To Be Unbroken

by Stein Willard

  “Is she really going to be okay?”

  Andra nodded. “Grams is as healthy as a horse. Believe me when she says she’ll be fine, she will be. She comes from very strong stock.”

  Sara nodded, albeit a little reluctantly. She was looking forward to meeting with Gemma later. Andra took over from Claire, allowing the blonde to sit back with a glass of wine. Mara came to stand next to her and Sara smiled as she looked at the older woman. She was the same height as Andra and with her salt-and pepper hair; it was a clear indication that Andra was going to be very beautiful woman long into her sixties.

  “Do you have any idea how beautiful you people are?”

  Mara blushed slightly even as she chuckled. “Why thank you, dear. I guess I’m so used to seeing my own features reflected back at me when we have family gatherings that it doesn’t even register anymore.” She took a sip from the wine glass in her hand. “Josh still says it all the time.”

  Sara grinned. “Believe me there’s absolutely nothing wrong with his eyesight. In a few years’ time, little Nadia over there will cause stampedes leading to this estate.”

  The proud grandmother graced her pouting granddaughter with a loving look. “Lucky enough, her mother already put me through my paces. Andra surely will have her hands full.”

  “I doubt my darling wife was such a wild one,” Claire said, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

  “You have no idea,” Mara said with a snort.

  “If you still want me to pay for that Caribbean cruise you and Grams have been talking about, I’d suggest you just stop right there and not divulge anymore.” Andra pushed the empty plate away and tenderly wiped her daughter’s face. “You finished it all, honey. Mommy’s so proud of you.”

  Nadia gave her mother a blinding smile, which made Sara grin. “Now that’s what I think will be the cause all those stampedes.”

  Claire leaned over and brushed her daughter’s cheek. “She’s an exact replica of my other baby.”

  Sara suddenly felt as if she was intruding on a private moment as Claire and Andra’s eyes met over their daughter’s head. She quickly looked away and smiled when she caught sight of Mac standing in the door way. Her eyes were fixed on her and Sara was puzzled by the yearning look she saw in Mac’s eyes. She excused herself from Mara.

  ***

  Maxima arrived just in time to see the look that passed between the married couple. She had witnessed so many love affairs and marriages over the years, but they had always eluded her. Now that she was on the brink of finally achieving just that, she stood a great chance of losing it before it had even begun. Everything was coming to a head tonight. She had grilled Gemma earlier until the woman had divulged her plan.

  As soon as she’d deposited Gemma on her bed, the older woman had swung her feet off her bed, her eyes twinkling.

  “Another fake episode? I thought you stopped doing that. Do you have any idea how you jangle my nerves when you do that?” Maxima had exploded. It was enough that Gemma was old now, but to be faced with the issue of considering her health, rattled Maxima beyond measure. She was scared of losing Gemma—terrified.

  Gemma had actually managed to look sheepish at being scolded. After a heartfelt apology, Gemma had told her why she had faked fatigue. Looking into Sara’s eyes, which reflected concern, Maxima was scared. If tonight didn’t work, it would kill her. She reached out and touched Sara’s cheek. This would probably be the last time Sara would allow her to be this close. Sara leaned into the caress, her eyes fluttering closed.

  “What’s wrong, Mac?” Sara asked gently.

  Maxima swallowed deeply. “I am scared.”

  The green eyes fluttered open, just as her hand reached for the hand cradling Sara’s cheek. Maxima watched as Sara brought her hand to her lips. At the sweet touch of Sara’s lips on her knuckles, Maxima sighed.

  “You don’t have to be.” The green eyes looked deep into hers.

  Maxima swallowed to dislodge the knob in her throat. In a very subtle way, the blonde had just expressed her feelings for her. But is it enough for her to not hate me once she finds out the truth? She shifted her eyes from Sara’s and noticed as the others discreetly left the dining room through the kitchen. She returned her attention to Sara.

  “Gemma wants you to meet her in the galleria in fifteen minutes.”

