Call of the Raven (38 page)

“If I knew one of those people were Ari, I
would spit.”

Elle rolled her eyes at him. “Are you telling
me you don’t know where he is?”

“Nope, he took off right after I knocked you
out. He is quite angry with me.”

Elle folded her arms over her chest and
frowned in his direction. “He’s not the only one. For your sake
Asher please tell me that you had Kennedy remove my clothes?”

He put his back to the railing and ran a hand
through his hair. “Ari doesn’t typically drink. We don’t handle
liquor well. I don’t usually care about what he does but tonight I
do-o
.”

Elle caught the scent of alcohol on Asher’s
breath. “He made his opinion clear enough,” she said. “But you
didn’t answer my question.”

“And what question was that?” Roughly he ran
his hand through his hair again. “Damn moon has everything messed
up right now.”

Elle looked up to the darkened sky and
shrugged, “There is no moon.”

“E-xactly, I bet you didn’t know the lunar
month takes twenty-nine and a half days, because that’s how long it
takes for one new moon to go to the next. A new moon which is what
we have now,” Asher pointed at random skyward, “is what we
ani-shifts call a dead moon. We can’t see it because half of the
moon is lit by the sun while the other half is in darkness. The
moon gives us our abilities—me even more than others, and its
forces are especially stronger in the waxing cycles.” He did a
strange karate chop in the air. “When there is none, it tends to
make us
really
weird.”

“I can see that but I can also tell that
you’ve been drinking.”

“Yep,” Asher nodded. “I believe I have and
that is a really, really,
really
foolish thing to do right
now since I am after all, in my
weaker
state.” Asher turned
toward her. “And when it comes to your clothes, I am quite artfully
and magically skilled. Just a snap—” He meant to snap his fingers
together but when he couldn’t, he became sidetracked in trying to
make them.

“Ash,” Nixon called.

“Out here Nixon,” Elle called back. She
didn’t have a clue what Asher’s intentions were but whatever they
were was being obscured by what he was drinking. During his talk he
had made things clear. He felt sorry for her and maybe even liked
her on some level, but she would be nothing to him but a glorified
nanny.

He took another step in her direction and she
put a hand on his chest to keep him at a distance. Stepping out of
the room, Nixon flashed yellow eyes in their direction just as
Asher suddenly slumped into her. The impact of his body nearly took
her breath away. She held him up the best she could but she could
feel her arms slipping.

“He’s quite drunk,” she told Nixon.

“Quite isn’t quite the right word,” Nixon
laughed. He took Asher by the arm and ducking down, he draped it
over his shoulder. “He’s had two drinks and two small ones at that.
Certain things tend to bother Asher more than it does others. I
guess I need to tell him to lay off the whiskey from now on. He’s
always been a lightweight but this is very unlike him. I was
keeping an eye on him but then I had to take a leak,” he said. “Hey
can you give me a hand?”

Elle put her arm around Asher’s waist and
helped as Nixon dragged his unresponsive body to the room. “Why
does he drink then if it does this?”

“Yeah, well you can get a whole bunch of
headaches if you keep wondering why Asher does what he does. Ari
usually watches him but he’s still AWOL.”

Once inside, Elle left Nixon long enough to
pull back the bedding. Hurrying back, she lowered under Asher’s
arm. Just as that arm moved behind her waist, Nixon let loose a
little too powerfully and dropped Asher onto the bed. Unable to
free herself from his hold, Elle went along for the ride. When they
were both done falling, she was lying with her upper half on
Asher’s chest, with his left arm pinning her in place against
him.

“Oops, that didn’t go so well,” Nixon
chuckled quickly pulling at Asher’s arm.

Elle could see that Asher’s eyes were closed
but with each embarrassing second, she knew that he was coming to.
After four tugs Nixon pulled his arm away, and helped Elle to her
feet. Just as she stood, pulling the robe closed over the white
shirt, Asher’s eyes faltered open. His blue stare fixed on her and
then with a grunt he rolled over onto his side. By the time Nixon
pulled the covers up Asher’s eyes were already faltering closed.
Only then did Elle breathe.

