Cate Tiernan - A Chalice of Wind

Still, the door opened and Delia, one of Clio's friends, came in. She wore a sympathetic look and held a can of Sprite. "Drink this," she said. "It'll help settle your stomach."

Given how much alcohol I suspected Clio and her friends put away, I figured she knew what she was talking about. I took it and sipped. It was deliriously cold and fresh, and it tasted incredible. "Thanks," I muttered, feeling more wretched than I had since my father had died.

Delia leaned back against the tub next to me…Well," she said brightly, "this is one party people wont forget anytime soon."

A quick, surprised laugh escaped my throat, and I envied her so much, to be able to look at this situation in that way; "Nope" I agreed, bleak again, "What's going on downstairs?"

"World War Three," Delia said matter-of-factly. "Needless to say, people are slinking out the door as fast as they can, and the ones who want to stay and see the fireworks are getting herded out by Racey and Eugenie. So it appears your guy was two-timing you both,"

A fresh pain stabbed me, and I almost choked on the Sprite. It appears that way. I managed to say.

"Clio is furious-throwing things at him and trying to kick his ass out of here, but he's out front, saying he won't leave until he talks to you."

"Why?" I was flabbergasted. "I don't want to hear anything he says."

Delia shrugged. "Don't blame you. Still, he says he's not leaving till he talks to you."

My jaw set as a welcome wave of fury lit inside me. "Fine," I snapped, getting to my feet. "I'll go talk to him."

As I stomped downstairs, I refused to dwell on how utterly humiliated I felt and instead seized the anger that was consuming me inside. In the dining room, Kris and Eugenie glanced up as they snapped plastic lids onto dip bowls. They took one look at my face and quickly feigned no interest in the horrible soap opera that was playing out in front of them.

Clio was standing in her open front door, her body arched and taut as she yelled at Luc. I saw his outline in the small front yard, right before the gate. His hands were held wide, and I couldn't imagine what he could possibly be saying to defend himself.

Clio whirled when she felt my angry footsteps vibrating the floorboards. We stared at each other, taking in the others furious expression, and for an instant, a bolt of pain shot into my heart as I pictured her and Luc together.

"Get rid of him!" Clio snarled. "Before I start whipping steak knives at him."

I nodded grimly and strode past her to the open door. Clio crossed her arms and stood behind me. I didn't know if it was to lend support or to make sure he and I didn't somehow end up together.

"What do you want?" I demanded when I was close enough. My voice was thrumming with fury-I could hardly speak. Even to myself I sounded like a cornered, spitting cat, growling deep in its throat before it struck.

"Thais." Luc took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. He was frowning, his jaw set, his eyes dark with emotion.

"Clio told you to go," I bit out. "So go." I forbade myself to look vulnerable, hurt, or heartbroken. All of which I was, of course.

Luc glanced at Clio, then stepped forward, his eyes on my face. "Thais," he said again in a low voice. "I never meant to hurt you or Clio. I never meant for this to happen."

"How could it not!" I exclaimed. "What were you thinking, you bastard?"

"Neither of you mentioned, having a sister," he said, "I actually didn't know if you knew each other."

"So what?"

I exploded. "You knew we were sisters! Not only sisters, but twins! You knew what you were doing! And you were lying through your teeth and using us. You even gave us different names! I don't even know your name! How long did you expect to get away with it?" I shook my head in disbelief, 1 know the lies you were telling me" I said in a lower voice,"I don't even want to think about what you were doing with Clio."

"Maybe he was hoping for a three-way," Clio said behind me, and I winced,

"Of course I wasn't!" Luc said angrily; then he forcibly got himself under control. He looked away from me, and it made my soul hurt to see the profile I'd traced with my fingers, my lips. I felt beyond heartbroken and didn't know how I would stand the pain,

"I'm sorry, Thais," he said, "Everything happened so fast-I didn't expect us all to take everything so… seriously,"

I stared at him,

"But we did-and I took you both very seriously, in my way," he went on, his voice dark and strained, "Thais-my name is Luc, Luc-Andre Martin, I do live where I told you. I have been in New Orleans only a few months," He lowered his voice, his dark blue eys focused intently on mine, "Everything I told you about how I felt about you is true. Everything I said when we were together was absolutely sincere and from my heart,"

"What?"

Clio burst out, storming past me. "So you were being sincere with her? What was I? Nothing? A diversion? You fricking bastard!"

"No, Clio-of course I care about you. You're beautiful. Fun and exciting. You make me forget- "

"Now you can forget about both of us!” I cried, "Get out of here!"

Luc looked first at Clio, then at me, and raised one hand as if to ask me for something. In his eyes I saw both regret and anger, and I hardened my heart against him.

"Thais-"

If he didn't get out of here this second, I was going to turn into a shrieking, frothing, out-of-control banshee. "You're a lying, faithless bastard," I said, speaking slowly and clearly to keep myself from breaking down, 'And I'll hate you for the rest of my life." I turned on my heel and went back inside the house. Clio snapped something else at him, then she came in and crashed the door shut so hard that one of its stained glass panes cracked.

She and I were both wild-eyed, breathing hard, shaking.

"I put the guard spells back on the gate," she muttered. 'Took 'em off for the party."

Racey, Eugenie, Delia, and Kris peeped out from the workroom. Racey took one look at us and immediately assumed a brisk, no-nonsense control.

"Into the kitchen," she said, motioning with her hand. "Come on"

I followed Clio into the kitchen and almost fell into a chair.

"I need a shot of something," Clio said faintly, "For medicinal purposes."

"No-no alcohol" said Racey firmly, "Here. Racey's private recipe. Guaranteed to help soothe frayed nerves." She poured two cups of a steaming herbal tea and set them in front of us.

Mindlessly I took my cup and drank, not caring that it was too hot. I saw Clio pass her hand over her cup, as if to feel the steam, and then she drank without wincing.

Within two minutes I felt like someone was smoothing aloe on all the burning pain inside me, over my heart that felt wrapped in barbed wire, around my mind that felt like acid had been dumped on it. The tea was putting out fire after fire, and I found I could almost think clearly.

"I feel better" I said, looking up at Racey. "Thanks. I'll have to get that recipe."

She smiled at me. "You 11 be able to come up with one yourself soon."

I put my head in my hands. She meant if I learned magick. Which reminded me of the awful vision Clio and Td had, right before Luc had ripped our hearts out.

This was pretty much one of the top-three worst nights of my entire life.

"I think we're going to go," said Delia. "Unless you need us to stay?

Clio shook her head and drank more tea, "No" she said, her voice thin. "Thanks, guys. And thanks for cleaning up and everything."

Til call you tomorrow" Eugenie said. Clio gave a wan smile and nodded.

"Want me to stay?" Racey asked after the other three had left.

Clio glanced up at me and bit her lip. "That's okay," she said softly. "I guess we can take it from here. But thank you." She stood up and hugged Racey.