Arrival of the Traveler

by A.L. Tyler

  Howard didn’t act betrayed, though he certainly felt it. He studied the boy—the lost Corbett, whose birth he’d been sure of, but that he’d never seen. Daray was a clever one, for sure; Howard had taken Griffin in willingly, believing he was a child in Lena’s situation, as so many were. Human-born Silenti were themselves not rare, but finding one capable of rehabilitation was pure luck. He’d believed David—Griffin—to be a lucky child to be found. To Howard, he had been a boy from a broken home, needing an understanding family; after losing his nephew, and fearing that he would never see his brother or niece again, he had thought that helping out David was a way to find peace.

  All these years, Howard had known Daray would take an heir because he didn’t have a male in his own line to lead the household. He had even guessed it would be the missing Corbett boy; but he had never been able to find him. No one had. He’s been outwitting me all this time…They both have. But Howard kept this thought to himself. He suddenly found himself second-guessing the last ten years. If Daray had had enough contact with him, enough time alone, Griffin could be a formidable opponent; dangerous, even, under the right circumstances. Howard’s eyes drifted back to Lena; he’d let them go into town together, alone. He secretly counted his blessings, because the situation could have been much worse than it already was.

  As Griffin walked up to the table, only half of the people in the hall clapped. Lena could tell the difference, even across the expanse of the dining room; he was holding himself differently, acting differently—even more arrogant than he had been before. The rest sat about, sending nervous looks to one another.

  “I’ll now turn the evening over to Howard Collins, who, I believe, wishes a word.” Daray sat down looking very smug, with Griffin to his right, and Master Corbett to his left.

  Howard stood immediately; he took a moment to gather his thoughts before speaking.

  “First, I’d like to congratulate Griffin on achieving such an…honor.” He nodded toward the head of the table, where Daray was still smiling, a glass of wine in his hand. “Second, I’d like to say goodbye to him, as he will no longer be permitted to live on this property.”

  Daray stood back up with surprising agility for his age. “You cannot strip me of my heir, Collins. I have a right to him.”

  “You have a right to an heir. There’s nothing in the law or our mutual agreement that says you have a right to keep him on this property.”

  Howard and Daray stared at one another across the table. Lena wished she knew what they were communicating to each other; the entire room was silent, but she could see people looking at each other. They were all talking, but she couldn’t hear any of it. Eventually, both Howard and Daray sat down, and servants started bringing in food. The dance, which usually followed the first dinner, was cancelled.

  Back up in Lena’s bedroom, a cot had been delivered to accommodate the extra guest. Lena insisted that Hesper take the bed. In the back of her mind, she knew she should have told Howard about David’s apprenticeship, but she had only started to trust Howard recently, and David really hadn’t seemed that threatening… He'd been her only friend for so long.

  “What do you think is going on down there?” Hesper was removing her makeup in the bathroom. She left the door open so she would have someone to talk to.

  “What d’you mean?” Lena had just finished making up the cot, and threw herself down on it. Hesper had forced her into nail polish for the big dinner, and the feeling of it on her nails was beginning to annoy her. She wanted to chip it off, but didn’t, as Hesper had spent almost forty-five minutes getting it just right.

  “They’re down there talking about something.”

  “Who?”

  “The household representatives. Master Daray created quite a stink tonight—I’m surprised they’re still down there, actually. They usually take it to the Council hall upstairs.” She walked out of the bathroom and into the closet. A moment later, she reappeared in nightclothes. Seeing Lena, so calmly reposed on the cot, and seeming not to care, worried her. “What do you think about all of this, by the way? You’ve been quiet.”

  Lena shifted her doe eyes over to Hesper. “I guess I didn’t like it that he changed my name. That was…weird. What he said about my dad was obviously not true, so I guess I don’t care about that.”

  “No…about the other thing.” Hesper walked over to the bed and sat on the edge of it, facing Lena.

  “Did you…know? I mean, you said you haven’t seen him in years, so…” Lena realized she was attempting to chip at the nail polish and stopped herself. She looked up at Hesper, who was watching her fidgeting hands. “What? I don’t mean to do it, really. I’m just not used to having my nails done.”

  “I recognized him, when he came to the door, earlier. They never told me where he was though. Shocking, really. I didn’t know he was going to announce it tonight, but I guess my dad did. He didn’t seem too surprised. I guess I don’t really care—it’s not like I know him like you do.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Lena rolled on her side to face Hesper.

