The Girl With Ten Claws (The Adventures of Benedict and Blackwell)

by E. Earle

  Jessica was driving us down her mother’s vintage jaguar- why the hell her mother was allowing her, I had no idea. It only occurred to me when I was putting on my make up that maybe she didn’t even have permission.

  I put London Grammar on loud as I got ready and a Captain Morgan’s and diet coke ready for me in a large wine glass (it tastes better in a posh glass). I kept my makeup natural, simply exaggerating my natural features; plenty of lashings of black mascara, a deep rose lipstick with a bit of bronzer and blush to give me some colour. I styled my hair in a deep side parting with a relaxed wave, and I was surprised when I looked in the mirror to see how long it had grown. I had been shoving it in a careless bun for so many weeks now that I had forgotten what it felt to be made up.

  Images of getting ready with Helen in London flashed to mind. I reach out for my glass of rum, shaking my head free of them. I missed Helen. Sometimes I missed that female companionship. I loved all of the staff here, but I was yet to meet someone who I could be close friends with, laugh over crappy chick flicks, try out new make up with and talk about sex- anything! Living with Helen had been a stream of non-stop partying and beef chow miens. I missed that lack of responsibility.

  Turning to my bed, I gazed down at the dress I had picked out. Made of dark blue satin, it was a dress that came off the shoulder and stopped just above the knee. It was a dress that I had worn to my uncle’s wedding and for some reason I had packed it on my last trip to the Midlands.

  I would be cold but it didn’t matter. Two pairs of nude tights later and I was prepared. The material skimmed over my skin, making me shiver with its unexpected coldness. Pulling up the zip behind me, I examined my reflection in the mirror. The material clung to me and flattered the curves I had, sucking in my waist to a slim hour glass shape. Even my pale skin complemented it and I was glad that I hadn’t picked out the bright patterned sun dress I had been leaning towards.

  Scowling at a discarded pair of heels lying in the back of my wardrobe, I pulled them on. I hadn’t worn heels for a long time and I hoped I wouldn’t get blisters. These were my old faithful, but after a quick going over with a wet wipe, they looked presentable enough for the occasion.

  Then there were my hands. I looked down at them and sighed. The scarred silvered state of my palms didn’t seem to go with the glamorous image I was trying to portray. They had improved dramatically, but I didn’t like questions so pulled on a pair of black lace gloves.

  “Small sacrifice,” I said looking in the mirror. I would have run into that fire a thousand times over to save Donny. If I hadn’t of picked up that gas canister and thrown it away from Craggy’s, then who knows what would have happened.

  Enough of being morbid.

  A small pair of crystal studs later I was ready. Grabbing my clutch, I walked to the door.

  “Are you going to wish me luck?” I said, reaching for the door knob. Ben was sitting in front of me, barring my path.

  “You look nice,” he said.

  “Thanks.”

  “Why do you need luck?”

  I took a breath and wondered why myself. “I don’t know,” I admitted. “I just feel…”

  “Ellena, you don’t need luck,” he purred.

  I knelt down and cuddled him, posh dress or not. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, silly human,” he purred in my ear. “You need to love yourself as well.”

  I stood up and nodded, his words sinking in. I felt as though I didn’t even need to say anything. He knew everything already. He was there during my fitful sleep, my shaking days and my dark moments. He was my light in the world.

  “Don’t wait up,” I told him, flashing a wink.

  If cats had eyebrows, I’m sure he would have raised his.

  “Sweet lord!”

  I rolled my eyes and leaned against the bar. “Thanks Jack, but I prefer Ellena if it’s all the same.”

  Jack’s eyes bulged at me as he kept staring at my chest. “You look… you look-”

  “She looks nice, Jack.” Brynn stepped forward wearing a dark green suit. “Just say she looks nice.”

  A plaid scarf around his shoulders, Brynn could have easily passed as a London gentleman- if it wasn’t for his very spirit that screamed ‘I love the ocean’. He had a rugged quality that screamed rogue almost. Even the grin he was displaying was decidedly wolfish.

