by H. R. Moore
After a couple of weeks, Anita started to feel more like herself again and decided she was ready to start letting people back into her life. The time was fading the scars, Anita was starting to forgive herself, and she turned her attention to what she should do about Marcus and Alexander. They both still came to visit every morning, having settled into a routine of who arrived when, so as to avoid being there together. Cordelia turned them away every time without fail, saying that Anita would let them know when she was ready to see them. She’d had a couple of near misses, where one of them had altered their visiting time for some reason or other, and once Anita had had to duck behind a tree to make sure that Alexander didn’t see her. Of course he would’ve felt her energy and known it was her, however he’d respected her wishes, continuing into the house to see Cordelia as normal, returning, again without stopping, a couple of minutes later.
After a great deal of consideration, Anita decided it would be best to see Marcus first. She was supposed to be his girlfriend after all, he’d been the one to rescue her, and although he didn’t know it, she had deceived him. She owed him at least that much.
The following morning, Anita sat in the garden at Marcus’ normal visiting time, on a bench near her usual yoga spot, and waiting for him to arrive. She heard and felt him before she saw him and steeled herself as the sound of his footsteps disappeared onto the grass. As he rounded the corner of the cottage, he saw Anita and stopped dead, blinking a couple of times to make sure his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. When he was sure it was really her, he flew across the lawn to where she sat and dropped to his knees in front of her, hugging her round the waist and pulling her head to his shoulder.
‘Anita, thank the Gods you’re alright. I’m so, so sorry. How are you feeling?’ he garbled into her hair, still not totally convinced this wasn’t some cruel mirage.
She pulled back and smiled at him, running her hand down the side of his face. ‘Marcus, this wasn’t your fault. It was mine. I should’ve respected that you took me to a place of great importance to your family and should’ve known not to pry. I was extremely privileged that you showed me the picture, if anyone should be sorry, it should be me.’ Tears of guilty regret welled up in Anita’s eyes before they burst free and trickled down her pale cheeks.
Marcus couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Austin had locked her up and tortured her when she’d done nothing wrong, and she was sorry? He moved to sit next to her, pulling her back into his arms, softly stroking her hair, willing her to come to her senses. ‘Anita, please don’t blame yourself. Dad’s reaction was crazy, it was unforgiveable. I’m just happy you’re still able to stand the sight of me.’ His kindness caused the tears to flow vigorously and she pulled herself closer to his chest, Marcus wrapping his arms more tightly around her, bowing his head forward to kiss the top of her head. The flow of her tears finally abated and Marcus helped Anita up, taking her inside. He made them a pot of tea and sat them down on the old, worn sofa next to the fire, Anita cuddling up to him and Marcus gently calming her, stroking her hair. They talked intermittently, sitting for periods in silence, just enjoying the contact with the other, until Marcus told her quietly that he had to leave. She sat up and kissed him, his lips soft and comforting. She felt protected with him there; she didn’t want him to go.
‘Can’t you stay?’ she asked, willing his answer to be yes, her forehead furrowed with distress, ‘just for a little bit longer.’
Marcus faltered, his heart breaking at the prospect of leaving her, but he really had to go, he’d be late as it was. ‘I’ve got to go, but I’ll be back as soon as I’m done, I promise.’
‘Where’re you going?’ she asked, hoping to find some logical argument as to why he didn’t really have to leave her.
He hesitated, fighting a battle over what to tell her, but reasoning lies had no place in their relationship, especially at the moment, and she’d find out eventually one way or another. ‘I’m going to meet dad,’ he said sheepishly.
‘What?’ Anita breathed, her mind muddled at his words, her body sending a shot of adrenaline through her veins, her heart starting to race.
He looked guilty and embarrassed, but continued honestly. ‘Since I blackmailed dad to make him release you, he’s developed a new found respect for me. He’s starting to get me more involved with his business activities and Amber even has to take orders from me now. The relationship is far from a good one with both of them, but I’m learning so much that’ll be invaluable when I’m a ruling Descendant.’
