Sapphire’s Delaney Dilemma

Chapter 3

Sapphire was driving up the long tree-lined drive of the house she shared with her family that was according to anyone else she talked to in the middle of nowhere, when she caught sight of her brother’s car speeding behind her. Just before Dublin the house seemed to grow right out of the side of a mountain that shouldn’t be there and surrounded by trees and privacy and she loved it here. It was peaceful and although it was not the lush green oasis of her homeland, it was close enough. She got out of the car and saw her brother Feldspar, or Spar as they called him, slam his car door, and walk toward her angrily. What now?

“You should have been here thirty-five minutes ago.” He grabbed her into his arms and hugged her tight. “Everyone is worried.”

She sighed and tucked her head into his neck and burrowed against him. “I’m sorry Spar. I didn’t mean to frighten anyone. I got held up by some coworkers who wanted a copy of some work on my way out and I couldn’t get away.”

“Would it kill you to turn your cell phone on just once?” He asked unable to stay angry at her as she removed her glasses and her shimmering eyes smiled up at him. He pressed a quick kiss to her lips and then almost carried her to the house.

She groaned as she saw her entire family was watching from various windows of the house. Even the children were waiting for her, and she groaned. “They are not going to come two days in a row.”

“We’d rather not risk it,” Spar shook his head at her. “You have to understand our fear.”

“I do understand but I refuse to stop living my life just because some goons want me dead. We cannot have the children terrified that I’m never going to return home.” Her sentence was punctuated as Sheara, the youngest daughter of Diamond and her husband Lock raced out the front door and flung herself into her arms before she’d reached the top stair, her face tear stained. “Okay, this is ridiculous. The child is in tears.” She scooped her up into her arms and whispered words in her ear, soothing and gently reassuring her that there was no need to worry. Diamond’s youngest, a toddler named Iamus held his arms outstretched from where he was perched in her mother’s arms and she took that child as well, holding one on each hip as she glowered at her family. “This has got to stop.” Her heart broke for their fear. “They cannot be subjected to this each time I am a few minutes late.”

“Then don’t be late,” Diamond uttered angrily.

“There are some things that are out of my control if I want to exist in this city like a normal human. I could easily get through my business day by weaving magic everywhere I go but how effective would that be in keeping a low profile?” She glowered at her eldest sister with annoyance. “I did not ask any of you to sacrifice your lives to follow me. You choose to be here. If you cannot be more understanding of my need to be normal, then do not let me keep you any longer.”

“My darling child,” her mother’s voice was as soothing as a trickling brook on a summer day, and it never changed. “We are simply on edge because of last night’s activities. Please forgive us.” She touched her hand to Sapphire’s forehead. “You are distressed from all of this. Let’s go have dinner and we’ll talk peacefully and no more of our fears for tonight.”

“Fine,” she pressed a kiss to the brow of the boy that clung to her neck and then one to the blonde curls atop his sister and grimaced as her father took Sheara from her arms.

“So, what’s new?” Mica asked as he held her chair for her as dinner was being served.

“Oh, well yet again, I’ve managed to make a complete i***t of myself at the office.” She shook her head as her sister Emerald walked behind her and with a simple touch of her hand on Sapphire’s shoulder, changed the clothes she was wearing from the frumpy office attire to a lovely tangerine summer sundress that fit appropriately. She smiled her gratitude as she smoothed her hair from the frizzy mess to a satin sheen with a stroke of her fingers through her tresses. “Thank you, Emerald. That feels a hundred-fold better.”

“It is my pleasure,” Emerald spoke quietly as she took her seat next to her sister.

“Tell us how you made a fool of yourself.” Her sister Amethyst loved these stories, still slightly enjoying when her sister was rooted by misery.

“Well today we had a general staff meeting with Mr. Delaney and I hid in the back of the amphitheatre in my usual place and I’m sitting there in the dark minding my own business but of course, being me, I’m mocking him in my mind.”

“Oh dear,” her mother shook her head sadly. “Darling, you should not do such things.”

“I definitely should not do such things especially when he is facing me. He sees me sitting in the back of the room and decides I’m the only person not paying attention and demands to see what I’ve been doodling in my notepad. For a human man he is incredibly astute.”

“What were you doodling?” Mica asked with a grin.

“Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins.” She groaned at his laughter. “It’s been too long.”

“Too long since what?” Sheara asked with wide innocent eyes.

“Too long since she’s had a vacation,” Diamond’s eyes cut her like the stone, her eyes warning her to keep the conversation appropriate to the younger listeners.

“Anyway,” she continued her story heeding her sister’s warning, “he calls me out in front of the entire assembly and demands my notebook.”

“What did you do?” Amethyst clapped her hands gleefully.

“I had his entire speech transcribed to my notepad by the time he reached me, and my doodles were erased. So now, everyone thinks I’m a meticulous note taker and they all want copies. Someone actually asked me if I had his speech transcribed from the last meeting. As if,” She waved her hands in annoyance as she lifted a forkful of greens to her lips.

“That’s wonderful,” Amethyst crowed gleefully at her discomfort.

“That’s not even the best part. When I finally get out of the office, he’s trying to get items into his car and asks me to help him and when he asks my name, guess what I say.”

“Oh dear, you did not tell him your true name?” Her mother asked horrified. Sapphire had been trying with such difficulty to remain unnoticed as long as possible.

“No, that would have been much less upsetting. No, I simply said, Rose, Rose from Accounting.” She mocked herself aware of how foolish she had been.

