April Witch - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Stella
Last updated: 01/02/2007 02:01:11 AM

Chapter 15

Across de room in a flash, I dragged Julien t’ his feet, not caring dat de mothball-smelling blanket dat had rested around my shoulders was slipping t’ de floor.

“Where can we find Essex?” I demanded, tightening my fingers around his arm.

“Don’t know,” Julien gasped. “He always came t’ me. I wasn’t important enough t’ know t’ings like dat!”

I believed what he said. De hopeless expression on his face was almost enough t’ break my heart. I let him go and he fell more dan sat back on de couch. Dere were dark smudges on his skin from where my fingers had been. Felt somet’ing slimy inside t’ see dem.

“Here,” Rogue said softly, handing me de blanket. Looked at her, but her eyes were shadowed an’ I couldn’t read her.

“Merci.”

“What d’ we do now?” Emil asked. “We can’t just sit here waiting for de weather t’ get nice.”

“No,” Henri agreed. “We have t’ find Etienne, find a way t’ keep him from infecting people.”

We all looked at Henri den and everyone knew what he wouldn’t say: we had t’ find Etienne so we could kill him.

Rogue was de first t’ break de silence.

“Does anyone know if the phones are workin’? Ah should call.”

Bella passed her cell phone. “Here. Don’t know if dere’s much of a signal, but y’ might have better luck den wit’ land lines.”

“Thanks.” Rogue retreated t’ de corner and after a minute I could hear her murmuring softly. Struck me t’ remind her not t’ say anyt’ing t’ her friends. ‘T’ieves clean up dere own messes,’ Jean-Luc always said. Sighed. What was done was done. If Rogue was going t’ get her friends involved she’d do it, no matter how many times I told her it was a Guild problem.

“Someone needs t’ call Jean-Luc,” Emil put in.

“And Theo,” Mercy added gently. Henri opened his mouth t’ protest, but Mercy cut him off. “He has a right t’ know about his brother. We shouldn’t tell him everyt’ing, but he has a right t’ mourn.” Henri snapped his mouth shut.

“So knock yourselves out,” Rogue said, neatly flipping de phone t’rough de air and into Mercy’s hands.

I pulled Rogue aside. “What did dey say?”

“Not much, but then, Ah didn’t have much ta tell ‘em did Ah?” Felt dat as de small dig it was. “They were worried, Ah guess, but they’ve got more important people than me ta be lookin’ for right now.”

Flicker of sadness in her face at dat. Took a deep breath. Now wasn’t de time t’ be a capo (coward). “Why don’t we sit down?” Nodded toward a set o’ chairs by de fire. She shot me a puzzled look, but sat down nondeless, pulling her blanket tight around her shoulders. “Mais (well), what would y’ like t’ know?” Sans doute (doubtless) I caught her by surprise. Her mouth opened but no sound came out. I brushed de edges of my fingernails against her cheek and could feel de fine hairs prickle. “Dis mouth be good for catchin’ flies, non?” I whispered, rememberin’ what I’d said t’ her a lifetime ago when we were going t’ find Magneto.

She smiled ruefully. “Ah guess Ah wasn’t expectin’ this. What ya said before...Ah,” she swallowed hard, “Ah appreciate it is all. The gesture Ah mean.”

“Dat mean y’ don’t have anyt’ing y’ want t’ know?”

“Ah never said that, now did Ah?” One corner of her mouth curled thoughtfully. “Why don’tcha tell me who Candra is.” She popped her lips and looked at me.

“Y’ don’t start wit’ de easy ones, d’you beb?”

“If ya don’t wanna tell me....”

Wasn’t a matter of “want.” Looking at her, sitting under de blanket wit’ her knees drawn up under her, I knew what I wanted. De t’ing was, I still wasn’t sure if I should. I was new to dis whole self-sacrificing hero bit. Rogue touched a hand t’ her hair. Occurred t’ me dat mebbe she didn’t want t’ know de whole story herself, but somehow de question couldn’t help being asked. “Non, I’ll tell you. Like you said before, it’s complicated.

Candra is immortal near as anyone can tell. She formed de Guilds--t’ieves and assassins--t’ work for her, worship her I guess.” I shrugged helplessly. “Every seven years we Tithe as a token of respect. Mebbe a token of fear. Either way.”

