by Nixon, Diana
Christian was right. I missed too many pleasurable moments. And first of all – I missed him. His kiss was gentle and passionate at the same time. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him even closer to me. It seemed like the whole eternity wouldn’t be enough for both of us to enjoy each other. No languages were enough to describe what we felt for each other. The light of the whole universe wasn’t enough to overshadow the shining of our tattoos. And, despite the fact that we both were dressed, this light filled the entire space of the room, creating an illusion of bright sunny sparkling.
Unbelievable, but such a kiss should have taken all the air from both of us, but it wasn’t true. We were breathing with each other, we felt each other and we lived with each other… Nothing else mattered.
“Eileen,” Christian said quietly, “I’m losing my mind with you. I can’t think about anything else when you're so close.”
He continued kissing me, first touching my lips, then leaving the same light kisses on my cheeks and my eyelids.
“Just in a few weeks, you turned my world upside down. I'm even starting to doubt whether I remember my life before you,” smiling, he added.
“I can tell that you are not the only one here suffering from amnesia,” I said, touching his cheek with my hand. “So what was my life before you seems to be a distant past.”
“What shall we do with all this?” he asked.
“Nothing. Just go ahead,” I replied.
“What will happen to us tomorrow?”
“You ask too difficult questions, Christian. Next will be what it should be - you and me. Everything else, I hope, we will settle somehow.”
“Do you mean...”
“I mean, that I’m no longer able to resist your perseverance, Mr. Fairey,” I said, opening the drawer of my bedside table and pulling out a blue box with a medallion - a gift from Christian. “I think it would be better, if you wear it on me yourself, so that would mean my answer to your long-standing proposal... if it is still open, of course.”
Christian smiled happily.
“My proposal never lost its effect, Miss Clark. And you know it pretty well.”
He pulled the medallion out and fastened it around my neck.
“You're right, now everything is just the way it should be,” he said kissing me again. Every time when our lips met my mind was melting slowly, and I was drowning in the ocean of his tenderness. I knew that he felt the same and that knowledge made our mutual desire even stronger.
“Man, will I catch the two of you half naked till the end of my life?” rang Amanda’s very close voice. I pulled away from Christian and looked at my friend’s smiling face. Christian, unlike me, showed incredible composure. He didn’t even bother to move away from me, and was still firmly embracing me.
“Sorry, sister. Didn’t want to ruin your date. So I stayed in Eileen’s room.”
I stared in bewilderment at both of them. Amanda's face was covered with a slight blush.
“Well, and I didn’t want to bother you and Eileen because, after returning from the ball, I found you sleeping on our couch, so I went to sleep in your room,” she replied.
“And Lucas, of course, couldn’t leave you alone during this uh… difficult time in your life, right?” barely hiding his grin, said Christian.
“Very funny,” hissed Amanda. “How did you know that I spent the night in your room?” she wondered.
“I heard you coming back, but never thought that my presence may embarrass you, so I stayed on the couch. And I heard you talking to Lucas that you would have to go to my room. Your logic, of course, was quite strange, considering that your bed was still free...”
“You said it. So what was the reason that made you choose Eileen’s bed instead of mine?” Amanda mused.
“Hey, I'm still here too!” I said, reminding them about my presence. “Maybe you should stop this pointless quarrel?
“We were just kidding, Eileen. Never mind,” said Amanda, hiding behind the bathroom’s door. “And I won’t stay long, so you may continue whatever you were doing there,” she shouted in addition.
I didn’t see her face, but could imagine it pretty well from the sound of malice in her voice.
“Can I go to my room and change into clean clothes?” asked her Christian. “Because I look like a left alone circus clown.”
Despite the fact that yesterday his outfit looked great today his trousers and shirt’s left much to be desired.
“Your room has been free a long ago,” Amanda said. “If you haven’t noticed, it’s almost noon, and most students are at their studies. Only the two of you are still lying around in bed.”
“Noon?!” I asked in surprise. “Jeez! Evan’s gonna kill me!” I muttered, jumping up from my bed, almost pushing Christian down to the floor.
“Relax! Evan wasn’t planning to have classes today. After what happened yesterday, he decided to give you a day off,” Amanda said. “Besides, as far as I know, he decided to take a day off too. Yesterday, he looked pretty bad,” she admitted.
“Speaking about bad things, will someone tell me how everything was in Norfield?” I asked, looking at Christian and Amanda.
“I'll tell you everything at breakfast, or rather - at lunch,” he replied. “So get dressed and meet me in the cafeteria. And I am going to my room to change,” he added, leaving one more soft kiss on my lips.
“Looks to me like the sun is shining once again in heaven,” said Amanda grinning, once her brother closed the door behind him.
“You are absolutely right,” I nodded. “I couldn’t leave our relationship messed up. There are a lot of bigger problems to deal with. So I decided to let things happen as they may.”
“That’s my girl!” Amanda smiled happily. “And I’ve been telling you for a long time that it's the right time for both of you to come to an understanding.”
“So how was yesterday's date?” I wondered trying to read my friend’s face.
