Bloodlines

Tomás was seething! He stood on his balcony, watching the city of Nice going about its day with nonchalance. The sun in the sky, shied behind some clouds; the waves crashing on the shore, ambient; and the mid-January winds in the air, cool to a crisp. Sebatian stood near the gargantuan bed, watching. Beside him, Ankh too was watching him sulk at the tranquil day beyond the castle’s property. “Both of you be quiet,” Tomás hissed. Ankh gave Sebastian a side eye and he did the same. “I can hear your psionic conversation,” he added softly.

“Then you know it wasn’t Ridley’s fault.”

Sebastian nodded his agreement. “She’s not him. She’s not Sofiane Lavigne,” he added. “She is your sister. Think about that, old friend. You were searching for her and, by God, here she is.”

Tomás came back inside with coldness in his dark blue eyes. He puffed his chest, towering over both Ankh and Sebastian. “Don’t ever say that man’s name ever again.”

Sebastian shrivelled under that frigid face. Tomás brushed passed them coldly. He slammed the door shut behind. Ankh turned to him quizzically. “During the Revolution his best friend, Sofiane Lavigne, gave him up to Robespierre. His wife and daughter met Death by the guillotine.”

Ankh sighed before turning to leave. Outside, Tomás was long gone. He stalked through his grandiose estate with staff still tasked with clearing bodies and cleaning blood off the walls and floors. He didn’t give them the time of day when he carelessly strutted over the blood streaks diluted in bleach water. Genvieve was among the ones rolling bodies into the estate’s old sheets before putting them into the huge laundry baskets.

Tomás, like a wraithing shadow, glided through the gilded compound. Crystal chandeliers reflecting the sun’s glimmer onto the ivory ceiling. Adorned walls and pristine tiled floors led through the gallery that over saw the vast garden. It was in the hugest garden he’d ever seen. Built by his maternal grandfather before he passed from the Plague. Their Nice estate would become their summer home while their primary residence was in Paris. That all changed after the Revolution, when their home was burnt down.

Clarisse and Adrienne would only see the Nice estate once before that. Tomás found his mind drifting back to that time. All around Adrienne was greenery and endless blue sky above her. She turned back to the garden where there were various trees to her left with stone paths laid out like veins of a leaf. It was the darkest part of the garden with its abundance of shade. Each tree was labeled with the produce it bore such as apples, oranges, cherries, bananas, coconuts, apricots, nectarines, mandarins, pears, plums, dates, papayas, lemons, pomegranates, guavas, mangoes, olives; cocoa beans, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macademia, pecans, pistachios; various pines, blossoms, cinnamons, vanillas, saps or just what type of tree it was. There were so many trees that they formed a small forest.

Further into the garden was a large patch with all sorts of organic food being grown. From carrots and potatoes to pineapples and strawberries. Everything was segregated and planted into neat rows. There were trimmed shrubs and bushes of various cucumbers, berries, chillies and peppers. Different vegetables - pumpkins, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, turnips, sprouts, asparagus, onions, beets, squashes, garlics, gingers, beans, lettuces and corns - were readily available along with pulses (lentils, rices and wheats).

All sorts of insects and garden pests shared the produce but Adrienne was too entranced to noticed. Beyond the patch where the vegetables and bush fruits were grown, were all sorts of flora also neatly laid out. There was a rose garden separated by briars and thorns that gave way when Tomás’ daughter went exploring.

There were small patches of geraniums, larkspurs, forget-me-nots, honeysuckles, white lilies, narcissi, daisies, camellias, lavenders, snapdragons, baby’s breaths, campanulas, marigolds, sensations, gazanias, pansies, petunias, irises, primroses, proteas, peonies, tulips, violets, gardenias, orchids, buttercups, aconites, wolf’s bane, vervain, snowdrops, sunflowers, linseed, canola flowers, jasmines and jonquils. All in endless shades of colour.

