Dancing Days

by Val St. Crowe

  * * *

  Nora sat on a bench around the main fire pit. The council meeting was over for the evening, and the drum circle had begun. They’d been discussing the arrangements for the Winter Solstice, which was the next day. Nora could hardly believe she’d been in Helicon for a year. Owen was chatting amiably with one of the members of the security enclave. Every now and then, he’d glance at her, so she didn’t dare move. As long as she stayed docile and agreeable, everything was fine. If she didn’t...

  A week ago, she’d been with Owen after one of the council meetings when Dirk had happened by. He saw the two of them together and had come over, scorn in his eyes. “You’re back with this dick?”

  Nora hadn’t said anything but had willed Dirk to go away and not make a big deal about it.

  “Why would you do that to yourself?” Dirk had continued. “He’s a jackass.”

  “Let it be,” Nora had whispered. “Everything’s fine.”

  Owen had glared at Dirk. “I don’t like the tone of voice you’re using, kid.”

  Dirk shrugged. “Well, it’s your business, I guess. But I found something in the woods, Nora, and I wanted to tell you about it.”

  Owen had looked at Nora. “Make your little friend go away, please.”

  “Let it go, Dirk,” Nora had said.

  “No,” he had said. “I know why you can’t create.”

  He’d found the red cylinders, then. Nora shook her head at Dirk. There was no reason to discuss this. Owen had lots of them, and now that she stayed in his tent, they were with them again, and her creativity had drained away. Owen said he didn’t want anything to distract her from him.

  “Nora,” Owen had said. “Make him go away.”

  “Please,” Nora had said. “I don’t want to talk to you, Dirk.”

  “Don’t let him do that to you,” Dirk had said.

  Owen had squeezed her arm. Across the fire pit, she’d seen Agler suddenly double over in pain, shrieking.

  “Shut up, Dirk!” Nora had nearly screamed. “Shut up and don’t ever talk to me again!”

  Dirk had stepped away, looking hurt. Across the fire pit, Agler had straightened.

  Owen hurt people if Nora didn’t cooperate. That was the way it was. So she cooperated. And generally, everything was fine. Since Owen was keeping her from being able to create anything, she was working with the security enclave. They were together most of the time. Usually, he was easy to get along with, as long as she did what he asked and stayed cheerful. Sometimes he even let her hang out with Maddie, as long as he was around to watch the two of them. Seeing Sawyer, of course, was out of the question.

  When Sawyer sat down behind her on the bench, she stiffened.

  “He can’t see me,” Sawyer said. “Stare straight ahead and don’t move your mouth too much when you talk. Are you okay?”

  They hadn’t spoken in weeks, not since the night she’d agreed to go back with Owen. “I’m fine.”

  “Is he making you do disgusting, perverted things?”

  “No. He doesn’t really seem interested, actually.” Nora was relieved about that. Given the way their relationship had ended, she’d been sure that one of the first things Owen was going to demand was that she sleep with him. But Owen had said that it wasn’t necessary anymore. He said before he’d been trying to get her to do it because he thought that would make them closer, but now, he had other things to keep Nora with him. They didn’t “need to fuck,” as he put it. She shivered. She was grateful, but in some ways, it made Owen even more disturbing. She realized that he really only did want to control her. Controlling her was more important than normal human drives.

  “You would tell me, wouldn’t you?” Sawyer asked.

  “I’m really fine,” said Nora.

  “I’m going to Phoebe anyway.”

  She almost turned to look at him, but caught herself. “No!”

  “I have to, Nora. He can’t force you to do this. It’s horrible. Someone’s got to stop him. Phoebe’s the most powerful muse here. She’ll be able to do it.”

  “He’ll kill Maddie,” said Nora. “He’d do it in a heartbeat. You know he would. He’d do it out of spite. Even if Phoebe could stop him, he’d find some way to kill Maddie first. I couldn’t handle that. I don’t want to be free of Owen if it means Maddie’s dead.”

  Sawyer was quiet behind her. “If I could promise you Maddie would be safe?”

  “How can you promise me that? Owen’s inside her head,” said Nora.

  But before Sawyer could answer, Nora saw that Owen had turned away from his conversation and was walking back over to her.

  “Owen’s coming,” she whispered frantically, and she felt Sawyer slip off the bench behind her.

  Owen sat down next to Nora. “Were you talking to someone, sweetie?”

  She shook her head. “No. I was singing under my breath.”

  Owen laughed. “Yeah, it’s probably better if you don’t sing out loud anymore. Without muse abilities, you really can’t carry a tune.”

  Nora tried to smile. She knew Owen expected her to.

  “I love you, anyway, you tone-deaf songbird,” he said and kissed her.

  Nora shut her eyes and let him.