Sounds like Marie, Darcie couldn’t help but observe.
“I was in my town marketplace one day,” she continued as her lips formed a small smile. “When I ran into Thane.”
Bella laughed. “Literally, I ran into him. My younger brother stole my reticule, and I was busy chasing him to retrieve it. I was not watching my path, and before I knew what happened, I collided with Thane.”
Darcie pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them. She found herself enthralled with the story. “What happened?”
“I immediately moved to apologize. I hadn’t seen his face yet, but I could see his clothing. The items were immaculate. I thought I might have collided with a member of the nobility.
“Being a commoner, it was always a risk to potentially offend a noble,” Bella explained. “I stepped back, my fervent apology forming on my lips. Then… I saw his face.”
“He was,” Bella paused, taking a deep breath. “The most magnificent man I had ever seen. My eyes locked onto his, and he returned my gaze. We must have stood there for minutes, not saying a single word as we observed one another.”
Darcie thought of any instance she saw Thane in the same room as Bella. The immortal man rarely took his eyes off her. Darcie could easily picture his awed expression the first time he saw his future wife.
“I didn’t know anything about him,” Bella said. “But looking back, I know I was already in love with him.”
“Did he at least talk to you first?” Darcie asked with skepticism. She didn’t believe in love at first sight.
“Eventually, yes. Thane was actually the first one to speak. He introduced himself, and we engaged in a pleasant conversation that afternoon.”
“And then you married him?” Darcie asked after Bella stopped her story.
The petite woman shook her head. “Not quite. There was a small complication.”
Darcie’s interest peaked. “Complication?”
“I was betrothed to another man,” Bella said. “His father was a friend of my parents. They pushed for the match until I finally agreed.”
“You were engaged.” Darcie clarified the older phrase. She thought of all the movies she’d seen with arranged marriages. “Was he awful?”
“Actually, no. Jacque was handsome enough and incredibly kind. While I resented my parents pushing me so hard to choose him, Jacque would have made a decent husband.”
“So what happened?”
“The day after meeting Thane,” Bella continued. “He showed up at my father’s bakery.”
“I mentioned I sometimes worked there to help my parents,” she provided, her lips turning back into a wide grin.
“And then you married him?” Darcie repeated her question with a laugh. Bella joined in.
“Thane visited the bakery every day for one week, and I made sure I was there,” Bella’s eyes sparkled. “Eventually, my father noticed the well-dressed stranger and began engaging him in conversation. I can honestly say Thane stunned my father when he stated his intention to marry me.”
“Did you even know?” Darcie questioned, fully invested in the love story at this point.
“I hadn’t a clue!” Bella shook her head at the memory. “I was carrying a pan of muffins when I heard Thane tell my father. Needless to say, I dropped the pan.”
Darcie’s imagination painted the romantic scene in her head. “What did your father say?”
“He contained himself at first. He didn’t want to offend Thane,” she supplied. “The moment Thane left, though, my father lost it. He accused me of being a harlot. How could I entertain the attentions of another man when I was betrothed?”
Bella took a deeper tone as she mimicked her father’s voice. “How could you do this to Jacque and his family? Do you know how this will make us look?”
The reaction stunned Darcie. She couldn’t imagine her own father acting that way. Then again, her father was born in the twentieth century.
“I tried to tell him I did no such thing. I had only known Thane for a week, and he never mentioned an intention to marry me. Though,” Bella laughed, “I secretly hoped he would.”
“Obviously it worked out,” Darcie said. “You are together now.”
Bella nodded. “Thane returned the following day with a ring. In front of my family, he asked for my hand in marriage.”
“I knew I would upset my father,” Bella admitted. “But I also knew how I felt about Thane. Our connection was amazing. He was courteous, well-mannered, and so incredibly handsome. I couldn’t risk losing the chance to be with someone like him.”
Bella looked at her hand, and her ring as it glinted in the room’s light. “We married a week later. My family attended the ceremony, and Thane provided my family a handsome sum for taking away their eldest daughter.”
Darcie frowned at the last part of the story. Bella made it sound as if she was purchased.
Stop judging, Darcie told herself, it was a different time.
“Did you already know about Thane?” Darcie wondered how another girl handled learning such fantastical information.
“No,” Bella admitted. “We were married before he told me.”
“So you really didn’t have a choice?” Darcie frowned.
“I did,” Bella countered. “The wedding ceremony is not what initiates the change to immortality. Thane told me everything and gave me the option of whether or not I wanted to go through with it.
“At first, I couldn’t believe it. My family raised me in the Catholic Church. I only believed in one higher power. I thought Thane, Des, and Lome might be demons.” Bella laughed, finding her old thoughts funny. They seemed perfectly logical in Darcie’s opinion.
“What made you change your mind?”
“I lived with the brothers for about a month as Thane’s mortal wife,” she said. “I saw their true characters. They are fiercely loyal to one another and those around them. Other immortals respect them and show great admiration for the brothers.”