She hesitated a moment and then said:
“If I say that I can’t describe in words how wonderful Lucas is, will it be enough?”
“More than enough, actually,” I replied grinning. “Is he even better than Evan?”
Amanda didn’t answer immediately.
“You know, Evan and I are too much alike,” she said thoughtfully. “We have so much in common that sometimes it’s just impossible look at your own reflection so often. We are both hot-tempered, both impatient. I didn’t realize that until I met Lucas. He’s different. I have fun with him, and we are always on the same wave. You know what that means, don’t you? I’m not afraid to act silly with him. Even more, he doesn’t put me in awkward situations. But with Evan you never know what to expect from one second to the next. And he has never taken me seriously. We were just flirting.”
“Are you sure Evan feels the same way?”
“Yes. I saw him yesterday, watching me and Lucas closely. He understands everything perfectly well. I'm not one who has enough patience to stand him,” said laughing Amanda. “He’s, of course, a wonderful man, but he’s good for someone like you, for example. We are no longer an option, but I still sincerely wish him happiness. So that is that. And now I need to go back to the arena, Lucas and I are helping to take down that wonderful creation. So much work to do in just one day! It's a pity, isn’t it? Although next year, there will be something new and interesting to see too. Are you just going to sit here gabbing like this forever? Christian’s probably already waiting for you!”
“Of course, he is!” I realized, jumping from my bed.
I was thinking about Amanda’s words concerning Evan. Once he couldn’t find his happiness with Tara, but sure he felt some very strong feelings towards her, and now again he failed. But I, like Amanda, believed that his true love he hadn’t yet met.
Taking a shower and drying my hair in a hurry, I went to the dining room.
As Amanda predicted, Christian was already there. Seeing me, he waved his hand from the table, where there si
tting with him were Darcy and Evan.
“Good morning! How do you feel today?” asked Darcy.
“Morning, I feel so much better, thanks,” I replied. “How about you, guys?”
“I slept like a baby, so now I’m okay,” said Evan sinking his teeth in a chocolate doughnut.
“Well, I don’t really feel good,” frowning said Darcy. “After yesterday's speech, Alexis dragged all the remaining students to the ball. I had to stay there for a few hours until all the important guests left. So yesterday's music is still booming in my ears and I have a splitting headache. I wish Anna was here!”
“By the way, has anyone seen her today?” asked Christian.
Everyone shook their head no.
“That’s weird. Usually she’s the first to come for lunch,” said Darcy. “I'll go look for her.”
As soon as she left, I turned to Christian and Evan.
“Okay, now tell me everything.”
“You still don’t know anything?!” Evan asked in surprise.
“Uh... I didn’t have time to tell her,” hesitating said Christian.
“Wait, it just me or have I really missed something?”
Judging by the concentrated Evan’s gaze, he was checking mine and Christian’s auras.
“A lot of red here, hah? What could it mean?” he wondered, grinning.
“Do you really need an answer?” I asked blushing under his scrutinizing gaze. “Maybe it's better to move on to more important issues?” I suggested nervously.
“As you wish,” Evan smiled. Then he filled me in on what happened in Norfield but, judging by the reaction of Christian, he had already told him everything yesterday.
“Does anyone know if Alexis is still here?” I asked.
“No. She has already been taken away. Once she is sentenced, the elections of a new head of Dever will start. Until then, these responsibilities will be fulfilled by Patrick.”
“My father?” asked Christian in surprise.
It looked like this news Evan hadn’t had time to share.
“Yeah. I had forgotten to tell you. He’s going to try his luck once again.”
“He didn’t say anything to me about it,” pointed Christian.
“He, probably, just didn’t have time,” Evan shrugged. “Look, Darcy, is worried about something,” he added, pointing toward the gloomy Darcy on her way to our table. “What's wrong?” he asked, when she sat down.
“Anna hasn’t been seen since yesterday’s evening. Her roommate said that she didn’t return to her room last night.”
“Perhaps, she was at the ball late?” I assumed.
“The fact is that she wasn’t. I just met Amanda and she said that Anna wasn’t there, since they tried to find her themselves.”
Christian and I looked at each other, both sensing that something was wrong.
“The last time I saw her was before I went to Eileen's room,” he recalled. “Then she was at the entrance to the arena. Has anyone checked if she is helping to take it down?”
“I asked Amanda about that also. But no, Anna wasn’t there.”
“I don’t like it,” Evan frowned. “Maybe she left with one of the guests?”
“You can ask the guards at the eastern gate. It’s the only one that was open last night,” said Darcy.
“Okay. So let’s go check with them,” Evan nodded, eating his second doughnut on the run.
To our surprise, there was only one person guarding the gate.
“Hi, Lewis!” Evan shook hands with the blond guy, about his same age. “Were you on duty tonight?”
“No. I’ve just come on recently. It was Brandon here tonight.”
“Scott?” Evan clarified.
“Yeah. The very same one,” the guy confirmed.
“Why is there only a couple people guarding the gate?” asked Christian wondering.
“My partner is gone for a moment, but even last night Alexis ordered that we reduce the number of guardians. Poor Scott, said that he barely managed to write down the names of the people who were coming and going,” Lewis chuckled.
