Blood Canticle - Anne Rice [143]
“If you say so, Uncle Michael,” said Mona.
“Don’t you agree, both of you?” asked Lorkyn, looking at Oberon and Miravelle, “that we need a haven? We cannot simply go out into the world.”
“No, no, I don’t want to go out into the world,” said Miravelle.
Oberon thought for a long moment, the fabulous eyelids lowering and then rising.
“You’re right, of course you are. Where else but here can we discover some contraceptive that allows us to couple without hatching another immediately? Of course. It’s brilliant. Very well.” He gave one of his languid graceful shrugs. “But do we have money from the accounts you managed to transfer?” he asked.
“We have wealth from Father,” said Lorkyn. “Great wealth. The Mayfair family discovered it. That’s no longer a problem. You need not feel beholden. We’re quite free.”
“No, never feel beholden,” said Rowan softly.
“Very well. I feel this discussion has come to an end,” said Lorkyn.
She rose. She looked at Rowan and something silent passed between the two women, some exchange of approval and confidence and belief.
Oberon rose to his feet and took Miravelle by the hand.
“Come, my blessed little idiot,” he said to Miravelle, “we’ll go back to my suite and continue watching The Lord of the Rings. By now they’ll have the white chocolate candy for us and the cold cold milk.”
“Oh, everyone’s so good to us,” said Miravelle, “I love you all, I want you to know. And I’m so glad all the bad men died and Rodrigo fell off the balcony. It was just the best of luck.”
“Isn’t it uplifting, the way she describes it?” asked Oberon archly. “And to think I get to listen to this eighteen hours a day. What about you, Lorkyn? You ever going to drop in to see your brother and sister and indulge in a little intelligent discourse about your medical studies? I might go simply mad if I don’t speak to someone from time to time who can use four-syllable words.”
“Yes, Oberon,” she said. “I’ll come to you more than you might think.”
She came round the table and stood before him. A great relaxation came over him, and he took Lorkyn in his arms. There was an ardent kiss and a slow moving away, with reverence and a locking of thin delicate fingers.
“Oh, I am so happy,” said Miravelle. She kissed Lorkyn on the cheek.
Oberon and Miravelle left.
Lorkyn gave formal nods to all the company, gesturing for the men to take their seats again, and she too went out the door.
The room fell quiet.
Then Rowan spoke: “She’s incomparably brilliant,” she said.
“I understand,” I responded.
No one else spoke.
Mona sat there still for a long time, her eyes every so often engaging Rowan.
Then very softly, Mona said, “It’s over.”
Rowan didn’t answer.
Mona stood up, and so did Quinn. Finally I did also. Michael rose out of courtesy, and Rowan remained in her chair, thoughtful, remote.
For a moment it seemed Mona was going to leave without another word, but just as she reached the door, she looked back, and she said to Rowan:
“I don’t think you’ll see me much anymore.”
“I understand,” said Rowan.
“I love you, sweetheart,” said Michael.
Mona stopped, her head bowed. She didn’t turn around.
“I’ll never forget you,” she said.
I was stunned. I was caught completely off guard.
Michael’s face crumpled as though he’d been hit by a heavy blow. But he said nothing.
“Farewell, my beauteous mortal friends,” I said. “You need me, you know how to find me.”
Indescribable expression on Rowan’s face as she turned and looked up at me.
And so I realized it. It came over me slowly. It was like a chill.
The cause that had bound us together was no more. It wasn’t only Mona’s turning away. We had no more reason to come to one another. No more mystery to justify our intimacy. And honor and virtue, of which I’d spoken so surely, demanded we cease to interfere with one another, cease to learn about each other. We couldn’t walk the same paths.
The Taltos had been discovered, recovered and would be safe within Mayfair Medical. Lorkyn’s speech had been