The Light of Asteria (16 page)

Sunday held its own tradition, as Edna
insisted everyone go to the church she had attended for seventy
years. Gavin’s newfound devotion to her left no one an option. Mrs.
Brown’s approval of Gavin automatically set the town at ease, and
instead of being rocked with scandal they were embraced as new
members of our community.

We repaired the farm, getting it ready to
lease. The elves surpassed all expectations, and within weeks the
house and the land were in pristine condition. We could keep it, I
reminded Edna over and over, but she insisted. Good land that went
untilled eventually lost its nutrient soil to weeds. Edna wanted to
rent it out to someone who would honor and care for it.

My blue fog was a standard addition to my
thoughts, and I got very good at controlling power. The other elves
soon learned they didn’t have to be afraid that I would beat them
over the head with extreme intent, and I got to know them well.
Elias was very intelligent and loved to talk of politics and world
issues. Elaine was athletic, but also loved fashion. Tark was easy
going and had a great sense of humor.

Rena was fascinated to learn about dreams.
The Alfar didn’t lose consciousness; they always remained in
control of their intent. Instead, they meditated in the night,
clearing their minds of the day’s events and renewing their energy
through the love of their mate.

I tried to call Kate and Holly at least once
a week, but they never answered and after a while, I stopped
trying. The three of us were spinning off in different directions,
as I knew we would. My life had a new meaning and purpose, and I
knew it would be all right … it was time to let go of the old and
embrace the new.

The painting lessons were coming along. We
were now on still life, and Rena was endlessly supportive. I
honestly thought I would count myself lucky if I could paint
something that resembled an apple, but Rena joined Edna’s fan club
swearing it was an untapped gift.

Gavin and Rena had blown glass bulbs for
Edna’s Sunday school class. Rena painted miniature winter scenes
depicting the beauty of the mountain on the outside. My job was to
swirl light blue and white paint on the inside of the bulb,
creating a background—yet again, a great testament to my artistic
abilities.

“Reen, let’s go exploring,” I said, as I
finished my last bulb. She sat next to me painting with an
especially fine brush; her eyes squinted in concentration.

“I don’t know … we shouldn’t go too far from
the house.”

“Well … there are places here I haven’t
seen.”

Rena kept her focus on the bulb. “Nora, what
is this about?”

She knew my intent … better to get it out of
the way. “I want to see what’s in the attic.”

Her eyes blanked.

“Who are you talking to?”

She grinned. “Tark …”

“Why?” I demanded.

“… He doesn’t seem to think it’s a great
idea,” she finally admitted.

“If you don’t go with me, I’ll sneak up there
later by myself,” I threatened with a grin. She paused and then
sighed.

“What are ya, chicken?” I challenged. Her
laughter pealed off the walls. She turned, throwing caution to the
wind.

“All right, but if anyone asks, it was your
idea.”

I took the stairs two at a time. She laughed
again, easily passing me. By the time I made it to the living room,
she was already on the top landing fanning her nails. I joined her
in front of Gavin’s doors. Her emotions became guarded.

“After you,” she murmured. The door opened;
wooden stairs immediately ascended into darkness. The smell of
stale air drifted down. I paused at the bottom; my ears strained to
hear signs of mice. I hated mice.

“Are there any lights?” I whispered. As I
crept to the fourth step, Rena squealed. My hand flew to my heart,
and I jumped; her laughter rang.

“Reen, please… you almost made me pee my
pants.” She laughed again, and I couldn’t help but snicker a
little. She flipped the light switch on the wall, and the staircase
found its end. This was like Edna’s attic, only ten times
bigger.

“Come over here, I want to show you
something,” she said, as we wound through boxes and old steamer
trunks. “This was a drawing I made when we first moved to the
Appalachian range.” She turned the old wooden frame around, and I
gasped. The view was from this mountain, but the valley below held
no signs of modern life.

“When did you draw this?” I whispered.

“A while ago … I thought you would like to
see it.”

“It’s tremendous. You always do great work,
though. Do you remember the year you made this?” I pressed on. Her
gaze flitted to the floor; her emotions became conflicted.

