The warmth emanating from the stove wafted toward me, and I opened my eyes, turning to Will. He stared at me, trying and failing to speak.
“Mina.” Asher’s solemn tone drew both of our attention. “We will help my son find her again. Together.”
“We will… we will, Grandfather. When? When is his birthday?”
“Tomorrow,” he moved to the only window in the cottage, near the back of the hut.
“I’m supposed to tell him on his birthday… why not now?” I turned to Will, and he shook his head.
“We must not alter the course of history, Eva. We wait.”
Asher nodded. “I will find you safe accommodations. I have a friend who will be of assistance. He is Romani.”
“Will Romani keep our secret?”
“Romani are a people.” Will’s grave expression told me I’d be getting an earful of a lecture as soon as we were alone.
“Gypsies?”
“The term ‘gypsy’ is derogatory. Romani,” Will corrected, obviously on edge.
“Oh.” I flushed, nodding. “He’ll help us?”
“Indeed.” Asher pressed his hand over his heart, reaching inside his robes. He extracted a long, silver chain, pulling the necklace over his head. “You will take this with you. Go to the edge of the wood, at the northern border of town.”
“We came from that way. There’s no one in those woods. We walked for miles,” I argued, looking to Will to back me up.
“They will find you. Show them this amulet. Ask for Sinti.” He jerked to the window, and then back to us. “Go now! My son returns,” he called, rushing us to the door. “Godspeed, young Eva.”
I nearly tripped as Will pulled me from the cottage, rushing us to the wide pasture behind the road. “Will… slow down…,”
“Hurry,” he growled, and I narrowed my eyes, rounding my free arm in the air before delivering a firm chop to his wrist.
He released my forearm, his blue eyes wide as he rubbed his wrist, stunned.
“Don’t pull me around! I don’t like it- and I won’t put up with it.” I smoothed the dress and brushed my hair back from my eyes. Looping the blood-red pendant around my neck, I pointed at the forest. “Now, just walk. We have a whole day to wait. What in the hell is the point of running? I’m still waiting for my lecture about giving up my immortality, by the way.”
Will stepped toward me, gripping my shoulders. “You were destined to give your immortality to him today, Eva, in another one of your rash, thoughtless decisions. Had you not, he would never survive the fire.”
I stared at him blankly. “Fire?”
“Asher and West will burn. My father is coming.”
Chapter Seventeen
“Troy is coming?”
“Eva,” Will gestured to the forest across the pasture. “We are not going to see him. We will stay with the Romani until your father’s birthday tomorrow.”
“I can’t let my father burn! I can’t let him go through that!” I turned back toward the cottage, but he caught me around my waist, slinging me over his shoulder. I screamed, my face pressed against his back, and grabbed his sides with all of my strength. “Put me down! Oh my God you’re going to drop me!” My hair almost reached the ground. He delivered a firm slap to my behind as it bobbed in the air. “Ow!”
“West will heal. I am not putting you down until you agree to do as I say.”
“I guess you’re going to carry me around for the rest of your life, then.”
“I will do as I must.”
I tried to cross my arms defiantly, but as soon as I released his sides, I scrambled again for a hold. The blood rushed to my head, and my nostrils flared. “You’re going to pay for this, William Reed.”
“I look forward to it, Eva Reed.”
“Oh, no, I never agreed to take your last name. I didn’t even know your last name until yesterday. I am a Perry. I will always be a Perry.”
“And our children?” I felt the cool shade of the forest before he stepped into the brush.
“We’re not having children, remember? Giant suns? Melting kingdom?”
He finally pulled me forward, dropping me to my feet. As the blood rushed back where it belonged in my body, I swayed, losing my balance and falling to the ground with a thud.
“We will end this.”
It was the first time I’d heard him speak of an end to the prophecy. I remained on the ground, waiting through the dissipating vertigo in my head. “You think we’ll end this somehow?”
He crouched next to me, pulling at a crumbled leaf in my hair. “I do.”
I stared at him, sighing. He lifted his hand, offering to help me to my feet. Accepting his fingers in mine, I let him pull me up and against him. “Eva… Perry… Reed.”
