Authors: Arden Aoide
Sophia brought Clara her drink
for the second morning in a row. Jude and Clara were sitting around having
breakfast, half-dressed, and Sophia smiled internally wondering if Raphe was in
their bed when his bedding was folded on the sofa. She knew they wouldn't send
him out by himself. “James has gone out of town. He didn't say where, but he
said he wouldn't get back until much later tomorrow night, well after dinner. I
need to speak to you all. Today would be best.”
“
We were going to see Shula around lunch.
It's too rainy for the boys to work,” Clara said with a smile as Sophia gave
her the juice. It was sweet of her, and still unexpected. “Thank you. I enjoyed
yesterday's very much.”
“
You're welcome.” Sophia smiled. Clara
didn't look like she could take on two men, but the quiet ones were the ones to
keep an eye on. “Were you walking?”
“
No, too wet. You can catch a ride with
us,” Jude said. “Is everything okay?”
“
As much as it can be,” Sophia said with a
shrug and walked to the door. “Honk for me?”
Jude nodded.
Sophia had
never been to Jared's but thought it was delightfully rustic. People paid a lot
of money for throwbacks like this, and now she could see why. It was peaceful,
and the rustle of the trees made her feel a thousand miles from anywhere. Which
was nearly true.
Jared was
surprised at first to see her, but remembered quickly. Everyone sat down and
looked to her expectantly.
Sophia then
remembered this was her idea. She cleared her throat and sat in the empty chair
next to Shula, who was wrapped up in a blanket on the sofa. She cleared her
throat again. “Selene was my sister.”
Both Jared
and Jude inhaled sharply.
“
She called me to tell me she was pregnant
with your father's child
‒
”
“
She couldn't have been,” Jared
interrupted.
“
I know. But it's what she told me. She
told me she needed to leave because James was getting married and he was the
father. She bought pills that would start her period. We had planned to meet a
week later, so I could get her out of Texas and get her to a safe clinic if she
wished. But I never heard from her again. And now, after knowing what I do, I
fear that she is dead, unless he took her like he took Clara.” She sounded
hopeful on that last one, so she looked at Raphe, knowing he'd been kept for a
while.
“
What does Selene look like? Does she look
like you?” He asked.
“
Not like me. Dark hair and eyes.”
“
I'm sorry, then. He was specific about who
he wanted to breed. Honestly, you should probably go home because you fit the
profile.”
“
He's...possessive of me. Even though I
don't cower and wasn't raised to do so, he is going to want me to do it soon.
But he doesn't want to be rid of me.” Sofia sighed, “My birth control pills are
missing. I brought some along and kept them within view to see what he would
do. I don't actually take them, but I wanted to see. I use a cream to prevent
pregnancy. This was before I knew he'd had a vasectomy. And now with him gone
overnight, I wonder if he is having it reversed.”
“
He's a psychopath. You aren't safe,” Raphe
said emphatically.
“
I know. But, I have money and connections.
He has no idea about any of it. And I've studied Texas law. He's going to want
to get me pregnant, and he'll want to marry me so the child is legitimate.
Everything will be left to the child. And he will have won.”
“
He'll have won a little. He will still
want to hurt us,” Jared said.
“
Then you'll need to pretend you are upset
by it. Until he's dead. We need him out of the picture. I'll inherit. And sign
it over to you.”
“
Why would you?” Jared asked.
“
Because I don't need it. I don't mean to
brag, but I'm a world-renowned business attorney. I know your Texas Internet
search is restricted, but if it wasn't, you could find me.”
Everyone
watched Jared grab his laptop.
“
Why did your sister come here?”
“
Teenage rebellion,” Sophia said with a
tight smile.
“
What is your name?”
“
Is it a private connection?”
“
Of course it is.” Jared bit out.
“
Sophia Hildegard. S.O.P.H.I.A.
H.I.L.D.E.G.A.R.D.” This was exposing her a bit more than she'd wanted, but
they needed to trust her.
