"It seems that you are not the only one to have changed quite dramatically. I would have never pegged Jonathon as one to use such an elixir—especially on you." He actually looked saddened by this development.
"But why?" I was deflated. I wanted to scream and rage and fire insults at anyone in my path but I couldn't. I didn't know if it was the Vero that they spoke of, or just the sudden knowledge being thrust at me, but I simply couldn't bring myself to do it.
"That, my dear Alexis, is the question. Was he looking to gain a foothold in this war or was it something far more personal? You see, The Aconite upon your chest." He reached out as if to touch my chest, but dropped his hand just before brushing a petal with his fingertips. "Is your protection, but never have you had it so permanently adhered to you. Maybe he thought with the Vero he could bypass its protection."
"Aconite?" I reached up and placed my hand against my silent flower. I did not think of it as my protector. My feelings towards it were far closer to my destroyer.
"The wolfsbane, as you refer to it, protects you from us. It is like a shield—with its power you are virtually untouchable by one of us. And as you have witnessed in times of great distress it bends time and space at your command." I thought back to when I had shown Jo. She had tried to touch the flower but never actually did.
"Who are you?" I wanted to get that squared away.
"We are the Lupo or Werewolf as you call us." His answer was straight forward and proud. Werewolf, but that was fiction, something to scare children and explain away the death of livestock. They were not real. But here Sebastian was claiming to be just that. I stared at him and then Richland. Richland was gauging my reaction but much like before I had none. There was no doubt at this point that the Vero was repressing any of my normal reactions. I should at least be arguing against such an outrageous belief.
"Tell me everything." I collapsed into a leather chair. My limbs had gone numb. At least my body was reacting appropriately.
"We can tell your story and our place in it, but no more. Nothing of Jonathon as that is his story to tell. Well, that is if you even want it now." I didn't know if I would want it or not. There is always two sides to a story so even if I didn't like what I was about to learn I knew without a doubt that I would fill in the holes eventually.
"Tonight though, is not the night for the entire story."
"Sister, your mind is far too fragile, especially while the Vero takes its toll. The mental flashes could resume becoming even stronger than those in the car. It could break you." Richland interjected before I could protest.
"Even with such large amounts of Vero within your body the consequences of merging the past with the present may be too much."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Sebastian had ordered another round of drinks as he prepared to tell me what he thought I should know. This time a male waiter brought our drinks, wearing nothing but tight leather shorts. I watched him pass out the drinks even though he didn't even glance my direction. He even went as far as bowing to Sebastian. That was a tad creepy.
"Richland told you that you have had many lives before this one and in one of them he was your brother." He hadn't worded it quite like that but it had been implied.
"How did you know that?" I didn't remember Richland ever actually releasing what all I already knew.
"I realized as much when he referred to you as his sister. Then when you didn't even flinch at the title I knew for sure." That was a relief. I didn't want to find out I had once again lost a chunk of my life somewhere.
"That makes sense. Go on," I prompted as I sipped my drink. I had skipped on the Coke this time going straight for Jack on the rocks. I think this conversation warranted that.
"When we first crossed paths your name was Alexandria." My brain felt fried and all I could do was stare at him slack jawed.
"You have heard that name before, I presume." He didn't look at all surprised. Maybe he thought I had learned it through one of my dreams. He did hint at the fact he knew I was having them.
"Jo called me that earlier today. What year was that?" I needed to know. She had called me Alexandria meaning she knew me all those years ago. He sat thoughtful for a moment. Was it really that long ago? None of them looked all that much older than I was.
"It was seventeen thirty-six, so that would have been two hundred and seventy eight years ago." He was silent while he did the math. I downed the rest of my drink, gagging on the ice.
"That was well before Richland's time." He was so lost in history that he didn't even react to my fits of coughing. I locked eyes with Richland. He at least appeared sympathetic.
"I couldn't even imagine learning all of this over and over again." He leaned over to whisper in my ear.
"Our families were both highly respected and devout in their beliefs. They believed that the Gods had given them special abilities to use against the evil creatures that roamed the earth. Of course this was after witchcraft ceased to be a punishable offense. But it did not matter anyway. The wards placed at the edges of our lands made detection by anyone else virtually impossible. There were three main families that kept permanent residence in Britain at the time." His mention of wards ignited a flash back to my dream where I was being publicly beaten. I didn't want to detour from the history lesson so I schooled my face to remain the same. Richland must have noticed though because he reached over and held my hand. It felt odd.
"I'm a witch." The statement was out of my mouth before I could stop it. He gave me a look like an adult would give a clueless child.
"When you were nothing but a child The Elektita declared you to be special; the one who would bring them eternal salvation."
"The who?" He made it sound like they were something important.
"The Elektita, or The Chosen, they were a group of women whom everyone believed carried the word of the Gods. Whatever they declared must have come straight from their mouths and one of them just so happened to be your mother." I thought back to my mother, the one from my dream, she had stood so solemn and stoic. At the time I had thought it was to give me some sort of respect but now I knew the truth. She was the one who had put me there. My sisters had been following her lead. I realized he had stopped in his tale and now had his eyes pinned squarely on me.
