Eternal Ever After

by A. C. James

  Rue poured salt into one of the bowls and disappeared with the other. I heard the sound of running water coming from the direction of the break room. When she returned with the bowl it had been filled with water. Rue sat the bowl next to the other one, containing salt. Then she lit all three candles on top of the cabinet and the incense.

  She took my hand and pulled me toward her. “Help me move this cabinet out from the wall.”

  I stood on one side and Rue took the other. We carefully slid the cabinet so there was about a foot between it and the wall. The flames flickered and drops of water splashed onto the cloth. Rue opened the cabinet and pulled a spray bottle with clear liquid out from underneath. She misted the liquid around us in a circle, which really looked quite silly.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Purifying. It’s witch hazel.”

  Then she put the spray bottle back in the cabinet and brought out a ball of white yarn. She unrolled it into an enclosure that encompassed us, the cabinet, and touched the wall under the tapestry. It resembled a crooked circle when she was finished.

  “The beautiful sea, the blue heaven, and present earth. Muir mas, nem nglas, talam ce…” she said in voice that rang clear as a bell.

  For a long time she stood with her eyes closed in the center of the makeshift circle. I wanted to ask what this was about, but I felt it would be intrusive to interrupt whatever it was that she was doing. The flames on the candles she had lit flickered even though there were no ceiling fans or air circulating that would cause them to.

  She opened her eyes. “To the dwellers of the wildwood, both seen and unseen, hear my call. Grant us a new reality, keeping safe my family, as I will, so it must be.”

  A cold gust of wind blew the doors of the shop open. I started toward them but Rue took hold of my arm and wouldn’t let go. The wind died down and the doors swung closed. An earthy smell enveloped us. When I turned, the tapestry and the forest from my dream had come to life. The pixie under the tree flitted toward the forest and a deer moved through the tree line. My dream had come to life; or rather, she had brought life to my dream.

  I reached out to touch the tapestry. When my fingers connected with the surface it was like watching ripples on the surface of a pond. I pulled away.

  “It’s okay,” Rue said. “Come with me.” She turned and walked right into the tapestry, disappearing through its liquid-like surface, emerging on the other side as a much younger version of herself. Her willowy figure was draped in flowing white like in my dream. Rue waved at me to follow her.

  I inhaled deeply, closed my eyes, and took a giant step forward. When I opened my eyes I stood next to her under a birch tree. Its white bark looked ghostly in this eerie light. I looked down. I wore a tunic dress fashioned from some sort of hide and boots in a similar style. Rue’s smile radiated childlike joy, the kind that passes between siblings sharing secrets. I had walked into a dream. I’d worry later about how to walk back out.

  “Where are we?” I asked.

  “Nowhere.”

  “Okay, well where exactly is nowhere?”

  “We’re in the inner world. It’s where dreams are made. I made it up. I made it all up.” She beamed at me.

  “Brilliant. But why are we here?”

  “Walk with me.”

  Rue walked to the edge of the forest. I followed her with a million questions on my tongue, but this place didn’t seem like one that would like questions or readily give answers. She stopped beside a hazel tree and turned to me.

  “Shake one of the branches,” she said.

  I hesitated before reaching out and giving one of the arms a great shake. Nuts fell to ground, scattering around our feet.

  “Now what?” I asked.

  “Pick up one of the nuts. Take a deep breath. Then close your eyes and picture what you want.”

  I shot her a skeptical look. Despite the Sight, I wasn’t a child with glittering eyes who believed in magic. Yet here I was in a magic she had created, and I grabbed one of those intangible nuts, waiting for the impossible. The kind of magic I believed in was the everyday kind created by kindness, the tiny threads that stitch the universe together. Not some hocus pocus meant for the whimsical believers of fairy tales. That’s almost like saying you believed in unicorns, faeries, or everlasting love. But these days I had started to believe in faeries. So maybe anything could be possible.

