Four Times Blessed (32 page)

             
“Ouch. I thought you loved me.” He smirks into his mug.

             
I kick him in the shin.

             
“Ow! Crusa, Jesus.”

             
“Please, I don’t even have shoes on.”

             
He makes like he’s going to punch me but I dodge him. He shrugs, “Zizi wanted me to.”

             
“Oh, so you’ll come for Zizi, but not for me?” I tease.

             
“Well…yeah.”

             
I do punch him this time.

             
“Hey. Would you like to dance?”

             
That’s a funny question. I twist my brother’s wrist until he gives me my fist back and turn to see who said that.

             
It’s Hale. I make sure there’s nobody behind me. Nope, just the window.

             
“Do I want to dance?”

             
“Uh huh.”

             
“Um, sure. I like dancing, thank you,” I say because I can’t say anything else, really. The tall boy’s arm reaches down far enough to take my fingers. He walks off, so I patter off with him. I make a confused face at Milo, who waves. Useless brother of mine.

             
Hale and I join a pair of lines as a new song strikes up. A fast one, thank the ancestors in heaven.

             
I move through the movements, imagining them more than doing them. I’m too busy keeping an eye on Hale. He dances like he finds it annoying. Which makes me wonder why he’s doing it at all.   

He speaks on the downbeat.

“You like my brother.”

“Yes,” I say, and pretend I’m not suspicious. And why is everyone so suddenly concerned over who I like? I like everyone. Ever since my zizi got ahold of me. 

“You’d make a nice sister-in-law. You should marry him.” Sweet forefathers. That was a very strange compliment if ever I did hear one. My academy instructors were creative, so I’d thought I had. But they never danced while they complimented, which I think adds that little something. And sure I like Lium, but that does not signal I should go off and marry him. Hale’s argument is flawed.

             
“Thank you, Hale, I’m sure you’d make a wonderful brother-in-law, yourself. But I’m already marrying someone. Andrew, if you remember him.” I spin away and back, knocking into him.

             
“You never know,” the boy shrugs, which as a side benefit gets me off him. We both feel much better. He continues, “If you do like him, like you said, you should just change your mind. Nothing’s stopping you.”

“I’m afraid it is,” I try to joke. He’s not amused. “I’m very happy in my arrangement,” I give him instead, my standard for those who can’t comprehend it. How I’ve prepared for this marriage since before I can remember. Had a long time to get used to it. Getting ready to be married is a lot of work, people don’t realize. And this dumb boy thinks you can just run off and do it… Oh, and if this is Lium getting his brother to tag-team me on his little let’s run off baby because for some reason I’ve decided to convince myself I’m fascinated by you and we’ll have a good time until I get bored or captured by pirates again campaign, then I’m going to be really ticked.

But I don’t think that’s it. Occam’s Razor. More likely, as I know as well as anyone, family members’ brains just tend to work alike.

             
“Jesus, honey. You don’t have to be… so harsh. My brother would make a good husband. Just do what you want, and who cares?” I’ve never heard Hale talk so much in my life. He doesn’t smell like alcohol. We have to split up for the dance, but I rejoin him, reluctantly, on the other side.

             
I try to be nice.

“Your brother’s young. He doesn’t want to be married.”

“You do.”

“Yes, but I’m not him.”

“No, you’re way too scared stiff to be him.” He looks down on me severely, and I flush.

He says, “My brother is a waking nightmare. You need to stop playing with him.”

I stumble. Hale clutches me under the armpits a foot off the ground, and waits until I dangle more upright.

Readjusting my top, I tell him, “I’m not playing with him. We’re friends.” I lean closer, but find it’s like sniffing spoiled meat, “I never told him I wanted to marry him.”

“He needs to be married.”

“So pick him out another girl, great grandmothers, Hale. Try one of my cousins. There’s plenty and they’re all very pretty. Although, I have to say…I can’t see him liking you doing that.”

“That’s what I said, and I knew he wouldn’t like it, but I didn’t care. See how that works?”

I roll my eyes. He goes on, “But then, I thought about it, and I think someone like you would be good for him. Make him tame.”

I start. I’m blushing.

Neither of us talk. Instead, we dance in an awkward silence where we can hear each other’s every movement. I notice my hands are hot and sweaty. His are dry and that smug upper lip tells me he’s noticed this, too.

              Scathingly, I say, “I’m not some wild-brother tamer.”

I’m almost disappointed as the song ends, because now I have to rush to get out all the mean things I want to say.

“I’m the daughter of a well-respected family, who needs to marry a very specific kind of man. I’m sorry but it’s true.”

It is. My family, the island, they need trade. Money, goods, fresh blood. All reasons much bigger than me. And this is the biggest connection my family has made in a while, lucky me and my good timing at being born and female.

I possibly take out my frustration on poor Hale.

