Dreamwalker

11- Promises

Soutine was back in prison. Well, he knew he was going back in prison, but that didn't mean he liked it. The whole room stank from piss and mold. One lone window high on the wall let sunlight enter. And yes, Soutine was chained up again. Both wrists hanging from the walls were starting to sting from constant pressure. If only Soutine could move around a bit he might be happier.

Something knocked on the door. He perked up a little bit when he saw Piano swing the door open. "Come to visit again?" he asked.

"Not me," Piano replied ominously.

"What do you-- oh."

A woman with messy hair pulled up in a bun and orange freckles all over her face stormed into the cell, and, without warning, slapped Soutine across the face. She had the sleeves of her black dress rolled up to her elbows so she could use the most of her strength. "You lying snake! You disgusting swine! You horrible, horrible, worthless worm!"

"Hello, Devon," Soutine muttered, blinking tears out of his eyes as his cheek burned.

"Don't you 'hello' me! Where is my daughter?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

Devon pulled her hand back and slapped Soutine on the other cheek. "Where is she?" she bellowed.

"Devon, please," Piano said from the other side of the room.

She turned on her heel and shook her finger at Piano. "Don't tell me what to do! It's been almost fifteen years since I've seen my daughter and it's all thanks to this-- this--" She spluttered, trying to think of the worst insult she could throw at him.

"I did what was best for her," Soutine interrupted.

"What was best for her was to stay with her mother. I can't believe you would kidnap her and take her away from me. I can't believe I trusted you in the first place!"

"First of all," retorted Soutine, "she wanted to come with me, so how about everyone stops calling me a kidnapper? She wanted to leave Solancee, she told me so herself. She had more brains than all of you put together and she could hardly walk!"

Devon folded her arms over her chest. She looked like she might cry. "It doesn't matter. I loved her too."

"I wanted her to have a real childhood."

"She could have been part of something that changed the course of history."

"Or she could grow up like a normal girl. Devon, I did what was best for her, I swear."

Devon turned away from Soutine so she could wipe her eyes on her sleeve. It was so characteristically similar to Bell that Soutine felt a stabbing pain in his chest. "I can't believe you," Devon muttered. "I just can't believe you. You tore our family apart without a second thought. I don't care if you used to be Laurier's little pet, I would kill you right now if Piano weren't here, with my own two hands. Don't think I would hesitate."

Soutine felt a little ashamed, even though he knew he had done the right thing. "I wish there was another way. I just wanted her to have the best chance."

"You're just the same. So self-important. So proud. Well, I have news for you." Devon turned around again and poked him hard in the chest. If her fingernails were longer, she might have ripped his shirt. "I'm not going to listen to you anymore, so there. Bell is my only concern. She could save the project. She could be the last piece of the puzzle to bring magic back to the world. You know this, Violin. You knew it and you took our last chance away. The whole country was depending on her."

"You see her as an object, not as a human being," Soutine answered quietly.

"Say that again! Say that I don't love my daughter!" Devon roared, balling her fist up and punching him in the gut. He fell limp in his chains, wheezing and groaning and tensing his abdomen.