“An’ what does she give you?” Rogue had gone very still while I’d been talking, stiff like she was steeling herself against some blow.

“She gives de Assassins powers.”

She waved her hand impatiently. “Ah saw Julien’s. What does she give you?”

“Long life.”

“Like you’ll live forever?” Her voice was low an’ I couldn’t tell if she was intrigued or appalled by de idea. She looked flushed, but maybe dat was from sitting so close t’ de fire.

“Not forever, but a very long time.”

“So what does it taste like?” Rogue’s tongue darted out t’ moisten her lips, as if she might catch a droplet of de Elixir dere.

I couldn’t help but laugh a little and she looked at me sharply. I held up my hands. “Interesting question is all, but I don’t know what it tastes like. I wasn’t a full member of de Guild de last time, and dey don’t just give de Elixir t’ anybody like it was kool-aid.”

“Dis a private party or can anybody join?” Wit’out waiting for an answer, Emil plopped down onto de floor in front of us. He rested his chin in his hand and looked at me questioningly. “Y’ givin’ away all our secrets, Remy?” He grinned at me, but it was more of a bearing of teeth dan anyt’ing else. Clear ‘nough dat Emil didn’t want me openin’ my mouth t’ anyone who wasn’t “family.”

“Only th’ good ones, Emil,” Rogue snapped back before I had a chance to. Emil looked startled.

“Excuse Emil,” Mercy put in, sliding gracefully into de conversation. “Sometimes he forgets dat not everyone is born into de Guild. Me, for instance.” Her eyes met Rogue’s over Emil’s head.

“Sometimes we forget dat we have t’ share our family wit’ others,” Henri added, coming up behind Mercy and slipping his arm around her waist.

“Did y’ reach Jean-Luc?” I asked, wanting t’ shift de focus.

“He was already on his way. Should be here any minute. Funny t’ing, but he sounded concerned.”

“He’s got a right t’ be.” Sometimes it seemed t’ me dat Henri idolized his father beyond de point of reason. He never could accept de fact dat Jean-Luc was an imperfect person just like anyone else. “Did y’ talk t’ Theo?”

Henri nodded tightly. “Dat’s not somet’ing I’d like t’ do again. He’ll be okay. Claude and Genard were dere wit’ him.”

Headlights flashed through de windows, lighting de group as if it were de dramatic moment in some play. I reached for Rogue’s hand and was encouraged when I found it, covered in her blanket. Her fingers were hard and strong t’rough de fabric. “Careful,” I warned her, only half-joking. “I t’ink you’re about t’ meet my father.”

Jean-Luc LeBeau is a force o’ nature. He opened the door fast so it flew outta his hand an’ crashed against the wall. His feet were heavy on the floorboards like there was lead in his soles.

He brought the wind and the damp in with him. Ah could feel fine droplets o’ rain settle on my face.

Ah’m not sure if Ah was the only one who noticed how his hands trembled gently in the firelight, but no one said anythin’ about it. Ah think if Jean-Luc was another man he woulda thrown his arms wide and folded all o’ his family into them. Instead, he raised his voice into a shout.

“By rights, each of you should be dead, yeuhrm (you hear)?”

“Que le bon Dieu vous benit (may the good God bless you), too,” Remy muttered outta the corner o’ his mouth. He was smart enough not ta let Jean-Luc hear him.

“O’ course we’re glad t’ see all of you.” The woman had been hidden behind Jean-Luc’s larger frame, but she stepped into the cabin proper. Ah guessed that she was about forty, but with an ageless, unlined face an’ a lift about her that made her seem younger. Her hands an’ arms were strong an’ smooth an’ her hair was tied up in a complicated turban that Ah’d never be able ta duplicate in a million years.

“Tante Mattie!” Emil bust out, soundin’ like a lil’ kid.

“What you doing wit’out clothes on?” She skimmed her sharp gaze over all o’ us. “All of you?”

“Dey were wet, Mattie,” Emil protested weakly.

