“She just said that Jesse is alive but he’s dropped off her radar and I need to go to Constantinople to find a woman who will help us fix the world. She couldn’t tell me much because she said it would change my quest.”
“So the prophecy?”
“I don’t know. I don’t really know anything. Maybe it’s still going. Maybe it’s ended and there’s another one. I don’t know. I keep telling you that I don’t know anything, and you keep pushing me for answers I don’t have when all I need from you is support!” I throw my hands up, my shoulders trembling as my eyes begin to water.
Riley makes a shushing noise and pulls me into my arms. His hand running up and down my spine which only succeeds in making me feel giddy.
“I’m sorry for being such a jerk, Cris. I’ll stop pestering you okay. Just don’t leave me out of the loop.”
Nodding I wipe my eyes. “I promise I won’t Riley.”
“Good, now let’s get your things and grab some grub as Jamie suggested.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The sky is diluted scarlet.
It is an oddity, a noticeable wound in the fabric of our world.
In specific areas, like Solange’s island, it stands out like a blooming flower in a dying garden.
My body trembles and I pull a blue and grey knit blanket close like a cape. The hard-wool scratches at my skin. We have just had dinner in Solange’s outside gazebo, which is where I'd nicked the blanket from. I lean back into Riley’s chest, his knees propped up beside me. Tilting my chin, I gaze into the night. The stars blink in and out above us and with their glitter against the injured horizon, I feel as if I am on another planet.
I can feel the slow rise and fall of Riley’s breathing behind me. The lagoon seems to mimic it as his hands grip my waist. I grab hold of his fingers. His nails are short and chipped reminding me of my own when I used to chew at them impetuously. Circling my thumb over his I smile.
Tonight, has been uncharacteristically uneventful with a buffet dinner prepared by Solange’s staff - a mixture of foreign and familiar delicacies, my favourite being a yellow jelly-like substance that tasted like berries and chocolate.
Afterwards, Riley and I went for a stroll along the lagoon. I’d left my shoes behind but with the strange un-tropical coolness in the air, I really wish I hadn’t.
A water droplet that could be mistaken for a shard of flying glass stings my shoulder. I narrow my eyes towards the waterfall.
It is far from our reach, but every now and then we get hit with rogue splatter.
I drop Riley’s fingers and grab hold of my toes, rubbing desperately at the pads of my feet with my equally frosty hands. Solange has been kind enough to approach both Auristella and me during dinner and offer us a room to share for the night. Auri has declined but I am game for the offer. A hot bath and a stable bed sounds like paradise right now. Turning with bent knees I kiss Riley. His lips curving beneath mine.
“I think it’s time I went to bed,” I murmur against his lips.
“So soon?” He asks, glum, as I pull away.
“As romantic as this is...I’m about to turn into a popsicle.”
His expression is shadowed by the night. He pulls his arms back into a stretch with a muffled reply. “How about I meet you there? I have a present for you.”
I sit back on my calves. “You got me something?”
Crossing his arms, he replies, “I know it’s your birthday tomorrow.” His voice is stern, accusatory even...
Had I mentioned when my birthday was to him? I’d only realized earlier in the day and only because I’d seen an interesting clock in Solange’s home displaying the moon, the month and the day. Most of the time I don’t know what day of the week it is, let alone the time!
“You do? How?”
“You told me.”
“Okay...” I must have then. That just shows Riley is more on par than I am.
“Give me twenty minutes,” I reply standing and wiping granules of sand from my knees.
He agrees and I leave quickly before he can change his mind. I tiptoe into the gazebo so as not to alert Jamie and Jerome who are throwing knives into a wall, only the knives keep bouncing away from it. I’m not sure if it’s some sort of game from their world or if they’re just drunk and Solange has walls that dispel damage.
I drop off the blanket before grabbing my shoes and retreating in the direction Solange has instructed me on how to reach the tower, as she calls it.
I know why as soon as I reach the building with its crumbling plaster. It looks as if it must have been a lighthouse in its previous life and it is definitely the spire I have seen from the shore.
As I step inside, I can’t help thinking that it would be a great place for Auri if she decides to stay. The walls are unpainted cement, the floor covered in black pebbles. A large circular sisal rug lies in the centre of the room and on top of it is a massive four-poster bed, but not in the traditional sense. There are no swirling white princess inspired linens, only four spiralled posts that end close to the roof. Its chunky Clementine duvet looks more comfortable than I could ever have imagined and I flop down into it, chucking my boots down beside it on the floor.
I pull a cheerful knitted throw from under my knees and embrace it as warmth returns to my body. If Riley allows me my twenty minutes, I asked for I'll have just enough time for that bath.
Kicking my feet up I flip over and rush into the bathroom filling the off-white porcelain claw foot tub with a variety of essential oils that line the matching vanity.
I feel like I am in a meadow from the overwhelming smell of flowers and the soothing warmth of the water against my skin and I quickly lose track of time. When I realize, I quickly wrap one of the puffy terracotta towels around my body and begin to untangle my hair with my fingers.
