Shadows Chapter 14
Peaceful





She had fallen asleep on the short car journey to the loft. Sergey lifted her from the passenger seat and carried her up the stairs.
He laid her on the sofa opposite where Ladislaus was sitting watching television then headed into the kitchen for a glass of water. He could have done with a rest and a coffee, but he had to go out again.
“What’s going on, Dad?” Ladislaus looked curiously at the sleeping girl.





Irissa stirred restlessly and moaned. Sergey chewed his lip and switched to speaking Roskan. He had made a point of ensuring that neither he nor his son forgot their native tongue. When they played chess the rule was that conversations between them were always conducted in that tongue.
As his father spoke Ladislaus moved seats. He could not believe what his father was telling him, and felt the same surge of protective instinct he had felt towards Irissa when he had seen her being attacked.





“...I don’t know if it’s all sunk in for her yet. She’s been busy looking out for Zara. Yet her own mother is dead and I don’t know if she has realised yet that her mother was probably selling her to the Chinoise. Keep an eye on her, Slava. I need to go out again,” Sergey finished.
After he had gone Ladislaus mulled over everything he had been told. He felt more grieved for Zara’s loss than Irissa’s. Aside from the fact that Suzanne seemed to have been a poor excuse for a mother, Ladislaus hadn’t known her. He had been friendly with the Ottakers.
He cringed at the thought of Irissa being sold as a sex slave. The idea made him feel physically sick.
Irissa moaned and turned restlessly again. Ladislaus realised that she was shivering and shaking.
He ran a hot bath, adding a generous helping of expensive bubble bath and put extra towels into his father’s bathroom.




When he wakened her gently and suggested that she use the bath to heat her up Irissa nodded compliance and took a long soak, allowing the heat of the water to ease the chill from her bones and muscles.





She topped the water up with more hot from the tap and didn’t get out until it had begun to cool a second time.
She frowned in distaste and having to put her soiled gown back on.
When she returned to the lounge Ladislaus had made her hot chocolate, which she drank gratefully.




When she had finished the drink he took her into his bedroom.
“You need to stay warm and the sofa’s no good. I’ll sleep there or in my dad’s bed,” he told her gently.
When he left Irissa removed her gown and slipped between the sheets. They smelled of Laundry detergent and faintly of the soap Ladislaus used.
Her sleep was restless and filled with nightmares. Her cries brought Ladislaus into the room. He sat on the chair opposite his bed for a while, watching her. It wasn’t comfortable for a long sit, though, so he moved to lie beside her on the bed. The sound of his voice seemed to calm her.




He felt stupid, though, constantly telling her it would be all right and that she was safe. He found himself speaking Roskan, reciting a fairy tale his mother had told him a lot when he was a child. The rhythm of his voice seemed to sooth her and she calmed and sank into a deeper sleep.



“What the hell is going on here?”
Ladislaus was awakened from dozing by the sharp sound of Britt’s voice. He leapt from the bed and found himself looking at his girlfriend’s furious face.
She had said that she would come around tonight, but it was after midnight and he had given up on her.
“Why are you sleeping with that tart? What’s going on?” She growled.

"I'm not sleeping with her, just lying beside her," Ladisalus said calmly.





“Oh yeah? You’re supposed to be my boyfriend and I come in and find her in your bed and you beside her. Looks pretty much to me like you are sleeping with her!” Britt’s voice went up a couple of octaves.
“Stop yelling, you’ll waken her and she needs to rest. If you come into the living room we can talk,” Ladislaus said calmly.



“There isn’t any need for all your screaming,” Ladislaus began. “Irissa lost her mother tonight. She was involved in a bad situation and my Dad brought her here. I’ve just been taking care of her.”
“And it looks like you have been doing that all right. You both looked very cosy in there. I thought you would have been fussier than to take daddy’s leavings,” Britt spat venomously.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Ladislaus asked, his voice dangerously calm.




“Everyone knows that your dad has a thing for young girls. That shelter, his friendship with the little whore in there...” Britt did not seem to realise just how angry she had made Ladislaus.
“Is that right? Well you know what, Britt, if we’re going to talk
about people behaving like whores, there are a few rumours about you I’ve been refusing to listen to. You spent all afternoon here with me last Saturday. Remember?” He said icily.