  “Well, you said you two were friends.”

  “We are. Were. I don’t know about now. I guess I always felt like he was more of an older brother type…You know, we kind of bully each other.” But really, it had been Griffin doing most of the bullying.

  “Sweetie,” Hesper went and sat on the cot. Lena sat up to accommodate her, and Hesper put an arm around her shoulders. “You really don’t get it, do you? This is a patriarchal system. It’s changing, which is for the better in a lot of people’s minds, but it’s a patriarchal system. When someone names an heir, it’s assumed that person is their son or grandson or something. When someone names an heir outside of the family, it’s assumed that person is about to become part of the family…usually by marriage.”

  Lena stared at Hesper, who stared back at her. How could she have missed that? It made perfect sense.

  The look on Howard’s face after Daray had started talking.

  Something David had said to her was ringing in her ears. You’ll save me a few dances, right?

  Suddenly, a feeling came over her. One she hadn’t experienced but a few times in her life. She stood up and started for the door.

  “It won’t do any good!” Hesper stood up, and followed Lena. Lena kept walking. “Hey! Hey, slow down!”

  Lena whipped around so fast that Hesper actually ran into her.

  “So what? I’m just supposed to sit up here? Hesper, I just got engaged in front of a room full of people without even knowing it!” Then she said some things that made Hesper’s eyebrows rise in shocked surprise. Lena turned around and walked briskly toward the library.

  “Lena!”

  Lena felt Hesper make a grab for her arm and started into a run, which she maintained until tripping on the last stair. She fell flat on her face, but managed to get back on her feet before Hesper caught up. Her knees and palms stinging, she sprinted to the dining hall and had her hand on the door, ready to barge in and raise hell.

  “YOU KILLED THAT BOY, DARAY! EVERYONE KNOWS IT!”

  Lena froze. She felt Hesper grab her and push both arms to her sides. The yelling in the dining room continued.

  “YOU DID IT! YOU!”

  Hesper’s eyes were wide. She seemed unable to move. The dining hall had gone quiet. The door opened, and a red faced Master Mason appeared. Behind him, she could see Master Astley Senior, flushed red with anger, staring down Master Daray. Warren Astley was seated next to him, watching the floor nervously. Around the room, several other Representatives were watching Lena and Hesper through the doorway, or talking silently amongst themselves.

  Hesper was shaking; she and Master Mason stared at each other. Lena would have wondered when she would finally be privy to such conversations, but her mind was already busy with what she’d just overheard. Master Mason closed the door behind him, and silently led Lena and Hesper back upstairs. He nodded for Hesper to go back in the room, but kept Lena
in the hall. He sighed.

  “Lena. I need to get back down there, for your own good. I want you to know, you can’t say anything to help that isn’t already being said. I promise you that, so don’t come back down.” He started walking down the hall.

  “Master Mason!” Lena’s breathing was too fast; she thought she might be about to hyperventilate.

  He turned around.

  “Did he kill my brother?”

  Master Mason shook his head, and looked at the carpet. “That’s not something I could tell you.” He walked away.

  Lena turned and knocked on the door across the hall. When Ava didn’t answer, she knocked again. Then she opened the door, but her mother wasn’t in her room.

  They probably had a special summons.

  What?

  Your mom. She’s probably down there as a witness. I told you, you really can’t do anything. Can we just go to bed, please?

  Lena walked back to her bedroom.

  “Who did he kill?” She asked.

  Hesper looked shaken. She was tucked under the blankets of the bed, but she appeared to be shivering.

  “You’re going to get me in trouble.” Hesper pulled the blankets further up over herself and curled halfway into a ball. She was suddenly childlike; Lena could feel her fear, and she was sure it wasn’t any sort of special ability allowing her to do so.

  “Why?” Lena pressed.

  Hesper’s words were muffled by the blankets. “We don’t talk about it.”

  “I won’t tell…”

  “They’ll know, whether you tell or not.”

  Lena thought hard. There had to be something she could say to persuade Hesper to tell her. If there was one lesson she’d taken from Turkey, it was that everyone had a price.

  “I’m the heir,” Lena reasoned. “Or I would be, if I were a boy. I order you to tell me.”

  Hesper remained silent.

  “I’ll…extend my protection to you?”

  Hesper didn’t turn around. “Only Griffin can do those things now.”