“
There is rather a lot about you. Your
father is Klaus
‒
”
“
The Klaus Hildegard? Of Æther?” Raphe was
astounded. Klaus was nearly a celebrity. Glutted with money and brains.
“
That would be him.” Sophia smiled.
“
That
would
be him.” Jared looked up
at her. His expression shifted to one he wasn't used to having. He'd never met
a woman like Sophia.
“
Does he know his daughter is missing? Does
he know you're here?” Raphe asked.
Her smile
faded. “Selene has always been...dramatic. He believes she ran off with some
man. Selene's mother believes the same thing. If she hadn't called me, I likely
would've gone on thinking the same. He does not know I'm here.”
Raphe looked
at Jude. “Didn't your father call the police? Isn't there a record?”
Jude and
Jared both looked confused and Raphe sighed. “If someone goes missing anywhere
else in the fucking world, there's a record if reported. This is so
unbelievable to me.” He sat back and looked at Sophia. “You should probably
file one in Mexico, then. Just so it's out there.” He was clearly distressed.
“Jared. Can you search for Raphael Achen? A.C.H.E.N. And Texarkana.”
Everyone
heard Jared type, then silence as he read. “You are considered a missing
person. Your parents have been notified. They are looking for you. There's...a
lot of people searching for you. They assume that since your computer and other
personal things were found in your apartment, that it was foul play.”
Raphe was
silent. He didn't know what to think of that. He would let his parents know he
was alive later. Let them wallow in guilt a bit more. He would need to
elaborate and he didn't care to do that. He felt Clara's hand against the back
of his neck. He exhaled.
“
So what would you want of us?” Jared
asked.
“
I was hoping for information about Selene,
but I think it is indeed hopeless. I can offer safe places out of Texas if
needed, and money, since I'll likely be getting all of yours anyway.” Sophia
laughed a bit then sobered. “I want him dead. But, I need to birth his child
before. And I know that's asking a lot. Another year at least.” She looked at
Jared with his computer. “If you let me access that, I can have Passports for
all of you sent to a mailbox in El Paso. I have a home in Ciudad Juarez if we
need it. I have access to money and can have it sent to a bank in any large
city here.” She knew it sounded too good to be true.
“
But a baby? You'd be willing to bring a
baby into this?” Raphe didn't understand.
“
It's a fair question. Believe it or not,
I'd actually like a baby. But I'm not interested in having a husband.” She
sighed. “It sounds terrible, but my desire to destroy James Agnesson is by any
means necessary. So timing is essential. Once he changes the will, I will get
word to you. Then...do what you must. If you can't make it look like an
accident, then make sure he is never found. And if it doesn't go as planned, I
will get you out.”
The silence
in the room was heavy, and her callousness was unexpected, but they wouldn't
judge it.
“
Can you get an infant out of the country
and possibly have her adopted out?” Raphe asked quietly. He reached in his
pocket and pulled out a small scrap of paper before Sophia misunderstood.
“
I don't see why not if that's what needs
to happen. If the mother and father agree.” Sophia took the paper and read it
aloud.
“
Come for the baby. Name her
Josephine Grace. Keep her safe. 3112 Wellington ST. New Year's Day.”
“
Your baby?”
“
Yes.”
“
Where?”
“
North East Texas.”
“
What about your parents?” She
asked.
Raphe
shook his head. “Never.”
Sophia
was quiet for a moment. “My brother and his wife could meet us.” She looked at
Raphe. “What's wrong with the mother?”
He
shrugged. “She was fine when I met her. But the note seemed a bit...dire. But,
I don't know. It could be as simple as wanting to keep her from Agnesson, but
naming her Josephine Grace seemed final.”
