“All right,” I say.
“You’re going to do it?” Vadoma asks. “Shouldn’t we be trying to figure out where these damn scums are and save the others before they’re all killed or Nadya leads them to us?”
“Gildi’s sleeping and she can’t keep her strength up too long. We figured that she had excess energy from Elysia to keep us viewing the last scene for so long,” Mirela says. “Honestly, I’m not sure what we should do anymore. There’s no way our powers can work around that kid.”
“I’ll try it.” I stand. “Let’s do it.”
“We need food first. In order for this to work, both of us will need our energy up.” Aunt Mirela’s brows furrow. “Where’s Kyle?”
“He left to get us pizza,” Vadoma answers. “Lucky for you.”
“Did Emilian go with him?” Aunt Mirela asks.
Vadoma shrugs.
Hedji and Tamas exit the trailer.
“They are sleeping,” Hedji says.
“We’ve talked it over and feel it’s best if you all leave Mother and Jili out of this. They’re too old to be dealing with these problems anymore and they will need to move away again now. It’s becoming more difficult for them to travel,” Tamas says.
“So, you’ll continue to abandon your people once again?” Emilian walks back into the light under the awning. His expression hardens. “Didn’t you become what you are to kill the werewolves and protect Roma?”
Kyle’s headlights blind me as he pulls into the spot in front of the camper.
“This isn’t our fight,” Tamas says.
“Tamas.” Hedji gently touches her brother’s arm. She faces us. “There’s a chance we will be able to locate where they are keeping your loved ones, but we need to secure Jili and Mother a new residence away, so they won’t be found.”
Kyle carries four boxes of pizza to the picnic table. The smell of sausage makes my mouth water.
“What’s happening?” Kyle looks at the vampire siblings.
“Mirela is welcome to join them if she’d like,” Tamas says. “She wouldn’t be a valuable asset when you try to rescue the others.
Expecting Aunt Mirela to protest, I’m surprised when she exhales and bows her head. “You’re right, but I need to do what I can here first. I owe it to Bo.” She studies me.
Kyle opens one of the boxes and grabs a slice.
“Let’s eat and go to the hotel room then.” Vadoma takes a slice.
Emilian pulls Tamas away, talking to him away from all of us. Aunt Mirela starts eating and Hedji stands by watching us.
The pizza tastes like heaven. Either it’s the best pizza I’ve ever had or my hunger’s so satisfied it’s making me believe it’s the most delicious thing I’ve savored to date.
“I don’t think I’ve seen you ever eat this much,” Vadoma says.
“Shut up.” I glare at her. “You ate as much as I did.”
We both smile, for a brief moment forgetting all that’s happened. As if our minds link, and reality sets in, the somber mood returns.
“I think it’s best if we go to the hotel room for this,” Mirela says. “We need a quiet place that’s away from prying eyes.”
“For what?” Kyle asks.
We fill the others in on what’s happening.
“I’m going with Tamas.” Emilian looks at Kyle. “Can we borrow your SUV?”
Kyle nods.
“No.” Aunt Mirela shakes her head. “You need to stay with us.”
“Tamas has a lead in tracking down the wolves and I’m going with him.” Emilian avoids eye contact with his mother.
Her mouth opens, but she doesn’t object. Even Aunt Mirela appears different. She’s changed in the short time I’ve known her. When I first met her, she commanded the room and the situation. Now, she backs down and becomes silent the moment I think she’ll go on a rampage. With two of her children being held captive, I’m sure that’s affected her in more ways than I can fathom.
Once we reach the room, Emilian takes off with Tamas and Hedji.
Aunt Mirela’s eyes water as she enters the room. “Let’s sit on the bed.”
“Are you fine to do this?” I reach out to touch her but change my mind before she sees me. “If you need some time, I understand.”
