Page 27 of Firethorne

“Don’t call her a weirdo,” Lysander snapped, his muscles tensing as a darkness fell over him.

“Why? Have you seen a side to her that the rest of us haven’t?” she scoffed.

“Maybe,” Lysander replied, but Miriam dismissed him and carried on belittling the girl she saw as her newest project.

“I mean, what kind of girl doesn’t wear jewellery?”

“God forbid.” Damien rolled his eyes dramatically as he repeated Miriam’s earlier remark back to her.

“And don’t even get me started on the fact that she doesn’t own a phone,” Miriam went on. “What is up with that? Maybe one of you can gift her one. Drag her into the twenty-first century, although it’ll probably be kicking and screaming.”

The dark veil that’d shrouded Lysander suddenly fell away. He never wore it for long, not in company, anyway.

“Kickingandscreaming?” Lysander laughed. “Sounds like a job for Damien.” Lysander was proud of his quick retort.

“And phase two?” Damien asked, lifting his chin to show he was ignoring his brother.

“Phase two.” Miriam’s eyes sparkled, her face lighting up as she spoke. “We show her who we really are. Enough tiptoeing around.”

“She’s only just got here,” Damien replied.“Do you really think she’s ready to find out who we really are?”

“She already knows who some of us are,” Lysander muttered.

“Or rather, who you want her to believe you are,” Damien mumbled to himself.

“Of course she’s ready to experience the full Firethorne effect,” Miriam replied, talking over the mumblings of her cousins. “I think we need to throw one of our parties.”

Lysander’s grin grew wide. “That’s the most sense you’ve spoken all day, Miriam. I totally agree.” Then as his eyes grew wide, he announced, “I have an idea.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Damien retorted as Miriam stifled a laugh from her corner of the library.

But Lysander ignored him, his enthusiasm at full throttle as he said, “Angels and demons. That should be our theme.”

“And let me guess, you’ll be God, overseeing it all.” Damien slammed his book shut and let it rest in his lap as he let out a long sigh.

“Let’s face it...” Miriam shrugged. “You’ll be the devil, so it’s only fair someone is God. But why does God have to be a man? We all know God is a woman.” She winked.

“God or devil, I’m sure you’ll kill the role, whatever it is you choose to go as.” Damien stood up. “But you can count me out.”

“Why?” Miriam’s voice came out shrill as she stood up, too, staring at Damien as he turned and strolled away from her. “You never miss a party.”

“Oh, I won’t miss the party,” he replied, spinning around to face her but backing away towards the door as he did. “I just won’t be a part of your circus. I’m not your puppet.”

He turned one last time and left the room, just as Miriam muttered, “That’s funny. I always seem to be able to pull your strings, cousin dear.”

Chapter Twelve

Maya

Iwalked through the door of the cabin to find my father sitting in the living room in his work clothes, a proud but tired smile on his face.

He turned his head as I shut the door and headed into the living area.

“How did it go today?” he asked, reaching down to take his boots off and then sitting back into the armchair and letting out a weary breath, wriggling his toes in his well-worn socks as he lazed there.

“It was good,” I told him. “Mrs Richardson... Cora... she was lovely.” Then I decided to address the elephant that wasn’t quite in the room, more like stomping around in my head. “I saw you today.”

“Did you? Was I weeding, or pruning bushes? Or let me guess, knee deep in filth, trying to clean the dirty duck pond?”