EXTRACT FOR
Dark Emporium - Volume 1
(Author Unknown)

Sapphire Eyes Shining

Rie Sheridan Rose

    Cody slammed the flat of his hand down on the edge of his desk, sending a stack of textbooks spinning to the floor with a hollow clatter. "You can't do this to me! I worked hard on that paper." 

    "Mr. Eilers, we both know the hardest work you did on the paper was photocopying your research and rearranging the order of the information." Professor Warner rose from his perch on the corner of his own paper-strewn desk and moved behind it. 

    Cody's eyes narrowed. The "power position." Yeah, well, he'd read the psych books too. He moved forward to lean over the professor's desk. "This is unfair, and you know it."

    "What I 'know' is you can do better work than this. I also realize your grant rides on this class, so I am going to give you a chance to redo the paper. You have until 8 o'clock sharp on Monday morning to turn it in to me."

    "But it's Friday afternoon. That doesn't give me enough time!"

    "You had three weeks to prepare the paper the first time. If you wasted your research opportunity and plagiarized your results instead, you can hardly construe that as my fault. If you prefer, I can take the matter to the Dean at once."

    Cody scowled, sweeping his blond hair out of his eyes with an angry swipe of his hand. "I'll do it." He thrust out his hand for the paper Professor Warner held.

    "No, Mr. Eilers. I'll just hang on to this draft."

    "But all my references-"

    "Surely you have another copy of your bibliography. If not, I suggest you get started." Professor Warner glanced down at his wristwatch. "It's almost 6:00. The library closes at 10:00 on Friday. That is all. Dismissed."   

    Cody shoved back his chair. It grated across the tile floor with a harsh screech as he bent to collect his books, slamming them into his knapsack with haphazard abandon. He threw a sullen glare in Professor Warner's direction, but the instructor graded papers as if the young man did not exist. Cody got the message, storming out of the office, and slamming the door hard enough to rattle the frosted glass. 

    "How did it go?" Mary Ann asked, her voice anxious as she rose from the hallway bench where she had been waiting. 

    "He's making me redo the whole goddamn paper."

    "And??"

    "Isn't that enough?" He whirled on her, furious she didn't seem to understand. "It'll take me all weekend! I don't have time to waste on this crap."  

    "I'll help you, Cody," she soothed, laying a tentative hand on his tensed arm. "Come on?if we go to the library now, I bet we could get enough sources by closing-"  

    "I'll do it tomorrow. I've got things to do tonight."  

    "But Cody-"   

    "Look, you can come with me or not," he growled, giving her an emerald stare that would freeze lava, "but I'm not wasting my Friday night in the goddamn library."   

    Mary Ann ducked her head, her dark hair obscuring her face. "Sure, Cody," she whispered. "Whatever you say."   

    The ice in his eyes melted, and he slipped a finger under her chin, tilting her head up. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," he murmured. "I know it's not your fault. You tried to warn me." He released a gusty sigh. "I guess I just didn't believe the prick would catch on." He threw an arm across her slim shoulders. "C'mon. Let's go downtown." He slung the knapsack over his back and led her out of the building.  

    April wound down toward May, making for a beautiful day. The days lengthened with the approach of summer, and the golden light lay across the campus in a warm blanket.

    Mary Ann darted a quick look up at Cody, a half-smile fluttering around her lips. He whistled a Warren Zevon song as they walked, winking down at her. The smile blossomed fully, transforming her thin face.  

    Cody returned the smile, but his thoughts remained on Professor Warner. He had screwed up this time. He only had a light nine-hour semester to go, and he'd finally get certified, but he couldn't afford to stay at the Center without his grant. 

    This close to the end, he'd been a maniac to rip off a paper! Especially for Warner's class. Everyone knew the Professor was a stickler for originality. But there'd been a project due in his Film Editing class that day as well, and he'd spent every waking moment for the entire three weeks working on it instead.  

    He and Mary Ann walked the short distance from the campus to his apartment, and Cody threw his knapsack into the rear seat of his beat-up Mustang instead of going inside the building. The car had a classic body, but it had to be cajoled and babied to start. "Shall we give Amanda here a try, or take the train?"  

    "Whatever you want, Cody," she said with a shrug.  

    He felt a flash of irritation. Sometimes Mary Ann was so damn pliable he wanted to shake her?but he could always rely on her. He grinned at her across the ragtop of the car. "I guess we should take the train then, kiddo. There's plenty of daylight left. Let's go exploring. Try someplace we haven't been before." He loved to wander the streets of downtown, particularly the art galleries and the funky little hole-in-the-wall outlets. It had a way of calming the storm that sometimes blew through him?.  

    Cody and Mary Ann strolled arm and arm to the nearest BMT station, and he flipped two tokens into the box. Though crowded with early commuters, he found Mary Ann a seat in the car, holding onto the strap above her head.  

