“You’re on the right path, don’t worry, but you need to be a bit more aggressive.”
Seeing the Earl’s confused expression, Selene licked her lips, adding, “By starting with her body, of course.”
Chapter 20
The slammed door of my workshop, and the quick steps that entered the room almost made me drop the clay doll I was working on. Looking up, over my protective glasses, I saw no one but the Director. With a bleak look on his face, he put both of his palms on my desk and said:
"Scarlett, I need a big favour from you."
"Sorry?" I reacted, puzzled.
"I need you to do something. Matteo is sick, and I have to leave urgently. You're the only one I can trust with this."
"Sure," I said, still confused, "what do you need me to do?"
"I want you to hold an interview."
"An interview? But I've never done anything like that before . . ."
"It's not difficult, I just want you to take a good look at the candidate and tell me if she seems to be an earnest person. I would not want to repeat the story with Silvia."
This would certainly not be very pleasant. I already knew she had no interest in this place, but such a reaction. And for what? Because a child dropped his ice cream in front of the gift shop, and she had to clean it.
"All right, I'll try. When is the interview?"
"Now."
"Now?"
"The candidate is waiting for you in the main hall." He handed me her CV and went out the door, leaving it open behind him.
I started to panic.
All right, Scarlett, you can do it. You've been to interviews before, you know how it goes; only now, you have to put yourself on the other side of the desk.
Indeed, in the main hall, a young woman was waiting for me, who seemed calm at first glance, that if she didn’t crack her fingers continuously.
“Hello. You must be Kisa? “
“Ah, yes. I’m Kisa Wood, it’s very nice to meet you.”
“Hello. My name is Scarlett Aubyn, and I will hold your interview today. Have you ever visited our museum before?”
“No, madam, I have not.”
“Then how about I give you a little tour while we talk? And please, call me Scarlett.”
Well, she seemed very polite and quite honest so far. Her resume said she was nineteen, but the dark circles under her eyes and the few strains of white hair, made her look much older. She appeared to be a serious-minded person, but appearances can be deceiving.
The discussion we had didn’t give me the impression that she would be lying about anything. She didn’t have much work experience, but considering her age, it was more than enough. According to her, she lived only with her brother, not having any other relatives. I didn’t insist on finding out more, but one thing was clear; she needed this job.
The rest of the day passed like a breeze, which matched my plans precisely. All I wanted was to get home and jump into Leah’s time.
“Midnight!” I called as soon as I entered the door.
Hearing her name, the little black furball raced toward me, almost rolling over in her haste.
“Did you bring my crunchy treats?” she looked at me with her big, green eyes glowing with excitement.
“Ah,” I slapped my forehead, “I completely forgot. Sorry, Midnight.” I bent to pick her up.
She stopped in the middle of the way, turned around, and pointing her tail as high as she could, walked in the opposite direction, mumbling.
“Sure. No problem. Maybe next time you’ll forget to feed me or change my litter.”
I froze for a few seconds. It was to be expected for her to get upset, but the attitude . . . that I was still getting used to. At times, I still found it hard to believe that this palm-sized kitten with the attitude of a queen, was the same person as sweet, friendly, and always helpful Laura. But those were thoughts for another time, now I only wanted to get to the other side.
Putting my stuff away and quickly fixing something to eat, I rushed to the bedroom and jumped in bed without bothering to take a shower. I might as well take one when I came back.
I closed my eyes and opened myself entirely to the energy flow. I could feel it surging in every corner of my body, throwing me away, back to . . . my room. Well, that’s not right. Breathing in slowly, pushing away today’s stress, I relaxed my body and thought of the past. The manor, the little shack in the woods, the always cheerful Leah, Chance with his dependable nature and warm smile, all these were vivid in my mind, but when I opened my eyes, I was still in the same place.
“What the hell happened?” I shouted, frustrated.
“She won’t let you in,” Midnight struggled to climb the bedside.
“What do you mean?” I asked frowning.
“What I mean is, Leah, as a host, has the power to let you in or not. If she doesn’t want you to be there, you have no way to get in. Simple.”
Midnight wasn’t joking. Somehow, I could tell, but her words only made me more concerned for Leah’s safety.
“This can’t be good,” I said more to myself. “Are you sure there isn’t something I can do?” I looked Midnight straight in the eyes.
“Not that I know of. The only option you have now is to wait. I suggest in the meantime, you take a shower, you smell like something that died three days ago.”
How rude . . . but she was probably right. The chemicals I worked with smelled kind of funny.
I jumped out of bed and went straight to the shower, with Leah still on my mind. And not only her, but there was also one more person I wanted to see, perhaps the one I wanted to see most.
I shook my head, dismissing the troubling thought, but it was a truth I couldn’t ignore for much longer. I was attracted to him. No, I was falling for him. Despite living in different eras, despite me being a guest in someone else’s body, despite that I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times we’d met, I was falling for him, and just being next to him in Leah’s body soon would not be enough for me anymore.
Leaving the hot water run, I sat in the shower, bringing my knees to my chest.
