A Nightingale's Tale

Chapter Five

His taste was still on her lips when she climbed back through her window, just before the sun rose. She barely had time to wash up and change. However, she had gotten used to sleepless nights due to Onyx. She never felt tired those next days, in fact, she felt more awake and alert than she ever did on the nights she slept alone in her bed. She debated with herself on wearing pants or a skirt for her first official day as a Guardian. She decided not to rock the boat too much, so she chose a skirt. But she did wear her hair up, women never wore their hair tied up, the longer their hair the better. The only women with short hair had been reformed at some point.

Roland wasn’t at the dining table when she went downstairs, also there was no food in the pantry. Lydia went to the front door where the allotment for the week would have been dropped off sometime the night before or early that morning. A ripped bag with the words “Church (2)” on the front, was laying in the street. She grabbed the bag and ran to Roland’s room. He was passed out in his bed with a new bottle on his side table.

“You didn’t get up to get the allotment last night and someone stole it! We have nothing to eat for the week!” she said.

He didn’t move at all, he was sleeping like the dead.

“Roland!” she screamed, still no movement, “Useless.”

Forget it, she thought. She threw the empty bag on top of him and headed back to the kitchen. She found, one peach and a stiff piece of bread. Her stomach grumbled, and she wished she had let Onyx fix her something last night. Butterflies scattered through her cavernous stomach. The bell rang out and she smiled to herself and headed for the House of the Guardians for her first day of being a Guardian.

She looked around in hopes of seeing Marcus waiting for her. She always had a hard time getting in, even though everyone knew who she was, the older Guardians refused to let her in. when she didn’t see him, she leaned back against a wall. She knew the Guardian at the gate wouldn’t let her in until all the men went in. When the last one entered, the Guardian at the gate turned his back, which meant she could get through.

“Lydia,” Marcus called to her as she entered the room, “Sorry, I couldn’t meet you out front. Did you have any trouble getting in?”

“No,” she lied.

Rex walked into the room, he had a long black cloak on, it was ceremonial for the new Guardian’s first day. There were three rows of long tables that everyone sat at, when Rex entered. Marcus pulled Lydia to the front of the middle table. She wished he hadn’t as everyone stared at her. Rex stood at a pulpit at the front of the room ready to address everyone’s duties of the day.

“We congratulate this year's new Guardians. You all will be assigned to your groups in a few weeks, after we see where you will fit the best. As you know your chapel times will vary, you no longer have to sign in at the chapel. We have a private chapel for Guardians only, as well as any duties you had with your families, you no longer must do those. But I advise to be reminding your families that goods and services are not cut just because they have a Guardian in the family. Today, we will be separating the new Guardians to begin practicing where you will fit in. Mentors have their assignments, they will find you after the meeting is over.”

Marcus pressed a hand on Lydia’s knee under the table. She assumed he knew what her assignment was.

“We will be having our vow ceremony after you all are placed. If you have any questions, ask your mentor. Now for regular announcements. Max, here is the list of those that showed up to chapel under their required amount for last week, as well as the other issue to be dealt with this evening. Andrew, your group will have to go to the mainland this week so prepare the new Guardians for that…”

Lydia stopped listening to the rest of the announcements for the other mentors of the groups, she heard what she needed to hear. Andrew was the head of the group that as allowed to leave the island. That was who she had to be with throughout the process of them dividing them into their groups. She didn’t know Andrew, he was at least five years ahead of her. He had two circular tattoos on his forearm, so he had two wives. One was significantly more faded than the other. A new wife maybe? She wondered if she had been in one of Lydia’s classes as a child. She had to find some connection with him to influence him to have her in his group.

“Come on,” Marcus said as he pulled Lydia’s hand, and out of her thought process, right next to Max. Marcus moved her so quickly she hadn’t even had time to react. Before she could protest, she was in Max’s group for the day standing between Marcus and Gregory. Her first day, this was an important day, she needed to find a way to jump to Andrew’s group before they left.

“The girl, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Max said cutting off her line of sight to Andrew. Max was striking to look at. He had a deep red scar on his cheek which was completely unnecessary. By magic, almost any ailment or cut could be fixed. But if he was trying to achieve an intimidating look, it was working. He would have had a sweet face, almost baby-like if it wasn’t for his piercing eyes and, of course, the scar. It was as if he had always been called “cute” his whole life which gave him a permanent scowl.

“Funny, I’ve never heard of you,” Lydia responded. She hoped he would be so pissed at her remark he would refuse to have her in his group.

“After tonight you’ll never forget me,” he said.

