Chapter 25 – Stormie's Story

"How soon are you planning to escape?" The question flew out of his mouth as though he'd been dying to ask it.

"What?"

"I know you talked to Kapyn." He spoke as the though the matter was settled, the indictment had been issued.

"What?! Kapyn talks?"

Every ounce of suspicion was fighting with his desire to believe her, all in the dirty wrinkles and smudges across his face. His probing expression compelled Casey to feel guilty without knowing why. "Stormie told me he talks."

"Who's Stormie?"

"The fat lady, the one Kapyn took."

"Ah. And something terribllle happened to her, you said," added Casey, hoping for more information and still trying to manage her bitten tongue.

"She was crazy. Crazier than you."

"That's comforting."

"She was messed up. Had this whole idea that Kapyn was a god and she was meant to be his – his mate or something. It was weird." He was shaking his head. "She got it from reading those stories. She believed all that stuff."

Suddenly Casey was getting a fuller picture of Ivan's distrust for her. This Stormie had been berserk and Ivan was wary of it happening again, thinking she was going to plunge over the deep end, too. That's why he hadn't told her of the writings or anything about the lady! She raised her eyes to him, shining with the epiphany of this new piece of the puzzle about him.

"Did she believe that invisible dog story, too?" she asked, going over the summaries in her head which he had described.

"You're not reading those stories," he told her suddenly. "I'm burning them as soon as I can make a fire."

Casey shook her head. "I can't see myself thinking there's an invisible dog or going Gollum over that knowledge thing."

"The Gnosis," he filled in.

"Yeah." She was over halfway on the vine now. "Pretty good?" she motioned to her progress.

"I can't say. I'm not allowed to be nice." She worked in silence for a bit, knowing he wanted to know more, knowing she had a little more information to give. Should she tell him about the pixies' dragonfly prince? Did he already know? Did he know what the prince looked like? What if she told him what had happened to her only to find it had all been in her mind? He would think she, too, was crazy. Was she? Was that a reaction to being here, everyone went mad? Were all the stories in the catacombs of the gorge really the product of insanity, or could there be a true one; or maybe one with an iota of truth hidden between the lines?

"So…" she began. "Is that the big secret? The one you were trying to get me to promise about?" He nodded. "That's everything?"

"Yup."

"Lie," she challenged. "You said you got me out of there for self-preservation. Even if I had talked to a dragon – which I didn't," Casey repeated with a reproving glare, "that doesn't affect you."

"It does if-," he began, then seemed to remember something. "What about that whole 'I can do better than you' speech in the mountain? And picking up those papers? Who were you hiding our footprints from? You know something about Kapyn; you're a liar, too."

"It isn't a lie to keep things to myself." Her eyes flicked up to his face, almost embarrassed now that she had spoken so boldly about her means of getting through the dragonfly portal. She had put so much faith in something which was quickly becoming just a puff of smoke. He remained completely still, clearly astonished that she had admitted as much.

"If that's the standard, then I'm not lying, either."

A tense silence followed in which Casey laughed nervously. "Why do I feel like we haven't gotten anywhere?"

Ivan shrugged. His face was stoic. "I know everything I need to know at this point." He didn't speak to her again, although she attempted a few light comments.

"Are you sulking?" she asked, becoming irritated by his unresponsiveness. He didn't answer, but furrowed his brow in concentration as he smoothed sap over the woven portions of the plant-rope. "Look who's playing games now," she ribbed. It gained no rise out of him. They worked in silence until she reached the straggling ends of vines with no more to complect into the plaited line.

With finality, he said, "There. You're done. Leave."

"Ivan, you're the one-,"

"Don't start in again. You can keep your secrets; I'll keep mine. And I don't want to see you at the gorge again, got it?"

Casey huffed. "I have as much right to be there-,"

"Not when I -," Ivan broke in.

"….as you! Don't -," she continued.

"found it first. I'm -,"

"tell me where -,"

"…warning you," he ended.

"…I can and can't go. I'll go where I please!"

"You can go anywhere except the gorge. That's mine," he told her.

"No. It's not!"

"This conversation is finished." He looped the vine around his shoulder, turned, and walked away.

Casey would have screamed at him if it would have done any good. She picked up her tennis shoes and hurried after him. "Pigheaded mule!" she muttered under her breath. It didn't relieve her feelings at all.

A/N: That heart-to-heart didn't end up bringing them closer together after all. I had a difficult time with the talking-over-each-other dialogue. While it sounds like that in real life, is it too jumbled 'on paper'? What do you think?

Quiet Mindreader: Sorry about running late. Decided to post two chapters at the last minute, so it took more time to prepare the next chapter. Still feel like it was rushed; but, hopefully, there weren't too many mistakes. (It isn't the beta-ed version; I'll go back and edit later.) "…but the gunk in the teeth? Ew. Okay, that ruined it." lol It's amazing the effect a little broccoli can have. No, they have not explored to the left of the gorge. *sly grin* Studying the timeframe, Casey only left the cave the night before. I know it seems longer. "Is there a good kind of hate?" Yes; hating wrongdoing. Our Creator does. Ex: Deuteronomy 12:31. Delicious reviews, my friend!

Denad: I don't know why talking with an uncooperative tongue is hilarious to me. I'm delighted you understood! Oh, I so want my characters to feel real. Thank you for the encouraging, sweet review!

Hazelcloud: I don't know where Casey gets her nerdy side. *innocent look* I kind of tried to show her pain and wounds as a reflection of the inner person. They were having this serious discussion, trying to trust one another, and she's spitting and dropping 'l's. Everyone has figurative speech impediments, limps, scars, etc. on the inside, making it impossible for any person to be wholly what someone else needs him/her to be. (There is one exception in the history of mankind, and so many still don't realize His sacrifice continues to be exactly what we need.)

Arista Everett June: Yes, it is ironic. She turns her nose up at him and becomes just as he is – distrustful and pitifully alone. "I don't trust Ivan, and I like him even more now after this chapter." You're incorrigible, my dear. I like that. :D Isn't it tragic that 'braidsmith' isn't actually a word?

Lady Thorne: "I bet he thinks the dragonfly prince has mystical powers and was willing to help Casey, or something else super far-fetched." You were right that he thought something was willing to help her. But Ivan doesn't seem to know about the dfly prince. Enjoyed your review!