by Namita Singh
as he walks and cavalierly dumps his ass next to me. I let a minute pass by in silence, simply reveling in his aura. His aura feels much soothing when he is not talking, I notice. Or I am just too revved up that even fleeting sensation of his aura feel assuasive to me.
“You’re not supposed to be out of the room.” I say quietly, after some time in silence.
I feel Neal turning his face to look at me. I turn towards him too. He is having an unbelievable expression on his face like he cannot believe that even now I am ‘ordering’ him around.
“Calm your tits, Lichinsky.” He says. His tone is not harsh, just plain. “I have taken permission from your daddy.” Now he is being sarcastic.
“Seriously-”
“Seriously.” Neal interrupts me. He sighs, “Everyone’s asked to come upstairs. I think it’s the finale meeting. Your father was quite normal when I volunteered to get you.” He taunts.
“He is always normal.” I couldn’t help but be slightly sarcastic. Father is always normal, no doubt about that. Even if he may have been reluctant about Neal coming to find me then also his ‘normalness’ must have expressed nothing out of the place. Just like it has been fooling me in the past seventeen years.
“You’re fucking annoying when you’re prissy.” Neal says and gets up, “Come on, they must be waiting.”
I sigh and get up. Together we traverse the length of the hallway towards the end where the staircase commences. Once or twice Neal grumbles under his breath about how much freaking huge this house is. We do not talk about our fight. In fact, Neal is acting like his usual self. I take a sharp breath in and force myself to suck it up. No point in wallowing in the raging thoughts and no point at all in being a stuck up priss like some bitchy girl. Besides, Neal’s aura is pleasantly wafting around me. I only focus on his aura as we walk upstairs together. It fairly calms me.
The mansion has only two floors, much to my surprise. But I suppose the massive girth makes up for it. The first floor is identical to the ground floor. Same hallway, same sub hallways and same rooms in the hallways and sub hallways. The whole mansion is the combination of an extra-large living room cum foyer space, flanked by series of hallways on either side. We are approaching the similar space on the first floor through the never ending hallways. Yet the nearer we move, the more I can make out the distinctive voices and the auras. The hallway opens up to an extravagant ‘room’ which is actually just a huge hall divided into two sections by only two steps in the center. A royal maroon rug flushes the floor, matching the imperial look of the first section and with numerous comfortable and plush looking couches spread on the acreage. It also matches with the official vista offered by the second section. It consists of a very large conference table, built in an equally expensive looking oak. There are chairs on only one side of the table, making it look more like a pedestal. Numerous comfortable chairs are scattered in the front, making the whole get up actually resemble a conference event with the ones on the oak table being the representatives.
A hoard of people is already cowering in the area. My familyis evenly scattered in the audience region. My grandmother, whom I didn’t know before this day, is also sitting on one of the chairs next to Rufina aunt. My mother is however sitting next to an elderly man. I can safely guess that he might be my grandfather.
On the oak table there are total of thirteen chairs with thirteen people, more or less, being the ones new to me as well. Some of them are engaged in a discussion with someone next to them. One of them is talking to my father. Two of them seem to have abandoned their chairs and are looking outside through the panoramic windows behind the table, with their backs to the whole conference area. The rest are solemnly sitting, contemplating in their heads. Yet, the hall is echoing with noisiness with everyone engaged in harsh whispers; occasionally some of them talking loudly.
When Neal and I enter, most of the people cease their talking and look at us. Or at Neal to be specific. Our steps start echoing when the silence becomes prominent. I quickly notice that Faith and Silvia are not present. The rest of us are however haphazardly spread across the room. Father motions for us to take chairs next to him, right in front of the oak table. Aakir and Rahul are also sitting next to him.
“This is my son, Josh.” My father introduces as we sit down. His voice sounds thunderous in the sudden silence. “And that’s his partner, Neal Stephens.”
Neal and I give minute nods at the people in front of us. Eleven people are sitting while two are near the window at the back. The ones at the window are as much paying attention to us as the others. Most seem middle aged, with only four elder people.
