Mathieu (White Flame Trilogy) (37 page)

“Oh, I don’t just mean that. She had a really bad childhood.” Zanika looked at him. “I’m not surprised you don’t know. Most people don’t and those that do keep it hush-hush.”

Mathieu raised his brows, silently inviting her to continue.

She closed her eyes and was quiet for a long time. “Alright, I’m going to tell you what I know. Not because I expect anything in return, mind you, but just because someone close to her needs to know.” Zanika chugged the rest of her water. “So, as you might know, Kiev was born in Vaten, Unith to two normal parents: Arabella and Tero. The first time she showed signed of a power was when she was six and she was getting picked on by some neighborhood bullies. Her mother saw the fight, and Arabella realized what had happened. She knew that she needed to get Kiev out of Unith; it was near the time when there were mass killings of those with gifts. I’m sure you’ve heard of those?”

Mathieu had. It was a darker time in
Unith’s ,
when the
Users who hadn’t run away to Korinth were rounded up and executed to ‘make the people safer’. If one thing that going to school with Avian had taught him, it was the great historical tragedies.

Zanika rubbed the space between her eyebrows. “You see, Arabella planned to take Kiev to the border and sneak her passed the officer’s outposts to help her get to safety. She thought Kiev would be safe in Korinth with people like her. But the men on watch had been tipped off and knew her planned route; they waited to ambush them. Right before the attack, Arabella must have been able to tell that something was wrong. She told Kiev to run and not look back. Kiev did it, and I’m pretty sure she still has nightmares about her mom screaming.

“But I digress. So, she made it successfully over the border into the no-man’s land; however, an unprotected, young girl alone in a land of thieves was bound to attract attention, and not of the positive kind. I don’t know the exact details, but she ended up being held captive by a group of thugs. They did…unspeakable things to her for years. By the time she ended up at our doorstep, she was like a zombie. It took a while, but she snapped out of it with some help. When she did, though, she was angry; Kiev was really violent in the beginning.”

“How long ago was this?”

“Well, she’s twenty-two, so she moved out about six years ago, I’d say.” Zanika stretched. “We should get back before Zerieve sends out a search party for us. Are you two spending the night?”

Mathieu shrugged.
“Probably, if you guys will have us.
It’s a long drive. And I don’t know exactly when the
meeting is, so if you guys let us stay, you can come back with us.”

She hopped up and pulled him to his feet, her energy already returned. “Let’s do it.”

Chapter

Sixteen

“Zerieve, we’re back, you selfish dictator!” Zanika slammed the door behind her, kicking her shoes off again. It had started to rain on their way back, so the dust they’d both been coated in had turned to mud.

Zerieve rolled into the chair she was sitting on into the main hall, and gave them a snobby look. “Clean up before you make a mess. Darcia and Mathieu are staying the night.”

“I already
knew
they were spending the night, bimbella.” Zanika grumbled, trying to ease out of her muddy shirt without getting it on her hair. She put it back down after she realized that she couldn’t get it off without a huge
mess.

“Oh yes. Your insults are so original.”

Mathieu cut between their banter, “If I can get a shower, I’ll cook dinner.”

“That sounds delightful. Darcia says that cooking for the family has become your forte.” Zerieve called as she wheeled back into her office.

Zanika pulled a face aimed down the hall, then turned to him, “You can use my shower to clean up. We’ve got sweats somewhere around here that should fit you. I’ll find them for you.” Mathieu smiled and followed her to the designated shower. While he stripped down and got into the shower, Zanika put out a towel and dug around until she found a pair of sweat pants for him, along with a loose white shirt.

Once he was cleaned up and dressed again, his damp hair tied back, and he made his way back down the main hall to the kitchen. He hasn’t realized how plush the carpet was until he was sinking his toes into it as he walked, springing lightly as he went.

Poking around in an investigative manner, he found a cooler in a pantry full of fresh cuts of meats. Mathieu picked four large cuts,
then
started to season them with whatever spices he found while the grate in the center of the stove heated up. There were vegetables in the fridge that had been harvested recently, which he sliced and sautéed, along with some potatoes that he put into the over and baked. To complete the main dish, he wiped up a gravy sauce in a pan as his steaks sizzled away.

“Now for the appetizer…” He drummed his fingers on his chin thoughtfully, nodding absently absently when he decided to make homemade onion rings. There was a garden-fresh onion in the crisper that he pealed the first layer of and sliced the rest into this rings. “Oil…oil…” Mathieu dug in the pantry for the lard.

After scooping some of the lard into the pan, he put it to melt. Coating the rings of onion in a homemade batter he whipped up, he waited until the oil was nice and hot to start frying them. Between each of the rings being fried, Mathieu worked at mixing a crepe batter for dessert. He would make them fresh after the main portion of the meal and planned to fill them with fresh fruit. Cooking always helped to occupy his mind, and he was still trying not to think about the supposed relationship between the very sweet Zanika, and the asshole Solomon. Mathieu began to whisk the batter more vigorously.

It didn’t take long for the vultures to descend upon the kitchen, mouths water. “That smells heavenly. When do we eat?” Darcia peaked over his shoulder, snagging a fresh onion ring as it came out of the hot oil. “Eck!” Dropping it onto the plate covered by a paper towel, he blew on his fingertips.