  In my mind I formed a thought. Well, it started as thought and grew into an image. I felt the nut grow warm in my hand. I wanted to open my eyes but I was afraid if I did it would stop whatever I felt growing.

  “That’s it,” Rue said. “Keep going.”

  Something was starting to take shape, out of magic, out of the sheer will of my suspended disbelief. Still, I couldn’t open my eyes. It would disappear or be forgotten before it ever took shape. Only magic makes forgetting hard, except when you’re sound asleep. That’s what my visions were. They were magic that twisted the future into tiny pixels filled with infinite possibility that couldn’t account for choice. It’s how I knew Rue couldn’t be right. No one could know the unforeseen incidents arising from the power of my choice. And I chose not to die. In fact, I was very much against it.

  I opened my eyes slowly. The nut began to glow before light exploded the casing. Floating in the light was the most beautiful gown I’d ever seen. Its strapless bodice sparkled with rhinestones and it had a corseted back with black laces. A spider web of rhinestones covered half of the black bell-like bottom; they shimmered like a thousand stars in the sky. Long black velvet gloves with fingerless tips shot out of the light, like a firework, before falling to the ground. Rue stepped forward, picking them up.

  The light began to fade and gravity took hold of the gown. I rushed forward before it could touch the ground, catching it in my arms. It seemed strange that gravity would have hold in a place like this. What seemed ever stranger was that gravity was the first thing I questioned.

  I didn’t know what my face looked like but I felt sure it matched the child-like joy reflected in Rue’s expression.

  “Amazing,” Rue said in a breathy voice.

  I laughed. “Why are you amazed? You’re the one who brought me here.”

  “Because I’ve never seen anyone with the ability to materialize on their first try. I thought for sure I’d have to do it for you. You’re a natural. Just like your mother.”

  “Really?” I couldn’t help but smile. I looked across the clearing to the tree where we came through the tapestry. A pond stood on the other side. “How do we get back?”

  “Do you swim?”

  “Yes, but I’m not sure how you expect me to swim with this. Besides, won’t it get ruined in the water?” I asked, gesturing to the gown.

  Rue laughed. “Well, maybe swimming isn’t the right word. It’s more like wading through vapor. It only looks more solid on the surface.”

  We walked across the clearing and came to the edge of the pool. When I touched the surface it rippled like the tapestry but my fingers came away only slightly damp. Indeed, it was like mist rather than water.

  “Now jump,” she said, doing just that.

  Dress in arms, I took a breath and followed her through the dewy depths. I found myself standing next to her, encircled by yarn back at Rue’s Attic. Suddenly, her expression grew solemn again.

  “The beautiful sea, the blue heaven, and present earth. Muir mas, nem nglas, talam ce. I thank you.”

  Rue picked up the yarn, walking in the opposite direction from when she laid it, and rolled it back up. I held up the dress in front of me, hardly believing it could be real. The material was damp. Although, I had expected it to be soggy, despite what Rue had said. She blew out the candles on top of the cabinet.

  “Thanks for the dress. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

  “It suits you and it’s my pleasure. Now let’s find you some shoes. What size are you?”

  “I’m a size seven.” I didn’t want to burst her bubble by telling her I�
��d never worn a dress a day in my life.

  Rue nodded. “I have just the thing.”

  She walked over to a shelf above a clothing rack on one of the walls, picking out a pair of black spike heels with ruffled lace that looked like spider webbing edging its open-toe design. I’ll kill myself walking on those if Katarina doesn’t get to me first.

  “Try them on,” she said.

  “I don’t know how I’m going to walk on them. I’ve never worn heels. Not once.”

  “Beautiful things don’t just happen, they’re painful.”

  I laughed. “That seems to be a running joke in my life these days.” I took off my red laced boots and slipped my feet into the shoes. I held onto the glass case for balance before stepping out of them. “Yeah, they fit.”

  “You’re not going to try to walk in them.”

  “No thanks. I’m good.”

  “I suggest that you practice in them when you get home.”