  His eyes passed over me like water, his expression betraying nothing, only changing at the sight of my gloves.

  “You ready?”

  I nodded.

  It wasn’t freezing outside, and as I was quite a sensible lady, I had brought a small fitted black jacket. Not anything as sensible as a proper coat, mind- but I was relying on the goodwill of wine to keep me warm. Jessica had dressed nicely for the gallery event as well, escorted by Jack, making Brynn and I sit in the back.

  Jessica looked perfect in a long jade chiffon gown and Jack… Well let’s just say that Jack was never born to wear a tweed suit.

  “I need to give you something,” Brynn said quietly, his leg nearly pressed against mine, the back of the car being so narrow. “I want you to wear it tonight.”

  He pulled out a necklace from his pocket and put it into my hand. I looked up at him in alarm.

  Old Marley’s necklace shone in my hand despite the poor lighting, its decadence inescapable. “Why?” I hissed, my good mood suddenly sliced in half. “Why did you bring it?”

  “You should wear it,” Brynn said low in his throat, his eyes cast even darker in the shadows. “He gave it to you for a reason.”

  I scowled as I stared down at it, its coldness seeping into my skin. “I wish you hadn’t have brought it,” I said bitterly.

  “It was meant to be worn, Ellena,” Brynn said slowly, as if calling for patience. “It’s wasted sitting wrapped in paper and cheap tape.”

  My scowl was evident in the darkness even though I knew he was right. “Fine,” I muttered, putting it around my neck and sealing the clasp. “Happy now?”

  The diamonds flashed in his reflection as he stared at my neck. His smile twisted. “Very.”

  The smugness radiated from him for the rest of the journey. I swallowed my pride and kept my head high as I got out of the car, making sure I got out before Jack or Brynn could find an excuse to help me. Jessica and I exchanged flustered glances as we walked towards a Georgian white building.

  “This is the last time I wear a posh dress,” she said in my ear as we approached. “He can’t stop looking at my boobs.”

  “Bad luck,” I replied. “Brynn can’t stop glaring at me.”

  Jessica cocked her head to the side in confusion. “You really are blind, aren’t you?” she said, a flabbergasted expression on her face. “He isn’t glaring at you-”

  “Ready, ladies?”

  Jessica scowled at Jack and then took his arm, annoyed our conversation had been caught short. “Yes,” she said. “Lead the way.”

  Brynn took my arm without asking. “Remember,” he said in my ear, his breath warm against my neck. “Vincent thinks we’re something else.”

  I looked up at him; his face inches from mine and swallowed. “Whatever you say.”

  He frowned before guiding me up some stone steps. Two small pear trees were by the entrance of the museum and then I realised that the place was familiar to me. Had I been here before?

  I gazed around my surroundings as we walked into a busy room full of people, finely attired and not so well dressed. Faces were a blur as I accepted a glass of champagne and allowed myself to be led forwards. I kept my eyes focused on the golden bubbles appearing and disappearing in my glass as Brynn made his way up some steps, Jack’s loud laughter ringing in my ears.

  Brynn may have asked me at one point if I was ok, but I think I just asked for another glass of champagne instead.

  The diamonds around my neck were heavy, forcing my head downwards. Realising it, I forced my head up and as I did, I saw Vincent.

  He clapped his hands at the
sight of us and walked up with a delighted expression on his tanned face. “O’Connell!” he exclaimed. “Marvellous to see you again! And the beautiful Ellena, how incredible you look tonight.”

  Without a by-your-leave, he leant forwards and kissed me on both cheeks before shaking Brynn’s hand.

  “Good to see you, Vincent.” Brynn said, pulling me close. “When did you arrive?”

  But Vincent was still staring at me. “Arrived this morning, dear fellow, this morning,” he said. “Say, your exhibition is extraordinary. Ellena, have you seen it? Of course not as beautiful as the last, as it starred yourself, but extraordinary all the same.”

