Eden's Mark

by D. M. Sears

  “Thank you for coming over, Gregor. We are indebted to you.”

  “It is nothing. Your family has done so much for me, it is the least I can do for a friend.”

  “Gregor, this is our niece, Eden, this is our good friend, Gregor Knightly.” Mmm. Gregor was a good name. Mrs. Knightly…even better name. Gregor gave me another questioning look as blood rushed to my cheeks.

  This time, I took his hand, the cool of his flawless skin countered the heat in mine. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Knightly.”

  “Please, call me Gregor, Eden.” His upturned mouth looked so sexy.

  Ugh! Stop it Eden! Get hold of yourself!

  Gregor chuckled out of nowhere. Hmm…no, he couldn’t have heard that.

  “If you will follow me, dinner is served.” Val interrupted our trance. I meekly placed my hands in my pockets and followed her towards the kitchen.

  The sweet aroma of fresh dill bread greeted me. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I saw the food laid out on the table. My stomach growled in anticipation of the feast.

  “We had better eat soon before Eden’s stomach eats her alive.” I turned my head enough to see the laughter on both men’s faces.

  Everyone took their seats and Val passed a small decanter to Gregor. I watched as a crimson liquid poured out into a black wine glass. Lex poured himself some of Val’s honeysuckle wine and the orange substance made me lift my eyebrows in question.

  I helped make the wine once; Val had told me it had the properties to give the drinker clarity, allowing them to make better decisions. It was no wonder she had brought it out tonight. Lex poured a small amount into my glass, this would be my first time tasting the special drink.

  We passed bowls filled with buttered parsnips, fresh baby peas, new potatoes, and honeyed carrots. The roasted fowl, browned to perfection, had the aroma of citrus wafting off it. Lex cut a leg off and placed it on my plate. The leg was always my favorite part. I bit into the juicy flesh and closed my eyes savoring the flavor of oranges and thyme.

  Conversation at the dinner table was light and generic. I watched Gregor sip his drink and push the food around on his plate. I couldn’t help watching him. Like a coward, I turned away when he glanced at me.

  Why do you look away, Eden? I won’t bite. I felt a smirk follow his comment.

  I looked at Gregor, then around the table. Did no one else hear him? Gregor’s warm voice filled my mind catching me off guard.

  No one can hear me but you, unless I so wish it. Do not fear me. I find you most interesting. You have no idea how long I have waited to simply talk to you.

  Excuse me? I had to have heard him wrong. Why would this gorgeous man want to interact with me?

  It is not polite to invade a person’s mind without asking. I tried to sound gruff, but it came off a little snarky.

  Is it, now? Well, thank you for enlightening me on such protocols. I will refrain from using this form of communication until you feel more comfortable. I felt the cutoff and it startled me.

  Gregor returned his attention to Lex.

  I didn’t say I was uncomfortable, I just said it wasn’t polite. How would you like it if I dove into your mind without you knowing I could?

  This time, I held his gaze as he turned his face towards me.

  You mean, as you just did…? What was he talking about? He is the one that started this.

  You are mistaken, Mr. Knightly. You are the one who did this. I was merely retorting to your comment. I smiled in spite of myself, pleased with my response.

  I shut off my telepathic communication from you. The only way I would have been able to hear you is if you entered my mind using your own.

  Craziness, all kinds of craziness. Telepathic communication from me…sure.

  “Eden, dear, are you ok?” Val darted her eyes between Gregor and myself.

  “I’m fine. I just lost my appetite. May I be excused?” I wanted to bolt to get away from the stares in my direction, but I sat still waiting for a reply.

  “I think that’s a fine idea. We can all retire to the living room and get down to business.” Lex and Gregor rose at the same time leaving me sitting at the table with Val.

  “Can I help you clean up?”

  “Watch this.” She gave me a wink and flicked her wrist. To my astonishment, the food disappeared and the table was back to normal.

  “What. Was. That?” I laughed and saw a twinkle in my aunt. If this is what my family could do, I was all about it!

