Page 26 of Booked for Theft

SEVEN

How many lies had it taken him before he’d become so comfortable with deceit?

The White House loomed before us, illuminated so it gleamed in the night. Rather than make use of a more private entrance, the Secret Service brought us in through the gate on Constitution Avenue, drove us around the Ellipse, and parked in front of the south entrance into the building. Agents opened the doors for us, and I marveled at the storied, ancient structure.

Once upon a time, it had burned due to a war with our neighbors to the north, but she had endured thereafter, even with the rise of magic and society as we knew it today.

President Castillo waited for us at the stairs, and as Bradley still worried I might take a fall, he held out his arm. I smiled, cooperated with him, and made it up the steps without incident. He guided us to the centermost doors of the portico, which one of the Secret Service agents opened.

He gestured for us to step inside first.

True to its name, the room utilized a blue color theme with white and gold accents. Antiques from hundreds of years ago, from three armchairs situated together near a small end table to a table for six set up for dinner for three, two seats together and one on the other side of the table. Busts of the former Presidents of the United States lined the walls on marble pedestals, each one featuring a placard with the dates they served our country.

“This is the Blue Room, one of my favorite places in the White House. We usually use it for receptions and greetings, but I thought it might be a nice spot for us to have dinner. I enjoy the view even at night. It’s also quiet. After dinner, I’ll take you on a tour before showing you to your rooms. My wife extends her apologies for not joining us. I suggested she stay with the family for the night, just in case there are complications. Please, sit. You probably could use a chance to decompress after today.”

Even the most evil of men could be capable of love, and I respected his family’s dedication to Nathan Castillo. As I appreciated the chance to just sit for a while, I did as he suggested. Bradley beat me to the pair of chairs and held one out for me. “Thank you. I honestly never thought I’d get to see the inside of the White House. It’s such a beautiful place.”

President Castillo waited until Bradley and I were both seated before taking his place across from us. “I felt the same way when I first came here during my first campaign. My predecessor invited me when it became obvious I would win the election. We had dinner, too, but we made use of the family dining room. I prefer this one. It’s majestic yet cozy. When I need some time to just think, I walk across the Ellipse and enjoy the grounds. Sometimes, I sit and read to take my mind off things, and I think about those who came before me—and who will come after me.”

Was there truly any mystery to that, at least in his mind? I doubted it, but I admired his duplicity.

How many lies had it taken him before he’d become so comfortable with deceit?

Did he even believe in telling the truth?

I doubted that as well.

“I understand that,” I confessed, hating myself for being able to find common ground with the man. “I’m the first exsanguinator of my strength—or anywhere close to my strength. There are other exsanguinators, but I’ve learned that few can do the same things I do. But I’ve since learned it’s because I’m not just an exsanguinator. I’m also a mender—and not knowing I was also a mender influenced a lot about how I lived my life, especially when younger.”

“You’re hardly old,” the President of the United States chided.

His tone amused me, conveying surprise and puzzlement along with a mild protest over my choice of words. “I suppose I’m not, but I feel it—the accident has made that difficult some days, especially when the weather changes. But I developed my magic younger than most, which doesn’t help matters any. And once it woke up, it refused to go back to sleep. It is also strong enough it drowns any other abilities I might have, even masking the presence of my mending abilities. Another mender identified it, because some of the things I do with my exsanguination goes beyond manipulating blood. I can manipulate any bodily fluid.”

“That is truly impressive. After the shooting, I began doing research into exsanguinators. I’m afraid I am one of many who made unfortunate assumptions about what you can do with your abilities. And after today, I find that everything I thought I knew about you was founded on falsehoods.”

Interesting. “Please don’t fret about it, Mr. President. I don’t worry about how others perceive me. Well, outside of Bradley, my family, and my friends. I care about them. The rest will judge me as they judge me, and it’s not something I concern myself with. I’ve heard every derogatory term in the book. If I let it bother me, I’d never have any time for more important matters.” My thoughts wandered to my work, and I grimaced at the mess I’d come back to on Monday. “In good news for my peace of mind, I hadn’t scheduled anything other than meeting with Senator Thaddens. He had one opportunity to meet with me about his donation, wanting to add a personal touch to it.”

Later, I’d cry for the man, his wife, and the legacy he’d risked so much to build, only managing a few steps in the right direction before fate had taken him out of the fight. Later, I’d regret my inability to do anything for him.

“Yes, he’d mentioned wanting to do a donation several weeks ago after news spread of your escape from captivity.” President Castillo looked me over as though truly seeing me for the first time. “You’re positively gaunt compared to when you’d attended the funeral.”

I nodded; gaining weight would continue to be a process, lengthy on Dr. Mansfield’s insistence I take my time to prevent problems with excessive gain later. “I’m on a fairly strict diet to make certain I regain weight at a healthy rate. Generally, I’m allowed to eat what I want, but I’m not supposed to eat excessively—or indulge in certain treats.”

“She means chocolate pudding and cheesecake. After I brought her home, I’d gotten us a cheesecake and some chocolate pudding. I left her alone for an hour to run an errand. When I got back, I found her sound asleep on our couch, the cheesecake was gone, and the pudding was gone. The cake platter was on the coffee table along with the pudding bowls. She made herself rather ill with that stunt. Now, all desserts enter our home under strict supervision.”

“I have zero restraint when cheesecake is involved. Apparently, it’s a coping mechanism of some sort. Dr. Mansfield flipped when she found out I’d gorged on an entire cheesecake.” I giggled at the memory, as I’d endured an hour of being scolded, including a lecture on how I needed to avoid abusing my poor digestive system. “I learned my lesson. I don’t trust myself around cheesecake now, so I ask Bradley to bring me a single slice. I was put on the diet after the cheesecake incident. Fortunately, that binge seems to have been a one-off.”

“I’m blaming separation anxiety,” Bradley confessed. “It was the first time she’d actually been left completely alone since she escaped from her kidnappers. Rather than call or text me every other minute, she ate the cheesecake. I’ve since encouraged her to text or call me if she starts becoming anxious.”

I leaned over, grabbed my purse, and set it on the table, pulling out a collection of bottles I’d stuffed inside to take to work. Fortunately for my sanity, I’d grabbed my entire stash, sparing Bradley from trying to locate everything I needed. I selected the appropriate bottle and offered it to President Castillo. “I have this in case I start having anxiety over being separated from Bradley or people I know for long. I don’t like taking that specific drug, but it’s the only one that works without bad side effects. It took us six to find that one. They all change your blood chemistry in some fashion or another, and this one is the least uncomfortable to my senses. And once I take it, I’m aware of it until the dose wears off. I’ve gotten used to it, fortunately.”

One day, I’d be able to return to life without consequences of the foot surgery that had saved my life, but it would take a while. Little by little, we worked at restoring my independence. I did better when driving myself somewhere, knowing I would be taking myself home.

I had more trouble when people left me alone than when I went off on my own.

The President of the United States examined the label, and after a moment, he chuckled. “My wife is on this same exact one, actually. She’s not taking it for separation anxiety, but she gets really nervous in large crowds, so it helps her get through public events without being uncomfortable. Your dosage is a little higher than hers, though.”

“I’m usually fine, but when I get anxious, I get really anxious, so I need a higher dose. Fortunately, I can manipulate the dosage if I need to. I can lower the volume of drug in my bloodstream and control its effects. Dr. Mansfield had me experiment with that so I could lower the dosage on the fly. She’d rather me have to take a second pill and adjust again rather than have more active in my bloodstream than necessary.”