by Diana Nixon
“It’s better than nothing,” I said, slowing down before the turn.
“Don’t turn here!” Tara commanded. “We are going to my place.”
“What? Are you crazy?” I flared up, stopping abruptly. Thank God, no one was following us and I didn’t cause an accident.
“We are changing our plans, Evan. If Alexis really knows that we have the brooch, Dever will be the first place she will look for it. That’s why we need to find a place to hide it.”
“What if your tricks with these liquids fail and Alexis follows us?"
“And I thought you were not a coward,” Tara replied, smiling.
“I’m not a coward and I’m not afraid of Alexis, but I’m worried about you!” I said dryly. She immediately stopped whatever she was doing there and looked at me, stunned. Was she really surprised to hear that I was worried about her?
“Don’t be.” She shook her head, lowering her eyes. A light blush covered her cheeks. “I can take care of myself,” she added, focusing on her work.
I rolled my eyes in disbelief. She has always been too self-confident. “Really? Did I miss that part where you started ruling over magic?”
“Actually,” she said, taking a deep breath, “you’ve missed a lot about me. But don’t worry, the magical power is still out of my reach. But I have other talents that have already saved my life many times.”
I groaned mentally, starting the engine again. No other talents would save you from Alexis’ fury, I thought. But I didn’t say anything aloud, knowing beforehand that Tara would find something to reply with anyway. By the way, she always did. We could have been arguing for hours about some nonsense, not thinking about more pleasurable ways of spending our time together. And her word was always the last one. Usually I gave up, leaving her alone with her arguments and shutting the door behind me. Now I realized just how many mistakes we both had made in our complicated relationship. Though there was one thing I still didn’t want to understand – how could she betray our love and leave me without any explanation. Unlike her, I didn’t think that Ventura’s visions were the only truth in our life. And I was more than sure that if it wasn’t for our breakup a few years ago, things would be so much different. Maybe even her visions would be different. Unfortunately, I always failed when it came to Tara’s stubbornness.
Feeling a sudden relief, I asked, “Have you finished?”
“Yes, I hope it will work,” she said, hiding the jewelry back in her neckerchief.
“I think it already works. Even breathing feels easier, because since the moment we left London I had been having that weird feeling of something heavy lying on my shoulders. But I feel much better now.”
“Good.” She nodded with a satisfied smile. “I should probably ask Darcy to teach me more of her tricks.”
“Oh, I see! So that’s what you were doing here while Eileen and I were wandering through those damn dreams?”
Tara laughed in response and I caught myself thinking about the way her laugh always made my blood boil. Just like right now. God, I still missed Tara so much! Everything about her....
"Well, yeah, that was a part of our everyday routine too," she said, grinning. Then she suddenly became very serious and added quietly, "We were all nerves while you and Eileen were in France. When Patrick and Amelia came back to Dever the next day after you left, we were surprised that they had actually let you stay there alone; we couldn't think about anything else. We wanted to see you as soon as possible. But they refused to answer our questions and we didn't know anything about your dad and the Dragons until you came back and told us the truth. Amanda was furious; you know that she can't stand being in the dark. She was ready to take the first flight to Paris to make sure you were okay. She was so moody; we had to avoid her presence for our own safety. I don't even know how Lucas managed to live through those crazy weeks. He must be super patient! We gathered every night to discuss the events and the news of the day. Darcy kept surprising us with some new records she found in her grandmother's diary. Man, that woman knew so much about everything! I can't believe she's gone. One night when Darcy and I were waiting for the guys to come to her room I asked her to teach me some of those things that were described in Camilla's diaries and I don't know why, but she chose masking auras. Now I know how to mask mine. It's a necessary gift, especially for someone who lives alone," she finished in a sad voice.
"So your father still hasn't shown up?" I asked her gently, knowing how painful that topic was.
"No. I haven't heard from him for a long time. He never calls."
Tara's parents divorced when she was a child. She saw her mother just a few times in her life, and every one of those times ended up with another family scandal and property disputes. Maria was a human and she never knew about the supernatural world her husband belonged to. And, of course, she never knew about her daughter's numerous talents.
Despite her unhappy childhood, Tara didn't blame her parents for what she went through. And she loved her father very much. Henry often told her the stories about himself and about her future life, when she would be capable of so many wonderful things. Tara didn't know how he could know so much about her future but when she grew up, seeing the future became her everyday life. Her father always felt guilty for their family breaking apart and that's why he decided to move to another town, leaving his only daughter to live the life she wanted for herself. Though personally I thought that his presence was the only thing that could have really made Tara's life much happier.
A few hours later Tara took my place behind the wheel. Sometimes she stopped, closed her eyes and tried to see our near future. When she made sure there was no danger in moving on, she continued driving.
We came to Gloster in the early morning and the streets of that small town seemed even more quiet and deserted. Leaving my car in the garage, we entered the house. Tara went to the kitchen to make us some coffee and I tried to call Patrick. This time the luck was on my side and he answered immediately.
"Good morning, Evan. How are you?"
"We are fine," I said, smiling mentally to the irony of my response. "Any news from Alexis?"
"No, but we keep watching the borders."