"Are you remembering something?" I didn't want to speak of my dreams. The thought of them normally brought back images and feelings from that time far too strongly.
"A dream I had not too long ago." I said, betraying my plans.
"What of your dream?" I didn't want to tell him. I didn't want to relive that time it was far too painful. All I wanted is for him to keep up his story.
"I was being publicly beaten. My mother was there with two of my sisters. My father was the one who wielded the whip." I let out far more than I ever intended. Damn Jonathon and the Vero. When I am back at full capacity I will find a way to kick his ass. The waiter from earlier came back with another glass, this time it was plain water. I took a sip before handing it back to him as he left. I didn't want the water.
"I think that is all for this evening. We are all growing tired and I don't want to risk bringing too much to the surface." What? He had barely begun. He hadn't even told me what he meant by being a werewolf. I think that would be a rather important detail.
"No, I need more information," I demanded. Richland squeezed my palm even tighter. My hand jerked involuntarily, Richland had squeezed the mark that had been burned into my palm. Apparently Vero didn't dull that type of pain.
"What is it?" Richland held up my hand so both he and Sebastian could take a closer look. I tried to pull free, but I was no match for their strength. Richland sucked in a hard breath.
"It's your fault," I blurted out before Sebastian could get pissed off.
"My fault, how could this be my fault?" He took my hand in his. Sebastian's skin was much softer but still held hints that they had worked hard for what they wanted. He gave the symbol a more thorough inspection.
"W
ould you care to add something to your story now?" I didn't want to give him the details of how the mark came to be. I needed answers and if I had to then so be it.
"Eterna," his deep voice was barely a whisper as he traced the raised lines with the pad of his thumb.
"How did this happen?” Richland had leaned in blocking my hand from view. I felt like a science experiment gone horribly awry.
"We need to take a break. You can stay in my apartment here while you recuperate. It would be better if you were close while you remained this naive and fragile." The mark had a name and as a plus he didn't ask how it had been burned into my hand.
"I would not be so naive if I had more information." I pulled my hand from their inspection.
"It is not safe for you to receive too much information, especially in this state."
"But all of my things are at the Inn and I have it paid up to the end of next week." I countered. I didn't want to stay in a night club and I especially didn't want to stay in his apartment.
"I did not say that you would be staying here on a permanent basis; just until the Vero is no longer potent. Richland will retrieve some of your belongings. The room will remain yours." He looked lost; even though he had since released my hand, his eyes still flicked to my burn. The marks meaning had worried him and I didn't like it one bit.
"I will go, but only if you tell me what Eterna is?" When my hand was burned I felt a familiarity with the pattern but I couldn't place it. If he could tell me what it meant I would have one less question floating around in my head.
"It means eternity." Light and sound exploded behind my eyes. Flashes of myself in a white lace dress came and went far too quickly. Blood splashed into a gold goblet that sat in a prayer chamber deep within the ground. The slash against my wrist was much sharper than I had expected. Frankincense billowed in great amounts around my body.
"Enough!" Sebastian's deep anger filled voice cut away the vision instantly. I was in his arms and we were moving. I couldn't remember how we had gotten to this hallway, but I was only out for a few seconds so it must attach to the club somehow. The lighting in this hall was a normal bright white for which I was grateful. I didn't think my pounding head could take the red fluorescents.
"What happened?" My voice was cracked and fading quickly. How is it possible that I keep screaming without the knowledge of actually doing it?
"How can you be so stupid? This will not happen again. When I say our time is up—It. Is. Up. Do not disobey me again." His demand was worded with worry but the way he held me I couldn't see his face. He held me tightly against his body, like a father would his child. My face sat squarely in the crook of his arm. I took a deep breath; inhaling the familiar clean scent that I would associate with Sebastian and something more wild than I would have expected of a business man. There were no traces of cologne or deodorant. He was pure and perfect. I could picture the open night sky in my minds eyes; pine trees that rustled softly with the warm breeze. With my eyes closed he was the land, he was the one thing that had kept me grounded in times of great desperation.
When I had grown close to Jonathon he was my home, my love, my calm before the storm, but with Sebastian I knew he was my heart, my anchor, my passion. In Sebastian's arms I realized why my dreams had pulled them in as one. Never letting one be without the other because for all my other lives I couldn't have one without the other. I didn't need either of them for that answer. It was already there.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"We're here." Sebastian's voice came low and reluctant. He sat me carefully on a large cream colored sofa. I had assumed his apartment would mimic the style of the club; large dark leather furniture, sleek glass end tables, and a pool table that took the place of a dinner table. But the room I sat in now didn't look anything like the picture in my head.
The bright open space was a stark contrast to my mental picture. Cream and beige furniture sat around light oak tables. Hand carved scenery had been carved into the legs. The massive coffee table that sat in the middle had old world carvings on each of its four legs. Large vaulted ceilings rose over above us with light crown molding giving the walls even more height. The chandelier that hung at the peak had to contain a million crystals and the dark hardwood floors mirrored the sparkles that bounced off each individual crystal. It was breathtaking. How something this gorgeous could be attached to the night club. It just didn't seem rational.
