Forever - 02

by Lauren Burd

  “I don’t even have the words…” he said.

  I blushed crimson. “I guess it’s worth the pain then.”

  Samuel offered me his arm. “Shall we head to dinner?”

  I placed my arm through his and used him to help steady my steps. As we walked into the hall, Duncan was just coming out of his room. He had a similar reaction to Samuel’s, but his face darkened after a moment.

  “You look beautiful,” he said, though the words sounded forced.

  “Thank you.” I beamed. “You look great, too.”

  “Thanks. We should probably get upstairs.”

  He appeared uncomfortable as he slid past Samuel and me. He practically ran for the end of the corridor and was soon gone from sight. It felt as if I’d swallowed a bunch of rocks as I thought about the reason for his reaction.

  Samuel escorted me back upstairs, where we were directed to a parlor. Everyone was present, except for Thanos and Raul. I found a chair in the corner so I could catch my breath from the walk. I didn’t get how corsets had ever become a fashion trend. They seemed more like torture devices.

  I noticed Duncan and Lucina off in their own corner, getting very cozy. I had no right to feel jealous, but I still felt a slow burn as I watched the two of them. Samuel moved into my line of sight, blocking the couple from view.

  “Are you feeling okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. It’s a little hard to breathe in this thing, though.”

  “You get used to it.”

  “How would you know? I didn’t think men had to wear corsets.”

  He laughed. “Well, it’s what I heard.”

  “It’s a little odd to be playing dress-up in the middle of the desert in an underground manor.”

  Samuel frowned. “Being alive for so long can affect the mind. Some of the Immortals can’t handle it and sometimes take their own lives; others crack or get stuck in a certain time period.”

  “Why?”

  Before Samuel could answer my question, the door opened, and Thanos and Raul entered together. They made their way over to us.

  “Miss Taylor, Mr. Grant, I would like you to meet Raul Vega. He’s an old friend of Lucina’s and mine.”

  “It’s very nice to meet the two of you.” Raul extended his hand to both of us. “I have to say you’re a very lucky man, Mr. Grant.”

  “Thank you.”

  I flushed slightly at his complement. “You have a very lovely home,” I said, trying to fill the silence.

  “I’m glad. If you would allow me, after dinner perhaps I can take you on a tour of the rest of the house.”

  “I would like that.” The thought of traipsing through the underground mansion in my current state of dress didn’t seem very pleasant, but I didn’t want to be rude.

  The door opened again, and one of the butlers from earlier entered. He crossed the room to Raul’s side and whispered into his ear.

  “It seems dinner is ready,” Raul announced. “If you would all follow me.”

  Raul took the lead and showed us all to the dining room. It was opulent, to say the least. Dark wood lined the bottom of the wall while cream-colored wallpaper decorated the top. A crystal chandelier hung over a heavy and very large wood table that seated twelve people. The table was set with fine china and real silver utensils.

  Butlers stood at the ready to show us to our seats. I was surprised to be led to the setting closest to the head of the table. I wasn’t very familiar with Victorian etiquette, but I was pretty sure being seated closest to the host was a very big honor. Thanos was seated across from me, and Samuel sat next to me, with Lucina across from him and Duncan next to her. I could already imagine the long night ahead.

  Mending Fences

  “Did you enjoy the meal?” Raul asked as my empty dessert plate was whisked away.

  “It was excellent.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I know it’s customary for the gentlemen to remain at the table for cigars and cocktails, but if there are no objections, perhaps we can join the ladies in the parlor.”

  “I think that would be a wonderful idea,” Thanos seconded.

  Samuel stood up and pulled out my chair for me. It felt strange having to wait on someone else to do everything for me. I was pretty sure Samuel was enjoying it, though. He always wanted to do more for me than I would let him do. He escorted me back to the parlor, where yet another bombshell waited.

  “Do you know how to play or sing, Miss Taylor?” Raul asked.

  My eyes widened in terror. “No. I’m afraid I focused more on academics and the occasional dance lesson.”

