Cin d'Rella and the Golden Apple : Circle of the Rose Chronicles, Book 2

by S. J. West

  As I study her, I notice a hint of a smile lift the corners of her mouth. It seems like all of her dreams are finally coming true. She has a clear shot at becoming Edward’s next wife now that Sela is dead, and there’s no one left to stand in the way of her reaching her ultimate goal.

  “Talk about bad taste, right?” the woman standing behind me says.

  I look over at Coltan to see what his response is to the woman’s words, but I don’t see him react at all. He had to have heard her because she said it in a fairly loud voice. In fact, everyone in attendance should have heard her words, yet no one is reacting to them.

  “Vivian’s been waiting for this day practically her whole life,” the woman says in disgust. “I’m surprised she’s not dancing on my grave. Well, crypt in this case, I suppose.”

  I whip my head around to look over my shoulder after hearing these words and have to stifle a scream when I discover Sela Prince standing directly behind me.

  Chapter 2

  Coltan’s mother smiles at me as if I’m confronted by ghosts on a daily basis. Her semi-transparent form allows me to see right through her. Long dark hair floats around her face on an unseen wind, giving her delicate facial features an ethereal glow. She looks over at her son Mathew who has Lexis standing by his side. Sadness surrounds her as she gazes at him, and I wonder if she feels like she failed her middle son in some way.

  “Hello, Cin,” she says to me. “I wish I could have met you while I was alive. I feel like I know so much about you from Coltan. You’re practically all he talked about these last couple of weeks.”

  If I could speak and not give my presence away, I would ask her how she was able to hear anything while she was in her coma. The clear confusion on my face must give my thoughts away. Either that or ghosts can read the minds of the living because her next words answer my unasked question.

  “I was aware of everything going on around me while I was in my coma,” she tells me before casting a withering glare in Vivian’s direction. “That woman is like a snake who poisons everyone she comes into contact with. I’ve never met anyone so selfish in all my life. Whatever she does to Edward is nothing less than what he deserves for bringing that viper into our lives. I wish I could have held on a little longer to stop Mathew’s marriage to her daughter. She’ll ruin my son’s life just like Vivian ruined mine.” She returns her gaze to me and seems to drop her resentment for the others for the time being as a small smile spreads her lips. “I’m glad you’re here, Cin. Coltan needs you more than he realizes. He’ll need to lean on your strength in the days to come.”

  My brows furrow because I have no idea what knowledge she might have from beyond the grave concerning her son’s future.

  “You’ll understand soon,” she tells me with a melancholy smile. “I don’t feel like it’s right for me to explain it to you when Coltan doesn’t even know the truth yet. He will though,” she says with a nod of her head. “I made sure to leave his father the information he needs to tell our son. I realize we don’t really know each other, but from everything Coltan told me about you, I feel like I understand your character pretty well. Would it be all right if I ask you to do something for me?”

  I nod my head as I wait for the ghost of Sela Prince to make her last request.

  “Open your heart to my son,” she says sweetly. “From what he’s said about you, it seems like you’re holding a part of yourself back from him. If you’re worried he’ll turn into an evil Prince like his father and brothers, don’t be. He’s what’s left of the very best of my family. Before the curse, the Princes used to be the most honorable family in this city. I think that’s why we were chosen to lead the upheaval that ended up dividing Briardale.”

  Chosen? I have no idea what Sela is talking about, and my confusion seems to be written on my face again.

  “You and Coltan should ask Maximus about the real history of this city. He’s one of the few people who actually knows it. I ended up dying before I could pass on my knowledge to Coltan, but now that I’m gone, I’m sure Maximus will tell him what he needs to know. Maybe after he learns it, he’ll understand his place in this world.”

  Sela looks at Coltan and reaches out her right hand to run it down his back in a comforting motion. He flinches slightly as her ghostly hand glides over him.

  “Take care of him, Cin,” she begs. “And take care of yourself. The two of you are going to endure a lot in the days to come, but if you stay together and work through the problems that you encounter, you’ll both make it.”

