PART TWELVE
As the meal progressed, Irons became more and more withdrawn and jealous with the interaction between Sara and Lilly. Ian simply ate slowly, playing with the food on his plate, almost like a child that was not really interested with its contents. Finally Irons heard his name and looked up at Sara.
"Did you hear what I asked you?" Sara stared into his eyes.
"No, I must have been preoccupied. Would you repeat yourself?" His words were cold.
"I asked if I was ever going to find out the reason you invited me here tonight. You keep sidestepping the issue." She leaned slightly as her plate was removed.
"Shall we take coffee in the other room?" Irons smiled and stood.
"Shall we get some answers if we do?" Sara felt her temper rising and tried her best to keep it tamed. Instead of an answer, Irons turned a walked away. Ian was quick to follow the man. "God he is so infuriating!" Sara hissed as she stood.
"Sara." Lilly stepped next to her, talking quietly. 'Be careful. If you provoke him too badly, there is only one person that will ultimately pay the price and it will not be you." Swallowing her pride, Sara knew who that person would be. "Come, he will be waiting for us Dear." Together they walked into the room they had left earlier.
Irons sat in a huge chair and indicated the sofa for the two women. Ian was in his usual place, beside and just slightly behind Irons, head bowed and eyes cast down. His hair hid his expression. As Sara sat, her heart ached for the abuse Ian must surely endure on a regular basis. She also wondered how much of that abuse was directly or indirectly because of her own actions.
*Do not trouble yourself Lady Sara. * She heard the words in her mind. Ian's soft lilting voice. *What he does is nothing. * Sara looked sharply at Lilly who had her eyes closed.
"Sara." Irons voice brought her back. "Are you all right, Sara? You looked for a moment as though you had left us." He smiled.
"No, I'm here." She sat straighter. "Did you ask me something Mr. Irons?"
"I do wish you would dismiss with the formality Sara. Please, call me Kenneth."
"Mr. Irons." Sara saw Irons lift his brows. "Kenneth, it would be easier to dismiss with the formalities, as you call it, if I could just get some straight answers every once in a while." She rubbed the bracelet absently. "Every time you say something to me, it's like trying to solve a riddle."
"I see." Irons stood and walked to the fireplace. "That is the way of the Witchblade Sara. You can't ask questions and expect straight answers. There are none. Each Wielder perceives the answers in her own way."
"I see." Sara muttered softy.
"Do you really Sara?" Irons turned and faced her. "Do you really think you can understand the Witchblade on your own terms? In the time you expect?" The flames behind him burned brightly, silhouetting his body eerily. "I once told you that to name is to know, to know is to control." He paused and watched her expression. "Do you yet understand what that means?" Tilting his head slightly he waited. "If the Witchblade opened all her secrets to you at once, surely you would go mad." Sara remained silent as she gazed at the stone in the bracelet. "Sara." Irons waited until she looked up. "When the student is ready, the Master will appear." He returned to his chair and sat, clasping his hands in his lap. "That is the way it has always been."
"So, in order to understand this thing," She raised her arm and was about to ask another question when a disheveled young man practically ran into the room and hurriedly whispered in Irons ear. Irons eyes grew wide with concern and wrath. "Is something wrong?"
"Ian, I want you to take Sara home immediately. Stay with her until you are told otherwise." His command was harsh and short. "Lilly, please go to your quarters and lock all your doors and windows. I will post someone next to your entrance."
"Kenneth, what is wrong?" Lilly stood as Irons jumped from his chair. "Kenneth!"
"Lilith, please do as I say. For your protection make sure someone…" He took a deep breath and looked at Ian who had lifted his head and stared at Irons with concern. "The sleeper has escaped." Sara felt the tension in the room escalate as the words were whispered.
"What does that mean?" Sara saw the fear in Ian's eyes as he moved toward her. "Ian, what has happened?"
"Please, come with me Sara." He grabbed her elbow and guided her through the room. "We must hurry." They both looked back at Irons who was speaking on the phone. "I will explain what I can soon." He glanced into her eyes as they moved. "Please, this one time, you have to trust me completely." She nodded slightly and picked up speed.