He smirked, tilting his head slightly and giving an official nod. “Sounds right, love.”
“Queen Eva Perry Reed.”
“… in marriage. We still have a coronation to see to when we return home.”
Home… I thought of the castle, with the large, stone walls and stained glass windows… chandeliers dripping with ice-crystals, and enormous, luxurious bedrooms. Yvette, Val… Eric. “I think I might… like being there. In the castle. With you.”
He inched closer, his lips moments from mine. I covered my mouth with my hand.
Narrowing his eyes, he concentrated on my fingers. “Remove your hand.”
“My teeth are fuzzy.”
As my words registered, he chuckled, kissing my forehead before turning us back to the forest.
Not three steps further, I jerked at a strapping sound.
Will suddenly flipped in the air, lifted high above my head from an unseen object. He grunted, and I held back a scream as he dangled high over me, secured by a rope around his ankle.
“Will!”
“Be warned; she is powerful,” a voice sounded from behind me. Rather than turning, I looked up, holding my hands in the air beneath Will. Pinching my eyes closed, I focused on the gun at his side.
My Jedi abilities, apparently, were nonexistent. His pistol remained holstered as two strong arms grabbed me from behind. Instead, Social Distortion’s version of Ring of Fire cut through the woods, frightening the men surrounding us.
With a vicious shout, I broke the hold, reached behind me, crouched just right, and used my core strength to flip my attacker to the ground. He barely had time to register his bewilderment before my foot slammed into his face, knocking him unconscious.
“You again?” I turned toward the seemingly-empty forest, in fighting stance. The same man who had towered over me on the forest path now lay unconscious, again, at my feet. “That is the second time I’d had to knock him out today.”
“Eva, behind you,” Will’s warning from the tree above me came just in time; I employed my concentration, turning to deliver a purposeful flying kick to the other man’s neck.
“Stop attacking me, you assholes! I’m going to win every time, and I’m only angrier because I’m hungry.” I called into the forest, closing my fist and shutting down the music. “I have my grandfather’s amulet, and I need to talk to Sinti.”
“I am Sinti.”
As a man stepped from behind a tree, I heard Will chamber a round from above me. I held my palm up at him, flat. “Hold on, Will.”
“Just covering you, love.”
“You are kin to Asher?”
I nodded, gathering my frizzing-by-the-minute hair and removing the silver chain from my neck. “He said you’d help us. We need a place to sleep for the night. I’m from… the future. I’m-…,”
“Eva.” Will’s threatening tone only instigated me to continue.
“I’m a future queen… a witch queen. And you’ve seen my powers. I’m only here to deliver a message to Asher’s son… and then I’m leaving.” Somehow. Have we even figured out how we’re getting back?
“The fire queen.” I turned to a woman’s voice, watching her step from the shrouds of the forest greenery. Her off-white s
hirt, paired with a dark, woolen skirt, was partially covered by some kind of drape over her shoulder. The sash at her waist was cinched to the wrap with an oval brooch.
Her dark eyes, hair, and skin, the same as the three men surrounding me, led me to believe we’d found the Romani. “Can you help us?” I asked, intimidated by her penetrative gaze. I felt as though her eyes reached into my soul, rummaging around for information.
“We will help you, King and Queen of the ice kingdom.”
Is that a… Russian accent? Will fell to the ground behind me with a thud, and I turned to see that two other men had appeared at the tree that he was suspended from, cutting him loose.
“Come.” Sinti gestured, and I moved close to Will, following him.
We walked in silence, and I longed to talk, but every time I opened my mouth, Will shot me a silencing stare.
The sun lowered into the sky, and I estimated that more than an hour had passed. My stomach moved beyond the point of hunger to nausea, and I cringed as I began to hiccup.
Will turned to me, raising his eyes. “Are you weak?”
“What?” I hiccupped, and then growled. I hate the hiccups.
“I know that you are very hungry.” His soothing voice came at just the right time. I nodded, and he wrapped one arm around me comfortingly.