  Rue put the shoes in a bag and handed them to me. “Thanks for everything,” I said, toying with my locket.

  “I want to see you in a dress like that one day. But I want you to promise me something.”

  “What?”

  “The night of the gala, I want you to wear the protection amulet I gave you. Please, do it for me.”

  “Sure.”

  “Promise me you’ll do it. It’s vitally important. I saw you wearing it in my vision.”

  “Okay, I promise, Rue. I will.”

  Rue hugged me good-bye. I draped the dress over one arm and carried the bag containing my shoes in the other, heading for the door. I’d seen magic in many things, in gazing at the stars, in the mystery of the earth and all its music, or in the pages of a book. But never had I imagined something into existence. If I had known how to do it before I would have never accepted Arie’s car.

  Some say when magic touches you it alters your life. It’s supposed to feel like going home. I hoped that was true. I’d never had one, and always wondered what it might feel like. Though I thought it would feel a lot like dying. Deep inside I felt sorry for Katarina, for what she had become. Then I thought of all the people she’d hurt, all the people she’d killed. I didn’t want to think about the part of me that wanted to gather my magic and use it how I saw fit, screw the consequences. In the quiet moments, in those little secrets that filled the dark spots of my soul, it seemed like an easy thing to do.

  I didn’t know how to do it, but I figured there was power in hatred. So I was glad I didn’t hate her. The only certainty in any of it was that it must be black magic and no good could come from that. I’m sure I could learn a lot from Rue. She would know the difference.

  CHAPTER 20

  This would take some getting used to. I pirouetted in front of the long mirror in Arie’s bedroom. The rhinestone webbing on the dress sparkled under the light. Since I lived in cargo pants, an outfit like this made my movements seem gawky. It fit me reasonably well, but the shoes were a nightmare. I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off.

  From behind I heard footfalls on the stairs. The rustle of the fabric of my gown matched my movement as I turned toward the sound. Arie appeared at the top of the stairs and he looked at me like I was single malt scotch. I’d never felt particularly sexy but the way he undressed me with his eyes left me breathless.

  “You look beautiful.”

  I smiled shyly, a little at a loss for words. “Thanks.”

  As he crossed the room his lupine smile reminded me that I was fraternizing with a predator. A wickedly handsome undead predator. I took a step backward.

  “Turn around,” he said, his voice husky.

  Arie didn’t wait for me to comply but spun me until I faced the mirror, and he stood so close I could feel his breath on the nape of my neck. He wrapped his hands around my ribcage and they began to move upward. Their ascent stopped short of my breasts. With a sigh, he settled his hands at my waist.

  “What’s with the dress?”

  I could feel my heart thumping against my ribs. I’d wanted his hands to continue their ascent.

  “It’s for the gala. Tessa wants me to be part of the royal court. I met my godmother. She was a friend of my mother. The dress is from her shop. Oh, and apparently I’m a witch.”

  Arie raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his lips. “I’d ask if you were a good witch or bad one but I don’t need to in that dress.”

  “I can be very, very bad,” I said with a smile.

  Our eyes met in the mirror. With the most careful of touches, his lips trailed soft kisses on my neck and bare shoulders. For the first time I appreciated my strapless dress. His restraint was pure torture.

  “What if I told you that I love you?” I asked in a whisper.

  He stopped kissing my neck and I could see him close his eyes in the mirror.

  “I would say it’s a very bad idea…for both of us.” He opened his eyes and smiled. “Lucky for you, I like bad ideas.”

  I smiled. “Would you help me out of this thing and unzip me?”

  His fingers grazed my back as he lowered the zipper on my dress. He turned his back to me as I stepped out of it. Only the strapless bra I’d picked up on my way back to the loft and the deathtrap shoes remained.

  I frowned. “You don’t have to turn away. You’ve seen me naked. I can’t understand your morals. They’re completely impaired. You have no problem handcuffing me and bending me over a bed. But god forbid you see me naked. Let’s not even get into standing when I walk into a room.”

