“Hello,” Bella greeted, sounding overly cheery considering the situation. “I brought you lunch.”
Darcie removed herself from the window and watched the girl place the tray on the only table in the room. It was overflowing with food as were all of the other meal trays brought to her.
Having no desire to grow weak from starvation, Darcie always ate as much as she could, but she barely put a dent in the massive amount of food.
“There is always way too much food,” she said aloud. “I don’t need that much.”
Bella giggled. “Our chef can get carried away sometimes. He is not used to having someone request actual meals. I think he enjoys practicing his rusty skills.”
Darcie folded her arms and leaned back against the window. “Do you guys not eat?”
She was surprised when Bella shook her head. “No. We do not require food for sustenance.”
“Then why have a chef?”
Bella shrugged. “We do not need food, but we can still appreciate a tasty treat. Sometimes, when I am feeling sad, I enjoy requesting food I ate in my human life. It reminds me of pleasant times.” Darcie made the mental note that even Bella, an immortal, could feel sad.
What makes them so different from everyone else?
Is it really just the fact they cannot die?
“What kind of food do you like?” Darcie asked, seeking to maintain the conversation. Her interaction with others was limited–to say the least.
“Oh, pretty much any baked goods.” Bella sat down on the edge of the large bed and looked up in thought. “Let’s see… muffins. I absolutely adore muffins. And cakes. Croissants are probably my favorite, though.”
Disbelieving, Darcie let her eyes trail up and down Bella’s thin frame. She raised an eyebrow. “That’s a lot of carbs.”
Bella laughed. “Like I said, we do not use food for sustenance. My figure will stay the same as it was when I bonded with Thane.”
“Must be nice.” Darcie grinned for the first time in days. Most women would kill for an all-you-can-eat pass.
“Yes, I enjoy pretty much anything you can bake. My father was the baker in our town.”
“Really?”
“Mhmm. He made the best treats. I remember the taste of the cupcakes in the shop. He would always make an extra one for me,” Bella’s eyes grew distant with the memory. “I still miss him.”
“How long ago was this?” she couldn’t resist asking.
Bella sat straighter. “I was born in a small town outside of Paris in 1424.”
Darcie’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Bella nodded. “I met Thane when I was sixteen.”
“You are sixteen years old?”
That is way too young to be married.
“Technically, I am almost six-hundred-years-old,” she said, amused with Darcie’s reaction.
She was speechless; Bella looked so young.
The truth of her age was hard to wrap her head around, as was everything else she learned since coming to the brother’s home.
Darcie’s back slid down the window. She landed on her butt and continued to stare at the immortal girl in front of her. “It’s hard to believe all of this is real.”
“I know,” Bella’s voice was laced with sympathy. “I remember how I first reacted.”
“What happened?” Darcie felt desperate to hear the girl’s story–to feel like she wasn’t alone.
Bella sighed. For one brief moment, she looked older than her small frame led others to believe. “I was sixteen,” she started. “And my family lived far enough away from Paris to have a quiet life, but close enough to enjoy all the excitement the big city had to offer.”
Bella’s expression grew wistful. “I was the epitome of a wild adolescent. I loved traveling to the city with friends and taking in the sights without a chaperone. I cannot imagine how much stress I must have caused my poor parents.”
Sounds like Marie, Darcie couldn’t help but think.
“I was in my town marketplace one day,” she continued. Her lips formed a small smile, “when I ran into Thane.”
Bella laughed. “Literally, I ran into him. My younger brother stole my reticule, and I was busy chasing him to retrieve it. I was not watching my path, and before I knew what happened, I collided with Thane.”
Darcie pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them. She found herself enthralled with the story. “What happened?”
“I immediately moved to apologize. I hadn’t seen his face yet, but I could see his clothing. The items were immaculate. I thought I might have collided with a member of the nobility.”
“Being a commoner, it was always a risk to potentially offend a noble,” Bella explained, then continued, “I stepped back, my fervent apology forming on my lips. Then… I saw his face.”
“He was,” Bella paused, taking a deep breath. “The most magnificent man I had ever seen. My eyes locked onto his, and he returned my gaze. We must have stood there for minutes, not saying a single word as we observed one another.”
Darcie thought of any instance she saw Thane in the same room as Bella. The immortal man rarely took his eyes off her. She could easily picture the man’s awed expression the first time he saw his future wife.
“I didn’t know anything about him,” Bella said. “But looking back, I know I was already in love with him.”
“Did he at least talk to you first?” Darcie asked with skepticism. She didn’t believe in love at first sight.
“Eventually, yes. Thane was actually the first one to speak. He introduced himself, and we engaged in a pleasant conversation that afternoon.”
“And then you married him?”
The petite woman shook her head. “Not quite. There was a small complication.”
Darcie’s interest peaked. “Complication?”
“I was betrothed to another man,” Bella said. “His father was a friend of my parents. They pushed for the match until I finally agreed.”
