by Martha Woods
I put my focus on the task at hand as I ring the doorbell. I can hear the familiar chime ring throughout the home, followed by the foyer light being turned on. My heartbeat increases as I hear footsteps near the front door. A part of me wants to run, but I know I must face this major part of my past. After all, a major trade route is currently in jeopardy.
“Anna?” he calls my name as he cracks the front door.
“Hello, Darien,” I say softly as I try to step into the light. Surely, I must look different, between the long length of my hair and the developed features of my female body. Darien is much taller compared to the memory I have always kept of him. His short brown hair is now combed to the side, giving light to his deep blue eyes. His shoulders are much broader, though he still looks skinny as a twig. “I came as soon as I got your message.”
Darien opens the door for me as I step inside the house. I quickly look around, trying to match memory with reality, only to discover that much hasn’t changed. The furniture still seems to be in the exact spot, but as I glance down the hallway I can see that the wall color is different. It only makes sense they would have painted after the fire.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know to expect you or I wouldn’t have been asleep,” Darien stumbles with his words as I place my focus back on him. I try to smile at him, but a part of me is screaming inside. Remember why you are truly here, I tell myself.
“Don’t be sorry, Darien. I should have waited till morning, but with it being so late I didn’t have any other place to stay,” I admit as I watch his every move. I try to remember if he was always this tall, or if I’ve always been this short. His face relaxes as he motions for me to follow him.
“You must be hungry then,” he suggests as he flips on the lights to the formal dining room and kitchen. I immediately remember the countless mornings I had sat at that table, watching Darien’s father making coffee while his mother cooked an amazing breakfast. Or all the hours I had spent sitting at the table, studying and doing ‘homework’ while my uncle was away.
“Yeah, I could use a bite to eat,” I say as I’m finally pulled back to reality with the sound of the fridge door being opened. Darien is pulling a box of leftovers out of the fridge and is quick to make me a plate of Chinese food. After being on a consistent diet of unflavored food while living in the Kingdom, the aroma of the overly sweet and spicy food waters my mouth. We settle down at the dining table and I’m having a hard time dividing my attention between the food and Darien.
“Thank you,” I say before I take the first big bite. I hear Darien chuckle as he takes a seat next to me at the table.
“You still have a big appetite, I see,” he comments as he watches me closely.
“I haven’t been in American for a long time,” I explain as I take a few more bites, and then slow my pace so I can properly have a conversation with my friend. “This food is like heaven compared to what I normally get to eat.”
“You sound like you’ve been in hiding all this time,” Darien comments. I smirk at the thought. It really feels like it compared to everything I have seen in the last 48 hours. The world has changed in the last fifteen years, including the man that now sits in front of me. I can’t help but keep my eyes on him as I eat.
“I’ve been helping my family with their business in Asia. I finished my studies and my mother has been kind enough to allow me to help run things while my father and brother are away securing new pieces,” I explain. All that Darien knows is that my family also deals antiques. He is completely unaware of the supernatural realm, or of the paranormal creatures that roam this planet. He doesn’t even truly understand what happened that night when I discovered a token in his home.
“Sounds good,” he responds, clearly lost for words in this moment. I try to look pleasant despite the late hour. I was currently unaware of how I truly looked after two days of traveling with little sleep.
“What about you? What have you been doing lately?” I ask as I continue eating.
“I started attending the local art academy two years ago. I had finally stood up to my parents and declared that I had no interest in the business,” Darien started as he ran his fingers through his hair. When we were younger, Darien often spent hours drawing or painting. Though his parents always expected him to take over their business, I wasn’t surprised by Darien’s defiance of their wishes. “I always thought that maybe Elizabeth or John might take my spot as heir to the business, but I guess I have no choice now,” Darien says softly as he looks away from me. I can only imagine what he must be feeling with the death of his parents and now the huge responsibility that has been placed on him. I finally finish the plate of food as I push it aside and lean my elbows on the table.
“That is why I am here, Darien. I have a list of people who would be more than willing to pay you appropriately for your parent’s business contracts.” Darien looks back at me, but now his face is stern and cold.
“Is that why you have come back now, after all of these years without nothing as little as a letter or email? I didn’t expect you to grow up to be so business like,” Darien remarks as he forces me to look at him despite the feeling that has now formed between us. Part of me wants to leap across the table and shake him, but I take a deep breath and instead walk around the table and pull him from his chair. He doesn’t protest as I wrap my arms around him and place my head firmly against his chest. I listen to his heart till his breathing calms to a normal rate.
“I’m here to make this transition as easy as possible for you, Darien. As the only person in this house who has experience dealing in this business, I know I can help you,” I speak into his shirt. I inhale deeply, enjoying his familiar scent. I hear him chuckle and pull away to see his face as softened.
“Forgive me if I’m a little upset about you leaving all those years ago. I’ve missed you Anna,” Darien explains as I loosen my grip on him and slowly move away. I’m unsure of what to say. I’ve trained for years to be a warrior and fight against horrific spirits who wish to dominate this world. Nothing my teachers taught could prepare me for the deep feelings that were forming inside my gut.
