Twenty-five

One two hour flight later, which was spent huddled with Farrin over his phone looking for places to try, and Genevieve was in New York. An overwhelmingly loud city with people packed into it far too close for comfort. Farrin took charge and covered her in quiet, leading her out of the airport and chatting with the taxi driver.

The man apparently had a sister who he thought might know some places more difficult to find and with her on the phone they started their shopping trip. The driver, Farrin paid to stay close, offering him what seemed like an obscene amount of money if they could just hire him for the day allowing them to call his sister about stores if they needed to. 

The first thing she picked up was a gorgeous coat with faux fur trim, lower in the back than the front. Farrin said it reminded him of his wallpaper but that it looked lovely on her. She found a stunning wine red dress in the same shop, strapless with long detached sleeves. It had peculiar embroidery on it that made it look worn in places. Genevieve had tried it on, but caught a glimpse of her back in the mirror and refused to let Farrin get it.

They spent the entire day shopping in various boutiques, stopping to take their driver to lunch, her own insistence. He took them to a Trinidadian place that Farrin was not enthused about... until he tasted the food. It had enough spice that even she could taste it. Her suggestion to bring their father there at some point if they had time had him pulling out the phone to call. Dara was amused but declined.

Instead of rum cake, Genevieve picked up a gold ring in one of the boutiques. A Memento Mori with a cameo skull carved from bone ringed with diamonds. Easily the most expensive thing they’d purchased all day but she knew the moment she laid eyes on it, Dara would like it.

Arriving home late in the evening loaded down with bags, she realized she’d been able to forget about what was coming for a little while. She wasn’t sure if that was comforting or terrifying.

Dara was waiting in a living room as they came in, they were summoned to bring their purchases.

“I’d hoped you’d be earlier. It’s a little late to have you try on everything.” He was smiling faintly. “Show me your favorites.”

“First, I want to-” Genevieve looked to Farrin, “would you rather give it to him?”

“No, you picked it out.” He took the small box from one of the bags and handed it to her. “We didn’t bring you any rum cake, Father. Sybil saw something she thought you would like.”

The older man rested his chin on the back of his hand smiling like a cheshire cat. “I’m very curious to see it.”

She brought over the ring and opened her mouth to speak but he interrupted her.

“Memento Mori. Farrin told you of my collection.” 

“No.” Her head snapped to look at Farrin. “I just saw it and knew that you would like it.”

“I do. Even more so because my daughter picked it out for me without prompting.” As if testing something he slipped it on his finger. “It even fits.” He admired it on his hand before shooing her back to the bags. 

Genevieve pulled out several things excitedly: her shirts and sweaters, some that didn’t have holes or ragged edges, and even prodded Farrin into trying on the grey irregular hem blazer she’d badgered him into buying. 

“And the dress?”

“I got…” pulling out the other hanging bag she showed him the knee length black dress, it had one side hitched up to the hip with lace and ruffles underneath showing but it looked nice enough that it could be worn anywhere a little black dress would be wanted.

“And the red one?” Dara inquired with a growing smile.

“We left the red one because I don’t like to show my back.” 

She turned and gave Farrin a questioning look. He shrugged slightly. 

“You didn’t.”

“I did. I had it sent ahead.” Farrin was trying to look innocent. “I thought it looked lovely on you.”

“It a beautiful dress but-”

“Try it on.” Dara lifted his hand and a door opened to a neighboring room. “I want to see it.”

With a glare to Farrin she went into the room and changed. He’d even gotten the low, lacy, almost victorian shoes the woman had suggested she try with it. The maid helped her get everything straight before she stepped out. She declined to take off her choker.

As she walked toward them the two men looked up from their conversation and Farrin said quietly, “I told you.”

“Exquisite, my dear Sybil. Red is your color.” Dara made a gesture for her to turn. “You did well Farrin. Arrange a photographer tomorrow. I want pictures of you and your sister, and of the three of us. Our Sybil is home. I may even be persuaded to celebrate.” The older man was smiling indulgently.