  He appeared confused. “Don’t look at her like that,” Lucina said. “Women are much more independent than they were in the eighteen hundreds.”

  He let an uncomfortable laugh escape. “Thank you for reminding me. Forgive me, Miss Taylor. I get out very rarely, so it is easy to lose track of time. What were you studying?”

  “I was studying the prerequisites for medical school. I’d hoped to follow in my dad’s footsteps.”

  My answer appeared to take him off-guard. Thankfully, Duncan came to my rescue. He took the opportunity during the lull in conversation to sit down at the baby grand piano. I stared in amazement as he began to play. I was speechless as the notes to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata flowed from the instrument. It had been a long time since I’d heard my dad’s favorite piece. He would listen to it as he went over reports or considered the way to approach a problem. The last note hung in the air, and no one in our small group made a sound until it faded.

  “I didn’t know you could play,” I commented as Duncan stood up from the instrument.

  “I have many talents you don’t know about.” His expression seemed playful, but the timbre of his voice held a hint of sadness.

  As soon as the seat was vacant, Samuel sat at the piano. He began playing almost as well as Duncan. It took me a moment to place the piece. It wasn’t one I listened to often, but it sounded familiar. As he played the last notes, the name came to me; it was one of Chopin’s preludes. I was pretty sure it was Suffocation. The name of the piece was apropos, considering that was what it felt like underneath the ground and in these clothes.

  “You both play wonderfully. You all are seriously making me reconsider my stance on having guests,” Raul commented as Samuel made his way back to my side.

  The night grew later as everyone, save me, took a turn on the piano. They all made me feel as if I’d wasted my time in life so far. I’d read a lot of books and attended plays and concerts, but I’d never taken the time to really learn a skill or cultivate a talent.

  We all applauded Lucina’s stellar performance. She had sung with her piece as well, and I was surprised by her beautiful voice.

  “It is getting rather late. Perhaps we should retire for the evening,” Raul said after Lucina finished her turn at the piano.

  Despite having slept all day in the back of the limo, I was exhausted. It seemed like everyone else was pretty tired as well. Samuel helped me up, and we headed to the door behind Lucina and Duncan. Samuel kept his pace slow and deliberate, allowing for some distance between us and them. Soon, we were in the corridor by ourselves.

  “What do you think of Raul?”

  “He seems tired and…” I thought about how to put it. “Something about him seems off. Why do you ask?”

  “I was just wondering why Thanos brought us here. There has to be some reason why he chose this place.”

  “I’m sure he’ll tell us when we need to know.” At least I hoped he would.

  “You’re probably right. I’m just being paranoid.”

  We came to a stop in front of my door. I thought about inviting Samuel in, but I was still upset. Usually, I forgave him within minutes, if not seconds, for his mistakes, but this time I found myself unwilling. His actions had put all of us in danger, and though it had turned out to be a blessing, it had nearly cost Duncan his life and put my dad in harm’s way. I argued that I’d already slept with my h
ead on his lap and even kissed him a few hours ago, but in both cases, I’d had little choice.

  “I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” Samuel said as the silence dragged.

  I nodded. He leaned down to kiss me, but his lips only touched my forehead. He appeared crestfallen as he pulled away and turned to shuffle over to his door.

  “Samuel,” I said feeling bad. He looked over at me his eyes brightening. “Sweet dreams.”

  “You, too.” He went into his room and the door closed behind him with a click.

  I leaned my head against my door and mentally kicked myself. I’d almost invited him in despite my determination not to but that wasn’t what upset me. I felt awful about being mad at him.

  The sound of someone clearing her throat brought me back to the present. It was Mary.

  “I’m here to help with your dress, mum.”

  “Thank you,” I said as civilly as I could.

  I opened the door to my room and went inside, followed closely by Mary. I was surprised to see Lucina seated on the trunk at the end of my bed.

  “I’ll help her get ready for bed tonight, Mary.”

  Mary nodded and backed out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her.

  I stared at my bed, longing to lie down in its soft embrace. I was never going to get the chance to sleep.

