Isil glanced at the setting sun and ruffled her raven wings gently, snapping Selene out of her reverie. The girl blinked, looking up, and noticed suddenly that night was falling.
"Oh. . .'She said softly, uncurling her legs from under herself. 'I guess we'd better go." Isil did a chirping noise, and spread out of long wings, brushing the tips against her human's cheek. She jumped and quickly flapped them, letting the gentle breeze lift her up high.
Selene got up clumsily and stretched; her muscles protested, tingling, because she had sat unmoving for so long. She felt stiff, yet she ignored it, and got ready to leave.
With a last glance at the falling sun, and her daemon as it rose into the air, the girl grabbed a nearby root and heaved herself up to the paved street on the side of the canal. It was time to face her mother's fury.
(0)
"Will, dear, are you alright?" Alexandra touched her fiancée's hand softly. The man jumped, as if snapping out of a deep thought, and looked up at her. The young, black-haired woman was unable to make out the man's dark gaze, and shifted restlessly, making him drop his eyes back to the book he was reading.
"Yes, Alex. Don't worry about me; I'm fine. I swear." Will smiled up at her, but she found it was something of a fake smile; it looked like he was forcing it to paint itself over his face.
She bit her lip, but said nothing about that. "Well, I'll go for my walk. Are you sure you don't want to come? Fresh air might do you some good. . ." She whispered, passing a graceful hand in his dark hair.
Alexandra might seem a tern-looking, simple woman to most, but for those who looked closer, there was something beautiful, mysterious and yet simple about her. Will did not know why he had chosen her over all the other women out there, or why he had asked to wed her.
All he knew is that she seemed to fill up a void inside him, and helped him get over Lyra slowly, even though she did not know it. He had spoken to no one of his past love and adventures, save Mary Malone and his mother.
"Yes, I'm sure, dear. I want to finish this book, and I guess I'll go to sleep. It's been a long day for me. . ." He answered gently.
Her fingers squeezed his shoulder softly, and she smiled.
"Yeah, I know your job must be hard. . .anyway; I'll be back soon. . ." And with a wink she was gone.
Will looked down at the book. He did not even know the title of it, for he had not read a page of it; his thoughts were bent on a woman that lived so far yet so very close, and it tortured him not to know what she was doing right now.
The man sighed, and turned his feelings to his job as a scientist, and all his work about Dust and the parallel worlds. He was famous for his theories and discoveries, and yet, there was something missing in this perfect life. . .and that something was not just Lyra. . .
It was a young girl with blond hair named Selene.
(0)
Selene walked up the stairs to the rich, large brick home she lived in. In her filthy clothes and messy hair, she seemed like a beggar hoping for some money from the wealthier. Very few could believe that her mother was the famous Lyra Silvertongue, who could read the alethiometer faster than anyone in the world.
But she hated living here; she hated the money, the big rooms, the great parties and her step father. She hated it because it was all fake, and she knew it. She hated it with her heart and soul, because she felt like a wild animal that had been captured and placed into a false, man-made habitat so it could feel at home. . .but it could never be at home in a fake nature. . .
Isil landed on the ground as the girl pushed open the large wooden doors that lead to the entrance hall. She transformed quickly into a black panther, baring fangs and bristling her fur.
When they came in, Rosalie, their maid and nanny looked up from the vase of red roses she had been arranging.
"Oh, Miss Selene! Your mother and. . .father wish to see you. They are in the living room." Rosalie said with a bow. Selene noted the pause she had marked before saying that James was her father and she was thankful for it: because even though the maid could not openly express her dislike towards the man, she could still mock him in ways only the girl heard.
So Selene walked slowly towards the living room, taking her time and drawing on the couple's patience. She did not wish to face them, knowing she was only going to get screamed at by both.
But the room was inevitable, and within five minutes, her feet suddenly left the wooden floor and connected with a fluffy blue carpet. Selene looked up, and Isil growled softly.
James sat on a couch, his ferret daemon resting on his shoulder, eyes narrowed. Lyra was sitting next to him, and upon her daughter's entrance, she looked up from the heavy volume she had been reading.
"Sit." James said coolly, pointing to a chair. Selene obeyed, and Isil quietly showed her fangs to Meerama, who only blinked in return.
But the girl was quick to note that Pantalaimon had come out from beneath her mother's loose hair and shot a deadly look at James's daemon. It had been only a few split seconds, but it had been there all the same. It clearly showed that Lyra somewhat disagreed with the way her husband dared try to raise a child that was not truly his.
"Well. What do you have to say for your behavior?" James demanded, raising an eyebrow.
Selene shot him and ugly look. "Nothing." She hissed.
Meerama scoffed, and this infuriated the girl. She wished to snatch the daemon and rip it's head off. At that thought, Isil shifted nervously, trying to chase those bad thought's from it's human's head.
"I thought I made myself clear the last time, Selene. You are not to play in the streets with those gypsy kids, or the city kids. You are to stay in the house and study for school." James pointed out.
Selene glared at him. "It's summer! I don't even have school!"
"Indeed. Your grades, however, have been very low, and you are to spend your summer working to raise them." The man spat out.
"WE will not." Isil snarled deeply, eyes flashing; this surprised everyone, because the daemon was usually calm, her human was the one to snap and growl.
Selene shot it a look, but received none in return.
"Oh yes you will, you vile little. . ." Meerama began, angry, and jumped to her human's lap. But before she could finish, in one, swift movement, Isil had leap forward and snapped her jaws without much concern, closing them only inches from the ferret's face.
