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The Summons Chapter 7 It seems like it's overdue. Then just when you least expect it, It comes sneakin' up on you. When I thought that I was dreaming, Felt your body close to mine. Now love takes on a different meaning, Together till the end of time. I was in a daze, Movin' in the wrong direction, Feelin' that I'd always be the lonely one. Then I saw your face Through the web of my confusion, Whisperin' that I wasn't the only one. The lonely one. "I trust you enjoyed it?" Xellos asked as he led Filia into the lobby amid the crush of departing theatre patrons. "Oh, immensely!" She paused thoughtfully. "I do believe I've never seen it in actual production before. I caught the television broadcast with Julie Andrews, and of course, I know the later one with Lesley Ann Warren by heart." "It lived up to expectations then?" "Above and beyond." She hugged his arm, looking around. "Did you say we were going somewhere else after this?" "I thought you might enjoy a bit of dancing," Xellos said. He hoped that she was doing part of his job for him. "I should probably find the ladies' lounge, then," Filia said. "My hair's starting to feel like it's determined to work out of its twist, and I'd hate to be out on the floor and have the comb fall." Xellos beamed. "But of course, Miss Filia. I shall wait here for you." Wonderful. He would not have to provide an excuse to part company with her. He watched until she disappeared from view, and casually strolled over to an alcove, making sure no one was watching before he vanished. He first went by where he concealed the last necessary items, pocketing one for the time being, and picking up the box from its hiding place. When he appeared in Filia's apartment, the negativity saturating the air gave him a much-needed burst of energy. He could hear Val in the living room, pacing and swearing, and smirked. It would seem things were going to go just fine. Xellos dropped the box on the bed and leaned on the wall, resting and soaking in the delicious rage and worry. He was still quite drained, and by the time he realized Val was almost within view, he barely had time to teleport out. At least I won't have to do anything to draw his attention, Xellos thought wryly. He returned to the theatre, finding a different location and leaning on the wall, a few feet away from an arguing couple. He supposed that Filia was likely done, and searching for him, and he would rejoin her. First, a bit of rest seemed to be in order. "Xellos!" Or not. He pushed away from the wall, smiling cheerfully. "Yes, Miss Filia?" "There you are! I was looking all over," Filia said, walking up to him. The woman realized their argument might have an audience, and she tried to shush the man she was with in hopes of continuing it somewhere more private. He appeared to not care. "I was merely wandering around," Xellos replied, which was the truth, in a sense. "And then I decided I was hungry." Filia's glance flickered to the couple, and she smirked. "Better them than me," she whispered, taking his arm, causing him to chuckle in amusement. "Indeed. Shall we depart?" "Of course." Filia looked at him, and stopped. "Mister Xellos?" "Yes, Miss Filia?" "Is there anything the matter?" "Perhaps the play was a bit much," he said, ushering her out the door. For a brief moment, Val had the chilling sensation that he was not alone in the apartment. He conducted a quick check of the rooms, ascertaining nothing had been disturbed, and was about to write it off to his nerves before he went into the spare bedroom. That white box had most certainly not been in there a half-hour ago. He froze, turning on the light cautiously, and studied it. Adrenaline had him alert to every possible danger, and he hesitated, examining it the best he could without actually touching it. He spent five minutes after that arguing with himself whether or not it would be safe to open before deciding to risk it. He fetched a yardstick out of Filia's sewing closet, and stood back as far as it allowed, first poking the box, then pushing up the lid, pulling it off. Nothing happened. He tossed the yardstick aside and walked over, raising an eyebrow. "What the hell?" A deep violet card engraved with a golden script lay nestled on pale lavender tissue paper. "The Fitzgerald," he read aloud, and picked up the card. "Midnight." It was a posh, trendy, and very upscale nightclub in Manhattan, decorated with a ritzy, retro art deco look. Certainly something which Xellos and Filia had been dressed for, but he had packed nothing which would get him past the doors and the establishment's dress code. A moment later, the card abruptly vanished out of his hands, causing him to jump. "Xellos, what the hell are you up to?" Val snapped, feeling edgy, viciously swiping at the tissue paper, tearing it, revealing the contents. Black fabric with a dark blue sheen glinted under the bedroom lights, and he lifted it up. "All right," he growled, tossing the suit jacket onto the bed, retrieving the rest of the ensemble, complete with a shirt, shoes, and tie. "I'll play your game, but if you're doing this to hurt Filia, you're a dead Mazoku." He glanced at the clock. Twenty till midnight. It would be cutting it close, but he could make it if he rushed. "I haven't danced like this since I don't remember when," Filia whispered, feeling awkward as Xellos led her around in a waltz. "You remember the dance, Miss Filia. Just relax, look at me, don't worry about where you're stepping. Just follow my lead." Filia nodded and drew in a deep breath, forcing herself to relax. "I'm surprised you know how to dance." "Why is that?" "I... it just seems like something you'd avoid, since dancing usually is associated with romance." Xellos chuckled quietly. "Miss Filia, there's a great many things which you do not know about me." "Like what?" He smiled secretively. "Things in the past." "You never change, do you?" "I should hope not." A few moments of silence