  I glared at him as he turned around, his mouth half open. But then he looked at me and laughed. It only served to infuriate me even more.

  “If you weren’t scowling at me I’d think you were flirting. You can’t expect me to take you seriously when you’re standing in your underwear. I can’t help it if I forget and slip into customs that I’m used to. I swear this is the first time I’ve had someone mad at me because I showed some class and used my manners.” Then he started laughing again.

  I frowned. Walking forward, I shoved him hard in the chest. I think it must have surprised him, because he stepped backward and we both knew I could never match his strength. He practically doubled over laughing in hysterics. I’d surprised myself when I pushed him but I didn’t like being laughed at.

  “Oh, grow up already. I swear. I never knew vampires could be so childish.”

  “Please. Stop. Don’t make me laugh.” He continued to laugh at me.

  And with that he threw himself on the bed, landing on his back, pulling me down with him. I straddled him, placing both hands on the bed next to his shoulders.

  “Stop it,” I said.

  With a deep inhale, his laughter died away. His eyes turned dark gray. “You need to get off of me.”

  “And why is that?” Although, the dark hunger in his tone made my pussy tighten and there wasn’t much covering it in my flimsy underwear.

  “If you don’t stop I’m going to roll you on the sheets and bathe in your warmth until your heart stops beating. I want you, and not in the sexual way that I can smell from here.”

  I blushed as I pressed my forehead to his. “Is that supposed to be a pick-up line?”

  “It’s supposed to make you stay away because you really should.” His intake of breath was almost inaudible.

  “Being twenty-two forever doesn’t sound so bad to me. Better if you do it now than before I turn a quarter of a century.”

  He laughed. “Damn it, Holly. Be serious. You don’t know what you’re asking for.”

  “Yes, I do—an orgasm every night for an eternity.” I pushed myself up and unclasped my bra behind my back, tossing it on the floor.

  “You think you’re funny, but you don’t know what tomorrow feels like, let alone an eternity.”

  I pushed my glasses up and met his eyes with everything I’d been holding back. “Maybe not, but I’ll take a thousand tomorrows figuring it out as long as it’s with you.”

  “Never. I won’t let you.” In a stran
ge way it sounded a lot like ‘I love you.’

  I smiled. “Promise?”

  He reached up, brushing a chestnut curl over my shoulder.

  “The first time I saw you I knew I had to meet you. In all the centuries I’ve never known anyone quite like you. I’m a vampire, Holly. That’s the truth, but with you I don’t feel like I have to defend it.”

  “Then don’t. Just kiss me.”

  I didn’t wait for him to argue or agree. I leaned forward, brushing my lips on his throat, on his cheek, before meeting his lips with my own. He kissed me back, soft as a whisper. Then suddenly he grabbed my hips and his kiss grew fierce. It was like he’d never kissed me before. Like this was our first kiss, and really it was. He’d never kissed me like this before. When he broke the kiss he looked up at me with wary eyes.

  It was then that I knew what he didn’t. He loved me. He’d been falling in love with me all along. I considered that for half a second before I figured if I let him linger on it long enough he might talk himself out of it. Even if he couldn’t say it, I knew it was true. I met his lips with a thirst that matched his own.

  I kneeled above him and slid down my underwear. With an awkward half-roll to my side, I pulled them the rest of the way down my legs, tossing them aside. He watched my clumsy movements with amusement. I straddled him, pinning him again. He let me, even though we both knew he didn’t have to.

  “I think you’re overdressed,” I said with a smile.

  “Am I? It does seem I’m wearing too many clothes. What are you going to do about it?”

  It felt like a test to see how I would go about undressing him, and it almost shook my confidence. Almost. I tugged at the bottom of his shirt. He sat up and allowed me to pull it over his head. Arie leaned back on his elbows. I smiled as I unbuttoned his jeans and pulled the zipper down with my teeth. Then I pulled his pants down his thighs, but his legs were too heavy. Fortunately, he lifted his hips and I pushed them to the floor.