LeOmi's Solitude (35 page)

“Thanks Gail.”

LeOmi ran to the subway station that went to
Magi City.

She ran to the little house her dad was
staying in. He wasn’t there.

She took the subway back to the mountain.

Oh Bekka please be at the Olive Tree.

She was there.

“Bekka, I need to go back to the Mattaraw
Prison. No time to explain.”

Basque nodded a hello and started up the
stairs. LeOmi could hear her father reading above. “Thank goodness
you are okay.”

When she reached the top of the stairs, she
saw Slone, leaning casually against the acrylic partition, Durk
stood beside him. Ruby stood facing Slone, she was smiling
also.

Father stopped reading. “LeOmi, what is
it?”

“I was just making sure that you are okay. I
was told something by someone, and I guess she just sent me on a
wild goose chase.”

Bekka motioned toward Slone with her eyes and
LeOmi nodded in response.

Slone said, “LeOmi, Ruby tells me that you
were here earlier.”

Jacob Jones said, “Ruby told you? I didn’t
see or hear her speak to anyone.”

“Well, Mr. Jones, Ruby and I have our own way
of communicating. None-the-less?” Slone looked at LeOmi
questioningly.

“Well, yes I was here earlier. She is my
sister, Slone.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Ruby used to be my
counselor, until you had her arrested and put in here.”

“Ruby was smiling at LeOmi now.”

“
Just act like you belong. They will sense
that from you and accept it as fact.”

“I didn’t know, but now that I think about
it, it makes sense.”

Ruby’s smile faded, and she started pacing
the floor again.

“
They are expecting you to act a certain
way, be cautious, don’t let your guard down.”

Ruby continued pacing.

Slone came up to LeOmi, and whispered, “I
could have taken him, but I didn’t.”

LeOmi turned and looked at Slone. “Then, why
is he here?”

“Let’s just call it a suggestion. I suggested
that I would like to come here and he offered to chaperone.”

“
Treat others the way you want them to
treat you and you shouldn’t have any problems.”

“Slone, can’t we be nice to each other?”

“We’re past that, remember.”

“
Kindness for kindness, aggression use
aggression. If it calls for walking away—do it.”

“Slone, you’ve won this one. I want to walk
away. Let me.”

“Aced!”

“Yes. You’ve aced me this time.”

“But LeOmi, you know I can never walk
completely away.”

He kissed the tips of his fingers, turned and
put his hand on the acrylic petition. Ruby stopped pacing and
looked at him. He was still looking at LeOmi. Then he turned and
went down the stairs, Durk followed.

Ruby started pacing again, never saying a
word to them.

I come to the garden alone, while the dew is
still on the roses…

* * *

The next day, Bekka had a letter from
Ruby.

Yes, dear sister, I am the betrayer. Just
like the ones mother used to read about in those books.

It wasn’t the way I wanted it though. We were
supposed to be a team, she and I, but she couldn’t. She was trying
to protect me. But this was the life that I chose and if you had
any sense you would choose it too. There may still be time.

I found out about our linage at Grand-Mère’s.
You were too afraid of the old woman, I wasn’t and I searched the
house. Grand-Mère, Emma Jacquelyn DuBose gave birth to Yvonne
DuBose, born to inherit one of the biggest brothels in New Orleans’
French Quarter. Our father, Jacob, saved her from her life.
But…apparently she never really could shake free of it.

When I became a part of the Order, she became
active again, not opening the house on Dorcus Avenue’s upper rooms,
but with the Order. But, as you know, Compton never really trusted
her, especially when she fought so hard to keep you from choosing
to join our path.

When she stole the Journal, it was obvious
that she couldn’t be trusted again. You have the knife that was
supposed to be mine. It has been passed down through our family for
generations. Don’t lose it.

Our Grand-Père would have told you everything
too, to keep himself from a life of imprisonment, but I couldn’t
let him do that.

Grand-Mère’s days are at an end also, because
of her betrayal. What is it about you that clouds people’s judgment
and takes them on different paths than they would normally take?
Such as this letter. Telling you these things could be a death
sentence for me.

