I look at Avery with confusion, trying desperately to decipher not only his words, but this look upon his face. His body is tense, and his eyes pleading, but I am not sure what they're meant to convey. He looks almost like his mind and body are at war, like he is contemplating touching me, but thinks better of it- or maybe that is just my intrusive thoughts winning out. Surely he has no desire to touch me, the way I so desire to be touched by him.
"Avery… What benefit would you have for me to stay." I ask out loud, trying and failing to figure out what he is saying. I don't know if he is being this vague or if I am just incapable of taking a hint- or maybe he is not 'saying' anything. So I blink up at him, waiting for him to respond.
"Dahlia I…." He starts, but is cut off when his phone begins to ring, he checks the caller id and excuses himself to answer the call just as my phone too begins to ring.
It's my mother, and I answer with a tone of frustration, "Yes, Mother?"
"Dahlia, are you safe? Where are you?!" She asks with a tine of panic just as Avery takes hold of my elbow and begins to guide me off the sidewalk and toward a nearby coffee shop, telling me to hurry as we move.
"Mom, what's wrong, I am with Avery, hes pulling me into…" She cuts me off before I can finish telling her where I am.
"Don't tell me where you are or where you re going, this line is not secure. Listen carefully and do not speak again until I tell you to…" I can feel the attempt at compulsion, so I know this is serious even without taking into the account the clear panic in her voice. She continues on, "There has been an attack on the Consolate, where we held this morning's meetings. As a precaution I compelled any member in attendance to believe the meeting would not be until 6pm incase there were any traitors among us. The 'live' airings did not begin until that time. This was out of an abundance of caution for your safety, as there has been much talk of prophesies we have not yet shared with you surrounding your death…"
WOW ok. That was shocking, my jaw opens and I look to Avery, as he continues to all but drag me through the door of the shop. His eyes are tight, and he has an expression I cannot decipher though I can sense the severity in his demeanor. It's quiet in here, noone seems to move as we walk in. I wait for my mother to continue talking, checking to make sure I have not lost her.
"Dahlia, the rogue wolves have bombed the Consolate. They believe you to be dead. Your father has mobilized the pack, and you are being moved to a secure location only your guardian knows about. It is one he himself has selected and protected with magic far greater than even I can conjur. You will be safe with him. STAY. WITH. HIM! Trust only HIM. DO not use your phone for anything, there will be a new phone waiting for you at the safehouse, only select people will have that contact information. DO NOT trust anyone with out HIS guidance, and do not trust anyone over the phone, as voices and numbers can be manipulated- even my own. If you cannot touch them- or their magic- do not trust them. Dahlia I love you- I will speak to you again soon." The line is dead before I can even process what she is saying. I am absolutely flabbergasted as I look to Avery, jaw still agape. He takes my phone and in one fast movement of his hand crushes it instantly. I did not know that were possible to do with one simple and swift hand movement.
Does she mean to tell me that Avery is my guardian? I mean I guess it could make sense, seeing as he is always there. And when he is near me I can feel his precense. How else would one explain this electricity between the two of us? I do not speak as my gaze meets his, though he must sense that I am going into shock, no thanks to all this excellent news.
"Stay with me Dahlia…" I don't know if he means physically, keep up with him and don't get lost; remain here in the metaphysical way, urging me not to get lost in the shock of the situation; or if he is somehow going back to the previous conversation where it seemed as though he were begging me to stay- with him.
I nod, completely incapable of creating a coherent thought, muchless verbalizing it. He walks me through a door that appears to lead to a stock room, but it doesn't. Instead there is an empty room with a massive door. One that seems to have biometric level security panels. Why does a coffee shop look like the entrance to Fort Knox? What the hell?!
Avery uses multiple biometric methods to access the door and then drags me through into what appears to be a descending tunnel. He finally lets go of my elbow, but places his hand reassuringly on my lower back. It is not lost on me that he maintains physical contact with me.
"Avery what the fuck is going on?" His facial expressions change so quickly I'm not able to process them all.
"Dahlia! That's twice today you have used a curse!"