Nixon, red faced, started laughing. “Well I
think it’s time for a drink.”

“Oh no, you don’t,” Elle said. He picked up a
glass decanter and lowered it below the bar, “don’t you follow in
their footsteps.”

“First of all big sister,” he laughed,
“neither the dead moon or alcohol affects me like it does those two
meatheads, but I actually just meant a
drink
drink.” He sat
two water bottles on the bar top and gestured to the furniture
grouping in the corner.

Elle took the cold bottle in her hand and
followed him. The television was on to a war movie but the sound
was turned down. She could tell by the blanket and pillow that
Nixon had been resting on the couch prior to going to the
bathroom.

“Pull up a sofa and keep me company for a
bit.” Nixon said. “I can’t leave. I have to play watchdog.”

Asher’s room wasn’t as nice as Ari’s. The
small grouping of furniture, a blue plaid couch, two matching
chairs and tables suited a normal living room more than it did the
rich Plaza, but the appearance was inviting and that’s all that
mattered.

“Don’t you think we should shut the door?
It’s a little chilly in here,” she asked.

“I will in a moment. I need the air. He may
not look heavy but that six foot-something frame is pure rock hard
muscle.” Nixon plopped down and peered up at her as he twisted the
bottle cap on the water. “So what’s your story neighbor lady? Don’t
you have anyone else other than that undeserving thug who
mistreated you?”

“No, I don’t,” she let out a sigh and dropped
down on the couch. She had been through too much and she was
emotionally exhausted. Naturally she believed herself to be a
strong woman and a breaking point usually came after numerous
insults and abuse, but no one had asked her ‘her story’ before.
Like a dam breaking free, Elle’s sobs burst forth and she could not
stop them. All she could think about was Asher’s words.

She wanted to know love.

She had
hoped
to know love.

And yet, no matter how horrible the situation
seemed, she couldn’t stop thinking about him or his offer. Sitting
the water bottle down on the table, Elle dropped her head into her
hands. Life seemed so unfair.

“Hey, come here.” Elle felt Nixon’s weight as
he sat down next to her. His arm went around her shoulders as he
pulled her to him. She felt the strength in his bicep and the heat
of his chest, but she couldn’t stop that either. She relished the
sound of his pounding heart against her ear and the power of his
embrace, because both were signs that he was real and not some
dream.

“Hush now, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He
stroked her hair in a consoling manner. The last person that held
her that way, like they cared, was her grandmother and that was
five years prior on the night she died.

“But I know what it feels like to cry—to feel
the way you do now,” he said. “I cried out once. I cried for my mom
to come back, for someone to care enough to take me away. I cried
for the beatings and pain to stop…” he trailed off, eyes lowering
as Elle looked up.

She saw the trace of a tear on his right
cheek. She never would have thought that he could know such
anguish. He seemed like such a normal contented young man.

“Grant found me when I was nine. He gave me a
home and protection but he was gone nine months later. That’s all
Asher wants to do for you, so please just give the offer some
consideration. You just met us today and you nailed us dead
straight. Truth is, what you said at dinner is true. Ari’s the most
caring person I’ve ever known and you’re right, Asher cares in his
own way. I know that now. We all want to do the same for you that
Grant did for me. Besides neighbor lady, you know you like us.
You’ve been dreaming about us your whole life.”

Elle nodded and relaxed against him. “But I’m
not the person in that drawing. I’m not pure. All I will be for
Asher is a means of distress. I’m not even sure why he even wants
me around. I can see the disappointment in,” Asher’s name wouldn’t
leave her lips again so she redirected. “And Ari, once he found out
that I was pregnant—”

“Shss,” Nixon soothed pushing her tear damp
hair back from her face. He couldn’t see her since she was facing
away from him but she felt he wanted to. “You don’t understand at
all what those two idiots are going through. I know them Elle.
Neither of them drinks unless they’re really bothered by something.
And Asher, I’ve never seen him act this way with anyone. He’s been
a master of indifference ever since I’ve known him. He resents the
fact that he doesn’t have control of his life, and this with you is
confusing for him. He may have gone about things the wrong way but
truth is we need you, and I know you need us.”

