Enlightened

by Samantha Britt

  “This was never going to be easy.” Thane looked at Darcie, but continued speaking to his brothers, “It is going to take time to remedy the situation.”

  An overwhelming sense of hopelessness descended onto Darcie’s shoulders.

  Despite the objective words, she could see the resignation in Thane’s expression. He did not see a scenario where Darcie would be able to safely leave their home. The truth exposed itself right through the leader’s eyes.

  Unwillingly, moisture gathered behind her lashes.

  No matter what Des said or did–no matter how many times he would try to convince others she was not his destined mate–no immortal would believe him.

  Not even his brothers believed him.

  Darcie turned and looked at Des.

  The fundamental source of her imprisonment continued to exude anger, but behind his eyes, Darcie could see he came to the same realization.

  They were stuck.

  Darcie found herself entangled in a web of immortal history and destiny, and she could not see a way out.

  14

  Darcie returned to her room by her own choice. She had no desire to continue exploring after the mess she found herself in. The bright surroundings mocked her as she sulked on the immense bed centered in the room.

  The home was beautiful, all the historical artifacts were intriguing, but none of it was enough to distract Darcie for long.

  She was a prisoner.

  She may be serving her sentence in a luxurious home, but she was a prisoner nonetheless.

  An unwelcome prisoner to some, she couldn’t help but think as Des’ scowling face filled her mind.

  Just when the elegantly adorned walls started to close in, a hard knock sounded on the door. Darcie hesitated for one second before moving to open it.

  She stuck her head out and frowned. No one stood on the other side of the door. She glanced from side to side and stepped back inside the room when her eyes trailed to the floor. There was a small black box sitting in front of the door.

  With another glance down the hallway, Darcie bent and picked up the package.

  Curiosity beating caution, she shut the door and immediately opened the mysterious box.

  A wide smile formed on her lips when she laid eyes on the item inside.

  It was her cell phone!

  She quickly grabbed the phone and held it tightly in her hands. Darcie hadn’t thought of asking anyone for it. She assumed it was lost during the attack in the grocery store bathroom.

  She swiped the screen and checked for reception. She didn’t have any bars, but the symbol in the top corner said she was connected to some wireless network. Her fingers flew to an app which allowed internet calls. She pressed the first number in her favorite contacts list.

  Darcie sat on the edge of the bed and listened to the long rings as the app tried to connect to the number.

  “Please answer,” she whispered to herself.

  Click.

  “Hello?”

  Darcie’s smile continued to grow. “Marie?”

  “Darcie?” Marie’s voice rose in excitement. “Is that you?”

  She laughed. “Who else would it be?”

  “I thought you said you wouldn’t be able to call anyone,” she explained.

  Darcie frowned. She never said that to Marie.

  Suddenly, she remembered the brothers could manipulate people’s memories. Her frown deepened as she realized she had no idea what the immortals made her friends and dad believe.

  “Oh, yeah,” she tried her best to sound convincing. “I found an area with some internet. Turns out I’ll be able to check in.”

  “In Greece?”

  So, they were honest about my actual location.

  “Yes,” she replied, bracing herself for her friend’s interrogation.

  Disappointment came swift and sudden when Marie jumped into a conversation with no further questions. It wasn’t like her.

  The Marie she knew would have probed deeper before accepting the information Darcie shared. She always thought her best friend would make a successful detective.

  Darcie’s hands clenched, suspecting the brothers’ manipulation was responsible for the change in her friend’s personality.

  Marie continued talking and caught her best friend up on what happened since she left a couple of days ago. Not surprising, there wasn’t much to tell.

  “Sounds like the same ol’ Brunswick,” Darcie commented when her friend finally took a breath.

  “Yeah,” Marie agreed. “The only thing saving it is Kevin being home. It’s actually nice having him here.”

  Just the sound of her crush’s name sent a flutter across her heart. “That’s nice.”

  “You should give him a call,” Marie stated.

  Darcie floundered, completely taken aback. “Oh… yeah? Why?”

  “Because I think he would enjoy hearing from you.”

  Her eyes grew wide, and her heart continued to flutter in her chest. “Really?”

  Marie sighed causing a burst of static in the earpiece. “Look, I’m not going to say anything else. Just call him. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Darcie whispered.

  Her head spun with potential reasons behind Marie’s encouragement. Despite how hard she tried to convince herself it wasn’t the case, she could not help but hope it was something she secretly desired for years.

  “Good,” Marie replied, pleased. “I have to go meet Josh right now, but call me back later?”

  “You got it.”

  The friends hung up, and Darcie was back to being cooped up in the room.

  Now, though, she found herself wrapped up in analyzing the phone conversation and the fact it was able to happen in the first place. She didn’t know who returned her phone to her, but she was sure it came with certain expectations.

  For instance, Darcie was sure whoever gave her the gift of communication would insist she not relay the truth behind her absence or where she was staying.

  Darcie fell back on the bed, bouncing against the mattress before lying still and stared at the ceiling.