“No. I should have thought about doing this months ago. Bo would want me to do it.” Aunt Mirela’s eyes bore into me. “It’s not going to be easy. I’ve never talked about this with anyone, but the process of reading past lives is more difficult than anything you’ve had to do before. Once we go back, there’s no stopping it. You’ll see everything you need to see in that one lifetime and we can’t break the bond once we’ve moved into that life.”
Vadoma and Kyle sit on the other bed, watching us.
“I’ve only done this a few times, actually. It drains me, and the other person lives through that life all over again.”
“I thought you did this all the time for clients,” Vadoma says.
“I faked it mostly, just as other psychics pretend to do. The last time the gift overtook me, we had to move. The woman went crazy. She was admitted to an insane asylum because she kept telling everyone she was a priestess of Isis of Egypt and needed to be treated with more respect. She demanded her husband cut off an officer’s head when they were pulled over for speeding.”
“Some people can’t cope with knowing multiple lives. They mix them up. This is why we are born without our knowledge of the past,” Aunt Mirela continues. “But sometimes, maybe they need to know.” Her eyes widen as she stares at me.
“You want to do this to Elysia?” Vadoma’s voice rises.
“It’s okay,” I say. “I’ll be fine.”
“Elysia’s strong. Maybe that’s why I have this gift.” Aunt Mirela shrugs. “Maybe this is what I’m meant to do.”
“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Kyle says.
“We need to do this,” Aunt Mirela says. “Listen carefully. We will both be in a trance if I can connect with her and take her back. I won’t be able to see what she sees, but I will be able to coax her back if need be. We can be out for hours or days.”
“We don’t have days,” Vadoma says.
“I’m aware.” Aunt Mirela’s gaze shifts to Vadoma. “If we need to leave, don’t break our hands away. Speak into my ear and tell me we need to leave. I’ll be able to hear you.”
“What happens to you if you can’t see my life?” I ask.
“I’m in a limbo state. We start in a meadow where there’s an endless number of trees that lead to people’s past lives. Each one is always locked to me, so I’m stuck lying in fields of grass. It’s not a bad place, but frustrating that I can’t see. No matter how many times I fail, I still keep trying.”
“What happens if your hands separate?” Vadoma asks.
“If I lose the bond and I’m not there when she returns through her door, she can be stuck there.” Vadoma narrows her eyes. “Don’t let our hands part.”
“That’s not creepy or anything.” Kyle’s sarcasm makes me smile.
“Are you ready?” Aunt Mirela asks.
“As I’ll ever be.” I take a long swig of water and place the bottle on the nightstand next to the bed. “If I get stuck in the past, tell Dad I love him, and tell Colin to fuck off.” An ache forms in my gut. Maybe one day I can forgive Colin for what he did, as Kyle has forgiven me, but having seen him break Bo’s neck so easily weighs on my heart. How can someone I love do that to someone in my family… someone who harbored him for months, while feeding and caring for him?
Vadoma studies me to see if I’m kidding. I’m not.
I lay back on the bed and stretch out my legs. Aunt Mirela lays next to me and clasps my hand tight into hers.
Watching her beside me, I see her eyes close. A vibration shoots from her hand into me. She disappears, and the room fades from my vision. A bright yellow light blinds me. I blink until my focus finds a huge field of wheat colored grass. In the distance thousands of trees of all k
inds line the fields. Aunt Mirela is several feet in front of me. She waves.
My hands glide over the tall grass as I walk through them. Peace overcomes me and I feel so light and free.
“Where are we?” My voice echoes in my head.
“These are where your lives are kept,” Aunt Mirela says. She grabs my hand and leads me across the field to a huge weeping willow tree. The leaves part for us and reveal a massive trunk with a door at its center. “This is your tree.”
“How do you know?” I ask, but the feeling of certainty overcomes me. It belongs to me.
“Don’t you feel it?” she asks.
“Yes.”
She stops and lets go of my hand. “This is as far as I can go.”
“I’m scared.” I turn to look at her.
“Don’t be.” She smiles. “I’ll be here when you return.”
