by Bea Paige
“Half-truths are nothing but lies dressed up. Accacia deserves to know the truth. Then she can make her own mind up.”
Devin, what is Nostra talking about?
Devin opens his mouth, then shuts it again. He pats Rhain on the back then turns to me, raising a hand to my cheek. “Nostra’s right, we should have told you everything. We only kept it from you because we didn’t want it to affect your decision. We shall get our moment, we have unfinished business you and I.”
I look at Devin helplessly, then at Rhain, who stops in front of me. He doesn’t say a word and I don’t know if that’s because he can’t, or because he won’t. Either way, he pulls me in for a deep kiss and I react the same way I always do when he ignites such desire in me, and kiss him thoroughly. He pulls back, pressing his forehead against mine. “You have become my world, Cia. For me there is only you.”
“I…”
Rhain steps away and Ezra takes his place. He reaches for my hand and runs a finger over the ring that still remains firmly fixed in place. “It is thanks to Nostra’s magic we found you. I hope what he has to say will not send you away again,” he says, those grey eyes of his worried now.
Ezra turns my hand over and lifts my wrist to his mouth. For a moment I think he is going to bite me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he presses a gentle kiss against my middle finger, where I gave him blood the first time, then he slides his lips over the now healed spot on my wrist where his teeth punctured me not an hour or more before.
“I still have a question to ask. I hope that the next time we meet you will allow me to ask it.” With that he turns from me and walks out of the door, following his brothers.
Chapter Nineteen
“I’m sorry about the mess…” I start, waving my hand in front of me, completely ignoring the fact that my heart is tumultuous inside my chest.
“What mess?” Nostra asks. Of course, the room is now tidy, his magic having sorted the aftermath of mine and Rhain’s lovemaking with one flick of his wrist. “I am a witch, we don’t do mess. Come and sit down, eat. Let me fill you in on a few matters.”
I raise my eyebrows, my cheeks colouring at the memory of Rhain and me making love on this very table. “Okay.” I sit down and pick up a piece of bread, cutting into the cheese and placing both in my mouth. Hungry is an understatement.
After we have eaten our fill, Nostra folds his hands in front of him and rests his eyes on me.
“For reasons they thought best, Rhain, Ezra and Devin have not told you everything you need to know about the prophecy. I can understand their reasoning and until this morning was in agreement in not telling you it all. But, knowing you a little better now, I think you would want to know everything, yes?”
“I would, yes.” Out of the corner of my eye I see Mr Tickle stretch, his back arching. Then he saunters over to me, leaping up onto my lap. I smile down at him, stroking his head. He is such an empathic cat. Just like now, Mr Tickle has always had a way of knowing when I am worried or nervous or sad and in need of comfort.
“There is something I must show you,” Nostra says, and with a quick flick of his wrist the table is cleared. Above us, words begin to form.
“This, Accacia, is the prophecy in full.”
The purple letters swirl about one another until finally they settle. I begin to read.
Five sisters born beneath the stars
Neither bound by blood nor kin
Must unify the warring clans
And rid the land of sin
Their lives they are beholden
A curse atop their heads
Broken only by a love divided
Betwixt three allied men
There will be opposition
To peace and harmony
A plan to cause division
Must never come to be
In great danger they will find themselves
Amongst divided lands
Their fate held in the balance
Of their lovers’ hands
A gold band, it will signify
The unity of the clan
And once each ring is worn in place
Five sisters will take command
I stare up at the prophecy, reading it over and over, trying to make sense of it. I know now that I am one of the five sisters, that I am wearing the ring Nostra spelled on me as a baby. I’ve read it all, understand it. But one verse sticks above all else…
Their lives they are beholden
A curse atop their heads
Broken only by a love divided
Betwixt three allied men
The words fade from my eyes, but I won’t forget them. “Three allied men. Rhain, Ezra and Devin?” I whisper.
Nostra nods. “Yes.”
“A love divided?”
Nostra sighs. “Love has always been the most powerful magic there is, Accacia. It is no surprise to me that it’s part of the prophecy and required to break the curse.”
“But three, all three?”
“Yes, Accacia. Why does this bother you so?”
“Because where I come from, being in a relationship with more than one person is frowned upon. It’s not the norm.”
“Then the people who believe that are fools. Do not misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with loving just one person, but equally, there is nothing wrong with loving more than one person. Love should not be confined to fit an ideal. Unless that ideal is what an individual is happy with. Besides, Accacia, you are not from there. You are from Ever Vale. Tell me, when you really consider the thought of being loved by three men, loving them in return and everyone being okay with that, what is stopping you?”
I look at Nostra, considering his words. “But what if they don’t… what if I don’t…” A sudden panic fills me. Maybe they were right not to tell me the full prophecy. Having that kind of pressure. What if I can’t love them, what if they can’t love me. Then the curse will remain, and we are all damned. “Love can’t be forced, Nostra. I’m not even entirely sure what love is supposed to feel like. My whole life has been spent in darkness trying desperately to figure out how to cure myself of this sickness, this curse, and now you’re telling me it can be broken by love. It seems so simple and so bloody impossible all at the same time.”