  “You promised to tell me about the religions, anyway.” Lena sat down on the cot. It didn’t look as though she’d be getting anything more out of Hesper. She may have even lost her as a friend.

  Hesper sighed. “I guess I did.”

  Lena looked over. Hesper was sitting up in her bed; she smiled weakly.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “Start from the start, I suppose.”

  Hesper went and retrieved a small box from the closet, and motioned for Lena to join her sitting on the bed. Hesper opened the box.

  “Tell me what you see.”

  Lena peered in. “Nail polish, nail clippers, nail file, box of cigarettes…”

  “Don’t tell my parents about those.” Hesper interjected.

  “…Clipped magazine articles, self-photo…” Lena reached in and shifted the articles in the box. “And a necklace.”

  Hesper seemed to be anticipating something. Lena moved the objects around in the box again.

  “And…the nail polish is pink?” Lena added in frustration.

  “Tell me about the necklace.” Hesper hinted.

  “Silver chain…Oh,” Lena saw it as she lifted it from the box, “It’s got a pendant on it! It looks kind of like Celtic love knots, with a circle in the middle.”

  “Bingo. We’re good. Settle in. Stop me if you need to, but I think you’ll be okay.” Lena and Hesper shifted so that they were facing each other. Hesper took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Where to begin. No one really knows the truth. It’s just like any other religion—stories passed on over millennia. But we haven’t always been here. We’re almost sure about that much. The Circle in the Square,” she indicated the pendant in Lena’s hand, “is a religious symbol. It represents the portal, but that’s probably not what it really looks like. We don’t know for sure if anyone’s actually seen it. But, anyway—it’s just a symbol. The portal is how we got here.”

  Lena raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

  “I know. It’s weird. But it’s true—at some point in time, a long time ago, a sort of doorway was opened. No one knows what’s on the other side, but the scriptures claim we came through it, and ended up here. There’s a long story concerning the history of the portal, but to sum it up, we don’t know where it is now. The religious deal is that half the people here want it to stay closed, and the other half want to open it. They don’t believe we belong here, and that we should return to a world where we don’t have to hide ourselves from humans.”

  “Hiding?” Lena almost laughed. “Who’s hiding? Hesper, you could see this house from space. Several hundred people came in from outside the country to stay here for a couple of months. This isn’t exactly inconspicuous behavior.”

  Hesper shrugged. “It’s a mansion in the country, and lots of people come here for the skiing and hiking. Besides, the house and most of the rest of it was made by Silenti—it’s doubtful humans would take much notice unless someone carefully pointed it out. And they take a great deal of care in orchestrating the travel so that people have a staggered arrival and departure so it doesn’t look like a gathering. Even if someone did notice, the Council would pay them off or have them die in an accident.”

  “That’s a little drastic.” Lena remarked.

  Hesper tilted her head back and forth. “It usually doesn’t happen. I guess I should have said that people want to leave here because they don’t want to have to deal with humans, and not because we’re hiding. Humans are kind of simple-minded compared to Silenti. Not that I’m saying anything personal here, but imagine that you’re stuck in a world where everyone around you has an IQ that’s half of yours. Would you want to stay?”

  Lena smiled sardonically. “You think I’m stupid?”

  “Not stupid.” Hesper rolled her eyes. “Just slow. And I told you not to take it personally—you’re going to get better. My point is that humans don’t have telepathy. They don’t see the future or talk to each other in their minds, or anything that a typical Silenti would find normal. They’re cumbersome to put up with, so we work around their systems so we don’t have to. Think about it this way: imagine that you’re stuck on an island with a bunch of chimpanzees or something. I mean, they’re smart, and they feel, but they’re really not operating on your level.”

  “Because you’re so much more evolved than the rest of us?” Lena jabbed.

  Hesper stared her down. “Lena, I’m trying here. My first words were spoken in my thoughts to my mother before I was even born. Do you really want to challenge me on who’s more evolved? I’m just trying to explain the perspective.”

  Lena sat quietly, considering how weird it would be for an infant’s first words to occur before birth. “Fine. Continue.”

  “Okay…where was I?” Hesper sighed in relief.

  Lena thought. “The part where some people want to go through the portal to another world. That is weird.”

