The Eden Series: The Complete Collection

by Stalder, Janelle

  “And who is this?” she asked in an accented voice that was smooth and confident. She looked Elisa slowly up and down, unimpressed. “Have you replaced me with someone younger?” she teased.

  “Never,” Wolf smiled, throwing himself down on the edge of her bed. “This is Elisa. She’s a friend from back home.”

  “A friend?” the lady said, sounding unconvinced. Her eyes remained on Elisa. Elisa didn’t know where to look, and desperately wished she’d find something else to stare at. “I can’t imagine any man being just friends with this one.” This brought a wicked smile to her face.

  Wolf ignored her comment. Elisa stood awkwardly by the front door, not knowing where to go in the tiny space. Logan stood beside her. “I’m sorry to have come here unannounced, Annabelle,” Wolf said. “There was a bit of a problem back at our hotel and we need a place to stay.”

  “There’s always a problem where you’re concerned,” she laughed. Annabelle walked slowly over to her dresser, where two large bottles stood beside four glasses. As she walked, her hips swayed enticingly from side to side, putting each of the boys into a momentary trance. Elisa gave them a disgusted look, but they didn’t seem to notice. “You are more than welcome to stay here, but I’ll be leaving for work shortly,” she said as she poured herself a drink. Turning to face them, she slowly drank the liquid, licking her lips afterwards. Then she poured more, and handed it to Wolf, who quickly drank it down in one gulp.

  “Much appreciated,” he said when he was done. “You won’t be needing the space?”

  It finally dawned on Elisa what Annabelle was – a prostitute. The fact that Wolf seemed to know her so intimately gave Elisa a funny feeling in her stomach. Prostitution was frowned upon in the Capital City, although it still existed, but here it seemed perfectly acceptable. Wolf clearly had no issue with it. Elisa’s stomach turned as she pictured the two of them in an embrace. She shook her head to rid it of the image. Logan was watching her out of the corner of his eye, questioningly. She smiled at him in reassurance.

  “I’ll be gone all night. Just do me a favour,” Annabelle said, as she picked up a cloak from the bed, and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was a deep midnight blue, with a large clasp decorated with red jewels at the collar. “Try not to destroy the place. If you need to do any fighting, take it outside.”

  “You have my word,” Wolf smiled.

  “Have a good night then,” she smiled back, turning to give Elisa a thoughtful look. Without saying anything to her, she turned to look at Logan, and gave him a mischievous grin. “What a shame that I need to leave,” she said to him. He just laughed casually, showing no signs of being taken off guard by her forwardness.

  “There will be other nights,” he said to her, shocking Elisa. Annabelle left soundlessly out the door, leaving the three of them alone in the apartment.

  “Well I’m beat,” Wolf declared, falling onto the bed. Elisa looked around the room slowly.

  “Where are we all supposed to sleep?” she asked. Wolf snickered.

  “There is only one bed,” Logan pointed out. “I guess we’ll have to share,” he shrugged, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed beside Wolf’s feet.

  “What – all three of us in one bed?” she gasped.

  “It’s either that, or you sleep on the floor,” Wolf said lazily, turning over so his back was to them. “It’s up to you.” Logan glanced sympathetically at her.

  “Look, I’d offer to sleep on the floor, but my back has been killing me, and this bed is big enough.” Logan shifted back, lying neatly beside Wolf. Smiling, he patted the open spot beside him, motioning her over with his head. The situation was so ridiculous that she couldn’t help but laugh, igniting laughter in Logan as well. Wolf ignored them.

  “Alright, I’ll play along,” she smiled, walking over. “But if either of you touch me, I will cut your hands off.”

  “I’ve always dreamt of a girl saying that as she climbs into bed with me,” Logan joked. Elisa crawled in beside him, turning so her back was facing him. It was late, and she really didn’t want to sleep on the hard floor, so she’d just have to make this work. The room soon filled with Logan’s snoring. She looked over her shoulder at him, amazed that someone could fall asleep so quickly. Turning back around, she closed her eyes and soon fell asleep to the rhythm of Logan’s breathing.