  Sela begins to disintegrate before my eyes like her body is being turned to ash that’s carried off on an unseen wind.

  “Don’t waste your chance at love by second-guessing the truth that’s standing right before your eyes,” she tells me. “I did that and wouldn’t wish such a fate on my worst enemy. Take a leap of faith and trust your heart. It will never lead you astray.”

  With those parting words, Sela Prince completely vanishes from my sight.

  I start to shake uncontrollably from my unexpected encounter with Coltan’s dead mother.

  “What’s wrong?” he whispers to me urgently. He must have felt my trembling.

  Even if I could speak, I have no idea what I would tell him.

  Hey, Coltan, I met the ghost of your mom. She seemed really nice . . .

  Yeah, I’m sure that would go over really well.

  Coltan squeezes my hand tightly as if urging me to answer his question. To ease his worry, I turn toward him just enough to lay my free hand on his chest and pat it reassuringly. I watch as he smiles slightly at my touch, and the words his mother spoke to me reverberate in my mind: Don’t waste your chance at love by second-guessing the truth that’s standing right before your eyes.

  I lift my hand from Coltan’s chest and softly run my fingers down the left side of his cheek. He closes his eyes as if he’s taking comfort in my caress, so I repeat the same action on the other side. His lips part as a contented sigh escapes his mouth. Without giving it a second thought, I lightly slide my index finger along the soft flesh of his bottom lip and feel an almost uncontrollable urge to lean in and press my lips against his.

  But I don’t. I pull my hand away from his face and watch him open his eyes. He turns his gaze in the direction I am, as if wishing me to become visible would make it happen.

  “Let us pray,” the priest says behind me.

  I close my eyes and bow my head as he leads the mourners in a prayer thanking God for bringing Sela Prince into the world and for her dedication to those who needed it the most. Once the “amen” is uttered, I open my eyes and see that people are lining up to give their last condolences to the Prince family. I tug my hand out of Coltan’s hold, and he grasps the thin air near him as if he’s trying to find me again. I don’t want to leave him all alone, but he needs the hand I was holding to shake hands with the people approaching him. I walk behind him and loosely wrap my arms around his waist while lightly resting my head between his shoulder blades. I close my eyes as I listen to Coltan thank everyone who comes up to him for attending the funeral.

  We must stand like that for at least twenty minutes. The spell on the ring keeping me invisible is quickly running out. Odds are I don’t have much time left. Reluctantly, I lift my head from his back and pull my arms away from his waist. Coltan grabs my right hand to prevent me from moving it any farther.

  “Wait,” he says to me, but the pretty woman standing in front of him assumes he’s speaking to her.

  “Wait for what, Coltan?” the tall brunette asks hopefully with a twinkle of expectation in her eyes. “Is there something you need?”

  The flirtatious way the woman is batting her eyelashes at him tells me she’s not offering to bake Coltan a cake to drown his sorrows in.

  Coltan clears his throat as he realizes the mistake he made. He seems to be hastily evaluating the options available to him to explain his sudden outburst.

  “I wanted to tell you that my mother appreciated your work
at the center,” he says, missing only a beat. “She would have wanted to make sure you knew that.”

  “Oh,” the woman says, sounding disappointed. “I’ve always loved my work there.”

  “Well, thank you for your service,” Coltan says with a stiff nod.

  “You’re welcome,” the woman replies just as awkwardly before stepping off to the side and away from the family.

  “Coltan,” Edward Prince says to his son as he comes to stand in front of him, “would you mind riding home with Mathew? I need to head back to the house now to greet the people attending the reception.”

  “Don’t worry about me, Dad,” Coltan tells his father. “I’ll make my way home on my own. I should stay here and make sure the crypt is secured after everyone leaves.”

  Edward Prince nods his head. “Sounds like a good idea. I’ll see you when you return home.”

  Before Edward walks off, he places a heavy hand on Coltan’s right shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze. “Your mother was so proud of you. I hope you know that.”

