Ever Marked (The Claren Trilogy Book 1)

by Mary Akers

  She looked up at him expecting to see judgement and ridicule, but instead saw only surprise and curiosity in his eyes. She exhaled a sigh of relief.

  “Yes,” Elora answered. “Well, visions might not be exactly the right word since I can’t actually see anything in them,” she said shrugging as she looked up at him. “I’ve had them for as long as I can remember.”

  “Do your parents know about this?” he asked, astounded.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I thought they were just daydreams for the longest time. Until he started showing up in them and I recognized that they were something more.”

  “What happens in your visions?” he asked.

  “Sometimes when I close my eyes, I’m transported to what I imagine is a huge forest,” she explained. “There’s the rustling sound of leaves blowing and branches creaking in the wind. The air is cool and moist on my skin and it smells sweet and musty.”

  “That sounds about right,” Asher said nodding, a hint of a smile on his lips as he remembered what it felt like to be deep in the forests of Clarendon.

  “About two weeks ago, I was experiencing a vision when I discovered, for the first time, that I wasn’t alone. There was a man there calling for me, searching. And when he finally found me, he reached out and I felt him touch my hand. All it took was that brief moment, that small touch. I felt instantly connected to him,” she said, shrugging her shoulders in bewilderment. “Right from the start I had these completely irrational, unexpected feelings for him.”

  She smiled as she lost herself in the memory of that moment. Her skin began to tingle as she recalled the feel of his hand on hers. She looked up to find Asher watching her with an unsettling intensity. She cleared her throat and shifted her gaze downward to study her fingers as they fidgeted with the strap of her satchel.

  “He’s come to me a few more times since then,” she continued. “I’ve still never seen him and I know literally nothing about him, not even his name, but I believe in my soul that he’s a real person. And just being near him elicits these intense emotions,” Elora said, smiling quietly to herself. “It feels like I’m meant to be with him somehow.” Her face fell. “And that’s why I was crying earlier. Because it can never happen.”

  “What?” Asher asked, his voice a mixture of surprise and disappointment. “Why?”

  “He’s only ever really spoken to me once in my visions. And when he did, it was to ask me to wait for him,” she answered.

  “I don’t understand the problem,” Asher said, quirking his brow.

  “We have to leave Windom tonight,” she explained.

  “Yes we definitely do, but why does that matter?” Asher asked, his expression skeptical.

  “Once I leave, I just can’t imagine he would ever be able to find me again,” she replied, her voice small.

  Elora turned and began walking again and Asher silently matched her stride. She could feel him glancing at her when he wasn’t keeping watch for Colin.

  “I found you,” he said after a few moments.

  Elora looked up at him in surprise. Her heart squeezed as a glimmer of hope took hold.

  “Yes, you did,” she admitted. “Wait,” she said, furrowing her brows. “How did you find me?” she asked.

  Asher continued talking as though he hadn’t heard her question.

  “Besides, perhaps he didn’t mean wait for him here,” he said, lifting his arm to indicate Windom. “Maybe he meant wait for him here,” he said, thumping his hand over his heart.

  She walked a few steps, staring down at the ground beneath her feet as she considered what he’d said. A slow smile tugged the corners of her mouth upwards and she looked up at him, her face a mixture of hope and relief.

  “Perhaps he did,” she mused.

  “You know, I’m pretty surprised that you were willing to just give him up like that,” Asher said, shaking his head in disappointment. “Your feelings must not have been that intense.”

  “Well, I didn’t want to,” Elora said defensively. “And anyway, no matter how strongly I feel, I tend to lead with my head more than my heart. And my head says that I would be a fool to let these crazy visions affect the choices I make in reality.”

  “But what does your heart say?” he asked.

  “That I love him,” she admitted quietly.

  Elora looked up at Asher who was watching her intently and she was suddenly overcome by a wave of embarrassment. She covered her face with her hands, mortified.

