by Ann Atkins
“I don’t want you to either,” he whispered, kissing me again, and fire raced throughout my entire body, kindling feelings that were twice as potent, due to our imminent separation.
When we finally broke apart, gasping for breath, we didn’t say a word. We just lay there looking at each other until our eyes betrayed us, closing in sleep. Our limbs are intertwined, and his hand clings tightly to mine, even in slumber.
For the first time in recent memory, I did not run to meet him. I was still happy to see him, of course, but I was also afraid. I could not even bear to see my reflection in a looking glass, so I had no idea how he would feel when we were finally face to face.
Something brushed against my legs as I walked to our designated meeting place, and I almost jumped out of my skin. But when I looked down, two beautiful, golden eyes stared back up at me. Marmalade was probably the only one who didn’t hate me or fear me right now, and I leaned down and scooped him up into my arms.
“You still love me, don’t you kitty?” I cooed to him. He meowed and licked me on the cheek, and I buried my face in his fur and bathed him in tears. Nothing I could ever say or do would make him stop loving me, but people were a lot more complicated.
I don’t think he enjoyed his impromptu bath very much, though. He began to wiggle in my arms, and I set him back down, but he did not desert me. As we walked through the woods, he pounced on pinecones, and, occasionally, my feet. He even stopped once to chase his tail, and by the time I reached my destination, my mood had slightly improved, but one look at Joshua’s face was enough to send it plummeting again.
He walked toward me very quickly and clamped his hands around my arms, giving me a little shake.
“Annabelle, do you have any idea what you have done? Prudence is so angry that I rushed to your defense! I almost had her believing that I had forgotten about you, but after today there is no telling what she will do! I am trying so hard to protect you, but you are making it nearly impossible!” he said, running his hands through his hair in frustration.
“I am so sorry, Joshua,” I whispered before I collapsed against him in tears.
“Oh, Anna! Sweetheart, please do not cry,” he told me as he wrapped his arms tightly around me.
I did not respond; I just wrapped my arms around him and enjoyed the feeling of his body pressed against mine. He smelled like rain and sunshine and flowers and everything good in the world, and I could not believe I had survived the past month without him.
When I finally looked back up at him, through tear-filled eyes, my heart swelled with so much love that it was a wonder my body could contain it all. “It might be worth it,” I said with a catch in my voice.
“What?” he asked tenderly.
“This. Even if she has me thrown in jail tomorrow, at least I have this,” I replied as I leaned up to kiss his mouth.
And that was all it took. I had meant for it to be a light, sweet brushing of my lips against his own, but he kissed me like he would never let me go. Our lips were fused and our bodies were pressed as closely as possible—not leaving an inch of space between us.
His hands roamed all over my body, leaving nothing unexplored or undiscovered. I moaned and whispered his name into his ear, and he gently lowered me to the grass.
“I forgot how beautiful you are,” he said as he kissed the tip of my nose. “It almost hurts to look at you,” he whispered.
“Then maybe you should protect your fragile eyes and use your other senses to capture the moment,” I said with the first genuine smile to touch my lips in a month.
“I’m going to need thee to explain that to me,” he replied with an answering smile.
“Lie down beside me and close your eyes,” I instructed him.
“Alright,” he answered, lying back with his arms folded behind his head.
“Tell me what you hear.”
“I hear crickets … leaves rustling … and Marmalade is sharpening his claws on a tree.”
“What do you smell?” I asked.
“I smell … rain … pine … and the unmistakable scent of roses on your skin,” he answered me.
“This next question may require some participation on your part. What do you taste?” I asked as I leaned down and traced my tongue along his bottom lip.
“You,” he answered as he put his hand on the back of my head and crushed his lips against mine.
I wriggled away from him and asked my next question. “What do you feel?” I asked as I brought his hand up to cover my breast. When he opened his eyes, they were clouded with desire, and I could tell that his control was slipping. He still wanted me as much as I wanted him, and my heart sang.
“Anna,” he said hoarsely, before pulling me down beside of him and enfolding me in his arms. He kissed me passionately and his hands resumed their previous exploration. He was about to pull my nightdress over my head when we heard a twig snap in the woods.
We both sat bolt upright searching for the source of the sound, and it did not take us long to find it. Marmalade had pounced on a poor, unsuspecting mouse and was in the process of torturing it.
Joshua and I both sighed in relief, but our momentary panic was more than enough to cool our ardor and bring us crashing back to reality.
“I wish so badly that things were different for us,” Joshua said, and his eyes looked so sad.
“And someday they will be. When do you think we will be able to leave this place?” I asked hopefully.
“I am hoping for the middle of October. Most weddings are held in November, so we will be gone before then, because if I was actually forced to wed that woman, I would be in jail for murder,” he vented.
“Why do we not just go now?” I pleaded. “I do not care how much money we have; at least we would be together.”
“I care,” he replied. “I will not have thee be homeless and starving. I need to be able to give us a decent start, and it will take all of that time to get enough money to do that.”
“What if we could get the money sooner?” I asked him. “Would you leave earlier than planned?”
