by Paige Watson
“What do we do now?”
“Well for now, we try to get to the safe house without anyone following us.”
“Where’s the house at?”
“It’s about an hour away. It’s an old farm in the middle of nowhere.” The car sped around another curve and I set my hands on the dash to brace myself.
“We have to go get Caroline.”
“No, we can’t. I won’t risk it.”
“We have to get her. If they knew how to find me, they know about her. We have to go get her.”
“I’m sorry Evey, but that’s not an option.” His voice was firm and unyielding.
“Please. I promise I will go wherever it is you want me to, but I need her.”
“There isn’t any time.”
“I’ve lost every single person I’ve ever loved within a few hours. Just let me have this one thing.”
He was silent for a minute before he responded. “Where does she live?” I pointed for him to turn left and directed him to her house. “Call her and tell her to be ready.”
I searched for my leather bag, and found my phone in the bottom of it. I punched her number into the phone and waited anxiously for it to ring.
“Evey?” Her voice sounded groggy with sleep.
“Caroline, I need you to do something for me ok?”
“It’s almost one in the morning.”
“I know, there isn’t time to explain, but I just need you to trust me. Pack a bag with some clothes and stuff and leave a note for your parents. We will be at your house in a few minutes.”
“We, we who?”
“We as in Conrad and me.”
“Evey, what’s going on? You’re acting really strange.”
“I know I am. I promise I will tell you everything later. Please just pack a bag and meet me outside, it’s important.”
“Ok.”
I’ll see you in a few minutes,” I said.
She was already waiting for us on the front yard wearing penguin pajamas and some flip flops. Her bag was strung over her shoulder and she had a pillow in her hand. Conrad got out of the car and took her bag. He put it in the back by mine and she climbed into the back seat. Without waiting for us to say anything, the car took off speeding down the road.
“What the hell is going on?” She looked at my face and gasped. “What happened to you? Why are you covered in blood?”
“I’m ok.”
“Your arm. It’s burned really bad. What did he do to you?!”
“Conrad saved my life Caroline.” I paused to take in a deep breath. “What I have to tell you is going to sound crazy, but I just need you to believe me.”
“Ok,” she said reluctantly.
“Someone bad is after me, I’m not quite sure what he wants but he had my dad killed and he took my mom.”
A look of horror crossed her face. “What?”
“Please don’t make me repeat it,” I said, my eyes filling with tears. “Conrad and I were eating at the diner and all these bad people came in and attacked me. Conrad saved me and got me out of the diner.”
“What about Kit and Mickey?”
“They didn’t make it,” Conrad answered.
Her hands shot to her mouth, stifling a choking noise. “What do you mean they didn’t make it?”
“They held off the people, while Conrad and I escaped. We haven’t heard anything from them since,” I said.
“And your parents are gone too?”
“We don’t know where my mom is exactly, but yes.” I brushed a stray tear from my face.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry Evey.” She reached forward, pulling me into a hug. I held onto her tight, sobbing into her shoulder. An overwhelming silence began to fill the car. I laid my head down on the console between the seats; it felt as if any minute it would explode into a million tiny pieces. Seconds seemed to extend forever as the car sped down the deserted interstate.
“Will we be there soon?” I asked, rubbing my temples.
“Yeah. It’s not much further,” Conrad answered. “About twenty more minutes.”
“Where are we?” I asked, as we pulled into a dark driveway hidden by low hanging branches.
“Just outside of New Hope, going toward Chattanooga,” Conrad answered.
It took five minutes for us to drive down the narrow road before stopping in front of an old two story house. The brick on the outside of it looked run down and the white trim of the front porch was peeling. I could just make out the shape of a barn sitting in the distance.
“What is this place?” Caroline leaned forward, between our seats, to get a better look at the house.
“It’s a sort of safe house for our group.”
“Who is the group?” she asked.
“The group consists of Marie, Guy, Mickey, Kit, and me. We are called secundae. We are guardians, warriors really who were assigned to Evey in order to protect her.”
“Why do I need to be protected?”
He let out a sigh and turned the car off. “Let’s go inside and I’ll tell you everything.” He grabbed our bags and led Caroline and me up to the house. There was a small potted tree that had long since dried up, sitting by the front door. He picked up the cracked blue pot and pulled a key off the bottom of it. He slid it into the lock and opened the door for us to enter. Caroline and I walked into the dark house, holding hands. Conrad followed behind us and turned on the light. Immediately he turned around and fastened the door shut. Then he barricaded the door with a large wooden beam.
“That should keep us safe.”
The inside of the house was remarkably nicer than the outside. The kitchen, living room, and dining room were connected in the shape of the letter L. All the walls were painted a light sage color and a narrow staircase with wooden steps led to the upstairs of the house. Conrad held on to our bags and started walking up the stairs.
“There are three rooms upstairs, so everyone can have their own.” We followed him and saw the three separate bedrooms ahead of us. One bathroom separated two of the bedrooms from the other. “You can stay in here Caroline,” he said, walking into a small room with soft yellow walls. He set her bag on top of the rose colored bedspread. “There should be clean towels in the dresser and empty hangers in the closet.”