When I asked you to tell me what your only
heart’s desire was, and you said to have your family back, well,
that was when I realized how much our family meant to me too. Dad
and Basque are persistent. But my time is running out.

By the way, I saw you at the Olive Tree many
times. It is impossible for us to go there together, but it would
have been nice.

Take care, little sister.

Ruby

“Bekka, we have to go to New Orleans.”

Chapter 20

Only the Punished Linger in Desolate
Ground

LeOmi knew it was Sergeant Polaris walking
amongst a lot of other detectives at the station, even from behind.
He had that distinctive bowlegged walk.

“Sergeant.” Twelve sergeants turned and
looked. She pointed at Sergeant Polaris.

“Yeah? Oh hey, I wasn’t expecting ya.”

“Have you heard anything?”

He ushered LeOmi and Bekka to his cluttered
desk. He moved stacks of files and papers out of the chairs and
motioned for them to take a seat.

“I haven’t heard anything, but I know that
your grandmother’s spies have been lying around for days, with
nothing to do.”

“She could have just left the city, but I am
very worried,” LeOmi said.

“Well, as usual, she hasn’t left a paper
trail, so it’s hard to locate her.”

“I have to find her, Sergeant, to make sure
that she is all right.”

“Right, yeah, I understand. Is there any
other family or any friends she might be visiting?”

“No, no, no…No one.”

“Well, I’ll do what I can do.”

“I know Sergeant; just keep a look-out, would
you?”

“You got it. Hey, what about that other
matter?”

“Sergeant this is the other matter. I believe
Compton is the man that we are looking for and he is responsible
for my Grand-Mère’s disappearance.”

* * *

LeOmi and Bekka looked through the house, and
there was no sign of them. It seemed that Hannah hadn’t packed
anything for them, but there were some papers that had been moved
near Grand-Mère’s desk.

Finally near morning, Bekka said, “I don’t
see anything to show us where they may have gone, and maybe they
want it that way.”

LeOmi had been in Grand-Mère’s chair for
hours, going through books and papers.

“We need to report this.”

“You go and tell the Council, maybe they know
something that we don’t know.”

“Maybe.”

“I’ll stay here and continue looking.”

After Bekka left, LeOmi went to the library;
there on the table was
Interactions between Earth, Wood, Fire,
Metal and Water.
There was a paper sticking out of the book,
Hannah’s handwriting.

We have gone away. Don’t look for us.

3030 River Street was where she lived.

Forgive.

* * *

LeOmi crouched behind the tall bushes resting
her back against the wall. From this position she could see the
river, and the house.

“This is the place.” Her own voice surprised
her; she knew she must be nervous.

Then silently to herself
—Henry would say;
Remember, be as quiet as a mouse.

The last rays of the setting sun were shining
on the glass doors of the huge house, but no light could get in.
Nothing was illuminated inside. The windows were dark glass that
seemed to reflect light away instead of letting light come in.

LeOmi slipped off the backpack while she
watched. Usually the coneys would pop out and scurry up a tree, but
today they were in their Nightingale Floors.

LeOmi reached in the book bag and pulled out
the knife. It was actually very beautiful. This knife knew more
secrets than she would ever care to know, generations of
secrets.

The door across the street opened and Julian
Compton, the man who was responsible for ripping a big hole in her
life, stood on the steps looking up and down the street, first
toward the city, then towards the river.

LeOmi opened her backpack to put the knife
back in even though it was almost calling out “revenge”. She put
her hand on the hilt and squeezed it as hard as she could. Then she
released it and grabbed the cell phone. She hit the redial.

One Ring

Two
Oh pick-up why don’t you.

Three

Four—“Sergeant Polaris.”

“Sergeant, its LeOmi. He is at the house. I
can see him. He is there right now.”

“Slow down LeOmi, you mean Compton is at your
mother’s house.

“No. I mean where she lived last. By the
River. Hurry-up.” LeOmi pushed the button to end the call and
tossed it back into her backpack.