“You do remember, Britt? What we got up to in the shower? I kind of thought it was pretty memorable,” he shrugged.
“You said you had to go out with your Mom in the evening, so I went over to Alexei’s. He told me her had seen you in town. In John Roxton’s car. He said that you were making out with him. Actually he said you were doing more than that, from the way the car was moving about. I didn’t believe him,” Ladislaus told her.
Britt said nothing.
“Should I have?” Ladislaus persisted.





Britt’s hand shot out and she slapped him hard across the face. Ladislaus reeled backwards from the impact.
“You shit,” she yelled. “You had your cousin spying on me!”
“Spying?” Ladislaus said softly, realisation sinking in. “So it was true and there was something to see.”




“You know what, Britt? I want you out of here. You and your nasty mind and your vicious tongue. I’m sick of the way you treat me. And nobody talks about my Dad like that. And Irissa is worth way more than you. So just get out. We’re through!”
He turned his back on her and listened to the sound of her shoes stamping past to the staircase. He had to admit to himself that this had been on the cards for a long time. She did treat him badly, he knew that. All of his friends and his cousin said so, but she was so hot and the time they spent together was always incredible.
Ladislaus went to the top of the stairs and listened to her footsteps cross the basement to the outside door. He almost followed her.




Almost. His own feet carried him back to the kitchen where he helped himself to some hot chocolate. He was tired, stressed and heart sore.
Finishing the chocolate he had a shower and changed into his pyjamas.
As he crossed the living room to his father’s room he heard Irissa cry out again, almost a scream, in her sleep.




He opened the door and went in to check on her. There were tears on her cheeks and she was half sobbing. Ladislaus stroked her cheek and whispered soothingly to her.
Exhausted now he lifted the bedclothes and got in beside her, resting one hand on her shoulder.
She opened her eyes briefly.
“Slava?” She whispered.
“I’m here. I’m not leaving you. Go back to sleep,” he assured her.
Very quickly her breathing calmed again and some of the tension left her body.
Too tired to keep his eyes open, Ladislaus slept too, curled against her warm skin.





Sergey returned to the house after two am and found the living room deserted. He checked his bedroom and frowned to himself.
“Where the hell are they?”
He had expected to find either Irissa or Ladislaus in here when the lounge was empty.
A momentary flash of panic touched him. Nothing could have happened to them, surely. He had left two guys in a car outside, watching the place.




The relief at finding them safe and well in Ladislaus room was coloured by concern at the way he found them, curled up together in his son’s bed. Ladislaus had his arm across Irissa’s body and the expression on the girl’s sleeping face was totally serene.
“Hi Dad,” Ladislaus murmured sleepily without even opening his eyes. “She was having nightmares. She’s better with me here.”
“Ok. Go back to sleep,” Sergey replied softly.





The smell of cooking wakened Ladislaus. He got out of bed and joined his father and Richard at the table.
“What’s been happening?” He asked as he started on his meal.
“We found a couple of Han’s people at his house. One of them seems to have been the ‘procurement agent’ for the girls. We’ve also identified that junkie we found dead a few days ago. Her name was Sylvia Rozzen and she’s the mother of one of the girls,” Richard told him.
The younger detective was always quick to let Ladislaus know what was happening.


“We’ve also caught up with the guy who ran from the restaurant last night,” Sergey said.
“That’s cool. To me those guys are as guilty as the Hans,” Ladislaus frowned.
“Every bit. If they didn’t provide the market there would be no need to sell.”
“What about Irissa? What’s going to happen to her?” Ladislaus asked.
“I’m taking her to her new home today. I’ve picked up her personal things from the house and they are all in the car,” Sergey replied.





“That was quick. I thought she might have to stay here for a bit,” Ladislaus said.
“What, you liked having her in your bed? Fancy it as a permanent arrangement?” Richard teased.
“Hey, that’s not fair! I wasn’t taking advantage. You weren’t here to see her. She needed someone to hold her. She was shaking...” Ladislaus bridled, then he saw the look on his father’s partner’s face. “You’re winding me up.”