“And Thane doted on me,” she added. “My love for him continued to grow until I couldn’t imagine not spending the rest of time with him. It was an easy decision after that.”
In terms of what could influence someone to make such a drastic choice, Darcie supposed love was one of the few things that would have that kind of power.
“I know Des hasn’t found his one,” Darcie stated. It earned her a disapproving look from Bella. She continued before the girl could make a comment, “But what about Lome?” Darcie vaguely recalled the brothers saying Des was the last one.
“Yes, Lome is bonded with Eshe.”
“And they are also head over heels in love?” Darcie asked, remembering Lome’s acknowledgement of the admiring looks in the coffee shop less than a week ago.
Bella hesitated. “Lome and Eshe have an understanding. They show respect to one another, but they are not in love.”
The information surprised Darcie more than she thought it would. “Why not?”
“To be honest, I do not know the full story,” Bella revealed. “Eshe was the first wife found. She has lived with the brothers for one thousand years longer than me. I do not know the history behind their relationship. It is not discussed.”
Interesting... What would have motivated any girl to agree to the situation if she wasn’t in love? The perk of living forever might have been enough incentive.
If that were true, Darcie felt sorry for Lome.
“Wait,” Darcie replayed Bella’s words. “Over one thousand years?”
“Yes. Lome and Eshe met outside of Alexandria in the 400s, I believe.”
“Wow.” Ancient Egypt? Her dad would have a blast speaking with these people.
Thinking of her dad brought Darcie’s mood back down. The stories these immortals could tell would, no doubt, be insightful and entertaining. However, that didn’t change the fact Darcie was forced to be here away from loved ones for seemingly no purpose.
Des did not claim the connection with Darcie that Bella describ
ed with Thane. Even though Darcie found Des incredibly attractive, she did not feel the all-encompassing rapture Bella described either.
Bella noticed Darcie’s dimming expression. “What is wrong?”
“This,” Darcie gestured around the room. “Being kept inside a room and not allowed to leave or talk to my family and friends. I feel like a prisoner.”
“You are not a prisoner,” Bella’s eyes beseeched Darcie. “The brothers are asking you to stay in the room for your protection.”
She scoffed and pointed towards the entrance. “That guard at the door says no one is asking me to stay. I have no choice.”
Bella frowned. “I will speak with Thane. Perhaps he will allow you freedom to move around the house. It might make your time here more enjoyable.” The immortal girl’s expression looked hopeful.
Darcie thought about telling Bella not to bother. She wanted to go home, not get a pass to explore the massive house. She stopped herself just short of saying the words.
Darcie already acknowledged her ticket back home would come from the brothers. She should consider getting out of the room as a small step in the right direction.
“I’d appreciate that,” Darcie said. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” Bella’s eyes softened. “We all want you to be happy.”
But not if that means going against your plans.
Darcie held back the negative words. Instead, she returned the young woman’s smile.
Darcie would bide her time until she could find a way out of the senseless situation and back to her normal life.
And to think, she once complained about being bored.
Chapter 12
True to her word, Bella spoke with Thane. The following day, he paid Darcie a visit in her comfortable prison. She was busy browsing through the shelves of books for the third time when a loud knock alerted her to his arrival.
“Darcie,” Thane stuck his head in the doorway. “May I enter?”
“Sure.” Darcie put the thick novel back on the shelf. She turned to face the large man as he approached.
Thane looked at the table surrounded by chairs. “Shall we sit?”
Darcie shrugged and walked over to one of the rigid wooden chairs.
Thane followed suit, looking way too big for the small chair. Darcie worried it might not hold his weight.
“How are you doing?”
“Fine.” She saw no point in being truthful. Her complaints hadn’t gotten her anywhere with the leader of the brothers so far.
“Happy to hear it.” Thane leaned back, and the chair creaked in protest. “Bella told me about your conversation yesterday.”
“Mhmm?”
Did he not hear the wood cracking?
“And she said you might be interested in getting out of the room. Would you like to take a walk with me?”
“Yes!” Darcie nearly jumped out of her seat, completely forgetting about the suffering chair.
Thane chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Alright. Shall we?”
Darcie followed Thane as he led her through the large residence. She halfheartedly listened as he described random facts about different rooms or artifacts. Darcie was too busy enjoying the change of scenery to listen to her tour guide.
Ten minutes into their walk, Darcie realized she had not seen a single person. “Does anyone else live here?”
“Yes. We allow quite a few immortals to keep residence in the house with us.”
“But no humans?” She asked, suspecting she knew the answer.
“No. The only mortals ever allowed in the fortress are our soulmates.”
Fortress?
“You make it sound like you guys are at war or something.”
“Well, in some sense we are.” Thane stopped walking and faced Darcie. She quickly halted to avoid a collision.
“I know Bella shared some of our past with you, but did she tell you about the Original Nine?”
Her brows furrowed at the unfamiliar words. “No.”
Thane nodded. Holding his hands behind his back, he continued walking. Darcie followed. This time, their pace was much slower.