  “I can’t even believe I’m saying these things out loud,” she mumbled through her fingers. “It all sounds so ridiculous.”

  “It doesn’t sound ridiculous,” he replied softly.

  “Yes, it does,” she said, dropping her hands from her face.

  “No, it doesn’t,” he reiterated more forcefully. “You said he began appearing to you two weeks ago?” he asked.

  Elora nodded.

  “Right around the time your seed appeared in Clarendon,” he noted.

  Elora’s hand flew to the seed hanging around her neck and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

  “It doesn’t sound ridiculous, Elora,” he said. “It sounds like you’ve been Paired.”

  Elora inhaled sharply as he gave voice to her own suspicions.

  “He’s your soulmate,” Asher continued.

  Elora jerked her eyes up to him, startled. He was looking down at her, his expression serious. She shook her head in denial.

  “He’s your soulmate, Elora,” Asher asserted again. “I know you feel it. You admitted that you love him just a moment ago.”

  “But it doesn’t make sense!” she cried.

  “Is love always supposed to make sense?” he asked carefully.

  “But how can I trust it? It’s a love built on nothing,” she agonized. “I don’t even know him.”

  “It’s not enough to know that you’re destined?” Asher asked hesitantly.

  “Is it?” she asked.

  “I always believed that it would be,” he answered raising his eyebrows, surprised at her reluctance. “That’s how it’s worked in Clarendon for centuries.”

  “I guess I just always expected that I’d give my heart to the man who earned it, who deserved it; not to someone I’ve never even met,” she said, frowning. “I thought I would get to choose.”

  Asher looked away from her and busied himself scanning the fields around them. They fell into an uncomfortable silence. Elora couldn’t help but feel that she had said something wrong.

  “Have I insulted you somehow?” she asked hesitantly.

  “No,” he answered, forcing a smile. “I was just wondering if you might end up resenting him because he wasn’t your choice.”

  “I don’t know,” she said, looking off into the distance as she considered his question. “Maybe it won’t even matter in the end whether I fell in love with him by choice or by destiny, as long as I love him.”

  He nodded but his posture remained rigid.

  “Do you think you’ll know him when he finally finds you?” he asked holding her gaze.

  “I hope so,” she smiled. “But I don’t know. All I have to go on is his voice and I’ve only really heard that once. I guess I’ll just have to trust my heart to recognize him,” she laughed. “So I’m in no better shape than all the rest of the Claren after all.”

  “I suppose that’s true,” he replied smiling.

  “At least I know he’s out there somewhere looking for me,” she said wistfully.

  “I’m sure he is,” Asher said, tucking his hands into his pockets as he walked.

  “I hope it doesn’t take him two years to find me,” she said, nudging Asher with her shoulder in jest.

  “You should probably just hope he’s not ugly,” Asher replied, laughing.

  Elora shook her head, amused. They wa
lked a fair distance in amiable silence, enjoying a new level of comfort and the beginning of what looked like a friendship.

  Nearing Alysa’s house, the air between them took on a different tone. Elora began to recognize the finality of what she was about to do and her stomach began to churn with nerves and dread. Her face turned pale and her mouth settled into a grim line. Telling Trig and Alysa about all of this and asking them to help her escape would make it all real in a way it hadn’t been before. She was leaving.

  A dull, smothering pain settled around her heart as she looked up the front steps at the house she’d considered a second home for most of her life. She took a shuddering breath and tried to fortify herself against the tears beginning to pool in her eyes. She bit her lip to stop its trembling. Blinking hard to clear her vision, she quickly wiped away the tears that were caught in her eyelashes.

  Asher watched her silently as she struggled to compose herself. He reached out a comforting hand to rub her shoulder.

  “Please don’t be nice to me right now,” she said, attempting to smile up at him. “I’m trying to be tough.”

  He nodded his understanding and stepped back to give her space.

  At that moment, the door opened and the newly bound couple emerged from the house, laughing and chattering excitedly.

