by N P Hector
So now, Katrina and Selene sat at the kitchen island laughing and snacking. The woman had been warm and welcoming, and introduced herself as Katrina. Selene had been instantly drawn to the woman’s warm embrace, and the two had made quick introductions. Now, they sat together laughing as new friends.
Katrina gave a toss of her fiery red hair and continued explaining how she had come to the estate, “so I’m standing there in the pouring rain, surrounded by these dead minions, and I’m completely covered in blood.”
“In the middle of nowhere?” Selene asked. Popping another strawberry in the melted chocolate, she moved a bowl of pretzels closer to Katrina. Katrina snacked and nodded.
“In the middle of nowhere with a dead cell phone and a fried rental car, no less!”
“So, what did you do?”
“I did what any non-rational woman would do in that situation.” Katrina paused for dramatic effect and then turned on the stool to stick out her heeled foot, “I kicked the rental tires as hard as I could and yelled into the air.”
Selene chuckled and offered the woman more pretzels. “So how did you get out of it?”
Katrina paused and rested her chin on her hand. She sighed dreamily and picked up a strawberry, twirling it in her hand, “that’s when I met him.”
Selene raised an eyebrow. “Him?”
“Justin, my mate.”
Selene let out a surprised “ohhhh.” She scooped up another pretzel and snacked on it. “I haven’t had a chance to meet him. Was he the tall skinny gentleman with the moustache?”
Katrina shook her head. “No, you saw Roger. You haven’t met Justin.”
Selene didn’t know much about the Order’s activities. But she assumed that they did move around a bit. Just last night Rom had come into the room to get his weapons for a mission. She reasoned that Katrina’s fated was on a similar mission. “Is he away on official business?”
“No.” Katrina took a deep breath and let it all out, “he died.”
Selene flinched at the discomfort she generated. Although she didn’t know the woman that well, she reached out her hand and covered Katrina’s with her own. “I’m so sorry.” When Katrina remained silent Selene squeezed her hand, “really, Kat. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
“Oh no, no, you didn’t. I just keep forgetting that you haven’t been here very long. No, Justin found shelter for us the night he rescued me. We bonded and the next day he was dead.” Kat smiled sadly and gripped Selene’s hand for a brief second before pouring herself more water. She gave Selene a moment to speak, but when Selene remained quiet she continued, “just because you’re soulmates doesn’t mean you’re immune to tragedy.”
After all of the credence Romulus had put to soulmates and fated love she found it difficult to stomach the idea that not all fated pairs had a happy ending. Most humans would consider merely finding a soul mate to be their happy ending. She’d grown up with movies that showed that pretty, pretty picture over and over again. Even though Rom had lost his fated he was still offered a chance at a happy ending – either with her or with Sorcha – if Sorcha ever came back.
She hadn’t meant to make Katrina feel uncomfortable and she was eager to change the subject. “So, how did you end up here at the Order’s Estate?”
“Well, the night I met Justin he told me all about this place. I had known about it before, being raised in the society. But only the top echelon of the Order gets to stay at the Estate with access to Romulus and his council.” She took a thoughtful sip of her water. “I didn’t know where the estate was located-- it’s usually kept a secret. But Justin told me all about his home here. And when he died, I wanted to be closer to that part of him. It’s silly, I guess.”
Selene shook her head vigorously and empathized, “it must have been very difficult to lose him so quickly.”
“It was a shock. But the Order has been so good to me. Once Romulus learned about my strategic knowledge and my power he offered me a permanent spot here to work and heal.”
Selene mused that Romulus had an affinity for collecting all sorts of broken things and trying to fix them. She knew that he’d never admit to it, but she’d noticed that he found the broken and propped them up. She couldn’t have imagined what his support would have meant to a young widow. “It must have been nice to have a place to call home.”
“Well, it was. It is. By now you realize how sacred soulmates are to the Order. When someone’s soul mate is killed they do everything in their power to support the survivor. It’s at the very heart of what they do. They avenge us and the soul mates that are taken from us too early.”