“You were engaged.” Darcie clarified the older phrase. She thought of all the movies she’d seen with arranged marriages. “Was he awful?”
“Actually, no. Jacque was handsome enough and incredibly kind. While I resented my parents pushing me so hard to choose him, Jacque would have made a decent husband.”
“So… what happened?”
“The day after meeting Thane,” Bella continued. “He showed up at my father’s bakery.”
“I mentioned I sometimes worked there to help my parents,” she provided, her lips turning back into a wide grin.
“And then you married him?” Darcie repeated her question with a laugh. Bella joined in.
“Thane visited the bakery every day for one week, and I made sure I was there,” Bella’s eyes sparkled. “Eventually, my father noticed the well-dressed stranger and began engaging him in conversation. I can honestly say Thane stunned my father when he stated his intention to marry me.”
“Did you even know?” Darcie questioned, fully invested in the love story at that point.
“I hadn’t a clue!” Bella shook her head at the memory. “I was carrying a pan of muffins when I heard Thane tell my father. Needless to say, I dropped the pan.”
Darcie’s imagination painted the romantic scene in her head. “What did your father say?”
“He contained himself at first; he didn’t want to offend Thane,” she supplied. “The moment Thane left, though, my father lost it. He accused me of being a harlot. How could I entertain the attentions of another man when I was betrothed?” Bella took a deeper tone as she mimicked her father’s voice, “How could you do this to Jacque and his family? Do you know how this will make us look?”
The reaction stunned Darcie. She couldn’t imagine her own father acting that way.
Then again, her father was born in the twentieth century.
“I tried to tell him I did no such thing. I had only known Thane for a week, and he never mentioned an intention to marry me. Though,” Bella laughed, “I secretly hoped
he would.”
“Obviously it worked out,” Darcie said. “You are together now.”
Bella nodded. “Thane returned the following day with a ring. In front of my family, he asked for my hand in marriage.”
“I knew I would upset my father,” Bella admitted. “But I also knew how I felt about Thane. Our connection was amazing. He was courteous, well-mannered, and so incredibly handsome. I couldn’t risk losing the chance to be with someone like him.”
Bella looked at her hand and her ring as it glinted in the room’s light. “We married a week later. My family attended the ceremony, and Thane provided my family a handsome sum for taking away their eldest daughter.”
Darcie frowned at the last part of the story. Bella made it sound as if she was purchased.
Stop judging, she told herself, it was a different time.
“Did you already know about Thane?” Darcie wondered how another girl handled learning such fantastical information.
“No,” Bella admitted. “We were married before he told me.”
“So you really didn’t have a choice?” she frowned, not liking that idea at all.
“I did,” Bella countered. “The wedding ceremony is not what initiates the change to immortality. Thane told me everything and gave me the option of whether or not I wanted to go through with it.”
“At first, I couldn’t believe it. My family raised me in the Catholic Church. I only believed in one higher power. I thought Thane, Des, and Lome might be demons.” Bella laughed, finding her old thoughts funny.
They seemed perfectly logical to Darcie.
“What made you change your mind?”
“I lived with the brothers for about a month as Thane’s mortal wife,” she said. “I saw their true characters. They are fiercely loyal to one another and those around them. Other immortals respected them and showed great admiration for the brothers.”
“And Thane doted on me,” she added. “My love for him continued to grow until I couldn’t imagine not spending the rest of time with him. It was an easy decision after that.”
In terms of what could influence someone to make such a drastic choice, Darcie supposed love was one of the few things that would have that kind of power.
“I know Des hasn’t found his one,” Darcie stated. It earned her a disapproving look from Bella.
She continued before the girl could make a comment, “But what about Lome?” Darcie vaguely recalled the brothers saying Des was the last one.
“Yes, Lome is bonded with Eshe.”
“And they are also head over heels in love?” Darcie asked, remembering Lome acknowledge the admiring looks in the coffee shop less than a week ago.
Bella hesitated and briefly averted her eyes. “Lome and Eshe have an understanding. They show respect to one another… but they are not in love.”
The information surprised Darcie more than she thought it would. “Why not?”
“To be honest, I do not know the full story,” Bella revealed. “Eshe was the first One found. She has lived with the brothers for one thousand years longer than me. I do not know the history behind their relationship. It is not discussed.”
Interesting...
What would have motivated any girl to agree to the situation if she wasn’t in love?
The perk of living forever might have been enough incentive. If that were true, Darcie felt sorry for Lome.
“Wait,” Darcie replayed Bella’s words. “Over one thousand years?”
“Yes. Lome and Eshe met outside of Alexandria in the 400s, I believe.”
“Wow.” Ancient Egypt? Her dad would have a blast speaking with them.
Thinking of her dad brought Darcie’s mood back down. The stories these immortals could tell would, no doubt, be insightful and entertaining.
However, that didn’t change the fact Darcie was forced to stay away from her loved ones for, seemingly, no purpose.
Des did not claim the connection that Bella described with Thane. Even though Darcie found Des incredibly attractive, she did not feel the all-encompassing rapture Bella described either.
