Page 114 of Fallen Thorns
My hand hand fell to my side, note still tight in my grip. I did not speak.
“There’s one for you too, Arlo.”
I looked to my leader, another less crumpled note residing in her outstretched hands. Still in its envelope, though the seal had been broken. I hesitantly pulled it from her hands, looking deep into her eyes, searching for some understanding of what I was about to read.
Mars turned to watch me open it, coming up close beside me.
Sweetest Arlo,
How is death treating you? My apologies for not having written sooner. As you can gather, I am a busy woman. Things to do. But fear not, for I have always kept you close in mind and heart. I hear you have become closely acquainted with my dear Michael? He is quite a handful, isn’t he? Has he told you of his plans? He is quite the secretive sort but I trust he knows what he is doing with you. Though I must say, he doesn’t seem to like me very much. I wonder why? He and his ‘Moon’ were so welcoming at first. Oh well, some friendships are not meant to last — I’m sure you understand all about that, don’t you?
And oh, say hello to Marianne for me. Though I’m sure she will be reading this before you so I suppose I could say it myself! Hello! Isiah spoke so highly of you. Such a shame you had to cut him down. Will you ever learn our true purpose? Or will you forever be trying to cling on to every scrap of your humanity? Such a waste. Tut tut.
Anyway, Arlo I hope this letter finds you well, I look forward to hearing from you very soon.
Love, your sire x
I letMars read the whole thing over my shoulder; there was no point in hiding anything now. Marianne already knew everything anyway.
Mars made a stubborn ‘pfft’ sound. “Your sire?Bitch.”
“I knew she would do this. It’s exactly like before. Isiah. Histeasing.” Marianne wiped her still damp cheeks, blackened makeup smeared below her eyes.
“This means he’s alive though right?” I tried, completely glossing over my own personal letter, which was now perhaps the least personal thing I owned in this room.
“I fucking hope so!” Marianne shouted at us. She was no leader anymore, just a tired woman; exhausted from holding up this front for so long. For the first time since I met her, she sounded how she looked. Like a young woman who had bitten off more than she could chew. Finally the mask was slipping.
“He’s alive?” A quiet Louisiana accent floated through the door. I turned to see Casper standing at the threshold; coat sodden from rain, and his face damp. Marianne must have called him.
“Let me see the letter,” he begged, striding forward and pulling it from my hand. I had since pocketed my own.
Casper’s deep brown eyes scanned the document, his breathing hard, and a lone droplet of water still hung from his cupid’s bow. Both his hands gripped tight to each side of the letter.
Mars tried to pull it back. “Casper, don’t.”
Casper didn’t respond, but simply wiped his lip, sniffling and turning his body away to stop either of us from retaining the paper. His golden earrings swung from his lobes.
“So where is he?” he finally demanded once he had finished reading. “WHERE IS HE?” he screamed at us all, eyes wide and shoulders trembling; his pain drowning each of us.
Marianne flinched the most. Her face having still not recovered from her initial reading. “I don’t know,” she said, almost inaudibly.
Casper shook the letter violently in the air, pointing towards our leader. “Is this no clue?” he cried. “Did nothing else come with this?” His energy was draining fast.
Marianne shook her head and Casper whirled to face me and Mars. His eyes pools of desperate pleas.
“She clearly doesn’t want us to know yet,” Mars said, closing their eyes to avoid any of our reactions.
“I’ll kill her.” Casper backed up, panting. He hunched his back as if he were surrounded by hostility and was preparing to flee. “I will kill her.”
“Casper you can’t just…” Marianne’s words halted and she inhaled deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Casper didn’t react, not immediately, but his breathing grew shallow as we waited for her to finish.
“We can’t act rash, we… we can’t start a war. I can’t put any more of you in danger.”
“That’s easy for you to say when it’s notyourpartner.”
I don’t know how he hadn’t completely snapped yet.
