Apollo's Muse

Candice (A Birdcage) XXIII

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The rest of the morning was spent with Rosa, cuddled up on the back porch out of the snow. Candice watched Lykos chipping away the inside of a log, her hands snuggled into the warm blanket that wrapped her and her sister in a tight cocoon. Lykos wielded the hammer and chisel with surprising grace as he crouched in his boots, black jeans, and a plaid flannel shirt. He glanced at her every now and then as he answered Rosa's questions, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Why is he like this? If I knew him better I'd say he was worried about something.

Mum came out onto the deck bringing them all hot chocolates and cookies, and she cradled the mug in chilled hands, sipping slowly. Rosa scattered cookie crumbs everywhere in her haste, and Lykos laughed at Candice's peeved expression. Rosa held a cookie to his mouth and tried to shove it inside. He bared his teeth and growled, and she dissolved in a fit of giggles.

"Doggie!" she crowed, jumping back as he snapped the cookie from her fingers in one bite, gulping it down.

If that wasn't so cute, I'd be grossed out.

She hid a smile. Rosa was delirious with joy to have such an unusual playmate.

"Treats, doggie, treats!" She started throwing cookies at him and he tried to catch them all, goofing around with a curl clinging to the corner of his mouth. Candice fixated on it for a second, and realized she'd been caught staring. He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and she blushed, covering her cheeks with her palms. Rosa poked her.

"I think it's ready."

Lykos held up the hollowed log. "I think you're right."

He screwed a chain into the top, and grabbed a small bag of birdseed, handing it to Rosa.

“C’mon, lazy bones. It’s time to hang it up.” 

Candice reluctantly uncurled her legs from the warm blanket and followed them around the corner of the house, her boots sinking into the deep snow. Rosa leaped over the drifts, following in Lykos’ footsteps. The little girl grabbed his hand and dragged him to her window, almost falling flat on her face in the process. 

It must have snowed like crazy last night! Candice thought, straggling behind and watching the two play-fighting. He was laughing, playfully snatching at the bag of birdseed Rosa held out of his reach. She pushed him away and was dancing around, kicking snow at him. It clung awkwardly to the back of his jeans, and he retaliated, scooping up a snowball and hurling it at her. It struck her smack across the middle of her chest, and she shrieked, her eyes brightening at the prospect of a good snowball fight. 

Mum opened the window with a click.

“Rosa! Leave Lykos alone! You’ll end up breaking the birdhouse, and then all the birdies will starve and not like you anymore.” 

Rosa’s eyes widened in horror. 

“No! Lykos! Hang it up for the birdies!”

He rolled his eyes at her, before turning and hammering a sturdy ring into the underside of the eave, and clipping on the chain. A startled song thrush scrambled from the gutter, blustering angrily at the disturbance. The birdhouse dangled at just the right height outside the window, and Candice could imagine the afternoons her sister would spend watching the birds feeding.

She won’t get bored of them for a long while. Especially not when the chicks hatch.

Rosa pointed and shouted, clapping her hands in glee. 

Dad should be here, she thought. He should be doing these kinds of things with us. She then saw Lykos cover his ears with a grimace, and tilted her head, confused.

What’s that all about?

He felt her gaze and looked up, his eyes blurred with pain.

Jesus! What is happening!? Is he sick?

Rosa was oblivious, babbling merrily and climbing into his arms, using his elevated height to pour the seeds into the bird feeder. She hopped down and grabbed his hand, about to drag him back to the house.

“Wait, Rosa, wait. You go ahead and get ready to see your friend, okay? We’ll be right along.” Candice was surprised how firm her voice sounded. Apparently, so was Rosa. She stared at her sister for a moment.

“Okay.” She shrugged and ran into the house, her beanie with its little blue pom pom bouncing as she ran up the porch steps. 

Candice watched as he pressed his palm to his forehead, teeth clenched.

“What’s wrong, Lykos?” She touched his arm, concerned. 

He sighed, and ran his hand gently through her long curls. “Just a headache, Candy. Nothing major. I guess I should get back home.”

She bit back her disappointment, trying to smile. “Yeah, I guess.”

He glanced at her sharply. “Gods, Candice! I don’t mean it like that… I’m not trying to escape from you. Anything but.”

“I won’t blame you if you did,” she sighed. “Rosa practically pulled out your hair. I’m sorry—“

“No!” he interrupted her harshly. “It’s honestly, honestly, honestly, not you!” He grabbed her upper arms and squeezed to make his point, his eyes a bit wild. “I love her, she’s so sweet, just like my cousins back home. I just… its the… the…” he groaned, his hands screwed up into tight fists.

“Weird stuff?” she supplied helpfully.

“Yeah.” He looked relieved. “You understand. Gods, this is so crazy. I had a snow fae visit me the other night, and then my Dad gave me a book, and my head feels like someone’s prying it open with forks…”

She stared at him. “Wow. My dreams haven’t been that adventurous.”

“These aren’t dreams,” he rasped. “I’m serious. I need to get out of here for a bit, Candy, I’m sorry. I’ll be back tonight, okay? I just need some space. It’s not you. I promise.”

Candy! Candy, Candy… I love the way he calls me that… 

“Okay.” She felt a rush of bravery zip through her veins, and reached out her hand to touch his cheek. She could feel the slight stubble of his shaven skin, so warm under her chilled fingertips that she almost jumped back in shock. He stared at her, his eyes like burning black pools. 

“I’ll be back tonight,” he said, his voice deepening to a rumble. He grabbed his long woolen cloak from the porch, and moment later he was vaulting over the top of the garden wall. He paused, and crouched, his boots secure on the stone barrier. 

“And you... you make sure you eat your dinner,” he called, his tone brooking no protests. She nodded her assent, watching as a flurry of snow fell from beneath his boots. 

He was gone. 

A lonely robin cheeped miserably as he sat on the eaves, eying the birdhouse suspiciously. Rosa’s playmate’s mother drove a big Jeep into the yard, and Candice watched, unseen, as Mum greeted the woman, while Rosa and the other child danced around in the snow, shrieking. An empty feeling gnawed at her chest as she walked slowly back inside, heading for her room.

I really hope he’s okay.

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