Disclaimer: I can barely apply liquid eyeliner right, how could I have created these wicked awesome characters and stuff? Libba Bray can probably apply liquid eyeliner perfectly.
Two o'clock nears and I call Henry in from playing. Kartik has gone to tend to the horses and it is nearly time to meet Mrs. Nightwing to discuss the realms. "I don't think you're having enough fun," I tease as I swing Henry up into my arms.
"Of course I am, Mama!" He is bubbly with energy, but I know him well and he is close to crashing. He tugs one of my curls and I kiss his cheek tenderly.
"Come, let's go inside." I carry him in and up the stairs and he knows where we are going.
"Mummy, can't I play some more?" I feel for him. When I was in school, he spent much of his time with the housekeeper of our boarding house. When I returned from work, he spent the rest of his time with me. He did not have many children to play with, and I am glad that he may run and play here.
"You may play again later. Now, it is time for your nap." By the time we reach the third floor landing, he is yawning. "That's a good boy," I whisper as I remove his shoes and lay him on the bed, tucking the covers in around him. He nestles in and is asleep before I can wish him sweet dreams. I kiss his forehead and pull the drapes shut before I leave the room, closing the door quietly behind me.
Nightwing's office is a colorless, soulless space, and is therefore perfect to house a headmistress. She sits behind her desk penning a letter but once I enter, she tucks it away and greets me warmly.
"Ah, Miss Doyle, just in time."
"Of course." I take a seat opposite her and notice the many grey hairs in her head. It seems that the last four years have aged Nightwing as well. I am no longer the mourning girl I was when I was last in this office, nor is she the same headmistress shaken to her very core by the battle that plagued Spence's grounds that night. Nightwing has re-rooted herself in Spence and it has blossomed under her care, but not without its effects on her.
"I understand that your first and foremost reason for being here is to settle the matter of the realms," Nightwing prompts.
"Yes. I promised the peoples of the realms that I would return after university and devise a plan to govern the realms, a constitution if you will. It is time for me to return to the realms and gather the leaders to form an alliance, the first of its kind."
"And, if I may be so bold, what do you require of me, Miss Doyle? I am but an old schoolmarm." Mrs. Nightwing folds her hand on the desk between us.
"As I cannot be here all the time, and you are, I would hope I can rely on you to oversee the realms in my absence. Merely observe and ensure that everyone is doing their part. Of course, you will have a part in this process. If anyone knows how to take charge, it is you."
Nightwing blushes at the compliment. "I will aid you in any way that I can." Silence falls between us, the ticking of her clock marking the seconds that go by.
"Before we begin planning, I first need to revisit the realms. I should like to go tonight, after the girls are asleep. If you should like to join me-"
"Oh, I couldn't possibly." Mrs. Nightwing is flustered at the thought. "No no, I will stay here where I am needed. The realms did not accept me. I do not belong there anymore." Her hands flutter to organize the papers littering her desk.
"Very well then. If you wouldn't mind terribly, I would appreciate having Henry checked on while I am away tonight. If he should wake and I am not there, he may come looking. I don't want him wandering the halls alone at night." I shudder to think of him fumbling in the dark for me, all of the secrets this place houses, what he might stumble upon.
"That can be easily arranged. I will personally see to it that he is safe." Nightwing aligns a stack of papers and tucks them away in a drawer. "We shall meet tomorrow and discuss how to go about this after you have visited the realms."
She does not need to dismiss me. Her words have done their work. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Nightwing." I rise and leave her to her letter, which she has already resumed. Good old dependable Nightwing.
As I pass my door on my way down the hall, figuring I have plenty of time until Henry wakes, I hear muffled crying. Bursting in, I am at Henry's bedside in a matter of moments.
"Henry? Henry, darling, what is the matter?" I shake him awake and his crying stops. "Are you alright?"
He sits up, wiping his tears. "I had a bad dream," he pouts, rubbing his eyes.
"What was it about? Why don't you tell mummy?" I pick him up, settle myself on the bed and let him lay against my chest.
"There was a man who said terrible things about Daddy." My brow furrows.
"A man? What did he look like?" I wipe the tears from his cheeks with his shirtfront.
"He had long scruffy hair and his eyes were black. He said that he knew Daddy. Who is he?"
My body stiffens. That description only fits one kind of man that would appear in dreams. The Poppy Warriors.
I shake it off, turning Henry in my lap. "It was just a dream, dear. Everything is alright." I place him on the pillow again and he closes his eyes sadly. I wish I had my magic so that I may free him of this dream. "Sweet dreams, my prince."
Kartik may be found one of two places. I make my way through the woods, coming into the clearing where the lake lies in wait. I am right. Kartik stands by the bank, skipping rocks across its glassy surface.
"Since when did you and Nightwing become such chums?" He jumps at my voice. Once he catches sight of me, he pockets his last smooth stone, turning to me with a smile.
"What ever do you mean?"
"If I remember correctly, when you walked into the parlor, you were calling for 'Lillian.'" I raise an eyebrow at him.
