Haeven (6 page)

Herrik went rigid, "They're there."

"Oh," I watched his face, looked for changes
in his expression hoping to know as soon as he knew.

Herrik took one of my hands and held it
tight. A minute passed, two, three. I thought I saw a hint of a
smile. "Your parents are fine. They're sleeping. Carah said your
brother is not there. He's at a friend's; it's too hard for him to
be home right now. He misses you."

"Carah is going to help them, make it a
little easier for them to bear."

"Avery is searching outside...he thinks
someone is there or has been there. I'll have them stay; once we
know they're safe I'll have them stay and I will send others to
watch over them."

"I have to go to them!" I jumped up,
"I...have...to...go..." I swooned dizzily, I couldn't hold myself
up and fell back against Herrik. I closed my eyes and ground my
teeth against the pain in my temples.

"Emily?" Herrik sounded alarmed. "Emily?"

I couldn't answer my head was throbbing so
badly and there was so much tension in my heart. I knew I needed to
get home though so I could see for myself that my family was
alright. I tried standing again but Herrik forcibly kept me
seated.

"You can't go, Emily. You need to rest.
You're not well enough yet."

"I'm fine!" I tried to wrench myself free. "I
have to! I have to!"

Herrik's voice suddenly changed from
concerned sympathy to willful and insistent. "And what do you
imagine will happen to you and your family if you do?"

The whirlwind of thoughts swimming around in
my mind stopped and I seized on the idea.

"Someone is looking for you, Emily, and I am
sure that whoever it is you do not want them to find you!"

I couldn't think of a single argument to
contradict him. "What are you saying?" I demanded. Herrik just
looked shamefully away. "You promised," I sniffled. "One day you
said. You said you would help me and I could go home."

"I'm sorry."

The ache behind my eyes intensified.

Herrik took my hands, "But I will help you,"
he whispered, "if you'll let me."

Suddenly it felt like the world had fallen
away and I was no longer sitting on the chaise in Herrik's rooms
full of worry. I was at the ocean and the sun was setting. I could
hear the waves lapping the shore and the faint cry of the gulls as
they made their way to their roosts. The horizon was a vibrant
orange at first that slowly faded to a bright peach and finally it
disappeared into the dusky light of early evening.

I was walking and Herrik was beside me
holding my hand. My feet were bare and I could feel the sand
creeping between my toes with each step I took. There was a soft
breeze and I felt it picking at the loose tendrils of hair that had
escaped Penny's handiwork. I looked and smiled up at him marveling
at the sensation. He started speaking.

"When I was young, a bit younger than you are
now, my family and I lived near here," he waved his arm to all that
we could see. "It was one of the happiest places I can remember. We
lived so close that in the summertime when my parents were working
my brother and I would ride our bikes and spend entire days combing
the beach and diving under the waves. If it was the weekend and the
weather was nice enough my mother and father would join us. They
would pack enough food and drinks for an army and we would all
enjoy it together."

"This is the place that I have always missed
most," he turned to face me. "But I know I can never go back. I can
never see it this way again. I, we, everyone here has had to make a
similar sacrifice. Some have been harder than others and some far
worse. I am afraid for you Emily. I think I may have to ask you to
do the same."

"No," I sobbed. "Please, no!"

"Emily, after what has happened today I don't
think I have any choice. I just can't let you go home. I'm not sure
what happened to you and until I do I think it would be safest for
you and your family if you were to stay."

"I don't want to stay!"

"I know," he bowed his head regretfully.

"You can't keep me here!"

"I must."

The sights and sounds of the ocean faded. I
blinked several times and found myself back on the chaise with
Herrik kneeling down in front of me. I thought I could see tears in
his eyes as he studied me.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

Though the pain in my head was gone the ache
in my chest intensified, "Please?" I begged but Herrik just looked
away and shook his head 
no
.

I stood up full of anger and frustration and
ran from the room. By the time I made it to the front door and
tried the handle Herrik was already there.