“Of course, Father.”

Without prompting she gave Dara a kiss on the cheek before going to her room. Her clothes were taken to be laundered. Genevieve was showered and in her night shirt, feeling strange about being alone, when someone knocked on the door timidly. 

Farrin stood on the other side in a bathrobe. “I can’t seem to get comfortable in my own bed. Would it be too creepy if your brother asked to stay with you again?”

“I think I’d be glad of your company. I was just feeling really weird about being alone in here.” It felt better with him in the room.

He relaxed as he stepped over the threshold. “Father can’t hear us in here. It feels like a weight being lifted.”

“I, um, I got you something.” She went to one of the shoe boxes and pulled out a small paper bag. “It really shouldn’t be that easy to add a purchase onto your tab without you noticing. I was worried I might have to five finger discount it after you put up such a fight about the blazer.” Taking the bag into the bathroom she pulled out another handful of salt and laid the ring down on it.

“Let me see it first?” Farrin looked elated as she passed over the pointed ring.

“I hadn’t ever seen an archer’s ring before but something about it said it would suit you. This one is made of quartz and the petals on the gold flower are red glass. I can-” Her words cut off as he stepped forward and almost crushed her in a hug.

“He’ll be furious if you block him out of my mind. He wants a connection to you.”

“If I charge it for you, could you decide how much of your door stays open?” She let him stand holding onto her for a moment. “Farrin?”

“I think so. I could try.” He pulled back with a sheepish smile. “If we’re going to die anyway, what's the harm in trying?”

“That’s the spirit!” Genevieve grinned tiredly. “In the morning, though. I am wiped.”

“What’s the salt for?” He watched as she took the ring and poured her handful of salt over it.

“To clean it. Smoke is faster, but salt works just as well if you let it sit. Cold running water is another one.” Climbing into bed she gave him a smile and let him turn out the lamp. 

It felt earlier than the day before when someone knocked and came right into her room. She heard the intake of breath and the hurried footsteps after something had been placed on the bench at the foot of the bed. Genevieve was still trying to figure out what that was about when Farrin grumbled something next to her. Lifting her head she saw him with bare arms and legs sticking out of the covers. If you didn’t know better you could think he was naked.

“Oh my god. Farrin?” She shoved at him. “Wake up.”

“Hmm?” He looked at her with a frown before blinking and starting to laugh. “She didn’t.”

“I swear, I think she did.” The way he was reading her easily this morning was both comforting and unsettling.

“It’ll be fine, Sibbi. I think they expect us to be creepy.” He grinned and folded his arms behind his head. “And it’s good to be this close to you again.”

“It is and it isn’t. And there’s creepy and then there’s Roderick and Madeline. I’m just saying.” She shook her head and rolled out of bed.

“Come back to bed, Madeline. If we’re both late to breakfast I doubt Father will fuss.” The shameless grin on his face at his own joke set her laughing.

“You have got to be the worst brother. Hilarious. But horrible!” She left him in the bed as she went to the bathroom and started going through her morning routine before cleaning off the jewelry. 

“Sibbi? Would you mind…” Farrin spoke through the door. “Unless you want to share the bathroom.”

She opened the door and let him go in before she finished the jewelry, opting to put on her clothes while he was in there. The ones that had been brought were some of the nicer clothes. The asymmetric off shoulder grey sweater with no holes, and tight black pants with a burned out floral pattern. The new black stompy boots would go really well with them. 

When Farrin came out she was lacing her boots. “I’ll finish the jewelry in a sec and then we can go to breakfast.” 

“I still need to get dressed. I promise you father would have something to say if I showed up in my robe.” He pulled on his robe as he mentioned it.

“I can wait here for you if you’d like. If you want to go down together.”

“No, I’ll be quicker today.” He bent down and gave her a kiss on top of her head. “What will my ring do?”