  How could she keep speaking with Marie without revealing what was really going on?

  Even if she intended to keep the truth hidden, she would slip up eventually.

  Then again, the brothers can take care of any breaches of information.

  She shut her eyes against the thought. Darcie hated the memory of the attack in the club parking lot, but she hated the fact the brothers stole it from her even more.

  It was unsettling to be living with people who could choose what someone knew or remembered. It made it impossible to completely trust them.

  She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, willing the sting of tears to disappear. It would not help to wallow in hopelessness. Darcie just needed to bide her time, play the game and, eventually, things would go back to normal.

  At least, that is what she told herself about one hundred times a day.

  An unfamiliar sound met her ears. Darcie sat up and looked at her phone, realizing the unusual ring was coming from the internet app she used to call Marie. Kevin’s name flashed on the screen.

  Darcie sucked in a breath. How did he know how to reach her?

  The realization came quickly–Marie.

  Darcie rolled her eyes as she imagined her friend immediately telling her brother of their conversation.

  Marie had just instructed her best friend to call Kevin. Couldn’t she give her ten minutes to follow through?

  Darcie played with the idea of ignoring the call. There was so much going on in her head at the moment, she didn’t know if she could make it through a conversation with her crush without coming off as an emotional lunatic. But if Marie told him of their conversation, he would expect her to be reachable.

  With a fortifying breath, Darcie answered his call. “Hello?”

  “Hey, stranger,” Kevin’s lighthearted voice met her ears, sending butterflies flying as usual. “I was worried you might no
t answer.”

  “Of course, I’d answer,” Darcie replied sheepishly. He didn’t need to know she almost didn’t.

  “I’m glad you did. How are you?”

  “Good, how about you? How’s your break going?” The questions fell out of her mouth.

  “Pretty good. You know, same old same old. Except…” Kevin trailed off. Darcie pressed her head into the earpiece and waited for him to continue.

  The phone remained silent.

  “Kevin?” She pulled the phone away from her ear. The screen showed the call was still connected. She brought it back to her. “You there?”

  She heard him clear his throat. “Yeah. I’m here.”

  “I think I lost you for a second. What were you saying?”

  His hesitation was audible. He released a heavy breath. “I was saying things are good. The break from school is nice. Except… I wish you were here.”

  Darcie’s stomach flipped. “You do?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh,” she struggled for words. “I wish I was too.” She wasn’t brave enough to ask what he meant.

  Lucky for her, Kevin offered the explanation willingly, “I was looking forward to spending time with you since I heard you were back in Maine. The break was supposed to be my chance to finally ask you on a date.”

  “A date?” Darcie couldn’t hide her shock. Was she dreaming?

  Kevin gave a nervous chuckle. “I know. Crazy right? Forget I mentioned it. It was worth a shot.”

  No! You’re blowing it, idiot.

  “Wait,” Darcie quickly said, trying to salvage the situation she hoped for all of her adolescent life. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just… surprised. I had no idea you liked me.”

  “Of course I like you.”

  Darcie blushed. “I meant I had no idea you liked me like that.”

  “I had no idea either,” Kevin revealed. “Until you and your dad left Brunswick.”

  Darcie’s heart pounded. Two years? Kevin had feelings for her for two years? She bit her lip. Maybe the pain would pull her out of the torturous dream.

  “Darcie?”

  Nope… This is real.

  “I’m here,” she breathed. Emboldened by his admission, Darcie finally told her crush the truth she never believed she would be able to say. “I… like you too, Kevin.”

  Whatever Kevin’s response was, Darcie did not hear it.

  Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, an unimaginable pain struck her in the chest. The sensation stole the breath from her lungs. She slipped from the bed, dropping the phone as she landed on her hands and knees.

  Darcie could hear Kevin talking, but she couldn’t make out the words. She struggled for breath, squeezing her eyes closed and willing the sharp pain away.

  Slowly, after regulated breathing, the feeling became more manageable. Darcie willed her senses to return to normal. She could still hear Kevin speaking in a normal tone; he had not noticed her preoccupation.

  “… glad we feel the same way. Now we just need you to come back so we can go on a real date.”

  “Yeah,” Darcie’s speech was winded. “That would be great. Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”

  “Perfect.” She could almost hear how big his smile was. “Well, I don’t want to keep you. You seem a little distracted.”

  Darcie never felt so thankful. “Sorry,” she apologized. “There’s just a lot going on.”

  If only I could tell you...

  “No worries. I’ll let you go. Will you call me again?”

  Despite her weakened state, she couldn’t resist replying, “You called me.”

  “That means it is your turn next time.”

  She smiled through the lingering pain. “You’re right. Yes, I will call you.”

  “Great!” Kevin’s excitement exposed itself with a single word. “Bye, Darcie.”

  “Bye, Kevin.” She held her breath until she heard the beep signaling the end of the call. She immediately fell onto her stomach and rolled onto her back, still trying to return her breathing to normal.

