by Julie Eads
“Yeah,” I was the first to speak. “It’s very pretty out here,” I said; trying to remove the tension in the air.
Liam stood there looking at the night sky until finally he said, “Mina we need you to come back inside and meet a few more people.” I felt like refusing, and telling him that I wouldn’t, but I knew that he was just trying to make me feel well acquainted with the people who would be a major part of my new life.
“Okay,” I said; trying to hide the annoyance from my voice. Liam stood still, smiling but waiting for me. Clearing my throat I felt that it was now or never to show him that I liked being treated as a respected adult, not as a young girl; even if he was my father. And so I continued, saying, “I will meet you inside. I wish to finish my conversation with Declan first; if that is okay?”
Liam quickly wiped the look of surprise from his face, replacing it with a smile. “But of course that is okay Mina Bear, it’s just so hard to share you this early,” he said with a light chuckle. Then turning he began walking away, calling over his shoulder that he would see me back inside.
After he had gone Declan laughed. “Wow, I must admit I like the way you handled that. A princess with attitude for sure,” he said.
“Um, thanks, I guess,” I said nervously but joining in the laughter. “Well, I really enjoyed spending time with you and I hope that we can do this again sometime soon,” I continued, leaving the question hanging in the air.
Declan stood staring at me, a look of wonder on his face. “You can see me whenever you want. However, my animal ceremony is starting in a few weeks,” he said; reminding me of what my father had told me earlier that day. For some reason I felt like an idiot for not remembering.
“Well, I have no idea what everyone has planned for me tomorrow, but would it be okay if I got your phone number? We could text and figure it out,” I asked innocently. Smiling he pulled his phone from his pocket and read out the number. Quickly I put it into my phone before walking arm-in-arm with him back to the crowded room.
As we entered everyone looked at us with wondering gazes, and I blushed; realizing that my arm was still wrapped through his. He just smiled at me and leaning towards me he joked, “I will let you get to the hounds. Talk to you soon,” he called behind him as he made his way to one of the refreshment tables at the back of the room.
Slowly I made my way to where my parents stood waiting patiently for me. “I apologize for my disappearance; I needed a breath of fresh air,” I stated simply; trying to be polite. Everyone dismissed my apology by assuring me that it was okay. That was but for one person.
It seemed that the lady called Thora didn’t seem to understand or want to. She stood at the back of the large circle of people peering through at me. “It looks like you needed more than fresh air,” she said in a hateful tone. Surprised by the animosity I didn’t know what to say, so thought it better to ignore her, even though I longed to tell her to mind her own business.
As if reading my mind, Eleanor turned on the woman saying, “I don’t recall anyone inviting you to join us. If you don’t like what my daughter is doing I suggest you leave. Now!” Eleanor had almost spat the words at Thora which caused everyone to turn in anticipation of Thora’s response. She hissed, like the snake she was and left the room.
“Now then,” said Eleanor with a smile across her face, “Where were we? Ah yes,” motioning for an older woman with snow-like white hair and dull hazel eyes to step forward. “Mina, this is our healer. She is very dear to us and is willing to train our dear Maggie.”
The lady approached me with a glimmer in her eye. “What an honor it is to finally meet you Mina,” she said, a wide smile stretched across the wrinkles of her face. “My name is Willow. If you should ever need anything please do not hesitate to ask; I am so pleased that you have returned home safely.” She then embraced me in a small hug before excusing herself from the room. Eleanor explained that Willow needed her rest and it seemed a big deal that she had stayed this long; just long enough to be able to meet me. My mother assured me that the lady was really fond of me but still tired easily. I have to say I was surprised to hear that about her for although she was an older woman, maybe in her late forties she didn’t appear old enough to tire so easily.
The next person I was to meet was Taya; a nice girl about my age, who had chestnut colored hair and eyes that matched. She wasn’t a petite girl, but she had a grace about her that made her seem much older and wiser. Somehow I could tell that she and I would become good friends.