    "Cody?don't you think we should work on your paper-?" she ventured nervously. 

    "I told you before," he answered tightly, his knuckles whitening around the strap as he fought to control his temper. "I'm not wasting my Friday night on that jerk's assignment."  

    "So, you'll waste all day Saturday instead?" she mumbled, so softly he had to strain to hear her.  

    His blood instantly exploded, the anger pounding Morse code behind his eyes. "Look, Mary Ann-"

    The argument continued to escalate-Mary Ann gently placating and Cody furiously volatile. Neither noticed the stops flashing by until they were miles beyond their intended destination.  

    "Great!" Cody growled, glancing up at last. "We're almost to the goddamn tunnel." He jerked her to her feet and jostled his way to the front of the car. When the doors opened at the next stop, he pushed her out of the car, keeping a firm grip on her arm so she wouldn't fall. 

    "Where are we, Cody?" she asked meekly, glancing around them curiously as they emerged back into the late afternoon sunlight.  

    "Canal somewhere," he shrugged. A grin split his face, brightening his sullen features into something almost magical. "Let's check it out. It's still early yet." He laced an arm around her waist. "How 'bout some Chinese?" he tempted, knowing the quickest way to her stomach was Oriental.

    "Sure." The mood swings were as much a part of Cody as his name, and they had to be accepted if she wanted a continued relationship.  

    They walked east along Canal toward Chinatown, stopping often to glance into a shop window. By the time they hit Mountain, Cody had worked off the last of his irritation, leading the way south into the heart of Chinatown. They wandered through the maze of little streets leading off the principal thoroughfares. On Bai Jin Street, they found a dusty doorway, half hidden between two empty storefronts. The sign beside the open door said, "Welcome," and Cody felt drawn to the dim interior.

    "Let's go in here."   

    Mary Ann pulled back. "Can't you smell that, Cody?" she wheedled, pointing to a restaurant two doors down. The scent of Oriental spices hung in the air, tantalizing the senses. 

    "In a minute, Mary Ann?I just want to look in here." He stepped across the threshold of the tiny store. The space stretched away down a center aisle to a glass counter at the far end. High banks of shelves lined both sides of the aisle, crowded with intriguing glimpses of half-recognized merchandise. Cody felt a shiver of delight run through him. It felt as if he'd been here before?and something here waited for him to take it away. He knew that with unshakable certainty. 

    Cody started down the narrow aisle, glancing at the items on the shelves, stopping now and then to touch something that caught his attention. "C'mon?look at this place. It's awesome!" 

    Mary Ann hung back by the door; her arms crossed protectively across her chest. "Cody, I really think we should get going-"  

    At that precise moment, he found it. As surely as if it had spoken his name. He reached down and picked up a small black jeweler's box, flipping open the lid to reveal a heavy silver ring in the shape of a coiled snake. The detail was incredible-each minuscule scale well-defined, and the delicate head smiling a serpent's grin. The eyes were two glittering green stones. 

    He had to have it.

    Cody carried the small box over to the dusty glass counter, never taking his eyes off the snake. He noticed more and more detail-the faint suggestion of a folded hood, the infinitesimal tip of a fang peeking out from the curved mouth. He found it exquisite. 

    When he reached the counter, he glanced into the shadows behind it. No one appeared to be in the storefront, though a shimmering bead curtain over a rear doorway led into even murkier depths. 

    "Hello?" he called. "Is anybody there?" 

    "Cody?let's go-please," Mary Ann urged from the front of the store, edging toward the freedom of the open street. 

    "In a sec, okay? Hello?" Cody called again, his voice gaining confidence. "I'd like to buy something. Hello!"  

    A whisper of sound came from somewhere behind the curtain, and then it parted. A man stepped into the shop from the darkness beyond. Though definitely Asian, Cody couldn't determine his country of origin. 

    His hair appeared the black of a starless night, flowing sleekly into a neat queue. He wore a silk jacket of midnight blue worked with gold stars over ballooning black trousers, and Cody grinned to himself. What a tourist monger?. 

    And then he saw the man's eyes. 

    Those eyes were ageless, depthless, and timeless. Two calm reflecting pools of jet set into a face unlined and yet ancient. Cody almost put down the box and fled?but he shook himself mentally and held it up instead. 

    "How much for this ring? There's no price on it."

    The man cocked his head in a quizzical gesture and held out a hand for the box. "A beautiful piece. Ancient." 

    "Are those emeralds in its eyes?" 

    "No, corundum-a variety of the stone you call 'sapphire.'" 

    "I thought sapphires were blue," Cody challenged. 

    "Sapphire comes in many shades. They sometimes call this color 'oriental emerald.'" The man turned the box in his hand, staring down at it with a thoughtful expression. "Are you sure you wish to purchase this?" 

