trying to finish...
Nov. 27th, 2003 10:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
maderrDon't know that I will, but I'm up to 36,000 words. Of course, the chapters are losing any sort of grace but I can always fix it later, I have to remember that. Blargh...
Chapter Fifteen
"If you don't mind my asking, why couldn't you just teleport us or whatever? This drive really isn't much fun," Sheridan eyed the demon briefly before returning his eyes to the road. "Not to mention you were the one in such a hurry to get up here."
Nomolos shrugged liquidly from the passenger seat, candy red eyes gazing idly out the window at the snow. "I am not sure what effect your lake house may have on my magic."
Sheridan was surprised by the response, "Affect your magic, what could possibly do that?" He frowned in concentration as he drove through the snow up the increasingly rough road.
"We shall see," Nomolos offered nothing more and the drive continued in silence for several more minutes.
Ruthlessly Sheridan shoved his nervous thoughts away, forcing himself to focus exclusively on the drive and not on the demon beside him. The events in his bedroom only a few days ago flitted through his mind and his birthmark seemed to burn in memory. He shifted restlessly, eyes flickering to the passenger seat before returning to the road.
Amused laughter trickled through the SUV as Nomolos swung his gaze around to stare at the driver. "Anxiety is pouring off you - are you really that nervous about what we'll find? Or am I the source."
Sheridan didn't reply, only flicking his eyes over for another brief glance.
"Mmm, me then. I have told you before I do not intend to harm you Sheridan Arden. You fret too much. In doing this you are helping me immensely. I never expected quite the prize that has somehow fallen straight into my lap. Though it will not resolve the matter of the Carnelian necessarily…" Nomolos' amusement faded slightly, frustration tingeing his voice, "I am afraid it is turning into a more frustrating search than I thought. Perhaps we will have more luck later on."
"So you'll still destroy it, like you promised?" Sheridan did not look at him, though he felt the demon's gaze.
"I always keep my promises, be they good or bad ones. I took the Carnelian from Ornias because of a promise, this is not so very different."
Sheridan's curiosity overcame his anxiety, and he relaxed further as the road leveled out, the last long stretch around the lake and eventually down to the house that was their destination. "You promised to take it from him?"
"Not quite…" Nomolos seemed to hesitate, gazing out at the snow through the windshield. "I promised a dying comrade that I would not let Ornias carry out what he intended in the human world. To keep that promise I had to take the Carnelian, in the end. I tried various other means, but Ornias is Ornias and he seldom listened to anyone but his own reflection."
Sheridan did not reply at first, his eyes drifting to the house that was coming into view. The road they traveled overlooked the massive mountain lake that was his family's private property, a long ago gift from the DeMarius' they so tirelessly served. An impressive log house stood near the far end of the lake, buried in snow that seemed to enhance its appearance rather than detract. The clouds and snow gave the lake and house a gloomy sort of beauty, and Sheridan smiled softly. "There it is - the Arden lake house. The one place the DeMarius' don't affect our life, even though it was a gift from them. Beautiful, isn't it?"
But Nomolos' eerie eyes were focused intently on Sheridan, "You really find all of this beautiful? What does your father think of it?"
"What?" Sheridan tore his eyes away from the house, "I don't think he cares much for it, honestly. I think that's why he always tried to find reasons not to go. We've neglected coming here for the past three years or so. I come up myself sometimes, to study and whatnot, but we haven't been up here as a family in ages." He shrugged.
"I see. Interesting…"
Sheridan frowned, turning a bit sharply onto the slope that took them down to the house. Pulling around behind the house, he brought the vehicle to an abrupt halt. Jerking the keys out, he looked over at Nomolos. "You keep saying that. But you never say anything else."
"All in good time, pretty. I told you, I prefer to keep my own counsel at first."
Sheridan sighed, opening his door and climbing out. Slamming his door he moved to the back, retrieving his duffel bag and the sack of food before trailing toward the house.
It was cold inside - freezing. He shivered despite his warm jacket as he headed for the far wall to turn on the heat. "Brrr…I should have had the caretaker turn the heat on for us. Guess it would have been kind of mean to make him come all the way out here just to do that though. Dropping his bag he walked down the couple of steps that led into the wide-open living room in the center of the house and toward the fireplace.
He jumped back with a cry as fire suddenly burst into life, though a second ago there had not been even wood there. Spinning around, he glared at the smirking demon, "Warn me when you're going to do that."
"Where's the fun in that?" Nomolos dropped his raised hand, spinning slowly in a circle as he examined the large, high ceiling room. He paused, staring with that intent gaze of his at a door just visible through the landing railing at the top of the stairs. "What's in that room?"
Sheridan followed his gaze, expression one of confusion, "That's my dad's room. A bunch of books and stuff, nothing terribly remarkable. Why?"
"What I seek is in there, I think. Though I only feel the slightest twinges of it," Nomolos lightly trailed his fingers across his chest, as if trying to soothe a pain.