“Yes, of course, I would, but how do you plan on doing that?” he asked suspiciously.
“Do not look at me that way! Why do you always think I’m going to do something foolish?” I asked indignantly.
He opened his mouth to respond, but I placed my finger against his lips. “Never mind! Don’t answer that! Really, you should share in the blame for my actions. It was the only way I could get your attention,” I lamented.
“I love your logic,” he said with a smile. “The only problem is that you got everyone else’s attention too.”
“I know, and I really am sorry, but I promise to be on my best behavior until the end of August,” I replied, kissing him on the cheek.
“August?” he asked, wrinkling his brow in confusion.
“That is when we are leaving. I am going to ask my mother for help. She has a lot of coins hidden away that Papa does not know about.”
“And you believe she will help you run away from home?” he asked skeptically.
“I know she will. She is always on my side, and she knows that I will be happier and safer away from here, but I am not running away from home,” I said as I crawled into his lap.
“No?” he asked.
“No,” I answered. I am running toward my future with you.”
And for what was left of that beautiful night, the rest of the world ceased to exist. We had no problems or worries; we were just two young people in love with our whole lives ahead of us. But there was never enough time, and eventually my cloak of darkness betrayed me as night edged towards day.
I always seemed to be saying goodbye to him and watching him walk away, but soon we would be walking away from here together. Time would no longer be my enemy, and there would be no more goodbyes.
I awoke to find my cheeks wet with tears and Mason’s eyes trained on my face. I looked away and hurriedly tried to hide the evidence of my broken heart. In actuality,
it wasn’t my heart at all, but hers. I was finding it harder and harder all the time to separate my feelings from Annabelle’s.
Mason was as still and as silent as the grave, and that is not like him at all. After wiping the last tear from my cheek, I turned to look at him, and his eyes were bright with unshed tears as well.
“Mason?” I asked, my voice full of concern. “What is it?”
“It’s exactly like you said it was,” he replied.
“What?”
“The dreams … they feel real, almost as if you’ve traveled back in time and are experiencing everything firsthand,” he said, seemingly amazed.
My heart began to pound. “Did I pull you in with me?”
He did not answer, only nodded his head, and I knew that every little detail was replaying itself inside his head, right now.
“Now, that you have experienced one for yourself, what do you think they mean?” I asked, holding my breath.
“I don’t know, Allie, but I’m sure, in time, we will figure it out.”
“Of course, we will,” I said, but I was nowhere near as certain as I sounded.
“So how do you want to spend the day, before you move back home with Doctor Evil?” he asked, changing the subject.
“Really? Doctor Evil? I would’ve gone with Dr. Hannibal Lecter,” I said with a smile. Hey, if I didn’t laugh about my screwed up relationship with my father, all I would do is cry, and I am really sick of crying!
“You really don’t have to go,” he reiterated.
“I really do,” I said, caressing his cheek. “I can’t hide here forever. He’s still my father, and that isn’t going to change. I just wanna spend this day here, with you, and that’ll help me get through tonight.”
“Speaking of tonight … I believe Mom has left you a going away present” he said, looking toward the small desk against the wall.
A huge pile of stones, herbs, plants, and empty sachets cluttered the surface of the desktop and spilled onto the floor. I got up out of bed and walked over to find a note from Sarah.
Allison, this is everything you will need to make more charms before you go home. Got called in on a work emergency, or I would’ve helped. Put that son of mine to work, and make him help you, instead. Your safety is of the utmost importance; so don’t whine about the extra work—either one of you—just do it. I’ll try to be home before you leave, but if I’m not … I’ll just say that I’ve enjoyed having you, and I hate to let you go. You have a place with us always, if you ever need it. I love you and I’ll miss having you around.
Sarah
I read the letter over and over again as my eyes filled with tears. It’s the first time a parent has ever said that they love me. I know she isn’t really my mom, but she’s the closest thing to having one that I’ve ever had, and it makes me think, that if my real mother had lived, she might have loved me too.
I sniffled and Mason came to read over my shoulder, trying to ascertain the cause of my distress. I stood, rooted in the same spot, staring at the paper clutched in my hands, until Mason led me back to the bed.
“She really does love you,” he said in a soothing tone of voice.”
Is she the only one? Those are the words I wanted to say, but my mouth was suddenly very dry, and they stuck in my throat.
“Yeah, I know,” I said, blinking back tears. It’s easy to give up something good when you get something better in return, but I was doing the exact opposite. I was trading love and warmth for coldness and hate, but I couldn’t dwell on it, so I smiled and said, “You ready to help me make little pouches of monster-be-gone?” I asked.
He sighed loudly and crossed his eyes. “Do I have a choice?”
“Nope.”
“Then let’s go ahead and get it over with, so we can enjoy the rest of the day.” He brought all of the ingredients and dumped them on the bed. Sarah had also left a helpful list with all the names of the herbs, plants, and stones as well as what they’re used for. There were also pictures of each one; I already had most of them memorized, but I was sure Mason could use the extra help.
