Chapter 9

A deafening hush descended upon us as we sat around the coffee table. Only the sound of our breaths and the occasional clink of a glass on the table filled the room. Isaac and Jeriah gave each other a knowing look but said nothing, their heads hung low in contemplation. I glance at them briefly before hanging my own head. They knew. 

I tilt my head up, grimacing at the ceiling as a thought occurs to me. How blind must I have been for the truth to have evaded me only for Isaac and Jeriah to realize it in under five minutes? How audacious of me to have ever thought I could withhold such a secret from someone so close to me. Regardless of when he became privy to such details, Jeriah would have understood exactly what I had gone through that day.

"Okay." Jeriah says, breaking the silence. "Who's hungry?"

I look over to Jeriah with a raised brow. He gives a half hearted shrug and motions to Isaac. "I bet he needs to pee." 

"If you need a break Jeriah, ask for one." I say with an indignant huff.

"Well…don't you need a break?" Jeriah lifts a brow.

"I'm fine." I droll. There is no need to drag out this story, after all.

"You're not fine." Jeriah accuses. I give an indifferent look.

"Fuck's sake, Cugu, you need a break." He points an accusatory finger at me. "You're just too stubborn to admit it."

"I just want to tell this story and go home." I reply bitterly. "Need I remind you? I wanted to stay home; you were the one who dragged me here."

"I didn't say come here and mentally drain yourself in the process." Jeriah reminds me, his voice raising with his frustration. "I just said I needed help."

"Hey…uh…I do need to take a piss." Isaac says, cutting in.

"Then go take a piss." I seethe, standing to face Jeriah. "Am I not helping?"

"Of course you're helping." Jeriah pinches the bridge of his nose. "But, Jesus, learn to pace yourself."

"I do not NEED to pace myself. I NEED to tell this story. I NEED to beat him on the head," I point at Isaac, " and I NEED to go home. I do not NEED a break." 

"Yeah, 'cause you're obviously fine." Jeriah rolls his eyes. "What with the anger that you've perfectly managed."

"What is your issue here?" 

"My issue is that you're going to run yourself into the ground because of this." Jeriah says, rubbing at his face, aggravated.

"It's just a GODDAMNED STORY!" I yell.

"IT'S YOUR GODDAMNED STORY." Jeriah shouts back. "Yours. You lived this. All that shit that happened, happened to YOU." 

"YES!" I cry, no longer able to tamp down my fury. "It did happen to me. When I was seventeen, lost, and alone. I was a young thing with a future…with something to look forward to. 

Now I'm a centuries old whore with no Goddamn future, so what does it matter if I pace myself when everything already happened?" 

My breathing sounds ragged in the silence that follows my rant. I feel bad now, seeing the hurt look on Jeriah's face and knowing I placed it there. 

"I'm telling on you." Jeriah says, dangerously calm.

I blink, shocked. Of everything I was expecting him to say, this had not been one of them. My anger drains and I begin to chuckle.

"Hey, Damien" I mock. "Cugu said a bad word."

"Don't tempt me fucker." Jeriah glares but there's no longer any heat to it. 

"Hey guys?" Issac cuts in. "I really have to take a piss." 

Jeriah and I look at one another and immediately burst into laughter. I fall back into my seat clutching my stomach as giggles wrack my body.

"Oh my god. Hold on." Jeriah says, once arm on his stomach and one extended in a stop motion towards Issac. He's trying desperately to straighten his face and end his laughing spree.

"T-to the rig-right of the front door." He tells Isaac through giggles. He straightens himself and puts on a straight face, still giggling. "Ahem. To the right of the front door."

"Right." Isaac sounds unconvinced. "Where is the front door?"

Jeriah shakes his head fondly. "Imma take him to the bathroom and get us something to eat."

"I vote takeout." Issac says, raising his hand.

"You gonna pay for it? Cause shit, ain't nothing cheap here." Jeriah asks, herding Isaac towards what I can only assume is the bathroom.

And suddenly I am alone. I sit up in my seat and take a look around the room, curious about Jeriah and the life he's lived these past few decades. 

There is a fireplace to the left of me and I stand walking towards it. On the mantle are framed pictures of people I do not know and people I have not seen in so long they may as well be just a memory. 

I pick up one of the photos and look at the contents a bit wistfully. It is a picture of two young boys with toothy smiles in the midst of pelting snow at one another. They look happy.

I trace my fingers over the glass surface and sigh before replacing the photo. I look towards the piece hung above the mantle and my smile drops. 

The painting is of three figures, each with their own easy going smile. The figure on the right looks worn, but happy. Her copper-toned hair falls in ringlets around her shoulders as her bright green eyes shine with warmth. She has her arm wrapped snugly around the figure in the middle.

The figure on the left is beaming with excitement, her grin wide and toothy. Her silver hair is cascading down her back, and her blue eyes sparkle with mischief. Her arm, too, is wrapped around the figure in the middle.

I stand in the midst of the two, awkwardly smiling. My eyes were downcast, but shone a wonderful violet affection. 

My heart aches at the sight of my sisters. It had been centuries since I had last seen them.

"Hey." Jeriah says, stopping next to me. I watch him carefully trace the painting, his hand lingering on the figure to the right.

"Where did you get this?" I ask, facing the portrait once more.

"Sebastian brought it." Jeriah explains with a sad smile. "Apparently, you had it in your old room at Pandemonium."

I nod. "I kept it with me for years, prior to…you know." I wave dismissively.

"I miss her." Jeriah sighs, staring longingly at the copper haired figure. 

"Is she still in the ether?" I question.

"Yeah." He sighs, heartbroken. 

I nod my understanding. "She will return."

He shrugs and we turn away from the painting. I walk back to my seat and drop down into the cushions with a contented sigh. If nothing else these couches were wonderful.

I glance at the table and chuckle. There are now three bottles placed on the table where there had been one and a six pack of what I could only assume was more alcohol. 

Jeriah notices me staring and immediately rushes to explain.

"That's ginger ale and cola. Isaac's ordering take out and I had the drinks. I swear I'm not an alcoholic."

I shake my head and chuckle quietly. "I said nothing, Jeriah."

"Yeah but you were thinking it." 

I chuckle quietly as Jeriah takes his seat and leans back, getting comfortable. I reach over and grab a drink from the six pack, examining it closely. 

Rootbeer. 

I have never once seen a drink of this kind, but curiosity bests me and I pop the top and take a swallow. Sweet. I think as I take another drink, savoring the taste.

Isaac walks into the living room a moment later, holding an odd looking rectangle in his hand.

"Food'll be here in about half an hour." He says, taking his own seat. "I got pizza."

"Nice." Jeriah smiles. 

I give them both a questioning look as I have never once seen nor eaten pizza. Jeriah looks at me and smiles. "It's good. Trust me."

I shrug and take another drink from my bottle. "Where were we?"

"It was after you passed out I think." Isaac answers.

"Right." I nod. "I had another dream about Sariel."