by Jordan Ford
Her gaze snapped his way. “Oh, how wonderful.”
“Yeah.” Tristan’s chuckle was terse and sarcastic.
Helena ignored his derogatory tone and smiled. “Do you have an assignment?”
Tristan nodded. “We have to analyze a poem.”
Her hand captured his arm, squeezing his elbow tightly. “What are you going to pick?” Distracted by the literary adventure, Helena’s eyes began to dance, her tight fear making room for her passion.
“I was going to ask you.”
“Hmmm.” She looked to the sky, her cheeks puffing out while she thought. She studied the wondrous expanse above them, the twinkling diamonds in the night and whispered, “The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees. The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas. The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, and the highwayman came riding—riding—riding—The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.”
The magical way she said the lines stirred Tristan’s heart. He gazed down at her, studying every inch of her perfect face. “That sounds awesome. What poem is that?”
“‘The Highwayman’ by Alfred Noyes.” She smiled. “You must choose it. It’s a tragic, beautiful tale of love, passion, and chivalry.”
Tristan’s eyes narrowed. “There’s death in it, isn’t there?”
Helena giggled at his sardonic tone, resting her cheek against his shoulder. “Tragedies make the most compelling stories, Tristan, really they do.”
He shook his head with a snicker. “I’ll think about it.”
“I wish I could help you with the assignment,” she whispered.
“We could rewrite the ending,” he murmured.
Helena’s cheek rose on his shoulder. He didn’t have to see her smile to feel the warmth of it.
“I’ve missed you.” He brushed his lips against her forehead. “How’ve you been?”
She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand as they turned the corner, nearing the middle of town.
“Lonely. My stories and imagination were always enough…until I met you.”
He nudged her lightly with his shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere, Helena. I can still be here for you, if you let me.”
They came to a busier road and paused to let the traffic pass. Helena’s nostrils flared, her wide eyes drinking in the zip of cars and flickering streetlights. “Let’s see if we survive this night first, shall we?”
He chuckled, pulling their hands to his lips and kissing her knuckles. She rested her head against his shoulder once more, but the second they turned the corner and hit Church Street Marketplace, her head popped up with a delighted laugh.
“Oh, Tristan. It’s beautiful.”
The radiant wonder on her face made Tristan glow. He couldn’t take his eyes off her face as she drank in the delight of the quaint walking street. Trees lined the cobbled walkway, dressed up with golden, glowing fairy lights. People milled around the market stalls, eating mouth-watering goodies and sipping on hot apple cider. The smell of fresh baking and cinnamon floated in the air around them.
A group of young women passed by, talking a mile a minute and swooning over a necklace that one of them had just purchased. Helena jumped out of the way, snuggling against Tristan. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“If it’s too much, we can find somewhere quieter.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I want to see.”
He squeezed her against him and led her through the throng. Her arm wrapped around his waist and she curled her fingers into his sweater. He was her protector for the night and he wouldn’t have it any other way. They ambled along in no particular hurry. The first thing Tristan bought her was a hot cocoa, creamy and peppered with mini marshmallows. The moans of pleasure she made while drinking it were enough for him to offer to buy her another one, but she refused, instead drawn towards a stall of handmade jewelry.
The little table was covered with necklaces and bracelets, and the beads were colorful and unique—all different shapes, sizes, and combinations. Helena touched the exquisite creations.
“These are amazing.” She lifted a necklace, marveling at the shiny beads. “You made these yourself?”
The shop owner—an older lady with wrinkled skin and wild hair held off her face with a long scarf—nodded with a grin. “Yes.”
“Such talent.”
The shop owner blushed. “Thank you.”
“A master craftswoman.” Helena grinned. “This jewelry is fit for a queen.”
The shop owner chuckled, her shoulders rising in a bashful shrug.
Tristan couldn’t help marveling at Helena’s beautiful spirit. She’d been trapped in a tower for six years and the second she was set free she was able to spread her sunshine like a sweet fragrance. It was a sin that her mother kept her locked away. The world deserved Helena’s light.
A dark rage spiked through Tristan as he thought of the unfairness of it all, but it was tempered by Helena’s sweet laughter.
Running his hand up her back, he lightly kneaded her neck and whispered into her ear, “Choose one.”
She turned to him, catching her breath and automatically shaking her head. “I couldn’t possibly.”
“Please.” Tristan touched his nose to her cheek. “I want you to have one, to remember this night.”
Her lips rose with a smile. “I can assure you, nothing will make me forget this night.”
“Still. I want you to have something.”
Pressing her lips together, she looked back at the stall, eyeing the merchandise with longing before turning back to him. “Are you sure?”
“Of course.” Tristan pulled out his wallet. “Choose what you like.”
Tristan wondered if she’d ever had a Christmas the way she was looking at the stall and hesitating over buying such a small trinket. Her fingers ran over the different necklaces, finally pausing on a brown leather band that held an oval. Painted on the golden-colored disk was the silhouette of a bird flying free.