The little colour she’d had drained from Anita’s face. She felt like she was in some kind of nightmare. After everything Austin had done, how could Marcus be working with him? How could Marcus be closer to him now than he had been before? She felt cold and started to shake, Marcus trying to pull her back towards him, but she pushed him away, she felt numb, just wanting him to go. Whereas moments before she’d felt safe in his embrace, now she was scared. ‘I’ll see you later,’ she said, pulling her knees up to her chest, clearly indicating it was time for him to leave.
Marcus looked hurt, he wanted to say something to justify what he was doing, but he really had to go; Austin didn’t take kindly to having to wait around for anyone. He’d explain everything to her later, even if he couldn’t tell her what Austin had been getting him involved with. ‘Ok,’ he said, resigned, ‘I’ll see you later. I’ll be back as soon as I can.’ She nodded and he placed a soft kiss on her lips but she barely responded, she was like a different person from the girl who’d kissed him just moments before. He got up and made for the door. She’d come round with some more time, he hoped as he left the room, Anita’s energy plummeting as he went.
As soon as Marcus left, Anita got up and headed for the door. She needed to get out and do some exercise. She needed some space to think. She started to run as soon as she left the house, not thinking about where she was going, ignoring the dull pain in her chest. She couldn’t believe it; was he choosing Austin over her? After everything they’d been though? After she’d been beaten to within an inch of her life?
Anita halted abruptly as she realised she’d run to the Temples, the ancient buildings climbing majestically into the sky ahead. She ran straight past the Temple of the Body and headed to the Spirit Temple instead, feeling like meditation may help her. She settled down at the back of the Temple, in the place she and Alexander used to meditate, and closed her eyes.
When she returned, she felt calmer and more composed. The news from Marcus had taken her by surprise, but when she thought about it, it would be both difficult and dangerous for Marcus to cut all ties with Austin straight away. Maybe he hated his father too and was stepping closer to him only because it would work to his advantage in the long run? Or maybe he was just doing it to make sure Austin didn’t come after her again? She’d overreacted to the news as it’d taken her by surprise. She’d never, even for a second, entertained the thought that Marcus would go back to work with Austin; she hadn’t really even entertained the thought that they’d speak again. She’d thought they might have a similar relationship to that of Austin and Amelia, with them avoiding each other. But she should at least give Marcus a chance to explain what was going on before jumping to judgements.
Anita was about to get up to go back to Cordelia’s, when she felt Alexander’s powerful energy enter the Temple. She closed her eyes and pretended to meditate, not ready to see him yet, especially as she was so confused about Marcus. Alexander saw Anita and paused, leaning against a pillar and watching her rise and fall as she breathed long, slow breaths. He toyed with the idea of going and sitting down opposite her, joining her meditation, but aside from that being a total invasion of her privacy, he knew he had to respect her wishes; she’d talk to him when she was ready.
Alexander made his way quietly to the Temple’s centre and descended into his chambers, Anita watching his graceful, flowing movements as he went. She had such strong feelings for him, but after what she’d put Marcus through, it wouldn�
��t be fair to push him away now, especially now he seemed so vulnerable to his father’s influence.
*****
Marcus was waiting for Anita when she got home, his face full of relief when she didn’t appear to be angry with him. ‘Are you ok?’ he asked concerned.
‘Yes,’ she smiled, ‘I just needed to do some exercise, so ran to the Temples to meditate. How did it go with Austin?’ There was no point in tiptoeing around the topic, so Anita just dived in.
‘It was fine. We had to visit a farmer that owes us rent. We have several of those at the moment, so we’re working out what to do with them.’
‘The poor things must be having such a tough time.’
Marcus nodded in agreement. ‘We agreed he could give us two of his goats to cover the shortfall. He seemed grateful.’
‘What?’ she said, shocked. ‘The farmers are having the worst year ever, obviously because of the energy, something which is entirely beyond their control, and you’re making them pay rent they can’t afford?’
