To Be Determined

Chapter Eight: Dollhouse

I walk into a heated discussion about historical graveyards in the next room over.
Iliad talks with his hands, sitting on the edge of his seat. 

"No, no, by far the most amazing cemetery is in Greenwood. The sheer architecture alone is a real jaw-dropper. Not to mention the surrounding view! The ruins of skyscrapers on the skyline, affluent neighborhoods reduced to rubble. Yet it all stays as still as the day that it was erected."
I lean in the doorway.

 "Please say erect again. I like the way your mouth moves when you do."

Asha gags at my comment. Iliad gives me that famous smirk. "Do I need to go to the school board and report sexual harassment from my professor again?"

"You two need to figure out how to not be nasty 24/7." Asha leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. The green box in my hand catches his attention. "What do you have there Olive?"

"Nicolaj gave me a tarot deck. He insisted that I learn the cards, develop a relationship with each of them."

"They should speak to you. Their cards are any magician's greatest tool. I'm surprised that you aren't already acquainted, especially considering your current relationship with members of the major arcana."

I open the box gently and pull them out. They feel heavy, as though I am holding entire worlds in the palm of my hand. I begin to shuffle them, a dozen whispers fill my ears at a time as my fingertips come in contact with the edges of their respective cards.

"Oooooh Lyvia, what do the cards say about me?" Iliad asks, blatantly mocking me. He leans forward on his elbows, both fists digging into his cheeks. I roll my eyes and grab a card from the middle of the deck. I slap it down on the table in front of him.

"Ooh, 8 of wands, reversed," Asha says, smiling.

"What does that even mean?" Iliad asks looking at me. I lean down until my face is right in his.

"The cards are telling you to stop being such a fucking Aries all of the time."

"God, you're hot when you're pissed off." I can feel my cheeks getting hotter, electricity zinging the cells of my epidermis. "Do you have any idea what I would do to you right now if your brother wasn't in the room?"

"I can leave."

"Please do," Iliad says, not taking his eyes off of me.

"Sit down Ashara I swear to god."

"Aight bro ima boutta head out." He runs out of the room as fast and as dramatic as he can.
Iliad laughs quietly and gently touches my wrist. "You wanna take a seat?"

I crack a smile and sit down next to him.

"You know, I'm pretty sure that if you want alone time with me Asha would understand. I'm pretty irresistible," Iliad laughs a little.

"Is everything a joke to you?"

"Mostly yeah. Everything but you." He grabs my hand and puts it up to his cheek. He feels like pure sunshine. "Lyvia, what do you want when we're done with all of this chaos?"

"I don't know if the chaos will ever end, Ily." This entire week has shaken me to the core.

"It will. It always does." He kisses my hand and sets it back down. "I've been thinking. You are the strongest, most stubborn woman that I've ever met and I love that about you."

"But?"

"No buts. I want to help you in any way that you need. I've been too busy trying to protect you that I haven't been supportive of your journey. I wanna change that."