The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness

by Tabitha Barret

  “You didn’t have to do that, though I appreciate the clothes,” she hugged him quickly. “I’ll be sure to hide the luggage somewhere in the basement until we leave. I’m just looking forward to spending time with you. I always feel like you have to leave before I can really talk to you.”

  She hated admitting that she missed him, but she wanted him to know he was special to her.

  “I am looking forward to our time together as well. There is so much I want to show you and teach you. I’ve always enjoyed learning new languages and meeting new people. I hope I can pass along some of my enthusiasm to you. You’ve always kept people at a distance. Perhaps this journey will help you open yourself up and learn to interact with all kinds of people,” Uncle Bob spoke enthusiastically about seeing the world. It made her eager to leave as soon as possible.

  Michelle thought about CJ’s note and worried she might have nightmares on their trip. She considered talking to him, but didn’t want to ruin their plans. He might cancel the trip and have her evaluated.

  “Uncle Bob, do you think I’m strange?” she asked before she could stop herself.

  He pondered her question for a moment and tilted his head. “No. I think you are very bright, intelligent, loving, and caring. I don’t think that’s strange. Why would you ask that?”

  “I feel out of place sometimes, like I have a force field around me. I see what’s going on, but I don’t feel like I’m a part of it. I feel disconnected,” she was afraid he would dismiss her concerns.

  “My darling, you see the world very differently than most, but there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve watched you grow up and I know you’ve had trouble making friends. CJ is the only person you are close to, which is fine, but I believe you need to trust people more. You are very quick to judge strangers and decide they are not worth getting to know better. Take the time to learn about people and you will build friendships. Patience and understanding are vital to creating new bonds with those around you,” Uncle Bob patted her arm.

  Michelle hung her head. “I understand what you are saying, but sometimes it’s hard to let people in. Maybe if I can get some distance from this place, I can start over.”

  Uncle Bob took Michelle’s hands into his.

  “Michelle, life isn’t easy. We don’t always know what fate has in store for us. I promise that you will make sense of things in time. You are in such a rush to leave home, but I’m afraid you might regret losing the simplicity of this place. The world can be overwhelming and you will have to find your own way. You will take on new responsibilities and be expected to do great things. You may yearn for the safety of this life and wish you had stayed a little longer,” he sounded wistful when he spoke, as if he regretted growing up too fast or having too many responsibilities on his shoulders.

  Michelle slumped back into the couch and felt guilty for wanting to rush through the next few weeks. She took his advice to heart and told herself to be patient. He always had a way of making her see things from a different perspective. She valued his opinion above all others.

  “Okay. I’ll relax and try to enjoy what I have here,” she pulled her hands away from his and picked at her fingernails while she thought about what he said. She would try to make the most of the next few weeks so that she wouldn’t regret rushing through it.

  CJ burst into the living room and greeted Uncle Bob with a handshake. “Good to see you, Uncle Bob. I want to hear all about Maui, or Canada, or wherever you were, but after dinner,” he quickly headed into the kitchen to see what Mrs. Black was making.

  Uncle Bob chuckled when he saw CJ’s enthusiasm over a pot roast. “His parents still make him frozen dinners I see.”

  “Yes, they do. Sometimes I think it’s the only reason CJ is friends with me. If mom ever stopped cooking, he would move on to some other girl who had a mother with culinary abilities,” Michelle chuckled darkly.

  Uncle Bob laughed. “Don’t dismiss the boy’s feelings so quickly. Though, if his parents cooked, he would probably have to come up with a new excuse to spend so much time here.”

  Michelle rolled her eyes. “Stick to Communication Management, Uncle Bob and forget the relationship advice. You’re bad at it. Three girls asked him to Prom this afternoon alone. Well, technically, it would have been four, but I saw her stalking him and he was able to avoid her. I have to help him sift through the offers tonight. He needs to give them an answer by tomorrow. There will be a lot of crushed hearts come morning,” she hated the thought of helping him pick the future Mrs. Jeffries, but she would do it with a smile to make him happy.