“Quartz opens you to light and dispels evil, it protects your energy and lets you focus and concentrate.” Genevieve got up to rinse his ring. Drying it and charging it in her hands as she spoke. “It’ll filter out distractions and when you put your own purpose into it, it’ll amplify your efforts and energy. Some people call it the perfect jewel. It’s versatile and safer than diamond. The glass if you want to, here.” 

Handing him the ring to put on, she rinsed her choker and dried it, before letting him watch from the inside as she charged it and pulled the void over herself. The layers of crystal and glass wrapping her in safety. “If you want to, you should be able to do the same with the glass on your ring.”

“I don’t know if I could duplicate that, Sibbi.” Farrin was marvelling at her.

“You won’t know until you try, so maybe don’t put it off until you really really need to?” She laughed as he gave her another hug. “You know, I think I’m supposed to be trying to learn from you.”

“Tonight. We’ll go to bed early to give ourselves time to practice.” He gave her a peck on the lips and grinned. “We can give the staff all kinds of things to talk about.”

“You are the worst.” She stomped at his feet sending him laughing and running for the door.

“See you at breakfast, Sibbi.”

Going down to breakfast, the house felt somehow lighter than it had before. Genevieve took her time glancing around at the art on the walls and looking out at the garden before she went to the table where Dara was waiting. “Good morning!”

He looked up with a wry smile. “You’re much more cheerful today, did you sleep well?”

“I did. The house feels lighter today for some reason. Did you change something?” She took the seat he gestured to, the closer chair.

“I didn’t but I think your brother did.” He folded his paper and set it aside giving her a searching look. “I’ve always insisted that my staff speak to me about anything odd or out of place, your brother naked in your bed this morning certainly qualifies.”

Hiding her face she started to laugh, it took a few moments to compose herself. After clearing her throat several times and having to look away from Dara’s arched eyebrow to be able to speak she took a breath to give it a try.

“Why are you laughing like that, Sibbi?” Farrin seemed to appear from nowhere.

“I told you she thought you were naked.” It was all she could do not to start laughing again as he shrugged and strutted to the table.

“Nothing untoward happened father.” Farrin’s reassurance was dry and confident. “But you may be getting more reports like that. I’m going to be moving a few things into Sibbi’s room.” He glanced at her with a smirk, “For convenience’s sake.”

“One of them should be a sofa, Roderick.” She stomped toward his feet playfully.

“Enough, children.” Dara studied them with bemusement. “You were always meant to be close, but I have my doubts you were meant to be this close. Nevertheless, I’ll allow it. I’ll have the maids stay out of your room when you’re in it. Try not to cause a public scandal?”

“Yes, Father.” Genevieve blinked in surprise realizing she’d spoken in unison with Farrin.

“How charming.” The older man made a gesture with a sardonic smile and their cups were filled, hers with a separate pitcher. “Are you protecting your brother again, Sybil?”

“Sort of.” She glanced at Farrin.

“She gave me a gift, Father. A ring.” He held up his hand showing the archer’s ring on his thumb. 

“Did she allow you to see how she activated it?” Dara regarded it curiously.

“She did.” Farrin reached out and squeezed Genevieve’s arm, sliding down it to grip her hand. “In exchange, I’m going to show her what it looks like when I do some of the things you taught me.”

“Sybil, I can teach you myself. I want to teach you.” Dara sounded annoyed and gave her a stern frown.

“I know you can, and I know it wouldn’t be safe to let you.” She met his gaze without flinching. “As much as I like you father, I know how dangerous you are.”

“Farrin is less dangerous?” His eyes were icy.

“For me, yes. It’s been too easy for me to forget how dangerous he can be to others.” 

Dara’s face softened just slightly. “I don’t want you to see me as dangerous, I want to show you, your visions can be changed.”

“The Sibyl will not serve.”

“Ah.” He took a sip from his cup. “We can discuss that later, my dear. Try the coffee.”

