Spartan Heart, Part Two

by Kristine Cheney

  Dorien cooed at the twins while he changed their tiny diapers. Their bright copper and emerald stares absorbed their father’s every move. They were both under his spell and enchanted by the rich, deep tenor of his voice. Evangeline smiled to hear her husband chuckle.

  But her heart squeezed tight in her chest. She mourned the loss of another pair of jeweled green eyes, the ones that would never get the chance to open. Fate had been cruel to intervene. Elias would forever be forced to exist without his identical twin brother. Dorien was aware she was standing right behind him.

  His voice sounded strained. “Hello, my love. How are you feeling?”

  Evangeline wrapped her arms around him. Her cheek rested against the coolness of his back. “I’m feeling quite rested, thanks to you. You’re so helpful and I’m grateful.”

  “I’m their father! Of course I am helpful!” He turned around and held her. She enjoyed his grin of mischief. “Evangeline! Your breasts!” he said a little too loud. He had obviously felt the heat radiating off her chest. They probably burned holes into his cold immortal flesh.

  “It’s all right, Dorien. My milk came in during the night. My chest feels hot and awful sore!” She grimaced in pain. It was impossible to cross her arms over her enlarged breasts.

  Dorien’s grin was naughty. “You know, I have the perfect ice packs for those!” He cupped his hands for extra emphasis.

  Despite her melancholy mood, she couldn’t help but smile. “Let me feed our little ones and I’ll seriously consider your offer. Your hands look more appealing than a soggy bag of frozen peas!”

  Dorien chuckled and picked up Helena. Her glowing stare studied the face of her father. Evangeline cradled Elias in her rocking chair. Dorien handed her a body pillow and helped position the twins. She smiled at her little hungry footballs. “All right! Here we go!”

  He shook his head while he watched her nurse their babies. They ate their fill and were fast to fall asleep. Dorien helped her lay their little ones back in their crib. Evangeline grabbed the baby monitor and headed downstairs towards the kitchen. The telephone rang in pass through the living room. Evangeline stopped mid-stride and answered it.

  “Cheerio?”

  “Good afternoon, Madam Agiad. This is Sandy. I hope you are well today.”

  Evangeline’s mind was a sudden blank slate. “Sandy?”

  The woman cleared her throat in obvious awkward discomfort. “Yes, Madam. I’m calling from the Barnaby Funeral Home.”

  “Sandy!” Evangeline exclaimed. Her hand brushed across her forehead in forced remembrance.

  She had tried so hard to forget.

  “Please forgive me for disturbing you. Before we can proceed with the arrangements for your son…oh, I’m so sorry…I can’t find his name.”

  Evangeline closed her eyes so tight she actually saw colors. She felt the warning throb of an instant migraine headache.

  She wasn’t going to cry again!

  Evangeline reminded her with a whisper. “Lukas Anaxander Agaid.”

  “Yes, Madam. Please do forgive me.”

  Evangeline shook. The muscles in her face and neck twitched involuntary. Cramps filled her belly.

  “It’s my duty to inform you that we don’t customarily embalm stillborn infants. It is, of course, your discretion.”

  “No! My little angel has already been through enough.”

  “As you wish. Do you have any special requests?”

  “If you could please put baby lotion on him…I would appreciate that.”

  Sandy’s voice sounded unsure. “Baby lotion?”

  “I know it sounds odd. But that is what I want…baby lotion on my son.”

  “Fine choice, Madam Agiad. You don’t have to worry. Your little one will look beautiful for his service. I’ll make sure your wishes are carried out.”

  Evangeline bit her bottom lip in an effort to suppress her sob. The coppery taste of blood lingered on her tongue.

  “Do you and Mr. Agiad want to proceed with the other arrangements we discussed yesterday?”

  “Yes. But we’ve decided to hold the services immediately, tomorrow, if at all possible. We are willing to pay whatever the cost.”

  “Yes, Madam. I’ll have everything completed today and have scheduled your son’s services for tomorrow morning at eleven o’ clock. Do you still want the services held private at your home? Will he still be buried on the grounds of your estate?”