“Not really … Hey do you want to see the view
from the window? Come see … you can spot the valley from this high
up.” She turned and skipped to the other side of the room in an
obvious attempt to distract me. I set the aged drawing back in its
box. The attic’s light did not quite reach the corners of the wide
space, but an oversized sheet that kept several large frames hidden
caught my eye, and I veered toward it instead. Marble lilies peaked
out of a shallow wooden box that lay at the feet of the frames. I
could feel Rena trying to suppress her panic, and I glanced back.
She was still by the window, but her guarded expression focused on
me. Several sculptures and smaller paintings were stacked against
the wall. As I wound my way around, the corner of the sheet
covering the largest frame caught under the box’s edge and gave
way. Rena’s alarm filled the room.

The portrait depicted a young woman with
glossy black hair that wrapped to one shoulder and fell to her
waist. Her red lips were full, and the translucence of her fair
skin was like rare, porcelain china. The most striking feature of
this elf was her brilliant ice-blue eyes. These held no depth, like
a shallow stone that was flat across the back. The contrast of her
smile with the desperation in her eyes made the picture
disturbing.

“Rena, who is this?”

“We have to go … now,” she whispered.

Her alarm made my pulse speed, and I quickly
threw the cover back over the painting. She desperately pulled at
my hand, trying to get me to hurry. Footsteps creaked up the
stairs. Masculine anger pounded through me. Rena’s emotions
screamed with panic, and my heart started to race. I glanced to see
if she was okay. She trembled; her focus concentrated on the broad
shoulders blocking the light.

“Hey, you,” I smiled, searching his
expression. Gavin’s anger boiled, as fury marred his face. Rena’s
alarm increased to dread.

“I am going to check on the bulbs ... excuse
me,” she stammered, quickly letting go of my hand. Her gaze never
left the floor. She hesitated as she neared him and then quickened
her pace, giving Gavin as much room as possible.

“What on earth did you say to her, and why is
she so panicked?” I demanded. He glowered, but I held my ground
glaring right back.

“Why are you up here, Nora?”

“You never said I couldn’t come up here. This
is the only place in the house I haven’t seen. Rena said she didn’t
think it was a good idea, but I told her if she didn’t go with me I
would sneak up here without her. If you feel the need to be mad at
someone, it better be me because this was my idea.” His fury shot
through me again.

“What’s the problem … are you hiding
something from me?” I challenged. Really, you’d think they had a
dead body up here they way he was acting. He took a deep breath and
aggressively exhaled.

“There is no problem. I’m just not sure Elias
and Elaine would want you ratting through their things without
permission.”

“I wasn’t ratting through anyone’s things.
Rena had shown me her sketch … that was all. Well, except for the
marble lilies and that portrait over there.” His anger tumbled
around me as he tried to repress it.

“What are you keeping from me?”

“You ready for dinner?” he evaded.

“Gavin, are you really going to try and
sidetrack—”

“Listen, there are personal items up
here—”

“Who is the needy elf in the pain—”

“Nora, please!” His voice crescendoed as he
lost the battle to keep frustration at bay. My expression darkened,
and we stared each other down. Tears welled at the thought that
there may be a part of his life he wanted to keep hidden.

He held out his hand, his eyes green chips of
ice. I ignored the request and walked past him, head held high.
Once we were on the landing, he opened his door. I started to walk
past, but his hand quickly snaked around my waist, effortlessly
guiding me through.

“Please don’t read too much into my reaction,
love. The attic is merely a storage place, nothing more. Your
imagination tends to get the best of you, but I would ask you not
to venture up there again. Elias and Elaine are both extremely
private in nature, and I wouldn’t want them to be offended with
your curiosity.”

I knew there was more to this than Elaine’s
boots, but I cleared my mind as we walked down the stairs. Only
Edna was at her place for dinner. Rena’s absence had me worried,
but Gavin said Tark had surprised her with a night on the town.

Gavin wrestled with aggression, and for the
first night since I’d been here, I rolled away from him and fell
asleep. Stilted silence ruled the morning, and I brought my shield
back to full force when I spied the new shiny knob on the attic
door that held a lock in its center.

