+1+
She was noticeably defiant today
It wasn’t just the dress or the shoes. It was the way she sat. All straight, prim and proper. She’d taken a seat at the end of the dining table. I was seated on her right and Vassey next to me. Sera kept her shades on and her lips at a non-descript angle.
She’d taken two sips of wine but other than that had decided against eating. The perfectly choreographed waiters took her untouched plate away before setting down the second course. Anne Lynn’s elegant perfectly pitched laughter rose from the other end of the table.
---
That night while Paris and Anne drank their tea and began to talk details of Anne’s hostile takeover, I was losing blood at an unpleasant rate. Paris was so calm and collected that I really hoped he was high. They talked about strategy and Anne actually dismissed me when she remembered I was still there.
“You should go check on Sera, or something”, Anne had said to me and her guards let me go, “You bleeding like that is . . . unpleasant.”
“What’s wrong with Seraphina?” Paris perked up.
“She was protecting you. That’s what.” I said.
“She’ll be fine.” Anne said, “She was just getting a little mouthy.”
“They pulled her teeth out.” I said.
“The fuck”, Paris said as he stood and unchivalrously pushed Anne into the wall, “What did you—“
“She’s fine, Paris.” Anne said slamming her tea cup down.
Paris turned to the door and the Balaclavas blocked the way. I kept my arm on my bleeding wound.
“Leon can see to her”, Anne said, “We have a country to fix, Paris. Plans to make.”
“I should—“, Paris began but Anne cut him off.
“Now I think there should be a big announcement, you can embellish on some of my accomplishments. I’ve got a . . . decent human persona. What do you think Paris, dear?”
“Anne I can’t just—"
"Sit down", Anne said to him.
Paris sat back down resigned
"Anne--I...I mean we have to handle it like this. . .”
I ducked out when the Balaclavas let me go. Every step sent a bolt of pain up my body. I kept my steps light as I jogged back to Sera’s house. I made a quick stop at The Capitol maintenance office, scanned myself in and grabbed a bolt cutter. I dragged myself up the steps of Sera’s house and walked through the broken glass door.
I had to psych myself up to go inside Sera’s bedroom. She
was sitting on the floor by her bed, still just in her underwear. As I got closer I saw that she’d lopped her
cuffed hands around the metal bed railing and was moving her hands up and down
trying to saw away the metal.
Without even looking at me she unlooped her hands and turned her back so I could cut the cuffs off. When the last one feel free a cool breeze from all the holes in the glass walls came in.
She put on a gray undershirt and jeans that were on the floor. Then she went through the pills on her husband’s nightstand until she found a bottle of Vicodin. Sera downed four pills then held the bottle out to me. I shook my head. If she’d been in SGI long enough she’d learn to get by without drugs. Helios forbade pain killers. They were unnatural to him.
“Just . . . take half.” She said
Fuck, Helios.
I took it to please her and then sat on the bed next to her. I filled her in on what happened. I told her about Anne threatening to order attacks unless Paris named her Prime Minister and how quickly he acquiesced.
“He is not worth it”, I said, “He’s not worth you protecting like that.”
“Stop it, Leon”
“You are to damn good to him. He doesn’t even know it.”
She just let it drop.
“So, what does it mean if Anne’s Prime Minister?”
Finally all that stuff I picked up from Aria came in handy.
“The people still have to vote but rigging a vote is easy shit. She’ll just have a lot of power and notoriety”
“It’s what she always wanted.” Sera decided pulling on a pair of work boots.
“I guess she can pass a few laws . . . be like a policy maker. Maybe it won’t be a big deal.”
Seraphina shook her head, “Anne has very traditional values she’ll shove down everyone’s throats. She hates humans and Demons. Trust me she will become another Helios.”
It sounded like her mouth was full of cotton when she talked. Fuck.
“Did you hear anything about LeCroix or Ravi before you came home?”
“LeCroix is in the wind. She never came back to the hotel. She’s probably on the run. Ravi? The kid’s good. Can’t find a trace of him. We should have recruited him back in the day.”
She stared down at the puddles of blood on the floor.