‘We were kind to them,’ he said defensively, not understanding her reaction. ‘Instead of money we accepted goats; we didn’t have to do that.’
‘And what are you going to do next time he can’t pay? What if he has no goats left to give you? What will you do then?’
‘I’m sure it won’t come to that. We’re just having a bad year. I’m sure very soon everything will return to normal and the farmers will be prosperous again.’
‘And if it’s not that simple? If it is to do with the energy and we have bad season after bad season?’
‘Then the farmers will have to diversify and find a different way to make a living, like everyone else. We run a business Anita, not a charity.’
‘You have a responsibility to the people of the world as their rulers to look after them, not suck them dry. You should be charitable; Gods know if anyone can afford it, it’s you.’
CHAPTER 17
The next few weeks were difficult for Anita. She wanted to make things work with Marcus, how could she do anything else given what he’d done to get her out, but he was coming under more and more influence from Austin, his views becoming more radical and more entrenched. The time she spent with Marcus was tense, she felt guarded in his company. In stark contrast, she felt calm and safe when she was meditating in the Spirit Temple and she started going there every day. Every day she felt Alexander’s energy watching her from afar. He never came over, not wanting to invade her privacy or push her into something before she was ready, but she had to hide the spike in her energy whenever she became aware of his presence.
It was a beautiful winter’s day, the sun sparkling low in the sky, the air crisp and sharp, the ground covered in frost that crackled under every footstep. Anita was lost in her thoughts as she walked to the Spirit Temple for her usual meditation, wrapped up warm with only her face exposed to the wind, but as she was approaching the Temples she looked up, feeling powerful energy ahead. She caught sight of Helena descending the steps from the Body Temple, conversing animatedly with someone she didn’t recognise. She froze, her energy turning to hatred, feelings of anger at Helena and disgust at herself flooding back. She pushed the feelings aside and looked around for somewhere to hide; she wasn’t ready to face Helena yet. Given the limited options available, she selected a large oak tree and managed to scramble behind it before she was spotted. Helena passed, not seeing Anita, or at least not letting on if she had, and disappeared, still deep in conversation with the man she was with.
Anita had been wrestling with what to do about Helena. She’d considered confronting her, to find out what she’d been playing at, telling her she knew it was one of Austin’s memories that Helena had been trying to steal and demanding to know why. In the end she’d decided the best course of action was not to do anything; knowing Helena, the thing that would piss her off the most would be not knowing what had happened. No doubt she’d heard on the grapevine the rough story, but not to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth would be killing her. Helena had no problem with confrontation, in fact she enjoyed it, but she hated being kept in the dark, so Anita decided that was exactly what she should do. She still wanted to know what the memory was about, but there was no chance Helena would tell her willingly and she’d have no way to tell if Helena was lying or not, even if she did.
Anita waited to make sure she was definitely gone before proceeding to the Temple of the Spirit and sitting cross legged in her normal spot. She didn’t have to wait long before she could feel Alexander observing her and she smiled, today not making any attempt to hide the effect he had on her. His energy rose in response and without stopping to think, she sent a nudge to the edge of his energy field. He responded immediately, striding over to where she sat, sinking down in front of her and taking her hands gently.
‘I’ve been so worried about you,’ he said softly, ‘how are you feeling?’
She smiled, ‘I’m getting there,’ she murmured, enjoying the close up view of his face, especially those glorious eyes, ‘how are you doing?’
He looked at her indulgently, ‘how am I doing? In comparison to what you’ve been through I’ve had a walk in the park, I’m fine.’
Alexander dropped her hands, sensing others about to walk into the Temple. ‘I don’t think we should talk in such a public place,’ he said, ‘I don’t want Marcus to find out through other people, especially now he’s working more closely with Austin.’ Alexander chose his words carefully, he didn’t want to be too negative about Marcus given the circumstances, however it was a real threat and they shouldn’t ignore it. Anita nodded and Alexander led her to the centre of the Temple, the stone above his chambers sliding aside and they descended the steps, Anita excited to see under the Temple for the first time.