Farrin squeezed her hand and she could feel his reassurance. With her free hand she lifted the cup and took a sip. There was a very faint bitter edge but something else as well. She took another sip and tried to figure out what it was.

“Better?” Dara was watching like a hawk.

“Much, but it’s not bitter, there’s another taste I can’t figure out.” She passed the cup to Farrin.

He winced as he took a sip. “That’s bitter Sibbi.”

“There is some bitterness. Less than I expected. Where I prefer my coffee to have mild notes to savor, this is more of an attack on the taste buds.” Dara smiled faintly. 

“What kind of coffee is it?” Farrin passed her cup back. “So I know never to accidentally order it.”

“Deathwish.” Dara’s lips twisted with amusement.

Genevieve started to laugh again, “I always wanted to try it. It’s expensive though.”

“It really isn’t, my dear Sybil.” With a gesture breakfast was brought to the table and the conversation turned to the day’s plans. “If Farrin can arrange it, I’d like the photographer to come tomorrow, today my dear Sybil-”

“Father, on such short notice-” Farrin interrupted him and Dara silenced him with a sharp blow to the table.

“Make the arrangements. It may take some time but it can be done.” His tone was sharp and cold.

“I’ll help. If there are some colleges nearby you can probably get art students out here today if you wanted. If you offer a little money and maybe lunch you can get an entire army of them with cameras, props, and-” She stopped as Farrin took hold of her hand and let her feel his caution.

“I want some time with you today, Sybil. Just you and I. Your brother has been given a job to occupy him.”

“You could just say that, or ask for a few hours of time. You don’t have to smack the table and try to intimidate him. Or was that supposed to intimidate me?” She gave him a mirthless smile. “I’ve been burned, beaten, and stabbed. You’ll have to try harder.”

Dara studied her face with something bordering on approval. “Is this bravado? Your brother said you flinched when he struck the bed.”

“The Sibyl has found her feet. I am as I was meant to be. I have found the strength in pain.”

“You were weak, and now are strong?” His lips curved like a knife.

Opening her mouth to retort, the song, My Name is Human spilled out. Farrin joined her softly backing her where the song required it. A show of solidarity and unity.

“The Sibyl as she was meant to be.” Dara smiled faintly. “And the Servant in his proper form. If you were both less malleable it would be more impressive. You’re ready for love and ready for war? I’ll give you love if you’ll allow it. We can discuss this later. When it’s just the two of us.”

Breakfast resumed in tense silence. Two cups of coffee, a soft egg and a slice of fresh toast with ‘Nduja later and she was hugging Farrin good-bye before he began the hunt for a photographer.

Genevieve felt like she was vibrating as she wheeled Dara into his ‘work space’ as he called it. It was a basement room that made her think of an arthouse horror movie. Everything was in shades of grey and black and it made her eyes feel strange to move over the room and then to settle on Dara who was in color.

“Farrin hates this room. He sealed it when I slept.”

“I can understand why. It feels wrong.”

“You don’t understand, Sybil, you merely feel. I can help you with that.” He gestured to a ring of circles worn into the floor.

“No.”

“I wanted this to be pleasant. But if you want me to show you how little you know, I can do that too.” He was smiling like a shark. “For your protection, step into the circles.”

Stepping in front of him, she reached out her hand, giving him a wry smile as he took it. “For my protection? Dara Mesny, the beautiful one, sleep until morning’s light.” His curiosity slipped directly into slumber. She wheeled him back out and to the nearest servant she could find.

“Mr. Mesny needs to sleep, put him to bed please.” The startled servant scurried to take the chair. “Also, I need to know where my brother is.”

Following another servant to Farrin she had to suppress the urge to run. He knew when he saw her something had happened.

“Sibbi?” He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. “Things didn’t go well?”

“I noped out as fast as I could. I need to visit our mother, and I don’t have a lot of time. I need to know where the shattered cottage is and I need a car. Umm, twenty bucks or so and a phone would also be good if it’s not too much to ask.” She looked up at him with chagrin. “You’ll have to stay here and do as you were asked. It’ll be safer for you that way.”