Selene had thought that humanity had cherished the idea of a one and only. But her time on the Order’s estate had taught her that humans were so passively attracted to the idea of a soulmate. These people positively revered them. She crossed one leg over the other and waved in the general direction of the formal meeting room. “So, what do you do?”
Katrina laughed and tied her hair up. “Well that was the beauty of knowing Justin. I’m a power suppressor. I can mute most other powers if the wielder is close enough to me. And Justin? He was a power amplifier. The Order was very sad to have lost him. I’m told that he was an amazing friend to them all, but he was also a powerful warrior.”
“I um...I don’t know how to ask…”
“You want to know how he died?”
Selene raised her hands and assured her new friend, “no, you definitely don’t have to share with me if you don’t want too.”
“It’s ok. You’ll find out sooner or later. He died protecting me from the second wave of Kem’s minions. They had swarmed my hotel room the next morning. Justin was able to hold them off while I got away.”
Katrina brushed an errant tear from her eye. “Our time together was so brief, but it was the most intense feeling I’ve ever experienced.” She hopped off the stool and stretched. “And that’s why you’re so lucky to be reunited with Romulus. Aside from the obvious boost to both of your powers, you can now feel that intensity all the time.”
Selene shook her head. “But that’s the problem. I feel that intensity, but when Rom took me to the pool I felt so distant from Sorcha. I felt no familiarity. Shouldn’t I have felt a kinship to her?”
Katrina tilted her head and gave Selene an inquisitive look. “Like what?”
Selene hopped off the stool as well. “I don’t know-- any sort of clue that would show that I was her at some point.”
“Well, let me drop you off at Romulus’s office. Maybe he can answer that. Let me know when you’re done chatting and I’ll ask Joan to bring you to work, ok?”
Selene gave her a brief hug. “You’ve been so kind to me, Kat. Thank you for this. And for telling me your story.”
Kat returned the hug and faced Selene. “Just enjoy that powerful feeling of finding your soulmate. There’s nothing quite like it. I wish I could feel that again.”
Romulus was sitting at his great desk attempting to sort through petitions. As leader of the Order, it was his responsibility to sort through the petitions sent by families belonging to the sect and to provide a response. Many of the petitions were for personal protection, assistance finding a soul mate, and request for magik.
Many of his species encouraged their young to travel across the world. As leader of the Order, it was up to him to approve petitions for members in their mid-20s to stay with a regional or local leader. The more his people travelled, the more likely they were to meet their soul mates. The worldly education and familiarity with other members didn’t hurt, either.
But he was a warrior first and foremost. And while he reveled in the ability to lead his people and to ensure their prosperity, the tedium of this paperwork made him long for the days when he was just an Order trainee. That nostalgia was particularly strong on days like today.
He was just leaning back in his high-backed chair when he heard footsteps in the hallway. He scented Selene and Kat and hummed in approval. He was eag
er to see Selene again after last night.
He was happy that the members of the manor were becoming more adjusted to Selene. Kat was usually fairly self-isolated. She had chosen that lifestyle following the tragic death of his friend and her mate, Justin. The fact that she was making an effort to connect with Selene reassured him that she was healing.
Sure enough, there was a knock at the door. His old-world training kicked in and he stood to greet the ladies. Katrina strode in and Selene followed.
When Selene hesitated at the entrance, he rose to take her by the hand and led her to his sitting area beside the desk. When Selene looked back at Katrina, the short red-haired woman shooed her forward and exited, closing the door behind her.
Now that they were alone, Romulus cradled her face in his hands and slanted his mouth over hers. She responded just as eagerly and drew him closer. Slipping her tongue in his mouth, the kiss deepened until they were both breathing heavily.
He lifted her up as she continued to kiss him. As he moved them towards the desk, she broke away. “The desk. There’s stuff on it.”