"You're confusing. I though you wanted to find your Kasimir and restore the Carnelian, instead you keep attacking me with questions on my family history. Then you drag me out here and now you want to go look through my fathers stupid books?"
"What sort of books," Nomolos asked idly, still staring at the door.
"I don't know. I never go in there. They don't interest me and I usually have plenty of my own to read. If you're that interest, just go up and look." He dropped tiredly to the pile of overlarge throw pillows piled on the floor, staring into the fire.
"I am in no hurry, now that we are here. However," he pulled his eyes away from the door and moved to sit near Sheridan, "I am glad we opted for the long way. Teleporting here would definitely been a bad idea. There were wards all over this house protecting against demon magic." He smirked, "They're gone now of course."
Sheridan stared at him, utterly baffled. "What are you talking about? Wards? Protection? Against what? No one but me even believes in demons, so who would possibly have done something so ridiculous. Besides, there's nothing here! How many times do I have to say that? I mean my dad keeps secrets sure. But nothing like that, it's just ridiculous."
Nomolos laughed, tossing his head back so his ink dark hair pooled on the floor, "Poor little thing, left so completely in the dark. But don't worry; you won't be that way for long. Much to the dismay of other parties, I'm sure. But calm down, it doesn't suite you to get so riled up," Nomolos reached out one long, pale arm to tangle his fingers in Sheridan's bright hair, smirking as the boy shivered slightly. "Get warm, rest if you like. You won't be getting much of it once we get started on what I suspect is hidden in the room."
"Why not just get it now?" Sheridan frowned, though he settled more comfortably into the mass of pillows, turning his head to frown up at the looming demon still stroking his hair.
"Because I will need your help - I can not touch it. At least, not yet. That is why I need you. It will be better when you are rested, and fed."
"That reminds me I haven't…put the food…" Sheridan's voice drifted off as Nomolos' sleep spell took effect.
Nomolos smiled faintly, shifting closer to gaze down at the young man sound asleep on the floor. His fingers remained tangled in Sheridan's gold hair, brilliant against Nomolos' own midnight strands, spilling over his shoulders to hide both their faces from the heat of the nearby fire. His fingers trailed down across one fair cheek before pulling away. Rising slowly to his feet Nomolos wandered around the house, examining pictures, books and the few knickknacks decorating the place.
Quiet laughter drifted across the room as he finished exploring, "Landscapes, vases, all sorts of acceptable books and miscellany…but not a single image of the family anywhere. Such an important place and it's as cold as the snow that buries it…hardly the proud abode of such a devoted line of servants." Traveling upstairs his eyes lingered on the farthest door, anticipation making them bright. Resolutely he stopped at the nearest one, twisting the knob and entering the room he assumed to be Sheridan's.
It was unsurprisingly plain, though like the rest of the house everything was of the finest quality. A small bookcase stand at the foot of the bed, and Nomolos smirked at the array of textbooks and similar fair. He wandered to the desk, the contents of it as unremarkable as the bookcase. The closet revealed a collection of clothing, shoes, other items suited to the cold climate. Nothing personal was to be found anywhere in the room at all. "Do people or ghosts live here?" Again that quiet laughter as Nomolos shook his head, "Neither, I suppose…how very sad. It would seem nothing has been learned at all in the years since the Arden family first came into existence."
Exiting the room he wandered back downstairs and outside. His steps were nearly soundless in the soft snow as he wandered to the lake's edge. So pale was his skin and clothing, he seemed all but invisible in the quiet, white world. Only his long fall of hair added contrast, but in the gloomy atmosphere cast by the cloudy sky it did not stand out much. Flakes caught in the black strands as he gazed out over the mostly frozen lake, red eyes sharp against his wintry face.
"Mmm…I can almost understand what you were up to, Ornias. Though it's been a long time since I stopped wondering what thoughts were in your head. It's too bad you never learned how to relax. You might have lived long enough to appreciate what you had up here. Not that the cold was ever your thing, but even the warm places can be beautiful I suppose…" Sighing, Nomolos turned away to travel back to the house.
Closing the door softly behind him he wandered back to the carpet where Sheridan still slept, once gain stretching out alongside him. He lifted a cold hand to caress a warm cheek, surprised slightly when the sleeping man shivered at the touch but did not pull away. He withdrew his hand to lay back against the pillows, staring blindly into the fire as he waited for Sheridan to wake.
Outside the clouds only multiplied in the sky, blocking the moon and stars as they slowly took the sky from the setting sun. Snow came down more and more heavily, a white sheet hiding the house from the rest of the world.
Inside Sheridan slept on, murmuring and frowning at something only he could see. Nomolos turned idly from time to time to stare out the windows, smirking as he took in the near unbroken white on the other side of the glass. Once more he reached out a hand to touch the sleeping figure beside him, stroking the silk-soft strands of hair before allowing his own eyes to fall shut amidst the silence of the lake house.