She watched as Andrew’s group walked out the door. Max stood sternly in between where she was and where she wanted to be. Max explained the workings of what his group did, “Punishment, that’s what we do. We start each week with this list. Everyone around here did not meet their required hours in the chapel so next week we dock their allotment of food. Here,” he handed the paper off to half the group, “you all will be in charge of making sure that gets done. I’m sure you can handle that.” The boys he was speaking to, some new but mostly older, stood there looking over the list.

“GO,” Max yelled, “And for the rest of you. We have a special assignment we have to prepare for this evening.” Lydia assumed it was the other “issue” Rex had mentioned earlier.

Max looked at Lydia specifically as if he was challenging her. Great, she thought, I’m going to have to fight him. The “issue” was if she could actually be a Guardian, she was sure of it. Max was going to test her, yet again, and he was at the top of the list of the men she did not want to fight. Lydia tried to mentally brace herself for the worst.

Hours later, after her anxiety had sufficiently torn at her psyche and her stomach, they were not where she had expected to be. They had just spent the last two hours preparing for a reformation in the Black House. They walked out of the ceremony room and were now out on the street in lines. The black robe, she had just put on, drug across the ground at her feet. This was not at all what she had expected. Now that she knew what was happening, she wished they were going to fight.

The sun had already set behind the wall, giving the buildings a hazy red glow. Gregory had asked who it was they were going to get. Max told him it was better “if you didn’t know who it was until you had them,” it made it easier not to think about it. The mask she wore was enchanted, she could see out of it perfectly, as if it wasn’t there, but no one could see her. However, she figured people would know who she was if they saw her. She was shorter than everyone and the curve of her breasts stuck out beneath the black robe. The Guardians that participate in reformation are supposed to be kept secret so there was no retaliation later. They walked in two rows down the main road to the inner of the island. Most reformations happened to those in the inner. People stopped what they were doing to stare at the black-robed figures walking to an unknown person. They were all silent now but earlier, when they were first given the robes, some of the boys cheered and yelled like they weren't just about to destroy someone's life. They clearly either didn’t know what a reformation was like, or they were all sadists. They only took one turn down a small side street and up to a woman sweeping the steps. Her home doubled as her business, where she made clothes. She dropped the broom as soon as she saw them.

“No,” she screamed, “no!”

Max, at the head of the group, began reading off her crime from parchment he had hidden in his robe, “Emily Eason, the daughter of Amora Eason, father Jacob Eason, deceased, is charged with adultery.”

The woman’s face froze. Then she ran at them screaming even louder than before, “She’s not married! You can't take her, she’s a child!” A group of the robbed Guardians held her back as others went in search for Emily, the accused. Lydia just stood in the street, she wasn’t ready for this. Emily was held by both arms as they brought her out of the house. She was the girl from Andy’s that was passionately kissing a young boy. However, she was engaged to Elder Brother Thomas. She was shaking and sobbing. Stupid girl, Lydia thought, she shouldn’t have been so open about her relationship with that boy. Half the group stayed behind to hold the mother back, Lydia was pushed into the group that escorted Emily to the front gate. It was a tradition that they are walked through the streets. They are supposed to be taunted and shamed. But no one in the streets said anything. They lowered their heads as the young girl was drug through the streets. She put up a small fight until they got to the front gates. As the grand gate doors began to open, she realized the severity of her situation. She began screaming and kicking trying to flee. They twisted her arm so far Lydia thought it would snap. She wouldn’t get any treatment of broken limbs while in reformation. Lydia jumped on Emily, holding her shoulders tightly.

“You have to stop,” she said, “I know you’re scared but you will only make it worse the more you fight it. Please, stay calm. It will be over soon. There is nothing you can do now but make it through. The better behaved you are, the faster you will be released. Think about your mother. When you return you won't have to marry Elder Thomas, you’ll be free, but you have to survive it.”

Emily stared up at Lydia then stopped pulling away from the Guardians that held her arms. Tears flooded from her eyes and she dropped her head. She went limp as they drug her out the gate. Lydia’s group passed her off to another group of Guardians, that were dressed in maroon colored robes, waiting outside to put Emily on a boat. They separated the groups of Guardians so only a select few knew exactly where reformations took place. All Lydia knew was it was off the island.

Lydia pulled the rob over her head and took a deep breath as soon as they got back to the Black House. She held the mask in her hand and stared long at it before she dropped it on the floor. She had no intention of hanging the rob back up or putting the mask in its case, they didn’t deserve the courtesy. She leaned against the rail of the hall, looking down at all the Guardians who were returning from their day's work. Most laughed and congratulated each other, proud of what they had accomplished. Lydia felt ill.

