Succubus Tear (Triune promise) (62 page)

“A friendly wager?” He said producing a one hundred euro note. “I wager the dark beauty at the table will not be able to eat her third plate of fish and chips.”

Charlie glanced back at the table; the waiter already had the order out.
Damn either they serve large portions, or is it special for Rinnah?
He looked back at the man and slapped down five ‘twenty euro’ notes. “It’s a wager!” He glanced at the barkeep. “Hold that for us?”

“Ten percent, and I’d like in on that action. I’ll put down forty. No way that tiny girl will be able to eat that much.”

“Deal!” Both men said at once.

***

“Um, do you want more, young lady?” The waiter said, looking at Rinnah as she wolfed down yet another serving of fish and chips.

“Oh, no. But thank you!” She said as she pushed her
fifth
platter away that was completely devoid of any edible particles.

“I swear you eat just like Cain does.” Charlie chuckled slightly, feeling a strange sense of amusement and melancholy.

“I’ll say, but she smiles just like Al’bah.” Stella added, “Rinnah honey, are you really only four years old?” Stella asked with raised eyebrows.

Rinnah nodded enthusiastically “I am, Purity tells me that my growth is normal considering my nature.”

“Who is Purity?”  Charlie asked as he pocketed the friendly wager he made with the Irishman, and the bartender.

Rinnah looked confused “I, forgive me Charlie. I could have sworn I said Purity is an Angel, and my mentor.”

Charlie shook his head “oh, you did. But, I- I mean.” He shook his head as his mind was still trying to catch up to everything that happened in the past hour. “Why would an Angel be your mentor?”

“Ooooh, I see.” Rinnah looked
uncomfortably around at the patrons that started to take an interest in them all. “Perhaps later tonight? I have gifts for you both, and the currency that is for the expenses of me being here.”

“Okay” Charlie said, nodding “but Cain didn’t have to send you with money. I mean; you’re our guest. We’d take care of you regardless.”

Rinnah giggled brightly “Father said you would say that. He also told me to tell you that I am banned from any all-you-can-eat restaurant I ever visited.”

Charlie picked up the bill
two hundred euros?
He looked up at Rinnah and sighed “Okay, you’re right.”

They got up and Rinnah left enough money to cover the bill and picked up her bags and followed Stella who took the lead.

“Excuse me, sir?”

Charlie turned around, it was the teenage waiter. “Ah, yes sir. Anything I can do for you?”

“Um, well. Could you tell me her name?” He asked with pleading eyes.

“Her name is Rinnah, she’s my niece.” Charlie said, absolutely loving the way he entered the role of being a protector of a ‘daughter-sister-niece-family’ from boys-who-just-want-one-thing.

“Could, could you give her my number?” He said producing a note with a shaking hand.

Charlie looked at the offered paper and grinned. “Okay, I’ll tell you what.” He said as he placed his hand on the teen’s shoulder. “If you can look me dead in the eye with courage, and tell me that you are absolutely worthy of dating my niece; the daughter of my best friend of fourteen years, I will introduce you to her.”

The teen dropped his eyes for a brief moment and squared his gaze to Charlie. “I, well-”

Charlie shook his head. “Believe me; I would never get in the way of love. But, if you didn’t even have the courage to ask her yourself, what could you possibly offer her?” Charlie took out the money he earned in the wager and handed him forty euros. “Sorry kid, I really am.”

Charlie walked off, picking up his pace to catch up with Stella and Rinnah.

“I heard what you told him.” Rinnah muttered, looking at Charlie with sad eyes.

“Was I wrong?”

Rinnah lowered her eyes, but did not answer.

“Heard what? And wrong for what?” Stella said.

“Poor kid wanted me to give Rinnah his number. I told him, as they say it here to ‘bugger off’.”

“Oh Charlie, seriously. You are always so hard on people who don’t have the brutal courage and honesty you have.”

