walked into the room. “I heard the commotion.” She walked directly to Mairi and tut-tutted. “Now tell me, lass, where does it hurt?”

  Mairi wanted to say ‘everywhere’, she wanted to scream ‘help me’, but all she could do was lie still, and with frightened eyes, search Baglis’s face for understanding. She couldn’t stop the tear leaking from the corner of her eye. It took a long, slow path down her face, before it dropped to the pillow.

  “None of that, lass, none of that,” Baglis crooned. “We’ll have you fixed up in no time at all, don’t you worry, my dear.”

  Baglis’s hands began moving gently over her, touching her legs, and Mairi thought it was as though a feather was being drawn across her skin. She then moved from her toes up through her body, until she reached her head. There, she began to massage her temple and forehead. Mairi closed her eyes. It was heavenly. She could feel her body relax, or believed her body was relaxing, but when she peeped down, she appeared to be as stiff as a bow. Yet, inwardly, she had relaxed. That was a start, she thought.

  Having a close look at Baglis, she recognised fear but couldn’t ask why the woman was so afraid for her. None of her muscles were working. Nothing was working!

  “What have you diagnosed, Baglis?” asked Harviel.

  “I fear she has been infected with the same poison as her cousin.”

  Mairi’s eyes widened when she heard that. Which cousin?

  “Now relax, deary. We cannae have you getting agitated. It makes the poison course through your body faster. I have a way of ridding you of this, thanks to the queen.”

  “The Queen?” Appoloin was shocked. “You don’t mean Aobhil?”

  “One and the same. She had to help Valerie and figured it would not be the first time we would come across this rancid form of torture.” She returned to her ministrations of Mairi. “Luckily, the beast has been unable to infect Mairi as much as he did Valerie, but it will still leave its mark upon her. You’re lucky to have found her so quickly.”

  “I had no idea she was in danger. I heard her screaming and came immediately.”

  “You heard her?” Baglis asked, surprised.

  “Of course. She was screaming for help. Harviel, Ariel, you will attest to that.”

  The Angel guards passed a look that spoke volumes. “We heard only the wind, sire. It sounded unusual, yes, but it was you who informed us Mairi was screaming for help and we came with you.”

  “Now isn’t that just the darnedest thing?” Baglis said, a slight smile on her lips. “Tell me, my lord, have you and the Mistdreamer shared nocturnal bliss?”

  Harviel and Ariel began to shift uncomfortably, only too well aware of the passion their master shared with the mistress. They lowered their eyes, hoping they would not alert Baglis of their knowledge.

  She turned her back to Appoloin and continued her soothing massaging of Mairi’s head. “No need to answer, my lord. It’s written all over your face and that of your Angel guard. You really should learn about how to display a poker face. God only knows what trouble you will bring upon yourself because of your openness. You are unable to hide your inner self from others.”

  “B-but,” Appoloin stammered, just as Mairi let out a deep and long breath.

  “And, here she is, back amongst the living.” Baglis nodded her head and gently stroked Mairi’s cheek. “You too will have to learn how to hide your fears and your true self. If not, you will be led on a dark journey. Find your strength again, young Mairi. It is you and only you who will be able to save you. Remember my words, Mairi. You have other gifts that I can see. They will also come to your rescue, should you need them.”

  Mairi attempted to speak, but her throat was dry and tight, and the sound coming from her was a croak that made no sense.

  “Hush, child. There will be time to talk later,” Baglis said calmly. Then, to Ariel: “Angel guardian, would you be so kind as to get your mistress something cold to drink, and I don’t mean that ghastly beer. Appoloin has a reserve of ice water stored in his special cupboard.”

  Mairi managed to whisper, “Would that be as special as our shower room?”

  Baglis let out a loud laugh. “That, indeed, it is, my young mistress. Our Angels have become soft in their old age and have become too used to the comforts of this world. I know there must be some ancient law of the universe Appoloin has broken to have this a shower room and a fridge room installed.”

