Memories

XLI

ENCHANTED

'This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonder struck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you'

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"That's three strikes," Riko said and put a finger to his throat. "I'm disappointed in you, Kevin. You promised the master you would take care of this. Obviously you have not, and I am very curious as to why."

"He tried," Neil spoke. "It didn't take."

"Do us all a favour and don't speak again. Your insolence has already cost you two teammates. You cannot even imagine what is coming next." Riko said. Thalia's blood went cold and she left Kevin's side to stand at Neil's.

"What did you do to Andrew," she demanded. Riko's gaze slowly moved from Neil to Thalia. He tilted his head in mock confusion. "You said two teammates. Seth is one. Andrew must be the other." Riko smiled again.

"I told you that you were perceptive and asked many questions." Riko said. He turned back to Neil. "You should be scared. You think you can defy me because I am not your father, but you are forgetting one very important fact. I am the family your father was afraid of. And yes, Nathaniel, he was very afraid."

"Not of you," Thalia spoke. "I may have little to no memories of my childhood, but I've learned things. You're not part of the family he was afraid of. You're just a cast-off." Thalia knew the look on Riko's face meant he wasn't at all happy with what she'd just said, but she didn't regret it. She meant everything she said, especially those sentences.

"Jean," Riko said, looking into Thalia's eyes. "Take Kevin and leave us."

"Go see Matt," Thalia said, not taking her eyes off Riko's. Neil watched them go, but Thalia stared into Riko's cold, dead soul and waited for Neil to turn back to them.

Riko hit the cup out of Neil's hand and grabbed his wrist. His other hand shot out to stop Thalia from moving to aid her teammate. He twisted and Neil choked. Thalia stepped forward, pressing against Riko's hand and showing that she wouldn't hesitate to step up if needed.

"You wouldn't," Thalia said when it was clear Neil was in excruciating pain. "Not in front of all these people." Riko turned his head.

"I do not care if they see. A dog who bites his master's hand deserves to be punished. Slaughtered. The location and audience are inconsequential." Riko retorted. Thalia was full of fear for Neil and the injuries Riko could cause him if his arm were twisted even the slightest bit further, but she kept quiet.

"I am not a dog," Neil said. "I am a Fox."

"You are nothing but what I tell you to be."

"We talked about your delusions."

"I warned you to learn your place." Riko said with such venom in his voice Thalia looked around the room to make sure nobody was paying any attention. Not many people were, and nobody was doing anything about it.

"Let go of me, King."

"I am King," Riko agreed. "And the two of you are going to spend Christmas at my castle. You're coming to Evermore for winter break. Don't push me again. I am the only thing keeping you alive." Thalia scoffed, though the idea of spending two weeks under Riko's control terrified her. She didn't know how she'd lasted three years, but suspected the two weeks of Christmas break would be almost as bad, if not worse.

"No," Neil said. "You're not."

Riko paused, not saying anything for almost a whole minute, then he smiled. "You must be referring to your sister and that goalkeeper. You know which one I mean, I'm sure? The miniature one with the disgusting attitude who thinks he can take my things. And your whore sister who slept around for six months before you pulled her into this mess you created." Riko looked at Thalia then, before letting go of Neil and stepping back.

"Hey are you okay?" she asked Neil, who was clutching his wrist in pain. He swallowed and nodded. "You sure, that looked pretty bad." she whispered in French.

"I'm fine," Neil responded and looked up at Riko.

"Ah, that's right," Riko continued. Thalia looked at him too. "I heard they carted him away. Something about his brother fucking him brainless, yes? How scandalous. How traumatizing." Neil had to hold Thalia back. She was going to punch Riko if he didn't. She was tense all over and clenched and unclenched her fists in case Riko said anything else.

"Don't," Neil warned Riko, who glanced at Thalia's hands and smirked.

"Drake was an interesting man, wasn't he? I should thank the police for leading me straight to him. I might not have discovered him otherwise. Did you know, Nathaniel? Oakland lawyers are some of the cheapest to buy off. It only took three phone calls to arrange the whole thing."

"You set him up," Thalia hissed, furious at what Riko had done.

"That isn't even the best part," he smiled, looking at Thalia and taking half a step closer. Thalia thought that was quite risky of him, considering it was clear how on edge she was right now, but he did it anyway. "Did you know I've bought one of the doctors at Easthaven, too? Unless you want these little therapy sessions of his to turn into therapeutic reenactments, you will be on a plane to West Virginia tomorrow morning. Jean will give your tickets to Kevin. Do you understand me?"

Thalia didn't hear anything after that. She didn't feel anything. Thalia was numb for a few seconds, then Neil brought back his fist and punched Riko. She blinked and turned. On the way out of the hall, her heartbeat thumping in her ears, Thalia took off her heels and threw them to the side. She was half aware of Kevin calling her name.

Once outside, Thalia headed for the parking lot where the busses were. She found one closest to the exit and took a bobby pin out of her hair. Thalia used it to jiggle the lock in the bus door and had it open within a few minutes. Kevin wasn't far behind her, but Thalia was already in the bus by the time he'd caught up to her.

"Thalia, what are you doing?" he asked, slightly out of breath. She sat in the driver's seat and let Kevin climb inside the bus. "What did Riko say?"

"Did Jean give you the tickets?" she asked, focusing on starting the engine. He stuttered for a few moments and when Thalia finally had the engine sputtering to life, she turned to Kevin. "Did Jean give you the tickets?"

"Yes," he said. "Where did you learn how to do that?" Kevin asked. "Where are you going?"

"Are you coming with me or not, Kevin?" Thalia asked harshly. "Because if not, get off the fucking bus. I'm going to save Andrew, because Riko bought one of the doctor's and he or she will hurt him if Neil and I don't go to Castle Evermore tomorrow."

"Thalia, you should know Riko bluffs about almost everything." Kevin tried to reason. "And even if he's not lying about this, there's no way they'll let you in. There's nothing you can do." Thalia knew he was right, but she didn't want to believe it. Andrew would beat the shit out of anyone who tried to touch him. Thalia knew this. But she still wanted to be there. To protect him. Like she couldn't have done when Drake attacked him at Nicky's parents house.

"I'm sorry," Thalia said in a small voice that didn't sound like her own. Kevin carefully came closer to her and she let him hug her close to his chest. Thalia shut her eyes and Kevin put his hand on the other side of her head, rubbing his thumb against her cheek and calming her down.

"You don't need to be," he whispered back. They sat there for a few minutes until Thalia sniffed and sat back up. She wiped her eyes and stood. Kevin was much taller than she was, especially without her heels on.

"At least I was wearing waterproof makeup, right?" she joked, smiling lopsidedly, but knowing the comment fell short. Kevin gave a tight-lipped smile to try and make Thalia feel better. It did.

"Come on," he said, holding his hand out for her. Thalia took it, lacing her fingers carefully with Kevin's. "I'll give you something to drink when we get back."