Love-in-Idleness

by Christina Bell

  The elevator stopped on Chloe’s floor, and Puck effortlessly unlocked the door of her apartment and crept in. While Chloe’s family didn’t have the kind of money the Oberons had, they were extremely well off. Their apartment was expansive and housed abundant antiques and shiny white upholstered furniture that glowed in the faint light of outside streetlights. The floor to ceiling windows showed a dimmed view of Central Park, just north of the view Puck enjoyed from his own apartment.

  When he was here before, he had not seen Chloe’s bedroom, so he didn’t know which room he was looking for. However, it would be easy enough to make sure that no one woke up as he opened their doors and simply looked for Chloe. He walked carelessly down the hardwood floors of the hallway, unconcerned by the sound of his footsteps. The evening had left him feeling confident and powerful. His father was not cross with him, and he had been exposed to deeper magic than ever before. There would be no consequences for his rash decisions tonight. All would be well as soon as he completed this one last task.

  Chloe’s bedroom was behind second door he tried. As he slowly pushed the door open, he saw that she was not asleep. She was sitting up in her huge white bed, still dressed, boots and all. She was leaning against the oak headboard, her feet on the bed. The only hint of color was her dark green eyes, which were fixed on Puck as he entered. When his eyes met hers, her harrowed expression didn’t change at all. She didn’t speak, but just stared at him as if she were expecting him, which was impossible.

  “Sit,” she instructed, pointing to a spot on the end of the bed. She moved her foot back a little, as if to ensure that every part of her was far from him.

  He did as she instructed.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked. Her quiet self-control was creepy, considering that he had just broken into her house. She should have been screaming for help or demanding that he leave. Instead, she was taking control. Puck admired that.

  “I’m here to make sure you get what you always want.” Puck firmly believed that the best way to make someone do what you want them to do was to convince them that it was the thing they wanted most in the world. Then threaten to take it away.

  “What is it that you think I want?” Chloe leaned toward him. Puck could see circles under her eyes from crying and lack of sleep. She would be much better off when this was all over.

  “I think you want Cameron. He’s the only thing in your life that hasn’t been simply handed to you.”

  “But he’s been awful tonight. He and that other boy are saying they love me when I really know they both want Grace.”

  “But it is,” Puck lied. “Everything Cameron said tonight has been the absolute truth. We spoke earlier, and he’s seen Grace for the little gold digger that she is. He’s been trying to tell you all night, but Ryder confused you. When they both started saying the same things, you assumed they were both lying.”

  “What’s Ryder’s deal, anyway?” Chloe asked. “He’s such an idiot.”

  Puck put his hand on the foot of her boot, and she didn’t pull it away. The white leather was stained with grass and dirt from the evening, but it was still the softest leather he had ever felt. “Forget Ryder. Cam’s pretty upset. He thinks he’s lost you, and he can’t seem to shake Ryder. I guess the guy was waiting outside when Cam got home from parking the car. He followed Cam here.” There was no way Puck could have known such a thing, but it was a sound theory, and Chloe seemed to be buying it. “Cam asked me to help him,” Puck continued. “He needs to see you alone, but we’ve got to shake Ryder. Go to the penthouse and I’ll have Cam meet you there. I’ll get rid of Ryder.”

  Chloe hesitated. “Why should I believe you? You hate me,” she said.

  “Yes, I do. And Cam drives me insane with all his vanity and charm.” Puck was feeling very proud of himself. He hadn’t even given her an extra mental push, and she was falling right into line. “But I do have to live with him for the time being, and it’s annoying as hell when he mopes around about you. It’s pathetic.”

  Chloe brightened. “He mopes?” Every ounce of stress and pain vanished from Chloe’s face. Puck could see it in the instant she believed him. At that precise moment, she was once again the fierce, confident Chloe who had stormed the penthouse just a few hours ago.

  “He did. He broke up with you because he was worried that he was becoming obsessed.” Puck wasn’t even buying his own line of crap, but he could tell that Chloe was. She was positively beaming. “Then Grace came along. I’m afraid that if you don’t talk to him tonight, he’ll give up and choose her. I don’t want that to happen. As much as I truly deeply dislike you, I hate her even more. She’s an outsider. She has no place with us.”

