Return to Kiluemar

by Kimberly Marraffino

  Still monitoring the room, she caught sight of a young man walking around the corner, holding a large case of glass bottles. Whoa, who’s that? The bottles rattled as he placed the case on the countertop across from her, but the loud noise did not stop her from staring at the young man.

  He was breathtakingly handsome. Compelled by his mere presence, she gazed awkwardly at him. She traced his body with her eyes, sizing up every inch of him. He was tall with an average physique and he had warm ivory skin. His thick, tapered hair accentuated his perfectly tousled dark brown curls, draping across one side of his forehead. Working continuously, he had not noticed her nonstop and watchful gaze. His clean-shaven appearance highlighted his defined jawline and the dimple along his chin. Continuing to stare unapologetically at him, Karramis observed the muscles along his arms as his rolled-up sleeves pressed firmly into his biceps.

  As the young man—who could not have been more than a few years older than her—stepped closer, she could smell the subtle scent of his cologne. The combination was unique but reminded her of the wild nettle bushes lining her hometown and the newly bloomed lavender and jasmine flowers in the spring. Her sense of smell took over as she closed her eyes and a slight whiff of cedar and suede filled the air. She was not sure if it was the smells of home or who the scent was coming from, but the gentle aroma brought her comfort.

  Opening her eyes, Karramis was awestruck by the deep sky-blue eyes beaming over at her under the incandescent lights. Her stomach fluttered. It was the young man who brought forth the source of her calm and content feeling.

  The young man smiled. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  Karramis was not sure what to do. Her cheeks grew warm as she sat quietly. She had never seen such an enchanting and attractive person before—let alone in a young man her own age. He seemed unreal. Her steady eye contact, raised eyebrows, and side smirk made the young man blush. He tilted his head down and grinned.

  The broken gaze caused Karramis to blink erratically.

  Running her fingers through her chestnut-brown hair and tucking it behind her ear, she stammered, “I—I’m sorry.” Her eyes met his. “What’d you say?”

  Smiling again, the young man chuckled, “Do you want something to drink?”

  His deep English accent made her sit up straight and lean in closer to him. Feeling her face getting warmer, she lowered her head and placed her hand against her cheek.

  Peering up through her eyelashes, she grinned. “Uhm, sure. I—I guess. What’s good here?”

  “Honestly? I have no clue. I’m new here and, truthfully . . .” He leaned in and whispered, “I’m not very good at making anything fancy.” He smirked as he pulled away.

  The warmth from his breath against her ear made her eyes close and she inhaled his scent again. The sound of his voice steadied her pulse and calmed her breathing. Despite her attraction to the young man, she was oddly composed and comfortable. There was something about him. She liked him. Her undeniable fascination was obvious to the young man as well, for she lacked subtlety.

  The attraction was mutual. The young man was drawn to her. Only seeing her for a few moments did not seem to interfere with his sudden and new emotional connection to her. It was unrealistic and undeniably naïve, but the pull was strong—almost magnetic. Unable to explain the intense appeal and desire he was experiencing, he drew himself away from her. But her deep chocolate-brown eyes lured him back. Her bright, bashful smile lit up everything around her. His once sweaty palms dried and the flutters in his stomach subsided. Her eyes and smile made him relaxed and happy. Meeting her gaze, he stepped back and stumbled over his feet. Embarrassed, he quickly turned and began rummaging through the various bottles of liquor placed on the shelves behind him.

  The sounds of the bottles clinking together made Karramis jump back into reality. Most places had a drinking age in this realm, and she did not have any identification on her.

  “Uhm, can I just have a cup of coffee?”

  The young man’s fallen expression was instantly replaced with a side smirk and a prominently raised eyebrow. “You came to a pub for coffee?”

  Mortified, Karramis lowered her head and snorted under her breath. “Good one.” Raising her head, she shot the young man an awkward grin and chuckled. “Well, I—I forgot my purse at home, so—”

  “So, no cash then?”

  “Oh right. No, I guess I don’t have that either. No, I—I was actually referring to, uhm—”

  “You’re ID?”

  “Exactly.”

  Karramis was pleased by her quick wit.

  “Oh. How old are you anyway?”

  “Twenty.”

  The young man grabbed a glass and poured a dark amber liquid from the tap.

  Placing the pint on the counter, he pointed out, “Well, this isn’t the states, so you’re old enough to drink here.” He winked. “This one’s on me.”

  Confused, she asked, “States?”

  “Yeah, you’re American, right?”

  The young man twisted away from her and wiped down the counter.

  With her accent being more American than anything else, Karramis grabbed the glass and agreed, “Oh, right. Yeah, I’m American.”

  She rolled her eyes back and sighed, irritated with herself for lying to him.

  She raised the glass to her mouth, pausing and asking, “What’s this?”

  Before he could answer, she took a drink. The young man turned back around just as she jerked the glass away from her mouth, cringing and forcing herself to swallow.

  Her disgusted face made the young man laugh. “It’s ale.”

  “Ugh! It’s disgusting.”

  Laughing, he walked away and filled another glass from the tap at the far end of the bar. “Never had ale before?”

