Of Gaea Read online

  He had felt Ari’s despair a moment before it had vanished. He pleaded bathroom and raced out of his class. He thought he would be too late.

  Instead when he arrived, Ari had been standing with a hand holding Damia’s hand at her throat and her other hand around Damia’s throat. She had Damia dangling off the ground. Power surged off Ari in waves and she was shouting at Damia in a forgotten language.

  When he had shouted and run to her, she locked eyes with him then crumpled to the ground. Before Damia could recover he had moved between her and Ari. Nasya had appeared moments later to clear up the power spill and to bring Ari around.

  He had never been so scared in his life than he had been in those several minutes. He hoped never to experience a fear like that again. He was mentally drained from it, and would have been physically too if not for the slight power that had spilled out of Ari and into his fingers.

  Sasha wasn’t sure how he was going to concentrate on his classes for the rest for the day. The fear of Damia pulsed just beneath the surface. His only comfort was the knowledge that Kleisthenes would make sure nothing could touch Ari for the rest of the day.

  Kleisthenes always went overboard with what he felt Ari could and couldn’t do. He took charge as soon as he arrived and no one, not even the principal questioned his authority. He signed Ari out without so much as a bye, your leaving, and rolled the wheelchair out in quick even strides. It was almost what she imagined being battered by a hurricane would be like.

  Ari eyed the classic car parked at the curb warily. It didn’t look big enough to fit her let alone Kleisthenes and her together. Before Ari could protest he already had the door open and lifted her out of the chair.

  “Ah, Kleisthenes, I don’t think…” Ari was seated and seat belted before she could finish the sentence and the door closed before she could continue. She sighed.

  Kleisthenes folded the wheelchair as he walked around the car. He opened - what Ari imagined to be a very tiny area - the trunk and stuffed the wheelchair in. She watched him in the mirror as he tied down the trunk lid and then came up the driver’s side.

  “Why didn’t you drive Sasha’s Porsche or your Mercedes?” Ari asked. “It would have been easier.”

  He nodded. “It would have, but the Porsche is his car. I drive the GL all winter long. And with the weather getting nice I want to get the engine in this baby used to driving around again.”

  “It needs to be in a museum.” Ari quipped and turned to look out the window. There was no hiding her discomfort in the tiny car.

  “Hey, that’s no way to talk about my baby. It’s a 1937. They only made 11 of these, and…”

  “When I’m old and gray I’ll understand the purpose of a classic car.” Ari finished for him.

  He laughed. The sound filled the car and seemed to echo back as there was no place for it to go. His knees looked like they pounded into his chest every time he shifted gears.

  “It’s too tiny. You know how I feel about cars.” Ari muttered obstinately.

  He patted her knee between shifting. “We’re almost home anyway. You’ll make it.”

  Ari knew she would make it but she didn’t have to like it.

  When they arrived at the house, Kleisthenes did something he’d never done before. He pulled the car right into the garage and closed the garage door behind them. He unloaded her just as briskly as he had loading the car. He pulled the wheelchair down first and carried it up the short flight to the kitchen door. Then he came for Ari.

  “Should I ask why or are you going to brush me off the way Sasha does when he doesn’t want to lie to me?” Ari asked as he set her carefully down in the wheelchair. She wheeled it back allowing him to enter and close the door behind them.

  He brushed a hand over her head absently. “Come in here. Let me take a look.”

  Like she had a choice but she went willingly anyway. Kleisthenes made Sasha look like a bookworm. There was no point in protesting to a man that could yank her arms out of their sockets like chicken wings.

  In the kitchen he moved briskly again. Ari couldn’t see what he was doing but he set several items on the table then sat in a chair.

  “Let me see your neck.”

  Ari sighed. “I’m fine. Really. Sasha and Nasya came.”

  “Humor me.”

  Ari scooted her wheelchair over and tilted her head back.

  He wiped something cool over her throat. It smelled like flowers and felt like the icy part of IcyHot. He gently rubbed something else in circles along her windpipe then set the cloth down. “You should heal fine now. The point isn’t that you’re okay. I know you’re okay. The point is you could be better.”