  She stood up and gave Puck a little poke in the arm. “Well, get up! Let’s go!” She started toward the door without him. “Cam is waiting for me. We need to hurry.”

  Puck willingly followed her to the door. Stupid people made his life a lot easier. Chloe was being exceedingly accommodating in that regard. “Just go the penthouse,” he said. “I’ll make sure he meets you there.”

  3:30 AM

  Miles waited for Grace to process what she had been told. While he knew that most teenagers would trade anything for the ability to control the forces of love, very few of them would ever be handed the means by which to do so. The vials in her hands were small, but she held them as if they bore great weight, her arms resting on her legs for support and her brow furrowed, staring at the little bottles. Miles was painfully aware that they were running out of time before the sun rose, but it seemed unwise to rush her.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Grace looked up at him and smiled. “Since it’s all magic anyway, I can change my mind later, right? Can’t I just call a do-over?”

  Miles laughed and shook his head. “You kids have caused enough inconvenience for one night. I have a business to run, a marriage to save from my own stupidity, and a child to raise. Now that you know the truth, I won’t be bothering with the affections of teenagers again. Make your decision. Stick to it. Then we can go about the more important business of learning what power these rings hold. In the scope of things, that is infinitely more important than who your boyfriend is. I cared when I thought I needed Cam to draw you in. I don’t need that anymore. Do what you want. You could release everyone from all magic and let the world run its course, or you could create whatever results you want. You have all the power.” He started to walk out, but turned back to share one last thought. “I’ll tell Theo everything he needs to know. But you should understand that he mustn’t know about the Oberon talent just yet. Let’s keep that on a need-to-know basis.”

  “But Theo’s family,” Grace began to argue, but was cut off by Miles.

  “You’re my family. Theo is my brother-in-law. In most things, the distinction doesn’t matter so much, but in this one thing, it’s key. There may very well be a day when we need to share the whole truth. Let’s wait for that day. In the meantime, I need for family business to stay private while I look for the third ring.”

  Miles walked directly to the common room that the boys favored. From his pocket, he pulled a small heavy canvas bag, a remnant of another adventure, years ago. Untying the silk ribbon that held it closed, he reached in and produced a pinch of tiny glasslike crystals. With a wave of his arm, he released them into the air, where they hovered, awaiting his instructions. Choosing his words carefully, he pronounced, “Let all but me sleep until day.”

  Each crystal exploded into a small fountain of silver sparkles that dissipated into nothing. Every particle of magic was waiting to attach itself to someone and make them desire sleep more than anything in the world. Once asleep, they would not wake up until sunrise. Miles casually moved to a chair tucked away in a corner. He would wait until the players were in their places and then he could get some sleep.

  Chloe was the first to arrive, and she went directly to the room where Miles was waiting. Once inside, she began to look around, and for just a moment, Miles worri
ed that she would see him. However, as the spell in the air took hold, she rubbed her eyes and moved toward the center of the room where the couches were. For the second time that night, she settled sideways into the enormous overstuffed chair. With her long blonde hair draped over the arm, she yawned, lifting her head for just a moment to glance at the door as if she was waiting for someone, but she was unable to keep her head up for long. Within moments, her pretty eyes closed and her breathing was even. Quietly, Miles made the chair in which she slept lift from the floor and slowly rotate one-hundred and eighty degrees, concealing her from view, at least somewhat. It would make Grace’s life easier if Chloe, Cam, and Ryder were sleeping apart from one another.

  Cam was the next to arrive, easing into the room and whispering, “Chloe, I’m here.” Miles made a table lamp in the corner farthest from Chloe shift in its spot enough to make a noise. “Is that you?” Cam asked, moving toward that corner to investigate. He only took a few steps before Miles knew that the sleeping spell had found him. Miles shook his head a little, disappointed with himself for breaking his own rule about bewitching family members. However, he reminded himself, the rule was really just something he made up to keep Puck in line. As Puck grew older and his powers became more refined, Miles began to fear for Cam’s safety. Puck’s temper was too quick. It made Miles nervous.