“Welcome. We’re the head council for the Ninth Realm of Therians. I’m Anastasia Ludwig, one of the members.” A middle aged brunette womansitting slightly off the middle says in greeting, smiling at us. She has a thick Russian accent, something I rarely get to encounter in Latvia. I am assuming she is talking in English because Neal doesn’t know Russian.She then trains her eyes at Neal, “It’s an honor to meet you, Neal.”
“Uh…” Neal starts awkwardly, “Thanks…I guess.”
The rest are however still gawking at Neal as if he is an alienated species that has been introduced in the zoo. From the corner of my eye I notice Neal getting fidgety but I am assured he wears a calm expression, like he usually does. My eyes roam about the council members. My eyes stop at one elder person who is sitting in the middle. Grey hair is oddly matched with an athletic built. His taut jaw seems to be complimenting his dark eyes, making him look younger than he already is. What made me stop and observe him is that unlike the other council members he is not looking at Neal. He is looking at me, staring unfalteringly. Ineptly, I look away.
The man sitting next to Anastasia clears his throat and leans forward, “I would like to brief out our discussion regarding you, Neal.” He says, “We all have been having quite a bit of contradictions. Many of us did not even believe Mr. Lichinsky,” the man humorlessly smirks at my father, “but watching you in flesh has cleared much of our doubts. Now…I want to make it clear to everybody present,” he looks around to room at everyone, just to prove his point, “That despite whatever favor Mr. Lichinsky may ask us of, it is no issue of debate that Mr. Neal here definitely belongs to the First Realm.”
Incoherent chatter bursts at his announcement, even amongst the council members.
“He does?” my father asks loudly, a slight edge to his voice.
“Yes, Mr. Lichinsky. Let me complete.” The man continues, “However, in the light of the put forth allegations by the protector’s family and Mr. Lichinsky’s family, both of whom are connected with Neal, it is obvious that none of you seek to be amongst the First Occultist’s cult.” The man pauses for effect, letting the information sink. “We may provide the amount of help that we seem fit, simply because we do not turn people away from our doorsteps. You should however know,” he says while looking at Neal, “that we cannot promise you protection, not until we have consent of at least ninety percent population of our realm. Even if we achieve that,-”
“We will not.” A throaty voice interrupts. It’s one of the men who are standing at the windows. He looks thoroughly displeased for whatever reason. He also seems to be the oldest in here.
“If we do,” the man stresses, turning slightly to glare at the interrupter, “then also we do not offer a win for our situation.” He turns back to Neal, “The occultists rule us. We can rebel against them for you but winning over them is highly unlikely.”
“But not impossible.” My father says.
The man sighs, “Mr. Lichinsky…you dream big and I appreciate that. But I will let you know that I will not risk our realm for a single person, even if he is an important entity.” He waves a hand at Neal, “And it is true that he is not your property to begin with.”
“He is not anyone’s property. He is not even a ‘property’. Why don’t you just admit that you’re scared to face the First Realm?” father asks, looking absolutely impassive.
“And because of that you’re ready to sacrifice a member of the family that belongs to your realm? What happened to your ethics? The last I remember, our realm never hesitated in standing against our Occultist if one of us was threatened illegitimately.”
“You’ve no entitlement to speak in regard of our rules, Nikolai.” The man says, his voice devoid of emotion. “Not anymore.”
There is a stretching silence. Then my father speaks, “Am I no more considered a part of this realm?” his voice stoic, as it usually is. I still manage to sense the threat in his question.
“You should have asked yourself that when you left your people behind.”
“I have committed no treason for you to not consider me a part of this realm.” Father thunders. “I walked out of my own volition.”
“Leaving your father behind to suffer.” The man idly waves his hand towards the people sitting on his left side, “Let me summon the Ninth Occultist. Let’s see how well you can justify yourself then.”
“Gentlemen,” Anastasia interrupts, her voice authoritative, “Please be civil.”
My father and the man continue a glaring match for a few moments. Then my father turns towards Anastasia, “I