“Hey, are you ok?” Marcus said coming up behind her. He placed a hand on her waist. She moved far enough away from his hand not to touch her.

“I didn’t want to do that,” she said.

“It’s a part of it, Lydia you knew that going in.”

She questioned if it was worth it, was any of his worth it? She could have been like anyone else and had a normal job as a tailor or cook or something, anything else.

“You can't let them see you like this, they’ll think you're just a weak woman.”

She thought back to how hard Emily fought against all those men, they could barely hold her. A weak woman, she smirked.

“Trust me, I’m stronger than I thought I was,” she said pushing her hair over her shoulder. Her blonde hair fell down her back. It made her feel feminine instead of strong, she had never had it cut. She was beginning to think it was a good idea.

“Lydia,” Andrew called to her. He was dressed in a maroon robe, but his mask was off. He must of lead the group that took Emily off the island. She figured she would get in some amount of trouble for talking to Emily, she would obviously know it was Lydia.

“That was impressive this evening, the way you got her to calm down. She was relaxed, almost asleep, when I handed her off to Sebastian on land to take her to the reformation.”

“Oh, I was just trying to help.” Guilt flooded her like a levee breaking.

“We have a group heading to the mainland tomorrow, you should join my group for a day, see if you like it. We tend to be off the island a lot…”

“Yes! I mean of course, I will,” she said.

“Great, see you tomorrow,” Andrew said. As he walked away he turned back and looked at her. He smiled before turning away.

“Max’s group is by far the best group, that’s the group I’m in. Don’t waste your time with Andrew,” Marcus said as he bounced his foot up and down like an agitated mother scolding her child.

“I haven’t chosen my group yet. I want to explore my options.”

She knew she didn’t want to be in Max’s group, in fact, she was somewhat mad at Marcus for assuming where she should go. She had made it this far, she wasn’t going to let him, or anyone else, make decisions for her now.

She left the hall in a better mood than she had been at all that day. Marcus asked if she wanted to join them for dinner, she had politely declined. She hated spending any unnecessary time with Marcus’ dad. She could never tell what Rex thought about her. Most people were obvious how they felt towards her. She preferred right out hatred versus unknown emotions. She knew she should go see Arabella. She would probably be shaken up considering someone she knew was taken for reformation. Lydia didn’t know if she could look her best friend in the eye knowing she had something to do with it.

She headed toward the Sanitatem, not sure if she could face Arabella. She had to have known what happened by now. She looked in the window and saw Arabella still working. She often worked late. She was flipping through a book and mixing a potion simultaneously. Lydia remembered all the times Arabella practiced her healing spells on Lydia’s wounds from training. She had learned so much from her best friend over the years. Lydia had helped Arabella study so many healing spells she knew practically all of them. Arabella turned her face slightly and Lydia saw a tear stream down her cheek. Her heart broke. No, she couldn’t face her knowing she was a part of the pain her best friend was going through.

Selfishly, she decided to venture to the one place she could disappear into a fictitious version of herself. She went to her tower and leaned far out the window. No matter how hard she tried to focus on Onyx’s face in her mind, Emily’s terrified sobbing wouldn’t leave her. Flashes of tortured images made her stomach ill. That poor girl, she couldn’t imagine what she was being subjected too, right at this moment. Lydia was breaking the most important law, leaving the island, and was safe and comfortable doing so while Emily was having the “adulterer” tortured out of her all because she loved a boy. Lydia had never felt more like a traitor than she did now, looking out her window, above the wall, toward the mainland. She knew she was risking everything going back the mainland two nights in a row, but she had to have a moment of peace in this tumultuous storm of life on Covet.

The stones of the tower were like ice, with the dew of the evening, which made her hands ache as she made her way down. Winter was creeping in from the north, making it unseasonably cold. The water would be freezing. A huge black bird flew above her window, almost flying into her. Its large wings blew cold air at her. It looked like a crow, but was as big as a vulture. Terror gripped her, and she almost lost her holding on the stone. She was terrified of birds. It was as if, even nature didn't want her going out that night. She wrapped herself in her thick winter robe and headed down the tower then she settled onto her raft.

