Alexandria awoke to a patch of sunlight on her face and Ella's "They Can't Take That Away From Me" cranking out of an old record player. The clarity of the sound resonated in her heart and for a second she wondered if she was dreaming. She was curled up in a papasan chair in a glass house surrounded by rows of bamboo. Leafy ferns hung from chains in the humid warmth and there was a table covered with tall marijuana plants. On the stripes of wall between glass windows, there were shields and swords on display, medieval battle gear of shimmering steel.

Every muscle in her body throbbed with tight agony. She was dressed in a high-collared, vintage dress, possibly Gunne Sax with its long lace sleeves. She sat up disoriented, her legs stiff, her head rocking like a seesaw. She remembered coming to the second party and then nothing.

Tom was nowhere to be seen. She imagined he wound up with a different girl or left that morning so he wouldn't have to face her. She didn't care. Her heart was numb.

A man approached her, holding a fencing saber and examining the edges with his thumb. He wore a white peasant blouse, a black vest, leather britches and black boots. She squinted to make out his face. At first, it was hard for her to see him with all the sunlight against his back.

"Liam?"

"Rise and shine, Daisy," Liam said. "You're in the greenhouse. I brought you here to keep you safe."

"Safe?"

"You wandered into the harem room. You're lucky I saw you. You were definitely messed up and I'm sure you're not ready for what goes on in there."

"Whose dress am I wearing?"

"Courtesy of Hypatia. The one you had on was ruined, so we threw it away."

Memories from the party came in flashes like parts of a dream that didn't make sense. She tried to retrace her steps. She remembered coming to the house. Someone handed her a cup of juice. She threw up on herself. Hypatia took her into a bathroom and stayed with her while she purged into the toilet. Then she vaguely remembered someone throwing her on a bed.

Now her heart weighed heavy in her chest. Tom had just left her there. She wanted so desperately to have woken up in the warmth of his arms. Alex suddenly recalled the arms of Hypatia wrapped around her at one point. It made her physically ill to remember that thick cloud of the witch's perfume that burned the back of her throat. The memories had been dulled when she first awoke, but now it was coming into focus, Hypatia naked and pressing down on Alex, bare skin touching, tingling sensations between her legs.

"What's wrong?" Liam asked.

Alex leaned forward, dizzy with dehydration. "There are parts of last night that are missing and then memories that don't make sense. I can't even remember what order things happened in."

"They call this house the river Styx. Everybody wakes up with amnesia. Drink some tea. You'll feel better." Liam set the saber on the glass teacart. Noticing the cart, she saw an oriental teapot with steam lifting off the spout. Caffeine would be nice. She had a pounding headache and the sun glaring in through the ceiling wasn't helping.

"Do you remember last night?" she said as he poured her what smelled like earl gray.

"After I found you, Hypatia and I looked after you the rest of the night. You really don't remember anything?"

"Nothing," she said. The tea rejuvenated her and soothed her throat. "What happened to Tom?"

Liam's smile hardened like jade. "Did you know he was the son of a detective?"

Alex's heartbeat quickened. "No. Wait? Are you serious?"

"He could have destroyed everything we've built here." Liam's intensity frightened her. Had he gotten rid of Tom? Deep down, Alex knew Tom would have never abandoned her at a party like that.

Outside she heard the roar of a motor. It grew louder and she turned her head to see what was making the noise. Through the glass wall, she saw Tom driving a motorcycle up the snowy path, his hair fluttering in the wind. Alex jumped up and banged on the glass, waving him down. He saw her and twisted the front wheel. As he dismounted, he nearly dropped the bike, barely catching it on its kickstand.

"Get rid of him," Liam snapped. "Whatever it takes."

Tom tried to get in through the tall glass doors, but they were locked. Alex turned the bolt on the doors and opened them.

"Hey!" Liam shouted.

Tom caught her in his arms.  "Alex," he whispered. The smell of leather intermingled with the smell of him made her heart melt in a way it hadn't done for anyone but Nathan. "Thank God you're safe."

"Where did you go?" she asked.

"I got jumped. Come on. Let's get out of here."

Liam slipped on white leather gloves and took the saber from the tea-cart, cutting the air as he tested its weight. The blade vibrated softly. "Is this yours?"