"It doesn't have to be this way," he laid his
hand over mine as I tried to tug the door open. "Please let go."
Herrik implored.

My lips trembled and I fought back the angry
tears in my eyes. I loosened my grip. There was nothing I could
say, no argument I could make.

"Let me take you back to your apartment.
Penny is waiting for you. She's very worried," he sighed

"I don't care!"

"I know you don't mean that," Herrik stepped
back and held the door for me.

"You don't know anything about me!" Herrik
was growing agitated, I could see it clearly but rather than
confronting my anger he just smiled oddly at me. I couldn't imagine
what he found so humorous in my declaration. I started walking
again. Then, "Oh!" I stopped in my tracks. My mind went blank and I
felt an odd vibration behind my eyes. I likened it to someone
shuffling cards or scanning through a book by running their thumb
across the pages and rippling them one against the other.

"I know everything I need to know," he
said.

I was horrified. My mouth fell open and some
words stuttered across my tongue but they wouldn't come out. On top
of everything else that had happened it was an unbearable affront.
"Did you just..." then something in my mind seemed to snap and I
viciously turned to face him, "Then you know exactly how much I
hate you and everything about you!"

Herrik just stood there for a long drawn out
moment. Eventually he took a deep breath, "Yes, I believe I do," he
said in a voice filled with regret. He took several steps and
without looking back waited patiently until I reluctantly began to
follow.

He walked slowly and I matched every stride
he took. My anger was beginning to abate and I slowly began to
realize what I had done and to whom I had done it. I thought about
all the repercussions and consequences and was suddenly afraid for
the harm I could have caused myself. I felt like a caged animal as
I looked nervously around and Herrik led me towards the
elevators.

There were quite a few people, more than I
had yet seen, walking along the hallway or standing in the doorways
of the various rooms we passed. Everyone who saw us smiled and
nodded to Herrik saying hello or offering him some other greeting
as we walked past. No one spoke to me but they didn't ignore me
either. I felt every curious look as they openly examined me from
wherever they stood.

Just as we arrived at the elevator the doors
swung open and someone hurriedly stepped off. He seemed anxious and
tense but despite his unease he struck me as someone of
distinction. He was older than any of the others I had seen so far
and looked to be in his 70's or so. His demeanor, though, was full
of youth and vigor and he had the strangest eyes I had ever seen.
They were milky-blue like a blind persons but they full of light
and life and he seemed to see quite well. As soon as he saw us his
nervousness left him. He came out of the elevator with both his
hands extended to greet Herrik.

"Good to see you," his voice was very somber
as he spoke though he was wearing a hint of a smile as he looked
over Herrik's shoulder at me. "This must be Emily." he said and
though it wasn't an intense inspection it seemed like he was trying
very hard to determine what to make of me.

"Yes," Herrik replied and his dour expression
was swept away and replaced by one full of warmth and happiness. I
could tell he had a great deal of respect for the gentleman and
whoever he was he meant the world to Herrik.

"Emily, this is Artur; Artur, this is
Emily."

Artur held his hand out to me, "I am so happy
to meet you!"

I felt a smile creep across my lips and I
blushed as we shook hands, "It is nice to meet you, too, Sir."

"No, no...Artur! You mustn't call me anything
else," his voice was full of warmth.

Herrik stepped aside during our introduction
and Artur moved a little closer so that he was standing directly in
front of me. He reached out and took my chin then tilted my head
this way and that giving me a thorough inspection. It was very odd
and somewhat unsettling but for some reason it seemed necessary and
I didn't make any objections or try to avoid it in any way.

"Hmm," he sighed in disappointment when he
was done. "I'm sorry for what has happened. If there is anything I
can do to help..." his voice trailed off and he turned back to
Herrik. "May I walk with you a moment?"

"Of course."

Herrik turned and we began walking back in
the direction from which we had just come. I was on Herrik's left
and Artur was on his right. Though they didn't speak I had the
sense that they were in a deep discussion and naturally I assumed
it was about me. I pretended not to notice while they were engaged
this way and instead kept my eyes down and tried to ignore
everything else that was going on around me.

