were a child,
like him. He’s much more, um, directly involved. So it went to a
personal level this morning.”
“I really am back in time, aren’t I?”
Clio then sat next to Fleur and wrapped her
arms around her too. “Yes, sweet girl. That is hard to swallow,
isn’t it?”
“Why?” Fleur asked, trying to gain a little
distance from the two, well, muses.
Clio looked at Erato, who nodded. “Okay,
well, we saw what Coyote saw. You aren’t happy. You aren’t you .”
Fleur tried to stand, but could only crawl a
few feet away. “How do you know, hmm? I’m happy. I’m happy .
Yeah, I’m happy.” As soon as she uttered the words she knew the lie
she’d said. It felt like bile in her mouth, and she hunched over
wondering if she would vomit.
Clio and Erato looked at each other, but then
back at Fleur.
Without warning, Fleur felt a tear escape her
eye and trickle down her cheek. She wiped it with the back of her
hand, angry that her body was betraying her.
“All right! I’m not happy. But who the hell
is?”
Erato shrugged. “Generally, I am.”
Clio nodded. “Most often I am too.”
“Yeah, but you’re muses. You don’t
count.”
“Ouch, kitten’s got claws,” Erato said.
Fleur huffed. “I mean, humans. What human is
happy?”
Erato nodded. “I see your point. There are
many humans who aren’t happy, so Clio and I have our work cut out
for ourselves. But this glimpse is so much more than finding
your happiness.”
Fleur shook her head, thinking back. “So,
what? Coyote thinks I’m a shell of what I could be, and you two
think I’m not me. Subsequently, I’m supposed to find myself in
sixteen-freaking-fifty-three? What the hell happens in 1653 that’s
important to me ? What does any of this have to do with me ? If you were really looking out for my best interest,
then you’d have taken me to 947, when—”
“That’s the carbon dating of the Viking
skeleton that your friend Rachel found, isn’t it?” Clio asked. “You
think this has something to do with your work?”
Fleur threw her hands to the slowly darkening
sky. “Ah, duh. Yes! I love my work. It’s the only thing that’s kept
me sane in these last few years. It’s been my one sanctuary. I
can’t even trust Rachel as much as I trust my research and the
clarity I find when I’m conducting it. Why wouldn’t you try to
incorporate my work into my supposed glimpse?”
Clio pursed her lips and looked at Erato. “I
don’t like her attitude.”
“Try to be patient.”
Fleur growled and tried to stand again, but
she felt a powerful hand pull her back down to the garden. Before
she could blink, hands held her own to the dirt, in the dirt. She
looked up into Erato’s crystal turquoise eyes.
“Do you remember when your grandmother taught
you to call back for your spirit when you touched the soil?”
Fleur felt her insides melt then vanish. A
cool breeze swept along her intestines in an unpleasant way. She
remembered days when Na had taught her so many things, things she’d
tried so hard to disregard as the years progressed, because there
was no room for them. There was no place for them when she was
trying so hard just to...What had she been doing? Trying so hard to
survive.
“She remembers,” Clio whispered.
“Yes,” Erato said, her face stern as she held
Fleur’s hands in the dirt a little firmer, “I sent you here to call
back for your spirit, because you’re lost, little girl. You have
been for quite a while. And, yes, I know you can find yourself
here. But there are two reasons why a glimpse is happening,
because, you self-centered creature, it’s not just happening to
you.”
Erato released Fleur and immediately stood,
looking pissed. Clio came to stand beside her sister, taking her
hand in her own. They looked down at Fleur still on the ground,
feeling so small and angry.
“There’s someone here from the future too?”
Fleur asked, even madder at herself from the way her voice cracked
and
like him. He’s much more, um, directly involved. So it went to a
personal level this morning.”
“I really am back in time, aren’t I?”
Clio then sat next to Fleur and wrapped her
arms around her too. “Yes, sweet girl. That is hard to swallow,
isn’t it?”
“Why?” Fleur asked, trying to gain a little
distance from the two, well, muses.
Clio looked at Erato, who nodded. “Okay,
well, we saw what Coyote saw. You aren’t happy. You aren’t you .”
Fleur tried to stand, but could only crawl a
few feet away. “How do you know, hmm? I’m happy. I’m happy .
Yeah, I’m happy.” As soon as she uttered the words she knew the lie
she’d said. It felt like bile in her mouth, and she hunched over
wondering if she would vomit.
Clio and Erato looked at each other, but then
back at Fleur.
Without warning, Fleur felt a tear escape her
eye and trickle down her cheek. She wiped it with the back of her
hand, angry that her body was betraying her.
“All right! I’m not happy. But who the hell
is?”
Erato shrugged. “Generally, I am.”
Clio nodded. “Most often I am too.”
“Yeah, but you’re muses. You don’t
count.”
“Ouch, kitten’s got claws,” Erato said.
Fleur huffed. “I mean, humans. What human is
happy?”
Erato nodded. “I see your point. There are
many humans who aren’t happy, so Clio and I have our work cut out
for ourselves. But this glimpse is so much more than finding
your happiness.”
Fleur shook her head, thinking back. “So,
what? Coyote thinks I’m a shell of what I could be, and you two
think I’m not me. Subsequently, I’m supposed to find myself in
sixteen-freaking-fifty-three? What the hell happens in 1653 that’s
important to me ? What does any of this have to do with me ? If you were really looking out for my best interest,
then you’d have taken me to 947, when—”
“That’s the carbon dating of the Viking
skeleton that your friend Rachel found, isn’t it?” Clio asked. “You
think this has something to do with your work?”
Fleur threw her hands to the slowly darkening
sky. “Ah, duh. Yes! I love my work. It’s the only thing that’s kept
me sane in these last few years. It’s been my one sanctuary. I
can’t even trust Rachel as much as I trust my research and the
clarity I find when I’m conducting it. Why wouldn’t you try to
incorporate my work into my supposed glimpse?”
Clio pursed her lips and looked at Erato. “I
don’t like her attitude.”
“Try to be patient.”
Fleur growled and tried to stand again, but
she felt a powerful hand pull her back down to the garden. Before
she could blink, hands held her own to the dirt, in the dirt. She
looked up into Erato’s crystal turquoise eyes.
“Do you remember when your grandmother taught
you to call back for your spirit when you touched the soil?”
Fleur felt her insides melt then vanish. A
cool breeze swept along her intestines in an unpleasant way. She
remembered days when Na had taught her so many things, things she’d
tried so hard to disregard as the years progressed, because there
was no room for them. There was no place for them when she was
trying so hard just to...What had she been doing? Trying so hard to
survive.
“She remembers,” Clio whispered.
“Yes,” Erato said, her face stern as she held
Fleur’s hands in the dirt a little firmer, “I sent you here to call
back for your spirit, because you’re lost, little girl. You have
been for quite a while. And, yes, I know you can find yourself
here. But there are two reasons why a glimpse is happening,
because, you self-centered creature, it’s not just happening to
you.”
Erato released Fleur and immediately stood,
looking pissed. Clio came to stand beside her sister, taking her
hand in her own. They looked down at Fleur still on the ground,
feeling so small and angry.
“There’s someone here from the future too?”
Fleur asked, even madder at herself from the way her voice cracked
and
Similar Books
