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20 QUESTIONS WITH ASHER LAKE:
I stepped
into the dining room instantly aware that, upon seeing me, Asher Lake’s
face changed from his normal distant expression to that of annoyance. I wasn’t
sure what it was about me, but I seemed to draw out the worst qualities from
him. Often, I had to remind myself, when I was in his presence, that I am a
tiger as well as a Pillar Council member and I deserved to be treated with
respect.
However,
more often than not, by the time our conversation was finished I walked away
completely exasperated and intimidated. Despite his displeasure, this interview
was an attempt to change that—how the
Union and I felt about him. His family was gone and he was bored. I knew those
two factors were the only reasons he had conceded to do this interview, but I
planned to take advantage of his vulnerability. Walking to the table I sat down
and placed my small recorder in front of me, along with my notebook and
pencil.
“Is
this really necessary Madam Linn?”
he scowled at the recorder.
“You
can either answer the questions through me,”
I told him, “or you can
subject yourself to Pixie Landers, the mouth of the Nashville Press.”
“You
mean the gossip of the Union,” he sighed.
“She derives pleasure out of
twisting everything I say. I believe the last time she tried that though, I
sent her an apple afterward that was enchanted with a truth spell. It turned
her into a mute for three weeks. I don’t
think her husband minded at all.”
Asher laughed and, waving a hand toward the center of the table, he drew my
eyes there. I noticed then the fruit bowl that displayed not one, but several
juicy red apples. “Speaking of
that, please do help yourself.”
“How
about we just get started?” I frowned
to express how I feel about his behavior. While I opened the notebook and
turned on the tape recorder, he removed an apple from the bowl and took a bite.
There was no denying the smirk on his full lips as he waited for me to begin.
Linn: “First
of all, tell me about Asher Lake, describe yourself to me.”
Asher: “I
am quite sure that opinion would change depending on who you ask, but since you
asked me, I consider myself a caring, creative and complex man.”
Linn: “Caring?
You would describe yourself as caring, when you’ve
chosen to ignore the Union for the last ten years, and the protégés
left in your care?”
Asher: “I
believe the words you so eloquently used to ask that question were ‘describe yourself to me,’
which I can only assume, Madam, meant that you wanted me to give an accurate
conjecture of myself. And despite what
the Union or certain members of the Pillar Council and my family hold true, I
am caring in that I have done things, without their knowledge, for their benefit.”
Linn:”
Would you care to elaborate on that?”
Asher: “No
I would not. Next question please.”
Linn: “You’re
the Keeper to the Union and a wolf in your animal form. How do you feel about
both?”
Asher: “Neither
are things I would have chosen for myself. Next, and please don’t
be boring. I hate to be bored.”
Linn: “When
you’re driving down the road what
music do you like to listen to?”
Asher: “I
love all sorts of music,” he paused,
long enough to study my features. Asher never left Lake Manor so I was quite
sure he thought my question was an attempt to tease him. When he saw that I was
perfectly serious, he proceeded to answer. “I
especially like Breaking Benjamin. They have a particular song that I often
consider my theme song. It’s titled Forever. You should listen to it
sometimes, maybe then you’ll have a
better perspective of me.”
Linn: “I’m
sure, but for now answer this. If you had a free day and your only mission was
to enjoy yourself, what would you do? Where would you go?”
Asher: “I
believe, if I could do anything, I would like to see the ocean. I would sit on
the beach and watch the sun set over the horizon. I wouldn’t
do anything else but be thankful that I was there and that I was alive.”
Linn: “Tell
me Asher, what are your strengths, weaknesses and talents?”
Asher: “I
believe the consensus of rumor is that my magic and fighting skills are my
strengths, since I am both a mage and a martial arts master, but I would have
to say the bond that I share with my brother is my strength. Nevertheless, that
same bond can also serve as my weakness. Talent, I guess, that would be the
fact that I like to build things, write…and
draw.”
Linn: “Why
does that seem to embarrass you?”
Asher: “I
guess it’s just not
something a man like me should do.”
Linn: “Since
that last question about your weakness seemed to invoke feeling from you in
respect to Ari, can you tell me how do you feel about him and the protégés
now that you’re an
adult?”
Asher: “I
imagine I feel the same way about them now that I did when I was younger,
except the rat. He especially gets on my nerves. If I were you, I would watch
my phone. He has a thing about taking things that don’t
belong to him.” Asher
produced a small flame of fire on the palm of his hand and continued to place
an apple in that flame. Within seconds the sweet aroma of roasting apple filled
my nostrils. With a widening leer, he doused the flames and bit into the warmed
fruit. “But let’s
not discuss rats or my brother any longer.
Go ahead Linn. Ask me the question that you’ve
been dying to ask.”
Linn: “How do
you feel about using death magic, as you just showed me you are quite skilled
in, when according to the archives it is illegal and punishable by the Council?”
