Trembling With the Strings

Darius eventually pulled into a rather large parking lot, causing me to immediately unbuckle my seatbelt. I stepped out of the car in an attempt to find out where I was, but I was suddenly surrounded by all of Dray’s guests. Marcy grabbed my hand, grinning childishly. It was contagious.

“Grace, have you ever seen an elephant? Well, I mean, other than my brother?”

Where are we, Africa? I shook my head, blindly following my future sister-in-law. Marcy giggled, probably having the same mental image as me: Darius in an elephant suit. I heard Darius groan from behind me, and my cheeks burned as I worked to fight the thought out of my mind.

“I have never seen an elephant. Why?” I asked softly, checking the urge to look at Darius as he fell into place beside me.

“Just wondering,” she told me, humming happily as she dragged me across the vast parking lot. “I haven’t been here ever since Anne died. She used to take me and my brothers here all the time. She loved to point out everything she saw, but I think she mostly liked the bonding time. Drakken hadn’t had too much time to give her, because he was always so busy with work, so she spent her time with us to fill the cracks in her heart.” Marcy’s lower lip trembled, and she smiled sadly. “But they loved each other. You could tell by the way they looked at each other. When they even glanced at each other, you could almost feel it.”

I accidentally looked over to Darius as she said those words. Darius wanted that, too. He said he wanted to be able to feel that I loved him. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, probably reading my mind. He smiled painfully, silently telling me that he hadn’t been making up any of that speech. His hand caught mine softly, and my face turned red when he stared into my eyes for a moment before glancing over to his sister. I looked over, too, and she was smiling.

“I look at you and Darius…and I can’t help but think of Anne and Drakken. I don’t think that Drakken was ever as cold as Dray, but Darius wasn’t born that way. I don’t know how you did it, but you brought that light back to him. I can’t thank you enough for saving my brother,” she whispered, probably trying to keep from embarrassing Darius and I. Their friends followed a few feet behind us, giving us space.

“I didn’t do anything,” I murmured, squeezing Darius’ hand. I glanced over only to see him watching me. I smiled nervously. I whispered, “I love you.” I liked how easily those words fell off my lips.

“I love you, too, baby,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss my cheek chastely. He turned his attention to his sister. “Marcy, we all miss her, but please don’t cry.” He let go of my hand and stepped between his sister and me. I couldn’t stop smiling when he held her tightly, mumbling something in her ear that I couldn’t quite catch.

Marcy nodded, wiping her eyes. “Love you, too,” she mumbled. She turned to me, smiling softly. “I’m sorry. I’m okay now.”

“I wish I could have met her,” I told her softly, smiling apologetically. “She sounds like she was amazing.”

“No one could ever replace my real mother,” she told me, looking up at the sky. “But if anyone ever came close, it would have to be Anne…”

I nodded gently, turning my attention to where we were walking. I squinted to read the oncoming sign.

“The Detroit Zoo?” I asked, not sure if I was reading that correctly. I glanced over to Darius. “Really?”

“Have you got issues with giraffes and alligators?” he asked me, grinning boyishly.

“I’m a little scared,” I admitted as we walked through the gate.

“Of what? They’re in cages, and I promise I won’t through you to the wild dogs or anything.”

“There are wild dogs?” I panicked, turning around and getting ready to leave. He caught my arm.

“You’ll be fine. What have you got to be afraid of?”

I was silent, mumbling incoherent thoughts as he bought tickets for our group.

What have I got to be afraid of? Being eaten alive by creatures I had never seen before!