  * * * * *

  The room was filled with the morning sun bleeding through the red curtains. The previous night was still a blur as Elisa’s mind climbed out of the depths of sleep. A hard object lay across her arm, encircling around her body. Looking down, she noticed the object was an arm. Looking back up, she caught Wolf’s eye. He stood motionless at the end of the bed, looking down at them with an odd expression. Giving the body behind her a sharp nudge with her elbow, Logan gasped awake, flailing his arms about theatrically as he sat up.

  “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” he mumbled.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” Wolf smiled – any trace of the strange look was gone.

  “What time is it?” asked Logan, rubbing his hand down his face. Elisa sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She felt horrible. Every muscle ached and she didn’t feel rested in the least. She slowly shook out her hair, running her hands through it to detangle some of the mess.

  “Ouch,” she cried out, grabbing her shoulder.

  “What’s wrong?” Logan asked.

  “I must have slept funny and hurt myself,” she answered, her tone slightly accusing. If he hadn’t been moving around so much, she might have been able to sleep properly.

  His voice sounded completely innocent and oblivious. “How did you do that?”

  Her head whipped around, so she could properly look at him. “Probably from sleeping in one position all night, since someone decided to take up most of the bed!”

  Wolf started to chuckle. “You’re just not used to it,” he said, walking over to stand in front of her. She looked up wearily at him. “Here, get up.” She sat still. Sighing, he bent down and pulled her into a standing position. “You’re absolutely ridiculous sometimes,” he murmured. Holding on to her, Wolf spun Elisa around, searching her shoulder with his thumb. She winced as he hit the sensitive spot. With his thumb only, he began to do hard circular motions.

  “You’re hurting me!” she cried out. His hands, still set firmly on her shoulders, gave her no option of movement. Logan sat smiling like a child on the bed. “Don’t!” she pointed her finger warningly at him. “This is your fault!” He chuckled, scrambling off the bed, and walked over to open the curtains, letting in a wide ray of sunshine.

  “What are we going to do about breakfast?” he said, looking out the window.

  “Breakfast will have to wait,” Wolf called from behind her. She stood helplessly as he continued to inflict pain on her. Logan spun around, immense disappointment written all over his face. “Markus sent for us,” Wolf answered before Logan could say anything. Elisa tried to turn around so she could face him, but he held her still. Fighting down the urge to elbow him in the gut, Elisa took a deep breath before speaking.

  “Markus has already sent for us? How did he find us?” she asked.

  “He makes it his business to know everything that goes on in his city. I’m sure it didn’t take him long to figure out where we went. Obviously he thought it better to just wait for the morning. Regardless, we’ve been summoned, and shouldn’t make him wait any longer.” He suddenly let her go, causing her to stumble forward. She placed her hand on the bed to stop herself from falling. He was already walking away. Straightening up, she rotated her shoulder again and found that the pain was now gone.

  “How did you do that?” she asked, her voice full with wonder.

  Turning back to face her, he smiled and wiggled his hands in the air. “Magic fingers.”

  “I’m sure that’s what all the ladies say,” Logan snickered. Rolling her eyes, Elisa walked over to the bathroom and splashed her face with some cold water to help freshen
her up. Taking her long hair into her hands, she twisted it and placed it down her right shoulder, hoping it would stay that way until she could properly style it. The two boys were waiting patiently for her when she emerged.

  “Ready?” Wolf asked, not bothering to look at her.

  Ignoring his question, Elisa asked him a question instead. “How do you know we’ve been summoned?” How long had he been up while her and Logan slept together, she wondered.

  “I found it slipped under the door when I woke up,” he answered, walking towards the door.

  “Seems kind of lucky for them that we actually happened to be here,” she muttered. What would have happened if they hadn’t been? Did they just go around the entire city slipping summons under doors, in hopes of locating them?

  “Not lucky. They’re just smart,” Wolf replied, turning to give her a sly grin. “Obviously they know me well.” Elisa screwed her face up in disgust, choking back the rude retort that was eagerly trying to escape. She’d never get used to Wolf’s flippant attitude. She remained silent as she followed him out. Logan walked behind her, shutting the door to Annabelle’s apartment behind them.

