by Dahlia Lu
His bride slowly turned toward him. He began to detest the silk tie that was blocking his view of her beautiful grey-blue eyes. The air got caught in his throat when he remembered why they were there in the first place.
I don’t even want to look at you.
“You were only a boy.”
“The times were different. At that age, I was considered a marriageable man.”
“I supposed it’s too late for you to change,” she said softly, her voice was filled with regrets. “I’m not in any position to ask you to change. I’m not going to pretend I don’t know your nature, but I can’t condone it either.”
“You don’t need to.”
“I don’t need you to tell me how I should feel. I’m doing fine on my own.”
“How do you feel?”
“I feel…” she inhaled. “I feel upset. I feel fearful. I feel helpless. I have always wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself… but when it did happened to me, I realized how insignificant I really am. I feel so small that my existence doesn’t even matter. Not to you or anyone else. I can’t imagine what you see when you look at me. You keep telling me how disposable I am and I’m starting to believe it.”
He panicked when he sensed parts of her were slipping away.
“Don’t break down on me, mortal,” he said, his voice graveled.
“Well, I can’t help it!” She retorted. Her tears were seeping through the silk tie. “I’m just a lowly, slow-witted mortal! I’m useless and irritating and…and…”
“I was wrong,” he admitted.
“How can you be wrong?” She mocked in a breaking voice. “You’re a god. What you said must be true!”
“I’m fallible!” He inhaled deeply. “I… I’m…” With great difficulty, he forced the unfamiliar words from his throat. “I apologize.”
Her trembling lips slightly parted.
“You are brave. You are beautiful. You are the most loyal woman I’ve ever met. I only regret that I didn’t see it from the beginning.” He cupped her face. “So don’t break down… don’t slip away…”
“…I’m not brave,” she whispered. “I only made you believe that I was.”
“You are braver than all the men who could not even look me in the eyes.”
“…I’m not beautiful.”
“The midnight sheen on your hair,” his hand slipped into her silken tresses, “is hypnotic when you walk. Your eyes, neither fully grey nor fully blue, have enthralled me since I first saw them through the door crack. They’ve been imprinted in my memory. I know exactly what is behind this necktie.”
“Are you doing the pitying thing again?”
“I don’t do pity, mortal.” His voice grew softer, “I just don’t want to lose the one thing keeping this world remotely bearable for me.”
Confused, she asked, “What’s that?”
You can be so slow sometime, mortal.
He answered the question with a tender kiss.
Chapter Seventeen
“Trick or treat–” Amara and Lizzie barged into Raya’s bedroom bearing their plastic pumpkins. “Oh my lord! We’re so sorry!” Amara shied away from the door. It appeared she and Lizzie had walked in on the couple during an intimate moment. Trent and Raya broke their kiss and turned to them. Their relationship had unexpectedly flourished over the last month and a half.
“Oh, hi guys.” Raya smiled. “I love your costumes.”
Lizzie was wearing a sexy black pirate costume, completed with a prop sword. Amara was wearing a skirted female warrior costume that complimented her channeling gauntlets.
“I should have knocked first! Again, I apologize! Carry on!”
Amara pushed Lizzie out of the room and pulled the door shut. Lizzie was giggling as they make their way to the kitchen.
“Talk about can’t keep their hands off of each other,” Lizzie whispered.
“I can hear you from here,” Raya said as she was coming out of her bedroom. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“We’re going to take you trick or treating,” Amara replied.
Lizzie nodded.
“Aren’t we too old for trick or treating?” Raya asked skeptically.
“On campus? We’re just going to crash a few parties and get wasted. But, um, somebody already got their treats.”
“Wait a minute…” Amara held her hand up in the air. Her eyed became fixed on the huge diamond ring on Raya’s finger. “When did this happen?”
Lizzie examined the stone. “Is it real?”
“Of course it’s real!” Amara said to Lizzie and then turned to Raya. “When are you guys getting married?”
“This Saturday.”
“What? That’s lightning fast!”
“It’s going to be a small ceremony with friends and family.”
“Will there be a dream dress, a layered cake, and a bride-groom dance?” Lizzie asked.
“A simple ceremony,” Raya replied. “It’s going to be homemade pasta and wine kind of deal.”
“I think that’s sweet,” Amara hugged Raya. “I knew this day would come, but didn’t think it’ll be so soon. Congratulations, love! He’s quite a catch.”
“He’s gorgeous,” Lizzie frowned. “I’m still mad at you for not introducing him to me first.”
Amara and Raya laughed.
“Both of my friends landed two major hunks. When will it be my turn?” Lizzie sighed.
“Soon,” Amara comforted her friend.
“There you are!” Amara frowned when she heard the necromancer’s voice. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
“Where did you come from?” Raya asked the man who suddenly appeared in her house. “How did you get in here?”
Amara sighed when she saw the necromancer.
“The door was unlocked,” the necromancer said. “Anyway, Amara, come with me.”
“You know him?” Raya asked.