For General Protection:
Bay Leaves Bay Laurel Basil Clover Corriander
Ferns Hawthorne Hyssop Mistletoe Mullein
Peony St. John’s Wort Cinnamon Heather
Solomon’s Seal Comfrey Majoram
For Banishing Evil and Negative Energies:
Angelica Asafetida Cactus Celandine
Elecampane Garlic Rue
For Psychic Attacks as well as Magical Attacks:
Betony Clove Dill Ivy Nettle Leaves
Pennyroyal Rosemary Yarrow
Draonsblood: very strong protection from evil.
For Nightmares, Use: Hyacinth, Dandelion, and Lavender.
Powerful Stones:
Agate- offers protection from bad dreams.
Lepidolite- promotes restful sleep when placed near your pillow.
Tiger Eye- offers protection from the Evil Eye.
Turquoise- is a powerful protection stone that takes on the characteristics of its owner (your power will increase the stone’s power).
Chalcedony- keeps away nightmares.
Fire Agate, Black Obsidian, and Black Onyx are powerful protection stones.
Copper, Crystal Quartz, and Black Tourmaline Crystal amplifies the energy of other stones.
P.S. I have cast a spell to enhance the natural powers of all ingredients. They will offer twice as much protection now. Use them generously and fill every sachet. This is not a complete list; please use the reference books I left for further information.
Blessed Be, Allison.
Three hours later, we had about forty sachets made, and we still hadn’t run out of ingredients, but Mason insisted on taking a break. He said he had a present of his own for me, but he had to go pick it up, and he’d be back soon. That was an hour ago.
I was flipping aimlessly through TV channels until I heard the front door open and shut. I tossed the remote and ran to the door to find Mason standing there holding a pet carrier.
“What is that?” I asked suspiciously.
“This is your present, Allie,” he replied as he grabbed my hand and led me to the couch.
He sat down beside me and opened the carrier, and a tiny creature unlike anything I had ever seen trotted out and jumped into my lap.
“Allie,” Mason said with a huge smile, “meet Baku.”
Chapter Eighteen
Revelations
“What in the devil is this thing?” I asked as I stared down at the little what-cha-ma-call-it that stared back from big dopey eyes.
“It’s a miniature Baku. They repel evil and devour dreams caused by evil spirits.”
I glanced back down at the little creature that stared at me adoringly and it wagged its tail. “Why is it staring at me like I’m its mother?” I asked.
“Because you kind of are,” he said, grinning.
“What?” I asked in a panicked voice. “You can’t actually expect me to take this thing home. I’ve never had a pet in my life! What would I do with it?”
“How about love it and feed it?” he asked, laughing.
“I’m serious, Mason! How would I explain it to my father?”
“Does he ever come into your room?”
“No, but what if it decides to go exploring. My father would either kill it or trap it and study it, and the housekeeper would probably have a heart attack! There’s no way I can take it home!”
“I’m pretty sure she can’t open doors, and if she senses danger she’ll hide.”
“She?” I asked, softening a little bit.
“Congratulations, it’s a girl!”
It—I mean she—was actually kind of cute, weird, but cute. She had the body of a horse and an elephant’s head and trunk, the feet of a tiger, a mane like a lion, and a cow’s tail that swished back and forth madly—her whole body, which was a little smaller than a house cat, seemed to quiver with the motion. I reached my finger out to rub her head,
and she raised her trunk and made a little trumpeting noise.
It was the sweetest little sound, and I laughed, in spite of myself. My laughter seemed to please her, and she trumpeted even louder.
“It’d really be kind of cruel not to take her home,” he said. “Look at her; she already loves you.”
“And why is that? She’s never seen me before today?” I asked, determined not to cave, despite the guilt trip he was laying on me.
“She knows you by your smell. Remember that yellow shirt you haven’t been able to find? She’s been sleeping with it for the past two weeks,” he said smugly.
“You stole my shirt?”
“No, I borrowed it, but she kind of thinks it’s hers now; so I don’t know if she’ll give it back.”
“I looked in the carrier and saw something dirty, wrinkled, and yellow. She’s been using it as a blanket. I reached my hand into the carrier to get it, and she immediately ran back in and laid down on it, staring up at me defiantly.
“Fine, you can have it,” I told her, and then I glared at, Mason. “You could’ve at least picked out a shirt I didn’t like!”
“Sorry, but she needed to bond with you and sleeping surrounded by your scent comforted her and made her feel safe. Now, all she wants is to keep you safe.”
“What is she going to do, scare the monsters away with cuteness, or beat them to death with her wagging tail?” I asked sarcastically.
“She’s a lot more powerful than she looks,” he said, eyeing the little varmint that had fallen asleep on its back with all four legs in the air. “She’s dynamite in a small package,” he said, looking at her affectionately.
“But, why do I need her? I have magical sachets galore, and wards, and spells, and—”
“Is it possible to be too safe, Allison?”
I only sighed; the question was rhetorical and not meant to be answered, because the answer was, quite obviously, no. My shoulders slumped in defeat, and my head dropped as I sighed loudly. “What am I supposed to feed her?”