Into the blue
Another rather lengthy entry for therealljidol topic 5: "Bearing false witness," and a continuation of the story from Week 2
Lily hopped out of her car still in a whirlwind. She'd somehow - autopilot, maybe - arrived at the library in short order, an amazing reality tumbling over and over in her head. The possibilities seemed more endless now than they ever had before.
She slung the backpack over one shoulder and ambled up to the door, lingering a little in the kiss of the breeze and the mild sun, then uttering a "thank you" as an instructor stepped back to let her pass. Lily was engulfed in another rush of sensations: the distinctly refrigerated breeze, the unmistakable smell of paper and dust and imagination that she loved more than anything.
Lost in it all as she was, she didn't see him right away. But her senses were all on edge, so she knew the second he began watching her. It was an intense gaze, a little nerveracking, but without a trace of malice or lechery - which confused her when he finally showed himself.
Lily had seen this guy before, and had to stop her mouth from dropping open yet again. Her mother would have called him a tall drink of water, long and lean as he was. He had a thatch of unruly dark brown hair and skin that looked like it never saw the sun, only a touch more pink than the crisp white button-down shirt he wore over dark blue jeans and clean hiking boots.
But his eyes - an insanely bright blue, ringed with a darker shade, fringed with ridiculously thick lashes - made her feel as if she would come out of herself again. It was an odd sensation to feel both frozen to the floor and suffused with warmth. He didn't so much smile at her as slightly raise one corner of his mouth in acknowledgement.
Dear Universe, Lily thought, if this is Gift From Above Day, give me the strength not to faint dead away.
***
She'd seen him on campus before, similarly alone, dressed much the same. He'd flicked a mildly interested glance over her, and after he passed, she'd nudged her friend Kayla in the side.
"Did you get a look at that?" Lily had whispered, eyes popping.
To her surprise, Kayla had only nodded solemnly. "But don't think too much about it," she'd mumbled in return. "I've...heard things about him."
"Like?"
"Well, he's from Scotland."
Lily knit her brows together. "And this is a bad thing...how?"
"It's not that, it's just...well, he's weird."
"Weird how?"
"I don't know, exactly. Amanda wouldn't really say..."
"Amanda? Seriously, K, what are you thinking?"
"I know, but...well. She pointed out that he wears this weird necklace. Like a...pentagram, or something."
"Oh, come on. Even if that's true - and you know, if it's Amanda, it probably isn't - it's called a pentacle, and it's a symbol of earth religion, not devil worship."
Kayla's eyes went wide. "Amanda told me you'd say that. And she said that people who believed that were under the deception of the enemy."
Now Lily was annoyed, and unafraid to show it. "Kayla. Seriously? How long have you known me? How long have we both known Amanda? For somebody who has her head so deeply in the Good Book, she's not very good with honesty. I'm not deceived, and Hot Scotty over there isn't a devil worshipper."
"But how do you know for sure?"
Lily sighed, suddenly drained, hoping Kayla wouldn't push further. "I know, K, because I've run into a couple before. Trust me. This is not the demon you seek."
Kayla seemed to ponder, then nodded slowly. "I just hate to think of Amanda being so horrible," she said. "But I believe you."
Oh, K, you'll believe anybody, Lily thought. You're just lucky I'm not a liar.
***
She was blushing now, damn it, but still she held his gaze. As if he'd read her thoughts (could he?), he looked a little amused now, though his expression changed little.
Yes, she'd run into darkness dabblers before. Enough so that they raised chills that ran right through her chest anytime she encountered one. The hot Scot was no such thing - she could feel it.
As if to prove it to herself, Lily got bold, meandering over to the table where he sat with only a single book open in front of him. She chose a seat across and two down, raising something more closely resembling a smile in his cobalt gaze.
A glint of silver around his neck caught her eye. Ah, the mysterious necklace. She could tell it was some sort of Celtic design, but wasn't quite sure of the form.
"It's a Trinity knot."
Lily started at the sound of the voice - sonorous, deeper than she would have expected, swept across with a gorgeous burr.
"P-pardon?"
"The pendant. A Trinity knot. Means a lot of things to a lot of people, and a few things special to me."
"Oh." Lily nodded, embarrassed.
