Legacy of the Mind (16 page)

‘Don’t you always know how to brighten up my day,’ Amber teased, kissing Austin finally, before climbing off him, buttoning her shirt and pulling down her pencil skirt.

‘I aim to please,’ he smirked, as he stood up from his office chair, did up his fly and walked over to his drinks cabinet.  ‘Brandy?’

‘Why not?’ she said, sinking into one of the chesterfields and curling her legs up under her.  She took the glass Austin offered.  He did always provide quality booze, she thought as she savoured the first mouthful.  Austin sat down next to her and thinking this was probably about as good an opportunity as she was going to get, she launched her assault.

‘I think we should talk about Anita.’

Austin stiffened, took a slow, deep sip, then said, ‘go on.’

‘I think it may be turning into more of a problem than we originally anticipated.  Marcus seems to be increasingly interested in her, he’s become possessive and he’s spending a great deal of time following her around.’

Austin’s face told Amber everything she needed to know.  He was furious.  ‘What happened to infatuation and lust?’  He hissed the words.

‘It would seem that the lust hasn’t been sated and infatuation is turning to something more.  I think it might be time for you to have a gentle word with him.  Talk some sense into him.’

‘I told you we should’ve put a stop to this at the start,’ he snarled.  ‘Now who knows what damage has been done.’

‘Austin, there’s still time to solve this.  We just need to focus his attention elsewhere; get him more involved in your business activities, make him feel more important, give him something to concentrate on other than her.’

‘Can’t we just get rid of her?’

‘Not yet,’ she laughed.  ‘You know we can’t.  If he starts to move away from her, we can take action, but we can’t take her away from him, the consequences would be dire.  He’s extremely protective of her and he won’t appreciate being told what to do by you, me or anyone else.’

Austin’s mood was deteriorating and Amber knew it was time for her to make an exit.  ‘Just think about it,’ she said, getting up and slipping on her stilettos.  She leaned back over him and ran her hands placating through his hair, ‘if anyone can make him see sense, it’s you,’ she said adoringly, before giving him a short kiss on the lips and leaving.  By the Gods I hope this all works out, she thought as she closed the door behind her, resting her head back on the wood.  She wouldn’t like what would become of her if it didn’t.

Austin heard Marcus return from wherever he’d been, his footsteps indicating he was heading in the direction of the kitchen.  There’s no time like the present, he thought, as he left his office and headed after him.  He reached the kitchen and did a quick sweep around with his eyes, luckily they were the only ones there, and Austin moved over to the enormous range cooker to put the kettle on to boil.  ‘Cup of tea?’ he asked, as Marcus pulled out a tin of shortbread.

‘Sure,’ he replied, a little suspicious.  It was always ominous when his dad was overtly nice.

‘Had a good day?’ asked Austin conversationally.

‘Yep, fine thanks.  You?’  It was a lie.  Marcus had been in a dreadful mood since Anita had gone for her lesson with Alexander, and it was killing him that he had no real idea what had happened.  He’d felt slightly better when she’d told him it’d been another difficult session, but still, he was uncomfortable with the whole arrangement.

‘Yes fine thanks; all very mundane today, nothing exciting going on.  What have you been up to?’

Marcus was really suspicious now.  His dad being chatty was an extreme rarity, but he thought it best to play along.  ‘I just went to Empire.  I had a few things to do at the Temple.’

‘Good good.  Been seeing much of that Anita girl since the ball?’

Knew it, Marcus thought.  He had got to the point just as the kettle was boiling.  ‘Yep, been seeing her a bit.’

There was silence as Austin made them tea and Marcus picked up a large piece of shortbread and took a bite.  ‘I just think you should be a bit careful Marcus.  I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.’

‘Oh?’ asked Marcus innocently.

‘I’m just not sure I trust Anita, that’s all.’

‘Any particular reason why?’

‘Because she’s very powerful and I think it’s suspicious how she’s latched onto you since the ball.’

‘I’m not sure she’s
latched
onto me.  She’s nice.  We have a lot in common so we spend time together.  I don’t see much harm in that.’

‘Marcus, don’t you think you should find someone more appropriate?  Someone from a better background…’

‘…what’s wrong with Anita’s background?’ he interrupted defensively.  Marcus knew this was a pivotal moment and from it he would be able to tell how strong Austin’s feelings were about Anita.  If he admitted that he had looked into Anita’s background, it was bad.  If he made a comment about her not being from a Council family or something similar, it wasn’t quite so dire.  Luckily he did the latter.