“What happened to father?”

“He’s fine, he’s asleep. He’ll be all kinds of pissed off when he wakes up but he’s fine.”

Farrin rubbed his face and stepped away. “I can give you what you need, Sibbi. But if you go to the cottage where our mother died, you have to be careful. He goes there and lays curses on the ground. It’s a hobby of his.”

“I’ll take salt. Thanks for the warning.” 

Handing over his cell he showed her where the cottage was on the GPS, not far, it could be walked easily but there was an access road that looped around the long way if she wanted to drive. He tucked two twenties into the phone case and told her to take his silver Porsche. She slipped back to her room quickly to grab the bag of salt.

Down at the garage, the key fob was gone. All of the fobs that had been laid out the day before were gone. Hunting around the room she found an old key with a Mercedes Benz logo. Grabbing it, she bolted out to find the car.

It wasn’t hard, it was the oldest one and the only Mercedes, a ‘97 E320 with a manual transmission. It had been awhile since she’d driven one, but it was supposed to be like riding a bike.

Getting in with Farrin’s phone and the salt, she turned it over and got moving only stalling it twice before hauling a*s down the access road. Stopped a short way from the cottage, she sat for a moment realizing that she’d forgotten water or something to put water in.

Genevieve hopped out and glanced around for anything usable. There was a small creek just off the road and when she saw the broken green bottle she almost did a dance. Using the bottle bottom, the water, and some salt she started toward the cottage clearing a path as she walked just in case.

Closer to the cottage the plants curled and withered as she flicked the water out and spoke to herself, “I clear this place, I free this space.” She moved all around the cottage before stepping inside carefully. The breeze that blew was cold but welcoming. Genevieve cleared every corner before she started to look around in earnest. There was something she was meant to find.

The dresser seemed to call to her and she pulled out a drawer to look in it. It stuck and she pulled harder almost falling over when it suddenly jerked free of the frame. Bits of paper were stuck to the bottom folded and wedged scribbled on front and back, filled with tiny cramped letters.

I think I can hide scraps of paper. I can’t keep a diary, but I need something to hold onto. Test.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He’s a witch. I watched him with the rope and thread, some sort of spell. He said he bought me for a purpose and that no one will ever find me. The way he killed the monsters who brought me here, the way they screamed…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I know it’s stupid but I keep having this dream that the guy I met at that furniture store comes and rescues me. Wishful thinking. Dara tries to be nice, but he’s creepy and he has a nasty temper. I just want to leave. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel like I’m going crazy. I think he’s been drugging me. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He keeps talking about how our children are going to be conduits for the gods. Someone named Sybil can extend his life and serve the world to him on a platter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He won’t let me name them. And I won’t let him name them. The only thing I can do is tell them their names and hope somehow they stick. The boy will be Bastion. I want him to be strong, a shelter for his sister. I need her to be Justice, the world needs more justice. It doesn’t need whatever Dara wants to bring down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I can’t give them the whole, but I can give them pieces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I felt so muddled and confused. I couldn’t even think of a way to escape, until he had to leave me at the hospital. I told them their names and I took them out for a walk. I gave them away. If they can be free, whatever lives they live will be better than what he wants. Part of me has this fantasy they'll find their way to my family. I wish I could have gone, but I knew he was going to find me. I came back to leave this. He’s going to kill me. I’m writing this for Justice.

“Justice. My name is Justice. I can do that.” She shivered and Justice stepped out of the house with the bits of paper tenderly held in her hand. “Rest Mother, Justice is here. Justice will see things to the end.”

The wind blew hard through the small cluster of trees and some around her snapped as if she’d released more of Mesny’s curses. She felt as though things had come into clearer focus. Her name was Justice. Knowing her true name, her real name, gave her something she needed. This was the sword. This was what the Page gave her, knowledge.

The closest town was almost thirty minutes away from where she was and she had things to get.