    "Uh, yeah," Cody mumbled, confused by having his doubts put into words. "How much?" 

    "First, make sure it fits, young sir. No use buying the ring if you cannot wear it, no?"  

    Cody flushed, the color staining his tan. "Oh, yeah?makes sense." Hand trembling with desire, he slipped the heavy silver circlet out of its box and eased it onto his left hand. The ring fit snugly, hugging his finger. The weight of it felt sensual-right somehow-as if it was something he'd missed without ever being aware it was gone. 

    "It does seem made for you," the man murmured, his words a soft sigh tinged with a trace of inexplicable sadness. "That will be $20." 

    "No way!" Cody crowed, reaching for his wallet before the man could change his mind. 

    The ring had to be worth far more than that-why such a good deal?? He dragged a worn bill from the Velcro billfold, afraid the shopkeeper might wise up before the deal was final. "Here you go, mister."

    "They call me the Caretaker." The shopkeeper gave a slight bow from the waist. "May you find wisdom in your purchase," the man proclaimed, brow creased with a cryptic frown. "We shall not meet again." He turned and walked back toward the rear of the shop.

    "Oh, I don't know. You've got a lot of cool stuff in here. I may be back."  

    The Caretaker glanced back over his shoulder as he paused at the bead curtain, and Cody felt a sudden chill run through him. "No. I think not, young sir. May you find peace along the path you have chosen."  

    The man's oblique sayings grated on Cody's nerves. "Whatever," he growled impatiently, turning toward the doorway. "You can keep the box. I'll wear it out."  

    The Caretaker gave a single nod and disappeared behind his curtain once more. 

    Cody bounced down the aisle to the front of the shop. Mary Ann had stepped outside the doorway, and now huddled on the sidewalk outside the shop, hugging herself and shivering. 

    "Hey, babe, you cold?" Cody threw his left arm around her shoulders, and she surreptitiously moved to his other side. "What's wrong with you?" he growled, rolling his eyes impatiently. 

    "N-nothing. I just want to walk over here?I can watch the street?."

    Cody shrugged. "Whatever." He wouldn't let her spoil his evening. "Come on. That Chinese smells better than ever. How 'bout some General Tso's?" he quipped. His accent was atrocious.

    Mary Ann giggled, as he'd known she would-it was an old and comfortable joke. "Tso what?" she responded on cue, matching his pronunciation.  

    He leaned over and brushed a kiss on the top of her head. "Tso how about coming home with me later?" he purred seductively, and she threw her arms about his waist, hugging him hard.

    His arm tightened about her shoulders. Many of his friends wondered about his choice of "plain Jane" Mary Ann, but he truly admired the fragile spirit hidden like a pearl inside her thin frame. She was all his, and the thought was a fiercely protective one. He'd make sure it always stayed that way. 

    After dinner and a return ride on a now nearly empty subway, Cody and Mary Ann cuddled on his overstuffed sofa. His hand played with her silky nightshade hair as they talked-until she let out a soft cry. 

    "Cody?that hurts!"  

    He looked down to see several long strands wound tight in the coils of the silver ring. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," he apologized, carefully extricating the ring. "Maybe I should take this thing off." He tugged gently at the band, then frowned. 

    It wouldn't come off.

    He pulled harder, grunting at the unexpected twinge of pain that resulted. He finally gave up with a shrug. "Sorry, kiddo. I guess my finger's a little swollen. It won't come off right now. I'll just try to be more careful." He reached for her again, but Mary Ann slid gracefully from his arms and stood. 

    "That's okay, Cody?. It's late. I'd better get home." 

    "I thought you were going to stay-"

    "I-I know, but I've got some studying to do?and tomorrow we've got to work on your paper?" Still making excuses, she gathered up her purse and denim jacket, starting for the door. 

    "Sure?if that's what you want," Cody muttered through tight lips, following her to the door. "Guess I'll see you in the morning, then."

    "Yeah?I'll meet you at the library." She kissed him swiftly, then slipped out the door into the soft spring night. 

    "Well, I'm not wasting what's left of my Friday night sitting here alone," Cody commented to the empty room, grabbing his own jacket and keys. With a great deal of coaxing, he got the Mustang started and drove uptown to a favorite bar. A couple of beers would just about hit the spot, he decided, grinning in anticipation.

    He locked the car and sauntered into O'Riley's. The bar was dark-heavy black walnut wainscoting and forest green wallpaper lit by smoky topaz lamps. The bar counter itself was an imported antique of polished mahogany with a marble top and brass rails. Cody liked O'Riley's because it let him pretend he had left the city and traveled off to some crowded London pub. 

    He leaned against the chest-high bar and called out to the bartender. "Hey, Sam! Draw me up a malt?"