Triple Infinity (8 page)

Triaten grinned at her. “Really? You’re going to apologize for apologizing?”

“Ugh. I can’t even apologize for that now, can I?” She shook her head in mock shame. “Okay, your turn. So what’s your crap? Aside from your ex, that is. Good parents or bad?”

It was Triaten’s turn to take a long draw of the whiskey. “My birth mother disappeared almost immediately after I was born. I’ve never known her. I was raised by my father.”

“Was that the man you were talking to in the study this morning? I wasn’t eavesdropping, I just passed by on my way up the stairs, and heard you talking to what sounded like an older man. I saw him in the window on the way in, and thought there was a similarity to you.”

“It was.”

“Was he a good dad?”

A wry smile touched Triaten’s face. “I wouldn’t quite classify him as a ‘dad.’ Father is truly the term for him.”

“So no ball throwing in the backyard for you?”

“No, there was definitely not a game of catch with pop going on in my childhood.”

“Was he the only one around?”

Triaten’s face softened. “I was lucky for a while. There was a woman, Susan,
that raised me until I was five. Father was not around much. She was a nanny, but I called her ma. She was the best.”

“Looks like you loved her.”

“I did.”

“What happened to her
?”

She was pregnant with a half-breed and
Panthenites don’t always play well with humans,
Triaten thought.

“She moved on.” He could only produce
a short answer for Shiv.

Given what happened with Mary a few months ago, and her involvement with the disposal of half-breed babies, Triaten now wondered what really had happened to Susan. While he knew he had several half-siblings throughout the world
— all born to his father and various Panthenite mothers in effort to rebuild the race — he had always wondered if Susan had given birth and he actually had one more half-sibling. He looked for records of her several times throughout the years, but it was as though she had disappeared after leaving the mountain. Not that the records were particularly good in the late 1800’s.

“It was hard, I take it?” Shiv’s eyes were brimming with compassion.

Triaten’s head cocked to the side. The wind had picked up and golden aspen leaves began falling, gently twirling to the earth around them. “It was. At the time I thought my life was ruined. But it was a long time ago. And I learned who to love and who to avoid in the process.”

She leaned into him with a chuckle. “Ah-ha. There it is. Which makes you good at casual relationships too, huh?”

“I am, aren’t I?”

“So far, not too shabby. I kind of knew I had a kindred spirit in you in that regard.”

They both watched the dancing leaves, hypnotic as they landed on the water, creating little boats before saturation sunk them. The crushing sound of the waterfall filled the silence, affording each a spell of quiet contemplation.

Eventually, Shiv grabbed the flask sitting between them and took another sip. “How much more time do we have?”

Triaten’s hand covered his eyebrows as he tilted his head upward to take in the sun’s angle. “Another hour should do. It’ll give us enough time to get up there and back down to the ranch before dark. Why? Do you need to get back?”

“No,” her hand slipped over his leg, fingers trailing
down along his inner thigh, “I just didn’t want to start something that couldn’t get finished. You game?”

Triaten watched a crimson leaf helicopter onto her head. She laughed at it, draped half over her forehead, and plucked it off. She tucked it behind her ear. A mountain version of tropical beauty.

“Always, love.” His arm went around her waist, picking her up and situating her on his lap.

Her fingers curled into his hair as she bent over, her mouth almost touching his. “Before we do this. It doesn’t mean a thing?”

Triaten smiled. “For me, no. You?”

“No, not a thing.” Her lips touched his, soft and still cold from the swim in the river.

It turned out that Triaten’s ravishing of Shiv’s body took two hours, so they had to book it up the mountainside. Before the clearing even entered into sight, Triaten could hear the drunken sounds of DeLisio and Shafar. He had given them one too many bottles of wine. Their brashness, invading all corners of the forest around them, only expanded once Shiv and Triaten pulled into the clearing.

They were sitting on a few large boulders, and at first, Triaten wasn’t sure if they were arguing or jovial, as both men’s arms were flailing wildly at whatever they were talking about, half in French and half in English.

When Triaten pulled closer and cut the engine of his ATV, he realized they were talking — passionately — about an Italian soap opera. Triaten stifled a laugh. Never would he have guessed that one. He could have saved everyone a lot of trouble, and just turned on the TV to get these two talking.