After a few moments Herrik paused and turned
us back towards the elevator. He reached out and touched Artur on
the shoulder, "Thank you for the offer."

Artur nodded expressively then turned and
faced me with a weak smile, "We will do whatever we can to make
this as easy as possible for you." He wished us a good day then we
watched him wander back down the hallway until the doors for the
elevator swung back and Herrik and I stepped through. As soon as
the doors closed Herrik's happy expression evaporated and I
couldn't tell in any way whatsoever what he was feeling or
thinking. I shrunk back into the corner and waited for my floor.
Once or twice I had the impression that he was about to speak or
had something to say only to be proven wrong.

When we reached my level Herrik had me
memorize the code and showed me how to use the keypad. I expected
him to walk me into the apartment but without another word he
pivoted and went back into the elevator. I watched the lights begin
to flash the numbers for each of the floors indicating that Herrik
was on his way back down.

I thought about waiting until it stopped and
calling it back to see if I could take it to the garage again and
try to escape. Then I remembered the gates and the guards and knew
that a simple exit would not be possible and that if I really
wanted to get away it would take some careful consideration and
planning.

Penny came rushing out of the kitchen when
she heard me at the door; her expression was full of concern. She
didn't say anything, just wrapped her arms around me and hugged me
close. I fretfully pulled away because her touch reminded me that I
might never see my mother or father or brother again.

"Please don't!" I said somewhat
resentfully.

"I'm sorry. You've been through a lot, I
know...believe me, I know..." she tried a little half-smile.

"Do you?!" I asked, my anger suddenly
rekindled.

We stood together awkward and silent for a
moment before Penny found the courage to try and break the ice, "I
thought you might be hungry when you got back so I made some soup
for us. I know it's summer and not really soup-season but nothing
soothes the soul like soup!"

"I'm not hungry," I growled and brushing by
her made my way to the bedroom.

"Emily?" I heard her calling after me but
refused to answer other than with a forceful closing of the door
behind me.

After throwing myself down on the bed I
closed my eyes and tried to imagine it all away. I took breath
after breath and fought hard not to cry. I tried not to think about
my family and how sad, frustrated and angry I was but when I forced
them from my mind they were replaced by Herrik and Artur and
Penny.

Penny was very sweet and I hated myself for
being so harsh with her. And Artur...it was obvious there was
something special about him. He was something...someone strange and
mystical and "Wise," I thought. But Herrik! "Oh, he had seemed so
honest and sincere when he said he would help me and
now...now..."

I tried to shut the images of him out but one
persisted because it was so fresh and sensations had been so real.
I thought about him walking beside me in the sand. For a brief
moment I was swept back to the serenity of the beach he had shown
me but the more I considered it the more I resented Herrik for
taking me there. "Just softening the blow I bet! He didn't mean any
of it! He knew...he knew he was never going to let me leave!"

"Maybe that is why Daemon gave me the locket.
I bet they are the ones that hurt him. He must have known that
something like this might happen. Why did I leave it behind? Why
didn't I think of it?" I moaned knowing I had made a horrible
mistake and that none of the people I was now surrounded with could
be trusted.

"Emily?" Penny softly rapped on my door
startling me from my reflections. "Emily, I have to go out for a
bit. I left the soup on the stove for you in case you get hungry.
Emily? Are you alright? Would you please say something just so I
know that you're OK?"

"I'm fine!"

"Oh, good! I'll be back as soon as I can. Is
there anything I can get for you while I'm out?"

"No!"

I thought I heard her sigh but she didn't say
anything more. A minute or two later the front door opened and
closed. I stayed where I was for a short while then got up and
cautiously left the bedroom. As I walked down the hallway I held my
breath and listened for any sounds to make sure that Penny had
really left like she said she was going to and after inspecting
each of the rooms I passed I realized that I was completely
alone.