That news alarmed us all.
“Thanks, man,” Evan said. “Come on, I know which room Scott lives in,” he turned to us.
“How do you know all the guardians?” I asked, following him to the dormitory.
“Almost all of them were studying together with me, before I joined the faculty of Wizardy. Security, among other positions, is filled by the best students. And especially those, who possess the power of earth. You know, sometimes the gate could accidentally disappear in a pile of sand or something. Since the four gates are the only entrances and exits to the campus, they are carefully guarded,” Evan explained.
“Apparently not so carefully,” said Darcy thoughtfully, hearing our conversation.
We were back to the dormitory, and went to the second floor. Bedroom № 202. Evan knocked. Silence. He knocked again, and again there was silence.
“Maybe he is asleep after the night shift?” I asked.
“Let’s check it out.”
“Evan, for goodness’s sake, what are you doing?” asked Darcy troubled, looking around and checking out, if anyone saw how easily Evan opened the door lock.
“Just looking for the proof of my suspicions,” he replied showing us the empty bed of Brendon’s. “Apparently, our friend is not tired after a long night shift.”
“What do you mean?” asked Christian.
“That Scott is somehow involved in what is going on,” Evan replied, closing the door of his room and quickly heading for the exit.
“I think we should follow him,” said Christian.
While we were barely out of the dormitory, Evan was already half way to the administration building.
“Where is he going?” I asked running after him.
“I have no idea,” shook his head Christian.
It turned out that Evan was going to see Beatrice. She, despite the confusion in the community leadership, was still at her place.
“Hello, Beatrice,” greeted Evan. “Do you know what time yesterday the guests began to leave?”
“Somewhere around two o'clock in the morning. Why?”
“We're just trying to find someone, and wanted to know if maybe she left with a guest.”
“Our students are not allowed to leave the campus without an escort. And as far as I know, everyone was warned about not leaving the grounds,” she said puzzled.
“Do you have the guest list, maybe?”
“Of course. Here you go. The list was prepared so that the invitees could easily access the territory of Dever, otherwise they simply were not allowed here.”
“I see,” Evan muttered, reading the list. “Eric Lanster? Do you know him?” he pointed to one of the names.
“No, I’ve never heard that name before. But there are a lot of new names in the list. Teachers and students have the right to invite anyone in advance by notifying us. Beside each guest’s name is the name of the person who had invited them.”
“Alexis Wilde…” read Evan aloud. “Thank you Beatrice,” he said and the four of us went out into the street.
“Do you think this is the same Eric?” asked Christian suspiciously.
“We still don’t know who he is, but I don’t doubt that this Eric was invited for a reason,” Evan said.
“So where are we going now?” asked Darcy.
“To the gates. Lewis said that the guardians keep a record of everyone who comes in or goes out. And we need to know what time that Lanster left Dever.”
Fortunately, this information wasn’t confidential, so Lewis didn’t even bother to ask why we were interested in a list.
“That’s weird,” he said looking through his records. “I have no information that this man even left Dever.”
“So?”
“It means that he can still be on campus.”
“But you have a record that he is here, right?” Evan asked.
“Yes, but it’s strange too.
It is written that he arrived almost towards the end of the Festival, at about ten o’clock in the evening. He arrived with Ms. Wilde.”
“How is that possible? She's always been on the scene,” I said.
“Not all the time, she only came out to announce the performances,” Darcy admitted.
We left the guard post and then went to our dormitory.
“So, Alexis herself escorted her guest, but why? Maybe he doesn’t drive a car?” Darcy suggested.
“Or he couldn’t do it at that time,” to everyone's surprise, concluded Evan.
“You don’t think that...”
“That's exactly what I think, Christian. Alexis waited until the final show started, in order to gain more time. She had, at least, forty minutes. During this time she managed to bring Eric and leave him somewhere. Around this time was the last time that Christian saw Anna at the entrance to the arena. So, Alexis managed to take her away before going to close the festival.”
We all were listening attentively to Evan, trying to understand his reasoning, which wasn’t easy.
“There are not that many places on campus where you can just leave a stranger, but also possibly a sick man. But outside of campus...” he continued. “All the roads lead to the main highway, except for...”
“The west gate,” prompted Christian.
“Exactly! Except for the west gate, that’s why...”
“Wait!” I said, stopping. “Do you think Alexis just left that guy somewhere, and then went back to find Anna, who could heal him? If he really was sick, of course.”
“Well done, Eileen! You got it all right,” praised Evan, and went on.
“The more I think about it, the more it seems to me that we are on the right track,” said Christian. I understood perfectly well what he was talking about. “The right track” meant that his intuition was fully in agreement with his thoughts, and this meant a lot.
“But what is there behind the western gate, that they could hide a person?” Darcy wondered.
“Medellin’s hut,” Evan said.
“What?!” I froze. “Does it still exist?”
“Of course. It’s part of Dever’s history. It is constantly being restored and kept in good condition.”
“Actually I can’t remember exactly where it‘s located,” said Christian.