It squealed and vanished in James's jacket.
Immediately Lyra, her husband and Selene got up and started screamed at one another. One camp affronted the other.
"YOU WILL NEVER DO SUCH A THING AGAIN!" Lyra bellowed, fists clenched, eyes in fury. Tears of hate and rage welled up in Selene's eyes, but she would not let them out.
"I WILL DO AS I PLEASE! THIS IS MY HOME, AND MY LIFE! YOU WILL NOT CONTROL ME LIKE THIS, OR TRAP ME!" She screamed back.
"DON'T TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT!" James added, his voice booming above all others. The girl turned fiery eyes towards him, and Lyra was suddenly reminded of Will, and felt her strength leave her. . .
"And YOU! Who are you to talk? You're not even my father!" Selene yelled ragefully. Then, she froze, frightened by the look that passed on the man's face as the words rung through the room.
Very suddenly, out of nowhere, his hand fell from the air and collided harshly with her face. Selene gasped and choked back tears, as she clenched a hand over her reddening cheek. Isil turned into a robin and flew to her, glaring reproachfully at the man as he breathed in deeply.
There was much anger in his eyes.
"Go to your room. NOW." His voice was calm, yet very dangerous.
With an dry sob, followed by a screech from Isil, who had turned into a large barn owl, Selene ran away from the room.
James sat down, breathing in deeply to calm himself. Meerama had a proud look on her face, and didn't notice Pan, who sent her disgusted one. Lyra sat down as well.
"I don't think you should have done that." She whispered.
The man shrugged.
(0)
"I can't believe it!" Selene hissed, stomping up the stairs to the floor on which her room was. Isil roared, in the form of an ocelot, agreeing with her. Fury still rung in both of them.
They reached the second floor (there were only three) and turned right from the stairs. Selene's room was on the end of the corridor.
"How dare he. . ." She hissed through clenched teeth. Her daemon snorted angrily, but suddenly, it froze. Selene took a few more steps, muttering under her breath, before she realized her daemon wasn't at her side anymore.
She turned around and frowned at the large cat.
"Isil. . .what are you. . .?" But then she noticed that the daemon was looking at a slightly ajar door; the door that lead to Lyra's study, where she spent days and days looking at those old books to read the alethiometer.
Isil turned into a beautiful harpy eagle, and flew to Selene's shoulder as the girl came to the door and reached out her hand. . .slowly, as if in a dream, she pushed it open. . .
Silently, the door opened, revealing a dark office, with plenty of shelf on the walls, all covered in books. There were also a few glass-door cabinets, filled with all sorts of old items: daggers, compasses, altimeters. . .
Not wanting to turn on the light and wake anyone up, Selene walked in and told Isil to turn into a firefly. The daemon did, and a soft glow embraced the room. The pair started to walk side by side.
"This is wrong. . ." Isil hissed softly. The girl shrugged.
"It's revenge. We'll just take something from the study and hide it. It'll show them!"
"And you think they won't know it was us?"
"Of course not! We'll just act innocent!" Selene hushed her daemon and walked up to a pretty cabinet near the large desk in the end of the room.
Isil sat on her shoulder and both peered in, looking through the glass for something to take; something that had valor.
Selene's eyes slid slowly from object to objects, and suddenly she gasped.
"I know what to take!" She murmured, and her daemon looked at the object as well.
Lying on a black cloth of silk, glinting in Isil's pale light, there was the alethiometer.
(0)
Done! This took a while to write, cuz I kinda got a writer's block for a while.
By the way, if you don't know what an ocelot and a harpy eagle are, here's a website that will give you pictures of both: www. Sdnp. Org. gy / gallery / mm / wildlife .html (just take out the spaces.)
On with the reviews. Thanks everyone!
Unnamed: Thanks! And Lyra married him kinda out of spite, because she knew she couldn't get Will, and she wanted someone, so she just picked the richest guy and got with him. Yeah, I know it sounds weird, but she's kinda messed up right now.
FoxOfRoses: Nah, he's not really evil, so to speak, but he is mean. He's kinda the type of guy that's like: ok, so I got a woman that already has a kid, so we won't have to go through all the pregnancy thing. I'll just raise Selene as my own kid and one day, she'll be grateful for it.
Quizgirl: Isil is a female kinda because of the fact that Selene's dad was from another world. It's like an anomaly. And I know that Lyra should love her daughter, but over the years she kinda grew to hate Will even though she loved him, and that hate moved on to her daughter.
Ps: At least YOU can drive a car!
Zaphdae: Yeah, I didn't want Lyra's and Selene's relationship to be like that either, but just. . .kinda worked out like that. And James is freaky, isn't he? Typical mean, rich dad.
And as you see, Will is fiancée'd: he kinda didn't get over Lyra yet. . .
Xsummerbabyx: Yeah, clear as mud. . .but I swear it'll get clearer as we go! Thanks for reviewing!
Kaiame: . . .I think you had too much sugar. . .lol. Thanks for the review!
Next chapter: Selene takes away the alethiometer. But when her mother realizes, in the middle of the night, that it's gone, the girl has no choice but to run for it before James finds out. Only once she's safe does she actually think of looking closer at it. . .
ADVERTISMENT: If you guys like Harry Potter fics, go read Flight of the Raven. That's my story on HP. It's kind of the prequel to the last year in Hogwarts, and it focuses on the Death Eaters and Voldemort a lot. I also plan on making it pretty dark. . .check it out!