Neither
acknowledged Triaten’s presence as he came to a stop directly in front of them.

“Shafar, DeLisio,” he interrupted
briskly, with a nod to each, “You made it up here without too much trouble, I presume?”

DeL
isio patted Shafar’s shoulder. “Fine, fine. Shafar is a mastermind when it comes to your machines over fallen trees.”

Shafar, a powerful billionaire, glowed at the complement
like a teenage girl that just got asked out on her first date. “And DeLisio is a mastermind at keeping bottles of wine unbroken.”

Gales of slurred laughter overtook both men. Triaten sighed. All he could read in either’s mind at the moment were jumbled, jabbing thoughts that skittered around like jackrabbits. Typical drunken minds. Triaten didn’t know how much progress the two had made in the negotiations over the land. But at least they knew how to drink together. That was a step in the right direction.

Now the only problem was getting them back down the mountain safely. Darkness had started to move across the sky, and he wasn’t going to let either drive down the mountain.

Shiv walked up to stand next to Triaten, s
taring at the two. The frown had already set her face long as she watched the two men.

Both were gawking stupidly at Shiv. Triaten stared at them, debating as to which one would be less handsy.

“All right, we need to get down the mountain right now. So Shafar, you’re riding with me. DeLisio, you ride with Shiv. We’ll have your ATVs brought back down in the morning.”

Triate
n could feel the glare Shiv fired at him, but he resisted looking down at her. He’d just have to deal with her ire later.

“Come, come, my flower.” DeLisio grabbed Shiv’s arm and pulled her to her
ATV.

Shiv
walked woodenly along with him, her eyes still trained with fury at Triaten. All he could do was give her a pleading look and mouth the word “sorry.”

If Shiv’s anger hadn’t been so palpable, it would have been comical how quickly DeLisio settled himself on the back of Shiv’s four-wheeler and wrapped his arms tight around her wais
t. It was a small favor she wore a chest protector, so DeLisio could only get so far in groping her. Or so Triaten hoped. He cringed as it looked like DeLisio was about to lay his head down on Shiv’s shoulder. But at that moment, Shiv started the ATV and jerked it forward, snapping DeLisio’s head backward.