Chapter Sixteen
"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" Rosemary said ruefully as she stood over Bethany with two steaming mugs. "I mean I'm the one that screwed up. Why are you still trying? I told you, it's futile. We can't do anything but wait until he makes his presence known. I’m sure he's somewhere in the city, this place can't be that lacking in magic types."
Bethany made a face up at her friend before returning her attention to the book in her lap, "I'm just discouraged. We're about to get the company off our backs, we've got Kasimir just waiting to be freed and the last little thing I need to make my family happy, healthy and whole has disappeared to only god knows where because neither one of us knows how to plot a summoning circle."
Rosemary shrugged, kneeling to join her friend on the couch. "Accidents happen, and I still maintain that things are happening for a reason - even if you hate when I say that."
Bethany snapped the book shut and tossed it to the side table at the end of the couch. Accepting a cup of tea from Rosemary, she glared into it. "We should have just kept Kasimir ourselves and wished for the damned stone."
"You know it doesn't work like that. If wishes were so easy to make, don't you think I'd be a lot more than the owner of a goofy antique shop."
"No."
Rosemary giggled, "Okay, okay. I like my antique shop. I'm just saying. I had how many ancestors that made full use of the family genie, and this is where I am today?"
"I still don't get all of your explanation." Bethany sipped her tea, sitting back and slowly relaxing. "Explain it again."
The other woman rolled her eyes playfully, turning slightly to sit sideways on the couch and explaining while she sipped her own tea. "Genies don't have unlimited power - it's more like they have a little bit of a lot of different powers. That means they're incredibly powerful, but they grant wishes by creating something that exists in their master's mind. So to get what you want, you have to know exactly what you want. Like…if you wished for…I don't know…a dozen roses…then you'd have to know what roses are, how many are in a dozen, etc. So wishing for something like the Carnelian wouldn't work, because none of us knows what it is, other than a really powerful stone. You could wish for that, but it wouldn't be the stone we're after."
Bethany thought a moment, "So about the usual wishes: immortality, wealth, fame, etc. How come no one ever wished for those?"
"Well, think about it. What happens when a family that's more poor than rich suddenly has it all? I mean, how do you explain that? Especially when said family is also rather notorious for being a bit shady, even had one or two burned as witches. Despite the power you have, it's more practical to just lay low. Wish for small stuff. And really, what does fame look like? Wealth? That could mean anything, and genies only grant specifics, material things or actions. Not abstracts. Immortality? That's definitely impossible for a genie, just like bringing back the dead. That sort of thing belongs to one type of magical being only."
The red haired woman looked disappointed, "So genies really aren't all powerful, are they? Makes sense though, if all that stuff was possible the world would be a very scary place. Has anyone besides you ever considered freeing the poor thing? Surely they weren't all selfish brats, I was sure my ancestors held the monopoly on selfishness."
It was Rosemary's turn to stare solemnly into her tea, "I'm sure there were a few as nice as me. It's just that freeing a genie really is the ultimate in impossible wishes. You don't do it - even if they're not all powerful, they're still really close. Especially one like Kasimir, who has so much experience and inherent ability. Even if he's no longer what he used to be…To free a genie you'd basically have to kill him. That's as close to 'free' as he'll ever get."
Bethany gaped at the normally cheerful girl, "You wanted me to help you kill Kasimir? I thought we were just going to free him, send him home, something like that. Why didn't you tell me this detail before!"
"Because I'm NOT going to kill him Beth. You should know me better than that." Rosemary half frowned, half pouted.
The other woman was silent a moment, before shaking her head as if to clear it. "Tell me straight - what are you doing? Because yeah, I have a hard time imagining you killing some one - especially just to "free" them. So what exactly are you scheming? And why didn't you explain all this to me before?"
"I never explained because I'm still not sure it will work. Heck, Nomolos was sort of key to the whole thing. I was hoping he'd know something we don't - he's much stronger than any of us. Plus Kasimir used to belong to him, there was a slim chance he'd want his servant back. If that didn't work, I was going to do the only thing that's dumber than summoning one of the Higher Demons."
"Which would be?"
"Summoning a creature of Heaven."
"You're right, that's pretty dumb. Besides, as much as I love you Rose, you're not so great in the summoning department. It would take you at least a decade to become that strong. Assuming you got it right the first time, there's still no guarantee you could actually control something that strong once you summoned it. Spell cages only contain so much. I'm not sure it's worth that much trouble to clear the family conscious."
Rosemary again stared into her tea, "I think it is. You're trying to clean out your family closet, why can't I throw out old skeletons? Keeping demons hostage as private slaves is bad karma, I'd like to wipe the family record clean." She looked up, once again smiling, "Besides, even just a Lower Messenger of Heaven would be strong enough to override the magic that enslaves a genie. I wouldn't be tangling with the stronger angels. My mother hated all this stuff," she waved her arm at the books and charms and other magical items that littered the living room, "I'd like to go visit her someday and tell her that it's finally all gone. Once Kasimir is freed I'm done with it all, just the eccentric owner of "Magic for Sale." Sounds like a nice life, don't you think?"