“Oh, no,” came out of her mouth. He had seen
her—or heard her. She stood-up as she turned to face him, forcing a
smile upon her lips.

“Well now. Who are you? What are you doing
hiding behind the bushes?”

Waiting for you, don’t you recognize me?

“Who am I?” LeOmi smiled–the same smile that
Ruby had smiled at Slone, “They used to say that I look just like
my mother.” LeOmi was still smiling.

Just make friendly conversation until
Polaris gets here.

He turned his head sideways to look at this
young girl of about twelve years. Her black hair was short and
spiked with white tips. She was dressed in all black.

“Are you pretending like you are some sort of
Ninja or something? You do look quite familiar.”

He rubbed his chin and LeOmi saw the crest, a
crossed scimitar and quill; the crest of the Neo-Phylum. His voice
was soothing—almost pleasant and hypnotizing. LeOmi found herself
looking straight into the man’s eyes.

This can’t be him
.

“Let me introduce myself,” He leaned forward,
a slight bow and extended his hand. “Julian Compton, and your name
is…” He paused, “Now it is your turn.” His hand still extended. He
gave a smile, like a serpent.

As if on cue, the police car pulled up in
front of the house.

She turned to look at Sergeant Polaris as he
stepped from an unmarked police car. She looked at Compton to make
sure that he saw who was there.

Oh, this was the sweet moment that she had
been waiting for—his face; she could see it in his face. She could
see him put it all together.

He lunged for her. Without thinking she hit
him—the way Henry had taught her. It could kill if enough force was
applied. But she didn’t want to kill him. He needed to suffer for
what he had done to her mother.

He hadn’t expected that, another sweet
moment. LeOmi saw the tears of pain come into his eyes, also
unexpected –
Sweeeet
.

“I guess it hurts. So will this.”

Why did I say that? Never warn your
opponent.

Her little voice reminded her head why she
had said it,
It felt good—that’s why
. All the while she was
in the process of a roundhouse kick and her foot hit him on his
left check. He went down on one knee. She saw the blood and spit
drooling out of his mouth onto the grass.

More sirens now. Of course he heard them too.
He was grabbing at her, like her Grand-Père had grabbed for Ruby,
desperate for freedom instead of imprisonment. Then he saw the
flash of metal. She showed him the knife that she held in her
hands.

“Oh little girl.” He spoke with that sugary
sweetness still in his voice. Still confident, but as he spoke,
blood splattered out of his mouth on his fine jacket and dribbled
down his chin.

That is when she saw that he saw. He looked
down at his hand—almost as if he was willing his hand to be some
kind of weapon all in itself. His large signet ring seemed to
vibrate with his thoughts. Then he calmed as if–it could wait.
There was always time.

“Where did you get that little trinket?” as
he gestured toward the knife.

LeOmi tried to mock his sugary sweetness,
“Don’t you recognize it?” She turned the knife so that he could
see. “The coroner took it out of my mother’s chest. Do you remember
it?” She smiled prettily again for him.

Oh yes, he recognized it. He stood in one
free swift elegantly effortless movement, no longer the weak old
man.

“So, you are my Gossamer’s daughter?” Honey
still dripping from his voice. But the blood was becoming annoying
to him.

“I could tell. You…much about my Gossamer.”
he took his index finger and ran it over his lips. There was that
ring again. A ring like Grand-Père wore. As LeOmi followed the ring
with her eyes, he flicked the blood and spit towards her as he
grabbed her arm. She was much faster than he was, but she let him
grab her arm, just as her mom had given herself to him, given over
her will. But…

“I think that it is about time you seriously
started thinking of a new home in New Orleans—maybe some of the
finer prison accommodations.” He was still so confident yet the
desperation was still there.

He grabbed the arm that held the knife. Just
then the sun setting was incredible. It seemed like life stood
still in that decisive second when the sun hit the water and the
water simmered; almost winking at her and the world seemed to pause
for an instant. It was time to choose.

Instinct took over, all those hours of
training. She wasn’t even sure how it had happened at that point.
Later—she would never forget.