As the meal progressed, Irons became more and more withdrawn and jealous with the interaction between Sara and Lilly. Ian simply ate slowly, playing with the food on his plate, almost like a child that was not really interested with its contents. Finally Irons heard his name and looked up at Sara.
"Did you hear what I asked you?" Sara stared into his eyes.
"No, I must have been preoccupied. Would you repeat yourself?" His words were cold.
"I asked if I was ever going to find out the reason you invited me here tonight. You keep sidestepping the issue." She leaned slightly as her plate was removed.
"Shall we take coffee in the other room?" Irons smiled and stood.
"Shall we get some answers if we do?" Sara felt her temper rising and tried her best to keep it tamed. Instead of an answer, Irons turned a walked away. Ian was quick to follow the man. "God he is so infuriating!" Sara hissed as she stood.
"Sara." Lilly stepped next to her, talking quietly. 'Be careful. If you provoke him too badly, there is only one person that will ultimately pay the price and it will not be you." Swallowing her pride, Sara knew who that person would be. "Come, he will be waiting for us Dear." Together they walked into the room they had left earlier.
Irons sat in a huge chair and indicated the sofa for the two women. Ian was in his usual place, beside and just slightly behind Irons, head bowed and eyes cast down. His hair hid his expression. As Sara sat, her heart ached for the abuse Ian must surely endure on a regular basis. She also wondered how much of that abuse was directly or indirectly because of her own actions.
*Do not trouble yourself Lady Sara. * She heard the words in her mind. Ian's soft lilting voice. *What he does is nothing. * Sara looked sharply at Lilly who had her eyes closed.
"Sara." Irons voice brought her back. "Are you all right, Sara? You looked for a moment as though you had left us." He smiled.
"No, I'm here." She sat straighter. "Did you ask me something Mr. Irons?"
"I do wish you would dismiss with the formality Sara. Please, call me Kenneth."
"Mr. Irons." Sara saw Irons lift his brows. "Kenneth, it would be easier to dismiss with the formalities, as you call it, if I could just get some straight answers every once in a while." She rubbed the bracelet absently. "Every time you say something to me, it's like trying to solve a riddle."
"I see." Irons stood and walked to the fireplace. "That is the way of the Witchblade Sara. You can't ask questions and expect straight answers. There are none. Each Wielder perceives the answers in her own way."
"I see." Sara muttered softy.
"Do you really Sara?" Irons turned and faced her. "Do you really think you can understand the Witchblade on your own terms? In the time you expect?" The flames behind him burned brightly, silhouetting his body eerily. "I once told you that to name is to know, to know is to control." He paused and watched her expression. "Do you yet understand what that means?" Tilting his head slightly he waited. "If the Witchblade opened all her secrets to you at once, surely you would go mad." Sara remained silent as she gazed at the stone in the bracelet. "Sara." Irons waited until she looked up. "When the student is ready, the Master will appear." He returned to his chair and sat, clasping his hands in his lap. "That is the way it has always been."
"So, in order to understand this thing," She raised her arm and was about to ask another question when a disheveled young man practically ran into the room and hurriedly whispered in Irons ear. Irons eyes grew wide with concern and wrath. "Is something wrong?"
"Ian, I want you to take Sara home immediately. Stay with her until you are told otherwise." His command was harsh and short. "Lilly, please go to your quarters and lock all your doors and windows. I will post someone next to your entrance."
"Kenneth, what is wrong?" Lilly stood as Irons jumped from his chair. "Kenneth!"
"Lilith, please do as I say. For your protection make sure someone…" He took a deep breath and looked at Ian who had lifted his head and stared at Irons with concern. "The sleeper has escaped." Sara felt the tension in the room escalate as the words were whispered.
"What does that mean?" Sara saw the fear in Ian's eyes as he moved toward her. "Ian, what has happened?"
"Please, come with me Sara." He grabbed her elbow and guided her through the room. "We must hurry." They both looked back at Irons who was speaking on the phone. "I will explain what I can soon." He glanced into her eyes as they moved. "Please, this one time, you have to trust me completely." She nodded slightly and picked up speed.