by Paige Watson
“And when did I fall in love with you?”
“Well I became one of your personal guards and basically went everywhere with you. I protected you when you traveled and helped you hand out food to starving people in the streets. As time passed, a close friendship developed between us. Then, about nine months after I met you, Aden decided to go on a hunting trip. He asked me to accompany him in place of a guard who had fallen ill. I don’t think you wanted me to go, but since Aden ordered it I didn’t have a choice.” He grabbed a few plates from the
cabinet and set them on the counter before continuing with his story. “We set off for a few days to hunt wolves, even though the weather wasn’t good for our sport. It stormed every day we were gone, making it almost impossible to hunt anything at all. It wasn’t until the last day of our trip that we actually spotted a pack of wolves. After we had tracked the wolves all day, we were able to surround them, preventing them from being able to escape. Just as Aden was about to strike and kill a wolf, a loud clap of thunder erupted, scaring all the horses. A few of the wolves took off, and Aden dashed after them, trying to catch up. I took off behind him, afraid he was going to get hurt, but while I was following him, I was knocked off my horse by a low branch. I landed on a pile of rocks after rolling to the bottom of a small embankment.”
“Were you hurt?”
“Well I was knocked unconscious and the rest of the party couldn’t find me, especially since night had fallen. They set off for the castle, assuming the wolves had gotten the better of me. When I woke up at dawn the next morning, I had nothing with me except my sword, bow, and the clothes on my back. It took me the entire day to hike back to the castle. That night a feast was held to celebrate Aden’s kill. When I made it back, I immediately sought out Marie so I could tell her I was ok and find out where you were. She said they all thought I was dead. The hunting party found my horse roaming in the forest, but there wasn’t any sign of me. Everyone was at the feast, except for you.” His bright eyes locked onto mine, claiming my undivided attention.
“Where was I?”
“Marie led me to my chamber and as I walked in I saw you sobbing on my bed. I will never forget the look on your face when you looked up and saw me,” he said.
I could still hear his voice ringing in my ears as my mind began to wander. Softly it faded into the distance and all of a sudden I found myself in his room. It felt like I was reliving his story, but I wasn’t. I was reliving my own memory.
My eyes fell upon his body, which looked as if it had been beaten for hours. Cuts covered his face and hands, turning his skin red. He was drenched from head to toe and his white shirt had turned brown from the mud that layered it. I sprang from the bed and ran, not caring to slow down until I crashed into him. Our arms flung around one another, joining us together.
“I thought you were dead,” I sobbed into his shoulder.
“I’m still here, I’m not dead,” he said, caressing my hair.
“I don’t know what I’d do if you were gone. I couldn’t stand the thought of it.” Nothing he did could stop the tears that were flowing from my eyes. As I tried to strengthen my grasp on him, he stepped back from me awkwardly, dropping his arms from my body.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so informal with you. I didn’t mean to touch you in that way My Lady,” he said, looking uncomfortable.
I raised my hand to stroke the side of his face. “You may touch me in any way that pleases you.” Encouraged by my embrace, he seized my body, pressing it to his with all his strength. His lips were on mine, kissing me with a fire that ignited my entire being. My hands eased his bow off his back and
loosened the belt that held his sword. It fell to the ground, clanging against the stone floor. Then his lips moved from my mouth to my neck, covering every inch of skin between. I lifted his head back up to meet mine and kissed him, losing myself in his touch.
“Conrad?” I said, parting our lips from one another.
“What is it My Lady?”
“When you didn’t come back, I was so scared. I was scared that not only had I lost you, but there was one thing I would never get to say to you.”
“And what would that be?” he asked.
I took his hands in mine, before looking up at him. “I’m in love with you.” I could tell by the
expression on his face that what I said startled him. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way, but I just wanted you to know how I felt about you. Earlier when I thought you were gone, I couldn’t bear the thought of never getting to tell you how much I love you.” He brought my hands to his lips, softly kissing each finger.
“Then there is something I should tell you,” he smiled. “I’ve been in love with you from the first moment I saw you.” I smiled at him, relishing in the fact he loved me as much as I loved him. I stood on the tips of my toes and kissed him, taking his hands in mine.
“Come, let’s get you ready for bed,” I said, leading him to the other side of the room.
I was thrust from the scene in the castle back to the kitchen. I remembered something that had happened between us. I remembered what it felt like to be in love with him. I glanced at him and saw he was wearing a confused expression.
“I remembered!” In my excitement, I dropped the wooden spoon, spraying our clothes with spaghetti sauce.
“What?”
I stepped to him and threw my arms around his neck. “I was ready to lie on that bed till I withered away and died until you walked in. I can’t describe how happy I was to see you again.” His hands were on my back and I could feel them running down the length of my spine. He buried his face in my hair, breathing it in. At the sound of footsteps on the stairs, he stepped back from me.
“You just can’t help but make a mess when you’re around me, can you?” he asked, teasing me.
“One of these days I’ll get you back and then we’ll see who’s laughing.”
