At my question, I noticed first that the boys became confused. They were still sporting looks that claimed that I was lying, that I was wasting time, but at the same time, I could see the doubt of their own selves, of their own story accounts, like they weren’t sure of their earlier stance.
I saw it in Adam’s jerk, and his subtle staggering back, as if I had dealt him a blow. I saw it in Noah’s lip biting intermittent motions. I saw it in Daniel’s subtle shifting of feet, and twitching hands.
Then, I saw Adam dart a glance at his brother, Noah, then at himself-an inward look into his mind-as if trying to recall something that seemed out of his grasp.
His brothers were in the same turmoil, and if I wasn’t hearing their heart rate, if I wasn’t as confused as they are, I might have called them liars. But my ears were attuned to their heart rate, my eyes were attuned to the several emotions that ran through their face in split seconds. The triplets were confused.
They were confused about the doubt that sat on them, about the likelihood of the truthness of my statement and what that could mean for them. They were confused with what their minds were giving them. They were confused with the implications thereof. They were confused that they were deliberating on the thoughts at all.
I wish I can read minds too. I mused, still perusing their countenance. That way I would know, and understand, the exact thought that was confusing all of us. I was damn curious.
“What’s going on here?” Rachel asked suddenly, probably tired of not being the centre of attention, interrupting the silence that was beginning to get uncomfortable. She was however ignored. So, the silence continued, not until Raul cracked his throat a few minutes later.
“We…don’t know.. what you are talking about.” Adam finally spoke, speaking for himself and his brothers. He stuttered rather. I have never seen him stutter. That added to my list of things to hold against him, my list of things to uphold my memory against him. Why would he stutter like that if he was completely innocent?
I piqued an eyebrow, getting rid of the confusion on my face too, like Adam and his brothers had done a second after his speech. I knew though that when they got home, there will be a lot of thinking and research. I knew that they weren’t entirely exonerated from what had happened to me either.
I’m not sure what had truly happened, but I’m sure they had a huge play. I thought, remembering the girl that had taken me out of the hall that night, the girl that had been the tool to kickstart a series of events. The girl that had Claire’s strange eyes. I quickly sent the memory intentionally to my other, curious to know her response. There was none. She just saw it, and kept her cool.
‘What do you think?’
‘Please…’
‘I think she is a mage. And she has a huge play to what had happened that night. Find her, and you can most likely find out what really happened that night, and why your lover had suddenly turned to your enemy. This is not a tag to fall into tango with the triplets though. Their confusion of the event, could be anything else peculiar to them. It doesn’t exonerate them from being the ones that had killed you. No tango until we get the truth.’
I nodded my head in agreement. I had no plans of tango-ing with the triplets, never mind that as I looked at them now, certain questions were beginning to pop in my head, in addition to the tiredness that had suddenly crept into my bones. What I had seen, wasn’t what I had expected, yet I just wanted to go home, eat and sleep. Maybe I will think more coherently when I woke up.
I noticed then that Adam had noticed my hesitation to speak. “You don’t seem to like our answers. You were expecting something else…”
He has gotten over the confusion that had been wracking his head.
“Not really, I have already gotten what I want. Now, if you will excuse me…” I spoke, grabbing Raul’s hand to move, no longer having the strength to speak, but then Adam blocked my path.
“I and my brothers don’t fare well with dafamation. Daniel told you that earlier, didn’t he? But you had been so stubborn. Now, what are you going to do about that?”
I looked at Adam from the hair of his head, to the sole of his feet, in such a way that spoke of the boy as disgusting, trying to muster the last strength I had to end this once and for all.
“Defamation? What defamation? You three did what I said you did. Your reactions after I spoke confirmed that you did. I’m not sure if maybe your father had put you three through some kind of forgetting protocol, because the scenes I had described had triggered something in your minds…you three lost your earlier faces of incredulity.”
I stamped my feet on the floor as I said this, my hand still clasped with an impatient Raul. I’m not sure what his thoughts on this matter was really, but I knew that he just wanted to leave.
Adam sighed, and ruffled his hair, the same look overshadowing his face again-frustration and confusion. Something had surely happened, but it was in the dark, and I will find it out.
“So, where is Maya?” He asked finally, folding his arms across his chest. His two brothers echoed the same question by the stance they quickly took.
I scoffed. “If you were Maya, would you want to meet your tormentors? Would you want to meet the people that beat you up and left you for dead for no just cause…”
Adam flung his arms, unable to sit on the frustration anymore. “I have no idea why you keep hampering on this. I didn’t…”
I waved him shut with magic. Surprise first showed on his face when he tried speaking, but couldn’t. His frantic hums got the attention of his brothers to his condition. They were incredulous. They glared at me. I wasn’t concerned.
“You might think that you didn’t, but she knows that you three did. So, stop trying to make a case, and shut your mouth.” I muttered tiredly, rubbing my free hand on my forehead. “Don’t ask me about Maya again. She’s not interested in seeing you guys, ever again. She’s not the same person either, coma and all that.”
Noah gasped fitfully, fully understanding the implication of my lie. The confusion flitted past his face again, confusion why a particular memory wasn’t resonating, or coming up.
I waved Adam’s mouth open.
“I want to see her.” He said, without much ado.
“Let’s get out of here.” I said to Raul, after Adam spoke, not in the mood of any banter.
“Please, Dora…” He blocked my path. “Honestly, I don’t know what to believe either. But I’m sure I wouldn’t do that to her. However, if she has that notion, I would like to apologize.”
He peered down at me as he spoke, such that his breathy scent soared over my face. Raul pulled me back, as if knowing that the former’s scent was making me drowsy.
“I see. I don’t know where she is, I’m sorry.” I curtly stated, confused when he suddenly started laughing. His brothers were confused too. However, just as the laughter had started, he stopped it mid way, and looked at me with a chilly look. A sharp contrast to his pleading face mere seconds ago.
“If you don’t tell me where she is, then I will have to trouble you until you let me have the location. Daniel mentioned last night about the fair game he had spoken to you about. I’m sure that’s why you have been tacky all this while. Well, the game will be on, will continue until you tell me where Maya is.”
Raul shook his head, not understanding whatever game Adam was talking about. Rachael was at loss too. I wondered what she would do when she heard the intricacy of the game, I wondered what the Queen would think if she heard of it.
“What game are you talking about?”
Adam shrugged his shoulders, as if what he was about to say wouldn’t impact the fate of the two kingdoms. “We will all compete fairly for Dora’s attention. Winner gets her, the loser backs down.”
Rachel’s mouth fell open. I would have pited her if she was a good person. But she wasn’t. I sighed, after turning aside and seeing Raul’s expression. So much for the kiss we had shared in the hallway. So much for trying to create a spectacle.
Looking at the determination on Adam’s face, on the faces of his brothers, I knew the faux imagery had been in vain. The triplets were hell bent on making my life miserable, never mind the stupid excuse that they had brought up-location of Maya, and they would let me be.
I was Maya, so what location do I give them?