by Paige Watson
“Of course,” he said, trying to piece together his composure. His eyes immediately fell to the floor and he didn’t dare look up at her. She followed him to the door and opened it as he stepped toward the threshold. She held onto his hand, preventing him from leaving her room altogether.
“I’ll see you downstairs,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.
“I look forward to it,” he smiled.
She shut the door behind him just as I came out of the bathroom.
“What on earth have you done to Noah?” Our eyes met and before she could answer we exploded into a fit of giggles.
“I honestly couldn’t tell you,” she said with a smile.
“Whatever it is, I don’t think he hates it,” I said with a wink. I finished combing my hair and packed up my things while Caroline got ready. I gathered all her clothes and folded them into her bag while she slid on a light green dress. She threw a brown jacket over it and picked up her bag from the bed. “You ready?”
“I guess,” I said, following her out the door. I had decided to take everything with me because I had no idea if we would be coming back here or not. It was always better to be over-prepared than under. As we walked down the steps I could see everyone waiting for us on the white couches. Milton jumped up to take our bags and set them with a pile of luggage by the stairs. Noah was seated on a couch by himself and Caroline moved to sit next to him. Helen was sulking in one of the armchairs, not caring to acknowledge the existence of anyone but herself, while Milton sat in the chair beside hers. Conrad was sitting by himself on the other couch. He had on a pair of dark jeans and a pale yellow t-shirt with the faded image of an eagle on it. The yellow color of the shirt made his golden tan seem darker. It didn’t seem right that someone could make a simple t-shirt look so good. He motioned for me to join him, and I shot a quick glance Helen’s way before sitting next to him. She was staring at the floor and made no notice of my presence. I breathed a sigh of relief. I could live with being ignored. Conrad grabbed my hand and interlaced our fingers.
“Well, I see everything is in order,” Noah said, looking at Conrad and I. “I’m waiting for the pilot to call me about the plane. It shouldn’t be too much longer.”
“Where will we be going when we get to New York?” I moved my gaze from Conrad to Noah as I spoke.
“We’ll be going to see the Caput. I’ve already called to let him know to expect us tonight. He’s hosting a fundraiser tomorrow night for one of the charities he heads. We’ll be staying in a hotel near his apartment.”
“Oh, ok,” I replied. “What kind of charities does he head?”
“All sorts; he mostly connects himself to charities for children, or medical research of some kind. Since no members of the Concilium work; we find other ways to contribute our time to society.”
“That’s really nice,” Caroline added.
Noah’s phone rang out, preventing him from saying anything in response. “We’ll be there in twenty minutes,” he said, hanging up the phone. “The plane is ready.” He stood up from the couch and walked to the bags. He picked up his and Caroline’s before she could reach for it. She smiled at him and followed him to the stairs. Milton and Helen walked behind them in silence while Conrad grabbed our bags.
“I can carry that,” I said. I watched as he swung my bag over his shoulder.
“I know,” he said. “But I want to carry it for you.”
I kissed him softly on the lips. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it, My Lady.”
We held hands as we walked down the stairs and tried to catch up with the rest of the group. Once we were out of the building, we walked to the parking garage across the street and filed into a black SUV. The inside of the car was immaculate, down to the fibers in the carpet and it made me feel like we had stolen a vehicle from the FBI or CIA. I guess it was important for us to travel as inconspicuously as
possible. If Aden could find me in Estill Springs of all places, he could certainly find me anywhere. I wanted to stop Aden more than anything. He had hurt so many people I loved and he needed to pay for it. If only I could remember where I put the apple seeds, I could destroy them so he could never truly possess the powers of a consiliarius. I racked my brain for any connection that might exist with the seeds, but as I expected, I couldn’t come up with anything. I had been so lost in my thoughts that it wasn’t until Conrad squeezed my hand I even noticed the car had stopped moving.
“We’re at the plane,” he said, pulling me from the car.
“Don’t remind me,” I groaned.
“You can take advantage of me on the plane, if it’ll distract you from flying.” Conrad raised his eyebrows at me in a suggestive manner.
“As if you’d put up a fight against me,” I said, smiling.
“Oh,” he said with a grin. “I wouldn’t.”
Conrad held onto me as we walked over to the plane, but the knot in my stomach continued to grow. Caroline was in front of us as we started walking.
“This isn’t a plane,” Caroline announced. “It’s a freaking mini-van.” The plane looked smaller with each step we took and I figured it couldn’t have more than ten seats on it.
“It’s perfectly safe,” Noah said from behind her.
She turned around and shot him a glare. “Just so you know, if I die on this plane, I’ll make sure I’m reborn so I can come back and kick your ass.”
“For that, I’ll bring you back myself,” he winked.
Conrad practically had to push me onto the plane and we walked back to the last row of seats. I waited for him to store my bag in the compartment over our heads. Then he took the seat by the window, while I sat on the one closest the aisle. Noah sat by Caroline, who was two rows in front of us. My heartbeat quickened as they closed the door to the plane and started up the engines. Conrad fastened my seatbelt for me and held onto my hand. I examined the lines on the back of his hand, tracing various scars that ran up his arm.