“
Josephine Grace?” Shula asked. “I found a
tiny grave, or what I assume to be a grave out in the woods. It's why I went
back out.” She looked at Jared and she was clearly irritated with herself for
not remembering. “I took a stone to show you and...forgot, and I needed to put
it back, so I did. There were beautiful rocks and a baby blanket and a jar of
ashes. Some of the lettering was smudged on the jar, but it said: Josephine
Grace Agnesson. At least, that's what I got out of it. It had a date, though
the last number I couldn't read. 226 were the first three. Did y'all have a
sister?”
“
No,” Jared said. “And if we did, she'd be
buried next to our mother. My brothers and I were all born in the fifties.”
“
Any pets?” Raphe asked.
The brothers
shook their heads. “We need to see the grave,” Jared said as he stood.
Shula put on
her shoes, and led them to Josephine's tree. The ground was soaked, so they
grabbed a shovel beforehand.
She didn't
look at Jared's hole as he retrieved it.
Jared and
Jude carefully dug up the jar.
“
Josephine Grace. Definitely. I'll ask father
when he gets home. He'd have no reason to lie and he seems to enjoy tormenting
us, so if the truth is horrible, he'll want to tell us,” Jared said as he
buried the jar and arranged the rocks.
“
Could she have lived?” Raphe asked. He
still didn't understand the dynamics of this family at all.
“
It seems impossible. Really out there.
But, Josephine Grace isn't common. It doesn't feel like an odd coincidence. So,
I don't know. The whole thing is unsettling.” Jude said, as they walked back to
Jared's house.
Sophia took
Jared's computer with the promise that she'd bring it back by morning, and she
planned to take care of all eventualities.
Each just as
unlikely as the next.
Shula slept a lot the first
few days. She would still shiver uncontrollably, and Jared would hold her
through it. Sometimes it didn't help and they would get back in the bath until
their skin shriveled.
Getting out
of the bath was problematic. If Shula hadn't found so much comfort in it, he
would persuade her to stay in bed.
She spoke a
little of her time in the river, as it came to her. It was like her brain was
protecting her from it, all at once, so she shared small bits as they were
revealed.
But most of
it didn't vary.
She went
where the river took her, and he praised her more than once for putting her
dress in the tree. There was no way they would have found her otherwise. Unless
the mud freed her at death.
Jared tried
not to think of it. Because it consumed him. She was alive and in their bed,
and he would do what needed to be done from now on.
There was a
plan in place. Several plans. Sophia's was the most dangerous, but it was the
most brilliant. At her word, they would mobilize.
But, Sophia
had planted a seed, and Jared was fearful of the direction it grew, because he
knew Shula would want to climb that massive tree once she was better. It's the
way she was, and he knew that when her veil was lifted.
The days were
rainy, relentlessly so, and Jared was inclined to stay in the bed as well. He
brought his computer to bed once Sophia had brought it back, and they both
looked at the world.
A world she
could hardly believe existed. He'd never told her what the Internet could do,
but she would've never thought to ask.
“
If you could choose, where would you want
to go?” Jared asked her.
It almost
felt like a new beginning if he could push everything else away. “I...don't
know. I'd love to see the ocean, but I don't think I would like flying. Not
that I can leave the state anyway.”
“
Texas has an ocean
‒
”
“
Not here. Where it's bright blue like the
picture. If Texas had something like that, no one would bother living away from
it,” Shula said. “Does it really look like that? Is it really so beautiful? To
see it, with my own eyes. I might believe it then.”
Jared
searched for the most beautiful beaches in the world. It was difficult to
believe some of them existed. Shula was quiet and captivated, and he would do
everything in his power to take her somewhere so beautiful that she couldn't
find words.
He searched
for Texas. The pictures were either hundreds of years old or taken by people
who could see it by boat or plane. There was rather a lot of aerial images near
the coast.
And a lot of
images of people who appeared to have lost their clothes.
“
Why does it look so different? It used to
be beautiful, too.” Shula sat up. “What did we do to it?”
“
Texas has always been into oil production.
That didn't change while the rest of the world moved on.”
“
Why didn't we move on?”