  I forced my eyebrows back down from their surprised position at his fast talk and shook my head slightly. “I haven’t seen it,” I admitted. “I was told it was going to be a surprise.”

  “Well then!” Vincent took my arm and pulled me away from Brynn. “Allow me to escort you my dear; really it is breath-taking.”

  I just managed to glare at Brynn in a demand for help as I was guided into another room. Brynn’s face was guarded as he followed us, his hands clenched. Why did he look nervous?

  I turned around and gasped.

  Surrounding me were huge images, black and white of startling contrast. Huge waves crashed onto black rocks, the sky turning above, surfers dipping in and out of the ocean like seals. Another, people were walking towards the beach, their footprints darkening the sand like fingerprints. A group of young boys attempting to surf on small body boards, laughing and shoving with ice cream still around their faces. An image of two blonde girls plaiting each other’s hair, their boards pinned into the wet sand behind them, Jessica’s freckled face carefree and eternally happy.

  “Oh God,” I breathed. I pulled myself free from Vincent as sound left me and my feet swept me off to every single image. In each one was someone I had already met. John picking up driftwood from the beach, his two sons behind him pulling faces. An old Volkswagen van with a young couple who had just gotten married. Old Marley sitting outside on a bench overlooking the ocean, a cat curled up on his lap with a content expression on his face.

  I turned around and found Brynn finally, all other people lost in my vision. He saw my face and all of his apprehension seemed to melt away from him, his shoulders relaxing and his jaw unclenching.

  I simply nodded at him and smiled- words meaningless.

  His returning smile made my stomach flip.

  And I had no idea why.

  The exhibition was a success, the papers coming in and interviewing Brynn, taking pictures and exchanging business cards. I watched with a smile on my face, happy that a feeling of normalcy was coming upon me. Jessica’s arm was entwined in mine as she blushed at her own picture.

  “You look gorgeous,” I told her as we stood in front of it.

  She made a sound of protest, her cheeks reddening further. “You think so?” Cocking her head to one side, she pinched her lips together to try to contain her grin. “He really does have a way with the camera, doesn’t he?”

  “He’s captured you well,” I said. My smile faltered slightly when I remembered my own pictures. Haunted. Dark. Cautious. Feral almost.

  Was that how he saw me?

  I suddenly wished I had brought a bag big enough to take Ben with me.

  “Ah, Ellena, there you are!”

  I turned to see Vincent approaching me with two men and a woman I didn’t recognise with cameras around their necks. Their wind reddened cheeks indicated that they were local at least, and the equipment suggested that they were from the papers. The woman definitely didn’t look local and she gave me a small smile when she approached.

  “Ellena, this is Gabriella, an art critic from London,” Vincent said, his eyes tracing over the woman’s delicate features. Dark, she was unmistakeably from Italian descent, in her forties and definitely extraordinarily beautiful. Her hair was pinned up, a few tendrils curling around her soft oval face.

  “Hello, Miss Blackwell,” she said, her accent rounding off the consonants with a gorgeous exotic purr. “I would just like to write a short piece in the article about Mr O’Connell about your perspective on his work.” She rolled her eyes and waved her hands in the air. “The audience love a romantic twist on anything.”

  I stared at her, mouth opening and closing, not even sure of what to say.

  “…And these gentlemen from The Cove Gazette would like to ask you a few questions.” Vincent nodded to Jessica as he pulled me away from her. “You know, the usual- how you two met, what was the inspiration of the last exhibition to the present, what it’s like working together- you get the gist.” He winked at me before settling his eyes around my neck. “And may I just say that is a dazzling piece of jewellery you have there!” His smile turned sly. “A gift from Brynn I hope?”

  The information almost drowned me. “Wha-” I turned to Jessica for help but she just shrugged, the same look of confusion reflected on her face as mine. “Um…”

  “It is beautiful!” Gabrielle gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “We simply must get a picture of you with it. Is it an antique? It surely must come from a set!”

  “Err…”

  “Can I help?”