"I thought you said I would be staying in your apartment?"
Sebastian let out a clearly irritated sound.
"My apartment didn't seem safe enough. As fragile as your mind has proven to be, I thought it best to bring you here." So this wasn't attached to the club after all.
"How did we get here?" I knew I hadn't been out for longer than a minute or two so how could we have possibly left the club and made it to his home before I woke up?
"Enough with the questions. You need rest." I could tell by his tone that he meant it. I wasn't going to get an answer tonight. Another chunk of time had been ripped away.
"Your home is beautiful," I said instead. After sitting in an extra-large beige chair across from me he took in his own house. The look in his blue eyes made it seem like he was seeing it for the first time.
"It is home. Richland should be here shortly with your things. The bathroom is attached to my room and is free for you to freshen up in before bed." Bedroom as in singular?
"Where am I going to sleep?" I was absolutely fine with sleeping on the couch. This wouldn't be my first time.
"Of course you will sleep in the bedroom." He sounded appalled that I even had to ask such a question. So he was going to sleep on his own couch? Because we damn sure were not sharing the bed. If he really had come from the time he claimed then his views on women would be drastically different. I struggled to pull myself from the soft chair before falling back onto the cushioned seat.
"Take my hand." Sebastian stood over me with his outstretched hand but before I could take it he had scooped me up out of the chair and stood me upright on the cool floor. He remained cautious, leaving his hand at the small of my back as I headed down the hall. The door that led to his room was ornately carved. It felt familiar as I brought my hand to slide along the raised floral design that covered the door. He reached ahead, opening the door for me and quickly shuffling me inside.
A rich oak four poster bed took up most of the room. Sharp, excruciating pain spider webbed through my head. I felt more than saw large masculine hands, ever so softly, run along my naked body. The feel of the cotton cloth sliding over my head was exciting. The brief darkness fueled the anticipation. I felt the raised designs of the wooden pole as I latched on to it before my legs gave out completely. The memory was painful and fractured, disappearing ever so quickly.
When my sight finally returned I was lying crumpled on the floor. Sebastian was absent leaving Richland, bag in hand, in his place. I couldn't speak—the feelings far too close for comfort. My tattoo still remained dormant and the world around me kept its pace. The Vero worked to suppress my power but gave a path for history to collide with the present. Myself being its conduit was the downfall of it all.
"You need to relax," Richland said as he helped me off the floor. Much like Sebastian, he helped guide me towards the door but this time blocking me from the bed that I now knew I once shared with Sebastian. It may not have been this self, but it was still me. The bathroom was a woman’s dream. Though it was absent of a shower that I much preferred, a large jacuzzi took its place. Just the thought of those jets massaging into my muscles took away some of the tension that hammered at my already sore muscles. Large vanity mirrors lined one wall bumping into an endless closet. Even the large bowled sinks had my name written all over them. Growing up in a well to do family had its perks but no matter how much money my parents made in that little town they would never be able to afford something like this. Richland sat the bag near the closet and began running water into the tub.
"You deserve this after
the day you've had," he chirped, leaving me alone in the room. I couldn't wait for the water to fill the tub. I quickly stripped out of my battered clothes. Well as quickly as a weak and sore person could and slid into the steaming water. My body immediately went slack enjoying the feel of the water rise higher and higher. The tub even had a dip where I could lay my head back and still remain comfortable. When the water had nearly covered my neck I used my foot to stop the flow. I didn't want to move; thankfully I could easily tap the button with my big toe. My muscles melted like butter with the assault from the jets. This tub is a must whenever I do buy a house of my own.
I sat in the tub longer than hospitality would warrant; especially this being the only bathroom, but I couldn't bring myself to get out. My fingers and toes where pruned and white by the time I pulled myself from its cooling waters. I fished a long nightgown out of my bag and wrapped my hair in a towel before leaving the bathroom. If Sebastian was in his room I wanted to be decent, but the room was empty. I made my way back to the living room in search of my host. The whole house was empty. The large sparse kitchen didn't even look like he used it. All the stainless steel appliances were spotless. Even the fridge was empty of everything but bottled water. It was obvious he didn't stay here much. What was I going to eat? He better at least buy some groceries. Even though the bath had renewed my energy, I was still tired so I went back to the bedroom.
I didn't want to get in the bed, his bed. I paced along the room from one end to the other. What if it smelled like him and I had another break while he was gone? I didn't think I wanted to know what the extent of our relationship was. I drew in deep breaths before finally gaining enough courage to crawl on top of the silk covers. I couldn't rely on someone being around to handle my problems. I guess it was a good start that just the sight of it didn't send me back to crazytown. I crawled up on the bed barely sinking into the firm mattress. My body jumped with joy at the prospects of sleep. Maybe the Vero would keep the dreams away and I would finally get a good night’s rest.
Aconite (The Elektita Series Book 1) Page 11