Triaten chuckled to himself as he put his helmet on. Shiv would handle him just fine.

~~~

They were down the mountain quickly, taking the easiest trail. Triaten led, but was pushed at every corner by Shiv. She wanted out of the situation, and away from the drunk Frenchman, as swiftly as possible. Not that Triaten liked Shafar nearly passing out on his back. And he wasn’t so convinced he wasn’t going to get puked on.

It was dusk when they finally arrived at the front door of the well-lit ranch. After skidding to a stop, Shiv flew from the ATV’s seat, stepping widely around DeLisio as he followed her off. She avoided his hands trailing after her body, and went to stand next to Triaten as she removed her gear. Triaten took a step forward, positioning her slightly, but pointedly, behind him.

DeLisio looked momentarily stunned, then shrugged as his attention turned over to Shafar.

“Come, my friend,” Shafar said, walking over to DeLisio and throwing his arm over his shoulders. “We must go and drink more wine. This company does us no good.”

“Excellent idea,” DeLisio replied, but
he still gave one last longing look at Shiv. But then he turned, and with wide grins, the two stumbled up the porch and into the ranch.

Triaten watched the two, hope growing
for the possibility of a peaceful accord by the two of them. He was not looking forward to cleaning up the mess if the two couldn’t come to an understanding.

Shiv’s obvious throat-clear brought his at
tention back to the current storm waiting right next to him. Even in the fading light, Triaten could see the scarcely controlled rage pulsating through Shiv’s body.

Y
et she managed to gently set down her helmet and protective gear on the back of Triaten’s ATV, belying the fury that shook her hands. She wouldn’t look up at him, even as she spoke, but her voice was casual and light.

“Let’s just say, Triaten, that after that ride down the mount
ain. Me staying here, for free…” Her face finally tilted up to him, and her eyes were hard. “We’re even. Actually...you owe me big-time after that.”

Triaten
couldn’t fight it. “You’re right. I ran out of options and you paid the price. I thought he would be the better of the two. I hope it wasn’t too horrible, love?” His hand went to her shoulder.

She jerked out from his grip. “His hands were in places yours have never been.”

“Ouch — well, I could find the places and apologize.”

The levity wasn’t welcome. Her hands clenched, and Triaten thought for a moment
he was about to get slapped. Instead, Shiv took a step away.

“Sorry again, love. Not funny yet.”

“Not funny. Ever.” Her words were scolding, but her voice still managed to be light. Triaten wasn’t sure how she managed the paradox, for her entire body was choking in indignation.

“I am going to go wash the filth off of me
— again.”

“Can I do anything, get you anything?”

She shook her head. “Just leave me alone. And promise me I never have to cross path with either one again.”

“Done.”

Shiv walked away, and had reached the porch stairs when Triaten interrupted her. “Shiv.”

She turned and looked at him, ebbing fury now replaced with drooping shoulders.

“Thank you. You’ve done more than you’ll ever know.”

Shiv just shrugged, non-belief evident, and went into the ranch.

Triaten knocked lightly on Shiv’s door. It was late morning and the smalti tiles from Italy had just arrived. He wasn’t sure if she’d be happy to see them, or still be in the throttle-him mood. He knocked again.

No answer.

Triaten was on the stairs going back down to the main level when the front door opened and Shiv walked in, a dreary blast of cold drizzle
flowing in around her. Rafe trotted in at her heels.

Her eyes were alight as she closed the door and stepped into the foyer. She pushed back her hood and pulled ear buds out of her ears when she saw Triaten on the stairs.

“Did I see the delivery truck coming up? Rafe and I were walking on the trail by the road and I saw the truck go by. Did they bring what I’m hoping for?”

Triaten stepped down the rest of the stairs, a bit leery at her cheer. Rafe took the moment to dog-shake. Wet droplets went flying.

“Really, Rafe?” Shiv wiped a spot off her cheek that had splattered up, then bent over and scratched him under the ear. “You’re just lucky you’re so darn sweet, puppy.”

“Shiv, first, about last night.”

She stood up and waved her hand to stop him. “Don’t worry about it. There wasn’t much choice at the time. It was unfortunate, but I’m a big girl and I’m past it.”

“Really?” Triaten frowned,
still skeptical.

“R
eally. Now, about this delivery. I’m not sure I actually believe you got them here in a day, but I’m willing to be impressed by your wizardry.”

Man, she can
compartmentalize,
Triaten thought. But he’d take it. “Well then, prepare yourself to be dumbfounded by my resourcefulness. All of it came, the tiles — they’re in the library. Along with all the cement and tools you should need. Shall we go take a look?”

Shiv was like a kid on Christmas morning when they got into the library. She scurried from box to box for an hour, pulling out the small square tiles, in all possible colors. The glass tiles with
particularly beautiful depths of color, she would hold up to the dreary light coming in from the window, studying the color, how it reflected, and how it moved in and out of darkness. She didn’t hesitate to make Triaten her manservant, directing him to pull out sets of tile and position them throughout the library, so there was ample room to work.

All the boxes opened, she pulled out several more detailed sketches that she had done that morning before her
walk with Rafe. She began to scale up the scene and do a rough trace on the floor. Triaten was well-aware she was in her element, the passion for the work evident in her flushed face and near manic work. He didn’t think she noticed when he left the room.

Triaten interrupted her after a couple more hours. Stewart had made a huge spread for lunch, per Triaten’s request, encouraging with full bellies the sequestered negotiations that had been going on all morning between DeLisio and Shafar.
Also a step in the right direction, Triaten was pleased that each had only one additional man in the room. Hopefully, that meant real progress. 

He stepped into the library to see Shiv balancing on the arms of a chair from the study across the hall.
She held her hair back in a ponytail as she stared down at the outlines on the floor from her high perch. She didn’t acknowledge Triaten come in.

Triaten sighed. He wasn’t going to let Shiv sacrifice eating for his floor. It was clear from her work when she first got there, and now with the tile, that she ignored everything around her when she was engrossed in a project.

He cleared his throat. Shiv jumped, and almost slipped off the chair before catching her balance. She shot him an annoyed look and stepped down off the chair, quickly kneeling down with her pencil and elongating the arm of one of the goddesses. Happy with the change, she looked up at him.

“A little warning, next time? I almost broke my neck.”

Triaten hid a smile. “I was standing there for five minutes. That was the warning. And you could have asked for a ladder. We do have several around here.”

“Okay,” she stood up, tucking the pencil behind her ear, “I need a ladder.”

“All yours. But you need to come eat lunch first.”

“I’d rather keep working.”

“Understood. But I’d rather you stop for a moment and eat. I don’t even want to think about all the explaining I’ll have to do when your sister gets back, because of our...activities. So don’t put me in the position of having to explain the malnourishment of her little sister, too.”

Shiv crossed her arms. “Skye doesn’t need to know anything about what we’ve been up to. And I doubt she’d even care if she did know. She likes you, right?”

“She does. And I’d like to keep it that way.”

“Then why would she care if we’ve been enjoying each other’s company? I’m guessing her life hasn’t been the purest.”

Triaten shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. You’re her little sister. And Skye is nothing but all-out when it comes to those she loves. That, I’ve seen first-hand.”

“Well then, we just won’t let it slip.” Shiv looked down at the outline of the figures on the floor, then back up at Triaten. “Okay, I’ve been officially interrupted. I may as well eat. Have you already eaten?”

“Just waiting for you, love.”