  Appoloin knelt beside the bed, taking Mairi’s hand in his. He devoured her with his eyes, worry now replaced with love. “You frightened us, my love. Promise never to do that again.”

  “Do not ask that of her!” Baglis shouted, and both Mairi and Appoloin dragged their eyes from one another and turned to look at Baglis with shocked expressions.

  “Why say this of them, Witch?” Harviel asked angrily.

  “You dare to call me witch!” Baglis pointed her finger at Harviel, who had the grace to look away, ashamed. “I heal your mistress, and you call me witch?” she said again.

  Appoloin stood, kissing Mairi’s forehead, and went to Baglis. “Come, my sweet lady. What has come over you? You have been called witch for centuries without taking offence. Why do you do so with my Angel guard?”

  “Sometimes, you Angels have no idea the harm you cause. Words can be like daggers. Be careful the way you use them. One day, those little daggers may betray you and actually cause the death of someone dear to you.” She paused, trying to gain some composure, but was furious with them. “Don’t come calling for your witch if that happens. I will remind you of today if you do!” And with her fit of anger, she disappeared.

  “What on earth?” Ariel asked.

  “I think you harmed her feelings, Harviel. You should search for her and quickly apologise.”

  “I truly meant no offence, sire.”

  “Then we all should heed her words, because I fear she was giving us warning of the future. We must be careful with what we say, and to whom. She is afeart for us, of that there is no doubt, and she has been tarrying between all worlds to ensure the safety of her Mistdreamers.”

  “Her Mistdreamers?” asked Ariel.

  “I meant nothing by that,” Appoloin barked, then immediately corrected himself, but not before all in the room were aware of his disquiet.

  “Appoloin,” Mairi squawked huskily, “can you get me the water, please?”

  “I will get it,” Harviel said quickly, wanting to get away from the disaster he had invoked, and from the im
pending passion that would inevitably fill the room when Appoloin managed to calm himself after the panic of finding Mairi on the floor.

  He raised his wings, and Mairi noted they were not quite as impressive as Appoloin’s, but they were still majestic. How could one fail to be impressed when seeing an Angel’s wings spread wide, ready for flight? It was truly an awesome sight.

  “I’ll help,” Ariel said. He too didn’t want to be around the young lovers, not that they were aware of anyone other than each other. Even Baglis’s fit of temper seemed to have been forgotten.

  Now, that was something he had to discuss with Harviel. He knew Baglis was not one prone to anger and, in the cold light of day, when they analysed today’s events, they would no doubt work out the reasons behind her outburst. Whatever the reason, he had a feeling of dread. Spreading his wings, he flew through the non-existent ceiling and went in search of Harviel.

  “It’s such a sight to behold,” said Mairi, her voice cracking with each word.

  “Hush, my love, save your strength. When the water eventually comes,” he uttered a little crossly, “we will get you settled, and you must rest.”

  “Rest!” she squeaked. “I don’t want to rest, Appoloin.” She attempted to sit up, but darkness threatened to sweep over her. A bout of dizziness caused her to hold her head, and she fell back against the feather pillow.

  “If you do not rest, Mairi, I will be forced to make you sleep, and we both know how much you hate me interfering with your sleep patterns.”

  Mairi’s eyebrows screwed up, and the tiny line between them became even more pronounced. “Don’t, Appoloin.” Taking on the role of sex kitten, she purred, “There are other ways to interfere with my sleep patterns besides putting an Angel coma in my mind.”

  She changed from invalid to minx in seconds, and Appoloin was once again overcome by the emotions he had for her. Whilst he was sorely tempted to join her in bed, she needed her rest. He wanted to take her in his arms and force rest upon her, but knew it would be a mistake. She had to find somewhere in which she could escape whatever trauma she had endured. That was something they must discuss, but he was aware she was not yet ready to open up about what had happened. Still, with Baglis’s warning still hanging in the air, it was imperative they spoke—and soon.