Faye
smacked her lips together, pushing aside her empty soup bowl as she
watched the endless horizon through the floor to ceiling windows
around the restaurant. Sharing her opinion on the Cats play lasted
for about half a minute – plays weren't her thing, it turned out.
Jenny and Julian had gone for a stroll around the ship in Tom and
Faye's absence. Just now Jenny was filling them in on the spa pools
on the higher deck where cocktails would be served for free at noon
that day.
Faye let
her gaze wander from the breathtaking view of nothing but ocean,
admitting that in some part of her terrified mind it was a
beautiful sight. She glanced at Tom's half empty plate, and then
her eyes lifted to meet electric blue.
It was only a few minutes
that they stared right at one another from across the table. Jenny
fell silent suddenly, and Tom cleared his throat in mock
embarrassment.
Faye contemplated ripping the cube out right then there under the table and having it all over with, but with Julian's eyes fixed on her it would be impossible to do it inconspicuously. Besides, half the people on board would probably freak out. And then there was the flicker of self-doubt seeping into her subconscious. She would have been fooled, completely, by his brilliant impersonation. He said the things Faye would imagine Julian would say, in the tone of voice he would use. Everything about him was screaming with certainty that it was Julian, and if Faye didn't believe that Gahiji would kill them in less than a few hours, she would have gladly dismissed her doubts and accepted him as Julian.
"So." Julian's voice had changed to a threatening tone, and Faye picked up the faint echo of Gahiji's voice. Her mind stalled for a second as she realized he was about to wrap things up, unexpectedly soon.
Denial was
a flicker of light that was quickly chased away – there was no
security in the thought that Gahiji wouldn't murder them in a
public place, surrounded by twenty or more people, because no one on
board held any threat to him. He would simply vanish once he finished
killing them.
"So." Faye repeated in the same tone of voice,
leaning back in her chair. Her mind had started working again, and
she grasped onto the first thing solid enough to keep Gahiji from
acting out on the spot. "I've been waiting for this."
"You
have?" Julian asked, arching thick eyebrows in doubt.
"Taking
us out on a fancy cruise," Faye motioned briefly with her hands,
"So that I wouldn't be able to avoid you or hide from you, unless
I decide to jump over board..."
Julian
didn't answer, studying her angrily. His plan wasn't going as
he'd hoped, then.
"Well... I have to admit, you're right.
It's about time we talked about this..." Faye glanced at Jenny
before meeting Julian's eyes again meaningfully. "And I guess
this is better than when you wanted to 'discuss' it in the Shadow
World. Hell, I don't know why you would want Gahiji to have found
out – he'd been listening when you tried to broach the topic, you
know."
Faye felt
a glimmer of hope flare in her chest. She just might be able to pull
this off – she most certainly had his whole attention.
"You
should thank me for shutting you up when I did. We hid it so well
from Gahiji for ages, you'd have been pretty ticked off if he'd
found out about us. It would have given him that extra ammo he wanted
to destroy us... probably would have invented some smart-ass game to
break us, too." Faye added.
"Us."
Julian repeated, curiosity spreading through his gaze.
"You and
me." Faye said and frowned at him. "Don't pretend to be dumb
now. It was your idea to air this out."
"Wait, what are
you saying?" Jenny had scooted her chair back slightly, and her
green eyes were piercing as she looked from Faye to Julian and back.
"I thought you were acting differently. I wanted to dismiss
it that you were just excited things are okay between you guys now,
but Audrey was right when she said you were acting like... like you
were in love with Julian."
Faye held her hands up in mock
surrender, offering an innocent grimace. "I wish we'd told you
earlier, Jenny, but we thought it would be best this way."
"But...
but the game in the Shadow World... and... I don't believe this. I
can't believe it." Jenny said, eyes bright with unshed
tears.
"I'm sorry, Jenny." Faye said gently, and she meant
it.
"I knew it." Tom said quietly, and everyone turned
to look at Tom's pale, strained expression. He finally looked up at
Julian, and slowly rose to his feet. "So. You win again."
They
seemed to seize each other up for a brief moment, before Tom abruptly
turned and briskly left the restaurant, head down. Faye watched him
go, stunned.
"All I
want to know is why." Jenny said, her trembling voice catching
Faye's attention. She wasn't looking at either of them, staring
blindly at the table in front of her, and tears were rolling down her
cheeks. "Why did you deny the truth even when I confronted you
about it?"
"It wasn't time to tell you yet." Julian's
reply was casual and smooth, and Faye pursed her lips
uncertainly.
"But... why me? I thought you loved me." Jenny
whispered shakily and finally looked at him through teary eyes.
Faye
snorted. "You're so vain, Jenny, it's verging on pathetic. Do
you really think a powerful being of darkness would fall in love
with vermin that managed to lock him away in a closet – twice?"
"I... I
didn't..." Jenny stammered, shaking her head slowly.
"It
doesn't matter whether you're the one who locked him in or let
him out. Either way, you were messing with forbidden things, innocent
or not." Faye snapped. "You were looking for trouble."
Jenny
had leapt to her feet with a heartbreaking sob before Faye even
finished talking. They watched quietly as Jenny fled the restaurant,
nearly knocking a platter out of a waiter's hand on her way. The
second she was gone, Faye turned back to Julian with a beaming grin
on her face.
"That
went well." Faye commented.
"Better than expected." Julian
agreed.
Faye slowly let her breath out as she casually observed
their surroundings. She caught Julian's gaze, resting on her
swollen stomach. There was a new look in his eyes, one that sent
chills down her spine, and when he smiled at her she could see the
evil behind his angelic mask.
"Shall we go for a walk?"
"Why
not." Faye shrugged, and allowed him to lead her from the
restaurant. "You know, now that it's all out in the open, we
might as well go back."
"Back?"
Julian asked.
"To the Shadow World." Faye could tell her reply
startled him. "There's no point hanging around here anymore.
Besides, I'm so bored it's not even funny."
"Sure.
Whenever you want, just say the word." Julian said slowly.
Faye
smiled at him as they walked along the deck. She felt like being
sick, being so close to the edge, hearing the waves far below
sloshing against the sides of the ship. She entwined her fingers
through his, ignoring the chill of his skin against hers, and glided
toward the back of the ship on his side.