‘I just think you’d be much better off with someone more like us.  What about one of the Councillors’ daughters?  There are lots of very nice, well connected girls who are far more suitable for a Descendant.’

‘Well I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint you.  I like Anita, she’s so much more interesting than the other girls I know, so thanks for your concern, but I’m confident I can judge who I should spend time with and who’s best to avoid.’  With that, he picked up his tea, along with another piece of shortbread and headed up to his suite, a little baffled.  It was very unlike Austin to pussyfoot around the edge of a topic.  He was usually more comfortable taking the direct approach and Marcus was surprised he didn’t simply try to ban him from seeing Anita again.  It wouldn’t have worked obviously, but it would have been more in character.  Something was going on; he just had to find out what.

Marcus made his way to The Island later that evening, still confused by his father’s earlier words.  He knew Austin didn’t like powerful people, but Anita was hardly a threat.  He arrived very pleased at the prospect of spending an evening with Anita, even more so now he knew how much his father disapproved.

He walked in and scanned the room, smiling as he spotted Anita, Bas and Cleo, before recognising Alexander’s unwelcome form, his leg dangerously close to Anita’s as he sat smugly with the others at Cleo’s favourite table.  In the name of the Gods, what is he doing here, Marcus silently cursed as he saw Anita smile at something Alexander had just said.  His mood blackened as he made his way towards the table, greeting everyone except Alexander warmly when he got there.  He sat down next to Anita, leaning in to kiss her briefly and purposefully on the lips.  Anita felt an energy reaction from everyone as he did it, not least from herself as she felt a mix of embarrassment and excitement rise in her.  Marcus carried on as though what he had just done was totally normal and ordered a bottle of Ginger Champagne, feeling especially pleased with himself, to celebrate.

Anita was now sandwiched in a booth between Marcus and Alexander, with Bas directly opposite and she felt intensely uncomfortable.  It was very pleasant to be in the company of either Marcus or Alexander when they were on their own, however both together like this was not something she would want to repeat in a hurry.  Marcus’ hand made its way to her leg and Alexander’s knee was so close that the fabric of their clothes made it difficult to determine whether there was actual contact or not.  Why had she invited Alexander, she asked herself.

Cleo, obviously enjoying Anita’s current predicament and wishing to stir the situation further, broke the awkward silence. ‘Marcus, we were just discussing a trip to Kingdom this weekend.  Can you believe Anita has never been?’

‘Really?’  Marcus looked at Anita and she shook her head in confirmation.  ‘Well I’ll come too to show you around then.’

Cleo smirked and looked at Anita.  ‘I thought you had to see your mother this weekend?’ she said tentatively, trying to supress a worried look.

‘Damn, yeah, you’re right.  Well go without me then and I’ll give you a list of things to do.  I also have a brilliant driver there, who you can of course use and you must stay in the house.’

Anita was devising a tactical way to break it to Marcus, when Cleo, true to form, jumped in again.  ‘That’s so kind Marcus, but Anita, Bas and I are going with Alexander, so we’re planning to stay with him.’

Marcus’ face was a picture and everyone held their breath to see what would come next, Anita noting that Alexander’s energy was steady as a rock.  ‘You’re staying with Alexander?’ Marcus asked, directing the question at Anita.

‘Yes,’ interjected Alexander, ‘it will be more comfortable for everyone than staying in a hotel, not to mention safer,’ he shot a meaningful look at Marcus, ‘and besides, I’m not sure Austin would welcome a house full of guests when he’s in Kingdom this weekend.’

Anita felt Marcus’ negative energy rising towards Alexander and knew she had to defuse the situation.  ‘I’m sure your mother is really looking forward to seeing you after all the excitement of the last few months,’ she said quickly, placing a reassuring hand on Marcus’ thigh.  The distraction worked and Anita felt Marcus mellow a little, but it wasn’t enough to make him let it go.  ‘And it’s only for the weekend,’ she said innocently, leaning in to him, ‘we’ll be back before you know it.’  She smiled sweetly, trying to look something like a lost puppy that might cry if he tried to stop her.  It worked; his energy returned to more normal levels.

‘Ok, fine,’ he said, relenting, leaning in and giving her another, much longer kiss.  Under normal circumstances Anita would have gone a shade of purple and everyone would have taken the piss out of them, but everyone, perhaps apart from Bas, who looked pretty uncomfortable, realised that Anita had just adverted a crisis, so didn’t say a thing.

‘So why are you going to Kingdom?’ asked Marcus, his tone a little edgy.