  “Only as weird as any other religion. Walking on water, talking flaming shrubbery, boats big enough to hold every animal on the planet, holy cows, dreams of white elephants…and then there’s Scientology. Wow, don’t even get me started on that one…”

  “Okay…” Lena handed the pendant back to Hesper, “And who’s who? I don’t mean to be rude, but which are you?”

  Hesper took the pendant and put it on. “My family believes in the Old Faith—that the portal will be found, and that it will be opened by the heir, and we will return to a world where we can live in harmony with our own kind.”

  “And…Griffin’s the heir?” Lena said, once again in disbelief.

  “Oh, you’re kidding me!” Hesper smiled broadly. When Lena returned only a blank stare, she started to look worried. “Good Lord. How long have you been here, and you haven’t figured it out? Lena, this world—our world. It revolves around your family. The Daray Family is royal; we practically worship you, because only a Daray can open the portal.”

  “Why?” Lena w
as trying to seem calm; of all the religions she’d encountered, this was by far the most crazy and stupid. Well, maybe not, but it was certainly up there on the list.

  “It’s recorded on the portal. Only members of the royal family can read what’s on the portal—the instructions to open it.” Hesper said, as though this must be obvious.

  “So,” Lena sighed, “You believe that I’m royalty.”

  “Yes.”

  “And this fact is recorded in invisible ink on a portal that no one has ever seen?” Lena tried not to laugh.

  “Yes. Well, there are some unverified claims, but yes.”

  “And that portal, which only my family members can open, leads to another world?”

  “We don’t know where it leads, but that’s basically right. Only a Daray can open it—not Master Collins.”

  I’m sure Howard was very sad to hear that.

  Hesper rolled her eyes. “He’s against opening it anyway, so I don’t think he really cares.”

  “I was being sarcastic.”

  “Oh, were you? You’re too quiet when you try to do it.” Hesper yawned, and Lena could tell she was tired.

  I’ll have to work on that.

  “Yes, you will,” Hesper retorted.

  “Well, thank you.”

  “’Welcome.”

  They settled into their beds. The information about the religions was interesting to Lena, but something was still weighing heavily on her mind…She decided to try one more time.

  “Hesper? Just theoretically, why would he have killed my brother? His own grandson? The heir?”

  Hesper was quiet for a moment. “Well,” she paused, “Theoretically, if you believe the New Faith version of events, it was because Thomas wasn’t a Silenti. He was a human, and it was theoretically an embarrassment Master Daray just wouldn’t tolerate. With Thomas dead, he had a right under our laws to petition for custody of you. You never wondered why your dad ran? Not that I believe such stories…”

  “Of course you don’t…”

  They said their goodnights and retired to their beds. In the darkness, Lena was finally at peace with her father. She knew why he had lied now, and was able to forgive him. Thank him, even. For fifteen years, he’d saved her from exposure to a cult of insane religious fanatics—no matter how friendly or likeable some of them were. She was related to a man that could have theoretically killed a child for not being able to read minds.

  Breakfast the next day became a complicated matter. Lena refused to go down after the events of the night before, and asked Hesper to test the waters for her. Hesper refused, insisting that hiding would only make matters worse. If she appeared confident and collected, she would gain much more respect. So they went down together (after much fussing and makeup application), and Lena tried to appear aloof to the chatter that ceased—or rather, became inaudible to her—every time she entered a room. Hesper tried desperately to make casual conversation, and her friend Bianca even came to sit with them, but it was no good to Lena. She wasn’t Silenti; not in the sense that everyone here was. Every foreign place she’d ever visited felt more like home than this.

  Just before lunch, she started looking for Howard. Her mother was talking endlessly with two women who were apparently old friends of hers, Mrs. Burr and Mrs. Perry, and didn’t have the time to dismiss her from her “social responsibility,” as Hesper called it. When she couldn’t find him on the first or second floor, or outside in any of the tents, she figured it was time for a new approach. Standing in the entrance hall, she concentrated as hard as she could.

  Howard, where are you?

  I’ll be down in a minute, and please don’t shout in the house!

  She heard quieted laughing around her. A few of the teenagers were staring, including Serafina Perry, who was walking up to her.

  “My, my, one would think a Daray would have better manners.” She crossed her arms; the flock of teenagers she had emerged from were all watching intently as the scene unfolded. Serafina had the sickly thin look of a high-fashion model; her arms were practically toothpicks, and her eyes looked sunken in. It wasn’t attractive, and Lena wondered what Martin saw in her.

