The Rose of Anthacena

Chapter 23

The doorbell rang when Kaysey was in the middle of washing dishes, almost up to her elbows in water. Sighing impatiently, she quickly dried her hands off before answering the door. When she opened it, she stopped and stared in surprise.

There were two men waiting outside, and Kaysey had never seen either one of them. She tapped her fingers nervously on the door.

"Um...hello," she said uncertainly. They looked at each other, and an unspoken message passed between them.

"Hello," replied the taller of the two. He was probably about six feet tall, Kaysey thought, with green eyes and pale blond hair. The other one had black hair and was wearing sunglasses. In the middle of winter. Kaysey shook her head slightly.

"What can I do for you?" she asked.

"We're here to see Violet," said the blond one. The he said "Violet" brought Kaysey's attention to the fact that he had a very clear English accent.

"Oh. Okay," Kaysey said. Then she realized what the weather was doing. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot what it was like outside. Come on in." They followed her inside, where she led them to the living room. After they had declined the offered seats, Kaysey smiled weakly and said, "Uh-I'll go tell Violet you're here." She was almost out of the room when she turned around and asked, "Who should I tell her is here?" They exchanged another glance.

"She doesn't need our names," replied the blond one. "You can just tell her she has visitors. That will be sufficient." Kaysey nodded, even though she didn't understand one bit. She left and went upstairs to the room she shared with Violet. Violet was sitting on her bed doing something with her phone. She looked up when her sister came into the room.

"Hi, Kaysey," Violet said with a smile.

"Hey, Vi," Kaysey replied, flopping down next to her. "You've, uh, got some visitors."

"Oh, really?" Violet said, interested. "Who?" Kaysey shrugged.

"I don't know," she answered. "They wouldn't give me their names."

"Hm. What do they look like?" Violet asked curiously.

"Well, I couldn't tell you what either one of them are wearing," Kaysey admitted, "but one of them is tall and blond, and the other one is tall with dark hair, and is wearing sunglasses for...some reason."

"Ooh," Violet said as it dawned on her. "Okay. Yeah, I-I know who you're talking about. Um...can you tell them I'll be down soon? I'm talking to Leigha right now, but I can be done in a few minutes," she added by way of explanation.

"Sure," Kaysey agreed, standing up. She left the room and went back downstairs. The visitors looked up expectantly when she entered the living room, their faces turning disappointed when they saw she was not Violet. "Um-she's a little busy at the moment, but she shouldn't be more than a few minutes."

"Thank you," replied the blond one.

"You're welcome," Kaysey said, then hesitated. "If...you don't mind my asking, it would make me feel better if I knew your names." The two exchanged yet another glances.

"It won't hurt anything to tell her, will it?" the dark-haired man asked the other in a whisper. Kaysey noticed that he had an accent like that of his companion.

"Probably not," his friend replied. "But, as always, it's up to you."

"This is Will Turner," the dark-haired one told Kaysey, gesturing to the other man. He paused. "And my name-is Tasmarin Jennings. But most people just call me Arin." Kaysey's eyes grew wide, and she dropped into the nearest chair with a thump.