"Seriously, that is what you are choosing to focus in on in this moment. Of all the things to focus on in this shitty time, you choose to focus on my lalochezia. Great. That is just fan-fucking-tastic. The world is upside down and my lawyer is judging my potty mouth. For fuck's sake…"
Suddenly his mouth is on mine, his free hand cradling the back of my neck like, his other hand still on my lower back. This kiss is rough, possessive, needy. This kiss tells me to shut up and keep speaking all in one. If a picture told a thousand words, this kiss would be a thousand pictures. Though I fear I am not sure what those words would be. Just as quickly as he was on me, he is gone. My lips suddenly cold and swollen, missing the heat that was there mere seconds ago. Desperately, I search his eyes and find nothing I can understand within them. They are saying so much, and yet nothing at all. Like a language I am unfamiliar with. Staring at him, more confused than I was before his face morphs into an expression of regret. And my heart drops into the pit that is now my stomach.
"That was inappropriate. I don't know what came over me. It will never happen again." He states, and then moves past, careful not to make contact with me. "Come on, we have alot of ground ot cover."
I stare at his retreating form for several seconds, completely dumb founded. I don't even have thoughts at this point which is completely new to me. I can feel my wold stirring in a way she has never done before. I am not sure what this feeling means and I can't even call my father to interrogate him because the world is crashing and burning around me, and my phone was just destroyed. So I follow in silence, moving just quickly enough that I can see him ahead of me. When he reaches a point where the tunnel branches off in multiple directions, he stands and waits until I catch up.
I'm unsure how long we have been walking as I no longer have a way of telling time, since DC dessimated my phone. I did not wear my custom diamond encrusted Cartier watch today, My mother having described it as 'ostentacious.' Which is rich coming from her, as she not only commissioned it, but designed it herself. She hand picked each and every stone that forms the Dahlia flower in the watch face, sourcing the diamonds from all over the world. Knowing my stance on immoral practices, she used only ethically mined diamonds so that I would feel no guilt in wearing the watch. Its the most exquisite piece she has ever designed and one of the most expensive custom pieces Cartier has made to date, containing 21 carots total.
It was meant as a gift for my graduation/birthday/corronation, but she gave it to me early. Stating a woman needs a good watch to wear so she may be ontime for all of life's important events. She gave it to me the morning of my bar exam, giving me the boost of confidence I needed to earn a perfect score. I would have done well with out it because I am smart as a whip- But sometimes even the best and brightest crack under pressure.
As I catch up to DC, he begins to speak so softly I have to strain to hear him, even with my sensitive hybrid hearing. "Dahlia there are things that you have never been told. Things I must tell you now, that you were either never meant to know of, or atleast not be burdened with until your coronation. I am your guardian, this is a magical honor that was bestowed upon me the day you were born…"
I had a feeling he would be this guardian because when I told my mother I was with Avery she seemed to settle down a touch, telling me to trust only him. And talking about a safehouse only my guardian would know about. "Avery don't be dramatic, you were 5 when I was born- surely you exaggerate. Who would task a child with the safety of a princess?!"
He continued on, completely ignoring my questions. "I am tasked with keeping you safe for all the days of our lives, until one of us dies. There are magic tunnels under all of the boston area, exiting near many of your favorite locations. We are now standing directly under Harvard. This tunnel to the far right will bring you out to the garden shed on campus near the fountain. The one just to it's left will lead to my home in Cambridge. This far left tunnel will take us to the consolate- It is likely still structurally sound, having been fortified by the most powerful magic. But we will take no chances in exploring that avenue. Instead, we will take this tunnel," He gestures to the tunnel just to the right of the possibly destroyed, possibly sound tunnel to the consolate. "It will eventually lead us to the safehouse."
"What of the center tunnel?" I ask, wondering why he skipped that explanation for that one.
"That tunnel leads to you… YOUR HOME! I mean, that tunnel leads to your home. In Cambridge. Where you live. At your house… Come along, time is of the essence…."
Moving on from this weird system of tunnels and the strangest interaction I have ever encountered, we walk down the tunnel. What does 'eventualy lead' mean? Is this like some spy kids crap where we will have to take a series of methods to get where we need to go. Enter a secret submarine in a secret closet and navigate secret pathways to a secret hide out?
Get it together Dahlia this is reality, not some fictional movie from your childhood.