  “And I’m sure you’re bothering to tell me to be polite.” Out of the corner of her eye, Lena saw Hesper hurrying toward her.

  “No. I’m saying it because no one else will. You’re a disgrace to your family,” She tossed her hair as Hesper arrived.

  “I’m not a Daray. My last name is Collins.”

  Serafina winked at Hesper. “Well, then I guess such behavior is to be expected.” She turned and walked away. Lena took a deep breath.

  “Sorry,” Hesper smiled weakly, “I don’t like her. She’s elitist. And quite frankly, sometimes she’s a real—“

  “Lena! Everything okay?”

  Lena turned to see Howard walking briskly down the stairs. He was half smiling, still amused from her earlier blunder. Lena told Hesper she’d see her later, grabbed Howard’s arm, and led him to a quiet corner of the room.

  “Do I really have to stay here?” She pleaded.

  “Why? I thought you’d be overjoyed to have some people your own age around. I’ve been told you needed a friend, recently.” Howard’s smile was gone. He was looking at her sternly.

  “What?”

  “I understand. I was trying to keep two teenagers in a house with a bunch of old fogies.” She had only ever heard her father say the word “fogies” before, and smiled. “…It was natural for you two to become friends. I even encouraged it. But get this straight, Lena: no more secrets. David was a good friend. Griffin Corbett is dangerous—especially after last night.”

  Lena frowned. She had barely even thought about the fact that she’d continued keeping the secret from Howard. Admittedly, it was a big secret, but up until last night, she hadn’t realized the magnitude of what she was doing. In her mind, Griffin was her friend—the only one she’d had, until Hesper. And in some immature way, she’d even relished keeping the information from Howard, because he had deceived her so frequently in the beginning.

  “Howard, don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little? I mean, he’s really been…”

  “No. No more secrets. Especially if someone asks you to keep them from me specifically. I need your promise.”

  “Okay, I promise. Does he really have to move away?” Part of her had become lonely at the thought of David leaving, even if he was Griffin and not David. Even if her grandfather had sick delusions about their marrying later in life. Even if he continued to be an arrogant jerk, he was still the only person keeping her company. Without David, there were only adults who treated her like a child.

  “Yes. And that’s not up for debate. Now, what were you going to ask me?”

  Lena looked back over her shoulder at Serafina Perry. Children being children, as Mrs. Ralston would have said. It seemed too trivial a matter considering everything else that was happening in her life.

  “It’s…nothing.” She shrugged.

  Howard looked at her questioningly. “Are you sure?” Lena nodded quickly. “I’ll see you at lunch.” He set off, back up the stairs.

  Lena, alone again, turned and faced the crowds. It was going to be a long few weeks.

  The days passed slowly. Lena got to know Bianca, who was very much like Hesper, if not as politically informed and outspoken. They both loved gossip, clothes, and makeup, and while they were both very friendly, Lena had little in common with them. Eric, Master Mason’s son, introduced her around. Lena was sure this was at Howard’s asking, because Eric was twenty and seemed very concerned with being viewed as an adult. He did eat with her and Hesper, though, and was very polite about the entire situation. She managed to meet a few new people who were willing to talk to her. However, she missed Griffin, and she didn’t know why. Friends don’t lie to friends about secretly being your betrothed. While she questioned if the friendship had all been a manipulation, she missed him. Not the person he was now, but the person she had thou
ght he was. She framed that fact very carefully in her mind because it was exactly as Howard had said; he had been deceiving them all, especially Lena. It wasn’t complicated. But at the end of the second week, while Lena brushed out her hair before bed, Hesper suddenly made things complicated again.

  She threw a folded up piece of paper onto Lena’s cot. “He asked me to give this to you. Apparently he’s really coming home.” Hesper looked a little disappointed. Over the years, she’d been allowed a sort of freedom that most wealthy Silenti women were not afforded. With Griffin in the highest seat of power possible, she had never felt the pressure of needing to ‘marry up’—a concern that Bianca constantly expressed. With Griffin returning home, she was sure the greater part of her life, once filled by travel and study, would become a matter of painstaking business parties and propaganda for her brother.

  Without speaking, Lena picked up the note. It only had her name on it, but just looking at it stunned her; it was an incredibly intimate and illegal gesture. She opened it, and read it quietly.