  “Is she well enough to do that? Otherwise we can wait until she feels up to it.”

  Maxima leaned in and took Sara’s startled lips in a deep kiss. Her ears were buzzing from lack of oxygen when she finally pulled away. The blonde’s chest was heaving as she dragged in long draughts of air. Maxima pulled her back in her arms and held her trembling body gently. She tenderly held Sara in her arms, not at all surprised by the woman’s reaction since she had poured everything she felt for the woman into the kiss. The only thing preventing her from crumbling to the floor herself was Sara’s desperate embrace.

  “Gemma insists,” she said after a while and placed a soft kiss on her hair. “I will see you later.” Maxima stepped away and gave Sara a long look. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world.” She turned and left the dining room quickly. Andra and Claire would take care of Sara until they met again.

  She made her way to the galleria and began shedding her clothes. Over the centuries she’d become so used to this ritual. She donned her leather outfit and walked over to the podium. Since it was already dark outside she could, with sheer concentration and self-hypnosis induce the change. This was another hypnotic trick she had learned almost 900 years ago from a very resourceful Gypsy woman.

  ***

  Andra poured three cups of coffee. She gave Claire and Mara each a cup before joining them at the table. The two women looked lost in thought. She knew exactly what they were thinking about. Gemma had outmaneuvered them. It was not the first time nor would it be the last time. Claire must surely think them to be the most unfeeling family considering their reaction to Gemma’s little staged ‘situation’. Damn, but Grams was sneaky. Andra exhaled loudly and smiled apologetically when she realized she’d startled the other women.

  “What do we do now? They seem to like each other enough. Maybe we should just let them be.”

  Mara shook her head. “Not with the lies between them. Sara might like Maxima, but no woman likes being lied too.”

  Claire nodded in agreement. She turned to her wife. “We’ll have to come up with another plan. What our current plan proved to us was just that they like each other…a lot.”

  “Okay. Let’s brainstorm.” She prayed Gemma’s plan wouldn’t backfire on them. If there was one thing her grandmother lacked in abundance, it was patience.

  ***

  Sara stumbled over to a chair and fell into it, her breathing still ragged after that mind-numbing kiss. They had kissed before, but never like this. She closed her eyes hoping that blocking out everything else would put the feelings the kiss invoked into perspective. Her hands clutched the table tightly as a familiar sense of detachment came over her. She knew immediately what to expect. She’d had this exact same feeling that first time Mac had kissed her and she also remembered the sense of loss when the strange vision disappeared. For a brief moment she was tempted to open her eyes, but curiosity won out. This time they were not in a garden. Instead they were in a very lavishly decorated room. Silk strips hung from the ceiling, blowing lightly in the slight breeze coming through the open windows. A four-poster bed strewn with small colorful pillows took up most of the room. The blonde became aware of the fact that she was not alone in the room when the hairs at the back of her neck suddenly prickled. Turning, she met the warm, desire-filled gaze of her lover.

  “You came.”

  The warrior, still dressed in her leather breastplate, pulled her into her arms. “I told you I would be here.”

  “But Father said that the army would not be back for another fortnight,” she whispered. Her hands were already working on the fastenings on the breastplate.

  “Epsilonde
fell the moment we reached their city gates. The king requested an audience with your father and I accompanied him.” The warrior’s pale eyes twinkled. “Would you rather I had missed our appointment? Why else all these questions.”

  The blonde wrapped her arms around the warrior’s waist. “I feel so empty and lost when you are away.” She lifted her head and caught the warrior’s loving gaze in a verdant gaze. “I love you, warrior.”

  “And I you, princess,” the warrior said with a catch in her voice.

  Words were unnecessary as they drifted into each other’s arms. The blonde sighed with pleasure as strong hands cupped her derriere and she was carried over to the bed. Wantonly, she spread her legs to make space for the large body that she knew would soon settle between them. Her body knew her lover well, her nipples stiffening in response to the warm glow of desire infusing her body.