"Of course, of course. Just don't forget to find time in your busy schedule to come and see us sometime."
"Like I could seeing the person I live with. And I harass your brothers plenty from time to time. Neil's so much fun to pick on, how could I not visit often? Oh, speaking of which - how did your chat with Darrell go yesterday?"
"How do talks with Darrell always go? He puts up a good front, but I wonder if he doesn't just start crying and eating bonbons when no one is around. God forbid he or Neil ever actually let me help." Bethany bit her lips as she spoke, "I think things will honestly be better once we sell to Lord. A few more weeks and it'll be over."
"I hope so Beth, it's bad enough you all live in separate parts of the city but with each of you doing something different it's a wonder you ever see one another at all." Mug empty, Rosemary snatched up a fallen pillow from the floor, setting it behind her head as she fell back to rest against the arm of the couch, legs bent as she stared at Bethany over her knees.
Her grin turned evil, "Ya know…once you guys have all that free time you won't know what to do with yourselves."
"Your point?" Beth eyed the scheming woman.
"Well maybe we could move on to a new scheme…something easier than summoning demons and freeing genies."
"Like what?"
"Heh - does your handsome older brother prefer men or women?" Rosemary laughed at the look on the other woman's face as her words registered.
"You want to play matchmaker with my brother? With Darrell?" She laughed, shaking her head, "Good luck. Do you know how many times I've suggested he just go on a date, even if it led to nothing else? You know as well as I that he lives to work, even if he doesn't like it all that much. He'll probably just find something new to do once the business load is lightened. Something as utterly ridiculous as finding a girlfriend? Forget it, he'd pass out. Hell, I have no idea if he prefers men or women. That's how sad all our lives are."
"Well, I still love you. Even if you are a sad and pathetic lot. I still think we should at least try, unless you want your brothers all to yourself. I mean, I don't want to intrude on the family picnic…"
"Oh be quiet, you're hardly intruding and you know it. I think matchmaking would be a good idea, just not right away. It's just I can't even begin to guess what would be good for Mr. Works a Lot. Then there's Neil…"
"I get the feeling your little brother will work things out for himself. God forbid anyone else do anything for him. Actually, you're all like that. Except with each other." She winked, "And you with me - it figures the female of the group is the only one capable of obtaining a life outside of work or school."
Bethany rolled her eyes, "Only because I stumbled into trying to find a way to get rid of the family curse. Who knew that the descendant of Gareth would be someone I could actually stand?"
"Who knew there was such a thing as a tolerable DeMarius?" Rosemary giggled, "Let alone three. I guess the fates decided the time was right for some good apples to fall far away from the trees. So to speak."
The two laughed, but it stopped as the clock hanging on the opposite wall chimed eleven, unusually loud in the small room. Bethany groaned, "Drat, I had no idea it was so late. Argh, I've got overtime at the factory tomorrow. If it's all right with you, I'm going to bed."
"Fine, abandon me then. What a weakling, calling it a night at eleven." Rosemary snickered playfully as Bethany glared at her. "Ah well, I suppose I'll forgive you as I should probably bite the bullet and go to sleep as well. Should, but won't."
"Why on earth would you have to get to bed at a decent hour? Don't tell me you've actually got something to do tomorrow?" Bethany stared at her in disbelief.
Rosemary stuck her tongue out, "As a matter of fact, brat, I have a nice old couple coming by the shop tomorrow to look over and purchase a few pieces of the furniture we're trying to sell." She smiled in amusement, "As a matter of fact, one of the pieces they'll be looking at is the bureau where your brother found Kasimir. I'm also thinking of selling off some of those sketches we found - frame'em up and they'll do quite nicely, don't you think?"
Bethany yawned, "I think they'd do very well. Remind me tomorrow to discuss those pictures. Part of the deal with Lord is a couple of exclusive lines at some point. Those drawings have given me ideas for them. But tomorrow, I don't discuss business this late unless I have to. G'night Rose, I'll talk to you on the flipside."
"Good night Beth, sweet dreams." Rosemary stretched out on the couch, flipping on the TV and slowly going through the books abandoned by her stubborn friend.
Chapter Fifteen
"If you don't mind my asking, why couldn't you just teleport us or whatever? This drive really isn't much fun," Sheridan eyed the demon briefly before returning his eyes to the road. "Not to mention you were the one in such a hurry to get up here."
Nomolos shrugged liquidly from the passenger seat, candy red eyes gazing idly out the window at the snow. "I am not sure what effect your lake house may have on my magic."
Sheridan was surprised by the response, "Affect your magic, what could possibly do that?" He frowned in concentration as he drove through the snow up the increasingly rough road.
"We shall see," Nomolos offered nothing more and the drive continued in silence for several more minutes.