Then I was introduced to her mother, Rose and father, Kevin. I could tell they were her relations just by looking at them as her mother had the same coloring of hair and eyes; she was also a curvy woman, which in my opinion just added to her beauty. Taya’s father had grey hair and green eyes; he was handsome for his age and kind with his words of welcoming me home. I thanked them warmly, happily accepting their invitation to have dinner with them sometime soon. Unlike most of the invitations I had politely accepted I found myself looking forward to the idea of dining with them.
After meeting Taya and her family I was then introduced to the Sullivan’s. They were, to my surprise, my parents’ closest friends. The young daughter was about thirteen years old and had long black hair and dark eyes. Her mother had similar hair color, although hers was cut into a cute bob. They introduced themselves as Emily and Tia. Shortly afterwards they were joined by none other than Declan, who had a huge smile on his face.
“I see that you have met my mother and little sister,” he said, appearing proud to announce the fact that these people belonged to his family. Looking more closely I could see the resemblance. Declan had the same dark hair as his family, although he must have gotten his eyes from his father, who for some reason, I was afraid to mention as he hadn’t been introduced. I made a mental note to ask my parents about him later.
Not long afterwards Liam broke up the chatter by calling the night to a close; surprising me by inviting the Sullivan’s to stay behind for coffee and dessert. Sadly they politely declined, explaining that young Tia had school in the morning. Declan also looked saddened by his mother’s refusal but managed to give me a small hug goodbye, whispering, “Text me, I will be up for quite some time as I work the night shift over at the east wall.”
I wanted to ask him what exactly he did there, but his mother pulled him away before I got the chance. Watching him as he walked away my heart seemed to sink; it was weird how empty I suddenly felt. Finally the evening ended and everyone had left. ‘Soon my poor feet would be relieved of these high heels,’ I thought happily.
Walking slowly between Liam and Eleanor, I listened to their chatter about how wonderful the night had turned out. It was then I realized for the first time that Knoll and Maggie had been missing since I had left with Declan to go outside. Smiling I sent a silent prayer up that they have a great night together to be honest I still felt bad for taking Knoll away from her, and for hating Maggie over what I thought I felt for him. Now I knew that it was just a crush and that he had simply been the only thing I knew after my life had suddenly turned to crap. Standing in the hall Eleanor and Liam invited me to join them for a coffee in the study but I just wanted some time to myself so I told them that I was feeling tired and wanted to lie down. They looked slightly disappointed, but with words of understanding they wished me a goodnight and turned to leave as I ventured up the stairs.
Back in my room I was finally able to throw my shoes off. The feel of my toes squishing in the ultra-soft carpet felt like heaven. Making my way to the large closet, I realized I was still in awe by the size of it and the magnitude of its contents. From the drawer housing a large selection of pajamas I chose a pair of yellow and white stripped cotton shorts with a matching yellow tank top then made my way to the bathroom. I was looking forward to using the giant tub. It was then I remembered that I had forgotten to ask about the strange TV window so I made a mental note to ask the next day.
Starting the water running I poured in some
of the lavender bubble bath that was sat on the side of the tub. Patiently waiting for the water to fill up, I set my phone and other belongings on the vanity mirror counter before taking the beautiful dress off. It proved to be much easier said than done and meant I had to practically rip my hair out whilst trying to pull it up over my head. ‘I should have asked Eleanor to help me,’ I thought to myself.
Finally climbing into the tub I felt the soothing effect of the warm, lavender scented water which was more than welcomed by my aching feet and tense body. Leaning my head back against the head rest of the tub and closed my eyes enjoying lying there; all the while breathing in the lavender and feeling the peace of being by myself. Slowly my mind began reliving the evening’s event and I remembered how welcoming everyone had been. Then I started to feel a tug of guilt when I thought how rude it must have seemed by my leaving and going outside. But I hoped they had understood how overwhelming the whole evening had been for me. No-one had seemed to judge me when I returned to the party; other than Thora. She was a funny woman and I would have to ask Knoll what he meant about avoiding her.