  “Elora!” Alysa cried with enthusiasm. “I’m so glad you caught us!” she exclaimed, running down the stairs to wrap her in a hug.

  “Yes. You have impeccable timing Elora,” Trig teased. “Who would have thought it would be this difficult to get some time alone with my bride,” he said, looking to Asher for sympathy.

  “We were just leaving to go home! To our very own house!” Alysa gushed.

  “When did you get a house?” Elora exclaimed.

  “Apparently Trig was keeping some secrets from me,” Alysa said, with a besotted grin at her husband.

  Elora smiled, shaking her head.

  “Well done, my friend,” she said, smiling at Trig.

  “Well, we certainly weren’t going to spend our first night together in there. With them,” Trig, said, motioning behind him at Alysa’s parents’ house with a look of horror on his face.

  “No, of course not,” she chuckled. “It was foolish of me to come looking for you here now that you say it like that.”

  “You were looking for me?” Alysa asked, surprised. “I thought you were just coming to get your things.”

  “Well, that too,” Elora said, shrugging.

  “I’ll be right back,” Alysa said, holding up a finger as she turned and ran back up the stairs and into the house.

  “Is everything alright?” Trig asked, eyeing Asher suspiciously.

  Elora smiled uncomfortably in reply. He furrowed his brows in concern and walked down the steps towards her but was intercepted by Alysa who returned with lightning speed.

  “I knew you would be needing these,” she said smiling as she handed over the work boots and clothes that Elora had worn earlier that morning.

  Elora took the boots and neatly folded pants and tunic from her and stared down at them, marveling at how different her life had been when she had been wearing these only hours ago. She suddenly became acutely aware of three pairs of eyes watching her with curiosity and growing alarm. She quickly busied herself stuffing the clothing into her satchel.

  “Why were you looking for me?” Alysa asked carefully, reaching out to grasp Elora’s forearm.

  “Both of you actually,” Elora replied, making eye contact with Trig.

  “It would be better to speak inside,” Asher interrupted, stepping forward. “Privately.”

  “And you are?” Trig demanded, moving to put himself between Asher and the women.

  Asher took a step back to diffuse the situation but crossed his arms and steadily returned Trig’s stare, making it clear that he was not intimidated.

  “It’s okay Trig,” Elora interrupted. “This is Asher. He’s a friend,” she said, locking eyes with Asher for a moment.

  “You don’t seem very happy considering you’ve made a new friend, Elora,” Trig noted warily, but he eased off, moving to stand beside Alysa.

  “You’re not from here,” Alysa said, looking at Asher curiously. “I don’t recognize your accent.”

  “No,” Asher said, shaking his head. “I’m not from here.”

  “What brings you to Windom?” she asked, ever friendly.

  “I came to see the Kerricks,” he replied, smiling politely and shifting to briefly make eye contact with Elora.

  “Can we go inside to talk?” Elora asked.

  “We aren’t going back in there,” Trig said, shaking his head. “It was hard enough getting out of there the first time. I’m not going through that again.”

  “Let’s go to our house then,” Alysa suggested. “We’ll have privacy there,” she said, slipping her hand through the crook of Trig’s arm.

  “Not the kind of privacy I was hoping for,” he muttered, turning to escort her down the road to their new home.

  “I love the sound of that,” Alysa declared smiling, ignoring Trig. “Our house,” she repeated happily. “I can’t wait for you to see it, Elora!” she gushed.

  Elora fell into step beside them, attempting to set aside her despair for a few moments more. She laughed, enjoying the teasing and flirty banter that flowed easily between Trig and Alysa. She looked back to see Asher following slightly behind, quietly listening to their playful back and forth, chuckling quietly. He made eye contact, giving her a sad, sympathetic smile. She turned away from him, the reality of what was about to happen settling around her. She knew that once she began talking, the joy of this day would be gone forever. Feelings of sorrow and guilt dropped like a weight onto her chest, taking her breath away.