“Hot? Idiot…” Mathieu smiled rather devilishly as he fried up the last few before turning the stove off and sending Darcia to the already set table with the plate of appetizers, Zanika and Zerieve trailing him.

~*~

Finishing doing the dishes, Mathieu came to rest at the sitting room. Darcia had his pipe lit up while Zanika mulled over a flower that the raven has brought. “I tell
you, that
was
heavenly. I wish I could cook like that.”

“Oh,” he blushed, “it’s not
too
hard. While you’re home with us, you can help me cook and you’ll get the basics down.”

Smiling sweetly, she batted her lashes at him.
“How very sweet of you.
So when do you boys want to leave tomorrow?” Zanika inquired.

Before he could respond, Darcia stole the question, taking a long pull on his pipe before speaking. “The earlier you two hens are ready to depart the better. It we can get back before the high point of the day, we won’t have to stop and cool the carriage.”

Zerieve waved a hand before her face to waft away the smoke Darcia blew her way. “We can be ready right after breakfast, if that’d be easier for you two. There is a thing or two I must attend to before we leave, but I can handle them before bed. And you, Zanika?”

“Well,” she puffed up importantly, “my work is finished and the rest of the farmers can pick the extra slack. We’ll just have to tell someone as we leave that we’ll be back and not to worry.”

“Only you worry about the farmers and making sure that they won’t be worried while we’re gone. You coddle them.”

Zanika’s eyes narrowed, “Excuse me, Zerieve, but I happen to care about the people that live in this vicinity. You may be about the facts and figures, but the people are more important than the paperwork.”

Darcia waved a hand in a nonchalant manner, drawing the attention of all three people on the room. “Don’t
fight,
beauties. It’s unbecoming. Now, I’m going to tell you two very amazing
girls
goodnight, pat The Duchess’s head, and retired to my room. Follow suit if you wish.” And he did as he said he would, kissing the forehead of each girl and telling them goodnight, then patted Mathieu head in a fatherly way before disappearing into the bedroom he was staying in for the night. Mathieu smiled politely at both girls as they took Darcia’s advice and headed for his own borrowed room, which happened to be the living room. He took the afghan off the back of the sofa and curled up under it, falling asleep quickly.

~*~

Sometimes, Mathieu was sure that morning came too early. He was in the middle of a very pleasant dream involving a river and a mostly naked blond man when the sun danced in through the window, casting its rays across his face. Groaning, he blinked into consciousness out of his pleasurable dream and sat up. The house was silent beyond, so he decided to make some breakfast for his hosts. Something told him that the two girls weren’t the best cooks.

It wasn’t long after he put the pancakes down to cook that he heard the creak of the first door open. A bleary-eyed Darcia came into the kitchen, his hair in disarray.
“Coffee.”
He practically growled, sharp teeth glinting in the early morning light.

Mathieu pointed over his shoulder at the coffee maker and the mug already set out. “I put cinnamon in it. I know that’s how you drink it at the house.”

“Thanks, kid. Are those
blueberry
?”

“Blackberry, but I could make some blueberry ones if you want.” Mathieu flipped the first round of pancakes and smiled as the females joined them in the kitchen, both in various states of undressed. “Well aren’t you two sexy.”

“Says the gay guy.”
Zanika kissed his cheek and went to get a cup of her own coffee.

Darcia sat at the breakfast bar with a yawn, “Nah, blackberry is fine.”

“That’s my cup, Zanika.”

“Too bad.
Use a different one.”

“Why can’t you just use your own stuff once in a while?” Zerieve asked in a heated tone, “Just once, could you buy your own shampoo? How about conditioner?
Or maybe your own
bed
?
I don’t need you stealing my blankets every night.”

Zanika laughed and took a sip of her drink, “You wouldn’t know how to sleep alone. It’s not like you ever bring a man home.”

“I do, you just don’t see them!”

“Oh yes, I forgot about that boyfriend you had. What was him name again? Joe Imaginary, wasn’t it?” Zanika skittered out of the reach of her sister, and hid behind Darcia before stealing a pancake as it came off the griddle. “Eck! Hot!” She dropped it onto the counter, blowing on her fingers.
“Darc, it huuuuurts.”

The raven rolled his eyes and reached back, patting her head. “Don’t do stupid things then.”

Zerieve did the civilized thing and got a plate for her breakfast. “I think that we should leave in an hour or so. Mathieu, I took the liberty of washing your clothes while you showered, so they are clean, and Darcia, some of your clothing is still here if you need it.”

Zanika made a rude face and mimed talking, imitating her twin. “I think we’ll leave whenever they are ready. It’s like we get visitors here often, so let them enjoy it.” She wrapped her arms around Darcia’s shoulders. “And Darcia never visits anymore because you’re so mean.”

“We have a schedule that needs to be kept, Zanika. You’ve never understood the finer points of actually being responsible. Your bag is already packed, because I knew you wouldn’t do it, so there isn’t a reason to delay our leave.” Zerieve said, cutting neatly through her pancakes.

“Excuse me,” Zanika snapped her fingers in her sister’s face, “Madam
Dictator,
was it? Since when are you in charge of what I, or anyone else for that matter, do?”