  “No!” She pushed her drink away. “And I don’t think I ever will again. This stuff is horrible.” She wiped her mouth with her hand. “Ugh, the taste is still in my mouth.”

  The young man smiled and placed a glass of water in front of her. “Here.”

  Karramis grabbed the glass and chugged half the water before placing it back on the counter. The young man was still chuckling as he prepared another drink and placed it on the counter in front of her.

  This one reminded Karramis of iced tea, but with a slice of cucumber, strawberry, and an orange peel placed among the ice with a piece of mint on top.

  “What’s this?” she asked, scrunching her face.

  “Something to help get the taste out of your mouth.”

  Karramis leaned away and her eyebrows raised, causing her forehead to wrinkle.

  The young man slid the drink closer to her. “It’s called a Pimm’s Cup. Trust me, it’s good. I promise. It’s one of the few things I know how to make right now.”

  She sniffed it. “What’s in it?”

  “Just try it.”

  She took a sip from the straw, nodding with a smile. Picking up the drink, she placed her lips on the rim of the glass and swallowed a mouthful.

  “Hey, this is actually really good.”

  “See, I told ya,” he said playfully. “It’s heavy on the lemonade and light on the gin. I can tell you aren’t much of a drinker.”

  Karramis took another mouthful and gulped it down. “Nope. This is my first time.”

  “I can tell. You might want to take it easy with that, though. I said it was light on the gin, but there’s still a good amount in there.”

  She lowered the drink onto the counter, and he left to tend to two older gentlemen standing at the opposite end of the bar. As he walked away, she leaned in for another drink.

  The evening was coming to an end and more people worked their way out of the bar. Soon only a handful of patrons sat scattered among the tables with the two gentlemen still standing and chatting across the bar, sipping their drinks. The effects of the alcohol, though minor, were starting to set in. Karramis was warm and exceptionally calm
with the fuzzy feeling in her stomach making her a bit tingly inside. Her body was limp and relaxed, but her mind was active and overpowering. The sensation of being both peaceful and tense at the same time was unnerving.

  She called out, waving at the young man. “Hey!”

  Laughing, he could tell by her laidback disposition she might be a tad bit drunk. He reached the counter across from her, but despite her behavior she was completely composed and eloquent.

  In a steady voice, she acknowledged, “I can’t very well go on calling you ‘Hey’ the rest of the night, so what’s your name?”

  The smile on his face—or maybe it was the alcohol—made her stomach tingle and warmth flood her body.

  “Will. What’s yours?”

  She sat up straight and confidently declared, “Karramis.”

  “What a beautifully unique name.”

  Karramis blushed, shifting her eyes to her glass. Will mirrored her actions and his face became flushed as he refused to take his eyes off her. He waited for her to say something but walked away after she remained silent.

  Lifting her head, she replied bashfully, “Thanks.”

  Her delayed reply was not how she wanted to end the conversation but trying to find the right topic to discuss was proving more difficult than not.

  Realizing the night was ending, Karramis dreaded returning to Kiluemar. She did not want to go back and deal with the constant drama surrounding her and the stupid prophecy. Why could she not live her own life and in her own way? Why did every aspect of her life have to be dictated and monitored? She did not want to be different from her siblings. She did not want to be special. If she had the opportunity to remove her magic and just live a normal life, she would do it. All she wanted was to be happy, and unfortunately, life under the microscope in Kiluemar was proving to be the constant source of her grief. She also did not want to leave Will just yet—she wanted to know more about him.

  Karramis was the only one left when the last customer walked out of the bar. She was so caught up in trying to avoid going back, she did not notice the place had emptied. Will had not returned from the back room in quite some time and the other bartender was cleaning up the tables over in the opposite side of the room. She was afraid she might not see Will again before she was asked to leave.

  Concentrating on the full glass of water in front of her, she waited. The other bartender had given her the drink to help with the dizziness, but the ice melted, and it was now warm. Karramis grabbed hold of the straw and stirred the lemon slice floating on top of the water. The lemon sank lower to the bottom of the glass as she stirred faster before stopping and removing the straw. Hypnotized by the movement as it circled around, she focused on the lemon as it slowed. She took in a deep breath, imagining the water moving around—engulfing the slice and driving it further toward the base of the glass. Her mind was controlling the water. The glass rattled and the water moved faster in slow circles, pushing the lemon against the sides.

  A loud bang broke Karramis’s concentration, and she reached out, catching the glass before it fell over. Searching around for the source of the noise behind her, she spotted the other bartender lifting the chairs and placing them upside down on the tables. Breathing a sigh of relief, she turned back around.

  Will stood a few feet away, wide-eyed and not moving. The disbelief displayed across his face generated a trembling fear inside of Karramis. The veins pumped rapidly in her neck and swallowing became difficult. He saw her use her magic.

  She needed to get out of there.

  With no possessions to worry about, she flung herself out of her seat and ran for the door.

  “Hey, wait!” Will called out.