  Lena,

  Sorry it turned out like this. We lost at the trial that was held concerning my right to stay here with Master Daray. I’m leaving with the Corbetts. Howard doesn’t want me to see you again, and there’s some debate about whether or not he’ll win on that issue. For the time being, I’m not even supposed to speak to you, so don’t tell anyone about this. I hope you’re well. I’ll miss you.

  Sincerely,

  Griffin

  “Did he really sign it ‘sincerely’?” Hesper was half smiling.

  Lena looked up. “What?”

  “You read out loud to yourself in your head. Is that really how he ended it? Sincerely? The second most powerful person in the world, and he can’t even write a stupid love letter. Somebody needs to smack him…” She started her routine to get ready for bed. The lengths she went to for something as simple as washing her face intrigued Lena; there was makeup remover (one for her skin and one for around the eyes), then exfoliation, several kinds of skin softeners, zit cream, lotion…

  “It’s not a love letter. I agree that he needs a smacking, though.” Still holding the note, Lena read it over again.

  “Oh please. He’s male. It’s amazing he even remembered to write—that means you’re special.” Cleansers, things to prevent wrinkles, stuff to put oils in where skin was dry, stuff to pull oils out where it was too oily…

  “Tell him I don’t think we should be talking.”

  “What?” Hesper almost dropped her makeup-smudged washcloth.

  “I don’t know him. I don’t think I want to know him. He’s been lying to me ever since I met him.” Lena settled into the cot, and pulled the blankets over her. “You don’t know him either.”

  “He lies to protect you. You’re right—I don’t know him. I think the last real conversation we had concerned who had the more awesome cell phone when we were eight, but you know what? You’re going to have to trust me on this one. You aren’t a quarter of the Silenti I am, and I know what he was feeling when he handed me that note. He’s concerned for you.”

  Lena turned over and looked into the bathroom, where Hesper was watching her through the mirror. In the reflection, their eyes met. At that moment, Lena wished she could have read her friend’s mind. She wished she could feel people’s emotions, and know with such certainty who was lying to her. She wanted very much to believe Hesper, and she wanted a medium through which to do it; she’d lost all faith in blind faith since the time Howard had repainted the second floor hall. She was almost certain Howard hadn’t lied to her when he said Griffin was dangerous. She was almost certain she could trust Hesper, her friend. But she was also almost certain she couldn’t trust everything that she was being told by both of them at the same time. She looked back down at the note.

  …so don’t tell anyone about this…I’ll miss you.

  She needed advice, and she had no one who could give it in an unbiased fashion. She folded up the note and stuck it in her pillow case. Then, on second thought, she pulled it out and stuck it in the nightstand drawer. Without another word, she pulled the blankets over her head and pretended to sleep while Hesper finished the rest of her routine. Hesper probably knew she wasn’t sleeping, but Lena was beginning to become accustomed to the feeling of others knowing more about her than she did.

  “Mom?” Lena had woken up early, hoping to catch her mother before she could start any conversations with her friends. Lena was surprised to find her up as early as she was, already picking out her clothes for the day and putting on makeup.

  “Lena! Sweetie, why are you up so early?” She was wearing a bathrobe and holding different dresses in front of her while looking in the mirror.

  “I need advice…”

  “Do you think the blue, or the green?” Ava continued switching the dresses in front of her.

  “I…the green one. I got a note from Griffin.”

  Ava threw the blue dress onto her bed and smiled at Lena. She walked into the bathroom to change.

  “Um…Griffin gave me a note…”

  “Well, that’s great! You like him, don’t you?” Ava shouted through the bathroom door. She sounded somewhat disconnected from the situation.

  “I don’t know. He’s kind of been lying to me for a while now, and I don’t think I really like him that way. We’re really kind of just friends…”

  “Lying to you?” Ava opened the bathroom door and started applying makeup. “About what?”

  “Don’t you think it counts as a lie that…” Lena walked into the bathroom and grabbed the lipstick out of her mother’s hand. “Please listen to me!”

  “Lena!” Ava slapping her hands onto the bathroom counter in frustration.

  “Mom, he never told me about the whole engagement thing! That counts as a pretty big lie, don’t you think?”

  Ava stared at the lipstick, which was still firmly in Lena’s hand. Her eyes slid up to meet her daughters. She carefully reached out and took back her lipstick.

  “We didn’t tell you because I thought it would upset you,” Ava replied.