“Hey”, I said, “This house is a mess. You can’t stay here. You should get a hotel until the Liberation Day stuff is over. Just what two and half weeks?”
“Okay”, she said trying to not sound like she was missing four molars.
I got up and helped her clean up the scene the best I could. It felt straight up wrong throwing her teeth in the trash. I didn’t question why she had all the right chemicals to clean up blood, but we went to work.
While Seraphina packed her and Paris’ stuff I reserved a suite at the Lullwater Hotel. It had been the Prospect Park Boathouse back in the day, but Helios had spent a superfluous 650 million dollars making it an upscale hotel for his entertainment. It never broke even and was a huge deficit.
Sera was kind of in a daze when I bought the car around. She’d managed to pack 10 suitcases making it the most domestic thing I’d ever seen her do. She didn’t say anything on the 9 minute drive over to the Lullwater Hotel. I was really feeling that Vicodin, so I was confidently able to help her get take the bags up.
It was dumb shit like this that we could handle, working effortless and quietly to stack all the bags and take it up. The royal suite had an open floor plan and three bedrooms. I could probably set up some security guys and a monitoring system in one of the spare bedrooms.
“How is it?” she asks lifting my shirt to look at my stab wound.
“I need to change it.”
“. . . I’ll do it.”
She had me lay back on the couch, then she carefully peeled away the stained gauze and cleaned the wound with fancy ionized water from the artsy vessel sink. She had quick hands. She was efficient and unflinching.
“Shit, Leon. . .”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s not right.” she said trailing a finger over the bruised muscle, “Angels using white gold against each other.”
“Anne... is nothing like I thought.”
“She’s a woman scorned.” Sera decided.
Paris had somehow managed to figure out where we were and he came bursting into the hotel room with a guardsmen I didn’t recognize. I studied this strange guardsmen’s shifty gaze and familiar gate, he must have been one of Anne’s balaclava minions unmasked.
“Fuck, Sera”, he said, “Are you okay. Shit. Love, let me see…”
She held up her hands defensively
“Get the fuck away from me, Paris Prince.”
“Love—“
“Don’t give me that bullshit, I was bleeding out of both sides of my goddamn mouth while you were having tea and making plans with Anne.”
“I—wait how did you know about the tea?”
“She didn’t”, I said.
Seraphina rolled her eyes and I could tell she was using sheer will power to stop herself from shoving Paris and snapping that fake guardsman’s neck.
Paris tried to reassert himself.
“I was doing it for you. Anne—has gone mad with power and I--”
“Anne could have waited.” Sera said.
“Sera you’re a very resilient, I knew you’d be fine. I’ll call Damien to look at you, Cupcake.”
“I’m fine. I don’t want him or you near me.”
“For fucksake,” he said slamming down the phone, “Stop acting like you are upset with me. You wouldn’t have even needed me or let to do anything so cut the bullshit.”
“Speaking of bullshit you’re making deals with Anne? You’re just going to roll over for her and beg? You little bitch.”
“Seraphina, I’m not rolling over. I’m side-stepping a deadly war. I’m compromising. Anne might be a good leader. It’s no secret that New Aeterna needs more women in politics and I could confide in her as she is also not human and—“
“Bullshit, Paris. I know Anne better than you. She’ll be shoving rules of civility down everyone’s throat by the end of the year, and you’ll be trapped in a morality obsessed nanny state. All she has to do to get you to do anything is threaten you and your bleeding heart.”
“Sera”, he said, “Anne and I have always worked well together. I don’t agree with her politics or the people she associates with . . . or how she worked herself in to New Aeterna, but I’d rather her my friend than enemy. If human and Demons have a say in New Aetenra’s government. Then Angels should to. It’s not like you’re doing it.”
She stepped right up to him, her bulky 6’4 battling his slim 5’6. Her eyes were red from lack of sleep and his were only white because of his contact. Her wrinkled clothes stood out next to his bespoke black suit.
“Paris, you just need to make sure you don’t make any new enemies. You don’t want to fight me.”
“Seraphina, I just. . . I. . . I’m…” He held his trembling. His nerves were shot, “I…I’m going to work with her. I beg . . . you to understand.”