  “Remind me to teach you that one sometime.”

  “You mean I can do that too? All these years of doing dishes and chores…you were holding out on me!” I gave a chuckle excited about the cool things I would now be able to do. I hugged Val for no reason.

  “What was that for?” She searched me unsure.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too, always have and always will.” We walked in each other’s arms to the living room.

  “I am telling you, Gregor, she is the one. I know it seems hard to believe, but I am almost one hundred percent positive that Eden is the child.” Both men looked at me as if I was on display. I shrank back a little wanting to disappear.

  Gregor cleared his throat, “Are you sure about that? What proofs do you possess that support this?” I was drawn to the sound of his voice like an addict. I felt the heat rise, my stomach flipping, Gregor gave a strange expression my way.

  You might want to control your thoughts if you insist on using this pathway to communicate.

  Was that laughter?

  I didn’t know my personal thoughts were to be shared at all.

  My face flushed again, I wanted to hide under a pillow on the couch.

  You are very cute when you are embarrassed.

  Definitely laughter. Holy crap! How was I going to be around this insufferable man and not let my thoughts seep out into his brain? I was in so much trouble.

  I think you quite enjoy being around me. Let me assure you, I am not insufferable. I was merely pointing out that you are unconsciously connecting to me. This is not a common occurrence for me and is something we will both need to deal with.

  I looked at his face and his disheveled hair fell over those stormy eyes. I drew in a breath trying to calm my raging teenage hormones. This was going to be a long evening.

  “Show him, Eden.” Lex looked my way giving me an encouraging nod. I hesitated.

  “Show him what, exactly?”

  “Please honey, it’s okay. Let him see your wrist, sweetheart.” I lifted my arm, exposing my wrist.

  “I am sorry if this sounds absurd, but what am I supposed to be seeing?”

  Lex grabbed my wrist gently. He saw a very pale marking that was unidentifiable. Panic threatened to break on his face, but he kept it reined in.

  “Had you been here earlier, you would have seen an unusual birthmark on her wrist. It looks like a circle half shaded and half not. Apparently it only shows up when she is scared or agitated of some kind.”

  Lex put an arm around me and I leaned into him, thankful for the coverage.

  Chapter Seven

  “So you think she is of the prophecy…that makes things complicated. However, without seeing it for certain, I am not sure what you are asking me to do.”

  His voice was demanding but pleasing to my ears. Despite that, my irritation at his lack of belief was growing.

  “I can tell you what he says is a fact. If you consider it is my birthmark on my wrist. I can’t make you believe it.” I turned on my heel to leave the room. Gregor was making me crazy, in a lot of ways.

  “I see, you expect me to take your word for it even though I know nothing about you and have no idea if you speak truth?” I stopped in my tracks. He knew me, we had met before and yet he sat there denying our history, even if it was only a day-old history.

  I mustered as much sarcasm I could in a sickening sweet voice, “I don’t care if you believe me or not. You are free to believe whatever you wish. I wonder, though, why
you came here tonight if you did not intend to believe anything you heard. I just learned about all this a few hours ago and I, too, had my doubts. I can attest to my birthmark and no matter what you think, you know I am what they say!”

  I felt my mark come alive, Val’s eyes widened, Lex gaped at me. I guess I shouldn’t have yelled.

  “Eden, you have a faint aura around you.” Lex said in a tone of confusion and enthusiasm.

  “I seem to be mistaken. You do have something special.” He winked at Lex and smiled at me.

  I knew, at that moment, I had been baited so he could see it himself. Tears swam in my eyes for the fact that I let them play me like that. I felt such conviction, and yet it was for nothing. I ran out of the room into the garden, where I sat on the large rock and tried to keep my tears from falling. This man in my house made me rethink all I knew. He made me feel inadequate and second-guess my thoughts. How frustrating.