He blushes. "After I returned, we, and Brigid, were the only ones who remembered the events of that night. Memory has a way of bonding." He takes a few steps toward me.
I regard him coolly. "Tell me the truth. Have you been in the realms since I left?"
He stops, stares with wide eyes. "Gemma, I, I-"
"A Poppy Warrior appeared to Henry in a dream. He said that he knew you, said terrible things about you." Kartik says nothing. "I want to know the truth, Kartik."
He turns, kicks the ground in frustration. "It's true, I have been." I exhale sharply.
"Why?"
He turns, approaching me quickly. "I spent enough time in that tree, Gemma. It sees everything. Everything." He shakes his head. "After you left, there was still much to be done in the realms. I took it upon myself to clean up the mess." When he does not offer more detail, I prod him on with a small nod. "With the realms magic free to all, the Poppy Warriors began visiting the mortal world, bringing back playthings." He spits the last word with a snarl in his voice. "They did terrible things to them, Gemma. I could not just sit here, knowing what was truly happening." My hands tremble.
"Kartik, what have you done?" I whisper on a shaky breath. His head drops in shame, and I cup his cheeks, forcing him to look at me. "What did you do?"
"I killed them." My blood runs cold. "Not all of them, but enough." I clap a hand to my mouth, shaking my head in denial. "They are not worth your grief, Gemma."
"Kartik, do you realize what this means? The Poppy Warriors never forget. How am I to create an alliance with these creatures if they cannot trust me? I could have a war on my hands!" His hand fishes in his pocket, retrieving the stone. He tosses it and it hops once, twice, then sinks.
"You didn't see it, Gemma," he whispers. "I cannot forget what I saw. They paid dearly for what they did." He does not look at me, merely stares out over the lake pensively. I place a hand on his shoulder and sigh.
"It will be difficult, but I will speak to them. Try to make them understand. It would be wise of you to keep out of the realms for a spell, at least until I can guarantee your safety there." He nods in agreement.
"Is Henry alright?" he asks.
"He was frightened, but now he is asleep." My hand falls to my side. It is incredible how much the last four years apart has changed the two of us. Kartik's shoulders have broadened, his limbs are no longer those of a gangly teenager. His eyes have wisened, his jaw is more prominent. He is not a boy, but a man.
"I want to meet him."
"Pardon?"
Kartik turns to face me. "Henry. I want to meet him." I am confused.
"You have already met him," I say slowly. He shakes his head, sporting a sad smile.
"No. I want to meet him...as his father." I have dreamed of this moment for years. Why is it that, now that it has come, I cannot find the words to say yes?
"Kartik, I…" I take a step back. Henry has always been mine. The thought of sharing him now is foreign to me. This is a large step for Kartik, but it is a grander step for me.
"Gemma, it has been four years, but I know you. You have closed yourself off since my death. You have not allowed anyone in." It is the truth. My trembling lips press into a firm line as I hold back the tears that threaten. Kartik closes the distance between us, taking my face into his hands. "I love you, Gemma. I am here. Let me in."
Finally, he has spoken the words we never exchanged in his first lifetime. I close my eyes, letting them wash over me. Everything I've dreamed of is so close. All I have to do is nod, and I will be accepted, loved. Finally, it is that simple. I do not have to be alone anymore.
"Damnit, Gemma, let me in," he whispers. His voice is lined with such a passionate edge that I cannot fight myself any longer. Kartik waits for an answer so close that I can feel his breath on my lips.
"Suday," I breathe.
It is his turn to be confused. "Pardon?"
"Henry. His middle name is Suday." I open my eyes and meet Kartik's gaze.
"It is Indian. It means 'gift.'"
"I know." His lips claim my own and I am so filled with emotion that I can barely stand. Love, sadness, regret, relief, anger, joy, it all flutters through me and spins together into the nervous acrobatics my heart performs in my chest. Kartik kisses me once, twice, five times. With every kiss, I allow myself to sink deeper into him. My hands rest on his chest and his clasp behind my back, drawing me ever closer.
His tongue presses at the door of my lips and I allow him entry, tasting the saltiness of my own tears. "I missed you," I breathe.
He pulls away, his eyes glistening and his breathing hitched. "Thank you, Gemma." I fall into his chest and we stand there holding each other until my crying stops.
I look up into his face and he laughs at my puffy eyes, wiping at my wet cheeks. "I love you, Gemma."
"And I love you." The way he looks at me is so powerful that I do not think I could live should I lose him again. "Henry will be waking soon."
"Might I meet him tomorrow? Here?" I nod.
"Tomorrow then." He kisses me one last time and I make my way back to the school feeling more alive than I have in years.
Thank you guys for all reading and reviewing! Reviews make me happy and so do you. I'm sorry I haven't been updating more, college is pretty insane. I'm hoping I get to update a little more often soon!
More reviews means more chapters, and more chapters means more drama. And stuff. You know you want it.
Lady Hope