Paris sort of stared at her mouth and I realized he’d heard her now very slight lisp, which was almost funny considering she’d never been able to kick the slight Eastern European accent.
Paris backed up and took off his jacket and vest then pulled out his contacts in one fluid motion, His hand was still shaking and when he spoke, “I am very tired Seraphina. I haven’t slept since the attack For the past 24 hours I’ve been answering questions I don’t have answers for and sitting in meetings I don’t want to be in. I haven't eaten, I can’t find my meds and I’m so fucking depressed it feel like a cloud over me. I just want to. ... I am doing my best to keep this country together. Anne might be a necessary evil for now. I need your support. Please Sera. Please. I’m begging you.”
“You don’t have it”, she said, “And if you’re afraid of Anne, you should be more afraid of me.”
“I . . . I’m sorry”, he said. Then he turned toward one of
the bedrooms.
Sera and I’s silence was broken by Paris’ phone vibrating,
it was alerting him to two breakfast meetings and a lunch. Fuck me, the sun was
starting to come up.Sera picked up his buzzing phone and held it at both ends, bending it until it started splintering.
“Go home, Leon”, Sera ordered.
I gave that shady Balaclava turned guardsmen in the corner a look.
“I’m staying. I can set up a security center in the third bedroom”
“Le—“
“I’m staying”
“Send someone else over. Be with your family. I can handle him.” She smiles at the new guardsmen.
“Get some sleep and call me if you need me, Sera”
My apartment felt so far away so I just stumbled my way to Aria’s apartment and knocked on the door.
“Leon? Is everything okay—“
“Um. Can I—I—
“What?” she noticed the bandage on my side, “Leon are you okay?”
I’m at a loss for words, so I just picked her up and walked her back to the fold out couch, then I curl up next to her and fall asleep.
+2+
For the past few weeks every fucking second of every fucking millisecond they were in the same room Paris and Sera fought. It was odd seeing Paris fight back with Sera. It just wasn’t like him.
When they were in public Sera kept to all her obligations but she was as defiant as she could be.
Like today during The Harvest Feast.
When they bought out the third course Sera sat still as stone a she had during the previous two courses. Hidden behind a pair of black mirror shades. Her black dress was somber against all the golds, oranges, reds and browns the other guest wore. Vassey and I probably should have shown support by following her lead and not eating, but this was a free meal.
The Harvest Feast was an off-brand version of Thanksgiving that was a week earlier than the American holiday because . . . well, we had our own fucking liberation day that (so far) hadn’t been diluted with time.
“So”, said one of the men across from me, “I heard a rumor that the military is getting some new high tech gear.”
I realized the man was trying to make small talk with Sera.
“Uh, she’s not feeling well.” I said
“Oh”, he said, “Is it from the Parade bombing? It was terrible. The military really took control. I for one was impressed.”
“Yeah”, I said to everything.
Paris pretended not to notice his wife’s indifference. He sat next to Anne Lynne who looked kind of silly in her bold dark red suit with a giant white gold pumpkin pin. She had on two sets of white gold earrings, a gold and diamond necklace and everything down to her watch shoes and handbag matched the suit.
Paris had agreed to start introducing Anne around as a friend from the old days. She started showing up at Court events, getting friendly with council members, citizens and lawmakers. Like most Angels she was charming as fuck. The work she’d done to weasel into the Unification Party was just a dress rehearsal. If she kept this up no one would think twice when he nominated her for Prime Minister.
I heard the other end of the table break into a laugh, Paris and Anne’s in near perfect unison.
“Well”, said Anne, “I won’t say I’ve known Paris for that long but we’ve always supported one another. I always knew he had leadership potential.”
Paris smiles dutifully, it’s seems foreign that that morning
I’d stood by the bathroom door while he threw up Prozac and pretended not to be
running a mild fever. Then he lost it when I told him I was driving
Sera to get veneers put in and when we got back he’d begged her to talk to him. That later lead to a huge fight over the dark blue lipstick Sera was currently wearing. Now he had that signature smile that made his scar seem
friendly and his thick black hair moved like fucking silk, he looked like he had everything under control.