Cleo jumped in again, which Anita was this time grateful for, as it shifted everyone’s focus away from her and Marcus.  ‘Well Alexander has some business stuff to do, Bas is going to see someone to talk about energy and I’m going to see my dad.  Dad’s a trader you see, so he’s been out in the Wild Lands for ages and I can’t wait to see him.  He’s very fond of Anita, so she’s coming along for the ride.’  This wasn’t entirely true.  The way it had really happened was that Cleo had told them she was going to Kingdom this weekend to see her dad and Alexander had said he was going too.  He had suggested that Bas come along to meet with some guy that had an interest in the energy.  Bas had agreed immediately and Cleo had then suggested that Anita might like to come along too.  Cleo’s motives had nothing to do with her dad, but Marcus didn’t need to know that.

Marcus lost interest as Cleo started rabbiting on about the commodities her father traded and how he was hardly ever in Empire any longer, so he put his arm around Anita and pulled her closer towards him.  She was his and Alexander had better not forget it.

By the time Friday rolled around, Anita was glad at the prospect of a break from Marcus.  He had monopolised her time since he’d learned she’d be going to Kingdom with Alexander.  He had come to meet her every morning to walk her to the Observatory, had spent time in the Observatory asking her questions about what exactly it was she did, had walked her home every day and had insisted she spend every evening with him, meaning she’d had to cancel her lessons with Alexander.  Anita loved spending time with Marcus, but it was starting to feel claustrophobic, so she was looking forward to the weekend away.  Friday afternoon eventually arrived and she got in an energy car with Bas, Alexander and Cleo (with Marcus there to wave them off of course), full of excitement as they headed to Kingdom.  The car had some seats facing forwards and some facing backwards, so they chatted easily all the way to Kingdom.

After several hours, the tension of his proximity to Anita now almost unbearable, Alexander cut across the conversation, having glimpsed the first outline of Kingdom.   He always felt awed when he laid eyes on the city’s distant silhouette, as despite the distance, it still conveyed a magnificent power that made the blood race around his veins.  Kingdom sat just above the sea, a cluster of soaring spires and elegant outlines, with a wall around the city that seemed to hug it to the coast.  In its centre were three imposing spires that rose above to dominate the rest.  They belonged to the Temples, their sheer, dominant size masked from this far out.  Whereas Empire had a stately, romantic feel, Kingdom had none of this charm; it was majestic yet harsh, radiating a feeling that untold opportunity lay within its walls, but that opportunity came with a risk, that you would never be totally safe there, regardless who you were.

‘There it is,’ he said, looking across at Anita and gesturing out of the window towards the capitol.  He watched Anita’s face as she saw it for the first time, feeling her energy soar as her face lit up.  This was Anita’s kind of place, where a challenge waited at every corner, and those who fought the hardest won the day.

They raced towards, then through the gates, flying across the city, along ancient streets and past the colossal Temples in the middle.  Anita strained to spot the relic but, frustrated at their speed, couldn’t quite catch a glimpse.  ‘Don’t worry,’ laughed Alexander, ‘we can go and see it tomorrow.’  They carried on through Kingdom, past a wide array of spectacular looking shops, restaurants and houses, until they passed out through the gate the other side.

Anita looked at Alexander confused.  ‘We’re not staying in Kingdom?’

‘Afraid not.  My family tend to rank privacy over convenience, so our residence is just outside.  We’ll be spending most of our time in the city though.’

Anita was disappointed to be leaving the city before she’d had a chance to explore, however she was excited to see Alexander’s house.  A couple of miles outside Kingdom, the car pulled through some understated gates onto a large, sweeping drive, which swung in a wide arch to dramatically reveal a spectacular house, large but not vast, covered in magnificent purple flowers and with wonderful lawns that rolled out to the top of a cliff, the sea crashing into the rocks below.  Anita’s energy soared when she saw the house and Alexander’s responded when he felt her reaction; he’d been worried that she wouldn’t like it.

She turned to face him when she felt his energy rise and beamed at him, Cleo and Bas making appreciative noises.  ‘It’s beautiful,’ she breathed, before spotting the breath-taking view out of the other window.  She froze and all the colour drained from her face.  ‘Alexander…’ she started, feeling sick, then stopped, lost for words.

His face froze, his energy seemed to too, but before he could respond, Cleo broke the spell, ‘in the name of the Gods Alexander.  That is bloody glorious,’ she said, looking in the same direction as Anita, out over the sea.  However, although the sea itself provided a theatrical backdrop, what had caught her attention was the view back across the bay, a view that contained the other side of Kingdom.  It was breath taking; Kingdom looked like it belonged in a snow dome, a perfect city contained within a neat, protective wall.