  “I just don’t like being fussed over.” Ari tipped her head forward so she could see him. “I was fussed over for eight months. Sasha still fusses over me.”

  His grin was crooked and a little bit wicked. “You know we love you. Besides how else would we annoy you?”

  Ari shook her head exasperated. “Only you.”

  “Oh, come, don’t be so put off. I’ll make it up to you.” He got up and replaced his healing equipment with a plate of cookies and brownies and a tall glass of milk. “Ask me anything. I’ll answer it. I rather I did than Sasha try.”

  Ari pulled her notebook out of her bag. She brushed her hand over the cover then pulled out the envelope tied with the blue ribbon. She slid it across the table to him. “I want to know who they are.”

  He looked at the envelope curiously. His big hands carefully untied the ribbon. Because Ari watched his face she saw the surprise, the pain and the sorrow cross its surface seconds apart from each other as he flipped through the photos.

  He couldn’t prevent his reaction. Of all the things he had guessed Ari would ask for this hadn’t been it. He should have expected it.

  He had seen the pictures before of course, some of them he had taken himself. He just hadn’t seen them in forever. Why invite pain? Looking at them now, he couldn’t deny that he missed the family more than anything. He missed his cousins and his mother in law. He missed decent food and deserts. Ari had just sucker punched him, and didn’t even know it.

  “These are your parents. Your grandparents. This is your family.” His voice was thick with emotion. He didn’t try hiding it. “I haven’t seen these in a long time. I haven’t spoken to them in even longer. I left them for love, and I’ve never regretted it, except when I look at you and know you should be playing and practicing with cousins. Or I look at Sasha and know he should be training in classes with Achilles and Hektor. Sasha could be so much more than he is with the proper guidance.”

  “He would want no other teacher but you.” Ari picked up a cookie and nibbled on it. “Tell me about them. I want to know them. I feel like I should.”

  His eyes scanned her. What he looked for Ari didn’t know but she knew when he smiled she had whatever it was. He picked up his own cookie. “Sure. I’ll tell you about your family. Ghita and I, and Lyris and Eryx had our weddings hours apart.”

  Ari could only stare stupidly.

  He laughed. “Yes, I’m married to Ghita. Though it doesn’t do me much good. She’s so hardheaded.”

  “You’re my uncle.” Ari whispered. She couldn’t say if she was scared of saying it. Somehow saying it out loud could make it more real or could turn it into an illusion. Ari swallowed nervously. “You’re not messing with me?”

  “Family protects family. She left in the middle of the night. It took me years to find her, and by that time Sasha was already fostered with me. I brought him with.” He shook his head. “It was foolish to leave Sparta but I know why she did it. You are more here than I think you would have been there. Though I think she had hoped you’d have been less.”

  “You’re confusing me.” Ari frowned into her milk glass.

  “Let’s start here.” He held up one of the wedding pictures. “This is obviously from your mother’s wedding. Let me tell you who they are.”

  “Pull!”

&n
bsp; The discus flew out of the shooter and Ari waited seconds for it to be at the angle she wanted before she loosed the arrow. It flew truly and smashed through the center of the aluminum disc before thunking solidly into the target that hung on the tree several meters off.

  Ari sighed as she studied its resting place. Kleisthenes had set up the FITA targets rather than the standard red and white targets which made gauging how well or bad the shot was easier. The five of them stood soldier straight mounted to the trees in a precise, evenly measured “x”.

  The arrow quivered inside the blue ring of the target to the top left. Ari had some slight satisfaction that she was at least hitting closer to the center after two hours of shooting. It hadn’t been so pretty in the beginning.

  Apparently her father had been a grand master archer. It’s a skill they shared, much to her pleasure. When Kleisthenes had proposed teaching her something her father could do she jumped at it.