“Anne has always had great patience and taken care of those around her”, Paris said smiling and looking right into Anne’s eyes. That wasn’t a total lie. Anne had taken care of the girls she’d been given charge of. Except for the ones she cut the tongues out of.
They set down the main course and as much as I wanted to protest with Seraphina I wasn’t passing up an Applewood smoked turkey thigh with demi-glaze and roasted root vegetables.
When another round of well-practiced fake laughter went up from Anne and Paris’ side of the table, Seraphina slid back her chair, which caused half the table to watch as she walked out the room. I debated with my plate, then dutifully excused myself (to who I don’t know) and followed her.
Sera moved fast down The Capitol halls, then made a sudden right into the Capitol Library. It housed all the old books from the Queen Anne’s College library. At least the ones Aria was able to save from Helios burning. . She was taking down some large ornate tome and started scanning the pages. She’d worn a long black dress with a deep neck and long sleeves, it was unsettling down to the black smoky eyes and of course the blue lipstick. Her hair was long and in so many big curls that it sometimes hypnotized me how perfect they all were.
“You’re acting like a
child.” I said shutting the library door, “You’ve been hard on Paris since the
liberation, you even wanted a divorce remember ? Now Anne shows up and you suddenly give a damn about him. "
She ignored me and flipped the page.
“Sera”, I said.
“This is not about my idiot husband”, she said taking down another books, “This about Anne.”
“Well, I think Anne might be winning way more people in her corner than you. They love her. Come back for dessert and try to win some people over.”
“Look Leon, I’m not spending another minute in that room with her. Aria was her favorite you know. It’s probably the only reason Anne toys with you instead of making you disappear”
“I’d like to see her try and make me disappear,” I said.
Sera sat down at the long table in the center of the library and began to read. I just sort of walked around, I’d never taken a look at the old books and tomes the Angels and Demons had collected over the years.
We stayed in the library for another hour, then I walked with her back to the Lullwater hotel. I have no fucking idea how she made it in those 5 inch black heels... I’m pretty sure if I hadn’t been there to carry the books she’d wanted to take with her, she would have tipped over.
Back in the hotel I set the books on the kitchen counter and opened one. They were in an old . . . maybe demonic language?
“Can you read this? “
“A little”, she said opening another book of maps.
For the past few days I’d rotated two guardsmen in and out of the third bedroom in the suite for security. I’d set up basic surveillance for the area around the hotel. I set up cameras in every room of the suite incase Anne tried anything. I’d told Paris and Seraphina about the cameras in the bedrooms but between Paris staying up late and pricking himself with needles and Sera making herself come, it was clear neither of them cared. Anne’s ‘guardsmen’ was always around Paris, always reporting stuff to Anne. Anything he tried to do without Anne’s approval and she’d send over a nicely packaged threat.
It was fucking hell.
I went to check the security footage to see if anyone had been in the suite while we were gone. Anne’s guardsmen had gone through the suite and thrown out all the knives and sharp objects
“Anne’s man took out any possible weapons”, I said
Sera just nodded
“You remember there is a security camera in the bedroom, right?” I asked
“Yes”, she said distracted by the book. She was sitting on the floor by the coffee table. Still dressed to the nines.
“Um, Sera I saw you—“
“Leon, I don’t —“
“I saw you crying”, I tell her, “I mean I heard you crying while I was getting some water and I checked the camera.” She stilled, then went back to turning the page, “You like . . . scared? Or . . . uh . . . sad? Or—“
“When the hell do we talk about our feelings?”
The locks on the door clicked and Sera hides the books in an ottoman. Paris carelessly walks in not bothering to hold the door open for Anne who was trailing right behind him.
“What the hell Seraphina?” Paris said, “I can’t believe you just walked out like that --.”
Paris stopped mid sentence and left the room, a few seconds later I hear him throwing up. Anne seemed unamused and Seraphina pulled herself up off the floor.
“You are acting like the spoiled child you always were”, Anne said seeming even more pissed than Paris, “I certainly did raise you to be this way.”
“You didn’t raise me at all”, Seraphina shot back, “You didn’t raise any of us, you just liked being in control and turning us into domestic idiots.”