  Evangeline winced. “Yes. This is what we want.”

  “Then we shall see you tomorrow.”

  Evangeline covered her eyes. “I guess you will.” she whispered in anguish. Her body felt numb as she hung up the phone. Her knees buckled beneath her. Evangeline sobbed into her hands and fell in a rush towards the floor. She wasn’t fazed at all by the feel of cold touches permeating her skin and clothing.

  “Come on, sis! Let’s get you off the floor.” Philip cooed as he carried her to the sofa. Her brother held her tight and rocked her. Evangeline’s body wracked with unspeakable pain. She wept bitter tears against his shoulder. Paraebates’ soothing hands never left her back. The fast, thundering steps of Dorien, Celeas, and Thessalus were approaching.

  Dorien scooped Evangeline into his muscled arms. She was too weak to clasp her arms around his neck. Her brothers stared at her. Concern and pain was etched into every crevice of their beautiful, sculpted faces.

  Her heart couldn’t do this anymore. The last strands of her soul unraveled and fell apart. An unquenchable ache consumed her. It threatened to smother the life out of her. “Lukas! Lukas!” Screams welled from the pit of her gut. Every burning tear was blinding. “My precious baby boy! I want him back, Dorien. He is mine! He needs his Mummy! I don’t care what you have to do! I just want him back!” she begged. “Please, Dorien, please. You’re immortal…bring my son back to me!” Her heart pulsed so hard in her chest that she wished it would just explode.

  How could her immortal son be dead?

  She turned her tight, swollen face towards her brothers in desperation. She grasped for any glimpses of reason. “He isn’t dead! He’s only sleeping! This is all a big mistake! Maybe if we try to wake him again? We have to do something! Please help me!”

  Her chest couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t inhale air. It was impossible to speak through the agony of her sobs. Dorien and her brothers’ faces were plastered with pain and exasperation.

  No! They had to try something…anything!

  Dorien rubbed his cheek against her face. His voice was coated with the same wretched emptiness that threatened to destroy her. “Evangeline, I know you’re hurting.”

  Her face felt hot. She forced her swollen eyes to open. “I’m not hurting Dorien…I’m dying! This pain is killing me. My heart…I can’t do this!” she wailed. “Please don’t make me bury one of my children!”

  Dorien held her head against his chest. He sounded as if he was choking. “We did all we could for our Lukas. I wish there was a mistake. I would bring him back to you and place him in your arms, if only I could.”

  Her head fell back in agony. “Please! I want my baby!” she collapsed limp in his arms. Evangeline felt his muscles twitch. He was fighting to restrain his emotions. Dorien carried her upstairs and placed her in their bed. He tucked her covers around her with love. She blinked in a trance as he gently kissed her unmoving lips.

  “I want you to know that I’ve got you, Evangeline. I will carry you through this storm. Do you believe me?”

  She stared into his glowing gaze and nodded her head. “I never thought I could hurt this much.” she whispered. Her tears stung. But they kept falling down her raw cheeks. Her eyes closed when his fingers wiped them away. The coolness of his touch felt good against the sting. She fell numb into a sudden realm of darkness.

  Evangeline tossed and turned repeatedly. She bolted upright in a panicked, horrifying rush. It took a few moments for her breathing to return to normal. One of the twins was crying. With the turn of her head she glanced at he
r alarm clock. She had only nursed them an hour ago.

  Dorien lay still beside her. Her husband didn’t move a muscle. He wasn’t hustling into the nursery to race her to the children like he always did. She leaned towards him and studied him in disbelief. His eyes were closed. He clearly sent the signal that he didn’t want to be bothered. How dare he mimic the act of sleep!

  Immortals didn’t slumber!

  Evangeline rolled her eyes in grated aggravation. She didn’t care for Dorien’s new, awkward game. If he didn’t want to help with the twins, then all he had to do was say so. There was no need for him to act like a stubborn jerk! Her fingers fastened her robe with an awkward, intentional ire. She hoped he was feeling every heated flash of her silent anger. It was pleasure to imagine slapping his beautiful, perfect face.