  Her mother, Lyris, was more of a hand to hand player. Her specialty was something called Eskrima. He said it originated in the Philippines and was all about hand to hand combat and hand to hand weapons that ranged from palm size to boa staves.

  It was something else Ari was good at but only limited to bare handed mano-a-mano style or with yantok. Ari wasn’t good at improvisation or the longer weapons. She was decent with bladed weapons but there was something about a blunt instrument she preferred more.

  “Pull!”

  The next discus shot through the air and the arrow met it at the top of its arch. The arrow hit the inner red ring of the target. Much better than last time.

  Ari smelled the familiar perfume as she lined up the next arrow. Why Ari could always pull her scent out of a million others she had no idea. Ghita stopped a few feet away. Ari saw her skirt flutter in the air out of the corner of her eye.

  “Pull.” Even though Ari was no longer completely absorbed in her task she still felt she should appear that way. When the arrow struck the bull’s eye in the center of the target and quivered there for a moment Ghita moved into her direct line of sight.

  Ghita smiled, though it wasn’t a friendly smile. It was more of a polite, tolerable smile. It was slightly strained at the corners but why Ari couldn’t say.

  “You have your father’s skill.” She murmured.

  “I’m aware. If you had bothered paying attention you would have known that sooner.” Ari lifted the bow and sighted the next arrow. “I showed my uncle the photos I found on my dresser. He was kind enough to introduce me to my family.”

  Ghita didn’t even flinch at the caustic tone in Ari’s voice.

  Sasha had been right and Ari was disappointed. No matter how much she knew or didn’t know Ghita wasn’t going to change. It hurt that Ghita still wouldn’t volunteer knowledge.

  “I see. I need to speak to you.”

  “Pull!” The arrow met the discus without the slightest waiver from its course. “So talk. It’s not like I can walk away from you, is it?”

  “I don’t want you over here anymore.”

  “That’s a pity. I suppose it’s lucky for me that you’re never home to enforce such a ridiculous notion anyway. Tell me, where were you when my school called and told you I was ill? If you had been where you were supposed to be it would have been you and not Kleisthenes to pick me up from school.” Ari gave her a withering smile before lining up another arrow.

  “We should continue this in the house.”

  “Whether he hears it now or I tell him later, Kleisthenes and Sasha are bound to find out so you might as well spit it out now. Pull!” The arrow didn’t miss. Ari didn’t miss. Even though everything else was in upheaval her hands stayed rock steady.

  “Stop that and pay attention.”

  “How’s it feel?” Ari spared her a glance. “Doesn’t feel so good when you’re on the receiving end of it, does it?”

  “You’re acting childish.” Ghita crossed her arms. “You can’t rely on Kleisthenes or Sasha to solve all your problems for you. You’re never sick. What happened in school today?”

  “If I told you the truth would you believe me?” Ari set the bow across her lap. “Damia attacked me and all but strangled me to death.”

  She sighed. “I doubt that.”

  Ari lifted the bow again and pulled another arrow. “I know you do. Let’s make this easy on both of us. I’m not going back to school tomorrow. I’m seriously debating whether I should go back at all. I could have finished last year and you insisted I stay in class.”

  “You need your schooling.” Ghita stepped right into her line of fire. “You can’t quit.”

  “I’m not. I’m not a quitter. I’m pretty sure with the right persuasion the principal will provide whatever papers I need to complete to get the diploma I should have received last year. Pull!”

  Ghita flinched in shock and didn’t have enough time to react as Ari released the arrow.

  Ari shot around her and hit the discus and the bulls eye’s to the far right. “Oh, ye of little faith.”

  Ghita’s face reddened. “How dare you.”

  “Ghita just leave. You’ve never been here before there’s no reason for you to be here now. I have Sasha and Kleisthenes.”

  “You still live in my house.” She said firmly. “You’ll do as I say.”

  “Kleisthenes!” Ari turned her head towards the discus shooter. “Can I use your spare room?”

  “I see no reason why not.” He answered.

  Ari looked back at Ghita. “Problem solved. Do you want to argue this further?”

