Eye of the Storm

I sat on the terrace watching the man sitting across from me, his tranquility remarkable considering we had ignored the wishes of the most powerful man in town. The clean crisp warmth of the morning made breakfast on the terrace appealing and we ate in a silence which might have been comfortable to one of his nonchalant ease but instead was based in my personal concern for our safety. I half awaited the expected thundering knock to break our comfort and reveal a homicidal Gervais. Although he is not one to get his hands dirty in the application of his deviance, in my situation his arrogance no doubt has him believe he can do as he pleases.

As if sensing my apprehension Braith leaned over to take my hand in his own and for a moment I allowed the pleasure of sinking into his strength to flood through me, at least until reality intruded. We were playing a fools game if we believed even for a second that this was going to evolve into anything past an interlude. Whatever obscure reason Gervais had to allow this to occur, it would not go without concern long as where there is Gervais, there is a reckoning sooner or later. I lost myself in Braith’s clear blue eyes wishing that this could be my future instead of the last moment of joy I might have for the rest of my life. A life that could be very short if Gervais caught me in the application of the plan to remove him from troubling this town any further.

Braith kissed my hand, his hair glinting in the sun, the favoured golden son, perhaps he was used to the ease of success and did not realise how temporary this joy would be. I knew this for if Gervais did not end it by storming in, then I would by entering the compound. Lost in his eyes, I wondered if there was a chance, a hope that if we left right now this second we might outrun the Dubois Empire and maybe outfox the fox. Truth, like a cold wave flooded my thoughts, emptying my mind of hope, my heart of dreams and I knew there was no escape. Braith as a Vanderhaven is tied to this town, it held his past and now his future and all I was doing was setting him up for a life long struggle against someone bound by no rules.

He saw the dark shadow inside of me, my eyes could not hold their lie and he tried to reassure me with his resolve but he was ill equipped to deal with an empire as dark as it is powerful. Even the brilliant colours of the flowers in the sunlit garden faded as dreaded thoughts of my cousin swept across my soul. I knew Gervais was going to punish me for seeking solace in Braith and I knew that he knew because he was Gervais and I am stupidly predictable. He allowed this to happen for good reason, probably to ensure the destruction of Braith, a resolute Vanderhaven, an unexpected discovery.

Braith was having none of my fears, unspoken or not and he took me in his arms telling me, “He is not indestructible, we are not puppets, we can chose our own future.”

I wondered how he could hold such a naïve belief after a previous encounter that nearly destroyed two families. I lay my face against his heart, its steady beat did nothing to convince me that Braith with his lovely spirit could begin to combat Gervais.

I replied, “You might be able to but I cannot, he has made it clear that he will chase me to the gates of hell. If you stay you will only get caught in our crossfire and I will not allow this to happen. You have been hurt enough by his evil.”

Braith shook his head as if I was a wayward kitten sharpening my claws on his trousers. He pulled my chin up to look into my eyes.

“I have known Gervais a lot longer than you and I don’t buy into his self created mystique of invincibility. Gervais is a big fish in a small pond but there is an entire world out there, a world we can disappear into.”

Wishing to bring him back to reality questions rolled off, “What of your family? Your future? The Winery?”

As I looked into the earnest face before me, I realised that he did not know Gervais as I did for I regrettably had the unique perspective of knowing my cousin from within. I knew what lay under his skin for the same dark force lay under mine, a compelling determination to succeed. If I desired as he desires, I never would give up and I knew in my depths, neither will he. I allowed Braith to think that I believed him and when his tongue parted my lips all thoughts of Gervais faded as his passion claimed me once again.

I listened to his laconic responses as he took a call from the winery and when he closed his phone, the apology in his eyes told me he had to leave. I felt an instant rush of regret, as I knew life would never hold this sweet optimism again. For once he stepped out the door this moment of peace would be gone forever as decisions would be made that could not be undone, innocence lost with our souls irrevocably bound by the misery of a forced hand. He gave me a warm smile, promises of a swift return and as he drove off believing in a future that did not exist I felt the corners of my heart fade into the dust of despair. A short while later the phone rang and I answered to hear the terse voice of Zizi as she asked me if I had gone completely crazy. I replied that this was merely an interlude and that it would not interfere with our plans, well not terribly much. I just had to find a way to distract Braith long enough so we could arrange a meeting to sort through our strategy. Zizi reminded me that I still needed to speak to Elyce as according to Edith Neal she is the one who holds the key to our problem.

I told her that Braith was gone for the day so I would call Elyce for a cosy conversation. She snorted in exasperation, “You know Lucinda, it might actually help if you stopped taking them all to bed!”

Ignoring her blithe assessment of my emotional needs I continued by saying I would call her as soon as I discovered what it was that Elyce knew. I put down the phone as Maritka came back from visiting her sister, glad that there was at least one less pair of judgmental eyes upon my business.

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