  “Well, yeah. Arranged marriages have a tendency to do that to people. And another thing—isn’t that illegal in this country? In most countries, for God’s sake? And you knew? How can you possibly be okay with this?! I’m not marrying him. I’ll go to the police.” Lena was shaking. She had never been so angry in her life; finding out that her mother not only knew, but was partially responsible for the whole ordeal, was almost too much for her.

  “Forced marriage is illegal, Lena, not arranged marriage. It’s years and years from now. Don’t you think you could consider it? He’s grown on you a little, hasn’t he?” Ava had gone back to doing her makeup. She set her gaze into the mirror as she talked, and refused to make eye contact.

  “No. I don’t think I can consider it.”

  “Don’t be so stubborn!” Ava scoffed.

  “Mom, do you—“

  “You think I don’t know what this is about?! I know what it’s about! You’re a stupid teenager. You can’t make your own decisions! Sure, I could let you do whatever you want, but do you know, can you even possibly know what will happen to you?” Lena shrunk back against the wall. Ava’s eyes were livid, and her face was red with shouting. “Do you want to be me? You’ll take that marriage, and you’ll be happy with it! Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but you won’t be me!” Quivering, Ava stopped to take a breath, and seemed about to start again but then didn’t. Her form seemed to collapse slightly, and she started to cry. Not knowing what to do, Lena remained frozen in place. When Ava looked back up at her and spoke, her voice was filled with abhorrence, not sadness.

  “My father hates me, Lena. He hates me. I killed Aaron by marrying him…and I buried a child for it. I’ll live in fear until my death. I’ve lost everyone’s respect—even yours. I used to be you, and I should have listened to the people who knew what was best for me. I ran off with Aaron just to prove I could, and you know what? Y
ou’re the unfortunate consequence. This all happened because of two weeks of misguided independence.” She grabbed a washcloth of the counter to blow her nose. “Don’t make my mistake. Take the arranged marriage.”

  They stared at each other. For Lena, the room suddenly seemed both too big and too small. She didn’t want to be there anymore. She didn’t want to comfort anyone who would encourage what her mother was encouraging, even if she was her mother. Ava lifted herself up; she washed her face and started reapplying her makeup as Lena watched in horror. Her mood had changed entirely.

  “And you can just live here, like that? You think of me like that?”

  “I have social responsibilities to the other families. I’m Avalon Daray, after all.” She started sifting through a bag of eye shadow compresses. “I don’t make those decisions anyway. If you’ll excuse me, I need to prepare to impress my friends.”

  Ava gestured for Lena to leave. Half in disbelief, she did. She couldn’t stay; there was nothing to keep her here. It was less than three months until her birthday in July; she was too young to do it herself. She needed an adult—her father. She needed to run, as he had run, so fast, and to so many places that they would never catch up to her. She would escape from Waldgrave.

  No. Running didn’t work, as her current situation indicated. She walked to the library and looked forlornly at the upward leading staircase. She was afraid of him. She knew he wouldn’t help her, but she knew he needed her. As much as she believed Howard and Master Mason when they said everything that could be done was being done, she needed to face this demon herself.

  Dreams can’t hurt you, Lena, they’re just dreams… Her dreams were real. Her father had known, but these words still gave her comfort. Master Daray wouldn’t hurt her—he needed her, after all.

  “What am I waiting for?” She reached out and touched the banister, but didn’t move. She wondered why she didn’t just run; if she knew he wasn’t going to help her, really, it was her only choice. But then, at least she would have faced him, as an adult and an equal.

  You may enter.

  Lena jumped. She stared up at the door at the top of the stairs, her throat gone dry and goose bumps forming on her skin. She started to slowly back away from the staircase.

  Come now, Eden. I’ve been expecting you for quite some time. Years, even.

  She took a deep breath. To back down now would be to admit defeat. Her chest was tight and every part of her quivered like a leaf. She forced herself back toward the stairs, every move as halting as a marionette. She climbed the stairs, not knowing exactly how she managed to do it. The adrenaline pulsing in her brain was causing her ears to buzz.

  Open the door…

  She reached her hand towards the knob, half afraid that it might bite her. She half expected it to jerk open in front of her, revealing a menace that would cause her to faint down the stairs again. She turned it slowly, and then pushed it open.

  Good girl.