Ruthlessly Sheridan shoved his nervous thoughts away, forcing himself to focus exclusively on the drive and not on the demon beside him. The events in his bedroom only a few days ago flitted through his mind and his birthmark seemed to burn in memory. He shifted restlessly, eyes flickering to the passenger seat before returning to the road.
Amused laughter trickled through the SUV as Nomolos swung his gaze around to stare at the driver. "Anxiety is pouring off you - are you really that nervous about what we'll find? Or am I the source."
Sheridan didn't reply, only flicking his eyes over for another brief glance.
"Mmm, me then. I have told you before I do not intend to harm you Sheridan Arden. You fret too much. In doing this you are helping me immensely. I never expected quite the prize that has somehow fallen straight into my lap. Though it will not resolve the matter of the Carnelian necessarily…" Nomolos' amusement faded slightly, frustration tingeing his voice, "I am afraid it is turning into a more frustrating search than I thought. Perhaps we will have more luck later on."
"So you'll still destroy it, like you promised?" Sheridan did not look at him, though he felt the demon's gaze.
"I always keep my promises, be they good or bad ones. I took the Carnelian from Ornias because of a promise, this is not so very different."
Sheridan's curiosity overcame his anxiety, and he relaxed further as the road leveled out, the last long stretch around the lake and eventually down to the house that was their destination. "You promised to take it from him?"
"Not quite…" Nomolos seemed to hesitate, gazing out at the snow through the windshield. "I promised a dying comrade that I would not let Ornias carry out what he intended in the human world. To keep that promise I had to take the Carnelian, in the end. I tried various other means, but Ornias is Ornias and he seldom listened to anyone but his own reflection."
Sheridan did not reply at first, his eyes drifting to the house that was coming into view. The road they traveled overlooked the massive mountain lake that was his family's private property, a long ago gift from the DeMarius' they so tirelessly served. An impressive log house stood near the far end of the lake, buried in snow that seemed to enhance its appearance rather than detract. The clouds and snow gave the lake and house a gloomy sort of beauty, and Sheridan smiled softly. "There it is - the Arden lake house. The one place the DeMarius' don't affect our life, even though it was a gift from them. Beautiful, isn't it?"
But Nomolos' eerie eyes were focused intently on Sheridan, "You really find all of this beautiful? What does your father think of it?"
"What?" Sheridan tore his eyes away from the house, "I don't think he cares much for it, honestly. I think that's why he always tried to find reasons not to go. We've neglected coming here for the past three years or so. I come up myself sometimes, to study and whatnot, but we haven't been up here as a family in ages." He shrugged.
"I see. Interesting…"
Sheridan frowned, turning a bit sharply onto the slope that took them down to the house. Pulling around behind the house, he brought the vehicle to an abrupt halt. Jerking the keys out, he looked over at Nomolos. "You keep saying that. But you never say anything else."
"All in good time, pretty. I told you, I prefer to keep my own counsel at first."
Sheridan sighed, opening his door and climbing out. Slamming his door he moved to the back, retrieving his duffel bag and the sack of food before trailing toward the house.
It was cold inside - freezing. He shivered despite his warm jacket as he headed for the far wall to turn on the heat. "Brrr…I should have had the caretaker turn the heat on for us. Guess it would have been kind of mean to make him come all the way out here just to do that though. Dropping his bag he walked down the couple of steps that led into the wide-open living room in the center of the house and toward the fireplace.
He jumped back with a cry as fire suddenly burst into life, though a second ago there had not been even wood there. Spinning around, he glared at the smirking demon, "Warn me when you're going to do that."
"Where's the fun in that?" Nomolos dropped his raised hand, spinning slowly in a circle as he examined the large, high ceiling room. He paused, staring with that intent gaze of his at a door just visible through the landing railing at the top of the stairs. "What's in that room?"
Sheridan followed his gaze, expression one of confusion, "That's my dad's room. A bunch of books and stuff, nothing terribly remarkable. Why?"
"What I seek is in there, I think. Though I only feel the slightest twinges of it," Nomolos lightly trailed his fingers across his chest, as if trying to soothe a pain.
"You're confusing. I though you wanted to find your Kasimir and restore the Carnelian, instead you keep attacking me with questions on my family history. Then you drag me out here and now you want to go look through my fathers stupid books?"
"What sort of books," Nomolos asked idly, still staring at the door.
"I don't know. I never go in there. They don't interest me and I usually have plenty of my own to read. If you're that interest, just go up and look." He dropped tiredly to the pile of overlarge throw pillows piled on the floor, staring into the fire.
"I am in no hurry, now that we are here. However," he pulled his eyes away from the door and moved to sit near Sheridan, "I am glad we opted for the long way. Teleporting here would definitely been a bad idea. There were wards all over this house protecting against demon magic." He smirked, "They're gone now of course."