"Any news from Frederick?"
"Unfortunately, no. I'm getting really nervous here and I'm thinking about sending someone after him. I don't think it's safe to stay at Tara's too long. Stay there for a few more hours and then Elena will come to take you back to Dever. She will show you a place to hide the jewelry, as it's the best thing we can do for now."
"Are you sure leaving the jewelry without any protection is a good idea?"
"We don't have a choice. We can't bring the Cup to Dever. Eileen and Christian are both here and it's very dangerous to keep that thing so close to them. And the place where you will hide the jewelry is well protected. No one will be able to find them there. I can't make the decision about the Cup's future existence on my own, so it has to stay in a hiding-place for a while."
"Okay, so we will be waiting for Elena to come here."
"Yes, and please, Evan, be careful. Don't go outside and, protect the house with some spells just in case. I will feel much better, knowing that you are safe there."
"Of course, I will do it right away," I said, before getting to my magical work.
A few minutes later Tara came back with our so long-expected breakfast on a silver tray.
"Sorry, Evan, I don't have your favorite croissants, so be satisfied with toast and jam," she said, smiling. She still remembers what I like, I thought happily.
"Toasts will do," I said, smiling back and having no idea about the upcoming call that would ruin my appetite and my mood in seconds.
"Hello," Tara answered. "Hey, Martin! I'm glad to hear you! How are you?" she added too enthusiastically.
Who the hell is Martin? I thought indignantly, forgetting about my crunchy toast.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was out of town. Of course, I would like to see you! Oh, no, not this weekend. I'm leavin
g again, so... why don't you call me next week? Okay, that would be great. Sure. Me too. Bye!" she said, hanging up the phone.
She was still smiling when she turned to me. By the way, I didn't like her last words. What the hell was me too supposed to mean?! Love you too? Miss you too? Damn, none of the variants made me happy.
"Who's Martin?" I asked, getting up the nerve and trying to sound indifferent.
"Just a friend of mine." Tara shrugged. Not the detailed answer I expected to hear.
"How long have you known each other?" I asked again, swallowing a sip of my coffee.
"Why do you ask, Evan? Just don't tell me you are still jealous of me," she said, laughing as if her joke was funny. Far from it! Well, maybe it sounded funny to her, but definitely not to me.
"Of course, I'm not," I said, avoiding her gaze. "But I do care about you. And I want to be sure that people you are... seeing, are good. So, do you know Martin well enough to trust him?"
"I do trust him, Evan, you don't have to worry about him," she replied, still smiling mischievously.
"Since when have you been dating guys whom you don't see in your future?"
"Why do you think I don't see him there?"
"So you do see him?" I asked, surprised, choking over my suddenly too hot coffee.
"Be careful with your drink," she replied, ignoring my question.
Somewhere deep down in my foolish heart I was more than happy to hear her answer. She didn't say yes. So I got back to my breakfast, though I could no longer enjoy its taste and delicious smells. Drinking her coffee, Tara went to her room, leaving me alone with my thoughts that were still wrapped around the mysterious Martin. I didn't really want to think about her dating someone else or doing anything on the list that any normal relationship included. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't help myself.
I came to the fireplace and saw many different pictures in multicolored frames. There were Tara and Henry on one of them. They were smiling happily, holding a stick of pink cotton candy. Another picture was made in Dever, during one of the annual Festivals of Arts. I remembered that day. It was the day of our first official date. Without thinking about our future, we were enjoying the holiday and each other's company. Suddenly I saw a piece of another picture, hidden behind it. Taking off the frame carefully, I took the hidden photo. My discovery was quiet unexpected. It turned out to be a photo of Tara and me with Embry's jasmine garden in the background. It was the day of her birthday, the last one of those that we spent together. We were embracing each other, smiling with the look of love and happiness in our eyes. And now, seeing that picture I was envying myself, standing there and holding in my arms the most precious treasure of my life. Back then I didn't care about anything else. She was everything I ever wanted and she belonged to me.
I wanted to take that picture but I changed my mind and put it back. If Tara still had it, I could still hope that one day she and I would be back together again.
I had a few more hours before Elena's arrival, so I went to the couch, hoping to get some sleep. Jeez, when will I sleep in my own bed finally? I groaned mentally, holding a small pillow in my hands.
Ten minutes later (or at least it felt like no more than ten minutes) Tara's voice woke me up.
"Evan, get up! It's time to go. Elena will be here in a minute!"
"Damn it, I will never be able to get enough sleep in this life," I muttered irritably, rubbing my eyes and yawning.
"We all have the same problem, so stop your lamenting," Tara said, heading for the door. "And remove the spells from the house, please. Elena can't come in."
"How do you know about the spells?" I asked, surprised. I didn't tell her anything about the protective measures I used.
"As if I don't know you well enough." She smiled, rolling her eyes. "How many of them did you use this time? Three? Four?"
"Actually, only two," I replied, offended.
"But very strong ones, right?"
"It's for our own safety," I said, ignoring her sarcasm. "And by the way, it was Patrick's idea." I added, releasing her house from my magic.
A few moments later the doorbell rang. Even knowing that it was Elena, I froze for a second, not seeing her there.