However, Anita’s surprise was quite different to Cleo’s.  Apart from the city, which didn’t feature, this was identical to the cliff in her mind.  To her surprise, she felt afraid.  She had never been here before, so how was this place in her head and why without Kingdom?  Alexander smiled sheepishly and sent a nudge to the edge of her energy field, but it had no impact and Anita’s mind started to race.  Was it someone from Alexander’s family who’d put the cylinder in her head?  Was that how the cliff had got there?  Did Alexander know something?  Had he brought her to Kingdom under false pretences?

Alexander felt Anita’s energy turn wary, wishing they were alone so he could reassure her.  He had wanted to warn her before the trip, but he hadn’t been able to get anywhere near her since drinks at The Island, Marcus had practically been her shadow for the last few days.

They pulled up to the front door, Cleo talking at a hundred miles an hour about how wonderful the house was and how lucky Alexander was to have such a spectacular view, but nobody was really listening.  They climbed out of the car to be greeted by the housekeeper, Mrs Hudson, who ushered them inside.  They entered to find themselves in an enormous glass topped atrium that basked the internal courtyard in light, Alexander quickly whisking them away from the feathery space to show them to their rooms.  They climbed one side of a double staircase, turned left at the top and followed the corridor to the end, where Alexander opened a door to reveal Cleo’s gargantuan quarters.

‘You’ll be in here Cleo.  Your bags should already be waiting for you.  We’ll see you downstairs for supper at eight, that should give you enough time to freshen up?’

Cleo barely heard what he said.  She was preoccupied with the extravagant four poster bed and view over the bay.  ‘Uh-ha.  Yep, sure thing.  See you downstairs,’ she replied, not even looking at the others.

Alexander dropped Bas off in the room next to Cleo, before leading Anita over to the other side of the house and opening an understated door into a smaller, but truly beautiful room.  Anita, who had thought nothing but suspicious thoughts since she had seen the view, softened as she took in the proportions.  It was big, but not ostentatious, full of gorgeous draped fabric, and had a weightless, carefree feel to it.  The ceiling to floor windows let in so much light that the room seemed to almost radiate it, and provided an uninterrupted view out over the perfectly manicured lawns that seemed to skip to the edge of the cliff and then jump off into the sea below.  But the jewel in the crown was the sight of Kingdom, which seemed to almost levitate above the sea.  There must be so much power in the city, thought Anita, that it wouldn’t be surprising if it was supressing its energy, causing it to lift a little off the ground.

Alexander had been watching Anita as she took in the room and the view, searching for the right words to apologise.  ‘Anita,’ he started almost hesitantly, ‘I’m really sorry.’  She turned slowly to face him, quizzing him with her eyes, but didn’t say a word.  ‘When we arranged to come to Kingdom I knew I had to tell you.  I was going to tell you in our next lesson, but Marcus hasn’t let you out of his sight long enough for me to get anywhere near you.’

Anita could see Alexander was telling the truth and could feel it in his energy, which he was making no attempt to hide, but she wasn’t ready to let him off the hook quite yet.  ‘Why didn’t you tell me when we first meditated to the cliff?’ she asked, her tone neutral.

‘I didn’t really know how to.’  He paused, looking, if Anita was not mistaken, a bit embarrassed.  The impervious Alexander embarrassed, wonders never cease, she thought.  ‘I thought you would be suspicious of me if I told you, and I have no explanation for how the cliff got into your head, I have no idea why it’s there.  And I thought it best to keep anything personal out of our lessons.  You know how Marcus feels about us spending time together at the best of times, can you imagine how he’d react if he found out one of the places in your head was here?’

‘How would he find out?’

‘You might have told him.’  He said it matter of factly and it felt like he had just shot an arrow through her arm.  Not a fatal blow, but painful none the less.  He didn’t trust her.

‘I need time to get ready for dinner,’ said Anita, clearly indicating it was time for Alexander to leave.  Alexander looked for a moment like he might refuse, before whirling around and gliding back through the door, his energy supressed so Anita couldn’t read it.  He opened the door next to Anita’s and entered his room, resisting the urge to slam it closed behind him.  He unconsciously made his way to his bed, his feet leading the way, his mind racing through replays of what had just happened as he sat down and then lay back on the fluffy duvet, running his hands through his hair and then holding them there, each one pulling on a section of his dishevelled mane.  You total idiot, he scolded himself.  That couldn’t have gone any worse if you’d tried.