  Bursting through the door, she panicked as she reached the sidewalk. She needed to get out of here, out of London. Karramis needed to find a good place to open the portal and get back home, so she ran. Reaching the end of the building, she bolted down a dark, deserted street. Stopping, she waited and listened. No one was around.

  Karramis raised her arms and stretched out her fingers, focusing on the empty space in front of her. The air around her spun, swirling a light blue and white misty substance a few feet from her open hands. The haze grew as her arms stretched outwards—the portal was almost big enough for her to walk through.

  “What the—” a voice said behind her.

  The portal disappeared as Karramis hurtled herself around to face the unexpected voice. She recognized the accent right away. It was Will. But before she could stop herself, her defensive instincts kicked in and she extended a hand, tossing Will backwards through the air. With a hard thud, he crashed to the ground.

  Karramis placed her hands over her mouth and her voice was muffled as she shouted, “Oh my gosh! Will!” Running over, she leaned over him and placed a hand against his chest. “Will, are you okay? Can you hear me?”

  With his eyes closed, Will reached up and placed his hand on top of hers and whispered, “Yeah, I think . . .”

  An unusual thrill coursed through his body. Touching her left him mesmerized and he opened his eyes, peering up at her. Despite her average appearance, she was breathtaking to him. Her soft touch made him warm, sending electrifying currents throughout every nerve. He was even more spellbound by the girl than before. What was making him so captivated by this seemingly regular, but unique and enchanting young girl?

  Sliding his hand away from hers, he used it to push himself up off the ground. He outstretched his other arm and placed his hand on the back of his head.

  Rubbing the throbbing ache, he continued, “I—I think so.”

  He pushed himself onto his feet and his legs wobbled beneath him. Karramis grabbed hold of his arm and Will welcomed the help, leaning his body into her.

  “Let’s get you inside,” she said, wrapping her arm around his waist.

  The moment they touched for the first time, Karramis was positive there was something more to this young man. He was someone she wanted in her life. But she feared the worst from him. He saw her use magic––twice now. What would he say? What would he do? But, regardless of her fears, she had to make sure he was all right.

  They reached one of the side doors of the bar and stepped back inside.

  Will dropped onto a nearby chair. “What the hell was that thing?”

  Karramis was hoping the blow to the head might have triggered memory loss. Unfortunately, his question confirmed her suspicion—he definitely saw her use magic again.

  Trying to think of another quick-witted response, she frowned at the lack of her creativity. “Uhm, w-what thing?”

  Will leaned over and rested his elbows on top of his knees, rubbing the back of his head. Leaning back against the chair, he stared keenly at her.

  Karramis shifted from one foot to another, unable to hold still. She was not afraid of him—just cautious. What was she going to do? He saw her. She needed to figure out a way to get out of there. She did not want to stick around trying to explain herself. But beyond the annoyance on Will’s face were his eyes. They did not show her any sign of frustration, anger, or, to her surprise, even fear. He did not seem shocked by what he witnessed moments ago.

  Standing over him, she observed his magnificently bright blue eyes. They were even clearer now, and staring became difficult to avoid. Lost in his gaze, Karramis noticed a hint of brown in the corner of one eye as he stared back at her. Motivated to tell him the truth, she trusted him, but she did not know why.

  Calmly and cautiously, she asked, “Well, what did you think it was?”

  “I have no idea, but I know I saw it. You were standing right there. Didn’t you see it?”

  Ignoring the question, Karramis was unsure how to answer.

  Standing up, Will faced her. “Wait. It was you! You were the one who made that—that thing appear, huh?” He interrupted her answer. “Don’t lie to me. I saw you do something weird at the counter, too.”

  “Listen,” she started, “I don’t know
you, so telling you exactly what you saw isn’t at the top of my to-do list right now.”

  Will’s mouth twitched, but before he could say anything, Karramis placed a hand in between the two of them—signaling for him to stay quiet.

  “Now, that being said, I also have this deep, gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach telling me I can trust you. I don’t know . . .”

  She sensed it again. Magic. Her intuition about it being here was right. Her powers to sense magic may not be one of her stronger abilities, but her instincts could not have been too far off, and she was right. Blinded by her attraction for him, she ignored the fact it was coming from Will. He was the one she was sensing. Maybe this was why he did not seem surprised by what he witnessed.

  Turning her eyes away, she lowered her head. The fallen expression on her face and sudden pause rendered Will confused. Was she scared? He wanted to reassure her he could be trusted, and her gut feeling about him, though unexplainable, was reciprocated and justifiable. But he also wanted to know the truth about her, what he saw, and why he was so drawn to her. Was it fate? Maybe it was divine intervention. Or was something else involved?

  He took hold of her hand. “Karramis?”

  His touch and his voice saying her name sent a rush of euphoria surging through her body, racing through her torso and shooting down her limbs. She lifted her head and leaned forward, shifting her body closer to him.

  Gazing down into her eyes, he said softly, “You can trust me. I promise. But I need to know something . . . can I trust you to tell me the truth?”

  She nodded her head, staring into his eyes. “Yes.”

  “Okay. Let me finish up here and we can head out and talk. Is that okay?”

  “Yes.”