“And I’ve missed this place, too,” I say as I turn around and take a seat back at the table. “I mean, I only got to see Elizabeth when she was a baby and I haven’t even seen a picture of John. How are they handling everything?”
“Well enough, I suppose. My Aunt Sherly plans to move in at the end of the summer. Having no kids of her own, she has taken it upon herself to watch after Elizabeth and John so I can finish school.”
I roll my eyes at the mention of his aunt. I remember the woman being very ditsy and uncappable of doing anything without her servants by her side. “And you think that babbling woman has the ability to raise children?”
“I don’t need her to raise them. I need her to watch after them while I’m at school. I mean, all she has to do is be here when they got home from school and make sure they don’t starve,” Darien chuckles as he glances over at the clock on the wall. It’s almost two o’clock in the morning.
“I’m sure her trusted help will be able to take care of things while you’re gone,” I admit as I stand and take my dish to the sink. Darien follows me as he leans on the counter. Now that the atmosphere has relaxed between us, I can start to see just how tired he looks. “Come now, show me where I can get a few hours of sleep. I want to be awake when the kids get up in the morning. I’m dying to see them both, but I know it would be rude to wake them up in the middle of the night.”
“Yes, that is very rude,” Darien jokes as I follow him out of the kitchen. I loop my arm with his as he leads us to the second floor and down a long hallway. Darkness surrounds us, but I feel safe walking next to Darien. I can remember a few specific nights where we would sneak out of our rooms and spend the night playing hide and seek. It was antics like that which led to me finding the token.
Darien opens the door to a spare bedroom as I follow him inside and quickly start turning on the bedside la
mps. As the light illuminates the room, stronger memories return to me. “It’s exactly how I remember it,” I say softly as I turn about the room, looking at the long, white dresser that I used to keep my cloths in and the four- poster bed that had the same blanket on top.
“Mother always kept this room untouched in hopes that you might come and visit during summer break,” Darien remarked. I turn to him, mindful that he is watching my every move. He then walks over to me and places his arm around my shoulders, much like he used to do when we were children. “I’m glad you came, Anna.”
I tilt my head towards him and begin to notice a shadow of a beard growing on his face. I try not to laugh, but the idea of Darien growing facial hair is unusually funny. “I’m glad, too.” I loop my arm around his waist as I allow him to rest his head on mine. “Now go get some sleep,” I insist as I move away from him and climb onto the bed. I kick off my sandals and get under the covers as I turn to see Darien watching me from the doorway.
“What?” I ask as I pull a pillow under my head. I can see his smile right before I flip off the lamp.
“I just can’t believe you’re really here,” I hear him say into the darkness.
“And I’ll be here when you wake, Darien. Now go get some sleep. I expect a spectacular breakfast in the morning.” I hear him laugh before he shuts the door. I wait a few minutes before I climb out of the bed and tip-toe to the door.
Carefully, I push open the door and poke my head out into the hallway. I listen to the silence of the house before I’m convinced that everyone is sleeping and I’ll be able to walk downstairs without anyone noticing me.
Stepping out into the hallway, I walk carefully in the darkness, making sure not to run into anything or step on a loose floor board. But as I reach the lower level, I start to breathe easier. It is only minutes before I’m standing in front of the door, but I feel like it has taken me years to get to this moment. In retrospect it has, but now I am here and I need to face this last fear.
I open up the office door and let it swing open as I simply stare into the room from the hallway. I can see the room has been re-painted and is now is designed to be a small sitting room. When I was a child, it used to be an in-and-out room. Darien’s father would often receive new shipments to the house, the antiques that were most valuable that he wanted to process himself. The room was always packed full of new boxes and crates, making it the best place to hide when Darian and I would play. But there was one particular box that I always dreamed of opening, the one that Darien’s father kept on the mantel of the fireplace. Being told that I was never to touch it made it even more desirable.
One night, when Darien was taken an unusually long time finding me, I had used a chair to reach the mantel and examine the box. Lifting the weightless, wooden lid, I saw a small metal locket around a silver chain, tucked neatly against felt backing. Wanting to know if the neckless would fit me, I lifted the locket from the box and came into contact with the first token I had ever laid my eyes on.
I blink a few times to push the memory of the beautiful locket from my eyes. I finally convince myself to step inside the room as I look towards the wall where the fireplace used to be. Now all that remained was a flat wall with a large landscape painting hanging over top it. I wondered how much of the room had been damaged due to my selfishness, doing something my uncle had specifically told me not to.
A strong wind blew against the window, causing my attention to be drawn to the night outside. I can hear the wind now rustling through the tall oak trees that surround the estate. As I stare out the window, the face of the spirit that has resided in that locket rises to the forefront of my memory. In the background, I can see the glow of blue fire as it consumes everything.