  Cam yawned and found the nearest sofa. Within seconds, his eyes were closed and he was still. Almost immediately following Cam’s descent into sleep, Ryder burst into the room, yelling loudly, “Chloe, where are you? I’m here.” Miles clapped his hand to his forehead in horror. It would be shocking if the boy didn’t awaken the entire household. It was a big house, but no one was accustomed to the sound of lovelorn teenagers running around, shouting.

  Ryder wandered around the room, clearly lost, and soon sat down on an unoccupied sofa. His eyes fluttered. Long moments passed while he sat as if drugged. Gradually, he drifted off to sleep, his body slumped to the side awkwardly. Miles summoned all of his paternal instincts and walked over to the boy. He lifted Ryder’s feet onto the couch, shoes and all, and straightened him out so that he wouldn’t be sore when he woke up.

  Before leaving the room, Miles re-opened the bag from which the sleeping spell had come. “Your work is done,” he whispered, and from the air, the sparkles materialized, converged back into crystals and zipped directly back to the canvas bag. Miles placed the bag in his pocket and gave it a satisfied little pat. Now, it was all up to Grace.

  For Puck, the best part of any task was celebrating its completion. As soon as he was sure that Cameron, Chloe, and Ryder were in the penthouse, he turned on his heel and went out, looking for a drink and companionship. A quick text message was all it took to locate Nick, Peter, and Sloan in a Midtown club. Within moments of entering the dark, deafeningly loud room, Puck could see that Nick and Peter were doing their best to talk to girls, but were mostly standing around, looking baffled. On any other night, they would have been with Puck, who was, unbeknownst to them, able to lend a helping hand. Making a girl trip and fall into the arms of one of his friends had proven to be highly effective in the past. Puck’s favorite trick, though, when there was competition for the same girl, was to lock onto the drink held by his friend’s rival. Puck would cause the glass or bottle to lift into the air slowly, while the bewildered boy inevitably continued to clutch it, even when his arm was fully extended high over his head. Puck would tip the vessel slowly until the contents dribbled onto the victim’s head. To any observer, it appeared that this buffoon had randomly lifted his glass and dumped it onto his own head.

  Tonight, Puck found that his enthusiasm for such games was markedly diminished. His father’s free will speech from earlier that night was weighing heavily on him, and he resolved to make his friends struggle without his assistance. He was the first to admit to indulgent behavior, but the events of the night forced him to reflect on his own actions, which was something he hated to do.

  Puck noticed that Sloan was not on the prowl, which was just as well. Sloan’s stupidity wasn’t as much of a problem as his bumbling social manner. Guys found him amusing, but girls usually thought he was a little frightening. He was perfect for playing a lion in a play, but not someone who girls singled out as a romantic prospect.

  It didn’t take Puck long to locate Sloan on one of the many sofas that filled the lounge area of the busy club. Taking a seat next to him, Puck had a good view of the bar area, where Peter, who was generally one of the more competent members of the group, had managed to peel a small, skinny girl away from her friends and place his body between her and her companions, making it difficult for them to pull her back in to their circle. It was a rookie mistake. Causing a girl to feel vulnerable would only make her desperate to be saved. Peter would do better to engage to whole group of girls before turning individual attention to the one that captured his interest.

  Puck turned to Sloan to comment, but quickly figured out that he would have to speak much louder if he wanted to be heard. Although the couches were pretty far from the dance floor, the heavy bass of the music made it difficult to have a conversation without yelling.

  “Peter’s screwing it up.” Puck pointed at Peter and shouted directly into Sloan’s ear. “He’s scaring her.”

  Sloan looked to where Puck was pointing and nodded. “It might work,” he responded. Sloan’s size lent itself to considerable lung capacity. He was always easy to hear.

  “The way things are going for him tonight, you could do better, I think,” Puck pondered. “You’re big, but you don’t try to scare anyone. You should get out there and give it a shot.”

  Sloan didn’t say a word. He just shook his head.