  I heaved a sigh of relief at the sound of Brynn’s voice behind me and opened my hand automatically as he handed me another glass of champagne. “These gentlemen,” I said, my teeth gritted over the ‘gentle’ part, “would like to know more on our relationship.” I smiled at Gabriella, of whom I didn’t mind too much, except from the way she was looking at my throat. “And Gabriella is an art journalist; she would like to also put something in for her column about your work.”

  He didn’t even skip a beat but nodded knowingly sighting Vincent and quickly glanced at Gabriella. She smiled, knowing herself that she still had it.

  “Ah.”

  “Yes,” I said, throwing him an overly sweet look. This is your fault! I wanted to shout at him. If only you’d kept your mouth shut!

  “I have to admit,” Vincent said to Gabriella, putting his hands behind his back, his dark blue suit fitted perfectly on his tall frame, “I was devastated when I found Miss Blackwell unavailable, but you couldn’t have found a better man than O’Connell!”

  I laughed politely with the lot of them. “Apparently,” I said mid sip of my drink.

  “Well,” Brynn said, putting his arm around me, “what is it you would like to know?” His hand squished me slightly tighter in warning, almost making me choke. I stiffened as our bodies touched and downed half the glass feeling like a sacrificial lamb.

  And so the fictional tale of romance was spun. Brynn’s comment of us being ‘partners’ to Vincent had been only the start of the façade. It was too late to turn back and admit in front of dozens of highly influential people and reporters that it was just something Brynn had said to get Vincent to stay away from me.

  At first, we tried to keep it casual. “We’re just seeing how it goes,” I said to Gabriella.

  “But don’t you live together and run a business?” another asked.

  “Isn’t it true that you made Mr O’Connell partner in your business last summer?”

  My body clenched at that point, and I could feel Brynn tense also. “We were already partners,” I said vehemently, “right from the start.”

  Well, everyone seemed to love the comment that came from my big mouth and wanted to know more.

  I don’t know how but I somehow managed to excuse myself away from the reporters but I did, leaving Brynn to deal with the onslaught of questions. Pulling in a deep breath, I walked out of the room and straight into Olivia.

  “Oh goodness!” I was only thankful that the glass in my hand was empty. “I didn’t see you-”

  She laughed and waved my apologies away. “No harm done, Ellena!” Swishing her dark hair back in one Hollywood movement, her diamond earrings shone in the light- definitely not cheap crystal ones like mine.

  My eyes quickly drank in her appearance. A long black dres
s hugged her slim form, expensive and unmistakably designer with a snakeskin clutch held in her perfectly manicured hand. A slash of bright red lipstick lay against her open mouth as she stared at the necklace around my neck.

  “Where did you get that?” she gasped, finally shutting her mouth. She blinked and then smiled. “It’s absolutely magnificent!”

  I touched it, forgetting its weight. “Oh, err, a friend left it to me…”

  She looked as though she wanted to ask me more, but then gazed up to the person standing behind me. “O’Connell,” she purred. “Nice to see you at last.”

  I clenched my teeth as his presence warmed the skin on my back, unmistakable. I always knew when he was around. I always felt like a rabbit in a forest, knowing that there was a wolf staring at me somewhere in the undergrowth.

  “Nice to see you too, Olivia,” he said with a polite smile and then nearer to my ear; “Ready?”

  I glanced up in mild surprise and then realised that we had been there for several hours. Strange how time flew when you were being pursued by Vincent, strangers and reporters. “Sure,” I answered, smiling at Olivia. “See you soon, maybe?”

  She smiled and stepped aside, eyes lingering on Brynn and then my necklace.

  Diamonds are a girl’s best friend after all, I thought somewhat smugly, glad to have something that she didn’t.

  “You owe me a surf too,” she said as I walked past her.

  I nodded. “Yeah, of course.” I smiled at her. Could I actually be making friends with that woman?

  I heard Brynn say goodnight as I walked down the stairs, his hand pressed on the small of my back as we made polite excuses. Apparently Jessica and Jack were already in the car waiting. Jack was drunk and Jessica wanted to get lucky.