Charlie shrugged and led Rinnah to the side of the corridor and knelt before her. “Rinnah, if you truly think you might have a future with that boy, by all means. I have your mother to thank for being matched up with the most wonderful woman in the world.”

Rinnah still did not meet his eyes, but shook her head. “No, you are correct. I could feel nothing but infatuation and lust from him, and so many others.” She looked Charlie in the eyes and smiled. “But two have the same feel as Mother and Father. You and beautiful Stella have this sense of a pure love towards me.” She took his hands, coaxing him to stand, and hugged him tightly. “It makes me feel comfortable, like a small piece of home was waiting here for me.”

She picked up her bags again and continued to walk with Stella down the hallway.
Why do I feel that everything is about to change again?
Charlie thought as he walked slowly. He wanted to savior this moment, he had a bad feeling that moments like these weren’t going to last.

Gifts from Rinnah

“Vincent, it’s time. Take me to the British isles.”

-Walter Stratton

Goddamn, this girl can eat
Charlie thought to himself as Rinnah polished off the last of the polish sausage he kept in their two bedroom apartment, or ‘flat’ as the Brits called it. They hadn’t been in the apartment for even an hour when she expressed that she was hungry again. Charlie had thought she was kidding, but it didn’t take long for her to consume almost the entire contents of their fridge; finishing her repast with the sausage that he was saving for a special occasion.

“Rinnah honey, are you sure that you aren’t eating too much?” Stella asked.

“Mmmm, so good.” Rinnah sighed, “I have thought about that, I even once weighed the amount of food I have eaten, and myself before and after consumption. It is very strange, no matter how much I eat, I never gain weight.”

“Yeah but, aren’t you worried about getting sick? Or maybe, you know, fat?” Charlie chimed in
; still a little miffed about his sausage, and was rewarded with a swift elbow to the stomach by Stella.

Rinnah shook her head, “N
ope, father said the same thing once.” She stood and before anyone had a chance to protest, washed her dish, and the frying pan. “I think mother elbowed him too.” She returned to the table, with her leather backpack, and a large grin. “It is so wonderful how you two remind me of home.”

Charlie eyed the backpack; it was a masterwork of rusty brown leather, contrasted by shiny metal buckles, buttons and appeared well worn. “Say, where did you get a backpack like that?”

Rinnah grinned, “I made it myself.” She said with a large smile, “almost everything I own, I have made myself. Mother tells me that it will help the sin of envy stay far from my heart.” She fluffed up her hair and spoke in a voice that was startlingly similar to Al’bah’s. “My most precious joy Rinnah, this world holds so many wondrous things. But they are
things,
and do not matter. But if you should see something you desire, learn to make it yourself. Accomplish, do not covet, do not envy.”

“Wow.” Charlie muttered, still looking over the backpack. “I don’t think I ever seen leather worked so skillfully before. You did a good job Rinnah.”

Rinnah smiled and suddenly seemed startled. “Ah yes, but I always acknowledge that the glory of such accomplishment is by the grace of The Lord!” She shifted the bag to reveal its top flap; there branded in the fine leather was an inscription.

Gloria a Dios

“Glory to God,” Rinnah said reverently. “I must never forget, or the sin of pride will claim my heart.” She caressed the three words and sighed deeply. She looked up, and Charlie could see Rinnah’s mother in her expression and the way she carried her eyes. “I miss mother, and father.” She said with a trembling voice. “They suffered so much for my sake, and in the end, they could not protect me from myself.”

“What happened?” Stella asked, her voice and expression full of concern. “Are they okay?”

Rinnah nodded, “oh, nothing ‘happened’ it’s just that we were always on the run. Mother and father are okay, I am sure of it, but it is sad for me. I know things will become so much easier now that I am not with them. It tore them apart. Mother was always crying, and father. Well, father became distant. ” She wiped her eyes, “Father kept trying to tell me that it was I was not a burden. But I kept antagonizing him for his lack of truth.” Stella shifted close and held the young girl in her arms as more of her emotions bubbled to the surface.