  The heat outside was muggy and sticky. Back at home, most people were already up and busy with the tasks for their day. Here, the streets were eerily empty. Elisa guessed that most people were still sleeping off the night before. It was strange how different the two cities were.

  The three of them walked down the street, entering the same small area with the fountain that she had passed the night before. Wolf led the way, not stopping as they walked past the fountain and down another street.

  “I’m surprised he didn’t send guards to accompany us,” Logan commented.

  “He knows we know the way,” Wolf shrugged. They turned down another alley between two buildings. This one was much bigger than the one she had slipped into beside the hotel. All three of them could have walked side by side if they wanted, but she stayed a few steps behind them. The sky was clear of clouds. The blue was so vibrant, that she was lost in it when she heard a loud grunt. Looking forward, she saw Wolf lying on the ground in the alley. Logan spun around to face the attacker. Not attacker – attackers. Elisa took a moment to gather herself as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. There were three men there, all with black scarves tied across their mouths and noses. One held a club that was wet with blood. Wolf lay on the ground, a small line of red leaking from the back of his skull. Logan was pushed up against the wall, a large forearm held under his chin. His purple face told her immediately that he was choking, and would soon pass out if she didn’t act fast. The man with the club turned to face her, walking slowly forward.

  Without hesitation, Elisa ran forward with a cry, catching the man off guard. He braced himself, but at the last moment she pivoted to her left, pushing her foot off the wall, and lifted herself into the air. As she spun, her hand quickly moved under her skirts to find the hidden discs. The man looked up in confusion just as Elisa landed on his back, the sharp blade ready in her hand. He didn’t have time to move before she sliced down, cutting off his left ear. He screamed and thrashed just as Elisa flung herself off, landing neatly on the ground behind him. Spinning around, she spun the disc through the air, sending it towards the man that held Logan. It lodged itself deeply into his forearm. He released Logan with a scream. It didn’t take long for Logan to catch his breath again. He slammed his head into the man’s face, knocking him down and into unconsciousness. A third man watched silently from a windowsill. Elisa began to run towards him, but stopped instantly as the man lowered the fabric covering his face.

  “Markus?” Logan called out. The man, Markus, jumped off the sill to stand in front of her. A wide smile filled his face as he took in the scene in the alley. He was extremely handsome. His hair was black and wavy, falling just below his ears. He had the same olive skin that was common in the south, but had unusually bright blue eyes. He was very tall, with the broad shoulders of a soldier. As Elisa observed him, he walked slowly to Wolf, nudging him with the toe of his boot, and then turned to look at her.

  “Are you okay, Roberto?” he called out, keeping his eyes on Elisa. The man behind her sat on the ground, holding the spot where his ear had been. He nodded his head once. “I’m impressed,” he said, to her now.

  “What is going on here?” Logan demanded, angrily.

  “A simple test,” Markus replied, nonchalantly. “I wanted to make sure she was who I thought she was.”

  “You could have just asked!” Logan spat back. “Look what you’ve done to Wolf.”

  “He’ll be fine,” he waved off. “If I had just asked, she could have lied, so I had to make sure for myself. From the damage to my two men, I’d say my assumptions were correct.”

  “I wouldn’t have lied,” Elisa spoke for the first time.

  He shrugged again, walking closer to her. “Now I know for sure. So, Elisa, to what do we owe this pleasure?” They were standing very close to each other now. She felt trapped by his gaze, and realized she was holding her breath.

  “I-I came for them,” she stuttered.

  “To take them home?”

  “Yes.”

  “Surely you weren’t planning on taking them and leaving without a visit to the palace first?”

  She lowered her eyes to the ground. Court protocol obligated her to go, which she knew was not in her schedule. To say she wasn’t going to see him would be an insult to him and the city. Now was the time to be diplomatic, but she couldn’t find her usual confidence. When she looked up, she met his blue gaze again. He waited patiently for her reply.