“Enough,” I say out loud as I turn from the window and quickly leave the room. I pull the door softly shut as not to make a sound. As carefully as I had left, I make my way back to the room I had called my own for many years. Climbing back under the sheets, I force my eyes close and focus on the darkness of my mind. I can do this, I assure myself over and over as I finally let exhaustion pull me into the subconscious.
Chapter 3
I’ve missed this, I think as I stretch in a bed that doesn’t need ten layers of furs to keep me warm. I’ve missed the Georgia heat, and my own clothes, and being in a place where no one understands the darkness around them. As I enjoy a few moments to myself, I begin to smell something burning. My first instinct is to search the house for a fire, as I quickly leave the bed, slip on my sandals and sunglasses, and leave my room to start searching for the origin of the smell.
As I make it downstairs, I can see a hazy smoke filling the area and slowly seeping out of the kitchen. I begin walking towards the source of the smoke when I hear a soft voice start giggling, followed by the sound of shuffling feet.
“You’re going to burn the house down,” she says, as the sound of someone struggling with a window meets my ears when I finally step into the kitchen. Over the stove is a black cloud where Darien is standing with a frying pan. Next to him a young girl tries to pry the pan from his hands and after a moment, she succeeds and quickly tosses it into the sink.
“What were you thinking, Darien? The world knows you can’t cook,” she says as she faces him. Darien looks defeated, but lost for words as he simply stares her down. I can only assume the young girl is Elizabeth and I can’t help but stare as well as I remember the last time I saw her. I remember trying to hold the baby in my arms, but even when I was ten I wasn’t very strong. Now a young woman stands in front of me and I can barely comprehend the change.
The fire alarm brings me from my thoughts as Darien and Elizabeth grab towels and start whipping the smoke away from the alarm. I turn my gaze and finally spot the young boy who has been struggling with the kitchen window for the last few minutes. I calmly walk over, flip the lock, and help him lift the window, allowing the smoke to be drawn outside. He turns and looks at me surprised, causing him to tumble backwards over a stool. The commotion finally draws the attention of Darien and Elizabeth to me.
“Whoa there. I’m not going to hurt you,” I say as I help the boy to his feet. I can tell he is more confused over the fact that I’m wearing sunglasses in the house than a stranger in his home.
“I’m not scared. I just don’t know who you are,” he replies defensively. I can’t help but smirk as I look at the boy and see many of the same facial features Darien had at that age. I can only assume that this must be John, the younger sibling I never met.
“John, Elizabeth. Let me introduce you to Anna. She and her uncle used to stay the summers here at the house,” Darien quickly explains as he ushers Elizabeth and John together. They both look between Darien and I, trying to put together what he is saying.
“Why don’t I remember her?” Elizabeth asks. My smile grows even more as I take a moment to search her face and try to remember what she looked like as a baby.
“That is because you were only a few months old when we first met,” I reply as I look from her to Darien. His face seems to relax despite the chaos that had started the morning. The room begins to air out as I begin to move about the kitchen like I’m dancing with an old friend.
“But why haven’t you been here since then?” Elizabeth quickly responds. The family settles down at the kitchen island as I begin preparing breakfast. I’m whipping pancake mix in a bowl as I glance over at Darien. I wish I could read his mind and say what he wants me to say to his brother and sister.
“My uncle passed away, and without a guardian, I had to return to my parents. You see, my parents also manage an antique business, but they live in Russia and deal mostly in Asia. I used to travel with my uncle in America, learning the family business and helping him wherever I could,” I explain as I find a clean pan and begin heating it over the stove. And by learn the family business, what I really meant was I learned about the supernatural realm from my uncle. He would introduce me to many species of creatures from vampires to werewolves, to w
itches and sorceries. My uncle explained it was important to be peaceful and respectful to all sorts of beings, especially since our people are at war with the supernatural realm, the place where demons and spirits cross over to our realm and often cause chaos. He always told me that even the most dangerous creature could prove to be a great alley in our war. Even more so when it came to finding tokens and collecting, or destroying them.
“Why haven’t you ever come to visit?” John asks as I pour the batter into the pan. I keep my focus on my cooking and talk over my shoulder to them.
“Unlike my uncle, my parents are reluctant to let me leave their side, especially my mother. For the last fifteen years, I’ve been studying and working with them. My brother is busy with his scientific research, so I’ve been left managing daily operations with my mother while my Dad is away,” I explain.
“Then why are you here now?” Elizabeth quickly follows with another question. I flip the pancakes in the pan, and finally turn towards her, giving Darien a reassuring smile that their questions do not bother me.
“When I heard about your parent’s death, I came as soon as I could. With my experience in the antique business, I’m confident I can find a buyer for what your parents worked so hard to create and make sure their work lives on,” I explain. Their faces soften as I turn back towards the stove and finish flipping the pancakes onto plates for us all to enjoy. I set the plates in front of them and take a seat at the island.
“Well, I’m glad you’re here, Anna. I feel like I’m starving half the time,” John says before taking a large bite of his food. I can’t help but laugh as I glance over at Darien. A smile has finally crossed his face and I feel we can move past the awkward introductions.