passed, then he spoke up again. "See? Once you relax, it all comes back. Your mind not recall, but your feet do." Filia blushed, smiling faintly. "You're too kind. I still feel awkward." "All you need is more nights out dancing, and it will come as easily as it once did. You should find yourself far more able to enjoy it without those ridiculous little slippers or whalebone corsets." She groaned softly, closing her eyes. "And I'd almost forgotten how uncomfortable those were." "Humans have such odd notions for what's considered an acceptable style," Xellos said, releasing Filia as the song ended. He gave her a slight bow, taking her hand. "Is that all?" Filia asked, raising an eyebrow as she let him lead her from the floor. "Only for the moment," Xellos replied, and looked away, beaming. "Here we are!" Filia followed his gaze and gasped in shock. "Val! What are you doing here?" "What are you up to, Xellos?" Val growled as he stalked closer, seemingly ignoring Filia for a moment. "I swear, if you've hurt her..." "Val, what has gotten into you?" Filia scolded. "It would appear we're at the crucial moment in time," Xellos said cheerfully. "Please, Miss Filia. Do have a seat. I believe that it is time for Mister Val and I to have a little talk." "What's going on?" she demanded, raising her voice. "Nothing at all which you need to worry about. We shall be back momentarily." "Can't you talk here? Can't I come with you?" "No, you may not. This is something between he and I." Xellos gently but firmly ushered her to a chair. "Sit. Relax. We won't be long." Filia glanced worriedly to Val, but his gaze, narrowed and aggressive, was locked on Xellos. "Now, if you would be so kind as to accompany me, I do believe the lobby would be a suitable place for our discussion," Xellos said, beaming cheerfully at Val, seemingly oblivious to the anger in the Dragon's eyes. "Let's get on with it," he growled. Filia watched them depart, feeling a headache of worried tension creeping up on her. She didn't notice the waiter at her side until he spoke. "Would madam care for a drink?" "Um...yeah, that sounds good." "Very well, and what would you like?" "I don't care, um, something stiff and fruity." She rubbed her temples with her fingertips and tried not to envision the level of property damage that might result from the discussion. "What are you doing?" Val snapped quietly as he followed Xellos to an out of the way corner of the lobby, ignoring the looks from the other patrons. "And here I was harboring hopes you would have figured it out by now," Xellos replied, mocking a mournful sigh. "Quit playing, Mazoku." His eyes opened and locked on Val's. "I could tell you the same thing." "What?" Val was taken aback. "What are you going on about? I haven't done a thing!" "And therein lies the tragedy." The temptation to introduce that smart mouth to his fist was overwhelming. "Quit being so damnably cryptic!" "Miss Filia will never change. She puts her desire to do good before all else, even her own regard for her safety. It is who she is, and I suppose she would no longer be the Filia we know if that were not the case." Val frowned. "Yes, I know this." "She also needs someone to watch over her." "I do that!" "But not as well as you might," Xellos replied calmly. "And there's one thing which you have never tried to shield her from. One thing which I never would have been able to do." "What's that?" Val demanded, crossing his arms. "Herself." "Say what?" "You saw her tonight through new eyes, did you not?" Val suddenly felt uncomfortable. "What's that got to do with anything?" "Everything," Xellos said. "What were you thinking before you came here? No, you do not have to tell me, just be honest with yourself for a change. If there's one thing I've never been able to abide, it's lying. Lying is for the weak." Val swallowed hard, glaring angrily at the Mazoku even as he felt his cheeks grow hot. "She's family, Xellos." "And that will never change. But the very nature of family can, and has changed. She is no longer your mother, is she?" "No, but she--" "Is not your sister, either. She never has been. You've just never been in a position where you were forced to see her for what she really is. Until tonight." Val studied him, still waiting for the other shoe to drop. "Why are you doing this?" A small, but slightly bitter smile twisted Xellos' lips. "Let's just say I've arrived at a point in time where I can afford to be a little magnanimous for once." "You want Filia and I..." "I want you to take care of her now." Val was silent, watching him. The Mazoku's expression was impassive, betraying not so much as a hint as to what he was thinking. But the things that were said... "Time's running out, isn't it?" he asked quietly. Xellos smirked. "As someone once wrote, 'cannot run out of time. There is infinite time. You are finite'," he said, then paused, and added quietly, "everyone is." "Xellos..." "And in there right now, is a lady who was willing to settle for a lifetime without love just to avoid being alone, or having her heart broken repeatedly. A lady who is no longer your mother, and never should have been a sister." "But what if she--" "And if she raises any sort of fuss," Xellos cut in, "do point out to her that it was never Prince Charming who was the one to supply Cinderella with the gown." Val blinked and looked over to his shoulder toward the door for a moment. "Xellos..." He trailed off, looking back, and then around. The Mazoku was nowhere to be seen. Filia rested her forehead against her palm, eyes closed, trying to relax enough to make the headache disappear. The night had been going so nicely too, with only a few bumps along the way. Val's appearance hadn't been a bump, it was a brick wall. And she was far too sentimental. After the romantic sappiness of the play, it was hard to remind herself that she was content with what she had. It was even harder to remember it when she saw him. It wasn't right, the way her heart jumped. It was only