“Thanks,” she said, running her hand across the bedspread.
“This room is yours Evey,” he said, motioning to the room next to Caroline’s. The walls of my room were painted a soft lilac. It instantly reminded me of my room at home. In the center of the room sat a large canopy bed, with a white crocheted comforter. He laid my bag down on the bed. “This next room is the bathroom and my room is just over there.” Caroline and I looked at him. We were both at a loss for words. In the light of the house I could see her face had the same tear streaks across it that mine had.
“Why don’t you take a shower Evey, and I’ll make us all some food. Then I’ll tell you everything you want to know, while we eat.”
“Ok,” I nodded. I watched as he and Caroline descended the steps turning toward the kitchen. I pulled the photo from the pocket of his jacket and set it on the dresser in the room. The picture was taken last year at Christmas, and it showed me in between my parents, as we stood in front of our tree. My chest tightened as I looked at their smiling faces. I wished they were here with me now, but no matter how much I wished it, it was impossible. With a heavy heart, I ambled over to my bag and pulled out a night gown and an old cardigan.
I walked into the bathroom and started the shower. The water turned a reddish brown as I washed the dirt and blood from my body. I tried to wrap my head around everything that had happened, but it proved to be impossible. I sat down in the tub, allowing the shower to pour on top of me. My tears mixed with the water and I hugged my knees to my chest. I had to keep it together; it wouldn’t help me in any way to lose control. I sat until the water turned cold, unable to do anything else. Once the hot water was gone, I finished my shower and dried off. I combed my fingers through
my wet hair, smoothing it out. Then I threw on my gray cotton nightgown and a navy sweater before heading down to the kitchen. The air smelled of pancakes as I walked into the kitchen. Caroline sat at the table. She watched Conrad flip hot cakes into the air, catching them with a frying pan.
“It smells good in here,” I said. Startled at the sound of my voice, they both jumped, turning around to face me.
“How many pancakes do you guys want?” He set three plates down on the table and poured us each a glass of water.
“Two,” Caroline and I answered together.
He slid the hot pancakes onto our plates and set a steaming pitcher of syrup on the table. I grabbed the pitcher and doused my pancakes with syrup. Then I held the pitcher out to Caroline. The pancakes dissolved in my mouth and I added another one to my plate. We ate our meal in silence. I looked at Conrad as I ate. He had dried blood on his cheek and his clothes were torn. He met my eyes and pushed his plate away from him.
“Well, I guess the only place to start is at the beginning,” he said. My stomach began to twist in knots as I waited for him to tell the story. Now the puzzle would all start to make sense; now I would have my answers. “Ok, so are either of you familiar with the Bible?”
I was surprised at his question. “Yeah. Why?”
“Because that is where this story, your story, starts,” he said, looking at me. Caroline and I sat there staring at him; he had our undivided attention. “Do you know the story of Adam and Eve?”
“Yeah, everyone knows it, but I don’t see what it has to do with Evey,” Caroline said.
“It has everything to do with her.” He focused his eyes on me. “You were the first woman God ever created. You are Eve.”
I stared at him with a blank expression on my face.
“What are you talking about?” Caroline piped up. “She can’t be Eve; Eve lived like, thousands of years ago.”
“God created man and named him Adam, and from Adam he created Eve. They were to be husband and wife, and they lived together in the Garden of Eden.” As he talked, my mind wandered.
Flashes of a garden flew before my eyes. Then I could see it as plainly as I could see him sitting in front of me. A tree. I walked to it, pushing branches and leaves out of my path so I could get a better look. It was a small tree with crooked branches that curled up toward the sky. I took another step. Its beauty drew me in, guiding my feet to it. Hanging off a branch, I saw an irresistible red apple dangling within my reach. It glistened in the sunlight, making my mouth water. I reached out a hand, moving closer to the apple. I wanted the apple, I needed it. My hand longed for the smooth fruit. I inched closer and closer before circling my hand around it, plucking it from the tree. A smile spread over my face as I rubbed the outside of the apple. I drew it to my mouth and sunk my teeth into its rosy flesh.
“He’s right,” I whispered.
Caroline looked at me in amazement. “What? You actually believe him?”
“Yes. He’s right. Just go on with the story,” I said, turning back to Conrad.
“You and Adam lived happily in the Garden of Eden, until you ate an apple off the one tree God forbid you to eat from. You ate fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. When God discovered what you had done, he was angered at your transgressions, so he cast you out from the garden.”
“And as punishment Adam had to work the land for food and Eve had to experience pain during childbirth. Yes we all know the story, but it still doesn’t make sense,” Caroline added.
“That wasn’t their only punishment,” he said, looking from Caroline back to me. “God put you in the garden, provided you with everything: food, shelter, a companion, and still you and Adam disobeyed him. You ate the fruit first and then you persuaded Adam to eat of it. When you did this, God saw that man could be easily influenced by each other. He saw that you had power over the actions of others and that is why he had you reborn.”
“So, Evey is actually Eve reincarnated?”