  I heard soft, almost unnoticeable footsteps behind me. Without turning around, I knew it was Gregor. He had a peculiar smell about him that drew me. The aroma was wild and earthy; there was something else I couldn’t put my finger on, like a predator luring his prey by the smell of something sweet. A mix that was comforting but definitely made for trouble.

  “What do you want?” I said harshly.

  “Please do not be angry with me, Eden.”

  The way he said my name made me weak. That hint of an accent, blood-warmed. Cue teenage hormones, awesome. I really, REALLY wanted to be mad at him right now.

  “I had no choice but to rouse your anger. I had to see if what they said was true. I meant no disrespect.” He came over and stood next to the white and brown boulder I sat on.

  “Please come back inside. We need to discuss this and we should tell them about your telepathic manifestation.”

  I watched Gregor reach down and grabbed my hand. The second we touched a feeling of electricity raced through my veins. I dropped my hand away pulling back.

  What was that? You shocked me. I exhaled from the sudden rush and looked at his face. His eyes turned almost slate as he stared back at me. Wonder and confusion surfaced.

  Let us return. Your family is wondering what we are doing out here so long.

  I walked beside him back to the house, not sure how to tell my family that I can use telepathy. I was still getting used to all these things. My mind was a whirlwind full of thoughts that made no sense.

  How was I going to do this? My birthright was to bring a nation of people together that I had never seen nor knew about for 17 years. I was going to fail. I did know I was determined to find my parents. Dead or alive, I was going to find out where they are or what happened to them. The force of that gave me the strength I needed. I knew what I had to do.

  “We need to figure out how to get back to Ellethny and see Amend. That’s the person who can fill in the blanks for me.” I stood in the doorway to the living room and all attention was my way.

  “I agree. There is a place I know that has a portal. It should bring us to a secluded place. From there, we can make plans to find your family and meet Amend.” Gregor’s gaze locked on mine. Something dark crossed his face for a second. I got shivers up my arm.

  Lex walked over and put his arms around me. “It is settled, then. Val and Eden, pack provisions and I will grab items from the study. Gregor, we will meet you in the woods in 2 hours.”

  “I will make ready and see you then.” With that, Gregor left the house in a rush of wind. I never really saw him move, just one second he was there and another he was gone. I turned to my aunt and uncle with strain on their faces.

  “I really feel this is what I need to do. You do not have to come with me. I would never make you go.” I wouldn’t, either. I could handle it if I had to, but knowing they were there wouldn’t hurt.

  “Oh, honey! We would never let you do this alone. My sister is out there somewhere and I will fight till I have no breath left in my body to see her one last time.”

  We hugged and Val walked into the kitchen. Lex kissed the top of my head and headed towards his study. As I watched them leave, all I could think about was family. No matter if we found my mom and dad or not, these two wonderful people were the best family I could ask for.

  I reached my bedroom with tension coursing through my limbs. It was so tangible you could taste the energy from what was to come. I changed into a pair of jeans, a tank, and my worn black All Stars.

  With shaky hands, I grabbed my green pack and filled it with light clothing. I didn’t want anything too heavy in case we had to run for cover. I packed a pair of my favorite jeans, yoga pants, a couple tanks, and two long sleeved T-shirts. That was the best it was going to get. I grabbed my brush and dental items; I was definitely going to have clean teeth with Mr. Hotty around.

  Everything packed and ready to go, sitting one last time on my bed, taking in what we were about to do. My life up until now had been good; I was leaving my childhood behind. Was I ready?

  I walked downstairs into the kitchen; Val was packing her carpetbag. I leaned over the counter to look at the items she had. “What’s all this for?” I was intrigued by the smell coming from inside.

  “These are items to help us heal, should we need it.” Val said.

  She pointed to the unmarked bottles. “The rest are for cooking and drinking.”

  Val walked to her pantry, began searching the shelves, and returned with a very fragile-looking vial of shimmering liquid.

  “I want you to keep this, Eden. Put it somewhere safe. If we get separated and you are in trouble I want you to drink this, it will help you in a bind.”