“Oh, I do not know why I did not see father’s love was greater than I presumed. He wanted me to stay, he wanted- ” She couldn’t go on, and became still; breathing, and allowing her tears to flow silently. After several moments she spoke again, “I am well now, beautiful Stella.”

“Why do you call me ‘beautiful Stella’, Rinnah?” She asked with a smile which encouraged her to smile as well. 

“It is what mother calls you.”

“Oh. Well, just call me ‘Stella’ okay? We can let Al’bah call me ‘beautiful Stella’.”

“What do they call me?” Charlie asked, almost laughing at the way Stella blushed to the compliment.

“Mother, and father call you Charlie.” Rinnah said with a wide smile, and opened the backpack.

Charlie felt a little let down, but it quickly passed as Rinnah pulled out a large photo album.

“This is for the both of you.” Rinnah said, handing it to Charlie. She reached in her pack again. “And this is for you.” She held out a shoebox to Stella.

“Shoes?” Stella said with a moderate amount of amusement. Her eyes widened and she gasped. In the shoebox were two
delicate silver goblets, adorned with intricate designs inlaid with polished wood. “Charlie, look.” Stella said holding out the goblets.

“How did she
make these?” Charlie asked, handing Stella’s goblet to her, and looking over the finer details of his own. “I don’t think I ever seen such mastery before.”

“With hammer, polish, and diligence,” Rinnah said quietly. “Mother said her gift to you would not be worthy if it was made by spiritual power.”

Charlie was amazed, one cup was geometrical; sharp angles and heavy lines, whereas the other was more akin to water; rounded edges, with soft curves. In all his years as an amateur silversmith, he had never seen anything so well-crafted.

They were exactly the same height as the length of Stella’s hand. The intricate designs were actually pictographs; detailing a small story about each of them. He examined the geometric goblet; the first pictograph showed the moment Stella helped him to his feet after his nearly fatal duel with Cain. The second pictograph detailed his and Stella’s first kiss. Charlie chuckled a little as the pictograph showed both of them were crying, when it was only Stella. The last pictograph on Charlie’s cup showed him hugging Cain; detailing their last moment together. Al’bah had even inscribed tears upon both of their cheeks. 

The softer goblet also had three pictographs. The first showed Stella leaning upon the rail of a boat, under starry sky with a tear upon her cheek. The second was the moment just
before
she kissed Charlie, perfectly showing the moment her resistance to love crumbled. The last showed her and Charlie standing together looking at each other. A
Waffle House
sign was just barely discernible in the background, both of their faces and eyes appeared so full of love.

“Kinda awkward to hold.” Charlie said, testing the heft and diameter of the stem.

Rinnah giggled, holding up the geometric goblet. “The stems were made for Stella’s hands Charlie.” She got up and filled the goblet with water and handed it to Stella.

Stella lifted the goblet and tried to take a drink, but the lip of the goblet was awkward; spilling water over her shirt.

“No, no.” Rinnah said soothingly. “Hold the cup for Charlie to drink from.”

“Kinda defeats the purpose of two goblets.” Stella said, holding the goblet for Charlie.

Charlie leaned forward, half expecting for the water to spill on himself too. But, the water poured easily over the lip and into his mouth.

“And now you, Charlie.” Rinnah said, holding the soft goblet. “Cup the basin with your palms, do not grasp the stem, as it was shaped for Stella’s hands.”

Charlie held the goblet and brought it to Stella’s lips. The goblet’s basin was expertly shaped to have his hands cup the sides, allowing his fingertips to extend beyond the goblet; cradling Stella’s jawline.

While he was holding the goblet for Stella to drink, Charlie noticed Rinnah coaxing Stella to hold the geometric goblet for Charlie again. They had performed such a gesture before during their wedding in Paris, but this was completely different; the act had an intense feel of sacredness to it; like an ancient ritual, powerful as it was old.