Touching the door with my hand, it glows and opens. Bending, I step into the trunk. Once inside, the door behind me closes. In front of me is a long hallway with a ton of entryways leading to numerous lives. It’s overwhelming. How could I have lived so many? Why do we forget them all? Thousands of questions burst into my head. Where am I supposed to go?
After walking a few minutes, I jog down the endless hall, passing countless lives through the centuries. One doorway toward the end summons me with a golden glow. That’s the one I need. It’s not my first life, which reaches further down, but it’s still so far back in time that I know it spans more than three thousand, six hundred years ago.
I step through the doorway and feel as if I’m falling through the clouds, but I have no body. It’s my consciousness awakening in a different time. The scene changes and a girl walks through cobblestone streets. It’s not any girl. It’s me. My awareness moves into my body.
My senses come alive. The scent of fresh flowers fills the air as a street vendor parks near me. Gardenia’s give off the most delightful smell. The old man holds one out to me. “Good morning, Princess.” He bows.
I take it and skip away, not acknowledging him at all.
Another man sells fresh bread across the street. He bows to me.
Tall clay and brick buildings line the cobblestone streets on both sides. Open-air windows reveal different wood furniture of people’s homes.
“Good morning, Princess.” A young woman in a brightly-colored green dress bows as she passes. She wears brown sandals.
There’s no way this is 3,600 years ago. It doesn’t seem possible.
“Where are you off to, Thera?” A young woman of noble birth asks.
I grin and sniff the gardenia. “I’m off to help Father swindle the barbarian traders again. A princess’s work is never done.”
Chapter 11
Thera
Watching Kai clean out Star’s stall, I notice he’s gained a fair amount of weight, but not an ounce of fat. His muscles tighten as he digs the shovel into the excrement. It’s been a year since he was traded for mere food and wine.
“Are you planning on watching me work all morning, Princess?” Kai asks.
“I was planning on inviting the entire town to watch you work. Surely, they’d pay me for such a magnificent sight.” I giggle.
He drops the shovel and rushes to pick me up into his arms, twirling me around in the air.
I smack him with both hands. “You smell. Put me down this instant. What if someone sees us?”
“Let them be jealous.” He drops me to the ground, still holding me. He kisses me until I shove him away.
“Kai, don’t.” I scowl. “If someone saw us, you’d be taken away. It’s not the same with Bastin and his servants. No one cares about what he does with them, but those rules don’t apply to me.”
“You’re the most powerful person on this island. No rules should apply to you.” He lets me go and continues his work.
“I’ll be back in an hour and we can take the horses out to the mountain, but wash yourself,” I say.
He smiles.
The town begins to awake as I make my way through the streets toward the trading post on the shore. Dread fills me as I near the path down the wall. Bastin and Father stand together talking with a new trader and my stomach clenches in disgust.
A line of new slaves tied together exit a small boat onto the shore. One of the traders whips the trailing slave. I’ve grown to hate the act and wish Father would stop doing these transactions. Why not trade for other goods, although there’s nothing anyone could offer us that we don’t already have.
“Ah, here’s my amazing rain dancing sister now” Bastin fakes a smile and leans closer to me so the others can’t hear. “In time to impress our Father once again. What will he give you this time?”
“There’s nothing I want.” I grind my teeth.
“You’re daughter’s lovely.” The old, fat trader smiles, revealing no top teeth. “I’d gladly trade her for all the slaves on my ship.”
“You insult me, sir.” Father frowns. “I wouldn’t trade my daughter for a thousand ships filled with slaves.”
“No disrespect intended,” the trader says.
Father grows bored with this one and leads me away. “Finish the trade with this one, Bastin. No rain dancing today.”
My muscles relax, and I let out a long breath.
“As you wish,” Bastin replies.
“These barbarian’s make me sick, some days,” Father says. “It’s not even fun playing them for fools anymore. Either they’re after our wine or our women.”