“What happened in here?” Caroline walked into the kitchen and saw the floor splattered with red dots.
“I dropped the spoon that had sauce all over it.”
I grabbed a handful of paper towels, and the three of us started cleaning up the mess. It wasn’t long until the floor was back to gleaming white. We piled spaghetti on plates and ate together at the wooden table. There wasn’t much conversation to be had since we were all exhausted. Conrad talked about going over some more defensive maneuvers with Caroline tomorrow, but otherwise we ate in silence. I excused myself from the table and went upstairs before taking a shower. The hot water relaxed my aching muscles as I stood under the faucet. I couldn’t believe I was starting to remember things from the past. It was almost a relief, especially since Conrad was able to recall so many things that happened between us. It didn’t seem fair he should be burdened with the memory of our time together, and the task of trying to help me remember it. He had done so much to comfort and protect me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow I should be indebted to him for the rest of my life and my future lives as well, if there happen to be any.
By the time I was done showering and drying my hair, I went to Caroline’s room and saw her light was already out. I went back to my room and cut the lights off before getting in bed. The bed felt empty, and I instantly found myself wondering if Conrad was asleep. The soft knock at my door surprised me, causing me to jump.
“Come in.”
A small stream of light filtered in from outside as Conrad stepped into my room.
“Evey?”
I threw the covers off the bed and moved over to make room for him. “Close the door, before you come lay down.” He shut the door without making a sound and climbed into the bed. He laid flat on his back as far away from me as the bed allowed.
“Are you scared of me now or something?”
“No, just a little nervous.”
“Why would you be nervous?” I rolled over to face him.
“Because I haven’t been around you in over eighty years. In that time I thought of noth
ing but getting to see you and hold you, but now that you’re in front of me even thinking about touching you makes me nervous.”
“So what are you saying exactly?”
“I mean, I remember everything that we’ve been through, but you don’t. So maybe you don’t feel the same way about me as I do about you, because to you I’m still kind of a stranger.”
I leaned over him and bent my face toward his, so our lips barely grazed each other.
“As I’ve told you before, you may touch me in any way that pleases you,” I said, pressing my lips to his. My body was on top of him, my hands rubbing the smooth surface of his chest. “They were right.”
“Who was?” he asked, running his fingers through my hair.
“The Concilium. They thought you were the reason I started to remember the past and they were right. That first day when we met in class, you touched my hand when you let me borrow your pencil. The flashes never started until I touched you. I always had the dreams, but they were just glimpses or pieces. They didn’t start making any sense till you came.”
“I guess they were smart to keep me away from you then.”
“No, they weren’t. They hid my true nature from me, and you’re a big part of that. Maybe I did need to be protected from Aden, but they shouldn’t have kept us apart.”
“I’m part of the reason you had to go into hiding in the first place. Aden killed you because of me, and he’s after you because of me. He started going mad when he realized you were in love with someone else.”
“I lived for hundreds of years before you came into my life, and I was never fully contented with it until I found you.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because of how I feel when I’m with you. You’re the only constant thing in my life, or lives that never changes.” I laid my head on his chest, positioning my body as close to his as it could be. “I don’t care if he is after me because I fell in love with you; I want you and no one else.”
“Well you have me,” he said, pulling the covers of the bed over us. I slid my arms around him and felt his hands at my waist. My body yearned for sleep but despite my efforts, sleep eluded me. That night I dreamed, but not of castles or swords; instead, I dreamed of baskets filled to the brim with ripe blackberries and a field of wildflowers. I saw my father and myself lying amongst the flowers, gazing at the clouds that floated over us. Bumblebees buzzed in my ear, humming a melodic tune. My father’s laughter rang out through the meadow. My heart ached at the sight of his smiling face. At first I was angry to have such a dream. The wound his death inflicted had barely begun to heal and remembering this made it feel as if someone was pouring salt water into it. Then I realized what my father was trying to remind me of: the field of poppies in the painting.
I woke up with a start, causing Conrad to jump.
“What’s wrong?”
“I know how to find the consiliarius.”
“Where?”
“It’s hidden in a painting at my parent’s auction house.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, when he said it was in the field he was referring to my favorite painting in my parent’s store.” I jumped out of the bed and picked up my duffel bag. I slid my nightgown off, leaving me in my underwear and immediately pulled a pair of jeans from the bag. “Come, on we have to go!” I unfolded the jeans and looked up at him. “What?” Conrad was staring at me with a smirk on his face. “What is it?” I asked, waiting for him to answer me.
“I just haven’t seen you with so few clothes on in a long time.”
“Seriously?!”
“What?”
“I’m telling you I know how to find a consiliarius and you’re talking about how long it’s been since you’ve seen me undressed?”
“Well eighty-six years is a really long time.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You’re impossible.”
“Either way, I don’t think we should go right now.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because Aden isn’t stupid. He sent souls to the diner and your house. We would be fools to think he isn’t still watching places he thinks you’ll return to. He’s been looking for you for a long time, and the other night was the closest he’s ever gotten. He won’t give up easily.”