Thinking of Taya and her family I found myself looking forward to having dinner them; they all seemed so genuine. Besides it would be nice to have a friend to confide in again; even though I knew that no-one would take Katelyn’s place. Memories were harsh sometimes so I quickly changed my thoughts and tried not to think about those that weren’t here.
Needing something to occupy my exhausted, racing mind I searched through the large basket that sat on the shelf above the tub. It seemed there was a large selection of bottles of bubble bath, brand new razors and more lotions than I had ever seen before; I was grateful for the contents. Then I came across a strange remote which looked like a normal TV remote but I couldn’t figure out why it would be in the bathroom. As I hit the power button the TV window shut off; revealing a plain black screen. It was the neatest piece of technology I had seen in a while and I couldn’t help but wonder what else it could do. Turning the power back on, I scanned through the channels, surprised to discover that from my TV screen I could see the views of the whole village; the images were spectacular. Even in the dead of night I could see the rolling hills and the massive star covered sky. Finally, I chose to leave it on a view of the creek that ran down the valley, before lying back once more and relaxing. Once again my mind began thinking about the evening’s events. Naturally, the one person who came to mind was Declan, and I thought how he had saved me from potentially having a meltdown. He was sweet, kind and handsome and seemed somehow to get me, without my having to say a word.
Being in the bath tub thinking about him made me blush, but I couldn’t seem to help it. Strangely I realized he was everything I had ever wanted in someone and yet, so much more. ‘You sound crazy Mina,’ I tried telling myself, ‘how could he be the ‘one’ when you have only known him for a few hours?’ I decided that he might have just seemed so perfect because of all that I had been through. Maybe I was looking for a distraction and probably once I felt comfortable living here he wouldn’t seem so amazing; although I felt the doubt in my stomach.
Suddenly the beep of my cell phone broke into my thoughts, making me jump with surprise. Feeling silly I laughed at myself and stood up in the bath. Grabbing a towel from the rail I wrapped it tightly around me, climbed out of the tub and made my way to the where my phone sat on the counter top. The message light was flashing green, and as soon as I looked at the screen the butterflies started again. It read, ‘I hope you had a great time, I know I did. Can’t wait to see you again - Declan.’
As I dried myself I let the water out of the tub, then I pulled my hair into a bun and climbed into the pajamas. Making my way to the big plush bed I tried to decide how to reply to his message, settling on; ‘I had a great time too, looking forward to seeing you soon.’ As soon as I had hit send I felt my stomach clench in anticipation of receiving a text back. It was at that point that I figured things would never go back to being normal. It seemed Declan had made an impression on me and my heart, and that was something that I thought I would never be able to erase. Turning the bedroom light off, I decided that it was time to get some sleep; once I had finished texting Declan. The only light came from the bathroom but I was glad to see that he had texted me back. ‘How soon would you like to see me? – Declan.’
Quickly I replied. ‘As soon as possible of course.’ Pressing send I waited nervously for his reply. Almost instantly I received, ‘Would you like to see me tonight?’
I held my breath. “Right now?” I questioned out loud; almost as if he could hear me. ‘I am a mess,’ I thought. After all my hair was pulled into a messy wet bun and not to mention that I was in my pajamas. But; I did feel a longing to see him. A longing greater than my fear of how ridiculous I looked and so I opened my phone and texted, ‘How?’ hoping that it didn’t sound like I didn’t want to see him.
He quickly replied, ‘I have a break in five minutes; I can meet you outside in ten?’ A sudden rush of excitement surged through me. Here I was, my first night in the castle and I was already sneaking out to see a boy. Laughing at myself I quickly texting back, ‘Okay meet you in ten.’ That was all I sent.