As the sun lowered into evening, I began to lose my patience. My legs ached, and now the painful thorn attacks from the underbrush were not healing. I winced as I caught my ankle on another barb, turning to Will as his arms surrounded me. “I’m going to carry you. Do not fight me.”
I nodded again, thankful to be wrapped in his arms.
“We come upon our camp,” Sinti spoke for the first time in hours, reassuring.
The clearing of tents had me searching the forest for movie cameras.
The people moved over the camp purposefully, and I nearly fainted as the smell of cooking meat wafted near me. “Put me down, please,” I managed to Will. He obliged, and I watched him wince. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong.”
I watched the obvious lie in his eyes. “Are you hurt?”
He lifted his pant leg, and I covered my mouth, dropping to my knees. “Will… your ankle is swollen- maybe broken! I can’t believe you just walked all this way- and carried me all this way-…,”
“Hush.” He reached for me, but I burst to my feet, glaring at Sinti.
“My husband’s ankle is injured because of your trap. He needs medical attention now.” I watched the confusion pass over his eyes.
“Medical attention?”
“A healer.” Will moved to a tall tree stump, sitting slowly. “Elevation, water, and rest, Eva. That is all I can do for now.”
“You will sleep here,” Sinti gestured to a plain, white tent. I stood behind Will as he sat on the stump, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
“Thank you.” I bit back the rant burning my tongue, my teeth clenched in frustration. He nodded once, pointing to a spit where a sizzling animal cooked slowly.
“Vadoma will see that you are served.” He gestured to the woman who called me ‘the fire queen.’
“Many thanks,” I mumbled, lowering beneath Will’s arm. “Come on, let me help you to the tent.”
“I will walk,” he stood, and I flinched at the pressure he placed on his ankle.
The inside of the tent was small but warm, the dirt floor littered with many crude furs. A thin palette lined the back wall, and I assumed it was supposed to be a bed. The framework of the tent was constructed of bent wood, curved and stretched with a canvas-like material. The outline formed a domed ceiling, just slightly higher than Will’s head. A fire pit in the center of the tent housed a small flame, and in the ceiling a sort of window or porthole was propped open to allow the smoke to escape.
“Welcome to the honeymoon suite, Mr. and Mrs. Reed,” I voiced sarcastically, gesturing to the crude bed. “In lieu of chocolates and rose petals, your bed has been covered with… why, yes, more fleas. At no extra cost.”
“Eva,” he chuckled against his better judgment, shaking his head.
“And… of course, no toilet. Back to the bushes. I’m totally going home with a UTI.”
“Sit. There are no fleas.” He gestured to the bed, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was give beneath the material of the mattress.
“You sit, Will. Your ankle must be killing you. Aren’t you in pain?”
He eased to the makeshift bed. “I have been through worse.”
I stared at the handsome man that I married, watching him lean back and slip his shoes off. His hair, perfectly disheveled, fell over his forehead in blunt sections and framed his pensive eyes. How well do I really know him? I know that he’s gentle… and intelligent… and honest.
What has he been through?
I reached for his hand, lacing his fingers in mine. He lifted his eyes at my quiet, comforting gesture, smiling lightly. “Thank you, Will.”
He inched closer, his eyes focused on my lips.
“Come- eat,” Sinti’s voice called from outside the tent. I stood and squeezed Will’s hand, shaking my head.
“I’ll bring you food. Stay here.”
“I will not leave you alone-…,”
“Rest, Will,” I hushed, bending to press my lips to his forehead. He caught my face, meeting my eyes.
“Stay out of trouble.”
Grinning, I nodded, moving to the door flap of the tent. I gathered the cooked meat (whatever it was, I didn’t ask) and a half of a loaf of bread, trying to ignore the staring people. Two bold children ran to my side, tugging on my dirty dress. “You are touched?”
Touched? I looked down at them, and then to Vadoma. She shooed the children away, helping me carry Will’s food to the tent. “Soothsaying. Many come to me to know their future. They believe you have the same gifts.”