"Don't be," he said.
"What?"
"Embarrassed."
"I..." she started to protest.
"You are." He smiled now, gently and genuinely. Oh, hell, Lily thought. Now he's beautiful. "It's all right. I seem to gather a lot of...curiosity around here."
"So it would seem," Lily replied, recovering a little. "And perhaps a bit of embellishment. Someone practically had you out roasting goats over a cedar fire."
He chuckled. "I get that a lot. Guess I look the type." They grinned at each other. Then - "Ciaran," he said, bringing a hand briefly to his chest. The name rang in her ears like music. Damn cliches, she thought.
"I'm Lily."
"I know."
"So now you're a mindreader?" she grinned.
"Aren't we both?" he shrugged mildly.
That truly brought her up short, left her speechless. How did he -
"We know our own," he said. "Don't we."
It wasn't a question. She looked deep into his eyes, almost as bowled over as if she was looking at the ceiling from six inches away again. He chuckled again.
"A good trip, was it? They only get better, I promise." Off her open mouth, Ciaran shook his head kindly. "No," he said, "I wasn't watching. You're just thinking very loudly."
Now Lily laughed again. "Very true," she said. "So you're not a devil-worshipping psychic stalker, then."
"Not at all," Ciaran replied, a little seriously. "I just...know where I'm supposed to be, when I'm supposed to be there."
"And this was as good a place as any?"
"Lily," he breathed. "Do you really have to ask?"
She felt tears spring to her eyes unbidden, and shook her head slowly. No coincidence, this. She didn't believe in them anyway.
"So," she whispered. "What now?"
Ciaran quirked the corner of his mouth again, glanced across the floor to where Amanda and Kayla had settled in over by the encyclopedias.
"Disabusement? Someone else's embarrassment for my own?" She shook her head. "What about that 'harm none' thing?"
"It's not a pentacle, remember?" He shook his head. "You're not going to harm anyone. Resetting the balance is a very different thing."
That caught Lily short, too. It was exactly what she believed.
Before she knew it, she was at his side at the end of the table. Lily didn't reach for his hand, nor did Ciaran take hers. But it was already as if she'd known him for much more than five minutes.
Kayla looked up and smiled as she saw Lily, but her eyes grew concerned at the sight of Ciaran trailing behind. Amanda turned, preparing her standard fake grin, which tightened into a thin line.
"Hey, Lil," Kayla said, quietly but brightly.
"Hi," Amanda added, in a tone dripping with melting icicles.
Lily patted Kayla on the shoulder. "Hey, y'all. I just wanted to introduce Ciaran. Kayla, remember, we ran into him the other day?"
Her friend nodded, eyes softening as Ciaran smiled warmly at her.
"Kayla, it's a pleasure. And..."
"Amanda," she intoned at him frostily. "Have you found a church yet? We have some really wonderful ones around here. If you're not worried about their structural integrity."
Lily gritted her teeth, but Ciaran was unperturbed.
"I'm sure your engineers are just as good here as they are in Scotland," he replied with a twinkle.
Amanda sniffed. "I'm sure," she said. "Well, Lily, it's nice to meet the company you keep. You're known by it, of course."
"Of course, Amanda. And I'm sure Kayla knows you didn't mean to insult her too." Kayla's chin dropped, and Amanda stammered.
"But I wasn't -"
"You were," Kayla said, innocent eyes turning glassy. "It's true. Why do you say things like that to people? About people?"
"Honestly, Kayla -"
"You don't know anything about honesty." Kayla swiped at her tears. "Don't you remember? Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor? It's a commandment, not a suggestion."
Now Lily was surprised. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ciaran back up a step. And Amanda looked thoroughly deflated.
Kayla, for her part, looked up at both of them apologetically. "It's very nice to meet you," she said to Ciaran. "Lily, will you call me later?"
Lily smiled gently. "Of course, K. Take it easy, OK?"
Kayla nodded, gathered her books, and hurried away. Amanda sat silently, staring at a page in front of her as if it was blank.
It was then that Ciaran extended his hand to Lily. She blinked only once before slipping her fingers into his.
"What now?" she whispered.
"You'll see," he said. "Don't worry."
She looked down at their hands, up at his singing eyes.