  It was odd. Although the intense pain decreased, there was still a lingering sting poking Darcie in the chest. She rubbed the spot and wondered what could have happened to cause the pain. She was too young for cardiac problems, and her blood work was perfectly normal the last time she visited the doctor.

  As she continued to contemplate what might have caused the unexplained feeling in her chest, Darcie heard a shuffle coming from the other side of her bedroom door. She sat up and waited for the person in the hallway to knock.

  No one did.

  Instead, Darcie heard footsteps moving away from the door. She did not notice at the time, but with each step the mysterious visitor took away from her door, the pain in her chest lessened one more degree until it completely vanished.

  15

  Light glinted off the stone as Darcie stood in front of a marble bust, examining the similarity with its subject. “This totally looks like Thane.”

  “Indeed.” Bella walked over and observed the depiction of her husband. “Of course, the real version is much more handsome.”

  With a playful eye roll, Darcie turned away and moved on to the next statue in the immortal family’s gallery. It was full of works of art from the centuries, many of them depicting the family, themselves.

  Over the past couple of days, she developed a routine. The morning would begin with Darcie talking with her dad, Marie… and Kevin.

  Most of the time, her conversations with Kevin were brief but sweet. The two teens would banter back and forth a bit, share some of what was going on in their lives, and reiterate to one another their eagerness to see each other again.

  Even if they spoke for only five minutes, Darcie considered the conversations with Kevin the highlights of her days. A part of her still could not believe her childhood crush returned her feelings. The existence of immortal beings was almost easier to handle.

  Almost.

  After the mornings passed, Bella never failed to show up to Darcie’s room with a tray full of lunch. The pair would eat together before Bella would ultimately convince the girl to see some aspect of the house–which was not an easy task.

  After intruding on a private meeting with the other immortals, Darcie was hesitant to continue her explorations alone. She could not shake the unease she felt when she was in the room full of nine immortals; it was almost like she could feel the power radiating off of them.

  A shiver ran through Darcie as she remembered Adir’s sneer after he laid eyes on her.

  No, she did not want to explore the house on her own ever again. At least, not without an immortal she could trust…

  The acknowledgement made Bella and her daily visits with Darcie a godsend. The young woman, no doubt, heard what happened in the parlor. If not from Eshe, then from Thane.

  Darcie believed Bella was doing her best to soothe any hurt or fear she experienced with the accidental intrusion. The kind immortal made it a point to always be available for Darcie’s explorations, even if the teenager put up a little bit of a fight at first.

  “Your likeness looks different than the others,” Darcie commented as she recognized the bust dedicated to Bella and her youthful face.

  “It was made more than a millennia later,” Bella explained. “By a different artist who used a different material.”

  Darcie nodded, once again reminded of the incredible truth behind her companion’s past.

  “You look freaky without eyes.”

  Bella laughed. “Did you know original Greek statues were made with eyes painted on them? They simply faded with the passage of time.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I had no idea.” You’d think she would have come across that information living abroad with her dad.

  “It’s true. Those who uncovered the statues originally believed them to be created with white, marble eyes. They thought it was the Greek style to have eyeless statues.”

  “Does every member of the fa
mily have a statue?” Darcie glanced around. She counted more than five.

  “Yes, all of ours are here. Most of the others are pieces done in the likeness of some of the lesser immortals. For a time, the brothers would commission the work as a gift for their loyalty.” Bella gestured to a back row as she spoke.

  Darcie’s eyes trailed down the long line of artwork and found herself in awe of the number of immortals represented in the gallery.

  Some images portrayed individuals in the prime of their life, depicting youthful expressions and features. Other works showed lines of age, making Darcie wonder if any of the immortals might appear older.

  Doubt it. She recalled the Original Nine and how each of them looked to be in their mid-twenties despite being the oldest of the immortals.

  Her fingers trailed across a cool, smooth surface as she walked down a row. Darcie could never have imagined immortals existed, let alone believe she would become entangled in their lives.

  What would it be like to live through the most pivotal moments in history? To see civilizations rise and fall? To witness the artistic and intellectual revolutions throughout human existence?

  Her imagination ran wild with the possibilities.

  As the days passed, it grew easier for Darcie to get lost in romantic thoughts about the fascinating lives her immortal companions led. It was almost her way of accepting the truth of their existence.

  After all, almost every human civilization believed in some sort of religion focused around one or more gods or goddesses. While Darcie did not think any religion correctly described the brothers and their six siblings, those with polytheistic beliefs were not far off.

  Though, from what she witnessed and overheard, the brothers and other immortals tended to remain distant from human groups. Their seclusion was very unlike the stories surrounding Greek and Roman deities.

  As she often did when allowing her mind to wander down that road of thought, Darcie wondered what the information meant for her and her monotheistic father. While the Abernathy family did not attend church every Sunday, Darcie was raised in the Christian belief system. It was puzzling to try to reason her belief with the reality being forced on her.