I am so pathetic, I said to myself. And a single tear slid from the corner of my eye, losing itself among the shower’s steady stream.
Slightly dizzy from the heat and steam, I stepped out from the shower. Unsteady on my feet, I grabbed the sink’s edge with both hands, and put my forehead against the cold, steamed, mirror. My head pulsed, my breathing became heavy, and a tension gathered at the back of my neck–getting stronger with each second, threatening to split my skull into pieces. Uselessly, I tried to regain my composure, enough to get to the bed, but when, with an effort, I straightened my back, my hair flared up, releasing all the tension in a shockwave that shattered the mirror and the shower’s glass panels.
Weak in my knees and trembling, I slid to the floor, looking terrified at the shards around me.
“What have I’ve done?” I asked softly, my voice shaking.
“Scarlett?”
Laura? I reacted to the voice that heard from the other side of the door, feeling slightly relieved.
“Scarlett! Are you all right?”
No, that’s not Laura, that’s Midnight.
Without saying a thing out loud, I stretched my hand up and opened the door, letting her inside the messed-up bathroom. She looked around with big eyes, finally stopping over me, who was still seated on the floor, my naked body covered only by my, still red, locks of hair.
“Come.”
That was the only thing Midnight said after seeing all this. With my body shaking, holding onto the walls, I followed her back to the bedroom.
“Get in bed.”
I did as told, unable to mutter any words.
After I got under the sheets, she got on the bed and sitting on my chest, she looked at me with a stern look in her eyes.
“Close your eyes,” she said a bit softer than before.
She shifted her hardly noticeable weight and
pressing a paw on my forehead, she began whispering something. They were words similar to the ones Laura used on me once before, only now a warm feeling spread through my body, banishing all the fear I felt mere minutes ago.
I let myself drift away, partially ignoring Midnight’s words.
“It’s still too early.”
Chapter 21
A soft touch on my face, a sweet kiss on my neck, and a loving whisper in my ear made me open my eyes. There was someone beside me, in my bed. Chance smiled at me and coming closer, he pressed his lips against mine. Unlike the first time when we kissed, he took his time, slowly exploring my mouth, biting my tongue and sucking on my lower lip. His hands explored my body, knowing exactly how to make me lose my mind, bringing moans and whimpers to my lips. With every touch, with every kiss, with every time he spoke my name, my body craved more; him.
With a loud noise, my bedroom door flew open, and in the darkness of my room, someone entered. Chance’s warm presence disappeared from my side, as if it was never there, replaced by the cold of the night. I stayed in my bed, listening to the approaching steps, almost holding my breath.
My covers were pulled to the side and on top of me, almost squishing me under his weight, seated the nocturnal invader. The smell of alcohol was strong. Strong enough to make my stomach revolt. I tried to push him away, but when I did, a hard slap hit my face. His hand grabbed my throat, strangling me.
I grabbed his arm with both of my hands, sinking my nails into his flesh, but as I tried to fight for my life, another blow landed on my face.
“You useless wench! You dare to defy me? Your life is mine to use how I see fit!”
I recognised the Earl’s voice, but to my terror, there was nothing much I could do. The lack of air was making my conscious fade away.
He removed his hand, the air invading my lungs, making me cough. Grabbing my nightgown, he ripped it, leaving me exposed. I uselessly tried to cover myself with my arms when he hit me again. Clenching a hand around one of my breasts, he pulled and twisted. I squirmed in pain.
“Scream!” He shouted, hitting me again and crushing my breast. “Scream!”
I didn’t do it. Not even once. But that’s when it dawned on me. These were not my reactions, but Leah’s.
Getting off of me, he grabbed my legs and pulled me on the floor. I managed to get on all fours and tried to run away, but he grabbed my hands and twisted them to my back, pushing my face against the hard, cold floor. Pushing aside what was left of my nightgown, he positioned himself behind my back.
“No! Don’t! Please don’t!” Leah’s voice was heard for the first time.
“You dare to give me orders?” He roared and. . . .
***
I vaulted up, screaming, in the middle of my bed, tears streaming down my face. Confused, I looked around, only to find myself in the safety of my own bedroom. Gripping the sheets in my fists and quivering hard, I couldn’t shake off the atrocious scene I’d just witnessed.
“I need to go back! I need to go to Leah!” I said out loud. “But,” I continued a bit disheartened, “what if I can’t?”
Midnight! She did something earlier and sent me there.
“Midnight! Where are you?”
“What are you shouting for?” a grumpy voice said from next to me. “Honestly, no one can sleep in this house.”
“Midnight, what you did earlier, can you do it again?”
“No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I used the bit of magic I managed to gather, to pull you out of shock and fix your bathroom before you have a meltdown. Now, if you want something, do it yourself!”
She turned her back on me and went back to sleep. She was right, again, this was something I had to do by myself. Falling back on my pillow, I closed my eyes and left myself to the mercy of the energy waves.
