Velvet Kittens With Diamond Claws

Elyce fidgeted on her chair while cuddling a remnant of her childhood for comfort, a garish toy bear with pink wings with angel emblazoned on it’s front. It was hard for me to equate the predatory seducer I knew with the girl who lived in this room, for here was the Elyce no one was allowed to see, the woman who kept her crushed girlish dreams in a secret crypt of silk and satin. I wondered if she had allowed anyone else the dubious privilege of viewing her private life and realised that no matter how sweet and tender the childish Elyce might have been she made a conscious decision to become the woman she is, even if she made it in the belief it was the only way to survive Gervais, she was now at an age where she could leave, and make new choices of what type of person she wanted to be.

While Elyce revealed her universe to me I shifted about uneasily on her bed, for although she had assured me we had fooled the security cameras I still could feel the echoes of Gervais like a clammy hand gripping my heart while his gimlet gaze bored into my back. He had ensured he was felt everywhere in this compound and the thought of living here with the rest of my family gave me a shiver that even a parade dancing on my grave could not match. Evil leaves a scent behind and I could smell his pervading every inch of this monstrous complex to vanity his family had erected. Gervais had ensured that he owned not only everything but everyone Dubois and how it must gall him that I was both personally and financially out of his reach. I realised this was only a grace period for Gervais had the wherewithal to ensure my destruction in either realm and I would not put it past him to try.

While Elyce gilded her childhood years with sentimental romps and parents who were devoted I did not have to pay much attention as I could see from her room that she had once been a much loved child. Her walls were adorned with pictures of family picnics, her shelves had the little treasures one gives to children, telling them they are wonderful, special, cared for. She had indeed been someone’s princess, her bed was littered with the cuddly toys little girls loved and her desk held school awards for excellence. Here was a snapshot of existence of a girl who was lost to the world, lost to herself and lost of course to Gervais. I assumed that this life ended when he chose it to, and although I was fairly certain he was responsible for her alternate path in life I did not realise until she explained further just how abandoned she had been.

Elyce described her father Joss scathingly, a weak willed fool who had never held a job in his life, this however could be said about many the sons of trust funds, why work when you have been well provided for. Her father had never taken any interest in the Dubois Empire, leaving that to his two older brothers, first Hoyt (father of Gervais) then Axel his brother but when Axel died her father had taken it into his head that he was the rightful heir to the family empire. He had not been waiting in the wings plotting, nor had he learned the first thing about the family companies, he had just somehow expected everything to fall into his lap after the death of his two brothers.

Joss and her equally brainless mother, found themselves angered when a young Gervais fresh out of university had happily taken the reins of the family company and even won control from Axel after several skirmishes. Joss having no business acumen did not realise just how much control Gervais already had and used a plan of gaining support from disgruntled board members and other industries feeling the pinch of being under his iron glove. Little did he know that those who supported him to his face were of course selling their souls to Gervais in secret for as much as they would have loved him to be deposed they knew there was no way in hell that Joss was going have what it took to rid them of a Dubois who was a clone of his great, grandfather, the murderous bastard who started their entire dynasty. Gervais was said to represent him in both spirit and being, showing the same lack of mercy and social irresponsibility of his infamous ancestor. Gervais was just as mean and twice as evil for he enjoyed not only the vices of his family history but also invented a few of his own, he was Caligula to their Rome.

Gervais dispatched Joss with a swiftness that was unremarkable what was remarkable was the lack of fallout considering the ill advised course her father had taken. Everyone held their breath and waited for the family to be tossed penniless into the streets, for Gervais controlled the companies that gave income to his trust fund, a few well placed words and those companies would fail while his would remain unaffected. However nothing came of it and life went on quietly until Gervais decided what punishment he chose for them. He had waited and watched, like a coiled snake, striking only when the opportunity merited. He knew that Joss did not have the capacity to earn a living to support his family in the manner they were accustomed, in fact he would be hard pressed to earn any income with his lack of experience. His wife was a pretty ornament and just as hopeless at the realities of life, she was married to look good on his arm and that she did wonderfully, but her first bloom of youth was gone and her viability on the marriage market was severely compromised. The family had no source of income except his trust and now Gervais was going to put that under threat.

Gervais watched until he realised what they valued most and knew that was the price they would pay for their insolence, he chose Elyce and gave Joss an ultimatum, they would offer up their treasure, their only daughter in exchange for the privilege of remaining in the compound and continued enjoyment of their wealth. Joss being a true Dubois when push came to shove, gave up his daughter without a whimper, leaving his wife to break the news to their young teen that she was going to be spending time with Uncle Gervais. At first Elyce enjoyed the attention of her uncle, he was attentive, complimentary, he drove a huge car and would pick her up from school and he took her out to dinner treating her like a young lady. She liked how he would give her gifts, phone her at night and ask what she had been doing or if she was happy, he was very concerned with her happiness. Things started to change and Uncle Gervais got a little too close until he made it clear that her purpose was to grace his bed for however long he planned to enjoy her. In distress Elyce turned to her parents for help only to discover two cowering adults who suggested she entertain her uncle in whatever manner he thought appropriate. She left with her mother’s wisdom echoing in her ears, "don’t worry dear, he gets bored so easily." Elyce suffered from the affliction that most kids do, she did not realise she could have said no, or left or got help. She still believed in her parents and their authority, something which changed very quickly after a week with Gervais.

Her mother was right for Gervais did get bored, as soon as her protestations and tears stopped, as soon as she was resigned to his presence, as soon as she had given up the fight, then he moved on. Her parents welcomed her back in relief but Elyce was no longer their little girl, she was a young woman and now she controlled the family fortunes. Once her parents understood they were despised they took to frequent vacations in Europe meeting up with their daughter only at holidays and birthdays, even these infrequent meetings became less and less until they barely spoke. The only history Elyce had left was her room and she kept it intact so she could remember who she once was even though that girl was never going to come back. Her cold green eyes glittered with hate as she said that I had nothing to fear from her for as much as I wanted Gervais gone, she wanted him gone a hundred times more. I nodded in agreement but before I could condemn Elyce to a decision that would have her forever standing on the outside looking in I wanted to give the girl who had once loved fairies a chance to get out. I told her she didn’t have to be with us, she could go to Europe and come back free, she could be herself again. Elyce laughed, a tinkling of ice falling onto glass, she said that girl could not come back, even if Gervais turned to dust tomorrow, some things are just too broken to fix.

I left the compound, her sadness a wreath upon my heart, for I knew it was too late to help Elyce, it was probably too late to help any of us who had been given that special 'Gervais touch' to our lives but somehow I wished we were not driven to these ends. It was almost as if Gervais had this suicidal streak, as if he were daring us to deal with him. Or perhaps his vanity had grown so hideous that he could not comprehend that even the meek will become hostile if forced into a corner. I could not see a way past Gervais, he was this huge immovable object right in the middle of my life and I was unable to go forwards, sideways or even backwards until he was removed. It is said that you cannot choose your family, but I can choose if he is to continue being my family and so Elyce was most assuredly in.

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