  “I expect you home for dinner.” She stormed away.

  Ari just shook her head. The whirl of the discus machine quieted and in moments there was nothing but silence. Kleisthenes’s footsteps could be barely heard crunching the grass.

  Unable to sit still Ari fired her remaining arrows in consecutive motion. Without the discus to interfere her arrows never strayed from the inner most center circle. She spliced several arrows before Kleisthenes reached her side.

  “She wouldn’t even argue about it.”

  He nodded. “I’ve known Ghi a long time. She expects to be obeyed without challenge. You’re upsetting her balance.”

  “She hasn’t changed anything. How do you know she’s upset?”

  “The strain lines around her eyes and frown marks at her lips. It shows when you know where to look.” He placed a hand on Ari’s shoulder. “If you go over there tonight she may be more inclined to answer some of your questions. After tomorrow night you know she’s not going to answer any of them ever.”

  Ari sighed. “Sometimes, I hate life.”

  He squeezed her shoulder and took her bow and quiver. “Sasha will be close by if you need him. Nasya too.”

  Ari rubbed her hands over her face. “Fine. I’ll do this your way.”

  Ghita lined all the ingredients up on the counter like soldiers. Every motion was precise and sort of mechanical. Like she’d done this hundreds of time before and granted she probably had; though Ari hadn’t actually kept count of how many times she’d made red sauce from scratch.

  “How’s Lyris?”

  The steady motion of the knife against the block faltered a moment before it continued in its rhythm.

  “She hasn’t woken up.” Ghita’s voice could barely be heard over the knife. “The doctors aren’t sure if she will or not.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Ghita didn’t shrug though Ari heard it in her tone. “It’s not your fault.”

  Ari idly tapped her fingers on the table. “If you’re at the institution all day with Lyris, where does our money come from? It’s kind of apparent you’re not working.”

  Silence filled the space and Ari thought Ghita wasn’t going to answer her.

  “Inheritance.” She spoke even as Ari opened her mouth to ask a different question. “It goes into a protected account that I transfer from into another protected account. There’s no way to trace it.”

  “Am I… are we legally in the U
S?”

  When Ghita didn’t instantly answer Ari realized she was calculating what to say and what not to. Even with her full focus on dinner preparations her answers were guarded.

  “We are and we aren’t.” She glanced over her shoulder. “We have papers that allow us to and fro if we so chose it. Those papers say everything the government wants them to say.”

  “They’re not real are they?”

  She nodded at the stove. “That’s right.”

  “I didn’t get sick at school. I need you to understand that. I wasn’t sick.” Ari kept her voice firm and unwavering.

  She brought Ari’s plate to the table and set it down. “I’m not going to argue about it. You’ll go to school tomorrow and everything will be fine.” She bowed her head for her dinner prayer.

  “Gaea protects the Faithful.” Ari murmured to herself when Ghita said Amen. It had protected her once and Ari wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

  Ghita’s fork jerked and scraped across the plate. Then clattered to the table. Surprised Ari looked up from her plate to the wide eyed fear on Ghita’s face.

  “She protected me. From Damia.” Ari said quietly, “today at school. I don’t know why Damia’s trying to hurt me. But you do. Why is Damia trying to kill me?”

  “It’s forbidden.” Ghita stood up so quickly her chair tipped over. “It’s… not allowed… there are rules.”

  “Rules you’ve already broken?” Ari questioned.

  Ghita’s hand jerked to her throat even as she paled. “I am protecting you.” She fled the room. Ari heard the car start and pull out of the drive.

  Ari sighed and pushed away her pasta. She was in no way hungry. There was no way for Ari to know what Ghita had put in it anyway.

  Ari rolled to her room and packed a bag for Kleisthenes’s house. She hadn’t lied to Ghita. She wasn’t going back to school until after the tattooing was done.

  Sasha was seated on the porch steps as she rolled outside with her duffel bag slung over the back of her wheelchair. He stood and took the bag before she could even ask and waited patiently as she locked the door.