“So are you saying we need to wait weeks or something? Because I don’t think my mother has that long.”
“No, I’m just saying that when we do go, we should be prepared for anything. Let’s go tomorrow night, after we’ve had some time to come up with a plan.”
“Yeah, you’re right. We should be smart about this.”
“Plus I’m also being selfish.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, crawling back into bed.
“The last thing I want is for Aden to get you. We still really aren’t sure what he’s up to. I can bet you one thing though; whatever it is, it isn’t good.” I laid my head back down on his chest. It wasn’t long until we were both fast asleep, and this time our sleep was undisturbed until the following morning.
I was the first one up, so I decided to get ready before heading downstairs. I opened the door that led from my room to the bathroom. I put some makeup on and slightly curled the ends of my hair with Caroline’s curling iron before pulling on my clothes. I looked outside and saw the sun already high overhead. I was already dressed in jean shorts, a pink t-shirt, and my pink converses before Conrad woke up.
“Good morning,” he called out as I was fixing my mascara.
“Morning.” I leaned close to the mirror and applied a good two layers before leaving the bathroom. “I was going to make us all breakfast this morning. Is there anything in particular you like to eat?”
“Not really. I’ll pretty much eat anything. Although there’s not much food left in the fridge.” He rolled out of bed and walked over to me. Unlike me, he looked fantastic in the mornings, and I found I was instantly jealous. “I’ll run to the store really quick. It’s about five minutes up the road so it won’t take me long.”
“Ok.” He went to his room and grabbed a blue t-shirt. He threw it on and headed downstairs with me following him. “I want you to lock the door and don’t open it for anyone but me.”
“I won’t.” He gave me a soft peck on the cheek and walked out the door.
I set off for the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. While I was waiting for it to brew, Caroline came downstairs.
“Morning.”
“Morning,” I said, pulling three coffee mugs out of the cabinet.
“Where’s Conrad?”
“Oh, he went to the store to get some more food. He’ll be right back.”
“Good! I’m starving.”
“Have you talked to your parents?” I poured coffee into two mugs, adding plenty of cream and sugar to both. I handed her the steaming mug and she accepted it with a smile.
“I just talked to my mom. She said everyone is really shaken up about your dad.” She grabbed my hand across the table, giving it a tight squeeze. “Apparently the cops are claiming it was a robbery gone awry. I told my parents I was with you and your mom in Indiana. I said we’re going to your dad’s hometown to bury him.”
“Wait a second,” I said in a shaky voice. “Wouldn’t my dad’s body be at the morgue?”
“That’s just the thing, my mom said she saw your mom come identify the body and pick it up to take to Indiana.” Caroline’s mom was a secretary at the police station. She had a good handle on the town gossip. If something happened in Estill, she was the first to know about it.
“But how could my mom have picked up the body?” I held on to her hand tightly to steady myself.
“I don’t know. Aden has your mom; he must be trying to clean up his messes so the Concilium doesn’t catch on to what he’s doing.” A drop of water landed in my coffee, rippling the caramel surface. I wasn’t sure when the tears started but now they were flooding my eyes. Caroline knelt beside my chair and held my head to her shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be such a mess.”
“Don’t you dare apologize for this,” she scolded. “You’ve been strong so far. I don’t know how you’re doing it, but you are amazing.”
“Thanks.” She leaned back from me, taking my hands in hers.
“This does tell us one thing though. Your mother is still alive, and we are going to get her back.”
“Yeah, we will,” I said, blotting my face with a paper towel Caroline handed to me. “I know how to find the consiliarius.”
“How?”
“The answer is hidden in a painting at my parent’s auction house. I dreamed about it last night and know it will lead us to the consiliarius.”
“When are we going to get the painting?”
“Conrad thinks we should go tonight. He suspects Aden will be watching my house, in case I return for something. He said we would make a plan, that way we can be prepared for anything.”
“Yeah, that’s a smart idea.” She resumed her seat on the other side of the table and took a gulp of her coffee. “And now you know you can defend yourself, which is good too.”
I nodded my head in agreement. I was surprised I was able to fight so well, especially since I’d never even thrown a punch before. When I first started having the flashes, I was scared, but now I was eager to remember things from my past. It makes me feel like I am slowly becoming the person I’m meant to be.
A knock at the door informed us Conrad had returned. I looked through the window just to make sure it was him before undoing the lock. He put away the groceries while I started frying strips of bacon for breakfast.
“How do y’all like your eggs?”
“Fried for me,” Caroline answered.
“Same here,” Conrad replied.
I set to work cooking the eggs while I turned over the bacon so it could cook on the other side. A few minutes later we were all sitting at the table, eating our steaming plates of food and drinking coffee.
“We know Aden is more than likely still in Estill,” I said before stuffing my mouth with eggs.
Conrad’s brow furrowed. “How do you know that?”