Quickly I ran to the closet, searching for something comfortable to put on, and choosing a simple pair of jeans with a plain green t-shirt. I didn’t want to spend too much time on my clothes so that I could try to work a miracle with the wet mop on my head. Standing and looking at my reflection in front of the mirror I decided to just wear my hair down. Bending over I scrunched it in my hands; making it curly was the easiest thing I could come up with at that moment as I was under a time constraint.
Slipping on a pair of flip flops and then grabbing a grey sweater I pulled it on as I quietly made my way down the stairs stopping dead in my tracks as I practically ran right into Maggie. “Oh dear Mina, you scared the crap out of me,” she said laughing, trying to catch her breath. She had a long, blue silk night gown on with a matching robe; her hair lying straight down her back and, even in her night clothes, she still looked flawless. I thought I definitely hadn’t received that trait.
“I’m sorry,” I said getting ready to text Declan and tell him I couldn’t make it.
Taking a step back she looked at my clothes and asked, “Where are you going? You’re not running away are you?” Her question making me feel sorry as I saw concern spreading over her face.
Laughing softly I responded, “No, I was just going outside for some fresh air.” I tried to sound as calm and collected as possible, even though inside I felt nervous.
“Um hmm,” she said; clearly not believing my story. “Are you sure that is all you are doing?” she questioned further.
Laughing again I thought, ‘ah what the hell, she is my sister. I should try to be honest with her so that maybe we could have the kind of relationship I want.’ And so I replied, “I’m meeting someone.”
“And who may this someone be?” she asked; not moving an inch from where she was standing.
Taking a deep breath and knowing that if I stood here much longer I would miss Declan, I replied, “I am meeting Declan outside because he has a break from his work at the East wall; whatever that means.” And I rolled my eyes, making a mental note to ask him what exactly he did do there. Or at least I would if I ever got to meet him.
Maggie remained standing for a moment as if she was contemplating something. “Okay,” she simply said, “Be careful though.” Although shocked by her response I took the opportunity to go before she changed her mind.
As I made my way to the door I whispered, “Thank you,” to her. She in return surprised me by whispering back, “I want all the details tomorrow,” and as I looked she winked at me before gracefully making her way back up the stairs.
Quickly and quietly I made my way outside and down the walkway; keeping my eyes open for Declan. Just as I started to think that maybe I had taken too long he popped up beside me.
“Hey there,” he said in that sweet voice
that I was quickly becoming rather fond of.
“Hey, how are you?” I replied.
Chuckling he said, “Well, honestly, a lot better now that I can see you again. I haven’t been able to keep you out of my mind.” Surprised by his comment I wanted to yell, ‘me too,’ but I was afraid that I would sound needy, so instead I decided to change the subject.
“What is it exactly that you do over at the east wall?” I asked.
Motioning for me to follow him we began walking as he answered my question, “Well, I relieve the guardians over there, and take watch of the security cameras on the perimeter and such when they go on a break. It gives me more money for my family, and also gives me something to do to keep my mind off things.”
“What things?” I asked, instantly covering my mouth with my hand and quickly apologizing, “Sorry that was rude, and nosey of me. You don’t have to answer that.”
He chuckled at my reaction. “No, I don’t mind. My father was killed by an intruder a few months back, so I have been trying to do things that keep me from thinking about losing him,” he explained.
“Oh, my God!” I cried out as I suddenly felt terrible for bringing the subject up. “I am so sorry, that is horrible. Is that why you have been working with the guardians on security?” I continued.
Looking at me for a moment he finally responded, “Yes, I want to make sure that if that man ever comes back then I will be the one to find him……and kill him.” I was shocked at how much rage filled his voice.
“I know how you feel,” I suddenly found myself saying. “I lost people that I thought were my parents, I even assisted in killing them,” I said, regretting immediately having brought the subject up.
Declan stepped closer to me and placed his arm around my shoulders. “You did what you had to do. Stop being so hard on yourself; anyone in your position would have done the same or worse, I know I would have,” he explained.