  Coltan nods his head but doesn’t make a reply. With one last squeeze of Coltan’s shoulder, Edward walks away and casually takes Vivian’s arm when he approaches her to lead her over to his car. Coltan laces his fingers with mine so he can turn around to watch his father walk away with Vivian without losing contact with me.

  “Can you believe the gall of that woman?” Coltan says under his breath. “She couldn’t wait for my mother to die so she could take her place by my father’s side.”

  “Watch it, little brother,” Mathew says as he walks up to Coltan. “That’s my future mother-in-law you’re talking about.”

  “She might be our stepmother before you even get a chance to walk down the aisle with her daughter,” Coltan grumbles.

  “If Morgan hadn’t been such a dolt and made us all go through that trial, Lexis and I would be married by now,” Mathew says with a sneer.

  “Are you in that much of a hurry to marry her?” Coltan asks his brother, raising an eyebrow.

  “I’m just ready to get it over with,” Mathew replies with a heavy sigh. “Anyway, do you want a ride back home? I’m about to go too. Most everyone is heading that way.”

  “No,” Coltan tells him. “I’m going to stay here for a little while longer. Do me a favor, Mathew. Promise me you’ll take care of yourself and watch your back with Lexis. I don’t trust anyone who marries someone they don’t love.”

  Mathew looks confused by Coltan’s words. “You know I can take care of myself, little brother, and anyone who trusts Lexis or her mother is a fool.”

  “That doesn’t say much about our father,” Coltan replies.

  “He’ll come to his senses,” Mathew says. “I better get back to the house. You know how Dad hates playing the part of the host.” Mathew cocks his head to the right as he considers Coltan. “Unless you need me to stay and help. You were closer to mom than any of us. I know today has been hard on you.”

  “It has, but I’ll be fine,” Coltan reassures him. “You should go home and keep an eye on things. I won’t be long here.”

  “Okay, little brother, I’ll see you later then.” Mathew walks to his black sports car where Lexis is glaring at him through the passenger window.

  “Hey, Mathew,” Coltan calls out, causing his brother to turn and look back at him. “If you ever need my help, all you have to do is ask for it.”

  Mathew hesitates for a moment, but then he smiles and waves a hand at Coltan like he believes his brother is being overly sentimental before turning around and walking to his car and Lexis.

  “She’s going to make his life miserable,” Coltan says with certainty.

  “I agree,” I reply since we’re the only ones left standing beside the crypt.

  “Thank you for coming today, Cin,” he says, looking in my general direction since he still can’t see me. “I wouldn’t have made it through the ceremony without you here.”

  “I’m sure you would have found the strength to do it on your own,” I tell him.

  “I …” he begins before faltering. He clears his throat nervously before trying to start again. “I want to apologize for not calling you. I needed to get my head on straight before we talked again. The day I went to you I was a complete mess. I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”

  “Your mother had just died, Coltan,” I say, completely understanding his grief. “Of course you were a mess. That was to be expected.”

  “I thought I was prepared for it to happen,” he says, sounding lost and confused. “And then when it finally did, I crumbled. I’ve never felt pain like that before in my life. I didn’t want you to see me that way, but you were the only person I wanted to be with after she died. All I could think about was getting to you.”

  “I’m glad you came to me,” I tell him as I wrap my arms around his to emphasize my words. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to go to anyone else.”

  Coltan grins. “Does that mean you’re starting to like me a little?”

  “Maybe a touch more than a little,” I confess.

  “And what do I need to do to make it a lot more?” he asks softly.

  “Let me help you make it through all of this first,” I tell him. “Then we can think about us.”

  “Then there is a chance for an ‘us’?” he asks hopefully.

  “That depends on whether or not you believe in taking leaps of faith,” I say, repeating the words his mother said to me. I debate with myself whether or not I should tell Coltan that I saw his mom, but the time doesn’t seem right. Plus, I would really like to talk to Maximus first because I don’t understand how I was able to see Sela Prince’s ghost.