“That’s it,” Tristan whispered. “That’s the one you should have.” He brushed her hair over her shoulder, leaning his chin in its place and sliding his arm around her waist. “It’s perfect for you.”
She clutched it in her hand and nodded. Tristan paid the stall owner and helped Helena put the necklace on. It hung just above her perfect breasts. She ran her fingers down the leather and pressed the disk against her skin.
“I love it. Thank you.” Placing a sweet kiss on his lips, she wrapped her arms around him and he lifted her off the ground, spinning her gently before placing her back down and walking on.
He kept his arm around her waist as much as he could, delighting in her laughter, her wonder and the brightness of her smile.
28
A Thousand Cranes
The lake water lapped against the edge of the pier, creating the perfect soundtrack. The temperature had dropped, the air now a crisp companion. Tristan slid off his jacket and wrapped it around Helena’s shoulders.
She grinned at him, pressing her arm against his side and nestling her head on his shoulder.
“Thank you for this evening,” she whispered. “It has been perfect.”
He smiled and skimmed his lips against her cool forehead.
“I want to give you more.” He kicked his feet in the air, crossing his ankles and letting them swing out over the water.
Helena’s only response was a soft sigh.
Tristan didn’t know how to reply. Instead he silently sat on the pier, fighting the urge to rant at her mother’s narrow-minded unfairness.
As if reading his mind, Helena murmured, “She was such a different person before my father died.” She adjusted her head on his shoulder.
“What was she like?”
“Music. She was like a cheerful polka on a sunny day, and then when it rained she was a melancholy concerto. When she was angry, she was a symphony.”
Tristan smiled, resisting the ur
ge to mutter, I know.
“Everything about her was glorious and whimsical. Her laughter was so melodic and carefree. Papa brought out the beauty in her. He’d watch her like she was the most unique, stunning creature on the earth. The love they had for each other was like nothing I’ve ever seen…and the day he died, it all ended. She died with him and someone else possessed her body, a fear-filled woman who was lost.” Helena’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I didn’t know what to do. I was fighting my own despair and it just seemed easier to let her be what she needed to be. I ran away and hid inside my imagination, in books and stories that always had a triumphant ending, and the ones that didn’t, I’d rewrite them. It got me through.”
“But is it enough?” He lifted his shoulder, forcing her to sit up and look at him. “Can it get you through the rest of your life?”
“I’m not sure anymore.” Her voice caught, the wind catching her hair and playfully teasing it.
Tristan reached for her hand, pressing it against his chest. “Are you afraid your mother will never get better? That you’ll be trapped looking after her for the rest of your life?”
“Yes and no, I suppose.” She sighed. “Caring for someone who needs me is a good thing. If I die tomorrow, I know I’ll have done what was right. Papa would be proud of me and I could never regret that. I just—” Her breath caught, cutting off her words.
“You just what?” Tristan searched her face.
She sniffed. “Sometimes I fear that I’m going to disappear. That life will pass by and I’ll have nothing to show for it. I’ll leave no footprint behind me. I’ve spent so much of my life shut away. Some days it feels like I don’t exist.”
“You’ll always exist.” Tristan squeezed her hand, tapping it against his chest. “No matter what happens to you…or me. You will always exist in my life.” He lifted her fingers and pressed them against his lips. “We have to find a way to be together.”
“I don’t want to burden your life with my choice. You must go and live it.” A tear trickled down the edge of her nose and Tristan wiped it away before it could reach her trembling lips.
“How can I ever live it when I know you’re trapped? I want you to be happy.”
“I am.”
“Not completely.” Tristan shook his head, the water surging near his feet as if feeling his emotion. “You deserve everything, Helena. You deserve the world.”
“She’s so afraid, Tristan. How can I leave her?” Her face crumpled and she looked out across the water, the dark expanse making her shrink back against him.
“You need to get her help. There are professionals who can walk her through this. It doesn’t have to stay this way.”
“You can’t help someone who doesn’t want to know. She won’t listen.”
Tristan huffed and turned away to stare at the dark lake.
She reached for his face, her fingers feather-light as they caressed his rigid jaw. “Let’s not ruin this magical moment.”
Softened by her words, Tristan curled his fingers around the back of her neck and kissed her forehead. He closed his eyes and breathed in her jasmine scent. “No matter what happens or how long it takes, I promise…we’ll always be together.”
She closed her eyes and smiled, one final tear rolling down the edge of her face. She brushed it away with a small chuckle and opened her eyes. Her green gaze hit him in the chest, making his heart beat hard and fast.
“You’ve given me a thousand hanging cranes tonight, but that is the best one of all.”
He grinned, leaning forward and lightly placing his lips on hers. She sighed against him, a sweet sound that had him pulling her onto his lap. Her dress draped over his knees, her slender body pressing against him. Running his hands around her waist, he trailed them beneath his jacket and up her back.
Her lips parted, her teasing tongue darting into his mouth. He responded with a sigh of his own, pressing his fingers into her back and drawing her close.