“Yes,” he answered, clearing his throat. “God had Adam and Eve reincarnated so he could have influence over future generations of man. You see, God gave man the gift of free will. He wants all of his children to repel sin and follow his teachings, but he also wants us to choose that path for ourselves. He never forces man into anything.” He reached out to grab his glass of water and took a long drink from it. “God realized that by reincarnating Adam and Eve, he could use them to guide the rest of humanity to him. You see Evey hasn’t been reincarnated just once; she’s been reincarnated repeatedly over the course of time. She and Adam both have actually.”
“So where do you, my parents, Mickey, and Kit all fit into this?”
“We were your secundae. We were your protectors,” he answered. “Over the years, you and Adam were reincarnated by The Concilium. The Concilium is a group of seven men and women who act as the voice of God. They interact directly with God and they are the ones that cause you to be reborn.”
“So that’s what my father was talking about when he told us to find the consiliarius?”
“Yes,” Conrad smiled. He paused for a moment to take a deep breath before he continued talking. “You and Adam were always reincarnated into positions of power. You always ruled over man as prominent kings and queens throughout history. And you ruled together successfully for many years, changing the way people viewed religion. You helped people change from worshipping pagan gods into following the Christian God.”
“What happened to Adam?” As soon as the words left my lips, I realized I already knew the answer. “Aden?”
Conrad nodded his head. “You and Adam were very happy together, you worked with the Concilium to help bring people to God. That was until Adam started to change.”
“What changed him?” I waited for his answer with bated breath.
“The apple.” A new wave of shock poured over my body. “The apple was just the spark, it was the start of his evil nature. The rest happened because of you.”
“I don’t understand,” I said, shaking my head.
“The apple you ate, was from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. You took the first bite, causing the knowledge of all that is good to come into your body, while Adam took the second bite, consuming all knowledge of that which is evil.”
My hand was instantly drawn to my mouth, covering it. Very slowly, I withdrew it from my face. “Then what did I do that made him change as well?”
“You fell in love with someone else,” he smiled.
“You mean I fell in love with you,” I said, returning his smile.
“Yes. You fell in love with me.”
“Ok, ok,” Caroline said, breaking our eyes away from each other. “I get that she is like The Eve, and I get why her and Adam were reincarnated. I’m still a little fuzzy on the whole consiliarius thing, but where do you fit in all of this exactly?” she asked, looking at Conrad.
“As I said before, Adam and Eve were reincarnated, living as queens and kings. Everything was going fine until Evey was reincarnated and born Isabella I of Castile. Isabella married Ferdinand II of Aragon, who was actually Adam. I met Evey when she was queen.” He reached forward to take another drink from his water. “I even remember the year, it was 1475.” As he spoke, I could see his eyes glaze over, and I knew he was reliving the past. “It was a cold, cold winter night. Snow covered the ground and Evey was in the village, handing out food to the starving people that littered the streets. She had her face hidden beneath a dark cloak, and I couldn’t tell who she was. No one could. At that time, my family was
very poor and my mother and sister were sick with a fever. They needed medicine we couldn’t afford. I was standing in line to get some bread when I saw the purse hanging from her waist, and while she was busy handing a loaf of bread to a little boy, I stole it. Once she realized what I had done, she followed me to my house and knocked on our door. Instantly, I recognized the dark cloak, but I let her in anyways. As soon as you were inside, you threw back the hood of your
cloak and I knew who you were at once. I was stunned to see the queen standing in our meager one room house.” He looked back at me before continuing on with his story. “I fell to my knees, begging for your forgiveness, I was sure you were going to have me executed for my crimes, but instead you dropped down in front of me and took my face in your hands. Then you smiled at me and kissed my forehead.”
“I wish I could remember it,” I said, reaching over the table for his hand.
“I have a good feeling you will.” He slid his hand to me, letting my palm rest on top of his. “You were curious how I was able to steal your purse without you even noticing, so you offered me the job of being one of your personal guards.”
“Then what happened?” Caroline asked, the eagerness in her voice apparent.
“I agreed, and Evey moved my family and me into the castle to live. She saved my mother and sister from dying. She nursed them back to health and changed our lives. I fell in love with Evey the moment she pulled back her cloak. I remember seeing her face, shining in the light that emitted from the fire. I thought she was an angel.”
“So you were one of her guards? What does that mean exactly?”
“I traveled with her wherever she went and protected her at all times. Actually, I was one of her personal guard. Guy and Mickey were part of it as well. Marie was her nurse maid, she took care of her from the time she was born, and Kit was one of her ladies in waiting.”
“What did Adam do to drive me away from him?”
“He started having prisoners in the dungeons tortured. He preyed on them, satiating his lust for blood with fire and metal. Then a few years later, he started the Spanish Inquisition. He ordered the torture and persecution of Jews and Muslims who he felt did not truly convert to Christianity. Later on, he started participating in some of the torture himself. I think over time he developed a taste for it because he became more and more sinister.”
“That’s horrible,” Caroline exclaimed.
“Yeah, he was very cruel. Then, when he felt Evey pulling away from him, he really started to descend into madness.”