The children wailed with delight at her story and her sisters laughed. Her brothers snickered and her mother simply smiled. Her father however held her gaze. “Why? What is it about this man that makes you uncomfortable enough to be rendered to such drivel?”

“Dadai,” she gave a shrug and whined at the tone of his question. “I don’t know. I have been alone for too long I think and according to the girls from the temp agency who sat behind me today in the deli, he is a very enigmatic and lovely man. Maybe I need to go on a date soon.”

“Or perhaps it is almost time to return home.” He’d been making this comment for a century. He wanted her to be more responsible with her duty.

“Perhaps,” she shrugged knowing how surprised her family was because suddenly had a pin dropped it would have sounded like an atomic bomb in the silence of the normally loud environment. “I’ve been thinking of it a lot lately. I’m tired of fighting with the Guild all the time. Killing is not something I generally enjoy and frankly I’m getting lonely.”

“You do not want to jump into something to simply satisfy a physical need,” her eldest brother Quartz spoke seriously. “It would not be wise to act hastily. You have waited a hundred and thirty-six years. Do not be in a rush to finish the race.”

He was right and she knew it. She was simply longing for companionship right now and in a month, she might not need or want it any longer. “So, what do you suggest, Quartz?” She asked him quietly.

“It’s my birthday not this but next Friday.” Diamond spoke up. “If someone, say our parents for example, were to volunteer to babysit, we could take a flight to Vegas and make a weekend of it. Go the clubs and cut loose. Get you some of that physical contact you are craving.”

“I am going to pretend I didn’t hear you encourage my daughter to act like a common trollop,” her father stood from the table and moved to bring a pot of soup. “However, if you want to go dancing and act like fools for a weekend, then perhaps I can be persuaded to pitch a tent in the living room with five children for a night or two, if a certain lovely lady wouldn’t mind helping?” He winked to his wife who nodded her agreement contentedly.

Emerald whispered in her ear. “We are so getting you laid.”

She giggled at her words and rested her head against Emerald’s shoulder. “I just need to stop feeling like such a dolt. I feel like all I do lately is mess things up. My work is suffering, and I let myself be caught yesterday. I have to rejuvenate somehow.”

“I have the perfect thing for that. I’ll bring you something later.” Amethyst smiled gently, suddenly feeling guilty for the joy she felt in her misery. “You’ll feel heaps better after a hot bath, a cool drink and a good sleep.”

The phone rang then, and Diamond rose to answer it. “May I tell her who is calling please?” She grinned widely in Sapphire’s direction. She didn’t courteously cover the receiver to hide her voice and made sure the man on the other end heard her loud and clear. “Oh, it’s a Mr. Delaney, looking for Rose Browning. He must mean Rose from Accounting.” The entire table erupted with laughter as Sapphire screamed with annoyance and flew across the room.

“You stupid Warlock!” She shrieked at her sister who neatly sidestepped her outstretched hand and tossed the cordless phone at her. She knew her cheeks were bright pink as everyone cackled merrily at her misery. She carried the phone to the outer hall and held it to her ear. “Hello?”

“Explain yourself,” the cold voice spoke harshly. “What did that comment mean?”

“Which comment?” She tried to recall what she had said to him by the car, pursing her lips into a perfect pout in the mirror in front of her. Her lips were made for kissing. She needed someone to kiss them passionately. She was getting sidetracked she decided as he barked at her through the phone. “Oh, the warlock comment?” She found it odd that he would even ask. “It’s something my brother came up with and it stuck. My sister can be a real witch, but she has more,” she paused before saying the word ‘balls,’ “confidence than most men so he called her a warlock and we’ve been calling her that ever since whenever she does something that is bold and rude. I apologize if you thought I was addressing you.”

“It matters not,” he spoke quietly. “I am simply calling to see if you were all right. You raced from the parking lot today as if you were on fire.” He paused as he heard someone in the background call for Rose from Accounting to get off the phone and come finish her dinner. He was surprised that she had admitted to her family such a foolish statement. “They laugh at you.”

“It’s what they do.” She gave an impatient glare to her father who stood in the door watching her. “It is part of the curse of living at home with your entire family.” The man didn’t take a hint and he stood with his arms folded over his chest and glared right back at her.

He understood that too well. It was why he’d left his own family’s home many years before and now lived alone, except for his trusted advisor Ira. “So, you are well then?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Rose,” he said her name for the first time, “I am sorry if I was rude to you this afternoon in the meeting. I was certain you were mocking me in the back of the room, and it irked me that you would not pay attention.”

“It’s fine.” She spoke softly, stunned by his apology. She wished she could say she had been paying attention but knowing how pathetic she was at lying, he’d be able to tell through the phone.

“So, you accept my apology?” He asked her, his low voice calm and quiet.

She squeezed her thighs together impatiently. Damn she needed s*x and soon, she grimaced to herself. “It is fine Mr. Delaney. I accept your apology. I also apologize for tearing through the parking lot as I had. I was very embarrassed at my uncharacteristic behaviour. I’m not usually so erratic.”

“I believe you,” he spoke surely. “Well, I’ll allow you to return to your dinner. Enjoy your evening.”

“Thank you for calling Mr. Delaney,” she spoke quietly.

“You’re welcome, Rose.”

He didn’t even say goodbye and she was left listening to the dial tone. She hung up the phone as her sweaty palms almost made the receiver slip from her hands. She saw her father watching with his eyes narrowed on her and she shrugged. “He apologized for making a scene in front of all the staff.”

Her father’s grunt did nothing but add to confusion.