Bella noticed the girl’s dimming expression. “What is wrong?”
She did not hold back. “This,” Darcie started as she gestured around the room. “Being kept inside a room and not allowed to leave or talk to my family and friends. I feel like a prisoner.”
“You are not a prisoner,” Bella’s eyes beseeched her to believe the words. “The brothers are asking you to stay in the room for your protection.”
She pointed towards the entrance. “That guard at the door says no one is asking me to stay. I have no choice.”
Bella frowned. “I will speak with Thane. Perhaps he will allow you freedom to move around the house. It might make your time here more enjoyable.” The immortal girl’s expression looked hopeful.
Darcie thought about telling Bella not to bother. She wanted to go home, not get a pass to explore the massive house, but stopped herself just short of saying the words.
She already acknowledged her ticket back home would come from the brothers. She should consider getting out of the room a small step in the right direction.
“I’d appreciate that,” Darcie said. “Thank you.”
“Of course,” Bella’s eyes softened with relief. “We all want you to be happy.”
But not if that means going against your plans.
Darcie held back the negative words.
Instead, she returned the young woman’s smile. She would bide her time until she could find a way out of the senseless situation and back to her normal life.
And to think, she once complained about being bored.
12
True to her word, Bella spoke with Thane. The following day, he paid Darcie a visit in her comfortable prison. She was busy browsing through the shelves of books for the third time when a loud knock alerted her to his arrival.
“Darcie,” Thane stuck his head in the doorway. “May I enter?”
“Sure.” Putting the thick novel back on the shelf, she turned to face the large man as he approached.
Thane looked at the table surrounded by chairs. “Shall we sit?”
Darcie walked over to one of the rigid wooden chairs. Thane followed suit, looking way too big for the small seat. She worried it might not hold his weight.
“How are you doing?”
“Fine.” She saw no point in being truthful. Her complaints hadn’t gotten her anywhere with the leader of the brothers so far.
“Happy to hear it.” Thane leaned back, and the chair creaked in protest. “Bella told me about your conversation yesterday.”
“Oh?”
Did he not hear the wood cracking?
“And she said you might be interested in getting out of the room. Would you like to take a walk with me?”
“Yes!” Darcie nearly jumped out of her seat, completely forgetting about the suffering chair.
Thane chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Alright. Shall we?”
The girl followed Thane as he led her through the large residence. She halfheartedly listened as he described random facts about different rooms or artifacts. Darcie was too busy enjoying the change of scenery to listen to her tour guide.
Ten minutes into their walk, she realized they had not run into a single person. “Does anyone else live here?”
“Yes. We allow quite a few immortals to keep residence in the house with us.”
“But no humans?” she asked, suspecting she already knew the answer.
“No. The only mortals ever allowed in the fortress are our soulmates.”
Fortress?
“You make it sound like you guys are at war or something.”
“Well, in some sense we are.” Thane stopped walking and faced Darcie. She quickly halted to avoid a collision.
“I know Bella shared some of our past with you, but did she tell you about the Original Nine?”
Her brows furrowed at the unfamiliar words. “No.”
Thane
nodded. Holding his hands behind his back, he continued walking. Darcie followed.
This time, their pace was much slower.
“The Original Nine,” Thane began, “is how we refer to the nine original immortals. We were all created around the same time, and we are the strongest of our kind.”
“Lome, Des, and I have the most power as each of us are connected in our sources. Eros, Julisanna, and Adir are next. They are followed by Faine, Charmian… and Evetta.”
Darcie recognized the name of the woman who attacked her. “Evetta was an immortal?”
“Not just any immortal,” Thane’s face grew serious. “She was one of the nine.”
“Does that mean something?”
“It means a great deal. Lome and I view it as confirmation that some of the Original Nine are seeking to overpower us.”
“Why would you two think that?”
Thane gave her a sideways glance. “Because attacking a One is practically the only way our power can be influenced negatively.”
Darcie contemplated his words. She remembered Evetta saying she did not believe her to be “the one”. The woman’s actions seemed more personal than a power play.
“What does Des think?” Darcie realized he was not mentioned with the other brothers’ opinion.
“That Evetta felt too much of her source–jealousy.”
Almost as an afterthought, Thane added, “Evetta has always admired Des.”
“Well, she can have him,” Darcie muttered. “No need to try and kill me in the process.” She refused to acknowledge the subtle flutter of her own jealousy.
“Like I said,” Thane continued, but not without a small grin, “I believe her motive was not so shortsighted. Despite her feelings for Des, she knew attacking someone Lome and I acknowledge as a One would be unwise. Evetta might have volunteered to be the immortal to harm you, but it is unlikely she made the decision on her own.”
Darcie shook her head and her long bangs fell into her face. She pushed them out of the way. “I don’t understand any of this.”
“I know,” Thane placed a large hand on her shoulder. She turned to face him. “You have been thrown into a precarious situation.”
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