Beyond the patches was a little lake that housed frogs and ducks and fish and lily pads and reeds. Weeping willows and other water-heavy trees and plants grew on the banks of the body of water. Surprisingly the lake didn’t have an odour. The water was unnaturally blue and shimmered with the sun’s reflection on its surface. The leaf vein-like paths ran passed the lake and through the rest of the garden.

There were various fresh herbs (rosemaries, sages, thymes, basils, parsleys, corianders, mints, chives, fennels, bay leaves, kaffir lime leaves, curry leaves, oreganoes, marjoram, peppers, dills,) and spices (cardamom, mustard seeds, turmeric plants, jeeru seeds, cloves, nutmeg, saffron) growing on their trees, shrubs, roots, stems or ferns.

There was a section of garden where tea and coffee were farmed. Between that and the patch of herbs and spices was a small patch with various mushrooms growing. Shitake mushrooms, bulb brown mushrooms, white button mushrooms, brown button mushrooms even magic mushrooms.

There were bird feeders scattered everywhere and various birds fed from them. From ducks, swans and flamingos to pigeons, swallows and plovers. In the clutter of trees was a round birdhouse perched on a tree trunk. Throughout the garden were wrought iron benches. Some were in full sun and others were in the shade. There was a time Clarisse and Tomás would just be lounging on one, watching their daughter prance about gayly.

Singing birds and rustling leaves filled the garden. The air was heavy with fragrances from the flowers and the heat of the sun beamed over them. Near the mini forest was a small solarium made out of multicolored glass. On the inside of the solarium’s was a small wrought iron table and matching chairs around it. Just before the glass house was a maze of hydrangeas with a statue at its heart. Wreaths of flowers were laid around the statue; some were heart-shaped and some were round. A few were wilted and some were freshly made.

The glass building was lightly tainted but it was evidently filled with plants and butterflies. The butterflies inside were unfazed by the intruders. Shades and tints of bright colored wings were everywhere and the overpowering smell of jasmine, the miniature roses and peonies was heavy in the humid room. Eager butterflies swarmed around Adrienne and landed all over her.

The butterflies around Adrienne flew away slowly, leaving the few in Clarisse’s hair and the one in her hand. The blue butterfly flew onto Adrienne’s knuckles and the blackblood studied it passively. There was nothing spectacular about it but she was still enchanted by the white creature. Tomás would only watch them, lighting up Chateau du Luq without even trying.

The master of the house turned away from the gallery’s view of the garden, hot tears streaming down his fair face. On the end was the most desolate part of the estate. Down a dark corridor, Tomás vanished! He took out his lighter to light a flaming torch. The black brick walls were damp from the cold but that didn’t stop him.

At the dead end, was a portrait. Lady Clarisse du Luq with a dove perched on her one hand. Her other hand resting on Adrienne’s shoulder. And Tomás with a hand on either one of them. On the ground, right against the wall, bouquets of flowers dried to a crisp. Unlit candles with the wax melted onto the ground, gluing them in place.

Tomás sighed before he knelt. “My beautiful wife and my beloved daughter...” He turned away, crying to himself. “I wish you could have met her. My dear sister. She is a traitorous woman, yes, but a good woman. She is so much like you, Adrienne. She was your sense of duty, your confidence. I wager you would love her as I do.” Tomás wiped his tears away then sniffled. “In her time with us, I felt as if I had you both back. This sore went away and...”

He dared look back at them. Adrienne, visibly younger than Ridley, was the splitting image of her. Dark eyes, straight dark hair, button nose and full cheeks. Clarisse at her side, they were all happy. It was painful to see them so. Tomás squared his shoulders when he stood.

“My beautiful girls...” A boney hand grazed the paper of them. “I don’t know what to do without you, without her.” He took a shaky breath then looked into each of their hollow eyes. “I still await the day we can be reunited.” Tomás took the flambeau and extinguished the flames. "God, I beg You to protect their souls. They were everything to me."