“Seraphina, there is nothing wrong with being a proper lady. I don’t care what century it is. I mean for Godsakes we had to tell the guest that you were ill. You’re not are you? I do hope you’re not pregnant.”
Anne slid her eyes accusatorily over to me at that statement.
“She’s not”, I said and raised an eyebrow, “But Aria is, third time. You definitely raise that one right, Anne. ”
Anne wrinkled her nose at me and walked around the hotel suite. A few gift baskets had been delivered from dignitaries in lieu of the official Liberation Day Ball at the end of the month.
Paris reappeared. He’d always looked pale but something about him look off.
“It’s just rude, Seraphina”, Anne said eyeing a large basket from the British Royal Family, “Walking off like that. I taught you better than that—“
“I am not yours anymore, I don’t have to listen to you. You aren’t my mother. You aren’t anyone’s mother, so get the hell out before I--”
“Seraphina”, Paris snapped, “Enough.”
“Or what she’s going to get her teenage supervillain to blow up the Upper East Side. I’d like to see you try—“
Anne laughed demurely and took out her fan.
“Don’t tempt me, Seraphina dear.” Anne said, “I’m also not against testing out Ravi’s skills at the military base. Maybe the women’s barracks? I don’t think women should be encourage too—“
“We should be going," Paris cut in, “We’re supposed to be joining our dinner guest at the theater, then a midnight cocktail party on the stage. Sera maybe you could wear your red coat. It’s a bit more. .. festive.”
“Good idea, Paris”, Anne said, “I think you will find Les Miserables quite edifying, Sera”, Anne said circling the room. Looking for imperfections in something.
“You do know that is an anti-monarchist play.” Seraphina snapped at Paris.
“Yes, but It’s just so damn catchy”, he said.
Anne not taking a hint, walks between Paris and Sera and peers out the window to survey New Aeterna City Center, she focused on the residential area that used to be her domain. Paris starts to angrily whispers to Sera that he wants to speak to her alone but she won’t have it.
“Why did you change the name, Paris”, Anne asks interrupting him.
“What do you mean?” He says in that diplomatically neutral voice that made Sera roll her eyes.
“Well, the campus was called Queen Anne’s for nearly a century and now it’s not? It’s strange is all?”
“It wasn’t really appropriate.” Paris said, “Also it wasn’t a real college and it’s a residential area for Angels now.”
“What if it was.” she said circling around the room
“A real college?”
“No. I mean the name. What if the name was appropriate?”
“Come again”, Paris said.
“For fucksake”, Sera said crossing her arms
“Paris, I understand if you are hesitant about making me prime minister. But I’m willing to compromise if--well—“
“A title”, Seraphina said, “Anne wants a fucking title. Was this your plan Anne? Did you spend three years cozying up to our political enemies just so you could befriend terrorist and blackmail us to get the title you’ve fancied all these years.”
“No Dear, Sometimes thing just fall into place.” Anne smiled and turned an adoring gaze to Paris, who looked twice as on edge than he ever had since Anne came back.
“Anne”, Paris said nervously, “You do realize the Queen of New Aeterna has no power or purpose.”
Anne shrugged, her wheels turning
“Well, all I need is the court of public opinion. I mean Paris we’ve always worked well together in the past. Hmjeu and I spoke of you often, I know the future he saw for you. You could finally have someone at the top who could advise you. I know all the tricks to deceive humans. I think it would work out well. Aren’t you tired of dealing with it all alone?”
Paris nodded, but I don’t think he meant to. I think he wanted to disappear. To run away. Didn’t blame him.
“Anne the thing is”, Paris began, “I have, at the moment anyway, a wife--
“Well”, Anne cut in, “The groundwork already been laid. With the way Sera has been acting in public and how gracious you’ve been with showing me around. I don’t think anyone will think anything of it if you divorced and remarried within a year.”
“For fucksake”, Sera said
“What?” Anne said, “It’s just be on paper. And Sera I’m willing to leave you in one piece which we all know is more than you deserve for the things you’ve done.