  “I’m on a tight schedule,” was all she said. Elisa suspected he would be angry, but instead his face broke out into a smile. This smile was not like the one before, amused at the expense of other people’s troubles. This smile was genuine.

  “Well, at least you didn’t lie.” She found herself smiling back, unwillingly. A cough interrupted their exchange. They both looked back to see Wolf staring at them, holding the back of his head.

  “I don’t mean to interrupt, but there are three people here that need some medical assistance,” he said, his voice betraying his anger.

  “Of course,” Markus smiled. “Shall we?”

  They all proceeded to the palace. Markus held out his arm for Elisa, which she took thankfully, walking beside him the rest of the way, ahead of the others.

  Markus kept up a steady stream of conversation as they walked through the city. He pointed out different buildings and the statues hidden amongst them. The art here was very different from what she was used to, but nevertheless she was greatly intrigued. It didn’t take them long before he announced that they had arrived. The palace was simply – breathtaking. Elisa stopped as it came into view, admiring its beauty silently.

  “Welcome to Nysa,” Markus said, his voice filled with pride. They stood in an open courtyard in center of the city. A large fountain stood in the middle, much grander than the one she had seen before. There were shops lining the square, most just opening for the morning. Only a few Men and women walked arm in arm from booth to booth, everyone dressed in light clothes as their tanned skin shone in the heat of the day.

  Opposite to them stood the palace. It was huge, the walls a dazzling white with small balconies lining the front, each with flowers decorating the railings. It added just the right amount of colour to the facade. Tall trees stood on either side of the doors, which were twice a man’s height and painted black, with massive gold handles on them. Two towers stood in the back, with roofs made of copper that shone in the sun. It was almost as if the palace was glowing. Men stood along the top where the roof was flat, not dressed in armour like back home, but in elegant black suits with an emblem of the sun stitched on the front in gold thread.

  “What do you think?”

  “It’s beautiful,” Elisa breathed. Markus smiled as he watched her. “It’s so – open,” she said.

  Markus laughed. “Yes, it is. I never understood w
hat it was about you people in the Capital, surrounding yourselves with big, oppressing walls. What is the point of making something beautiful if you hide it? No one can appreciate it,” he said, looking over at his home. Elisa peered at him thoughtfully. It was true. Everything about this city was more open and welcoming than her home. They didn’t hide anything behind walls, or intimidating guards. It was as if anyone could just come and go as they pleased, and no one would stop them. “Shall we?” he motioned with his hand towards the doors. Nodding her head, she followed him towards the entrance, not bothering to look behind her.

  When they got inside, the men who were injured were sent to see the palace doctor. Markus then turned to tell a passing servant to bring Elisa up to the room that was prepared for her. This quickly brought her attention back to more serious matters.

  “Oh, we can’t stay,” she said quickly.

  “Nonsense. Of course you can. We are having a ball tonight and you will be my honoured guests.”

  Panic began to grow in the pit of her stomach. “My father is expecting us back shortly. We cannot afford to stay another night.”

  “I have already sent a message to your father and the High King, letting them know that you will be my guests for a short while. I’m sure there won’t be a problem,” he said with authority. He made it very difficult to argue with him. She doubted very many people did. Before another word escaped her lips, the small servant girl he had spoken to was directing her to follow as they walked to the upper floor.

  The floors were made of marble, almost as white as the walls outside. They were so polished, they looked almost like water. There was a wide staircase that led to a floor above them, an elegant railing running along the whole landing. When they came to the second level, the floors were carpeted in a rich red fabric. The walls were paneled in cream and gold. Paintings hung at random intervals, and statues sat recessed in small alcoves. Elisa was brought to a bedroom, the walls a light purple, with a huge four-poster bed draped in sheer white curtains. Two cream sofas sat on either side of a dark table in front of a fireplace. There was a door on the right wall that led to what Elisa assumed was the bathroom. The best part of the room was the two glass doors on the opposite wall. She walked slowly across the cold marble floor and opened them in one fluid motion. The balcony was small, but it was situated at the front of the palace, so the whole square sat below her. She watched the people beneath her, soaking in the fresh air and clear skies.