Sheridan stared at him, utterly baffled. "What are you talking about? Wards? Protection? Against what? No one but me even believes in demons, so who would possibly have done something so ridiculous. Besides, there's nothing here! How many times do I have to say that? I mean my dad keeps secrets sure. But nothing like that, it's just ridiculous."
Nomolos laughed, tossing his head back so his ink dark hair pooled on the floor, "Poor little thing, left so completely in the dark. But don't worry; you won't be that way for long. Much to the dismay of other parties, I'm sure. But calm down, it doesn't suite you to get so riled up," Nomolos reached out one long, pale arm to tangle his fingers in Sheridan's bright hair, smirking as the boy shivered slightly. "Get warm, rest if you like. You won't be getting much of it once we get started on what I suspect is hidden in the room."
"Why not just get it now?" Sheridan frowned, though he settled more comfortably into the mass of pillows, turning his head to frown up at the looming demon still stroking his hair.
"Because I will need your help - I can not touch it. At least, not yet. That is why I need you. It will be better when you are rested, and fed."
"That reminds me I haven't…put the food…" Sheridan's voice drifted off as Nomolos' sleep spell took effect.
Nomolos smiled faintly, shifting closer to gaze down at the young man sound asleep on the floor. His fingers remained tangled in Sheridan's gold hair, brilliant against Nomolos' own midnight strands, spilling over his shoulders to hide both their faces from the heat of the nearby fire. His fingers trailed down across one fair cheek before pulling away. Rising slowly to his feet Nomolos wandered around the house, examining pictures, books and the few knickknacks decorating the place.
Quiet laughter drifted across the room as he finished exploring, "Landscapes, vases, all sorts of acceptable books and miscellany…but not a single image of the family anywhere. Such an important place and it's as cold as the snow that buries it…hardly the proud abode of such a devoted line of servants." Traveling upstairs his eyes lingered on the farthest door, anticipation making them bright. Resolutely he stopped at the nearest one, twisting the knob and entering the room he assumed to be Sheridan's.
It was unsurprisingly plain, though like the rest of the house everything was of the finest quality. A small bookcase stand at the foot of the bed, and Nomolos smirked at the array of textbooks and similar fair. He wandered to the desk, the contents of it as unremarkable as the bookcase. The closet revealed a collection of clothing, shoes, other items suited to the cold climate. Nothing personal was to be found anywhere in the room at all. "Do people or ghosts live here?" Again that quiet laughter as Nomolos shook his head, "Neither, I suppose…how very sad. It would seem nothing has been learned at all in the years since the Arden family first came into existence."
Exiting the room he wandered back downstairs and outside. His steps were nearly soundless in the soft snow as he wandered to the lake's edge. So pale was his skin and clothing, he seemed all but invisible in the quiet, white world. Only his long fall of hair added contrast, but in the gloomy atmosphere cast by the cloudy sky it did not stand out much. Flakes caught in the black strands as he gazed out over the mostly frozen lake, red eyes sharp against his wintry face.
"Mmm…I can almost understand what you were up to, Ornias. Though it's been a long time since I stopped wondering what thoughts were in your head. It's too bad you never learned how to relax. You might have lived long enough to appreciate what you had up here. Not that the cold was ever your thing, but even the warm places can be beautiful I suppose…" Sighing, Nomolos turned away to travel back to the house.
Closing the door softly behind him he wandered back to the carpet where Sheridan still slept, once gain stretching out alongside him. He lifted a cold hand to caress a warm cheek, surprised slightly when the sleeping man shivered at the touch but did not pull away. He withdrew his hand to lay back against the pillows, staring blindly into the fire as he waited for Sheridan to wake.
Outside the clouds only multiplied in the sky, blocking the moon and stars as they slowly took the sky from the setting sun. Snow came down more and more heavily, a white sheet hiding the house from the rest of the world.
Inside Sheridan slept on, murmuring and frowning at something only he could see. Nomolos turned idly from time to time to stare out the windows, smirking as he took in the near unbroken white on the other side of the glass. Once more he reached out a hand to touch the sleeping figure beside him, stroking the silk-soft strands of hair before allowing his own eyes to fall shut amidst the silence of the lake house.
Chapter Sixteen
"You really don't know when to quit, do you?" Rosemary said ruefully as she stood over Bethany with two steaming mugs. "I mean I'm the one that screwed up. Why are you still trying? I told you, it's futile. We can't do anything but wait until he makes his presence known. I’m sure he's somewhere in the city, this place can't be that lacking in magic types."
Bethany made a face up at her friend before returning her attention to the book in her lap, "I'm just discouraged. We're about to get the company off our backs, we've got Kasimir just waiting to be freed and the last little thing I need to make my family happy, healthy and whole has disappeared to only god knows where because neither one of us knows how to plot a summoning circle."
Rosemary shrugged, kneeling to join her friend on the couch. "Accidents happen, and I still maintain that things are happening for a reason - even if you hate when I say that."