  It was a much simpler room than the library. Bookshelves, orderly and alphabetized, covered one entire wall. Muted light came from wall lamps which vaguely resembled giant leaves, and the room was carpeted in a deep burgundy. It might have been her fear, but Lena thought it was meant to resemble blood. Various artifacts littered the room; tapestries, rugs, framed mirrors, coat racks, giant wooden trunks, and even the skeleton of a giant creature Lena couldn’t identify. It had the form of a cat, ready to pounce, except that it appeared to be more lizard-like than anything else, with a sweeping skeletal tail behind it and two horns sprouting from its forehead. And in the middle of it all was an oversized desk, carved very elaborately, and behind the desk…

  You will never be my equal.

  “I don’t want to be your equal.”

  His upper lip quivered. He smiled in a way that scared her. “And yet you wish to face me as such. Have a seat.”

  “What…?” Lena suddenly felt dizzy. A chair had condensed in front of the desk. She walked towards it, trying to seem unimpressed, but the dusty smell of the artifacts was getting to her. The chair itself smelled moldy; it probably hadn’t been used in—

  “About ten years. I haven’t been allowed many guests since then.” Daray picked up a pen from his desk and casually examined it. His face was old, and his eyes had a look that Lena had too frequently seen in her short life.

  “You’re dying.” She said, before she had even had time to think about it.

  Daray froze, the pen suspended haphazardly between two fingers. His shallow eyes drifted to Lena, and a crooked smile overcame his thin lips.

  Clever girl… “Since the day I was born, as it goes. I am not so easily impressed. But since it’s death you wish to speak of—“

  For a fleeting moment, Lena feared he would start in on her father again. He flashed another smile at her and continued.

  “—your brother, I mean. He was a fine boy; it’s really too bad. If he hadn’t been murdered by zealots, well, we’d know each other on different terms. If your mother hadn’t chosen to run off with a damn human, we wouldn’t have to know each other at all.” He set the pen down. “And I think…” He pushed himself up from the desk, and began wandering toward one of the wall mirrors. “Those may be the only things the two of you had in common. My decision concerning young Master Corbett stands.”

  “I won’t stay…” Lena whispered. He was old, yes—but so regal. His movements were as strong as those of a man fifty years his junior, and even so, there was no mistaking that look. Lena had experienced it first with her father, and then with her grandmother. When someone is going to die, things come floating to the surface like rot in a bog. Baby eyes are deep and dark as the ocean, but dying souls push everything up and out, until the eyes are so light and clear and there are only a few specks of condensed color flecking them. Lena could see death hovering around Master Daray.

  A movement across the room caught her eye, and Lena looked over to see the cat, sitting stark still next to a bookcase and watching her. Lena greatly disliked that cat…He seemed to always be watching her.

  “He’s a portal cat, Lena. I know you’ve never heard of such a thing, as he’s the last of his breed. A sad thing, really. You see, when the original Silenti came through the portal, some of them brought pets.” She saw him nod at the gigantic skeleton. “There were only a few portal cats, but they have very long life spans. Some were known to reach well over five hundred years and weigh over fifteen thousand pounds. They are natural companions for Silenti, as they share some of our abilities. Remarkable animals. Genetically, they can interbreed with house cats. It’s even been suggested to me that I try to repopulate the species by breeding him with a regular house cat,” Daray turned and looked over his shoulder at Lena, an ironic smile on his face, “But I wouldn’t do him the dishonor of forcing him to propagate impure, weakly offspring. Such creatures have no place in the world.”

  You’re sick… “I’m not staying.” Lena simply restated her earlier assertion. She wasn’t going to let him get to her, as Howard had said he would try.

  “I won’t force you to. I’m not the enemy. Howard, however…” He turned back to the mirror and straightened his clothes. “Well, I doubt he would ever give you such an offer. My rules were always simple, Eden. Live by them and you can do what you want. I would let you travel the globe again, given that you acquiesced to a few simple requirements. One or two little things, that’s all I ask, and then I’d give you the world. Howard would never do that for you.”

  “You’re just saying that because he says not to trust you.”

  “If you believe I’m the one keeping you here,” He turned to face her, and started walking toward the chair. “Then go with my blessing. Howard is a jailor, and we have more in common than you think. I’ll even release you from the marriage if you prove me wrong.”

  “You’re lying. There’s nothing he wants more than to keep me away from you.”

  Daray laughed quietly. He waved Lena away as he sat down to his desk; Lena went
immediately back to her room, with Daray’s blessing that she might leave Waldgrave forever, and started packing.

  *****