  Uncle Bob crossed his legs on the couch and rubbed his chin. “I beg your pardon; I happen to be very good at relationship advice. You are just too close to the problem. I think if you took a step back and really looked at CJ, you would see what I see. That boy cares very deeply for you. You just need to follow your heart and stop letting your fear get in the way.”

  Michelle frowned, but didn’t say anything. She was happy Uncle Bob was taking the time to help her. She liked that he listened to what she had to say. Her mother had told her that CJ was too good-looking to be interested in her as anything more than friends.

  In a moment of weakness, she turned to Uncle Bob. “Please say that you’ll stay the night. Just one night, that’s all,” she knew she was pleading, but she didn’t want to wait a month to see him.

  Uncle Bob stood up from the bland beige couch and looked around the meticulously kept living room with matching beige drapes and carpet. It reminded him of a hospital waiting room. It was entirely too antiseptic for him.

  He paced around the small room and considered her request. He was thrilled to see her, but was devastated that he had to leave again so soon. His love for her was his downfall and he immediately caved to her request when he looked into her eyes.

  “Fine, I will stay, but just for tonight. I have to leave in the morning,” Uncle Bob sighed. He knew there would be problems if he stayed, but he couldn’t help himself.

  Michelle couldn’t believe it. He’d finally agreed to stay! She threw her arms around him and was too overwhelmed to speak.

  He responded with a chuckle, and accepted the hug. He pulled something out his coat pocket and handed it to her. “I have another gift for you.”

  Michelle looked at the white box tied with a red ribbon.

  “You know you don’t have to buy me things,” Michelle was embarrassed by his generosity. She carefully pulled the ribbon and opened the box.

  “Do you like it?” he watched her excitedly peer into the box.

  Inside was a black cord necklace with a gold charm on it. The charm had the bottom of a cross and a loop on top instead of a straight line. It was beautiful. The only other jewelry she owned was an adjustable thick silver band with a large gem in the middle that she wore on her right hand. The gemstone was red, with a black half crescent in the middle and more specks of red inside of it. The gem glowed when the light hit it the right way. Uncle Bob had given it to her when she was born and she never took it off.

  “It’s amazing. What is it?” Michelle liked the idea of wearing a necklace.

  “It’s called an Egyptian Ankh; they were depicted in hieroglyphics in Ancient Egypt. The drawings suggest that the gods used them to breathe life into people when they went into the afterlife. I fell in love with it when I saw it. It’s made out of gold. I found it in an auction house. They said it was very old,” he explained matter-of-factly.

  “It’s beautiful. Thank you so much,” she appreciated his thoughtfulness, but felt bad that she never had anything to give him in return.

  He took the necklace and fastened it around her neck.

  “I’m glad you like it,” Uncle Bob smiled proudly while CJ walked over to admire the necklace.

  Michelle’s mother popped her head into the living room and waved to Uncle Bob. “Dinner time, Robert. I made my special pot roast, your favorite. Hurry along before it gets cold.”

  “Can’t wait Elise, we�
�ll be right there,” Uncle Bob turned his attention back to Michelle.

  Michelle folded her arms and rolled her eyes. “It must be five o’clock on the dot, Early Bird Special at the Black House. I swear to God, by the time they’re in their 70’s they’re going to eat dinner at two o’clock and be in bed by three o’clock. Don’t you just love how she invites me and CJ to dinner?”

  Uncle Bob patted her arm and nodded.

  Mr. Black walked into the living room and extended his hand to his brother. “Hello Robert, good to see you as always. Sorry I didn’t come down sooner, I had an emergency with a large order I was working on. You know how it is when duty calls; you drop everything. How have you been?” Henry smiled brightly, though he appeared tired.

  “Yes, I know all about duty,” Uncle Bob chuckled and shook hands with him. “Everything’s fine. I see you are taking good care of Michelle and CJ.”