Irissa didn’t wake up until everyone else had finished eating. Richard had gone back to his own place and Ladislaus was practicing on the keyboard in the corner. Sergey made her breakfast and sat at the table with her.
“Irissa, I’ve found you a new home,” he said.





“A new home? Where?” Irissa asked cautiously.
“I found out who your father was,” Sergey began.
Was, Irissa thought. So he isn’t alive.
“His name was David Gallagher. Your mother used the name Galloway because it was similar, I believe. Your mother had a relationship with him when she was at school. They seem to have split up because even then she was involved in some shady goings on,” Sergey explained. “She quit town. He didn’t know she was pregnant.”






“So he never knew I existed,” Irissa stated.
“No. He was already on the verge of leaving Suzanne for someone else because of her unreasonable behaviour. She has a daughter just a month younger than you,” Sergey revealed.
Irissa froze.
“I have a sister?” She gasped.
“A half sister, yes. I’ve spoken to her mother, Cassandra Gallagher, and she wants you give living with them a try. She isn’t sure how it will work out, but she would like you to try,” Sergey explained gently.





Irissa didn’t know what else to say. She was excited and terrified all at once.
After breakfast Sergey gave her some time alone to digest what he had told her.
“When do we go?” She asked after a while.
“Now, if you like,” he smiled.
She nodded.
“Ok.”
“I’ll finish packing the car then get you there with flashing lights,” he teased.






“Hey, don’t look so scared,” Ladislaus said when they were alone, gently cupping her chin. “It will be fine. A proper family.”
“I’m scared, Slava. What if they don’t like me? Don’t want to keep me?” She whispered.





Ladislaus reached out and hugged her tight.
“They’ll love you,” he assured her. “Everything will be fine.”
Irissa rested her head briefly on his shoulder.
“I hope so,” she said in a small, trembling voice.





Ladislaus let one hand slip to her waist and with the other beneath her chin tilted her face up to kiss her lightly on the lips.
Irissa caught her breath, startled.
“Irissa, time to go,” Sergey’s voice called.
Irissa moved out of Ladislaus’ embrace and gave him a shy smile before bolting down the stairs.

[U]Sisters[/U]





Cassandra Gallagher tapped her hand nervously on her knee. What had she gotten herself in to.
When the detective had spoken to her and shown her the photograph of David’s first born, there had been no denying that the child was his. The ivory skin and the eyes. Jalonia more resembled Cassandra, with her olive skin and dark eyes.
When Solarin had told her the girl’s story it seemed the obvious thing to do, give her a home.





Now it seemed neither so clear cut nor so easy. She had heard so much about Suzanne, and all of it negative. What if the girl took after her mother? According to the detective that was not the case, but was he telling the truth or just looking to get her off his hands.
“You’d better bring her in,” Cassandra told Solarin.


Sergey went out to the car where the girl was waiting and brought her into the house.
She stood shyly just inside the patio doors, a slim pale girl with frightened eyes. Cassandra’s heart went out to her.




Before she could move, though, her daughter was off of her chair and rushing to greet the newcomer.
“Wow! So you are my sister!” She gasped. “You look so like the pictures of my Dad!”
Irissa smiled uncertainly.




“This is going to be so much fun! I’ve always wanted a sister,” the girl bubbled. “I’m Jalonia, by the way. You’re Irissa, right?”
“That’s right,” Irissa replied, slightly overwhelmed by Jalonia’s enthusiasm, but liking the other girl at once.
Jalonia grabbed her and hugged her tight.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” she giggled.




“If my daughter will let me get a word in,” Cassandra couldn’t help but laugh, “I’m Cassandra. I hope we can... I hope you’ll be happy here, Irissa, and that things work well for us.”
“This is so good of you...” Irissa began.
“Hush, Irissa. Let’s not make fancy speeches. Jalonia can get you settled in and we’ll take things from there. Is that all right?” Cassandra asked softly.
Irissa nodded and followed Jalonia upstairs.