His knock comes too soon and without thinking I pull the door open. Steam rushing past me, my meadow and its smell quickly evaporating, but not before assaulting Riley who steps back and coughs waving the mist from his face. His Adam's apple bouncing as he stuffs his hand that doesn’t hold my present into the pocket of his pants.
“What?” I ask taken aback. I follow the train of his eyes.
He looks down. “You’re...” He coughs, “Can I come in?”
“Yeah.” I step aside allowing him to pass me. Why is he being so weird?
Picking at my towel I clear my throat.
“We’ve shared a room. I’ve seen you in your underwear and you’ve seen me in a towel before.” I peek up at him but he won’t meet my eyes, instead, he paces back and forth across the room and then back spying the bed and sagging into it.
“Have you forgotten? Mr quit hogging the shower...” I tease edging closer.
He swallows, his reply slows as if he isn’t really thinking about what he is saying. “No... It’s just...”
I lean my weight onto my right foot and cross my arms. “If I remember correctly you practically shoved past me more than once to get in the shower.”
Rolling his eyes, he replies, “well you were hogging all the hot water!”
“The best thing I ever did for you guys was having that geyser installed.”
Smiling I move so that my legs are between his. He leans back on the bed so that his body is supported by his elbows. Tiny beads of perspiration begin to appear and cling to his hairline.
I sigh. “Seriously, what’s the problem?”
He sits up, rubbing his temples. “You’re my girlfriend now Cris... I see you differently.”
“Oh...”
Was I meant to be offended that he never saw me the way he saw me now, or should I take it as a compliment? I flush, suddenly acutely aware that I all I have on is a towel as a breeze blows across my calves from the crack between the door and floor.
I look down. My chest is pushed up from the towel, water droplets clinging to it and my shoulders. The towel itself is frumpy, but it doesn’t leave much to the imagination. I cross my feet, pushing my thighs toget
her, looking up aghast.
“God this is awkward! Riley, I’m so sorry!” I pull the towel up attempting to shimmy it over my chest without it falling off. I start to back away. He stands, grabbing hold of my elbows with a look of intensity I have never seen him wear before.
“I’m the one who’s sorry. I should never have said anything. I should have just grabbed you and kissed you as soon as I saw you standing there looking so beautiful.”
I gape at him unsure of how to even begin to reply. Riley has referred to me as his girlfriend... He called me beautiful! “I... Ah...”
“And it has nothing to do with you being half naked.”
I blink. What? “I am not half naked!”
He makes a show of peering down, a sly smile accentuating his lips. “You are practically...”
I swallow.
Is this actually happening? This night could go one of two ways and it all depends on what move I make next. I can retreat back into the bathroom, put some clothes on... Or I could kiss him? I know what I want, what I’ve always wanted. I love Riley...
Grabbing his jaw in my hands I pull his head forward and kiss him tenderly. The kiss deepens into something hungry, something that has us both understanding my consent to go further. I loosen the towel, letting it drop to the floor as we move back until I am tripping over his feet and landing on top of him on the bed.
It's an evening, a moment that I hadn’t realized I'd been anticipating. I might actually have been secretly dreading it in the back of mind bearing in mind all the rumours I’ve heard and the sensationalism of the act itself, but when the sun glints across my lids the next morning I wake up smiling and with no regrets.
I am curled up in Riley’s arms. The soft awareness of his skin against mine has my stomach spinning. I know it sounds cliché but I feel different. I am ready to start my day, maybe even with a song like a protagonist in a Disney musical.
I roll onto my back. The ceiling is high with raw timber beams running from one side to the other. I feel his body shift beside mine. Turning to face him his lips form a dopey smile, his eyes half open. I tug my fingers through the messy long curls of his hair.
“Happy birthday,” he whispers closing his eyes.
I grin dropping my hands and turning so that I am resting on my elbows. My own hair falls in tangles around my face since it had been damp when I fell asleep.
“I don’t normally like my birthday, but I think that’s going to change today.”
“Why don’t you like it?”
“It’s always been an excuse for everyone else to party. Last year, I convinced my parents to let me have a get-together.” I pause with a slight smile at the memory. “Let’s just say it got rowdy and my parents didn’t have as good a time as anyone else.”
“And while that was happening what were you doing?”
“Running up and down trying to stop everyone from causing mayhem.” I laugh dipping my head down into the pillow. “There were a group of guys emptying dishwashing liquid into my pool...”
His voice is light and entertaining as he replies, “You have horrible friends.”
He runs his hand down my back and I shiver from the sensation, moving closer to him. “And how is this year working out for you so far?”
I press my nose to his whispering, “I’m happy.”
He moves back, rolling onto his side and sitting up.
“Where are you going?” I ask straightening in alarm.
He smirks over his shoulder. “Before you attacked me last night, I was planning on giving you your present... Now I just need to find it.”
As he stands the orange duvet that has been covering him falls down. My eyes fall to the skin of my bare arm and I blush. Feeling silly for my reaction I peek up through my lashes and watch as he grabs his beige chinos from a lump on the floor, shaking them out before pulling them over his legs and up. He kneels down, the muscles in his shoulders shifting with the movement of his arms and then he stands. He has a parcel covered in a patchwork of brown paper, string and tape.