“How did you get this scar?” I pointed to a long white mark that trailed up his forearm.
“Cecily,” he said with a laugh. “My mother taught her how to stitch up holes and tears in our clothes and one day she decided to practice on me while I was sleeping. I had a hole in one of my sleeves and when she went to cut the extra thread, she cut my arm instead.”
“I bet she was so upset.”
“Oh, she cried for a whole day. It took me hours of talking to convince her I was going to be fine.”
“She was always so sweet to me,” I said.
“That’s because she loved you.”
I raised his arm in my hands and kissed his scar. “How can you have the same scars if you’ve been reborn?”
“We’re reborn into our former bodies; so any scars or markings we have before we die stay with us forever. That’s also why I’m not reborn as a baby; we’re reborn at the same age as when we died.”
“But then how am I born as a baby?”
“Because you’re a primum and the Concilium decided you should be reborn that way. They wanted you to live just like everyone else. I think they believed it would make it easier for the two of you to connect with the people around you,” he said.
“Everything the Concilium does seems so mysterious.”
“Well, they have their reasons for being mysterious.”
“I know. And it’s a good thing, or else Aden would be in full possession of their powers by now,” I said.
Conrad nodded his head in agreement. I squeezed his hand harder as the plane started to leave the ground. “It won’t take us long to get there,” he said, guiding my head to rest on his shoulder.
“Good. I really don’t like to fly.”
“I know,” he replied. “But at least we have some in-flight entertainment,” he said, pointing to Caroline and Noah. I looked up and saw they were facing each other in their seats. Noah had a playing card stuck to his forehead.
“Is it the seven of hearts?” As he asked his question, he bro
ke into a grin.
“How did you know?!” Carline peeled the card from his head and looked at him in amazement.
“I told you I can do magic,” he boasted. “Maybe later we can raise the dead as a party trick,” he said in a joking manner.
I shook my head at them and joined Conrad in looking out the window.
“I think he really likes her,” I said in a low voice.
“Me too,” he agreed. “In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him act like this before. “So I take it that’s a good thing?”
“It is,” he smiled.
I could see the buildings and trees littering the ground beneath us; they looked like tiny dots from our birds-eye view. I looked to the other side of the plane and saw Milton was quietly immersed in a book he had propped in front of him. He wasn’t a very vocal type of person, but I liked his silent, strong demeanor. Helen was stretched over two seats and appeared to be sleeping. As I watched her; I found myself wondering why she had been made into a secundae. Generally, it seemed you were brought back if you demonstrated an act of pure selflessness or sacrifice. I would have to make a mental note to ask Conrad about it, once we were out of earshot.
“Do you ever miss living in the Middle Ages?”
Conrad turned from the window to look at me. “There are certainly things about it I miss, but for the most part I like the time that we’re in now.”
“What do you miss about it?”
“Well, I miss living in the castle with you, Cecily, and my mother. I miss how families spent their nights gathered around the fireplace instead of the television.”
“That sounds nice,” I smiled. “Did you ever sneak into my room at night?”
He raised his eyebrows and took my hand in his. “I did one other time besides the night we spent together right before I died,” he said, rubbing his fingers along my knuckles.
“What happened?”
“After I came back from the hunt, I kept having the same dream, and I was plagued with it every night I slept. I dreamed as Aden chased the wolf through the forest; I was right on his heels. Then I watched as he stabbed the wolf with his spear, and as he stood over its carcass, it turned into you.” His eyes were on my hands as he talked. “Every time I had the dream, I’d wake up and walk to your door. I couldn’t help but look in your room and make sure you were alright before I returned to mine. However, there was one night when I opened your door and you were awake.
“Then what happened?”
“You saw me, and you could tell instantly I was upset. You made me lay down with you and you rubbed my head while I told you about my dream.”
“Why didn’t you make it a regular habit of coming into my room at night?”
“I wanted to, but we were always careful about hiding our relationship.”
“I hate we had to hide it.”
“Me too,” he said. “But at least we don’t have to anymore.”
I gently drug my fingers through his hair. “I know what you mean.”
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Noah standing beside me.
“I just wanted to let both of you know we’ll be landing in a few minutes,” he said.
“Ok, good,” I answered.
“I arranged for a car to take us to the Caput’s apartment. After we talk to him, we’ll head to where we’re staying. I put you and Caroline in the same room. I hope that’s ok.”
“Sounds good to me,” I said.
“Conrad, you and I will be sharing a room as well. Helen and Milton will each have their own room.”
“Thanks for arranging everything,” Conrad added.
“It was nothing,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
I watched as he walked back to Caroline and bent his head toward hers, deep in discussion. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.
Anticipation fizzled in my stomach as the plane began its descent back to the ground. I was nervous at the thought of meeting the caput, but I was also nervous because I could feel myself leaving my former life behind. Estill seemed so far away now. I would never be able to go back to the life I had there, and while part of me mourned the loss of my simple life; the other part of me knew it wasn’t really my life. Conrad was my life. He was my past, present, and future. Any time I spent without him wasn’t living, it was simply existing until I could be reunited with him once more. I felt myself breathe a sigh of relief, as the plane made contact with the earth. The sooner I could get back on solid ground, the better. Conrad retrieved our bags and I fell in line behind Caroline, as we exited the plane. Another black SUV was already waiting for us.