  Was what I saw actually Coltan’s mom? She seemed sincere in everything she said concerning her sons, and I have no reason to believe I was hallucinating. Perhaps the magic associated with the invisibility ring I’m wearing also gives me the ability to see ghosts, but then, why wouldn’t Maximus have warned me about such a side effect since I was attending a funeral inside a cemetery full of dead people? Maybe he didn’t realize it would give me such a power. That seems to be the only rational explanation.

  By this time, all of the people attending the funeral have either driven or walked out of the cemetery’s gates. Maximus wastes no time and has Gus drive down the road and park the van in front of the crypt. I take that as my signal to become visible again. When I let go of Coltan’s hand, he turns his head in my direction, and I take the ring off.

  Coltan smiles when he sees me, and I have to admit that I’m glad I can bring him a little bit of joy on a day like this.

  “That’s better,” he says as his eyes sweep me up and down. “By the way, I like the Thorn jacket on you. It makes you look very imposing.”

  “Are you implying that I didn’t strike fear in the hearts of men before I got this jacket?” I ask in mock indignation.

  “Let me rephrase that,” he says after I point out his mistake. “It makes you look even more imposing than you did before. Is that better?”

  “As long as it’s true, then yes, it’s better,” I reply with a pleased grin.

  “I’ll never lie to you, Cin,” he tells me seriously. “Don’t ever worry about that happening because it won’t.”

  “Good to know,” I say, dropping my gaze to the grass creeping over the end of my boots. Is what I’m doing technically lying? Honestly, I think not telling Coltan that I saw his mother’s spirit is for the best right now. He needs time to push past his mourning phase, and telling him that his mother’s soul may be lingering around doesn’t sound like the best way to help him do that.

  As soon as Gus shuts off the engine of the van, everyone hops out to make their way over to us.

  “Good morning, Coltan,” Maximus says as he stretches out his hand to him.

  “Good morning, Maximus,” Coltan replies as the two men shake hands. “Thank you for helping me like this. I know going behind my father’s back isn’t something you would normally do, but if
he knew about these books, he would never let me give them to the Guild like my mother wanted me to.”

  “I was upset to hear about Sela’s passing,” Maximus says sincerely. “She was a great woman, and this side of Briardale will certainly feel her absence.”

  “Oh you sweet, sweet, boy, I’m so sorry for your loss,” Gus says as he wraps his arms around Coltan in a fatherly bear hug—whether Coltan wants it or not. Unlike the time Gus tried to give Coltan a hug on the island after he and Maximus flew in to bring us home, Coltan doesn’t rebuff Gus’s embrace. He even hugs Gus back in gratitude.

  “Thanks, man,” Coltan says.

  Gus pats him on the back twice before stepping away.

  As the other members of my squad walk up, they all tell Coltan how sorry they are over the death of his mother.

  Coltan stares at Anwen sitting on Isabel’s shoulder.

  “Is that a . . . faerie?” he asks, pointing at our little friend.

  Anwen tilts her head and smiles. “Yes, I am. My name is Anwen. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Coltan.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, Anwen,” he tells her with a smile.

  I realize in that moment that this is the first time the two of them have officially met. When Coltan came to my house after his mother passed away, Anwen hid in my hair while he was there, and I didn’t get a chance to introduce them that day.

  “I suggest we start transferring the books to the van as quickly as possible,” Maximus says to us all. “Then we can be on our way back to the Guild.”

  “Follow me,” Coltan tells us as he heads toward his family crypt.

  As we all stand outside the iron door of the entrance, Coltan pulls out a rather old-fashioned key for a pin-tumbler lock from an inner pocket of his suit jacket. With a quick twist of the key, we’re granted access to the rather large crypt. From the outside, the structure didn’t look much bigger than the shed I have in the backyard of my property because the part of the crypt you see from the outside is simply the entrance. The final resting place of the Prince family is actually in a lower level underground. From the doorway, I see a set of stone stairs that lead down to a long corridor lit by wall sconces in the shape of flaming torches.