Amara nodded. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“Nice costume,” Lizzie sent a flirtatious wink his way.
“This is not a costume,” the necromancer replied.
“What do you want?” Amara asked.
“It’s Halloween!”
“So?”
“It’s the best day of the year to catch souls! They’re leaking out everywhere so I need your help to gather them.”
Amara shook her head in refusal. “No way. I told you I’m not doing that. I had my brush with Death and, let me tell you, once was enough for me.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Lizzie asked.
Amara looked to Lizzie, to the necromancer, and then back to Lizzie again. A bright idea lit up in her mind. “Lizzie, let me introduce you to Shiran. He’s a paranormal expert.”
“Oh!” Lizzie flashed a smile at him. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same.” the necromancer turned to Amara. “We need to go now.”
“Shiran, this is my friend Lizzie.”
“I already said hi.”
Amara rolled her eyes. She pulled him toward her and whispered into his ear. “I’m trying to introduce a girlfriend to you here.”
He blinked. “Girlfriend?”
“Yeah, girlfriend.”
He glanced over to Lizzie. “Her?”
“Who else?”
The necromancer straightened his shoulders and offered Lizzie a handshake. “How do you do?”
Lizzie shook his hand. “You’re fine.”
Raya saw what was going on and smiled. “Well, you guys should go trick or treating together.”
“Do what?” The necromancer looked confused.
“You should come with Lizzie trick or treating,” Amara said, nudging him. “We’ll catch up with you two later.”
“Alright,” Lizzie agreed, hooking her arm into the necromancer’s. “Let’s go.”
“But I have–” He paused and then nodded. “Only for half an hour.”
Lizzie led him out of the door. She turned back her head with an ‘I got h
im’ look on her face.
Raya raised her thumb and Amara mouthed the word ‘good luck’.
“Amara, I want you to be my maid of honor.”
“I would love–”
The words died in her throat when Noctis came to mind. If she attended Raya’s wedding, it would likely turn into a disaster. Too many things could and would go wrong. Her life was no longer her own to do with as she wished.
“Hey,” Camden came knocking at the already opened door. His costume was a white lab coat and a stethoscope around his neck. “Is everything alright in here?”
“Whoops,” Amara gave him an apologetic smile. “I forgot you were waiting in the car. I got sidetracked.”
“Lizzie is not coming with us?” Camden asked, turning to look down the hall.
“Nope. It will just be me, you, and Raya.”
“Actually guys, I’m staying home today.”
“Really? Staying home on the best holiday of the year?”
“I have a wedding to plan. You two have fun.”
“Seem like a legitimate excuse. Congratulations again! I’m so happy for you! I have no doubt he would keep you safe from now on.” She gave Raya another hug and then left the house with Camden.
Amara stared out of the car window, watching the night scenery passing by. Campus night came to life during Halloween. Bright orange decorations and tissue ghosts were hanging on almost every surface space. The streets were crawling with beautiful, creepy, and downright strange costumes. Then Amara noticed they were not all costumes.
She saw Dimitri and his pack of friends waving to her from the walkway. Cars weren’t allowed to go faster than fifteen miles an hour on campus grounds, so she had time to wave back.
“You know them?” Camden asked, glancing out her side of the window.
“Poker friends,” she replied tersely.
“Are they football players?” Camden noticed their unusually fit builds.
“No.”
“Want me to pull over?”
“No need. We see each other every Wednesday night.”
For the past month and a half, Dimitri and his friends stopped by the mansion for a few rounds of poker every Wednesday night. They came when Noctis wasn’t around… and he hasn’t been around.
She hadn’t seen him in over six weeks.
He wasn’t there at breakfast. He wasn’t there at lunch. He wasn’t there at dinner. After that night, he simply disappeared as if he’d vanished from the face of the earth.
Good riddance, Amara thought. And yet… the mansion felt so empty without him around. More empty than usual, because, after all, the place was as big as a palace.
“What was that?” Amara asked when she realized Camden had just asked her a question.
“I asked if you had dinner.”
“Just before I came.”
During dinner, she kept stealing glances at the door, hoping that he would stride in with an air full of confidence. He would seat himself at his usual seat at the end of the table, rest his elbows on the table, fold one hand over the other, and watch her eat her meal.
“Damn you, Stockholm syndrome!” Amara muttered to herself.
“What?” Camden asked.
“Oh, nothing…”
Routine, Amara promptly reminded herself. It felt strange because there was a change in routine.
It was an obvious lie.
Her thoughts drifted back to that night when those impossible words escaped his lips. He had apologized – actually apologized! She suspected it was probably the first time in his life. The words sounded as if they had been sanded out of his throat. She was so shocked; she didn’t know what to think. Before she could recover, he blasted her with another blow.
“You are brave. You are beautiful. You are the most loyal woman I’ve ever met. I only regret that I didn’t see it from the beginning.” She felt the gentle touch of his hand on her face. “So don’t break down… don’t slip away…”
Amara cut off her memory. Her hands flew to her flushed cheeks.
