Saints of Evil | Trepidation Trilogy | The Empty World Sequence

Fifteen

A room and a window, diagonal lattice on the glass.  Dark green trees, hills, melting snow.  And then Trepidation woke feeling light-headed.  "Did you have another dream?" Mara asked half-asleep.

     Trip  held his head, looked about the room at the dim-lit sandblasted concrete walls painted warm colours, the Indian rugs, and cheap wooden furniture.  "It's one of those dreams where you're almost in a familiar place," Trip said.  He lay back down, too dizzy to get up.   

     "Where were you?"

     "Somewhere like Goth.  The black forests, and the snow.  And the window, it's really familiar, like the castle has."

     "You mean the stained glass ones?"

     "Upstairs."

     "Oh, with the sort of diamond shapes."

     "Yeah," Trip sighed.  He looked to the door just as the knock came. 

     "Yes?" Mara called.

     Sadian opened the door, stood leaning against the frame in one of her saris over cropped tank and leggings so that with the dusky skin she did not look terribly unlike the teenage daughters of the old Indian families that lived in some neighborhoods around Karachi.  "Hey Parents, Vicky's up at the Villa, can I drive home with her and see the kids?"

     Mara looked down at Trip.  Whenever the Jinnahs were at their Cotton plantation and not in Islamabad Victoria invited Sadian to play with the children.  The older three she usually played with were all at least two years older than her, Trip couldn't remember the exact ages of Azim and Brittany Leigh, but Sharif was about five years older, and so they actually seemed to be around her age.  "How you getting home?" Trip asked.

     "Well if the Jinnahs can't drive me home I'll call," Sadian said as she fidgeted with her braid.  You could just make out the slight curve of her breasts as she raised her arms, it was much more frightening watching it than going through it.  She was only actually ten.

     "And we'll just come get you?" Trip asked playfully.

     "Sure.  Take one of Orchid's cars, he's got lots."

     "All right, you be respectful of Victoria while you stay in their house," Mara said.

     "Sure," Sadian called, already in the hall. 

     "Sadi, if we're not here leave a message at the Villa," Mara called after her.

     The front door slammed.   Mara looked up at Trip.  She was twenty-four, and she looked it.  "Is there an age where your hormones cause you to blossom into a door-slammer?"

     "There must be.  I never slam that door, but I used to do it to David and Mother all the time."

     Mara rolled over and reached for him.  "My head feels kind of strange," Trip said.

     "I know, Sweetie, I was just gonna hold you, try and make you feel better."  It was her latest trick, well, her now perfected trick.  Mara had been practicing enough years that she was quite a powerful witch.  She could lay hands on Trip, or whoever was feeling mildly sick, and if she was able to discover the cause she was usually able to make them better.  Her right hand moved past Trip's eyes and lay flat against his brow. 

     They lay quietly together for a while.  Mara whispered to him then, "There isn't anything terribly wrong, I think you should investigate the dreams, they're causing it."

     "Uh huh."

     "I wish you were feeling better," Mara said.

     "Sorry," Trip said.  If he were feeling better Mara could draw some extra life from him, and then he'd go drink some blood and have really lost nothing.  Thierry figured with them that if they went on this way Mara wouldn't age, and it would be easier for her than the acts of will Thierry performed to keep from aging, and his promises to particular angels.