  “Of course. Now, come along, I have some paper samples for you to look through. I’m sure we can find something for your company letterhead. You really need to make a statement with it,” Henry’s eyes lit up at the thought of conducting business. He made his way over to the kitchen table and waited for dinner.

  Michelle shook her head at father’s unique ability to turn any conversation into a sales pitch. She waited to escort Uncle Bob to the kitchen.

  “You go along; I forgot something in the car. CJ, why don’t you help me?” Uncle Bob watched Michelle shuffle into the kitchen.

  Uncle Bob and CJ walked out of the house and stood next to the shiny red Mercedes convertible in the driveway.

  CJ watched Uncle Bob lean against the car and smirk.

  “So…how’s it going? I see you still haven’t gotten up the nerve to ask my lovely niece out yet. I heard about the Prom offers. I assume I know why you haven’t accepted any of the offers yet,” he watched CJ fidget under his scrutiny.

  CJ hung his head. Uncle Bob had figured out some years ago that he had a huge crush on Michelle, despite the fact that Michelle was oblivious. He had tried to give him advice over the years, but CJ always managed to screw things up. It was hard because he was sworn to silence about Michelle’s problems and couldn’t explain how there was rarely a good time to profess his love for her.

  “Well, no, but I do have a plan. We made a pact Freshman year stating that we would go together, if we didn’t have any dates. I figured if I deny all the offers, then I would be considered dateless. She will have to take pity on me since the deadline for bids is tomorrow. She will have to go with me. Then I just have to tell her how I feel about her on Prom night. I’m just afraid she’ll tell me that we’re better off as friends and rip my still beating heart from my chest,” CJ grimaced at the image. He stopped for a minute and debated if that was his nightmare, or if it had been one of Michelle’s nightmares. No, he was sure it was his nightmare.

  “Chicken. I don’t foresee this plan working. Michelle will pick someone for you, if she has to. I think you need to be straightforward, and tell her that you love her. You do realize she is leaving soon. You’re running out of time, my boy,” Uncle Bob frowned at him and tapped his fingers on the hood.

  “Don’t remind me. I get sick every time I think about it. Do you really have to take her away so soon? I’m thrilled that she’s getting out of here, but I don’t know what I’m going to do without her,” CJ kicked a rock in the driveway wishing things were easier with Michelle.

  “I’m afraid so. You and I both know she’s unhappy here. She’s learned what she can from school and it’s time for her to take the next step. I’m hoping that new surroundings will ease her mind and dispel some of her melancholy,” he hated the thought of separating the two of them, especially since they were so close.

  “So you’ve noticed that she’s miserable. I’m glad someone has noticed,” CJ held his breath and prepared to tell Uncle Bob everything.

  “Dear boy, there are very few things that I don’t see when it comes to her. You know I have no children of my own and I think of her as a daughter. That is why I’m taking her away. There are so many things her parents haven’t taught her. I feel that I must enlighten her,” he saw the sadness on the boy’s face. He had grown very fond of him over the years and hated to see him so despondent.

  “I get it, I do. It’s just that I’m going to miss her,” CJ decided to keep his mouth shut. He hoped that spending time with her uncle would make her trust him enough to tell him what she was going through.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you. Does she fancy another boy? Is that why you are hesitant to ask her out?” he had never considered that Michelle might like someone else.

  “Thankfully, she hasn’t shown any interest in anyone so far; otherwise, I’d be totally freaking out,” CJ hated the thought of Michelle with another guy. It made him angry to picture her kissing someone.

  CJ thought about Kevin Jones’ reaction to Michelle during lunch. Kevin had actually blushed when he thought Michelle was staring at him. Thank God, he was too flustered to ask her out. CJ was grateful that the bell had rung and Michelle had quickly left for class. Kevin looked mad that he hadn’t taken his shot. CJ decided to trip Kevin in the hallway the next time he looked like was going to make a move, or maybe spill some soda on him.