"Are you using the invisible circle?" I asked, coming closer.
"She is," Tara replied.
Elena became visible a few seconds later. "Hi. I didn't want anyone to see me, leaving Dever. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes, but where are we going to hide the jewelry?" I asked curiously.
"You will see," Elena said, without adding any more details. "But your car stays here, Evan. You can take it later."
"Yes, sir. I mean ma’am." I grinned, before taking both of my companions' hands and becoming invisible.
The way to the secret place didn't take long. About fifteen minutes later we stopped in front of an old house.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"It's just an old house," Elena replied. "It has been empty for quite a long time, so we decided to use it as our temporary safe house."
"I have a bad feeling about this place," Tara said, frowning. "The house wouldn't let us enter."
"No, it wouldn't." Elena nodded.
"Was it Patrick's idea?" Tara guessed.
"Yes, who else could have come with something like this?" We all knew that the most incredible protective spells were Patrick's favorite.
"Great, I hope he knows how to enter the house, or we have just said goodbye to the Cup of power," I muttered.
"The jewelry will stay here until we find Alexis and then Patrick will come and take them."
"Okay, so we are going back to Dever now?"
"Yes, and the sooner the better."
Chapter 16. Sweet Tortures
Eileen
Today Christian wanted me to attend one of his classes. I didn't have to go there, as I had my special study program, but sometimes it was so good to feel normal and pretend to be just like every other student. There were a lot of things I had to know, so every of my classes, formal or not was necessary. And it gave me a chance to distract myself from thinking about my mom and Frederick, whom we still didn't know anything about.
Being alone with Christian wasn't easy. He was constantly watching my every move, and though I knew everything about his feelings, his thoughts were still one big mystery. He kept asking me about the time we were together, but as the number of my innocent memories was coming to zero, my panic rose.
I felt his presence in the hall and rushed to open the door of my room.
"Wow!" he exclaimed, surprised to see me standing on the threshold. "Was I able to feel your presence before?"
"Good morning to you too," I said, letting him in. "Yes, and sometimes you were really mad when I couldn't feel you, standing behind this very door."
Christian laughed quietly, hearing my response. "Was I that mean?"
"You can't even imagine," I muttered, going to the mirror. Then I thought about all those times he helped me cope with my powers. No, he wasn't mean. He was patient, and sweet, and... oh, God, this was not the best thing to think about now.
"So what did you do when my behavior was so bad?" he asked, coming to stand behind me. I could almost feel his breath on my neck.
"Well, I didn't have to do anything special. Usually I...."
I couldn't tell him that a single touch was just enough to make his anger disappear. Being with me, he forgot about everything else.
"So what did you usually do?" he asked, raising his eyebrows; his eyes never left mine. His palm slid slowly down my arm and my body trembled, feeling the waves of liquid fire his fingers were sending through my veins.
It was one hell of a torture to stay calm and not betray my emotions! I closed my eyes and tried to stop thinking about his touch and the way it was making my skin tingle with warmth and pleasure.
"I pretended... not to notice your irritation," I said, swallowing.
"So you were simply ignoring me," Christian purred into my ear
. He embraced my waist with one arm, pressing my back to his chest and waking up the butterflies in my belly. He smiled at my reflection in the mirror, obviously enjoying the way our auras' colors mixed in the air. Their bright-red sparkles enveloped our bodies, revealing our feelings to each other. But unlike Christian I wasn't going to let some stupid sparkling blur my mind. Not that I didn't like the idea of everything that usually followed, but I wasn't ready to give up so easily.
"Something of the sort," I said, taking a step away from him. I could hardly breathe when he was so close. He tried to hide a chuckle, curving his lips the way that made me want to kiss them. I knew that he could feel my nervousness. And this knowledge made me feel worse.
The lecture we were going to attend was dedicated to our inner energy, its changing and the ways we could recognize threat coming from someone whose aura's colors shimmered with specific shades.
Unlike Christian, I still had some difficulties with reading auras, so I was listening attentively to everything that professor Lively was explaining.
“She has already been demonstrating this example for about the last ten years," Christian said quietly.
"Really? What else do you know about her?"
"She never changes the list of her exam questions, and all the students know which of those questions are her favorite. That's why they prepare only half of the list."
"Mister Fairey," Mrs. Lively called. "If you are not interested in my lecture, why don't you demonstrate something for us yourself?"
"Um... sure," Christian replied, trying to come up with something to show to the class. "Do you mind if Miss Clark helps me a little?"
What?! Was he insane?! I stared at him in shock.
"If you really need her help," the professor replied. "Please, Miss Clark, help your companion before I give him the lowest grade for this lecture."
Oh, for God's sake, it can't be happening!
Christian turned around and headed for the center of the classroom. I stood up and followed him, cursing everything on the way. He stepped behind me and whispered, "Just think about what I ask you to, okay?" I nodded silently in response and he said aloud, "And now I will ask Miss Clark to imagine different situations so that I can demonstrate how the colors of her aura and energy change with the changing of her emotions from fear to joy.” "Relax," he said, and I rolled my eyes, realizing that it was impossible to relax now.