“Then you’re okay with what Asher’s asking of
me,” Elle exhaled in frustration. She didn’t want to think about a
future without love.

“Maybe I am being selfish but I don’t think
it will be all that bad of a trade. Besides, I’m still waiting to
see what happens. In the meantime the three of us would never
intentionally hurt you, and we would never let someone else hurt
you either. But this, regardless of what Asher said and did, by
taking your shoes and knocking you out, which I totally didn’t
agree with by the way, is your decision and yours alone. Take us or
leave us, the choice is yours but when morning comes Asher will
expect your answer.”

“I really do have no place else to go.”

“Asher has offered you an alternative—the
chance to stay here and live comfortably so that’s not a factor.
You have to come live with us and agree to Asher’s terms because
you
want
to be with us. But right now I don’t want to talk
about this. Talk to me Elle. Tell me who
you
are.”

“My stories not that pleasant or interesting
though.”

“Tell me anyway. I think it will help the
situation. Start with your parents.”

“My mother was a crack addict and she left me
with my grandparents when I was nine. I don’t know a whole lot
about her except that she chain smoked and yelled a lot. When I was
younger I would have these crazy dreams about this strange looking
man and a boy with blue eyes like mine. I don’t remember anything
before I moved in with my grandparents, just the moving around with
my mom. We lived in some very bad neighborhoods but I don’t
remember where.”

“What about your grandparents. Weren’t they
good to you?”

“My grandfather died a year after I moved in
so it was just my grandmother and me, but yes she was. She loved me
very much and when she got sick I took care of her. When I was
sixteen my mom came back and made life hard for us though.”

“How did you end up with the ex?” he
asked.

Elle turned her face into Nixon’s chest and
his hand moved to her ear. He gave her earlobe a tug. “Come on
Elle, you were doing so well. Don’t quit on me now. I told you this
will help the situation. Don’t you believe that?”

She glanced at the television and watched it
a moment. She took a deep breath and then continued on. “Mom was
bitter when she came back. She said I ruined her life and that I
was the reason she hid her pain in drugs and alcohol, which is why
I can relate to Mary. A year later my grandmother died. My mom
didn’t show up for the funeral but when I got home later that day,
I caught her shooting up. She yelled at me and told me to get out,
so I did. I walked the streets for two weeks going from place to
place before I met Julio.”

“I was on my way up the shelter steps when I
noticed him smoking a cigarette with a homeless man,” she said.
“This guy came out of the shelter and ran him off and he told me
there weren’t any more beds. I was cold and hungry. I was just a
kid but he still wouldn’t let me in. I didn’t realize at the time
but Julio sometimes gave away free drugs to strum up business, and
that’s why the man ran him off. When I was walking away Julio made
me an offer, a home for me, so I took it.”

“You took an offer by a man giving drugs to a
homeless man. How did he expect the guy to pay for the stuff
later?”

Elle shrugged, “Most homeless people are on
the streets already because of an existing drug or alcohol problem.
They’ll do anything, turn in cans, beg and steal to get their next
fix. They’re good business.”

“Was that the first time you…ever did
anything like that?”

Elle softly moaned, “Yes, I was on the honor
roll at school. I had just tried out for a play. In the five years
I lived with Julio though I never joined in with him and his
buddies when they smoked a joint in the living room or did drugs.
Instead I sat on the fire escape and read.”

“Asher’s books?” There was a bit of humor in
Nixon’s voice when he asked.

“Not always, I love all the classics.”

“You are such a rarity Elle, a beautiful lily
among the weeds. You deserve so much more.”

Her eyes faltered on the brink of sleep,
while Nixon held her in place, quietly listening. Elle was aware
that not only was Asher awake and listening as well, she knew she
didn’t care. She had noticed him sit up and look in their
direction, but her words would not stop flowing. She wondered if
Nixon had known he was listening all along, and for that reason
alone had wanted her to tell her story.

“I don’t feel so beautiful.” Elle muttered
sleepily. “I’m not so sure why he would draw me.”