“
Because Big Oil kept our economy stable to
thriving when we broke away. All the new technology was from places outside, so
it wasn't ours. We refused to pay the patent holder for use.”
“
That seems rather short-sighted.”
“
It is,” Jared agreed.
“
I think I want to leave.”
Jared held
his breath. “What do you mean?”
“
Texas. I want us to leave, but I know it
is your home.”
It hurt just
a little. But he reminded himself that she'd had a hard time of it, regardless
of the haven he'd created.
And she
hadn't been safe here, either. He was reminded that he'd failed at keeping her
from harm, and not just once. “Where are you thinking?”
She noticed
how he schooled his expression and it was likely that she'd insulted the home
he'd created. “I just feel so ignorant. I'm not supposed to know things here,
but I want to learn what the world has to teach me. And I can't really
comprehend the enormity of the world boxed up and stored on your computer.”
Shula looked up at Jared and he was smiling. “I know it's not
really
there. I know it's remote, but still. It's all accessible. And I'm not allowed
to leave these borders. I'm stuck.”
“
Well, Raphe was able to move in and out
through bribery I imagine. I wonder how much father paid the guards. I think if
we were to leave, we would have to make peace with the fact that we may not be
able to return.” Being so practical didn't make him happy, but it would be
something they needed to consider. “There is beauty here, too. You can see the
stars without light pollution. Each one tells a story. Ancient civilizations
made up stories about them. Created gods out of them. They told tales of war,
tales of love, and tales of heroism.”
Shula
giggled. “You can't see the stars for all these trees.”
Jared quirked
a smile. “True. I'll take you out one night and show you.” He looked at her as
she stifled a yawn. “You look exhausted. Let's go to sleep. It's a little
early, but I'm tired, too.”
She didn't
want to go to sleep. He hadn't touched her since the night before she went
missing, and she felt her defiance push to the surface. “I'm not tired. But
maybe you can help with that.” She didn't look away from his face, but he
wouldn't look at her.
She hated
this. It made her feel stupid and desperate.
“
I don't...I hurt you. I remember it all. I
remember that you weren't ready. Even with all the rest of it
‒
”
“
And I told you I am yours to take. Always.
Without question. My heart is yours. My body is yours. My psyche I've got to
hold onto. It'll probably keep getting me in trouble, but knowing you desire
the parts of me I've given makes me strong. It makes me brave. But only if you
don't doubt it.” Shula exhaled in relief when Jared rolled on top of her.
“
I want to feel worthy of you. It's
important to me. And right now I don't. But I could never
‒
” He inhaled sharply when he felt her
hands move up his chest under his shirt, and he felt manipulated for a second,
but the devastated look on her face told a different story.
He kissed her
slowly, too slowly to be satisfying, but she would accept it. No matter how
much she wanted to squeeze the life out of his cock with her wet pussy, she'd
let him get to that point on his own.
The slowness
started to make sense. He wanted her in that moment, in that very
second
,
to notice and really see their oneness while reveling in their otherness.
He rolled
onto his side, taking her with him, and hooked her leg up on his hip. He was
surprised how easy his fingers slipped inside her.
If there was
such a thing, she was too wet, and he spread her with several fingers up and
down her crack, pressing teasingly. He found himself wanting to take her hard
and to make it hurt, and he knew she would let him.
He knew she
would love it.
Maybe he
would tomorrow.
Right now, he
would take her through it all at a pace she would lose herself in.
His body
would court hers, and by the end he hoped to be reminded that even after all
they'd been through, they would always belong to each other.
And that they
were capable of a love that could be drawn out and secure.
Love took on
many faces. It made excuses. It was selfish. It didn't give a shit who it
destroyed when one carelessly offered words and smiles when presented with a
beating heart cupped in a lover's palms.
Love was
simple and true if you were willing to bleed for it.
“
Mr. Agnesson! The baby is alive! She is
breathing on her own! Praise be to God, Mr. Agnesson!” Ellen Reed, the woman
who'd delivered all their children had resuscitated tiny Josephine. While
small, she was perfectly formed, and Ellen felt called to save her.