  “I will never tire of seeing you like this, my heart,” the warrior whispered. The pale eyes raked hungrily over her body. “You are mine, always and forever.”

  Lifting her head, the blonde captured the warrior’s lips in a deep kiss. “Always and forever”, she murmured against the soft lips. “The warrior’s lips slipped from hers and moved down to her throat, leaving tiny tingles in their wake. Her mouth fell open and she whispered one word.

  One word, which tilted her universe and made Sara surge to her feet. A soft keening escaped her lips as she clutched the chair she had just vacated. Trembling violently, she struggled to bring her breathing under control.

  Now was a good time to meet Gemma. After that kiss she had more questions that needed answers. She left the dining room, seeing the housekeeper stepping in to clear the table at the same time. Knowing where the galleria was after having been there twice already with Claire, she hastily made her way down the hallway.

  As she stepped into the room, Sara was once again filled with awe at the sight of the beautiful antique pieces in the room. The Bells had by far the most impressive collection she’d ever read about. She was actually lucky to be able see these pieces. The collection was a detailed chronology of the art movement through the ages. Sara shivered at the mere thought of how much the whole collection would be worth. Buying a few of the pieces on display would probably bankrupt her family. She made a mental note never to bring her father here. She made her way through the room, which was subdivided by short walls. It was like visiting any upmarket gallery in the city.

  The sound of her heels against the tile sounded extra loud in the quiet room. She entered the part of the galleria which Claire had called Maxima’s domain. It was usually closed off and only accessible with a code. It seemed, however, that Gemma was already there, because the door was open. Sara entered and her eyes immediately lit on the tall, impressive statue. She found she couldn’t look away again. Gemma was completely forgotten, as like a moth drawn to a flame, Sara drifted towards the statue. Am I going mad? How can a simple marble statue elicit such a reaction from me? She stepped closer, her eyes roaming over the marble figure.

  “Maxima,” she breathed softly. “What are you doing to me?”

  “You feel it too.” Gemma’s voice came from behind her and with a shriek, Sara spun around. Gemma sat in a comfortable chair, her arms resting on the armrests. The older woman looked quite robust for someone, who only a half hour ago appeared very ill. Before Sara could asked after Gemma’s health, the woman pointed to the vacant chair next to hers. “Please, have a seat.”

  With one last look at the statue she went to sit next to Gemma. The older woman immediately placed her hand over hers, prompting Sara to look at her.

  “I’m eighty-three years old and Maxima has been in my life since I opened my eyes.” Gemma slightly tapped Sara’s hand with her finger. “You young ones don’t understand how valuable time is until you are standing with one foot in the grave.” Sara watched as Gemma turned her head to look at Maxima. “Tonight I’m throwing all caution to the wind. Time dictates that I act fast, because I’m not sure how much longer I have and before I die I want this to be resolved.”

  Sara immediately recalled the small incident during dinner. She reached for Gemma’s hand. “Are you okay, Gemma?”

  The silver head nodded. “I’m healthier than most people half my age.” The pale eyes met hers. “I want to ask you something.”

  “Please do.” Sara shocked herself with how eager she sounded.

  “What did you mean when you spoke to Maxima earlier?”

  Sara groaned inwardly at the question. She had wanted to be the one asking the difficult questions. She took a deep breath and threw a quick glance at Maxima.

  “I must warn you that it may sound crazy.” Sara rubbed the back of her neck.

  “Try me, dear. I have witnessed stranger things in my lifetime,” Gemma said with a smirk. Seeing the amused grin, Sara relaxed a little.

  “Okay. Where to start…uhm…” Sara cleared her throat. “Since Mac kissed me the first time about three weeks ago, I started having these visions.” She saw Gemma’s eyes widen in surprise. “They…they are of me and who I presume is Mac. We are in a strange garden overlooking an unknown city. I’m not sure but I think I’m transported to some unknown ancient place if the clothing we wear and the smells and sights are anything to go by.” She stopped for a moment, expecting Gemma to laugh at the absurdness of her experience. Instead, the blue eyes were thoughtful as they studied her, giving Sara the courage to continue. “I have had them almost every night since then.”