The water wasn’t only freezing cold, it was also violent. A storm was forming off the shore. She had a hard time keeping her balance as she fought against each wave like a sea serpent trying to pull her under. Halfway out into the water, between the shore and the island, she began to regret her decision. Her head wasn’t in the right place, she was drowning with guilt. She was being irresponsible but maybe she deserved it. Her ore was sucked from between her fingers and disappeared into the black abyss as if someone beneath yanked it from her. She looked back at Covet as it slowly began to fade away like a hallucination. She couldn’t turn back. Covet disappeared completely as a wave rose high above her head. She tried her hardest to paddle faster than the wave, but the monster finally got her in its grip. She was submerged in frothy, cold water. There was no indication of up or down, she just swam in whatever direction she was pointed to. Salt water filled her lungs as she tried to breath in the air. In her panic, Emily came screaming in her ears. Was this the fate she had met? She felt a sense of peace knowing Emily wasn't facing pain alone, in that moment. She wasn’t alone down in the dark, wherever they had taken her to be tortured. They would go down with the monster together. She felt her warmth wrap around Emily, but the warmth slowly faded as she grew colder and colder. It felt as if a sheet of ice smacked her in the face and down into her body which forced her to cough loudly. Her eyes shot open, she wasn’t under the water anymore. She was being pulled onto the beach.

“Lydia, can you hear me?” Onyx’s voice was muffled like he was talking through a blanket.

“Onyx,” she said coughing up more salt water.

“Oh, Lydia,” he said hugging her against him. He was so warm, she shuddered against his chest.

“Are you alright?” he yelled.

She remembered he didn’t know she was coming from an invisible island offshore. She couldn’t come up with a decent excuse as to why she would be out in the ocean on a poorly made driftwood raft. Even if she could concoct a story, she was shaking too violently to speak. Her vision blurred in and out. One moment an endless landscape of stars glittered the sky, followed by treetops huddled over her like a cave, and then the soft glow of a fire against a ceiling warmed her. Every inch of her was submerged in the warm embrace of the fire. The flames licked her cheeks melting away the last bit of cold water that clung to her eyelashes.

When enough strength returned to her she opened her eyes to find she was in a steaming bath surrounded by dozens of candles. Onyx sat in a chair hidden by the shadows cast by the candles. His head was slightly turned as he studied the paper in his hand, in the other was a piece of black charcoal. As she sat forward, water splashed to the tile floor.

“You’re awake,” he said.

He moved his chair forward. Lydia could see him clearly now. He looked worn and tired, not like his usual put together self. He placed his book and charcoal piece onto the floor. She saw that he had been sketching her. The black and white image showed her head laid delicately against the side of the porcelain tub, her hair draped down her shoulder to the side of the tub and one smooth breast showed just above the water. He came to her side and dipped one hand into the water. His black hair, which was normally slicked back with precision, was tousled around his eyes. Lydia sunk back against the edge of the tub suddenly feeling very naked. He kept sweeping his hand back and forth on the top of the water. He never hesitated with her.

“I was worried about you for a second. You wouldn’t wake up when I got you in the house, so I had to warm you up quickly.”

“Thank you,” she croaked as salt burned her throat.

He ran his wet fingers through her hair. She felt strangely calm around him but equally uneased like the top of a roller coaster before you plummet. She reached up and grasped his hand that was twirling a single strand of wet hair. She sat forward no longer concerned about being nude. He leaned equally toward her. His hands cradled the sides of her face as his lips touched hers. He pushed forward, kissing her quickly and deeply. He was half in the tub with her as his arms stretched behind her back. He leaned back suddenly, splashing more water on the floor. Compulsively, he touched his fingers to her lips where his just where. She didn’t want to let that feeling go. He saw the desire in her eyes and took off his clothes. Lydia was always intimidated by seeing him like this. His collar bones stuck out slightly from under his skin and she could see his ribs underneath his muscular stomach. She wondered for a moment if he was ill but quickly regained her focus as her eyes moved further down his body. Cold chills spread over skin despite the steaming water that surrounded her. She was impulsive and free around him and yet nervous in her need to impress him. She didn’t want him to see how he affected her and how much control he had over her in this moment. No matter how many times they had been in this situation, she still felt inadequate to him. As if he had read her mind, he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her to his lips. She was standing knee deep in the tub as he got in behind her and sat down. He pulled her back down into the water with her back to his chest. She could feel him against her lower back. She lay against him while he kissed the back of her neck and down her shoulder. He soaked a sponge and washed her back.

“Tell me, why were you out there?” he said.

“I can’t say,” she said.

“Or you don't want to.”

“You wouldn't understand.”

“You have so little faith me.”

“Not in you...in everything else.”