He mumbled in response and captured her mouth again. She expected him to do a big romantic gesture and sweep his files off the desk.
He willed all the files to float to coffee table in the sitting area in a neat pile. She chuckled and folded her arms around his neck and tightened her thighs around his waist. “Of course, why sweep it off when you can float it off.”
“You sound disappointed.” He raised an eyebrow as he turned to place her gently on his desk.
Now seated on the desk, she continued to lay kisses across his neck. “Not at all! I’ve just never had someone ravage me on a desk, let alone so neatly.”
“Trust me, nothing about my love for you is neat or tidy.”
Suddenly, the files were back on the desk at her back. He lifted her again and she clasped her thighs around his waist again so he could lift her. Turning so they were parallel to the desk, she watched as the files settled neatly on the desk once more. He made eye contact with her, smirked, and then clasped her lower back and bent at the waist to swoop all the files off the desk in one huge swing of his arm. Then, he slanted her on the desk so she rested against the solid wood.
She laughed and pulled at his shirt to draw him closer. “You’re such a romantic.” He bent over her but kept his weight on his arms to prevent crushing her with his heavy torso. His long silver hair fell around her like a silk curtain.
He was kissing down her collarbone when she caught his eyes. “Rom, we should really talk about last night.”
“Mhm.” He lifted her hips and she felt his hands span her backside.
She groaned at the contact but tugged at the hair at his temple. “I’m serious!”
“I can’t stay serious when you look at me with those bedroom eyes.”
She closed her eyes. “Ok, no more bedroom eyes. Let’s talk.”
“Ok, but I get to hold you.”
She nodded her agreement and felt her body being lifted from the desk. He carried her over to the sitting area and pulled her into his lap. With her legs over his own, he brushed her eyelids. “Ok, bedroom eyes. Let’s talk.”
She opened her eyes and grasped his hand. “So, last night.”
He nodded and nipped at her mouth. “Last night was everything I hoped it would be and more. Are you alright? Are you sore?”
She shifted a little bit and turned beet red. “I’m fine. But I want to talk to you about what we saw in that pool.”
He nodded solemnly and spoke in a low, gravelly voice, “what do you want to know, love?”
She shook her head. “It’s not what I want to know. It’s what we need to share.” She took a deep breath and continued, “Rom, what we saw in that pool...I felt those emotions. It was overwhelming. It was beautiful. It was painful. It was familiar.”
A slow smile spread across his face and he made a sound of approval in the back of his throat. “So now you see that we belong together.”
“But that’s just it! It was familiar and emotive,” she needed a moment to steel herself for the next portion, the more painful truth, “but I really didn’t feel anything familiar when I looked at Sorcha.” She peeked at him quickly to gauge his reaction.
He shook his head. “These things take time. I was lucky because the order identified me early and they raised me with our history, knowing someday I would find you. When I look at you I know that we belong.”
He yanked up the sleeve of his shirt. “If my words and my actions can’t convince you, then this will.” He placed his wrist at the base of her collarbone and a familiar glow rose between them.
Selene grabbed the base of his wrist and circled it with her hand. She looked into his eyes pleadingly. “Rom, please, what if this is a mistake? I care for you, deeply. But I didn’t feel any connection with the woman I saw in the pool.”
She wish that she could tell him about this without suggesting that what they felt for each other was superficial or temporary. She knew that what they had was special, but she had to clarify this point with him to move forward.
“A mistake.” his tone was flat and dead. His eyes flashed silver. “You think that we’re a mistake.”
Selene sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead. This was not going as well as she thought it would. How on earth was she going to fix this?
For a negotiator I really do suck at expressing myself right now.
“No, it’s not that! It’s just that I don’t think I’m the Sorcha you’re looking for. I can’t be your soulmate. I can’t be tied to you for eternity when I hardly know you! I - I care for you but I’m not ready for any of that.”