"I won't," she said, and followed him into the stacks.
Lily hopped out of her car still in a whirlwind. She'd somehow - autopilot, maybe - arrived at the library in short order, an amazing reality tumbling over and over in her head. The possibilities seemed more endless now than they ever had before.
She slung the backpack over one shoulder and ambled up to the door, lingering a little in the kiss of the breeze and the mild sun, then uttering a "thank you" as an instructor stepped back to let her pass. Lily was engulfed in another rush of sensations: the distinctly refrigerated breeze, the unmistakable smell of paper and dust and imagination that she loved more than anything.
Lost in it all as she was, she didn't see him right away. But her senses were all on edge, so she knew the second he began watching her. It was an intense gaze, a little nerveracking, but without a trace of malice or lechery - which confused her when he finally showed himself.
Lily had seen this guy before, and had to stop her mouth from dropping open yet again. Her mother would have called him a tall drink of water, long and lean as he was. He had a thatch of unruly dark brown hair and skin that looked like it never saw the sun, only a touch more pink than the crisp white button-down shirt he wore over dark blue jeans and clean hiking boots.
But his eyes - an insanely bright blue, ringed with a darker shade, fringed with ridiculously thick lashes - made her feel as if she would come out of herself again. It was an odd sensation to feel both frozen to the floor and suffused with warmth. He didn't so much smile at her as slightly raise one corner of his mouth in acknowledgement.
Dear Universe, Lily thought, if this is Gift From Above Day, give me the strength not to faint dead away.
***
She'd seen him on campus before, similarly alone, dressed much the same. He'd flicked a mildly interested glance over her, and after he passed, she'd nudged her friend Kayla in the side.
"Did you get a look at that?" Lily had whispered, eyes popping.
To her surprise, Kayla had only nodded solemnly. "But don't think too much about it," she'd mumbled in return. "I've...heard things about him."
"Like?"
"Well, he's from Scotland."
Lily knit her brows together. "And this is a bad thing...how?"
"It's not that, it's just...well, he's weird."
"Weird how?"
"I don't know, exactly. Amanda wouldn't really say..."
"Amanda? Seriously, K, what are you thinking?"
"I know, but...well. She pointed out that he wears this weird necklace. Like a...pentagram, or something."
"Oh, come on. Even if that's true - and you know, if it's Amanda, it probably isn't - it's called a pentacle, and it's a symbol of earth religion, not devil worship."
Kayla's eyes went wide. "Amanda told me you'd say that. And she said that people who believed that were under the deception of the enemy."
Now Lily was annoyed, and unafraid to show it. "Kayla. Seriously? How long have you known me? How long have we both known Amanda? For somebody who has her head so deeply in the Good Book, she's not very good with honesty. I'm not deceived, and Hot Scotty over there isn't a devil worshipper."
"But how do you know for sure?"
Lily sighed, suddenly drained, hoping Kayla wouldn't push further. "I know, K, because I've run into a couple before. Trust me. This is not the demon you seek."
Kayla seemed to ponder, then nodded slowly. "I just hate to think of Amanda being so horrible," she said. "But I believe you."
Oh, K, you'll believe anybody, Lily thought. You're just lucky I'm not a liar.
***
She was blushing now, damn it, but still she held his gaze. As if he'd read her thoughts (could he?), he looked a little amused now, though his expression changed little.
Yes, she'd run into darkness dabblers before. Enough so that they raised chills that ran right through her chest anytime she encountered one. The hot Scot was no such thing - she could feel it.
As if to prove it to herself, Lily got bold, meandering over to the table where he sat with only a single book open in front of him. She chose a seat across and two down, raising something more closely resembling a smile in his cobalt gaze.
A glint of silver around his neck caught her eye. Ah, the mysterious necklace. She could tell it was some sort of Celtic design, but wasn't quite sure of the form.
"It's a Trinity knot."
Lily started at the sound of the voice - sonorous, deeper than she would have expected, swept across with a gorgeous burr.
"P-pardon?"
"The pendant. A Trinity knot. Means a lot of things to a lot of people, and a few things special to me."
"Oh." Lily nodded, embarrassed.
"Don't be," he said.
"What?"
"Embarrassed."
"I..." she started to protest.
