Of Gaea (27 page)

She sighed. “Just life.”

He laughed again. “When I was about five or six, the oracle
– did you know they still use those in Sparta – announced that I
would make a sacrifice that would challenge the very foundations of
our society and when I did it would cost my life. When I was twelve
it was determined I was the one chosen to be your Guardian. I
refused, of course. I thought that I could change my fate, by
refusing the destiny Gaea set for me. Instead it seems I’ve made
that future an inevitable truth.”

“You’ve at least known of your burden all your life. I’ve
just learned of mine and I wonder, as I’m sure you do, if I will do
the right thing.”

“Ariadne, when Alissandre came to me, begging for your life
I did not want to get involved. I had fully intended to let you
die. I even refused to help, at first.” He sighed and Ari looked at
him, giving him her full attention. “Circumstance being what it
was, I was forced to leave and come here. I still didn’t want to
help, but when I saw you, I felt the strength of Gaea unlike any I
had every felt before. You were meant to be here. You are not
clouded by Spartan society or their ridiculous traditions. You have
the freedom to just be Gaea. Even if you were to go to Sparta now,
you still have the strength to still just be Gaea, without the
inhibitions of pomp and class. I believe that’s what we need. We
need someone who doesn’t fear the upper class and will stand for
Gaea as Gaea, not just a figurehead.”

“I don’t know what to do. I mean, I know what I want but it
can’t really be that simple.”

“You know, it took both Alissandre and I to save you?” He
rocked in his swing idly. “I could not have done it on my own. I
didn’t have the will for it, and he doesn’t have the skill. To me
at least, that means we were both meant to be here. We were both
needed. It’s… challenging to admit that. Especially about
Alissandre, but Gaea wanted him here.”

“I don’t think you’re even listening to me.” Ari
muttered.

He reached out and took her hand.
“Be yourself. Act and think as you
always would. When the time comes, you will know what to do. I did.
Even if I really, really didn’t want to.” He let go of her hand and
gestured.

Ari looked and saw Sasha standing a few feet away.
“Sasha.” She jumped
up and ran to him enclosing him in a hug. “Should you even be up
yet?”

“Alissandre.” Leonidas came up behind her. He studied the
girl and then the man. “I have some herbs that will
help.”

“Why?” Sasha’s tone was suspicious and acrid.

“For her.” Leonidas walked away.

“I don’t understand him.” Ari murmured in Sasha’s chest.
She didn’t want to pull away. The beating of his heart was a lovely
sound.

“He’s torn between what he was taught to do and what he
knows is right.
It makes it difficult to see truth when your eyes are
already clouded.”

“Want to see a trick?” Ari lifted her face to smile at
him.

Sasha smiled back. “Sure.”

She feathered
her mouth over his and they vanished into thin air.

They staggered
to the ground in his yard, mainly because Ari was laughing like a
loon and couldn’t concentrate enough to make the shift in
gentle.

Sasha laid still breathing deep and slow.
Probably shocked.
Ari jumped up and dropped down on top of him. She put her hands
over his heart and leaned forward to look into his face.

His face was priceless.
Stunned wasn’t a good enough word for it.
It was a cross between stunned, scared, and joyous.

“You okay?” Ari leaned down to peer into his eyes. “I’m
sorry. We would have been a bit more stable if I hadn’t been
laughing so hard.”

“Incredible.” He blinked and smiled. “Just incredible. I’m
happy for you.”

The smile didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Ari knew it was
a lie. She felt his heart stutter under her hands and rested her
forehead against his.

“We’re not in Sparta.”
She whispered. “We’re not bound by their
ridiculous laws or castes. This is America.”

His eyes were pained. “When we go back…”

“Do you love me?” It took every ounce of will power to ask
without stuttering. With his eyes on hers it made the words more
important somehow, than when she said it with him
sleeping.

He froze.
Ari literally felt every muscle in his body stiffen under
her. It wasn’t the reaction she expected. It felt like her chest
had been ripped open when he remained silent.

“Am I worth fighting for?”
she whispered closing her eyes against the
pain in his. She knew already, she felt it, the answer he was going
to give her. It wasn’t the answer she wanted or needed.

His hand jerked up and paused inches from her face.
His voice was a
pained whisper. “You know I believe you are. You know I would do
anything for you.”

“Why Sasha?
I need to know why? I need to know if you love me the way I
love you, or if it’s just some stupid Spartan duty. I need to know
if you love me for me or if you love me because I’m Gaea.” She
opened her eyes to stare him down. She felt the water welling up in
her eyes and willed herself not to cry, not yet.

He looked away
and didn’t answer.

“I see.”
Ari slowly stood. A part of her broke with the motion, but
she couldn’t tell which part. Her movement was stiff, mechanical
even. “When I woke in the hospital and realized I had no legs, I
had plans to commit suicide.”

His eyes cut
back to hers.

“But I didn’t. I didn’t, because of you. Now,” her voice
broke. She ran her hands over her face and sighed. “I can’t take
back my words or change how I feel. Consider your debt to me
fulfilled.” She smiled down at him through teary eyes. “Thank you
for your service, Spartan. You are relieved from duty.”

“Ari, wait.” He reached out for her, but she was already
wind and thought. A single tear drop landed in his open palm. That
was all she left behind.

S
HE DIDN’T
REALLY HAVE A
plan when she left Sasha. Ari was too numb and hurt to
really think about it. It was with some surprise, she ended up on
the bench in the solarium of Goddess Ink.