“You don’t know anything about me—“
Paris grabbed Sera by the arm midsentence, Sera’s hand was tense and I realized she was about to slap Anne. Paris began whispering to her while Anne went to help herself to some wine from the French Prime Minister.
“Sera”, Paris whispered with a grip on his wife’s arm, “There are 12 days left of Court, the country is in in debit, I am digging my way out of corruption. Anne has access to an ingenious explosive technician and, this is technical term , a shit.ton.of.money. For right now if the woman wants a god damn title, I’ll give it to her. I’ve got more important things to worry about. She could help fix this country”
“Paris, I thought you knew better than to discount a woman’s whims no matter how small.”
“Love, as your husband—“
“Are you my husband?” she said, “Didn’t Anne just tell you to divorce me--”.
“I’m under a lot of pressure right now, Sera. Let’s just--”
“For fucksake”, she said wrenching out of his grasp
“Love, cupcake, sweetheart, darling, baby please. Let’s make it through month. Get your coat and play nice.”
“No.”
“For goodness sakes”, Anne said, “Let’s leave her. Come on Paris Dear. It’s very rude to show up late.”
“Sera”, Paris tried again, “Please.”
“Have some dignity, Paris”, Seraphina said
“Please, Sera”, he whispered, “I just. . . I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll… I’ll go down on you right now. All night if you want, we have a private box so—“
“Dignity, Paris. You used to have at least a little bit.”
I don’t know if it was a flash of embarrassment or anger but Paris grabs her arm again and pulls her toward the door, she trips from the force of it, her ankle almost twisting to an unfortunate angle. Before Paris could realize his mistakes she turned warped her arm around his, then jammed her high heel into his ankles, which took him off balance enough for her to lay him out on the ground.
Anne’s face scrunched up in what I think she would call abhorrent disproval. She sped up her wrist action with the fan.
Paris tried to sit up, but Sera lifted her long black dress up to her knee and put her foot on his chest, just a slight shift of her weight and that sharp white gold wrapped heel would go right through him.
“Don’t”, she said dragging her shoes up his chest, “Ever touch me like that again.”
“Sera I—“
But he was cut off when her shoe traveled up his pale neck, she paced the ball of her shoe on his forehead and forced the heel of her shoe into his mouth midsentence.
“You don’t tell me what to do Paris”, she pushed the heel in further between his lips and into his mouth. She very slowly pulled her heel back out before sliding it back in again, “Not when you are letting this woman decide the future of everything we built. I know you think appeasing her is for the greater good, but you are dead wrong.”
Anne tried to non-chalantly look at her watch. I should have stepped in earlier but I was to busy watching Anne. Even though she was done talking, Sera didn’t let up immediately and kept forcing her heel in and out of his mouth
“Is this really the man you want to marry for a tittle, Anne?” Sera laughed a little, “You can certainly have him, Anne. He’s conniving and weak. And no matter what you do him always come crawling back to you every single time.” She slid her sharp heel back down his chest and close enough to his crotch to make me feel very uncomfortable. She took her foot off of him and went into the bedroom and locked the door.
I leaned over and helped Paris back to his feet, the gesture was more for me. I couldn’t stand seeing him down like that
“I’ll get the car”, I said hoping to move things along
“Wait”, Anne said reaching out a hand to stop me but not daring to touch me, “? You’re not wearing that are you?”
I looked down at the patterned white shirt I’d picked up on the street because I thought it looked like something Paris would wear. I’d gotten a complement on it at the Harvest Feast.
“Sure am, sweetheart”, I said heading down the lobby.
In a surprise show of effort Paris follows me out, telling Anne he’ll tell her when the car is outside. We don’t say anything until we are in the elevator.
“I know you and Sera are close. But I need you on my side”, Paris says, “You know why I have to do this, don’t you? I don’t think this country can survive an attack of any kind.”
“I don’t take sides, boss”, I said. True as can be, “But I’ve been around long enough to know a man never chooses anyone over their wife. Especially your wife.”
“Do you think Sera will turn on me?”
“Yes, and she’ll bring the entire resistance with her.”
Paris nodded in understanding and when the elevator doors opened, he promptly turned to me and passed out.