Henry & Jane: The Rectaliss

chap. seven

            "You don't think Illiana really took it, do you?" Marvo questioned, wrapping his hand in a washcloth. The map laid on the ground in the same position, unbothered, the dried, red circle around Bartley screaming at them.

            "What other explanation is there?" Abey scoffed. "I know you think I try to villainize her, but the Book of Edith is at our daughter's college who just so happens to have a pretty large grudge against me. Enlighten me."

            Marvo looked over at Abey and shook his head. "Ever since she was a child, she was never good enough for you. You always pushed her too far—wanted her to be the best, even if that's not what she wanted." Marvo stopped himself before he said something he'd regret.

            "We don't have time for this," Abey explained, "let's go."

            "Go where?" Marvo questioned rhetorically. He knew where she wanted to go—Bartley. She would do whatever she had to just to have that book, and that's a dangerous, yet pitiful thing to know.

            "So, what's your game plan, Abey?" Marvo said, sitting down on the bed. He sat in disbelief, putting his palms up and shaking his head slightly. "You're just going to walk into her class and snatch her out?"

            "Well, I am her mother." Abey snarled, crossing her arms. Marvo looked at the ground and rubbed his face in his hands. He could feel his fingers clenching, his muscled tightening around them.

            "Do you remember why our marriage ended to begin with?" Marvo spoke, spit lightly flying out of his mouth as anger slowly rose inside of him.

            "You think you can just do whatever you want, huh? As long as Abey gets her way?"

            Abey looked over at him as he slowly rose from his seat in the bed. Sweat formed on his forehead and his voice grew deeper as if he was speaking quietly yet amplified.

            "Marvo..." Abey said cautiously.

            "That you can make decisions about my daughter and how you'll treat her? Where were you for ten years, Abey? Where were you when I had to teach her how a woman's body works because her mother wanted to pretend that she was still in her twenties?"

            Abey's facial expression grew cold and blank. Her eyes watered hearing him throw that in her face. "You have no right to say that to me."

            Marvo's face began turning red. He opened his mouth slightly, his top lip curling up as spit flew out of his mouth as he breathed out.

            "Marvo, you're starting to scare me." Abey said softly. She moved slowly backwards away from him. Abey kept her eyes on him, though. She stared into his deep, brown eyes, remembering who he was to her. Marvo was the man that stood by her when she was battling addiction. He took her to every appointment, catered to her when she was bedridden battling withdrawal, made sure she kept up with her medication, etc. He was the best husband she could've asked for; she was the one who had some work to do.

            As Abey was shaken out of her thoughts, recognizing his brown eyes again, she realized he had become extremely flushed with red across his face. In an instant, his eyes lit up with fire pouring out of them. His fists curled up in a ball as he slowly began inching toward her.

            "You don't know what I went through for you." He snarled. "It's time you figure out." With one swift motion, he threw his hands down, fire engulfing every inch of them. On his neck, one singular vein of fire crackled from under his shirt, rising and spreading across his face. As if his face was cracking open—an empty cavity doused with flames.