“Do you always go commando?” I can’t help asking as he seats himself next to me.
“Only when my mad girlfriend rips my clothes off and I can’t find them the next morning.”
I roll my eyes dramatically. “Don’t lie.”
“Hey! I could say the same for you.” He lifts the sheets peeking under.
I smack his arm pulling the bedding back around me. “I hope you didn’t go out of your way for me...” I say, eyeing the parcel.
He crawls so that I am forced to lie back as his body hovers above my own. My stomach twists pleasantly at the memory of his body close to mine. “I’ll always go out of my way for you.”
I pucker my lips so that he will get the hint that I want him to kiss me. The kiss feels better than before as if he now realizes I won’t break if he puts everything, he feels into it. He rolls back over and places the package into my hands.
“What would you be doing if you were home right now?”
I press the gift to my nose. Its smell is a vintage post office. Running my fingers over the tan paper I think over his question. “Having breakfast with my family. Jez would be texting me constantly about how I’m finally legal.”
“Legal?”
“To drink and drive. I mean to drink, and, drive. Not at the same time. Separately, since that’s illegal.”
Riley laughs. “Can you drive?”
“Sort of. I was taking lessons. Well I mean my mom was teaching me. The last time I drove was before the bombs... I was trying to get me and Jez to safety.”
Picking at the paper I suddenly feel morose. I place the gift beside my legs, pushing myself up I pull the bed throw around my body and stand. “I’m just going to change...” I mumble stepping into the bathroom and closing the door.
I drop to the ground so that my back leans against the slatted wood of the door. My shoulders quiver.
I miss home. I miss Jez and I miss my family. Sometimes I even miss my sister’s hamster that used to bite me whenever I got too close to his cage.
The door rumbles with Riley’s knock. “Cris.”
“Yeah?” I ask standing and balling up the throw. I throw it into the tub and begin to separate my clothing.
“Don’t think about that stuff. It’s your birthday, you should be happy.”
I remain silent while I finish dressing. The bathroom still has a hint of the sweet fragrance that had consumed it the night before. Opening the door, I step out. Riley has his back against the wall alongside one of his feet. His gaze is directed to the ceiling.
My sniffling has his attention turning to me.
“I’m not unhappy. I’m far from it, but I miss home. I miss my family. This whole prophecy messed me up...”
He moves from the wall, his arms out to catch me. Squeezing tight I murmur into his chest. “I’m sorry.”
Pulling back, he coils his fingers around a lock of my hair, which has grown past my shoulders and loops it behind my ear. I return his look of concern with a sheepish expression.
“Don’t be. I’d also be homesick.” He cups my chin in between his palms. His hands are cold and I flinch slightly as he continues. “If it were up to me, I’d take you straight home, but the Captain is dead set on doing whatever Solange told him to do.”
“You mean about going to Constantinople? Or Istanbul, since Constantinople doesn’t exactly exist anymore.”
“Yeah, that...” He trails off and I look at him feeling as if I have missed something.
“Did I not tell you?”
“Nope.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean not to... I guess it slipped my mind.”
He shrugs. “No time like the present...”
“We need to track down a princess of some sort.”
His eyes turn down to the scruffy gift in his hands. He tosses it from one to the other, his shoulders rigid. “Is that all? Why?”
“As far as I know... Are you going to give that to me o
r just mangle it further?”
He stops his juggling and passes the gift over to me. My stomach clenches with the stirrings of anticipation. This is the first present I have received in ages and possibly the only one I will get today. I pick at the string, unravelling the knots.
When they prove stubborn, I tug at them with my teeth. The string rugged and bland against my tongue. Finally, I give in and just rip the paper and the string until a velveteen burgundy pouch drops softly onto the top of my thighs.
Using my thumb and forefinger I push the sides open and turn the pouch over. Two bracelets drop onto my palm. One is heavier than the other and cool to the touch. I lift the heavier one inspecting it with a smile that soon morphs into a grin. The style was Caribbean with glittering opals and vivacious tanzanite.
My heart feels like a balloon about to implode. “Wow.” I drape it over my fingers. “I don’t know what to say. Where did you get this?”
His eyes thin but the charm in his smile is back. “I picked it up.”
I attempt to lift one of my brows. “You stole it?”
Chuckling he pulls me close squeezing my shoulders. “Of course, you would think that. I thought it was beautiful and so I exchanged Euros for it.”
“But it must have cost so much!” I exclaim.
His gaze flits to the ceiling, clearly exasperated he replies, “Are you forgetting that I have access to a large amount of gold. Stop over thinking it. Here-” His fingers clasp my wrist as he clips the bracelet around it. “You deserve to own something that’s almost as beautiful as you. Now, what about the other one?”
“Oh!” I had almost forgotten about the second bracelet. It isn't as flashy as the other with three rows of plaited black suede and a silver chain. The workmanship flawed which makes it mean that much more than the other.
“Did you make this?”
His lips brush against my forehead. “While you weren’t looking.”
I tilt my jaw leaning forward for a kiss as the door swings open with a squeak. I jump back feeling as if my face is about to betray all of my actions and feelings.
“Ugh, do you two ever stop?” Jamie wails from the doorframe.
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