  “Why not?” Puck asked. He could feel his throat straining from talking so loud.

  “What’s the point? This place isn’t real,” Sloan answered. “It’s like sleepwalking, but louder and darker.”

  Puck looked at Sloan in surprise. He didn’t know if his usually thick-headed friend was having a moment of depth or if he just stumbled into a lucky combination of words. He started to argue that an occasional illusion never hurt anyone, but Sloan had turned his attention elsewhere, and Puck was tired of having to talk so loud. Back at the bar, the skinny girl was back with her friends and Peter was moving toward the couches where Puck and Sloan were sitting. In that instant, Puck decided that he’d rather head back to the penthouse and check on the real illusions at work there. They were far more interesting that contrived illusions of club kids. Without saying goodbye to Sloan, he stood and headed toward the door.

  Grace was so lost in her own deliberations that she didn’t hear Miles return to the office. He cleared his throat and she looked up. “They’re here. Do whatever you think is best. But remember, I won’t make things this easy for you again. You have until sunrise. The sleep spell they’re under wears off when the sun rises.” And with that, he walked out, leaving her to her thoughts.

  She was sitting behind his desk, where she found paper and a pen, and was creating a muddled collection of notes and drawings, trying to sort out her thoughts. As awful as Chloe was, she was right about one thing. She and Cam really did have a shared experience that was beyond what Grace understood. Where Grace came from, teenagers acted like teenagers. They worried about their SAT scores and paying for college. They went to school events and hung out on their stoops, eating pizza. Cam and Chloe were part of a Manhattan subculture in which teenagers wore designer clothes and planned charity events. They probably worried about their SATs, but they could afford tutors and coaches to help them study. Their fathers were able to call in connections to help them get into a good college. In Brooklyn, kids had to get by with what came naturally to them. They weren’t all necessarily poor; they just lived in the real world like normal people.

  What Grace was having trouble reconciling was the fact that she was now, by birth, entitled to choose either world. In the morning, she would divulge her relationship to the Oberons to Theo and, if she c
hose him, to Ryder. Theo would be fine, but what about Ryder? He was already feeling insecure about their relationship. This new layer of complication might be the last straw. This might push him away from her completely. She was prepared for the possibility of losing him as a boyfriend. She wasn’t sure she was ready to lose him as a friend. They had been close for so many years that she counted on him more than just about anyone else, except for Theo.

  The other option was surprising, even to her. If she let Ryder remain in love with Chloe, she could make Chloe fall for Ryder. Ryder would have the assurance of lasting love that he was hoping for, and Grace would be able to keep him as a friend. He might not be so bitter about the end of his romantic relationship with Grace if he were caught up in his new love for Chloe. As an added benefit, Ryder would have to embrace this new way of life. He and Grace could face the challenges involved in adapting to Manhattan society together, as friends. They had both been reluctant to associate with the members of this subculture until tonight, but with all Grace had learned, she no longer felt she could shun the Oberons. They were family, except for Cam, which worked out very nicely for her.

  It wasn’t so easy, though. On the down side of letting Ryder remain in love with Chloe was the deceit of magic. In the same way that Miles didn’t just use magic to make her fall for Cam, Grace didn’t know how she felt about depriving Ryder of the experience of meeting someone and falling in love naturally. But he had done that with her, and here she was, considering letting him go. Natural love was risky. It could run its course and fade. Magical love, because it was imposed by an outside force and not subject to flights of fancy, came with a guarantee, and that kind of assurance was exactly what Ryder wanted. The question was simply whether or not Grace could bring herself to embrace her new role as puppet master to that degree, or should she use it to do what instinct told her was the right thing and set everyone free from magic? Wouldn’t the ethical choice be to undo all magic and leave everyone to make their own decisions? Besides, if she really wanted no part of this world, as she insisted so often and so vehemently, wouldn’t she reject it by realeasing everyone from the influence of magic? Could she take Ryder and walk out? Was it possible that the events of one night could change the way she saw all of this? Was she wrong about the Oberons and just realizing it now, or had she been seduced by the lure of magic and wealth?