  The small glass cylinder was heavy in my hand.

  “What will it do?” I eyed the vial with suspicion. If I had to drink this, I needed to know what it was going to do to me.

  “Trust me, Eden. Put it in your bag and keep it safe. This is for when you are in serious need of help.”

  Val closed her hand over mine and I shook my head. When she walked away, I placed it in a small hard case in my bag. I hoped I’d never have to use it.

  Chapter Eight

  “Are we ready to go?” Lex asked from the doorway.

  We nodded together. It was now or never. “Okay, let’s head out behind the house. Valora, you know what to do.”

  Lex ushered me towards the kitchen door and out into the garden. When I looked back, Val was weaving her hands together and I saw faint lavender markings appear and disappear in the air. I watched in wonder, so cool.

  “We are really doing this.” Excitement and nervousness fought for control as I watched my aunt do her thing.

  “What did you do?” I asked in a soft voice.

  “I put a barrier over the house so that if anyone came looking in on us they would see a small family going about their daily lives. Now, if you would stand next to Lex, I have one more spell to place.” She closed her eyes and lifted her hands above the three of us. The words she spoke were in another tongue; deep down, I understood each syllable. Val asked the Great Spirit to protect us and keep us on the right path. When she finished, a blue aura shown around each of us then disappeared.

  “This way, and be as quiet as you can.” Lex led the way out behind the house and towards the dark forest.

  We had no flashlights or light of any kind. I wondered how we could see so clearly. I looked over my shoulder at Val, who gave her megawatt smile, “You have to teach me this stuff. Seriously, nighttime vision would have come in handy a long time ago.” Her chuckled echoed in my ears.

  We walked quickly into the forest. A sense of foreboding overwhelmed me. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to come back to my life here again. I turned around, took one last look at the life behind me, and headed towards my destiny. So many dreams I had here, things I wanted to do. No more. My whole world had been turned upside down and inside out in a matter of a day. I made a small sigh and followed my family into the woods.

  Gregor was waiting for us by a large oak in a shadow. I reme
mbered how I had found him under the willow, standing in shadows then too.

  My eyes found his and I saw the cold grey of them rush over me. “We are ready to make it through. Walk this way.”

  He led us around to the side of the oak tree and under the branches. A cool wind began to blow and as I walked under the swaying branches, I saw something strange. A circle of swirling grey and black smoke was in the middle of the tree trunk.

  “You will feel very cold and slightly dizzy. It passes very quickly, take my hand.” Gregor offered his hand to me and I took it. As we touched our hands together, I felt a pulsing in my wrist. He had already gone through the portal and I was following behind him. It felt as though I was being thrown around in a blizzard. I didn’t think I would get out of it fast enough.

  When my feet were on the ground, I sat on a rock and tried to catch my breath. I was shaking from the cold and my head was trying to settle. I kept my eyes on the ground as Lex and Val came through.

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?” Val asked me and sat next to me. Lex was in conversation with Gregor about where we were headed.

  “I’m fine, just needed to get my head straight.” My smile was weak, but she seemed to buy it. The goose bumps were finally going away and I reached into my bag and slipped a navy colored long sleeved Tee over my tank. I stood up and took a long deep breath finally noticing my surroundings. I caught my breath at the site of the forest we had entered. The trees were a shade of golden yellow, so soft they looked like they had been touched by sunlight. The leaves looked like elephant ears, and were a pearlescent white that made me want to touch them. As I did, I felt someone grab my wrist. Gregor looked at me so intensely I shivered without realizing it.

  “Do not touch the trees, Eden. They look friendly, but one touch and you could be incapacitated for hours. The little fibers on the leaves carry a poison that causes a sleep-like effect. Only the most skilled can touch them and harvest this poison without being affected.” He let me go and turned back to Lex. The thrumming from his touch was receding and I felt sure that something was odd about it. Never had I felt such effects from any other person who touched me. Gregor was an enigma and my reactions to him overwhelmed me.