Tom stood in front of Alex, shielding her. "Captain Morgan?"

"Name's Liam."

"That's my saber."

"Appears to be. How about a trade? The saber for the girl."

"She's not to be traded," Tom retorted indignantly.

"Tell him to get lost, Daisy."

Alex took Tom's hand in hers. "I want to go home," she said. "Will you take me?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

"You can't go," said Liam. "Alex. There will be consequences."

"I don't belong to you," she said, emboldened by Tom's presence. "I'm going."

"And your sword?"

"Keep it," said Tom. "We're leaving."

"You know what they say about saber fighters?" Liam pressed the tip of Tom's blade into the floor, bending it. "They have the biggest egos. How long have you been fencing?"

"Three years." Tom's answer made Liam's lips twist into a sinister smirk.

"Interesting. I've been fencing since before you were born. How about a friendly match?"

Tom read Alex's facial clues that it was time to go. "I should get her home," he said.

"Are you afraid you'll lose?" asked Liam.

"No," Tom said. "I'm afraid I'll embarrass you."

Liam stomped down on the saber, snapping the blade in half.

Tom shook his head in disbelief. "You shouldn't have done that," he said. "I know you don't want my dad looking into you."

Liam laughed as he sauntered over toward a weapons rack. "You're the detective's kid, right? Detective Lieutenant Scarboro. He can huff and puff all day but he'll never blow my house down." He removed two shimmering rapiers, real ones with sharpened tips. Whipping them in every which way, he traced letters and loops as he came toward Tom and handed him a sword. "Fencing has too many regulations. The whole art of self-preservation has been lost. What's the point when there's no danger?" Liam distanced himself and saluted.

"Tom. Don't," said Alex.

"Don't worry, Alex. This will only take a second." Tom saluted in turn, aligning his body with that of his opponent.

Liam laughed. "There's that legendary ego."

The two faced each other, arms hanging at their sides and feet pressed together. They took the En Guarde position. Tom's right foot stepped forward, his right arm bent and he crouched low and strong.

Without hesitation, Tom advanced on Liam like a bolt of lightning, slashing diagonally at his shoulder. Liam shielded the blow. He played defensively, and then out of nowhere struck like a viper. Tom parried the attack as best he could. He sucked in his stomach and moved swiftly like a rabbit.

"Nice tricks," Liam said.

"I'm surprised you can keep up, old man."

Tom did not take a traditional approach to the sport. He was more maverick with his stratagem, winging it every second of the game.

"Now I've seen your tricks. Ready for some of mine?" Liam side stepped Tom's lunge and shoved him from behind. This was not a bout any longer, but a full-fledged sword fight. Tom cursed him under his breath as he fell on all fours. He rolled over and saw the point coming down in a slashing motion, right at his throat.

Alex screamed.

Tom rolled away. He kicked Liam in the back of the knee. When Liam was down, he grasped him from behind and pressed his blade against his throat.

Liam bunted Tom in the nose with the back of his skull. The blood came gushing out his sinuses. Liam laughed and swung a sideways slash. Tom jumped back to dodge it, but the tip of Liam's sword scraped across his abdomen lightly. Tom recoiled in pain.

"Stop it!" Alex cried.

They charged one another, slashing in the direction of every vital artery. Their swords clanked together in a stream of deflections.

"I'm too good," Liam snarled.

Tom was shouting with each attack, getting tired. Sweat poured down his face like tears. The rhythm of Liam's attacks lined up perfectly with the songs pouring out of the victrola. Alex went to the machine and heaved it over. It banged against the tile, the needle scratching across the record like the screech of a witch. The sound interrupted Liam's pattern and Tom used the millisecond of surprise to press Liam up against the wall. Their swords collided and they pushed against each other.

"You stay away from Alex."

Tom twisted his blade and sliced open the back of Liam's hand and their swords spun out like boomerangs. Blood spattered out and stained the white poet sleeve of Liam's costume. He knelt in defeat. With haste, Tom grabbed Alex's hand and bolted out the front of the greenhouse.

___________

Music: Ella Fitzgerald "They Can't Take That Away From Me"