“I don’t enjoy it either,” I say. “They make me sick, as well. They treat those men awful, barely feeding them. Most die on the voyage across the sea.”
“Yes, but we need them to till our land. At least they are better treated here than they would be elsewhere. They aren’t bound. They are fed, clothed, washed and cared for.” Father sighs. “I do have some good news for you. I’ve been waiting all week to tell you.”
“What is it?” I ask.
“Bastin has chosen a wife. He’ll announce it tonight at dinner. We’ve invited several noble families over. She’ll move into the palace. She’s a lucky girl.”
“Who is it?” Relief floods me. For a moment, I was afraid he’d announce someone for me and it would be devastating.
“You’ll find out tonight.” Father looks up at the clouds. “I’ve also found someone for you.”
“No!” It escapes my mouth before I can help it. He stops and stares at me. “I mean that I’m not ready.”
He pats me hand. “You’re more than ready. I’ve waited too long. Other girls marry at 16. You’re nearly 20. I’ve kept you to myself for too long and it’s not fair. You need a stable husband who will care for you like the princess you are.” He kisses my hand.
Tears build up in my eyes.
“Don’t you want to know who it is?” he asks.
I don’t, because it won’t be Kai. I nod reluctantly.
“It’s Duggon, Bastin’s friend. He’s agreed to move into the country house and run the fields. You’ll be able to check on them daily without riding far, plus you love it out there. The stable is large enough to house all your horses. Plus, you’ll have Kai to help there. There are slave quarters for him.”
My stomach twists into a thousand knots. Kai will be more devastated than I.
“He’ll be at the banquet tonight, too. We will hold the ceremony in a weeks’ time.” Father tucks my arm through his. “It’s not going to be easy parting with you, but I know we shall see each other often.”
Father stops to talk with a shopkeeper and I walk to the stables. Before entering, I lean against the barn door and breathe deeply, trying to keep the tears from flowing and the rain from starting. If the rain fell, Father will know my mood immediately and search me out.
“What are you doing?” Kai peeks around the corner.
“Let’s get out of here quickly,” I say.
He brings Star and Midnight out of the barn for us. I allowed him to name all the horses last year when he insisted
they were as important as people were and needed proper designations. These are our favorites.
Faster than we normally ride, we race through the hills and into the forest. Kai keeps up with me, as his riding skills match my own. He said he rode horses all the time in his native land, but it was mostly desert. He also rode camels, but we have none of those here, and I’m dying to see one in person instead of hearing about it through Kai.
We slow in the trees and start trotting near the meadow.
“What’s wrong Thera?” Kai rides next to me. “I didn’t see any rain start when you were down by the shore.”
“He didn’t make me do it today.” I jump off the horse and find a soft patch of grass to lay in and feel the earth beneath me. The flow of energy calms me.
Kai unties a bag from the saddle and tosses it onto the ground. He gets on his hands and knees, crawling up my body. He grins, moving the hair from his chestnut eyes, watching me.
How am I going to tell him?
“Yes, something’s off with you. I can tell.” He rolls over onto his back and blocks the glare from the sun with his hand.
“Did you bring more scraps for that mutt?” I point to the bag and lean up on my elbows.
“Kai II isn’t a mutt.” He raises his brows.
“Kai II? You named him after yourself?” I laugh. He always makes me laugh, forgetting all the terrible things that arise from time to time.
The wind whistles through the trees and a howl erupts in the distance. “He knows we’re here.” Kai gets the bag and searches the outer woods. The gray and white wolf emerges.
“Be careful with him. He’s still a wild animal,” I say.
“As I was only a year ago.” Kai kisses me and heads toward the wolf, scraps in hand.
Kai was never a wild animal, but he never acted as a slave should act. He should never have been one to begin with, but then we would never had met. He says he regrets nothing that brought him to me.
My heart aches. How will I explain what’ll happen tonight at dinner, as well as in a weeks’ time when I’m to marry Duggon?
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