~~~

Triaten and Shiv sat opposite each other at the large wooden table in the kitchen, lounging over the Russian Chicken Kiev and roasted vegetables that Stewart had managed to save from the voracious appetites of the twenty-plus French and Arab men.

Stewart was already busy preparing the dishes for dinner, and the clanking
and sweet smells in the kitchen created a warm refugee from the chill that had moved in with the mist. Rafe sat, per usual, at their feet, waiting for a morsel to be dropped.

The phone rang, stopping
Triaten’s fork halfway to his mouth. He watched over Shiv’s shoulder as Stewart wiped his flour-covered hand on his apron, and picked up the phone. He listened for a moment, and then held out the phone to Triaten.

Triaten pushed back the wooden bench, and grabbed the phone. “This is Triaten.”

A gasp echoed at the other end of the line, and then the smallest voice followed. “Triaten...”

Triaten turned away from Shiv to face the back door. “Charlotte?” Disbelief laced the word.

“Tri...I...oh god — I don’t know what to say...” her voice petered out as the line crackled.

A
n awkward pause elongated before Triaten spoke, his voice now hard. “Why did you call?”

“Tri. I don’t know. There’s something going on...And I missed you, your voice.”

“I’m going to ignore the last part.” He paused, pulling the phone away from his ear and almost hanging up. But he had to ask. He put the phone back to his head. “What is going on?”

“
I know I shouldn’t have called...”

“No. You’re right. But now that you have, what’s going on?”

“I’m not quite sure. It’s just a feeling, I guess. Something is in the air here.”

“Is there anything concrete that you know of?”

“No.”

“Then what is it, Charlotte? Is this just about the
flame moon? Are you just looking for something to happen?”

“I don’t know, Tri. I guess...” There was a long stretch of silence on Charlotte’s end. “I guess I shouldn’t have called.”

“No. You shouldn’t have.”

A sigh,
stifling a quiver, came softly over the phone. “You still there?”

Triaten didn’t answer her right away, inst
ead, his eyes closed as his chin went down and he leaned his forehead against the door.

“Tri?”

“I’m here.”

“I just need you to know...” she stopped as her voice cracked. A deep
breath, and her voice came back strong. “Take care, Triaten.”

With no answer, Triaten hung up the phone, wondering what the hell
he was supposed to do with that random phone call.

He turned around to face the kitchen. Stewart had
, at some point, exited the room, but Shiv still sat at the table. The moment he turned around, she jerked her eyes back to the table, busying herself with her plate.

Triaten walked silently around the table and sat down across from Shiv. He stared at his half-full plate of chicken, but made no motion to continue to eat.

Shiv nibbled, watching him for several minutes. “So that was her? You want to talk about it?”

Triaten’s head jerked up, looking at Shiv sharply. Wordless, he got up from the table and walked out the back door into the drizzle.