She fixed him with a sharp eye. “How old you think I am I don’t know what de young folks do when dere clothes get ‘conveniently’ wet?” She clapped her hands and everyone in th’ room jumped, even me, although Ah’m still not sure what exactly it was about her that made me do it. Not fear. Maybe it was th’ overwhelmin’ desire for her ta like me, as if those strong arms could hold anythin’ back.

For his part, Jean-Luc watched the proceedings with his hands folded and an amused look on his face. “I need some of you t’ stay here,” he said once we were finished dressin’. There was a cry o’ protest at that, some o’ the noise risin’ from my own throat. “Sooner or later, de other members will arrive. Dere is still procedure t’ be followed.”

Remy touched Jean-Luc’s arm. “Let me come wit’ you. I was his sponsor.” He spoke plainly layin’ those facts down. He looked at Jean-Luc, challengin’ him ta say no.

For th’ first time, Jean-Luc looked at me. Ah shivered, but then his face broke into a genuine smile. The knot in my stomach loosened. “Dis your belle (sweetheart), Remy?”

“Oui.”

“Ah’m comin’ too,” Ah said, tryin’ ta make my voice as strong as possible.

“Fine. And Julien.” Jean-Luc frowned at him. “Y’ say he doesn’t know much ‘bout Essex, but mebbe he knows more dan he realizes, non?” Jean-Luc’s teeth gleamed in th’ firelight.

“Den y’ can’t go wit’out me,” Bella put in. “De Assassins will punish Julien, but I’d rather he be in one piece.”

“De rest stay,” Jean-Luc said, darin’ anyone ta disagree. Then he turned on his heel and marched out th’ door. We all scrambled ta follow him.

The car ride was quiet at first, except for the rhythmic whip-thump o’ the windshield wipers an’ the hiss o’ the heater. The night had turned cold an’ nasty, the kind o’ chill that seeps into your bones an’ takes up housekeepin’ there. My clothes were stiff an’ scratchy from dryin’ in front o’ the fire. I could feel Remy’s thigh against mine. It was hard, as if all his muscles were tensed at once. Ah knew th’ feelin’ but somehow Ah couldn’t find the words ta tell him that. Maybe there was somethin’ ta what Kitty’d said: it was hard ta know what ta do in a new relationship. Didn’t help that insteada meetin’ in school like two normal people we were speedin’ through the night with a madman behind the wheel.

Jean-Luc drove as if all th’ demons in hell were on his tail. We slid around corners an’ splashed through puddles that tossed opaque sheets o’ water onto the windshield. Jean-Luc didn’t say anythin’ ‘bout it, just turned the wipers higher.

“Roads are out between here and de city, but if my sources are right, I know just where t’ find Essex,” Jean-Luc said. Then, almost ta himself, he continued, “Never should have let it come dis far. T’ought dat Essex would stay away forever.”

His jaw was set in a firm line. He yanked the wheel ta the right, sendin’ me sprawlin’ across Remy’s lap. “How much longer is he gonna do this?” Ah asked, pickin’ myself up. “My stomach cain’t take much more.”

“Or my sanity,” Remy replied. “Jean-Luc,” Remy put his hand on his father’s shoulder an’ he almost flinched away at first, he was so anxious, “we no good t’ anybody we don’t get dere in one piece, neh?”

“It’s been too much in one day. Should have listened t’ Belize when he told me t’ kill de Antiquary instead of exiling him. Would have saved myself all dis...” His voice broke over th’ words an’ Remy cleared his throat nervously. Ah felt a surge o’ pity for Jean-Luc that he had made himself into the kinda man who couldn’t even show his grief.

“Lache pas la patate (don’t let go of the potato, i.e. don’t give up),” Ah said, dredgin’ the phrase Remy’d taught me outta my memory. My accent had not improved with age.

“Merci,” Jean-Luc said and Ah think Ah heard a hitch o’ laughter in his voice, but Ah didn’t hold it against him.

Remy leaned back against the headrest an’ let out a long breath.

“Won’t be long now?” Julien asked nervously. Ah wouldn’t ‘specially want ta go up against Essex if Ah were him either.

“Won’t be long now,” Jean-Luc replied. We went through another puddle and th’ water flew up, blottin’ out the landscape again. Ah heard Julien’s breath comin’ in short gasps that filled the car. They were echoes o’ our own fear.