  She fastened her robe and headed towards the nursery. With a cry of fear she jumped and turned abrupt. Her heart skipped a beat from the grated scratch of a tree branch scraping against the window. The wind was howling its mayhem. Swirled bursts of air whistled through tiny hairline fractures in the window frame. Evangeline leaned her forehead against the cool window glass. Trees swayed back and forth in motion. Swirling brown dust clouds diminished her visibility of the estate. Without a doubt, a vicious storm was coming. The noise must have wakened one of her twins.

  Evangeline rushed towards the nursery. Her newborn’s cries became desperate. She ran to the crib to soothe her unhappy baby. But Elias and Helena were cuddled together in deep, peaceful slumber. Evangeline’s hand flew to her forehead in confusion. Shrugging, she turned towards her bed. The crying resumed within a couple of steps. With a pivot she stole another glance at the crib.

  None of her infants were crying!

  The cries of another baby drifted from downstairs. The air grew suddenly frigid; it was cold enough to visibly chill her breath. She felt a haunting caress swirl all around her. Evangeline’s head snapped towards the rogue bouncy ball that thumped and rolled past the doorway.

  The rise of goose bumps covered her flesh. The hairs on her body prickled and stood straight on end. She could hear the ball bounce off of each wooden step until it finally rolled away from the bottom of the stairs. Evangeline’s bare feet thudded down the hallway in her mad dash towards the lower level. She craned her neck to listen. The trail of her robe glided across the floor. But the house was empty from her scanned view of living-room. The ball had made its way through the foyer. It was now resting against the foot of the front door.

  Where were all of her brothers?

  Evangeline rushed into every room in search of the fitful newborn. The cries suddenly stopped. She was forced to abandon her hunt of obsession. The sudden, forced sound of silence buzzed in her ears. Tired, Evangeline gave up. She wanted to go back to the warmth of her bed. But the moment she began her ascent up the stairs she froze. The crying grew louder until she wanted to scream. Covering her ears didn’t help. The sounds were coming from outside the house!

  The wind swirled and pushed against her the moment she opened the front door. Evangeline clutched her robe tight against her body in response to the snapping bite of cold. A sudden gust whipped wild around her. Her hair felt like tiny sticks beating against her face. She followed the sounds of anguish and cut straight through the grass.

  Her bare feet sunk into the moist-soggy earth. Mud squished gross between her toes. A flash of lightning lit up the sky and exposed the silhouette of the grand old oak tree. The headstone of her son’s grave was illuminated by an eerie, limestone glow.

  Evangeline pivoted quick on her heel. She wanted to run back towards the house. But some unseen force suddenly stopped her and forced her to reconsider. The heavy, spirit-filled weight wouldn’t let her go. Her pulse was pounding in her neck. She didn’t want to submit. There wasn’t anything that made her want to go near that tree!

  It belonged to Lukas now.

  Her lifeless son was resting beneath the safety of her favorite old oak. The inconsolable need for the restoration of her child only scorched her heart with fate’s cruel denial. She dared a few steps closer. The sounds of sporadic crying consumed all of her senses. Evangeline’s feet felt frozen to the ground.

  Instinct made her fall to her knees and sink into the dewy soft earth. Another flash of lightning left her gazing at cherubic angels. There was a legion of them engraved into the headstone. The crying now seemed to be muffled.

  It was coming from beneath her!

  Evangeline’s chest seized with panic. Every muscle in her body shook. She screamed into the wind until her voice became hoarse. “Lukas! Lukas!”

  The wails became louder. Its need was intentional and desperate. Her fingers dug in desperation, clawing at the loose dirt of his grave. She never stopped to rest. The beat of her heart thundered against her chest. She turned her head sharp in an effort to listen. “Lukas! Mummy is here, darling. Your Mummy hears you. I’m coming, my angel.”