Bethany snapped the book shut and tossed it to the side table at the end of the couch. Accepting a cup of tea from Rosemary, she glared into it. "We should have just kept Kasimir ourselves and wished for the damned stone."
"You know it doesn't work like that. If wishes were so easy to make, don't you think I'd be a lot more than the owner of a goofy antique shop."
"No."
Rosemary giggled, "Okay, okay. I like my antique shop. I'm just saying. I had how many ancestors that made full use of the family genie, and this is where I am today?"
"I still don't get all of your explanation." Bethany sipped her tea, sitting back and slowly relaxing. "Explain it again."
The other woman rolled her eyes playfully, turning slightly to sit sideways on the couch and explaining while she sipped her own tea. "Genies don't have unlimited power - it's more like they have a little bit of a lot of different powers. That means they're incredibly powerful, but they grant wishes by creating something that exists in their master's mind. So to get what you want, you have to know exactly what you want. Like…if you wished for…I don't know…a dozen roses…then you'd have to know what roses are, how many are in a dozen, etc. So wishing for something like the Carnelian wouldn't work, because none of us knows what it is, other than a really powerful stone. You could wish for that, but it wouldn't be the stone we're after."
Bethany thought a moment, "So about the usual wishes: immortality, wealth, fame, etc. How come no one ever wished for those?"
"Well, think about it. What happens when a family that's more poor than rich suddenly has it all? I mean, how do you explain that? Especially when said family is also rather notorious for being a bit shady, even had one or two burned as witches. Despite the power you have, it's more practical to just lay low. Wish for small stuff. And really, what does fame look like? Wealth? That could mean anything, and genies only grant specifics, material things or actions. Not abstracts. Immortality? That's definitely impossible for a genie, just like bringing back the dead. That sort of thing belongs to one type of magical being only."
The red haired woman looked disappointed, "So genies really aren't all powerful, are they? Makes sense though, if all that stuff was possible the world would be a very scary place. Has anyone besides you ever considered freeing the poor thing? Surely they weren't all selfish brats, I was sure my ancestors held the monopoly on selfishness."
It was Rosemary's turn to stare solemnly into her tea, "I'm sure there were a few as nice as me. It's just that freeing a genie really is the ultimate in impossible wishes. You don't do it - even if they're not all powerful, they're still really close. Especially one like Kasimir, who has so much experience and inherent ability. Even if he's no longer what he used to be…To free a genie you'd basically have to kill him. That's as close to 'free' as he'll ever get."
Bethany gaped at the normally cheerful girl, "You wanted me to help you kill Kasimir? I thought we were just going to free him, send him home, something like that. Why didn't you tell me this detail before!"
"Because I'm NOT going to kill him Beth. You should know me better than that." Rosemary half frowned, half pouted.
The other woman was silent a moment, before shaking her head as if to clear it. "Tell me straight - what are you doing? Because yeah, I have a hard time imagining you killing some one - especially just to "free" them. So what exactly are you scheming? And why didn't you explain all this to me before?"
"I never explained because I'm still not sure it will work. Heck, Nomolos was sort of key to the whole thing. I was hoping he'd know something we don't - he's much stronger than any of us. Plus Kasimir used to belong to him, there was a slim chance he'd want his servant back. If that didn't work, I was going to do the only thing that's dumber than summoning one of the Higher Demons."
"Which would be?"
"Summoning a creature of Heaven."
"You're right, that's pretty dumb. Besides, as much as I love you Rose, you're not so great in the summoning department. It would take you at least a decade to become that strong. Assuming you got it right the first time, there's still no guarantee you could actually control something that strong once you summoned it. Spell cages only contain so much. I'm not sure it's worth that much trouble to clear the family conscious."
Rosemary again stared into her tea, "I think it is. You're trying to clean out your family closet, why can't I throw out old skeletons? Keeping demons hostage as private slaves is bad karma, I'd like to wipe the family record clean." She looked up, once again smiling, "Besides, even just a Lower Messenger of Heaven would be strong enough to override the magic that enslaves a genie. I wouldn't be tangling with the stronger angels. My mother hated all this stuff," she waved her arm at the books and charms and other magical items that littered the living room, "I'd like to go visit her someday and tell her that it's finally all gone. Once Kasimir is freed I'm done with it all, just the eccentric owner of "Magic for Sale." Sounds like a nice life, don't you think?"
"Of course, of course. Just don't forget to find time in your busy schedule to come and see us sometime."
"Like I could seeing the person I live with. And I harass your brothers plenty from time to time. Neil's so much fun to pick on, how could I not visit often? Oh, speaking of which - how did your chat with Darrell go yesterday?"
"How do talks with Darrell always go? He puts up a good front, but I wonder if he doesn't just start crying and eating bonbons when no one is around. God forbid he or Neil ever actually let me help." Bethany bit her lips as she spoke, "I think things will honestly be better once we sell to Lord. A few more weeks and it'll be over."