“I’m also a highly trained military specialist whose go-to method of
taming
people is through the coordination of aerial attacks. If you want that, then please, do ask me. But don’t tell me to tame your brother,” I cross my arms. “And don’t tell me to marry him. You don’t tell me what to do.”

It takes me a beat to recover from saying that. When I do, I’m very calm. Rational. “He’s fine. He doesn’t need me for anything.”

              “Don’t be stupid.”

             
I gape.

“Sometimes, I think I’ll kill him,” Hale shares, perfectly at ease. I think I’m not so at ease with his level of ease.

“Then, I change my mind,” he shrugs.

             
“Well…good. You, keep on doing that.”

             
He makes a too-innocent face. It’s creepy, as I’ve never seen him so animated. “I’ll try. It would help if I had you as a sister-in-law, though.”

             
My heart’s the only thing that moves. I want to yell at him some more but my head’s all sparkly.

             
“Hey, you two. My turn.”

             
“I don’t know, we’re having a good time. Why don’t you go ask someone else?” I can’t help that my eyes widen in horror. Lium claps Hale on the shoulder and shoves him.

             
Hale takes it well.

             
He looks at his brother with the slinking gaze that’s woken up inside him tonight. I’m beginning to think it’s his natural look. Probably born wearing it. Probably totally freaked out the midwife.

             
Then Lium’s arms are around me, and he feels just like I remember. It soothes me, and my muscles unlock. It makes me a little lightheaded, so it’s good he’s there. He must have been tense today, too, because I notice the little natural movements as they enter bit by bit into his dance. I try to take a step back but he doesn’t seem to notice because his arm won’t give. I arch back.

             
“Happy to see me?” He smiles down. He’s very pleased with himself.

             
“Yes.”

             
“Good.”

             
“What’s with your brother?”

             
“I don’t know, he’s been getting weirder ever since your uncle got ahold of him. No offense.”

             
“None taken.” My family is weird.

             
“So, who’s the next livestock you plan to kill? I hope it’s a cow. I miss beef.”

             
My mouth pops open. Then closed. I have a mouthful of air.

             
I groan. Hide my face.

             
“At least they didn’t put you in the stocks.”

             
“Those stocks on the green aren’t real, you know. They’re a historically accurate reproduction,” I tell him miserably.

             
“Are they now?”

             
“Yes.”

             
“That’s too bad. I was planning on stuffing Hale in them later.”

             
I laugh, which is terrible.

             
“I would understand perfectly if a flock of chickens murdered me in my sleep tonight. And then cooked me on a spit.”

             
Because that’s what I feel like is happening right now. Maybe the chicken spirits have already started their plan of vengeance.

             
“I can always sleep with you. I’ll murder those chickens so bad they’d wish it was you doing it.”

             
“Um, that’s ok. My zizi would hear you.” The music’s started again, but all we really do is adjust so we can hear each other over it. 

             
“She can hear that good?”

             
“Oh, yeah. She’s part bat.”

             
He’s not convinced.

             
“At some point, humans and bats had the same common ancestor, so whatever was used to make bats bats and humans humans came from the same critter. And my theory is, that whatever was used to make bat hearing got passed down to her, also. So yes. She really is part bat.”

             
“And what part are you, little Crus?”

             
“I don’t know. Hopefully not chicken.” At that point, I trip on my own two feet again. Which is awesome. I don’t know how I was ever able to place in figure skating. The other girls must have been awful.

             
Lium takes the opportunity to tip me into a nearby circle of dancers. I’m short of breath when the song ends. That last bit of running around was fun, actually. I forget what we were talking about. I’m about to tell Lium I really enjoyed the dance.

             
“Come eat dessert, people!” yells my zizi.

             
The musicians go running. We go sit on a windowsill. Even though their maws reach almost to the ceiling, their old lady lips fall low. Sills severe and blackened with mold. I heave myself far enough back so it’s touching my bare legs and not my shorts. I lean back against the screen, hoping the boys nailed it in good this spring.

             
It smells so nice. Dust and nighttime leaves.

             
“Sometimes I wish this whole island was just mine,” I sigh. 

             
“What would you do with it, beautiful?” Lium plays along.

             
“Nothing. I’d live on it, all by myself. I’d be a crazy hermit, and you could come visit me and you’d find me running around all over the place. Fishing and napping like an old man. Would you like that?”

             
“I would,” he tells me. He puts an arm across my waist and rests against the window’s side. We stay like that for a while. Later, when Eleni and Cassie bounce up, people are clearing out. I say goodbye go upstairs with the girls.

             
I can’t sleep. I sit up, not even opening my eyes, and pad out onto the back porch.

             
It’s quiet and cool, and when I lay down the wood smells good. I guess I fall asleep, because I have to wake up to scratch the hundred mosquito bites I now have. 

I hear people nearby, talking quietly in the clear night. I go still, straining to hear if it’s the people from the other side of the island come to kidnap me.