Breakfast was just awkward.

“All right, who’s fussing?” Edna’s voice
chimed at the table. Rena’s eyes stayed on her plate.

“No one. Everything is all right.” Gavin’s
smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Now, Tark tells me you seem to
rule over dominoes. How about a game of backgammon?” He obviously
underestimated Edna’s tenacity. Her eyes narrowed into slits.

“Listen to me, Gavin dear. Life is too short
to spend it angry over petty issues. I’ve found if you let problems
sit, they fester.” She put her hand on his. “What in the Sam Hill
is going on?”

He stared out the window; everyone grew
uncomfortable.

“I went up in the attic yesterday and Gavin
is blaming Rena, even though it was my idea.” I snapped. Rena
flinched and Gavin sighed.

“Oh, so Sunny finally went exploring. I was
wondering if she’d outgrown that trait.” Gavin’s frustration grew;
Edna’s eyes twinkled.

“I lost her when she was ten. I was about to
call the police when I finally found her creating her own room out
of bales of hay in the loft. She wanted to sleep out there
pretending it was her castle, until the night brought her back in
the house. And then there was the time she got lost in the back of
the church behind the baptistery, where the organ pipes are.
Luckily, one of the deacons was a fireman and got her back out. Not
to mention the time when she was in middle school, and Holly and
Kate went exploring with Nora in the hospital. Kate’s father is a
doctor. Anyway, they found the morgue and that quenched their
curiosity.” Edna reached over and patted his hand. “Don’t you see?
Love of exploration is part of who she is, Gavin dear. It’s one of
her many gifts.”

He stared at Edna, his anger reluctantly slid
into understanding, and he smiled. The relief from the others was
tangible. Normally my fan club bothered me, but this time, Edna
seemed to get through to Gavin when no one else could.

The lock remained on the attic door.

I concentrated on all of the great things in
my life. I finally had a big family. Edna was happier than I had
ever seen her. I didn’t want anything to change; it was simply
perfect the way it was … with one huge exception.

Edna was getting worse. Every time I brought
it up, she dismissed my concern with a gentle pat and a wink. “Just
you take care of your Gavin,” she would say.

Christmas was like none I had ever known.
Edna and I had given one small gift to each other every year, money
always being an issue. This year, Gavin insisted I buy Edna
everything I wanted her to have. I didn’t want anything for myself,
but the thought of being extravagant for Edna was too tempting, and
so we headed to the biggest mall he could find.

My gift to Gavin was just as difficult. I
didn’t want to buy him something with his money—that seemed
hypocritical. Rena naturally thought of creating something
specifically for him. She could do it, but I couldn’t yet paint an
apple.

“Nora, I will help you … we can do it
together. We must start with a concept. If there was one symbol or
object that represented the essence of your relationship, what
would it be?”

Immediately I thought of our energy, but how
to create that was beyond me. We worked on it every night, and
eventually I came up with a design that was inspired by his eyes.
The sculpture itself was a perfect circle made of glass that rose
out of natural rock. The left side was the color of my eyes; the
right side was the brilliant emerald green I loved. The glass
melded at the top hazel to green, and again at the bottom green to
hazel. The colors streaked in one direction and the top, the
opposite at the bottom, creating the appearance of a
counterclockwise motion moving through the glass. I poured all of
my love and devotion for him in that gift. Rena was right; when you
loved your project, you were pleased with its outcome.

Christmas seemed magical. Edna’s Sunday
school was overjoyed with Rena’s talents. Dusk was settling in when
we came home from the afternoon church service. Gavin started a
fire. Edna was delighted with all of the gifts I had given her.
Gavin painted her a landscape of the farm in brilliant detail, and
I laughed at his depiction of our old, ugly cow in the pasture.
Tears ran down her face as she kissed his cheek, truly touched by
the gesture. Rena painted Edna a portrait of me to hang in her
room. Personally, I thought she was a bit generous. The dark blonde
hair and hazel eyes she had right, but the heart shaped face and
full lips were too pretty to be me. Gavin raised an eyebrow; his
emotions snarled in disagreement. Rena seemed frustrated by my
intent as well.