  “Here we are!” Alysa exclaimed as they arrived in front of a small but cute little house.

  There was a beautiful little basket full of flowers hanging beside the door and a lantern waiting to be lit above the entryway. Alysa pushed open the door to reveal a small sitting room with a sofa and two chairs. There was a small kitchen off to the right with a small potted lavender plant in the middle. Elora recognized it as the one she had given her earlier that spring to match the little lavender plant that used to live beside her own bed.

  “Your handiwork,” Alysa said, pulling a bloom from the basket and smiling at Elora as she led them through the doorway. “My mom picked a few from the Courtyard earlier to make it pretty in here,” she explained, lifting the bloom to her nose and drinking in the fragrant scent. “It was enchanting, Elora,” she said, reaching over to touch her arm. “Absolutely breathtaking. I’ll never know how you managed it.”

  This was it. This was her opening. Elora looked up, locking eyes with Asher as he stepped through the threshold. He nodded his encouragement and moved to stand beside her.

  “That’s actually what I’m here to talk about,” Elora said, her voice unsteady.

  “You’re here to talk about the flowers?” Trig asked curiously as he latched the door closed.

  “Not exactly,” Elora said hesitantly, “but that’s probably the best place to start.”

  “Maybe we should sit,” Alysa said, her brows furrowed in concern.

  Alysa and Trig led the way to the small sitting area and nestled comfortably together on the sofa. Elora was slow to follow, dreading the conversation that was about to happen. Asher waited patiently for her to pass, before taking the chair next to hers.

  As she moved to sit, Elora realized that she still held her work boots in one hand. She seized on the opportunity to procrastinate just a few seconds more.

  “Oh here, let me give these back before I forget,” she said as she slipped her feet from the shoes Alysa had loaned her for the ceremony.

  She leaned over and quickly tugged on her boots and tied the laces. Rising, she handed the
slippers back to Alysa.

  “Oh Elora,” Alysa chuckled. “Work boots and a ball gown. It is probably the most fitting combination you could ever wear,” she teased. “It sums you up perfectly.”

  Elora laughed in reply, nodding in acknowledgement of the truth. She swept her hands beneath her to arrange the skirt of dress as she sat. Smoothing the fabric over her knees, she gingerly touched the intricate vines her friend had embroidered. She looked up to Alysa, her eyes watery with deep affection.

  “Do you remember what you said to me the day that I tried this on for the first time?” Elora asked, smiling.

  Alysa shook her head. A frown pulled at the corners of her mouth as she exchanged a worried glance with Trig.

  Elora reached up to her throat brushing past the seed necklace to touch the flower pendant that Alysa had fastened there this morning. Lifting the chain, she followed it with her fingers to find the clasp behind her neck and unhooked it. She gently laid it on her lap, and lifted her eyes to Alysa.

  “You put this pendant around my neck and then you admired how perfectly this ensemble suited me because,” Elora paused, trying to summon the courage to say the next words.

  “Because you make the flowers grow,” Alysa finished for her.

  “Because I make the flowers grow,” she repeated quietly, touching the pendant in her lap.

  There was only one way they were going to believe her. She would have to show them. Rising, she held the pendant out to Alysa who took it, her face a mixture of surprise and confusion. Elora walked into the kitchen and returned to her seat a moment later with the small lavender plant. She wrapped her hands around the small clay pot and took a deep breath as she closed her eyes.

  This time the tingling sensation in her hands was nearly immediate as she tapped into the emotions bubbling just beneath the surface. She allowed herself to imagine, just for a moment, what it would be like to tell her dearest friend goodbye. A hot tear seeped from beneath her eyelashes, rolling down her cheek and dripping onto her hand. She gasped and opened her eyes, breaking free of the terrible thought.

  Her gaze fell to her lap and as expected, the small pot was now overflowing with lavender. She slowly lifted her eyes to see the reactions of her friends.