because of the expression on his face, she told herself. Only because she was afraid of a confrontation. A hand gently seized her wrist -- a warm hand, living, not the cool touch of a Mazoku. She looked up, startled, into Val's eyes. "Val, what..." She looked around. "Where is Xellos?" "It was never in his plan to come back in," Val said quietly, and guided her to her feet. "Let's dance." "I don't want to," she said stubbornly, trying to ignore the feel of his hand on her arm. "I want Xellos to come back. Tell me what's going on." "Let's dance, and I'll tell you in the meantime." Frowning, she followed him out onto the floor, trying to breathe as he sipped his arms around her waist, resting his cheek to hers, lips to her ear. "Xellos told me something a moment ago." "What?" she whispered back. "He said to remind you that it wasn't the prince who supplied Cinderella with the gown." Filia blinked and drew her head back, looking up at him. "It's taken us far too long, and I know it's not just me," Val whispered, looking at her as he brushed a stray wisp of hair from her eyes. "Neither of us have to be alone anymore. We never did." "But Val," she murmured, feeling her cheeks become warm, "I'm your--" "Anything you were, you haven't been for a very long time. I don't know about you, but I just didn't want to see it, I didn't want things to change. Everything else was doing a grand job of changing, at least one thing ought to stay constant." She nodded. "Exactly." "But there's the problem. Isn't the only thing that's constant change?" She stared at him, feeling nervous. "Here I thought it was death and taxes," she said weakly, forcing a faint smile. His lips quirked, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "Well, those too." "There's a problem, though." "Hmm?" "Fiona and Calvin, they're siblings." "We're not them, Filia. We never were. They're just roles we take, as an actor in a play. They won't last forever, not like us." "Val--" "Listen to me," he said, cutting her off. "I love you, Filia, and I haven't loved you as family for a very long time. The question is, what do you feel?" "I don't know if it's right." "Who's to say? It's only us, now." "No, there's--" She cut herself off, her eyes widening. "But what about Mister Xellos? What do I say?" "You don't have to say anything." Val kissed her forehead. "All this was done for this purpose. If you'll look back..." Filia shivered as his lips touched her skin. "He did say nature abhors a vacuum," she murmured. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm scared. What if this changes too much?" "Whatever changes, we'll change together," he replied softly. "Just like always." "Mmhmm. Just like always." Val pushed her back just enough to cup his hand under her chin, making her look up at him. "Come on. Let's go home." "Val?" "Yes?" "I...I love you too." He smiled faintly. "I know." The limousine was still waiting to take them home, and most of the trip was spent in silence. Hands held, bodies close, looking at one another with new eyes, adapting to the change. Filia was the first to break the stillness as they approached the apartment. "How did you find us?" she whispered. "I found a very obvious clue," he replied quietly, and gave her a faint smirk. "Along with this." He gestured to his suit. "I wondered about that," she murmured, taking her eyes from his, raising her hand, stroking her fingertips along the collar. "It's hardly something I would have expected you to pack for an emergency trip." He captured her wrist and brought her hand up, kissing her palm. Unable to catch her breath, Filia raised her eyes to his face as the limousine came to a stop. "We're here," he said softly. They kept a polite distance from one another, no more than one would expect from siblings, as they walked through the lobby and took the elevator back to her apartment. Val unlocked the door and pushed it open, standing aside for Filia. "Thank you," she replied, pulling off her wrap as he started to shut the door. A clicking noise from the other side of the room caught her attention, and she looked over quickly to her stereo. A motion detector rested on top, angled at the door, and piano music was suddenly audible. "You must remember this: a kiss is still a kiss. A sigh is still a sigh. The fundamental things apply as time goes by." Filia looked to Val, raising an eyebrow as she gestured to the stereo. "Did you...?" He was grinning faintly, but shook his head. "No," he replied, taking her hand and pulling her close. "And when two lovers woo, they still say: 'I love you'; on that you can rely. No matter what the future brings, as time goes by." "Val..." she whispered, only to be hushed by his finger touching her lips. "Shh." He slipped his arms around her waist, nuzzling against her neck. Filia purred quietly, clinging to him. "No matter what the future brings, as time goes by," he repeated in a barely audible whisper, brushing his lips against her ear. "Moonlight and love songs, never out of date. Hearts full of passion, jealousy and hate." Filia trembled, nuzzling his cheek, kissing it softly. Val slid his hands up her back and skimmed his fingertips over her neck, cupping her face gently between his hands. "Woman needs man..." They stared at each other for a final heartbeat before their lips touched. "...and man must have his mate. That no one can deny." Filia shivered slightly, sighing into the kiss as she slid her hands up his chest, and her arms around his neck. "It's still the same old story: a fight for love and glory, a case of do or die." His arms were around her, hands splayed over her back, holding her close to him. Filia bit back a quiet moan as his lips left hers, nuzzling her neck, nibbling her sensitive flesh before returning back up to kiss her again, this time with more passion, stronger, his mouth claiming hers. "The world will always welcome lovers as time goes by."
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to be continued...
Chapter Eight