The night air kissed their skin, the faint breeze rustling Helena’s hair as the world around them disappeared. All that existed were lips, dancing tongues, and the racing hearts of two young lovers.
Lightly sucking her bottom lip, Tristan pulled back enough to gaze into her eyes.
“I—I love you, Helena.”
Her eyes sparkled, her lips rising into a magical grin. “You’ve owned my heart since the day you climbed in my window, Tristan Alex Parker. I shall love you for all eternity.”
Their lips met again for an exquisite kiss. Heat and light swirled into an intoxicating dance that Tristan would feel for the rest of his life.
29
Pure Magic
They walked home hand in hand, their fingers threaded together in an unbreakable bond. Tristan squeezed her fingers and grinned yet again. There was no such thing as walking when he was beside her, just floating in the air.
Helena’s sweet smile made his heart trip and stumble, and the memory of her lips caressing his was enough to keep him awake for hours. He didn’t want the night to end and she mustn’t have either, because the closer they reached to home, the slower their steps became.
She rested her head on his shoulder while they ambled in the quiet darkness. Her long, delicate fingers played with the necklace he’d bought her. He kissed the top of her head, feeling like a king.
As if reading his mind, Helena began to hum “Lavenders Blue Dilly Dilly.”
He remembered his mother dancing around the house to the same tune, an entranced smile on her lips as she waltzed with the air.
“When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen,” Tristan softly sang.
Helena giggled. “I never thought I could get you singing. I really have triumphed.”
He grinned, glad the darkness could hide his blazing cheeks. Looking across the street, he gazed at the patch of grass where it had all started.
If those kids hadn’t been playing ball…if they hadn’t hit one into his driveway…if the baseball hadn’t been so precious…
He never would have met her.
Pulling in a grateful breath, Tristan tried to ward off the weight of their impending goodbye.
Creeping through the thick grass, Tristan led her to the hanging sheet. It still floated in the breeze against the house, undiscovered. They stood beneath it, gazing at each other in the moonlight.
The sadness in Helena’s smile tore at Tristan’s heart. He didn’t want to return her. He wanted to keep her by his side…forever. But that was her choice, and he could tell by her lack of words that she had made her decision. She wouldn’t leave her mother, not even for him.
“Come on.” Tristan spun around and crouched so she could climb onto his back. Her arms and legs snaked around him. She locked her ankles at his waist and he gripped the rope. It took all his strength to haul them both up. It was lucky she was a lightweight.
With a grunt, he slapped his hand on the roof and dug his fingers into the shingles. As soon as Helena could reach, she climbed off his back and scrambled up to the window. He stayed close behind her, making sure she didn’t slip and fall.
Holding her hips, he balanced her so she could climb through the window and then followed her through. He couldn’t linger—it was too risky. He didn’t want her getting in trouble.
Helena slid his jacket off and handed it back to him. He gripped it in his fist with a heavy sigh before pulling it on.
“Thank you for a…magical…date.” Helena’s smile lacked its usual luster.
He collected her hand, pressing his lips against her knuckles. “It was my pleasure, believe me.”
Her cheeks bloomed with a cherry sweetness and she dipped her head. Long hair cascaded over her shoulders, hiding her face from him.
He wasn’t sure what to say, so he dropped her hand and forced himself back to the window.
“Wait.” Her gasp was soft and caught in her throat.
Pivoting on his heel, he spun back in time to catch her against him. He drew her close, breathing in
her jasmine and running his hand down her back until they were fused together.
“You’ll return, won’t you?” Her whisper was frantic.
“Of course,” he murmured into her hair before pulling back to look at her. Running his finger down her hairline, he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “But only if you want me to.”
“I do.” She clutched his wrist, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Hey, what is it?”
She swallowed and blinked, the light breeze coming through the window making goose bumps ripple over her skin. “I was scared tonight, but I wanted to be with you, so I ignored my fear…and…and I had the most amazing night of my life. I’ve never felt so alive.” She gazed into his eyes, brushing her fingers down his cheek. “And now that you’re leaving I realize…” Her breath caught and she had to swallow before she could go on. “I can’t bear the thought of never seeing you again. I need more, Tristan. I want you to take me out on a hundred dates. A thousand.”
“I’ll take you on a million,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. “You don’t have to stay trapped here forever. We can get your mom help. We can get you out of this.”
She nodded, sniffing at her tears and giving him a watery smile.
“Is that what you want?”
She nodded again. “I need to be with you. I want to live in this world. I want to leave a footprint. I want…a life outside of these walls.”
Her words set his heart alight. With a soft smile, he reached for her lips, his body trembling with excitement. Their tongues danced for a moment, tying their fates together.
Pulling back, Tristan held her neck, rubbing his thumb across her cheek and smiling down at her. “We’ll make it happen, Helena. I promise you, I’ll get you out of here.”
The spark was back in her eyes, the vow of freedom giving her a radiant glow.
A creak sounded above them. Whether it was the wind or a dragon, they weren’t sure, but it was enough to pull them apart. Tristan snuck to the window, the idea of leaving no longer so painful.