She lay down on the bench and just stared up at the painted
glass.
Gaea’s beginning stared back. The coming of the Pure and
then the casting out of their Tainted upon Gaea’s soil was depicted
in clear, crisp strokes. Funny, how she could see it now, when only
last month it was hard to decipher.

Two angry
voices snapped her attention towards the pathway.

“Why would she come here?
You’re being ridiculous.”

“This is the only place for her to come. You are the only
other person she can trust with her secrets and we both know it.”
Nasya voice was clear, and annoyed. “Besides, as of right now her
control only limits her to where she’s been. She’s not strong
enough, not until after her birthday, maybe, to go where she’s
never been.”

“A shuddering
thought.”

“It’s what’s needed. The balance cannot remain the way it
is.”

They both saw
her at the same time.

“What are you
doing here?”

“Thank the
Mother you’re safe.”

They spoke at the same time. And Ari simply turned away and
closed her eyes.

“I’m not feeling well.” She murmured. “I wanted some place
quiet. Some place undisturbed. I suppose I’ll have to try
harder.”

“I know what Sasha did. He’s frantic. He’s in the woods,
checking the usual spots and I thought to come here. Of course, I
didn’t tell him that.” Nasya stepped forward then
stopped.

“Thank you.”
Leonidas quipped. “You don’t look
well.”

Ari opened her eyes to see him crouched centimeters from
her face, studying her. She didn’t even have the energy to jerk
back in shock. She jabbed out her arm and shoved him instead.
“Personal space. You’re inside it.”

“My garden. Back at you.” He grinned. “Come on. You can’t
lay here. You’re disturbing the plants.”

Ari glanced at the plants which were much closer than she
remembered them being. “I’ll leave.”

“No.” Leonidas grabbed her arm and she really didn’t have
the heart to shake him off. He looked pointedly at Nasya. “Sasha
still has my ring. My word still stands. I’m going to ask you to
leave.”

Her brows furrowed together then she nodded slowly. “If you
need me just call. No matter how close or far I will hear you and
come.”

Ari merely
nodded.

“Come on.”
He draped an arm companionably around her shoulders. “Tell
me what’s got the love birds all riled up.”

“Sasha doesn’t love me. Or I don’t think he loves me. He
didn’t answer so I suppose that’s answer enough. He wouldn’t even
look at me when I asked…”

“And I’m a flying pink elephant. Try again.” He opened a
door to stairs and squeezed next to her to walk abreast up the
stairs.

“I think that it’s more he loves Gaea. I just happen to be
her vessel.”

“You’re not a vessel. So that statement doesn’t pass. Try
again.” At the top of the stairs he opened a heavily detailed
carved door and shoved her through. “Welcome to my humble
abode.”

Ari wasn’t sure what she had expected from the living
quarters of Leonidas but the clean- spotlessly so- airy, bright
loft was not it.
The furniture was natural wood and white and stood out
against a complex mosaic floor pattern.

“It’s
cork.”

Ari glanced up at Leonidas. “What?”

“The floor you are so heavily studying. It’s
cork.”

“What’s the design?” She dropped her gaze back to the
floor.

Leonidas grabbed her by the shoulders and moved her.
“Follow the line here.”

She looked up perplexed. “What?”

“Trust me.” He waved his hand at the floor. “Follow the
line.”

Seeing no reason to blow him off, Ari walked along the
lighter colored pathway. It snaked in a curve and on occasion she
had to go around a piece of furniture but she never lost sight of
her place. It was confusing yet very clear. The very center was
shaped like a round flower with evenly round petals.

“Not all paths are easy to walk. Yours is harder than
most.”

Ari looked up
from the path.

Leonidas stood against a bar and she could see the box to a
frozen pizza next to him. He motioned to the path. “The way you
walk will not always be straight and clear. And you may not always
see the big picture until the end.”

Ari carefully studied the floor and was startled that from
the center she could see the entire pattern. The tree of life
circled out from her feet. She glanced back up at Leonidas and he
smiled.

“You can stay here for a bit. I expect that you will clear
your mind and know what the right thing to do is.” A timer dinged
and he moved behind the bar to the oven.

“What’s the right thing?”
Ari walked over and sat at the
bar.

“Get the hell out of my house and convince Sasha to say the
words out loud.
Oh, here.” He walked away a moment and came back with a
sachet and a book. “He does love you. You’re being foolish. Though
I do believe Sasha deserves whatever slap you give him. Might wake
his ass up.”

Ari recognized the book. She lifted the sachet and sniffed.
A strong scent of herbs leaked out from the fabric.

“That is for Sasha.
The herbs I promised. Place one tablespoon in
eight ounces of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes and then make
him drink it. It will taste foul. He’ll think it is poison, but it
will help his strength regain faster and it will help prevent,
we’ll call them impressions, from others.” Leonidas had been moving
as he spoke and a plate of hot pizza and a glass of ginger ale was
placed on the bar in moments.

“I let him go.”
Ari murmured into the glass as she picked it up to
take a drink.

His laughter rang through the room. “Eat, sleep, and then
get out. You’re ruining my reputation. There’s a guest bed through
there. The door locks if you don’t want to sleep in your clothes.”
He gave a suggestive wiggle to his brows. “Then go to Sasha. Trust
me, if you had let him go and then you show up, he’ll be groveling
at your feet.”