  Evangeline shoveled through the soil like a woman possessed with madness. She had to reach her crying baby! His cries pierced her soul. Her breasts filled with milk. She wasn’t sure when her burning hands became numb. The tips of fingers scratched against something solid beneath her. Evangeline scrambled to swipe the last bit of dirt from the head of the casket.

  She inhaled a deep breath and held it. It took nothing to unlatch the casket. With a swift, jerking pull, the puffed, satin-lined lid creaked open. The smell of baby lotion drifted up into her nostrils. It was mixed with a twang of stagnant air.

  Evangeline was too afraid to look. She closed her eyes tight. But the cries before her had become so urgent. Her eardrums felt they would rupture. She dared to look into the casket. The tear-filled, vivid glow of Lukas’ emerald, immortal eyes was staring back at her.

  Screams of horror roiled from deep inside her gut. Evangeline convulsed and writhed. She was accosted, caught, and physically shaken. Despite her best efforts she couldn’t escape the cold, iron-like grasp that wouldn’t let her go.

  “Evangeline! Wake up! It is only a bad dream!”

  Evangeline gazed around the dark, fuzz-laden room. Her eyelashes fluttered rapid. Nothing would come into focus except for Dorien’s beloved face. She recognizing his cast and touch and cried out in sweet relief. With a swift pull she was sucked into the safety of his embrace. Sobbing against his shoulder, he soothed and rocked her gently.

  “It was only a bad dream, love. It’s all right. You dreamt of Lukas.”

  She sniffed and nodded. Tears blinded her vision. “H-he was c-crying for me. C-calling to m-me.” She stammered.

  “Come, Evan, let’s go wash your face.”

  The twins began to cry. Evangeline jumping in alarmed reaction. She couldn’t help her sharp, sucked inhalation of breath.

  “It is all right, Evangeline. It is only the twins. They only want their breakfast.”

  She forced a smile and tried to compose herself. “Of course.”

  Dorien smiled, as if to reassure her. “Go wash up and sit in your rocking chair. I will change our little ones and bring them to you for their feeding.” He kissed her lips before leaving for the nursery.

  Evangeline shuffled into the bathroom. The door latched closed behind her. Water poured and trickled from the faucet into the sink. It felt so good to cup cool water over her tear-streaked face.

  But the swirling float of small, dark shadows demanded her attention. Her head jerked towards the sink. Tiny clumps of dirt swirled around the bowl. Then she saw it; her fingernails. All of them were filled with gritted, crusted mud. Her body began to tremble. A squeal escaped her lips. She manically scrubbed every trace of it from the half moons beneath her fingernails. Haunted remnants spiraled and sucked noisily down the drain.

  * * * *

  Evangeline felt stuck to the ground. She stood beneath the shade of the centuries old oak tree. Her beloved Lukas Anaxander was lowered into the ground. A gouged chunk of her heart went down with him. She had cried so much she felt numb. She no longer cared
to swipe at her tears.

  Would they ever stop falling?

  Taryn’s arm went around her. Evangeline rested her head against her best friend’s shoulder. Dorien left her side to take a fussing Elias from Celeas. Evangeline’s eyes scanned her family in search of baby Helena. Her daughter slept safe, tucked into the safety of Philip’s muscled arms.

  Taryn brushed an errant hair from Evangeline face. “It was such a beautiful service, Evan.”

  Evangeline could only nod. She wiped at her nose. She smelled it in an instant. The sweetest scent of baby lotion saturated her fingers. Her eyes closed in agony. Lukas was the only child who had lotion on today.

  “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you. I’ve been so busy.”

  Evangeline forced herself to lie. “Don’t worry about it. I understand.”

  Taryn spied around them. Her voice fell to a hushed whisper. “I’m going away for a little while.”

  “Taryn, what is wrong? You’ve been distant and busy since we came back from Italy. We’re becoming strangers.”

  Taryn’s tone was laden with guilt. “I wish I could talk to you, Evan, but I can’t right now.”

  Evangeline felt angry in an instant. “Why? I don’t understand! You know you can talk to me about anything!”

  “Soon, Evan! There is something I have to sort out on my own.”

  “So, how long do you plan to be gone?”