  Uncle Bob nodded and turned to search for something in his car. He pulled out a picture frame and stared at it for a moment.

  “I suggest you make your move soon; otherwise, you will regret it someday,” he tried to encourage the boy, though it was odd he needed any encouragement. The two of them were well suited for each other.

  CJ sighed and nodded his head.

  After dinner, Uncle Bob presented a 5 x 7 framed picture to Michelle.

  The photo was of an enormous cliff overlooking a river that divided a mountain range into smaller mountains in the distance. The skyline was breathtaking, even in the small picture.

  “It’s beautiful, but why are you giving me a picture of a cliff?” Michelle touched the intricate wooden frame and committed the photo to memory.

  “It’s the Preikestolen in Norway. It requires a lot of hiking to get there, but it is well worth the trek. The cliff was created during an Ice Age. It’s my favorite place to visit and I thought we could start our journey there. I’ve mistakenly captivated you with my tales of traveling, so I only have myself to blame. I hope you will enjoy Norway since it’s very different from your itinerary in the autumn. I know you plan to visit large cities, so I thought we could travel to scenic areas together,” Uncle Bob relaxed when he saw Michelle’s smile.

  “This is perfect. I want to see the world from your perspective. I can’t wait to see it,” she imagined herself standing on the awe-inspiring cliff with her uncle.

  “Though I love the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland for their beautiful sunsets, the Preikestolen has always been special to me. You’d have to see it to understand. Standing on the edge, you feel like you’re flying,” he ignored the look of bewilderment from his brother since his idea of traveling meant going to a paper conference once a year in Philadelphia and staying at a Motel 6.

  Elise shot Robert a disapproving look and scooped more mashed potatoes onto CJ’s plate. “Make sure you bring a jacket. It looks like it will be cold.”

  CJ tried to be cheerful, but he was upset that Michelle was going to be in the middle of nowhere without a phone.

  Uncle Bob saw the grief on CJ’s face. He shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. “I was thinking maybe CJ could join us, if you are okay with it Michelle. I know he will be heading off to NJIT in the autumn, so I thought the two of you would like to spend one last summer together,” he hid his amusement when CJ quickly looked up at him and accidentally knocked his plate halfway across the table.

  Michelle nearly fell out of her chair. She would do anything to have more time with CJ. “Yes, I’m okay with that. CJ, do you want to come?”

  CJ suddenly felt guilty for being a jerk. “Sure, yes, as long as I’m not intruding.”

 
; It would put a kink in his plans to ask her out, but it was worth it. He would have to wait until after they left; otherwise, she might kick him off the guest list.

  “Nothing would make me happier. Thank you, Uncle Bob!” Michelle’s summer plans were now perfect. She didn’t know how to thank her uncle. He had given her the best present of all, two and a half more months with CJ.

  Michelle’s parents were surprised by the offer, but didn’t say anything. They rarely disagreed with Uncle Bob and his spur of the moment decisions, though her mother quickly got up to wash the dishes to hide her displeasure. Michelle knew her parents couldn’t say anything since she and CJ were both eighteen.

  The three traveling companions spent the last few hours of the evening talking about the trip and deciding what CJ would need to pack.

  Around eight o’clock, Henry retired to the study to read the evening paper, and Elise excused herself so that she could plan the meals for the following day. Michelle sat by the window and watched the last bit of light disappear into the darkness. The evening dread came over her, knowing she would have to sleep soon. She took a deep breath and hoped that tonight would be a good night.

  She listened to Uncle Bob tease CJ about his video game obsession. While he was playing Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, he was eagerly trying to finish the game so he could move on to Doom. She listened to the two of them banter over the practical applications of video games in the real world. CJ won the argument when he stated that video games had taught him battle strategies, what kind of weapon worked best in a fight, and how to stake vampires. Uncle Bob cheerfully conceded defeat.