“Amara?”
She turned to him. “Did you say something?”
“No, but it seemed like something is bothering you.”
“Nothing is bothering me,” she replied. That’s the problem.
Camden didn’t pry any further.
They arrived at the Frat house at fifteen to eight. There were five high-power searchlights on the front yard aiming up to the sky above, dozens of Halloween decorations, and hundreds of people swarming to get in. The music was so loud they could feel the vibrations from the car. The only problem was finding a parking space.
“Go in first,” Camden told her.
Amara got out of the car and went in on her own. She was being extra cautious while crossing the lawn or else risk being tackled by one of the huge football players throwing balls at each other. The music was much, much louder inside. The smell of mingling sweats was in the air. People were standing on chairs, tables, whatever helped them stand out. They were also screaming for no apparent reason. Colorful flashing light, skimpy costumes, provocative dancing, and booze… lots and lots of booze…
Welcome to college life, Amara mused. A wide grin stretched across her face when she saw several couples dancing on the stripper poles. Amara suddenly found a cold beer bottle in her hand. A guy in a blue varsity jacket was handing them out like candies. He flashed a smile, popped the cap open, and then moved on to the next person.
“Thanks,” Amara said to him, but her voice was drowned out by other noises.
What the heck, it’s Halloween. Amara gulped down a third of the bottle. She raised her beer in the air and joined the crowd.
Sometime later, Camden turned on the light switch next to the door and brought light to her dark apartment. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Dizzy and on the verge of throwing up, she didn’t protest.
“You shouldn’t have drunk so much,” Camden scolded as he lay her down on the bed.
Amara hiccupped. “Halloween and New Year,” she said with a smile, “and maybe the Fourth of July if my patriotic blood is boiling.”
“You should have stopped on your third beer. Not to mention you’re underage.”
“I’ll be twenty-one soon,” she argued.
“Not yet,” he said as he helped her take off her boots and set them aside. “Do you want a glass of water?”
She nodded.
Camden left the room and returned a short moment later. Amara sat up to take a drink and then lay back down again. She sighed and snuggled against her soft pillow.
“Amara…?”
Amara opened her sleepy eyes. “Hmm?”
His light brown eyes were glinting from the light pouring into the dark bedroom from the living room. Gentle fingers stroked her hairline as he leaned forward. Her heart leaped in panic when she realized he wanted to kiss her. She unthinkingly covered his mouth with her hands to prevent him from getting to her lips.
He chuckled. “Did I surprise you?”
“Yeah…”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t do this when you’re intoxicated.”
“It’s okay…” Amara’s slid past him to the towering figure behind him. She bolted up and accidentally hit Camden’s forehead with her own. Her hands flew to her head. “Ouch! Oh, I’m so sorry!”
Noctis was staring at them with strong dismay. “You may leave now,” he said to Camden.
Camden sprung around when he heard another male’s voice in the room. “How did you get in here?”
“Leave now or forfeit your life,” Noctis warned impatiently.
Amara tugged on Camden’s sleeve. “You better do what he said.”
“I knew it! This man is still bothering you.”
Amara gasped when Noctis took a step forward. “Please leave!” She urged Camden. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“What is this?” Camden demanded. He glared at Noctis. “You’re the one who should leave. You have exactly one minute before I ca
ll the police!”
The men took the measure of one another. It was obvious who was more intimidating. Noctis reached into his pants pocket and then tossed a cellphone toward Camden. He caught it by reflex.
“Call,” Noctis challenged him.
Camden began to dial.
“No!” Amara protested. Her fingers tightened their grip on Camden. “Don’t get anyone else involved!”
“But he…!” Camden spread his arms out protectively in front of her when Noctis lurched closer.
“I will only give you one more warning,” Noctis said, his eyes darkened significantly.
“He means it!” Amara shouted at Camden. “I’ll be fine! He won’t hurt me, but I can’t say the same for you!”
“How do you know?” Camden asked skeptically.
“Because I told her so,” Noctis answered. “As much as I appreciate it, you don’t need to protect my bride from me.”
Camden shot up his head. “Bride?” He turned around to look at her as if to ask her if it were true.
She opened her mouth to protest, realized it wasn’t a good idea, and then grimaced. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Stunned and confused, Camden slowly nodded. He looked completely dazed when he left the apartment.
He wasn’t the only one.
Amara sank back down onto her pillow. “You spared him…” She blinked in astonishment.
“If you’d let him kiss you then it would have been a different story.”
“You saw that?”
He nodded.
“You were trying find out what I would do…” She gasped. “Could you be any more callous?”
“Depends on the situation,” he admitted shamelessly.
She hated how blunt he was.
“There can be no betrayal without trust, right?” She quoted to him. “Even if I did kiss him or sleep with him, you wouldn’t hold me responsible, right?”
“I’m the only man you’ve ever been with, and we both know it.”
“That’s not the question I’m asking,” she said brusquely, trying hard to keep herself from blushing any brighter.