“Nothing is impossible, Accacia.”
“Yes, but it isn’t as simple as that. I am one person. The curse relies on five of us. Clover, my dearest, oldest friend, there is a great chance she will die alongside the rest of the fae because of the actions of the fae king. It is not as simple as loving someone and being loved in return, is it?”
Nostra shakes his head. “The prophecy forewarns of great danger. It would not be a curse if it was easy to break. But I find it interesting that the part you are most worried about is the part involving love.”
I don’t respond. Honestly, I’m not sure what to say. Although it feels like I have known Rhain, Ezra and Devin for years, in reality it has only been days. Days. Already I have undergone the Claiming with Rhain, joined with Ezra, and Devin and I have swapped a piece of our souls in the Binding, twice now. That in itself is a lot to handle, to take in. Since meeting Rhain in the carpark for the first time a few days ago my feet have not touched the ground. My head is spinning with it all; the curse, the prophecy, the brothers, Ever Vale, the queen, Clover and the fae. How, amongst all of that, can I even begin to sort out my feelings? I need time to absorb it all. To breathe.
“There is nothing you need to decide upon now. Ezra will wait until you are ready. If you ever become ready to be his wife. Rhain will keep his distance if you wish, although now he has claimed you that may prove difficult. Still, at least this time it won’t kill him.” Nostra laughs, then noticing the look on my face, stops himself. “Apologies, Accacia. That was insensitive.”
“What about Devin?”
“Devin already understands you, probably more so than the others because you have swapped a piece of your soul with him. He is already beneath your skin, is he not?” No
stra says, tapping a finger against his head.
“Yes, I suppose.” In their own way, all three of the vampires have indeed crept beneath my skin. Am I in love with them? I don’t know. Could I be? I don’t want to answer that question right now.
“If you want my honest opinion, I think you already know what it is you feel but you are afraid. Fear has its place, Accacia, of course it does. I would expect no less, given what you have come to understand, what you have been through. Ultimately you must do what you feel is right.”
“And what of them? I don’t like to feel as though any of this has been thrust upon them. Ezra and his wife, the love he had for her… Devin, Rhain. Love has to be reciprocated, at least where I grew up, that’s the way it is. That’s the way I need it to be.”
“Do they love you?” Nostra leans across the table and holds my hand. “I’ve known these men for a very long time, Accacia. They have been through a great deal of turmoil. They have lived under the rule of my sister who will do anything to extinguish such strong feelings of love whenever she is able to. I have seen her do it time and again. But love is stronger than her hate. To me it is obvious how they feel. Don’t give up on them yet.”
“I need time. Do I have that?”
Nostra pours me a glass of wine, sensing I need something to calm my frayed nerves. “The prophecy revealed itself some years ago. You have time,” he says.
“Then that’s what I wish for.” I take a sip of the wine. It is delicious.
“We can all work with that,” Nostra says, laying a key on the table. “I took it upon myself to build you a home whilst you were all in the Forbidden forest.”
“You built me a home in a couple of days?” I pick up the key, looking from it to Nostra.
“Well, when I say build, I mean…” Nostra flicks his wrist again as a tiny version of his house appears on the table in front of us. Except this one has a red door, with a rose engraved upon it. “Magic, of course. This is your home. Well, not literally. Yours is much larger than this and is located at the other side of the hamlet.”
I laugh. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
“We haven’t scared you off then?” Nostra asks.
“You’ve scared me, sure. I’m terrified for different reasons, but I will not run. I want this curse lifted as much as anyone. I will stay,” I say.
Chapter Twenty
“Well, here we are,” Nostra says as we approach the real-life version of my new home. Just like the miniature version he showed me, my cottage does indeed have a bright red door with a rose engraved upon it. Either side of the door are two, small square windows. Through one window I can see a vase of wildflowers sitting on the sill. It is single story, built with grey stone. It has a red brick roof and there is strange purple smoke pouring out of the chimney. It’s like something out of a fairy tale.
“Is someone inside?” I ask, pointing to the smoke dispersing above us.
“No, that would be my magic. I have spelled a fire to warm the hearth. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Why would I mind?”
“Well, unless it’s for protection, the brothers don’t like my magic in their home. I can understand their wariness, given my sister used magic to curse them all.”
“Should I be worried. I mean, is there anything I need to do, or not do? I don’t want to set off some kind of magical alarm or anything.”
Nostra chuckles. “My magic is very… accommodating, shall we say. Come inside, let me show you around.”
I follow Nostra into the cottage. Inside it is not dissimilar to his own home. There’s an open plan kitchen with table and seating area, a double bedroom and bathroom to the back. I have running water but no mod-cons, which is understandable considering what I’ve seen of Ever Vale so far. Technology is most definitely not a concept here. Everything inside the cottage is run on Nostra’s magic, or so it would appear. It’s incredible, and completely baffling all at the same time.