He shook his head. “You care for me?” He tilted her chin up with his forefinger and thumb. “Selene, I am in love with you. And I think you love me, but you’re just too scared to accept it.”
She yanked her chin away from his grasp. “I’ve been called many things. Few have dared to call me a coward.” She looked away, “why can’t we just forget the past? The images in the pool? They don’t matter to who we are here, who we are now. I don’t need to know that you loved me in a previous life when I know you love me now. Can’t we just be? As we were in the pool last night? Just Selene and Romulus. No past. Just the future we make together.”
His voice was like steel. She could see that she had greatly offended him. It was clear that their lovemaking in the pool last night had meant more to him than she anticipated. “Love, you cannot ask me to pretend that you are not my soulmate. Not with what’s gone on between us. I will not spite fate when I have prayed to find you.”
“That’s just it! You don’t love me, you love Sorcha! And I am telling you that I am not her!”
His voice rose in response and he gestured between them. “Then how do you explain the chemistry between us? This electric bond we share? You can’t stand there and deny it.”
“I’m not denying it. I’m just trying to get you to understand that no matter how badly you want it to be so, I am not Sorcha.” He drew back as if she had slapped him. “Rom, can’t you just love me as Selene? Here and now?”
He gently placed her legs off of his and on the ground. He rose from the chair and ran a hand through his hair. She could sense the frustration thrumming within him as if it rippled out. “There’s only one way to know for sure. There is a man. A Fae named Gideon. He is of your mother’s people.”
She opened her mouth to correct him but he repeated himself. “He is of Sorcha’s mother’s people. The Island Fae. And he will be able to tell us for sure whether or not you are Sorcha.”
She hastened to stand from the chair. “Then let’s contact him!”
“Love, the reason you’re such a good negotiator is because you are part Fae. Your mother’s people are notorious for finding loopholes in deals. For speaking in untruths and riddles. Inviting him could be dangerous and could leave us with more questions than answers.”
He certainly knew how to ruffle her feathers. She shook
as if she had been struck. The audacity! “First, I’m a good negotiator because I went through years of schooling and earned a PhD. Second, my mother’s name is Karen and she’s a human nurse in Connecticut.”
Romulus shook his head and crossed his arms, leaning against the desk. Even though she was mad at him she could not deny that he was still ridiculously attractive, with his muscles bunched with the adrenaline of their fight and his silver hair tousled and resting over his broad shoulders. His beautiful eyes flashing silver and black.
He went to speak, but the doors burst open and Joan waltzed through with Dougall. She stopped in her tracks when she sensed the tension in the room and noticed the distance between two lovers.
Her eyes flicked between Selene and Romulus. She raised her hands and asked, “am I interrupting something?”
Dougall shoved Joan out of the way and rested his hip on Romulus’s desk. Crossing his arms, he chuckled, “well, they’re still dressed so whatever we interrupted, it couldn’t have been that good.”
Joan threw a sharp elbow into Dougall’s ribs and urged Selene to come over. “You have your purse? You’re lecturing again at the college at 9am, right?”
Selene straightened her disheveled clothes and nodded. What a mess this morning had turned out to be. She didn’t want to run away from it, but her real life was calling. She walked towards Joan and took her hand, “my purse is in the kitchen. Can we grab it on the way out?”
Joan nodded and her eyes flicked between the two of them. “Sure, let’s go.”
The two women walked out the door. Dougall bent over to scoop papers off the ground. He rose when his arms were full and asked Romulus, “So, do you wanna talk about the Carter petition, or” he paused for dramatic effect and hitched his thumb over his shoulder, “do you wanna talk about whatever that was?”
The papers in Dougall’s hands flew into the air. Dougall nodded and began to gather them again. “Right-o, the Carter petition it is, then.”
Joan and Selene exited the school. Selene had been swarmed at the end of the negotiation for beginner’s lecture by eager students. The fact that Selene looked like a goddess in her light purple sheath dress probably added fuel to the fire, Joan mused.
