Page 55 of Aleko
“Even Alex is getting annoyed about it,” said Colin. “There was grumpy wolf face this morning at breakfast.”
Lia had to admit that was true.
“OK,” said Colin, leaning in and lowering his voice, “is it just me that finds it absolutely hysterical when they get all mad and their ears go... poing!” He mimed the wolf’s triangle ears popping up with his hands.
“I think they’re cute,” said Lia.
“Well, you would,” said Trevor with a snort. “You’re getting all in the nuddy with Alex. I think the ears are weird.”
“Yes, well, you don’t have any ears when you shift,” said Lia, tartly, “so you wouldn’t think it looks normal, would you?”
“To tell the truth, I think my ears are weird when I’m a human,” said Colin reflectively and Lia laughed.
“They do seem unnecessarily flappy,” said Trevor playing with his own ears. “Why have them? Seems like a design flaw.”
Taking another look out the window at Luca’s back, Lia made her way across the room to where Luca was reassembling the clay tablets. He’d started with the sarcophagus but now seemed to be focusing on the spells. He had a pile of clay pieces and was painstakingly reassembling them like a puzzle. Lia still found them repellent, although she couldn’t say why. Luca seemed convinced that they could be used against Anuket when she returned. Lia wasn’t convinced Anuket would return or that the spells were the answer if she did, but Luca didn’t seem to want other opinions.
“Wind is picking up,” said Trevor, as Lia held up a chunk from the pile. There were two phrases in Latin visible on the piece.
... tolle contra voluntatem tuam... contineo te tenebris...
“Storm will blow in soon,” said Colin.
Take against your will. Confine you to the dark.
Lia gingerly picked up the piece and tossed it into the desk drawer below the computer she’d been using. Trevor and Colin watched her with raised eyebrows.
“I won’t be helping put that woman back in a box,” she said quietly. “Luca keeps saying break-up like it’s a joke. It’s not a joke. She lost the ability to form her body and was locked in a box for at least a thousand years. That’s not a fucking break-up. That’s hell. Maybe that piece doesn’t matter… I just don’t want to help with that.”
Colin and Trevor both nodded. “We been talking about it,” said Trevor. “It seems to us that whoever did that to her is also connected to what happened on theStrumwolke,so it seems like she’s someone we should talk to, not fight. I’m not saying Alex is wrong—we should be prepared to defend ourselves if we have to. But talking first never hurt anybody.”
Lia breathed a little easier. It helped that Trevor and Colin feltthe same way she did.
“That’s whatStrumwolkemeans, you know,” said Lia, looking out the window at Luca again. The horizon was a smudgy purple-gray. “Storm cloud.”
“Huh,” said Trevor, picking up the jar again. He tugged on the lid again.
“Hey,” said Pellos, coming in from the adjoining door to the garage. “Is Alekos home?”
“Don’t know,” said Colin. “What’s up?”
“I got the memorandum of understanding done with Sergio’s sister. The Greek portion of his business will be ours as soon as probate gets settled.”
“Good on ya,” said Trevor, tugging again.
“Stop doing that,” snapped Luca, opening the French door. The wind pushed the door out of his hand and it slammed against the wall with a bang. The unexpected noise startled Trevor and the pottery slipped from his hand as he fumbled in surprise. Lia dove for it, catching it inches from the floor.
The gale hit Lia by surprise and she staggered in shock.
Saltwater spray filled his mouth as the rain pelted down in stinging strikes against his skin. The lightweight medium was only being held on course by the two selkies. Ahead of them, the Strumwolke loomed, a shadow in the night.
Howell looked to Brynn and Colwyn and gave the nod. Colwyn waited until the next swell and with a heave, launched his heavy seal body onto the deck. The impact of the selkie was barely felt as Strumwolke shuddered against the waves and wind. Howell looked back at Sofia and Seth. It was time.
Episode 30
Shot in the Dark
Eliandra