“The Original Nine,” Thane began, “is how we refer to the nine original immortals. We were all created around the same time, and we are the strongest of our kind.
“Lome, Des, and I have the most power as each of us are connected in our sources. Eros, Julisanna, and Adir are next. They are followed by Faine, Charmian… and Evetta.”
Darcie recognized the name of the woman who attacked her. “Evetta was an immortal?”
“Not just any immortal,” Thane’s face grew serious. “She was one of the Nine.”
“Does that mean something?”
“It means a great deal. Lome and I view it as confirmation that some of the Original Nine are seeking to overpower us.”
“Why would you two think that?”
Thane gave her a sideways glance. “Because attacking a One is practically the only way our power can be influenced negatively.”
Darcie contemplated his words. She remembered Evetta saying she did not believe Darcie was the one. The woman’s actions seemed more personal than a power play maneuver.
“What does Des think?” Darcie realized he was not mentioned with the other brothers’ opinion.
“That Evetta felt too much of her source –Jealousy.” Thane added, “Evetta has always admired Des.”
“Well she can have him,” Darcie muttered. “No need to try and kill me in the process.”
“Like I said,” Thane continued, “I believe her motive was not so shortsighted. Despite her feelings for Des, she knew attacking someone Lome and I acknowledge as a One would be unwise. Evetta might have volunteered to be the immortal to harm you, but it is unlikely she made the decision on her own.”
Darcie shook her head and her long bangs fell into her face. She pushed them out of the way. “I don’t understand any of this.”
“I know,” Thane placed a large hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him. “You have been thrown into a precarious situation.”
“It seems like I don’t have a choice in being a part of whatever is happening here.” Darcie gestured to the hallway around her. “But I think I deserve to know what I’m involved with.”
After a moment of observation, Thane nodded in assent. “In the beginning, there were no conflicts between my brothers and our six siblings…”
Thane continued explaining the complex history which developed over millennia for the immortals.
At the start of human history, Thane revealed, the creation of immortals occurred. There were nine of them. Each had a natural strength, and that strength was aligned with different aspects of human nature.
Darcie learned of each by name.
Eros drew his strength from the human capacity to love. Marriages, births, affairs – they all increased the strength of Eros.
She learned Julisanna was the most powerful female immortal. She benefitted from emotions centered around family relationships. Bonds between mothers and their children, as well as grandparents and cousins fueled Julisanna.
Adir thrived on the initiation and acts of war and is, historically, vocal with his opinions.
“Adir is discontent with my brothers and me,” Thane elaborated. “We gather strength from aspects of war as well as the aftermath. He would rather be the sole immortal benefiting from those events.”
Faine, the fourth immortal, was described as a gentle soul. Music and artistic endeavors gave her power and increased her own creativity.
Charmian’s strength resided in nature.
Thane frowned as he spoke of her. “Charmian has grown weak in the past from utilization of natural resources, but with the green movement in developed countries, she is slowly gaining strength again.”
“Evetta?” After including the brothers in her estimate, Darcie knew she was the last one to remain unmentioned.
Thane’s lips formed a thin line. “Envy. Jealousy. Greed. Evetta is burdened
with receiving strength from those negative emotions.”
The information explained Des’ theory behind Evetta’s attack.
“What about you?” She asked.
“My brothers and I are impacted by three events which human history has never gone without. Death, destruction, and pain.”
A chill ran down Darcie’s spine. Thane did not stop his explanation. “We are the strongest of the immortals because we are influenced by actions and events which affect nearly all humans on the planet.”
“As the human population grows, more lesser immortals appear from time to time. It seems the Creator provides us all with multiple avenues to contain the power and strength humans provide, but not for Lome, Des, or I.”
“So you three are the bad guys?”
Shock marred his handsome face. “Not at all.”
“You cause pain and death.” She pointed out. That seemed pretty bad to her.
“No,” Thane corrected. “We gain strength from those aspects of the human condition, but we do not cause them. No immortal causes any of the feelings, thoughts, or events I mentioned. Our position in the hierarchy of strength is determined only by humans and the paths they choose.
“I will allow that the aspects of human existence we contain can be overwhelming and much to bear,” Thane stated more to himself than to Darcie. “I believe that is why my brothers and I have the limitations we do.”
“You mean finding a human wife?” She questioned.
He nodded. “Finding our other half allows our strength to grow as we have another being to share the load with. We are not overwhelmed.
“I just don’t understand,” Darcie said. “If this stuff is out of your control, and just is what it is, what is the point in other immortals trying to overpower you? It seems pointless.”
Thane shrugged. “The appeal for them is too great. Even immortal beings want what they can’t have.”
Darcie turned her head, breaking Thane’s intense gaze to stare at the wood-paneled wall. What Thane said didn’t sit well with Darcie. Des killed Evetta. Why would she risk death if there was no way for any other immortal to surpass the brothers in strength?
Enlightened (Immortal Chronicles Book 1) Page 9