"You are." He smiled now, gently and genuinely. Oh, hell, Lily thought. Now he's beautiful. "It's all right. I seem to gather a lot of...curiosity around here."
"So it would seem," Lily replied, recovering a little. "And perhaps a bit of embellishment. Someone practically had you out roasting goats over a cedar fire."
He chuckled. "I get that a lot. Guess I look the type." They grinned at each other. Then - "Ciaran," he said, bringing a hand briefly to his chest. The name rang in her ears like music. Damn cliches, she thought.
"I'm Lily."
"I know."
"So now you're a mindreader?" she grinned.
"Aren't we both?" he shrugged mildly.
That truly brought her up short, left her speechless. How did he -
"We know our own," he said. "Don't we."
It wasn't a question. She looked deep into his eyes, almost as bowled over as if she was looking at the ceiling from six inches away again. He chuckled again.
"A good trip, was it? They only get better, I promise." Off her open mouth, Ciaran shook his head kindly. "No," he said, "I wasn't watching. You're just thinking very loudly."
Now Lily laughed again. "Very true," she said. "So you're not a devil-worshipping psychic stalker, then."
"Not at all," Ciaran replied, a little seriously. "I just...know where I'm supposed to be, when I'm supposed to be there."
"And this was as good a place as any?"
"Lily," he breathed. "Do you really have to ask?"
She felt tears spring to her eyes unbidden, and shook her head slowly. No coincidence, this. She didn't believe in them anyway.
"So," she whispered. "What now?"
Ciaran quirked the corner of his mouth again, glanced across the floor to where Amanda and Kayla had settled in over by the encyclopedias.
"Disabusement? Someone else's embarrassment for my own?" She shook her head. "What about that 'harm none' thing?"
"It's not a pentacle, remember?" He shook his head. "You're not going to harm anyone. Resetting the balance is a very different thing."
That caught Lily short, too. It was exactly what she believed.
Before she knew it, she was at his side at the end of the table. Lily didn't reach for his hand, nor did Ciaran take hers. But it was already as if she'd known him for much more than five minutes.
Kayla looked up and smiled as she saw Lily, but her eyes grew concerned at the sight of Ciaran trailing behind. Amanda turned, preparing her standard fake grin, which tightened into a thin line.
"Hey, Lil," Kayla said, quietly but brightly.
"Hi," Amanda added, in a tone dripping with melting icicles.
Lily patted Kayla on the shoulder. "Hey, y'all. I just wanted to introduce Ciaran. Kayla, remember, we ran into him the other day?"
Her friend nodded, eyes softening as Ciaran smiled warmly at her.
"Kayla, it's a pleasure. And..."
"Amanda," she intoned at him frostily. "Have you found a church yet? We have some really wonderful ones around here. If you're not worried about their structural integrity."
Lily gritted her teeth, but Ciaran was unperturbed.
"I'm sure your engineers are just as good here as they are in Scotland," he replied with a twinkle.
Amanda sniffed. "I'm sure," she said. "Well, Lily, it's nice to meet the company you keep. You're known by it, of course."
"Of course, Amanda. And I'm sure Kayla knows you didn't mean to insult her too." Kayla's chin dropped, and Amanda stammered.
"But I wasn't -"
"You were," Kayla said, innocent eyes turning glassy. "It's true. Why do you say things like that to people? About people?"
"Honestly, Kayla -"
"You don't know anything about honesty." Kayla swiped at her tears. "Don't you remember? Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor? It's a commandment, not a suggestion."
Now Lily was surprised. From the corner of her eye, she saw Ciaran back up a step. And Amanda looked thoroughly deflated.
Kayla, for her part, looked up at both of them apologetically. "It's very nice to meet you," she said to Ciaran. "Lily, will you call me later?"
Lily smiled gently. "Of course, K. Take it easy, OK?"
Kayla nodded, gathered her books, and hurried away. Amanda sat silently, staring at a page in front of her as if it was blank.
It was then that Ciaran extended his hand to Lily. She blinked only once before slipping her fingers into his.
"What now?" she whispered.
"You'll see," he said. "Don't worry."
She looked down at their hands, up at his singing eyes.
"I won't," she said, and followed him into the stacks.