“I feel like we’re in the witness protection program,” Caroline whispered in my ear.
“I know what you mean,” I laughed. Conrad and Noah loaded everyone’s luggage into the back of the car; while we got in and waited to be taken to the Caput’s apartment. The outside world became a blur, as the car sped away from the landing strip. I wasn’t exactly sure where our plane had landed, but it was deserted. It had to be some kind of private piece of land. I felt a tight grasp on my hand. I looked down and saw Conrad’s hand on top of mine. My nails were embedded into the black leather of the seat. I hadn’t realized what I was doing. Perhaps I was a little more nervous than I realized. At his touch, my grip loosened. I knew his eyes were on me. I always tried to think of the best way to describe the color of them. They were like shimmering sapphires or bright oceans of blue, but even these comparisons failed to capture their true color.
Scenes of the countryside flew past the windows, morphing into an urban environment. I had never been to New York before, well at least not in this lifetime, and I found I couldn’t look at everything fast enough. Buildings that seemed to be made entirely of glass, jutted up into the sky and the city vibrated with life. I had never seen buildings so tall; they almost seemed to merge into the clouds that hung in the sky. We rode deep into the city before stopping in front of a smaller building. It was miniscule, compared to the skyscrapers that stood around it, but something in my gut told me the inside would be grander than any other buildings near it. The car parked out front, and a plump doorman ushered us inside the lobby of the building. I was right about the building being grand. Large crystal chandeliers dangled from the high ceilings, and an oversized desk to the left side of the room held two large arrangements of roses. The lobby was unlike anything I had ever seen. The dark grey floor shimmered with swirls of gold. People walked about the lobby, continuing with their busy schedules as we followed Noah to the metallic gold elevators ahead of us. The six of us piled into the elevator and Noah punched a button, illuminating number ten. A quick scan informed me we were headed for the top floor. The ride was over in a matter of seconds. As the doors opened, I saw a short hallway in front of us. We walked down it and came to a stop in front of a red door. The color was a deep red; almost the color of dark wine. I stuck close to Conrad and Caroline. Noah knew exactly what to do, because he announced our presence with three swift knocks.
A small crack opened in the door and a single eye peered at us through the opening.
“Yes?” The voice behind the door was deep.
“It’s Noah. We’re here to see Everest.”
“In that case, please come in.” The door opened, admitting us into an expansive open room. I could tell in an instant that this apartment had to take up the entire floor. The man at the door was slightly shorter than Conrad and Noah, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in width. He had a stocky yet muscular build. His hair was bright and looked like a patch of flames on top of his head. A thick beard covered his chin, matching the color of his hair. He led us into the center of a large room. In front of us stood a wall of glass. Window after window lined the wall, allowing us to see out into the city. To our right sat a grand piano, and to the left a collection of black leather couches beckoned us. The man motioned for us to sit. We each sat as he remained standing.
“It’s good to see you again, Terrick,”
Noah said, extending his hand out to the man.
“Same to you,” he answered in his deep voice. “Conrad, Milton,” he said as he shook each of their hands. He gave a curt nod in Helen’s direction.
“I believe you already know Evey,” Noah said, waving a hand at me.
“Of course,” he said with a slight bow. I smiled at him slightly and inched closer to Conrad.
“And this is Caroline. She is a close friend of Evey’s.” Terrick bent his head to Caroline.
“Nice to meet you,” she said.
As she was talking, another man came up beside Terrick. He was an exact copy of him except for his hair. Where Terrick’s was a flamboyant red, this man’s hair was dark. It was such a dark color of red it almost looked purple when the light shone on it. He had the same honey colored eyes as Terrick and the same stocky build. Each brother had a thick tribal looking tattoo on their left arm. I could just make out the black ink from under the sleeve of their shirts. I couldn’t help but wonder how many years ago the ink was first set in their skin.
“This is my brother Warrin.” Warrin inclined his head slightly as a way of acknowledging us.
“Everest will be out to talk to you shortly.”
“Thank you,” Noah replied.
I looked around the room trying to get a better feel for my surroundings. The dark wood of the floor shone with a fresh coat of polish, and large photographs hung on the far wall to my left. They were landscape photographs done in black and white. I felt myself drawn to one, of what had to be a small orchard. The rows of trees cast angular shadows onto the dark gray of the earth. I stole my eyes from the photographs in time to see an older man, in a charcoal colored suit, walking toward us. The light blue shirt under his jacket was buttoned all the way up to his neck. He had a slight build and short gray hair
that matched his suit. His eyes, like everything else, were a dark gray. His face was devoid of any emotion, giving the appearance he was not someone you could easily converse with. He came to stand in front of us, with the twins on either side of him. As I looked at the three of them standing together, I could only think that they were a force to be reckoned with.