"I hope so Beth, it's bad enough you all live in separate parts of the city but with each of you doing something different it's a wonder you ever see one another at all." Mug empty, Rosemary snatched up a fallen pillow from the floor, setting it behind her head as she fell back to rest against the arm of the couch, legs bent as she stared at Bethany over her knees.
Her grin turned evil, "Ya know…once you guys have all that free time you won't know what to do with yourselves."
"Your point?" Beth eyed the scheming woman.
"Well maybe we could move on to a new scheme…something easier than summoning demons and freeing genies."
"Like what?"
"Heh - does your handsome older brother prefer men or women?" Rosemary laughed at the look on the other woman's face as her words registered.
"You want to play matchmaker with my brother? With Darrell?" She laughed, shaking her head, "Good luck. Do you know how many times I've suggested he just go on a date, even if it led to nothing else? You know as well as I that he lives to work, even if he doesn't like it all that much. He'll probably just find something new to do once the business load is lightened. Something as utterly ridiculous as finding a girlfriend? Forget it, he'd pass out. Hell, I have no idea if he prefers men or women. That's how sad all our lives are."
"Well, I still love you. Even if you are a sad and pathetic lot. I still think we should at least try, unless you want your brothers all to yourself. I mean, I don't want to intrude on the family picnic…"
"Oh be quiet, you're hardly intruding and you know it. I think matchmaking would be a good idea, just not right away. It's just I can't even begin to guess what would be good for Mr. Works a Lot. Then there's Neil…"
"I get the feeling your little brother will work things out for himself. God forbid anyone else do anything for him. Actually, you're all like that. Except with each other." She winked, "And you with me - it figures the female of the group is the only one capable of obtaining a life outside of work or school."
Bethany rolled her eyes, "Only because I stumbled into trying to find a way to get rid of the family curse. Who knew that the descendant of Gareth would be someone I could actually stand?"
"Who knew there was such a thing as a tolerable DeMarius?" Rosemary giggled, "Let alone three. I guess the fates decided the time was right for some good apples to fall far away from the trees. So to speak."
The two laughed, but it stopped as the clock hanging on the opposite wall chimed eleven, unusually loud in the small room. Bethany groaned, "Drat, I had no idea it was so late. Argh, I've got overtime at the factory tomorrow. If it's all right with you, I'm going to bed."
"Fine, abandon me then. What a weakling, calling it a night at eleven." Rosemary snickered playfully as Bethany glared at her. "Ah well, I suppose I'll forgive you as I should probably bite the bullet and go to sleep as well. Should, but won't."
"Why on earth would you have to get to bed at a decent hour? Don't tell me you've actually got something to do tomorrow?" Bethany stared at her in disbelief.
Rosemary stuck her tongue out, "As a matter of fact, brat, I have a nice old couple coming by the shop tomorrow to look over and purchase a few pieces of the furniture we're trying to sell." She smiled in amusement, "As a matter of fact, one of the pieces they'll be looking at is the bureau where your brother found Kasimir. I'm also thinking of selling off some of those sketches we found - frame'em up and they'll do quite nicely, don't you think?"
Bethany yawned, "I think they'd do very well. Remind me tomorrow to discuss those pictures. Part of the deal with Lord is a couple of exclusive lines at some point. Those drawings have given me ideas for them. But tomorrow, I don't discuss business this late unless I have to. G'night Rose, I'll talk to you on the flipside."
"Good night Beth, sweet dreams." Rosemary stretched out on the couch, flipping on the TV and slowly going through the books abandoned by her stubborn friend.
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Date: 2003-11-28 05:21 am (UTC)Down Rose. You don't get to play quite yet.
Exactly. What we need to discuss is which pieces of music best fit which takeover. France - Scarlet Pimpernel. I mean, it's tacky and funny. What's not to like?
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Date: 2003-11-28 05:34 am (UTC)Damn...
Oh totally. "They seek him here. They seek him there. Those Frenchies seek him everywhere" It was written for this ;)
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Date: 2003-11-28 05:39 am (UTC)What should we play for Germany then?
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Date: 2003-11-28 06:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-11-28 06:25 am (UTC)No, but I'll be working on fixing that tomorrow.
Would Phantom be in poor taste for England? I figure the U.S. can get Lion King - that way they'll never see it coming.
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Date: 2003-11-28 06:40 am (UTC)Heh Heh LK works for the US. And I think Phantom or Les Mis works for the UK. we can depress them into surrendering if we use Les mis..
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Date: 2003-11-28 06:42 am (UTC)I will take those suggestions *jots down notes*
Oh, depression. By all means.
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Date: 2003-11-28 06:51 am (UTC)And really it won't take too much anyway.. the brits are so serious to begin with...
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Date: 2003-11-28 10:55 pm (UTC)Too serious for their own good really. I wonder what cheezy J-pop would do to them? that alone could win the country for us.
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Date: 2003-11-29 04:53 am (UTC)