My body became light, attracted in the direction of the musical notes that floated in the air, growing louder. I was in someone’s arms, spinning, dancing, and stumbling here and there.
“Scarlett,” I heard Leah’s voice.
“Leah! Are you alright?” I started.
“Take it easy, Scarlett. Yes, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“But, the Earl. . . . He barged in your room at night, and–”
“You know, you got here just in time for dance lessons,” she chirped, deflecting the subject. Once again, she refused to talk to me. But then again, what could I possibly do? The only way was to play her game if that’s what made her happy.
“Dance lessons? How come?” I asked, confused.
“We are hosting a masquerade! Meaning, I will have to dance.”
“Oh, wow! But why?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m tired now. How about we swap places for a little while?”
“Sure, I don’t mind, but I can’t really dance.”
Before I could manage to finish the sentence, I was already in control of her body.
“Welcome back, My Lady.”
I raised my eyes towards the familiar voice, meeting Chance’s warm smile.
“Shall we continue to dance?” he asked, getting me to realise I wasn’t moving.
“I can’t really dance,” I said a bit embarrassed.
“It’s just a waltz, it’s not that hard. All you must do is follow my lead. What do you say? Would you like to try?”
“Alright, but don’t complain if I step on your foot. I warned him jokingly.”
“I wouldn’t even dream of complaining.”
He put one arm around my waist and with the other, held my hand.
“Put that hand on his shoulder.” Leah intervened.
I knew that; I wasn’t a complete idiot, but as soon as I did it, he pulled me against his chest, holding me tight.
“Aren’t we a bit close?” I asked as the blood rose up to my cheeks.
“On the contrary, I would say we are not close enough.”
I looked at him with big eyes. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, so I changed the subject.
“So, what’s with this upcoming party? Something that needs to be celebrated?” I asked while Chance spun me in big circles, avoiding my clumsy steps.
“Just the usual social expectations.”
“I see. In that case, shouldn’t Leah be the one to exercise?”
“She did until you got here. And she’s quite a fast learner if I may add.”
Leah giggled, and I smiled.
“He wanted to dance with you.”
“But why? It’s not me who will attend the masquerade.”
“Precisely. There is no guarantee you will be here then, so he wanted to take the chance whenever it showed up. That’s why he volunteered to be my tutor.”
“I still feel like I’m missing something.”
Leah just smiled but didn’t say anything else.
Our dance came to an end, and by a miracle, Chance’s feet were still in one piece.
“My Lady,” Chance bowed in front of me.
“Good Sir,” I answered in the same way, giggling.
“Would you do me the honour to accompany me in the garden?”
“I would love too.”
He offered me his arm, and, of course, I accepted it. We stepped outside in the sun, and he led the way along the unfamiliar stone paths, by the fully bloomed rose bushes.
“There is something I’ve meant to ask you for a while, but there were always other things going on,” I said
“Well, ask me. I promise to answer as sincere as I can.”
“Your name . . . I’ve never heard a name like yours before. Even in my time, it’s not common, and I presume neither is here.”
“That’s an easy one. My parents tried to conceive for many years without any results. They were far past their youth when my mother found out she was pregnant with me. When I was born, and my father learnt he had a son, he said God blessed him with the chance to raise the next head of the family, and so, he named me Chance. But the re
al surprise came one year later when my mother got pregnant again, he snickers. No one expected for a second miracle, but it happened, and my sister was born.”
“Oh, you have a sister. Where is she now?”
“She’s living in France with her husband and two children.”
“I see; you must miss her a lot.”
“We were close, but we write to each other as often as we can, so everything is fine.”
“Ask him if he has a lover,” Leah said, curiously.
The idea made me a bit nervous, but I wanted to know as well.
“Do you have someone you’re interested in?”
“Yes,” he replied without delay.
The answer brought with itself a heavy weight on my chest, but what was I so surprised for? It was only natural for him to have someone, after all, this was his world.
“Ask him to tell you more,” she pried furthermore.
I, for one, wasn’t so sure if I wanted to know, but my tongue got ahead of my brain.
“Oh, is that so? Tell me about her.” My voice sounded a bit cold, but he didn’t seem to take notice.
We stopped by the fountain, and releasing my arm, he stepped in front of me.
“She’s beautiful and feisty. She has an answer for everything. She’s fun to be around, and she cares about those around her,” he told me, looking at me and smiling.
It would’ve been better if I never heard all this because now, I knew how wrong I was. I wasn’t falling for him, I already loved him.
“Sounds like quite a catch. I hope you will be happy together.” I forced a smile, although unable to look him in the eyes.
He cupped my face between his hands and lifting it so our eyes can meet, he whispered.
“I’m talking about you,” and he pressed his lips against mine, sealing with a kiss the words he’d just said.
Yes, it was true.
I loved those amber eyes, the short hair of the same colour, his warm smile, and the way he looked at me, but we couldn’t be together. It was impossible. I was a visitor in someone else’s body, and he lived dozens of years before I was even born. And yet, here we were, in the garden where anyone could see us, kissing.
The Curse of Time Page 12