“
I have told Grace that she didn't survive.
Better to tell her that now than be disappointed when she dies. Take her.
You'll see. You'll be heartbroken within the week.” James Agnesson counted some
money, more than she expected, and put it in her hand. “I'm going to check on
the boys. You can go. I can take care of Grace. I will contact you again when
your services are required.”
Ellen did as
she was told. And when she was back the next week to check on Grace, she'd let
Mr. Agnesson know the baby had died. Because she was already in love with
Josephine.
She took to
calling her Gracie Jo, because it was common.
Josephine
spoke of old money. Only the rich had girls called Josephine. Names like Grace,
Faith, and Hope were reserved for the poor. They would not presume to take on
names of righteous women, but taking on generic Biblical aspirations gave them
a share of God they would not have otherwise.
They could
not afford to tithe, but they were believers all the same. Building a
fellowship was difficult. Occasionally, a Godly man would take the helm, but
for him to gather the people, and ignite them, took too much time away from
providing for his own family.
For women, if
they were able to access the Bible and create a pulpit, they would be
ostracized for presuming the role of a man. She would be cast aside before she
would be allowed to speak for God. But it was those women who kept faith strong
in their homes, and they could raise their children into devout disciples.
Ellen was
widowed very young, and lived in Agnes Oaks until Grace passed, all while
hiding a towheaded Gracie Jo. She eventually sought her family in the northern
part of Texas.
Josephine
grew up not knowing anything of the Agnesson’s. Later, when her mother drank,
she found out who she really was. Ellen also admitted to wondering if John
Agnesson was her own father. There hadn't been any other reason for her mother
to move them down to Agnes Oaks, away from family, unless she had some ties with
the Agnesson’s. And Ellen's mother had never spoken of her father, just that he
sent money and that was all she needed to know.
Josephine
would still call her 'Mama', though. Aunt Ellen didn't fit at all.
The rumors
were that her late grandfather John Agnesson, spread his seed far and wide when
he came to town. He owned a bit of railroad. When James started coming around,
they knew that the late John Agnesson was gone, and that James must be looking
for all his father's loose strings. Ellen didn't know if James knew anything
about her, but he sought her when they needed a midwife to help deliver Jacob.
She felt that her heart might burst to have a brother so close, but he treated
her as if he didn't know, though he paid her very well.
And the more
time she spent with Grace, the more she didn't like James Agnesson.
But she
needed the money.
Josephine
heard about James Agnesson's scheme through her mother. He had sought her again
to ask if she still delivered babies and if any fit his criteria.
It was an ignorant
question. Nine out of ten babies with wisps of white turned brunette by
puberty.
Except
Josephine. She fit. She was desperate to meet Mr. Agnesson. Her mother had said
he was cruel and Josephine's biological mother was dead because of this cruelty,
but she wanted to lay eyes on him anyway.
Her mother
made her use Gracie Reed as her name because of her fear that Mr. Agnesson
would have her jailed, or worse, since he believed Josephine had died within
her first week of life.
She wondered
if he would know her just by seeing her.
But he wasn't
there. And she got pregnant on the first try.
The offered
money was a fortune, and her mother would be able to live comforttably for a
long while, and any sort of maternal instinct was an abstract concept.
The boy,
Raphael, had been interesting. He looked like an angel. His hair was too long,
and it fell in his face when he was on top of her.
His mouth
against hers was overwhelming and too indulgent, but it distracted her enough
to relax and enjoy where he touched her.
He wanted her
to like it, and it hardly mattered. He touched her where she touched herself,
but he moved faster and with a skill she'd tried to recreate ever since.
She wasn't
familiar with intercourse, but she knew how babies were made.
But he told
her she was beautiful, no one ever had before, but she would have enjoyed it
more if Mr. Snawder's son hadn't been in the room.