Asher: “I feel
that using death magic is a contradiction to everything that I am forced to
uphold. But if you knew anything about death magic or my history, you would
know that I never intentionally set out to learn it. Next question?”
Linn: “Fine,
since you’re not into expounding on
things, tell me then how do you express your happiness and anger?”
Asher: “Believe
me Linn, as I know you have witnessed, when I am angry there is no doubt of
that. As for my happiness, I can’t say I
know what that feels like anymore.”
Linn: “When was
the last time you remember being happy?”
Asher: “When
Grant was still alive and Ari and I were just boys, but things changed and so
did I.”
Linn: What is your greatest fear?”
Asher: “Losing
those I care about.”
Linn: What is the worst thing you’ve ever done?”
Asher: There are far too many of those to answer
properly.”
Linn: “Okay,
name two.”
Asher: “I put
someone in the hands of an employee I thought I could trust and here recently I
learned the price of that decision. The second thing would be taking someone’s memory, and even though I was forced to do it,
I still live with regret. And no, I will not go into detail on that either.”
Linn: When it pertains to the Union and the protégés, what
could you have done to make things better or different?”
Asher: “I would
have been a true Keeper, one that warranted respect and one that ruled as he
saw fit—free to make his own
choices—not one forced to follow
outdated archives.”
Linn: “How do
you feel about the Council?”
Asher: “I hate
the Council and find everything about them evil.”
Linn: “How do
you feel about the threat of an uprising and those that oppose you?”
Asher: “I feel
that I’ve opened doors and given
them permission. I haven’t been the best leader
Madam Linn, or, are you failing to remember that about me?”
Linn: “No, I
haven’t and stop trying to needle
me. How did you feel the night Grant was called?”
Asher: “Lost,
alone, and scared….next?”
Linn: “How do
you feel about men who abuse women?”
Asher: “I feel
that when a man is accused of abusing a woman he should be tied to a pole and
held accountable by the very women he abused. She should be given her choice of
weapon and be allowed to do anything that she pleased with him, until she felt
worthy, beautiful and loved. That is how I feel.”
Linn: “Okay
then, since we’re on the topic of women.
Describe your ideal dream mate? If you found the ideal mate, would you want to
marry and have children?”
Asher: “I know
you are perfectly aware of where I stand on the matter of children. Without
love, I will not marry or have an heir, and to say that I dream of a fairytale
life is highly unproductive isn’t it—since, in fact, I have made a vow not to love.”
Linn: “Hypothetically
speaking then, describe your ideal mate.”
Asher: “Preferably,
she would be one that doesn’t ask annoying questions,” Asher heavily exhaled, and removing a small tin
from his shirt pocket I watched him take out a mint and place it in his mouth.
Asher had nice lips, which made me wonder if he had ever kissed a woman before.
Clearing my thoughts, I tuned back in to listen. “The ideal mate would be one that I feel needs my protection. She
would be a woman that receives me and my family for who and what we are. And in
the end, accepts the fact that I may not be around for very long.”
Linn: “That
being said, I’m surprised that your
criteria doesn’t come with hair color and
bust size preferences, given you have Ari for a brother. So…there are no specific features that you like in
a woman?”
Asher: “I prefer
blue eyes.”
Linn: “Oh, is
there any particular woman in your life that you’re attracted to with blue eyes?”
Asher: “Yes, and
to challenge my previous statement, I have pictured her in my dreams many
times, but sometimes dreams and reality fail to communicate.”
Linn: “I get
the impression that you don’t like talking about this
particular subject. Can you tell me what scares you most about this person?”
Asher: “Other
than my death? I would think that would be enough to scare any man. Two more
questions, Linn and that is all. My brother should be arriving home shortly and
we have business to discuss, so choose wisely.”
I carefully looked over my list of questions
until I came to the last two. Asher’s
reluctance to talk about a mate originated from the knowledge that he lived
with a curse upon his life. Just as the Keepers before him, the curse is set in
motion by the simple act of falling in love, and the result was always the
same. When the Keeper fell in love they died. But Asher also had a destiny
that, on occasion, I needed to remind him of.
Linn: “What
would be the one thing you would change if you could for future Keepers?”
Asher: “I would
prevent them from having to live under the same fate I have. I would give them
the chance to know life, love and happiness.”
Linn: “Good
answer, and with that said, what would you like it to say on your tombstone?”
Asher: “It would
say just one thing below my name, and that would be the word protector.”
With that Asher Lake stood and walked away from
the table. He left me with my pencil and notebook, and a great deal of emotions
stirring that I never felt toward him before and that was sympathy, sorrow, and
regret. Quite possibly, I realized, I had him all wrong. And then, as I sat
there pondering my thoughts, I reached for the tape recorder only to have it
burst into flames. Dropping it to the table I sat staring at the fireball,
while behind me Asher Lake’s laughter resounded off
the dining room walls.
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