  She paused and looked at Maxima. “Just now…a few minutes ago…Mac kissed me again. This time the…we were in a room and…and I…uhm…” Not able to finish the sentence she looked away. She could feel Gemma’s sharp eyes on her.

  “What happened, Sara?” Gemma’s voice sounded calm, but Sara could detect a slight undertone of urgency in the other woman’s voice.

  Sara turned to look at Gemma. “I called her Maxima this time.” Sara watched Gemma closely, waiting for her reaction. She expected everything, ridicule, disbelief, but not pleasure. Gemma’s face filled with such delight that Sara had to blink to make sure what she was seeing.

  “Do you know what this means, Sara?”

  Sara swallowed hard. “That I’m going crazy, perhaps?”

  Gemma turned in the chair so she could look directly at Sara. “Let me put it this way. Now that you know the woman in your visions is in fact Maxima, who else besides Maxima would have knowledge of these visions?”

  Sara frowned. Who indeed? Then it hit her! With a loud gasp she surged out of the chair. “No!”

  Gemma shrugged. “What other explanation do you have?”

  “I am NOT…” She closed her eyes. The vision of a blond woman, adorned in gold jewelry and fine silks fleeted through her mind. Anima. Her eyes flew open and searched Gemma’s with desperation. “I cannot be Anima. It…It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “Who else is in these visions with you? Any servants?” Gemma asked gently.

  Sara didn’t even have to think long. She knew these visions as if they were scenes from a much loved movie. She had replayed them so many times. “There’s no one else.”

  “There you have it.”

  She fell back into the chair and sat there with her head in her hands. Anima? It is not possible. There must be a reasonable explanation for the visions. She slowly lifted her head as a new thought crossed her mind. “Is that why I’m here tonight?”

  Sara quickly thought back over the past six weeks. Andra’s sudden appearance in her life. Andra loaning her a priceless statue. The mysterious looks. “You already suspected that I was Anima, didn’t you?”

  Gemma appeared slightly uncomfortable. “Well…yes.”

  Sara narrowed her eyes at the older woman. She had expected as much, but hearing the woman admit it, made her shiver. Recalling the dinner conversation, Sara knew that she had probably been the only person around the dinner table who didn’t suspect that she was Anima. This was too bizarre to be real. She opened her mouth
to speak, but found her mouth devoid of any liquid. After a hard swallow, she forced out one word. “Why?”

  “We’ve been tracking Anima’s lineage throughout the centuries. We especially paid attention to the girls who were born blonde with green eyes.” Gemma slowly pushed to her feet. “I have something to show you.”

  Sara followed Gemma on lead-like feet as they stepped the around the statue to a door. She came to a stunned halt. The door led into a luxurious apartment complete with an open-plan kitchen and lounge. Gemma turned to look at her. “Are you coming?”

  “Where are we going?” She had never been to this part of the mansion on the few times she had come over for dinner or quick visits.

  “To the bedroom,” Gemma threw over her shoulder.

  “The bedroom…” Sara croaked as she looked around.

  “You are completely safe with me, dear,” Gemma said in an amused voice, causing Sara to blush. Looking around the lovely apartment, she followed Gemma down a short hallway. They entered the bedroom. For the second time in less than five minutes, Sara found herself blinking in shock. The room was just as beautiful as the rest of the apartment. Various shades of earth tones gave the room a warm feeling and drew the eye to the large king-sized bed draped with tan bedding. However it was the large painting above the bed which caused Sara to stare in muted shock. It was of a woman dressed in rich, silk robes. On her head she wore a headdress made out of what seemed to be pure gold off which the sun glinted, making it look as if the woman sported a halo. Except for the clothing and the headdress, it was like looking at a picture of herself.

  “That’s Anima.” Gemma said softly, drawing Sara’s attention from the painting. A sudden thought struck Sara as her gaze moved from Gemma, to take in the room and finally settled on the painting again.