“Do you like it?” Nostra asks.
“It’s lovely. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You just did,” Nostra winks.
“What do I do now?” I falter. “I mean, I don’t know any of the customs here. People will wonder who I am. I might do something wrong.”
“You needn’t worry about any of that. I will deal with any gossip. As far as the people are concerned, you are a member of Clan Lux who has escaped the Queen’s castle and has sought refuge here. It is, in part, the truth. They need know nothing more. At least, not yet anyway.”
“So they think I am a vampire?”
“Yes, it is better that way.”
“But I don’t drink blood. Won’t they wonder about that?”
“Drinking blood is a private business, it is not talked about amongst our people. They will just assume you are feeding like all the other vampires. Do not worry, Accacia, all will be well.”
“What are those?” I ask, pointing to several dresses hanging from a rail in the corner of the room. “I mean, I know what they are…”
“The women of Ever Vale do not wear clothes like yours,” Nostra says, pointing to my jeans and jacket. “I thought it better you had some dresses to wear. It will help you fit in.”
“Dresses?” I blow out a breath. “I don’t really wear dresses.”
“I’m afraid if you wish to remain as anonymous as possible, the dresses are a must. Women folk do not wear trousers such as those.”
I remember the dresses Ilana and the other women were wearing the first night I arrived in the hamlet. “Okay, I’ll take a look through them later,” I say, noticing that most seemed to be far too fancy for my simple tastes.
“What do I do about food? I mean, if they all think I feed on blood I can’t exactly go to the market and buy the things I need. Not to mention I don’t have any money.” I start to feel a little panicky about the practicalities of living in Ever Vale. Perhaps this is going to be harder than I first thought.
“We do not use money here. We work on the basis that if you want something you swap it with something else of use. Besides, I have thought about that.” Nostra twirls his hand in the air, and on the table more food appears. There are apples, berries, bread, cheese, milk and some other items I don’t recognise but look edible nonetheless.
“This is lovely, but I can’t keep expecting you to turn up every time I am hungry or in need of something.”
“I won’t need to. My magic will sense when you need sustenance, and will supply food to you when you require it,” Nostra says with a shrug, as though it’s nothing out of the ordinary.
“I see.” I drop onto a chair, feeling overwhelmed again.
Nostra sits down next to me. “It will take some getting used to, but you will be okay. Rhain, Ezra, Devin, they will look after you. You need only ask, and they will be here in an instant.”
“It will take a lot of getting used to. I know I will never be able to return home…” I am interrupted by a scratching at the front door and a muffled meow.
“Looks like you have a visitor,” Nostra says, getting back up. He strides over to the door, pulling it open. Mr Tickle strolls in.
“It looks like Mr Tickle has no problem with his new environment,” I say with a laugh as he saunters in and plonks himself by the fire.
“No, indeed he does not.” Nostra hovers by the door, and I get the distinct impression he needs to be elsewhere. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“I don’t think so. Thank you, Nostra.”
He dips his head. “Remember, if you need any of us, you know where we are.”
“Thanks,” I repeat, as he closes the door behind him.
After spending the day settling in to my new home and sleeping a little, I decide to head out into the hamlet once darkness has fallen to take a look around. This time I am wearing one of the dresses Nostra left me. The one I have on is the least fussy of the lot. It is a light grey colour with a sweetheart neckline, long sleeves and skirt, and a fitted bodice
. I feel completely overdressed.
My cottage is on the edge of the hamlet, still within the walls of Nostra’s magic but far enough away from the centre to feel private, so it takes me a few minutes to get to the hubbub that is the central marketplace. Immediately, I am accosted with the smell of the goods available to swap. There are leather skins on one stall, fruit and vegetables on another, items of clothing, freshly baked bread and all manner of tools available. I get the occasional questioning look, but mostly I am treated no differently to everyone else. Stopping at one stall, I pick up a hand-woven basket. The woman behind it gives me a friendly smile.
“You are Accacia, are you not?”
“Yes,” I respond, taken aback that she knows my name.
“This is a small hamlet. We all know each other here. I am Florence, it is good to meet you.”
“And you.” I smile, not sure what else to say.
“I hear you left the castle.”
“That’s right. I couldn’t take living there anymore…” I stutter.
“You are one of Clan Lux born of the curse? Who are your parents? I might know of them,” Florence asks. She seems friendly enough, but there is a hint of steel behind her eyes that warns me to be careful.
“I am,” I say. It is not a lie, just not quite the truth as she perceives it. “My parents are dead. I doubt you know them.”
“I’m sorry,” she says, and this time her eyes soften a little. “Why don’t you take that basket? My gift to you.”
“I couldn’t possibly,” I say immediately, placing the basket back down on the table.
“You should take it as offered, Cia.”
Florence’s eyes widen, before she bows her head slightly. I look over my shoulder. Behind me is Rhain.
“If Florence wishes to gift you a basket, you should take it as is the custom of our community,” he says, picking it up and handing it to me. I take it from his hands.