They entered the room housing Alexander’s desk and several worn leather chairs. It was crammed full of books and pictures, but had a warm, cosy feel to it, with a lit fire in the corner that reminded Anita of home. ‘It’s amazing,’ she said, wandering around looking at the contents of the shelves.
‘I’m glad you like it,’ he smiled. ‘I can’t take credit though I’m afraid, I’ve hardly touched it since I took over from Philip. All this stuff belonged either to him or previous Descendants. I’ve barely even started working my way through everything, I’m trying to work out what kind of treasure trove I’m sitting on.’
‘A happy task,’ she said, spotting a rare energy book and taking it off the shelf to flick through the pages, ‘and quite a significant treasure trove if this book is anything to go by,’ she said, putting it carefully back on the shelf. ‘So what do you know about what’s going on between Marcus and Austin?’ she asked abruptly, taking him off guard.
There was no point in trying to sugar coat it, she wouldn’t respect him for it if he did. He took a deep breath and told her everything he knew. ‘From what I can tell, Marcus is being brought further and further under Austin’s wing. Since he managed to convince Austin to free you, their relationship has changed; Austin seems to respect Marcus now, in a way that he didn’t before. He’s even making Amber take orders from Marcus, not a move he would’ve played lightly; it’s probably to make Marcus feel like he has some degree of control. In reality he has no control at all, Marcus is being groomed to follow in Austin’s footsteps, in exactly the same way that Austin was by Tobias. No doubt Marcus feels he’s learning invaluable lessons that’ll put him in a more powerful position, he may even have some naïve notion that he’ll be able to bring Austin round, so he’ll do something about the energy if everything gets really bad. In reality, Austin has Marcus exactly where he wants him and all he has to do now is get Marcus so involved in his ‘business’ activities that he can’t get out. He’ll probably encourage him to do things of an incrementally more dubious nature, so each action is only a small step further from what he’s done before. Eventually Marcus will be forced to make a choice, to do something so bad that he passes the point of no return, and at that point Austin wi
ll have won. Marcus will no doubt hate himself for a time and wonder how he’s got so entangled in such a web of deceit that there’s no way back, the only hope of a way out being to go further into the clutches of the trap. You may still have influence over him, but you’ll have to be careful how you use it. For the first time in his life Marcus’ father is treating him like he’s worth something, like the Mind line is lucky to have him. Marcus has wanted his father’s acceptance for a very long time and it’ll take something significant to make him give that up.’
Anita sat down in one of the leather arm chairs and paused to digest Alexander’s words. ‘Do you think an ultimatum would work?’ she asked carefully, avoiding his eyes.
Alexander couldn’t hide his shock, nor the stab of loss he felt imaging a world where Anita had bound herself to Marcus in such a way that they could never be together, not to mention the risk that if Marcus did subsequently follow Austin anyway, she could have cause to blame herself. And what if Marcus chose Austin over Anita? Then all influence would be lost and there’d be no hope of ever prising him away from his father. ‘No,’ he responded, happy that he wasn’t just saying it for selfish reasons. ‘The worst way to deal with Marcus at the moment is to force his hand, he’d feel as though he were being backed into a corner and not like he was making a real choice by himself. He’s unlikely to want to give up Austin totally at the moment, especially now he finally feels he’s getting somewhere.’
‘Then what should I do? His views are already more extreme; he can’t see that some of the things he and Austin are doing are totally wrong. They’re forcing farmers, who’re scared of losing their farms, whose crops are failing, who feel responsible for the impending food shortages, into paying their full rent regardless. They’re taking their livestock as payment for Gods’ sake and he can’t see it’s wrong. They have a responsibility to the people of the world and all they seem to care about is collecting what they’re owed.’ She stood up and started pacing, her agitation evident.