“I suppose I do, since I know what will happen,” I acknowledged, thinking of my mom and dad. With two parents with PhDs in history, and my complete disinterest, I was ashamed to realize that the knowledge that I possessed of medieval times was based solely on Disney princess movies. “I wish I knew when showers were invented.”
She stared at me for a moment, puzzled, and then finally nodded. “We camp on a lake, your majesty. Wait… this is my gift to you,” she hurried to a wagon near a black tent, searching through her belongings for a minute. I held the food in my hands impatiently, wondering how rude it would be to lower my head to the crude dish and take a bite. Finally, she returned with a small, uneven chunk of something hard and gray. “Lye. Of olive oil and rose petals.”
Soap. I felt like a child on Christmas morning. “Thank you… many thanks… so many thanks,” I poured, letting her slip the soap into the apron pocket of my gown.
She removed a small pouch from her own pocket, nodding. “Mint leaves. To chew. I will prepare a gown for you to wear.”
“Oh,” I nodded, thanking her as Will opened the tent flap. She left us, and I struggled to keep from swallowing the food whole.
“Slowly, love. We cannot afford to lose this meal.” I watched his concentrated effort to chew each bite thoroughly. I nodded, mimicking his pace. Squirrel? Deer? Who cares. When we finished, I sighed, lifting the soap from my pocket.
“Vadoma gave me soap and mint leaves… and said they camp on a lake. Apparently, I must smell pretty bad.” I gathered a leaf in my fingertips, placing it on my tongue. Do I let it melt, like a Listerine strip or something?
He listened, obviously surprised. “Soap was very rare. She gives you gifts to respect you. Come,” he limped to his feet, leading me from the tent. “Chew, love.” He helped himself to a leaf as well. I obliged, gnawing on the leaf like gum.
I tried not to cringe. “How clean do you think the water is?”
“Cleaner than we are,” he answered. He spoke quietly to Sinti and another man, accepting a bundle of clothing from Vadoma. Leading me back into the woods, Will offered me the bright, green gown.
“We’ll have a bath, after all.”
“Why are they being so nice to us, and giving us all of this stuff for free?”
“We are royalty. Their actions are born of loyalty to Asher… and fear of the future.”
I spit the mint leaf into the bushes, and he watched me with an amused shake of the head. “I have to wrap your ankle, Will. I can tell by the way that it’s swelling that it’s disjointed. The force of the rope-…,”
“What do you know of this injury?” He gave me a sideways glance, moving toward a clearing and removing the leaf from his own mouth. “Have you studied medicine?”
“I’ve drawn an ankle before. The inside,” I added defensively, lifting my eyes at the small lake before us. “It is freezing. I’m not getting in that water.”
He touched the edge of the lake with his fingers, nodding. “Cold,” he confirmed.
“Forget it. I’ll just wash my hands and face.” I moved to the edge of the lake, removing the soap. Sitting down on the hardened, frosted ground, I brushed my hair out of my eyes. “I feel so lost.”
He stood and stared at me, and then back to the lake.
After a moment, he glanced up at the moonlit sky, and I followed his eyes to the treetops. “These are the same stars that you were born beneath, in 1955. These are the same stars that light the ocean sky over your parent’s house, this night. You are not lost, Eva. You are home.”
The stillness of the forest settled over my nerves, calming. I climbed back to my feet, watching him move closer to me. “You always make me feel better. Just with… words.”
His eyes caught mine and held them static; I watched him pull his shirt over his head, his gaze unwavering. When he began to unfasten his belt, I took an involuntary step back.
“What if someone-…,”
“We are alone.”
He stood before me, completely naked, and the spring evening turned into a Carolina night. Unable to look away, I allowed my eyes to wander over him, taking in his tall, exceptionally strong body. The muscled cuts in his torso and chest, even his thighs and legs, were far different than I’d ever seen; effortless, natural, as though he’d simply been born this way.
Flushing and simultaneously breaking into a sweat, I looked down at the ground to stare intently at a smooth, brown rock. Thoroughly naked. “You could have warned me.”
Rule (Roam Series, Book Five) Page 16