Truthfully, she didn't know if she had faith in him, their relationship had moved so swiftly it was as if it had already happened in a past life. She fell to everything he said to the point that she didn't trust it at all. Letting him know what she was made her even more vulnerable and susceptible to him.

“Where’s Edna?” she asked changing the subject.

“Asleep.”

“Good, I don't want her to worry.”

He dipped the sponge back into the water before placing it on her chest. He squeezed the warm water from the base of her neck down to her breasts.

“She does worry for you, you’re like a daughter to her. But she knows how strong you are. I don’t think you’ve ever told me how you meet her?”

“For a while, I saw her on the beach daily. One day I decided to talk to her. We’ve been close ever since.”

Lydia didn’t want to go into the details about how they met, which would include her telling him about Covet. She wanted to talk about something else, so she wouldn’t accidentally tell him something that he could never understand.

“What’s your life in New York like?”

“Very busy, I own properties and businesses that I took over after my stepfather passed away.”

When he spoke this way, he seemed much older than he was. He had been placed with so much responsibility all his life that he seemed twice his true age.

“The busy city life is so romantic. Even though I've only read about it, but I know I would love it.”

“New Orleans is a big city.”

“I’ve never been.”

“You’ve never been to New Orleans and it’s so close?”

He sat forward, and she turned back to look at him. She wanted to pour out everything she held so deep down like the water overflowing the bath. It would be easier if everything she kept in could be spread across the floor. It didn’t seem like such burden when it was all laid out evenly, but it was much messier to clean up. She wasn’t ready to tell him, she just wasn’t. He put an arm around her and pulled her back onto his chest. He kissed the top of her head and began telling her about nights in New York. She closed her eyes and imagined the millions of lights holding her high above the busy streets.

When she opened her eyes again they were much heavier than she had remembered them being. It wasn’t night anymore, grey sunlight poured through the open window as a light breeze brought the red sheer curtains up and down. It was raining but still definitely daytime. She was no longer in a bathtub but instead surrounded by white pillows and blankets. Everything in the room before her was either white or red. Red chairs with white side tables, red and white pictures, and white sheets. His bedroom. She jumped up suddenly with her heart in her throat. To her relief, she wasn’t naked any longer but in a silk red robe.

She frantically searched the room for her familiar dark, long clothing but couldn’t find them. She ran down the stairs and was greeted with the smell of freshly made food.

“Good morning,” Onyx said smiling from a leather chair in the corner. He was reading a newspaper, also in a robe but his was black and cotton.

Lydia ran into the kitchen where Edna was at the stove flipping over eggs. “I tried to tell him you had to leave but he insisted you stay the night. He wasn’t moving on the idea of you leaving so late. I tried,” she whispered.

Edna looked as if she was trying to send a message directly to Lydia’s head, but she didn’t understand what she was telling her. Edna always spoke about Covet as a matter-of-fact, she never questioned what Lydia had told her. Lydia had told her one evening when she had very bad cut on her arm from Guardian practices, and Edna had asked what had happened. Lydia, told her truth, expecting her to be in disbelief. Instead, she cleaned the wound and went on about their evening. Lydia silently thanked Edna every time she visited for not saying anything to Onyx.

“Your dry clothes are in the laundry room. After some breakfast I’ll drive you home,” said Onyx sipping a cup of coffee as he joined them in the kitchen.

Lydia ran to the laundry room and threw on her long brown skirt and matching long sleeve shirt. She ran around the side of the house as to not have anyone come after her. As she rounded the front of the house, Onyx was standing right in her way. Heavy rain began to weigh her freshly cleaned clothes down against her body.

“What are you doing?” he laughed.

“I have to go.”

She couldn’t get around him, he was blocking her path.

“Let me take you. It’s pouring rain.”

“No,” she yelled agitated.

“Lydia, don’t be such a child.”

He grasped her arm tightly trying to reassure she should listen to him but, it only made her angrier. In that moment, he reminded her of Marcus. She could feel the magic rising in her chest and pushed it down with shallow breaths. He released her arm, seeing the resentment in her eyes and she ran. She didn’t look back at the house, but she knew Edna would be watching her run away from Onyx.

Luckily, the raft had been beached and only minor damage had been caused. The water was the opposite of itself from the night before. It was eerily calm, only interrupted by splashes of rain. She climbed the wall faster than she ever had before. Falling would be a better fate than if she were caught. She took a deep breath before she climbed through the window. There wasn’t an irate mob crowded in her small room. She took a moment to breathe. It was as if she hadn’t exhaled since she woke up. She changed out of her clothes from the day before and was prepared herself for her another day as a Guardian.