  “What do you want, Lucina?” My voice came out snappier than I intended.

  “I want to talk to you.”

  “Can this wait until the morning? I’m exhausted and—”

  “No, this can’t wait.”

  I would have let my shoulders sag, but it was impossible given the clothing I wore. “Will you at least help me out of this torture device?”

  Lucina smiled. I was floored. I’d seen her fake a smile and force a smile. There was the occasional evil smirk and a smile that showed her contempt. It was the first time I’d seen her smile so naturally.

  “Did you enjoy yourself this evening?” she asked as she began to unfasten the thirty or so buttons on the back of my dress.

  I wanted to ask her to cut the small talk, but stopped myself. It seemed as though she was trying to heal some of the hurt feelings between us. The least I could do was give her the chance to mend the fences. I couldn’t help feeling that I should give Samuel the chance as well.

  “It was nice other than the costume. I really enjoyed the music. I didn’t realize everyone was so talented.”

  “We’ve all had a long time to practice and now, so do you.”

  I scoffed. “If we manage to get out of this alive.”

  “I promise if we do, I’ll teach you how to play.”

  I glanced over my shoulder at her to see if she was joking. She appeared serious. “That would be nice.”

  She came around and helped me slide down the dress. “Hold onto my shoulders so you can step out of it.” I did as she instructed, and she took the garment and laid it at the end of the bed to be put away.

  “Not that I mind, but why are you doing this?”

  “I just thought it would be nice to have some girl time.”

  I gave her a skeptical look.

  “I know we started off on the wrong foot, and since we’re stuck here, I thought we might be able to start over.”

  I furrowed my brow. If an apology was buried in there, I was having a hard time finding it. “Okay.”

  Lucina smiled but seemed uneasy at my less-than-enthusiastic reply. We fell into silence as she began the chore of releasing me from my under dress. It was going to take another thirty minutes just to get me out of the monstrosity.

  “Does Raul expect me to wear that sort of thing tomorrow?”

  “I’m not sure if expect is the right word. It’s more likely he’ll demand that you do.”

  I sighed. I had hoped the costume party was only for one day. “So what did you want to talk about?” I asked, trying to move the conversation along.

  “Thanos is speaking with Raul tonight about the real reason we came here. Seeing as you’re part of, or really the entire reason, we’re here, Thanos asked me to inform you of the plan.”

  Reasons

  “Thanos told you he wanted to try an experiment to make sure that Dr. Williams’s findings were accurate. He also knew you would never agree to try it on a human or Immortal who didn’t volunteer.”

  “So we came here because he thinks Raul will volunteer?”

  “We came because Raul will volunteer.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “I’ve known Raul for a long time. In fact, he’s the one who infected me.”

  “I thought Thanos—”

  Lucina shook her head. “We met later when I was looking for a way out.”

  “A way out? From what?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  I gazed longingly at my bed and thought about how nice it would be to curl up between the covers and drift off to sleep. “It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

  “I had been living on the streets of Madrid with my mother. It was as bad as you can imagine,” she added to the slightly worried expression I gave her. “She did everything and anything to get money to keep us fed after my father died. It wasn’t an easy life, but we were together, so I didn’t mind.

  “A few months of living that way took its toll on her body and mine. She caught a fever, and soon she lay down and didn’t get back up. I was pretty weak by that time, so I lay next to her and waited for my turn. That’s when Raul came by.

  “He had given me a few pieces of silver on previous occasions, but I expected him to keep walking. I was a vagrant child begging for scraps in a city overrun with poverty. To my surprise, he picked me up and carried me away from the dark alley and everything I had known.”

  “Why did he take you?”

  “He told me I reminded him of his daughter, but I think he wanted a companion. Anyway…” She sighed. “Raul made sure I was well taken care of, and with a doctor’s help, I was soon on the mend. I expected to be turned out at any moment, but he allowed me to stay. I wanted for nothing while with him, and he made sure I had the finest of everything. It was like a fairy tale, and I was the princess in disguise, but as I got older, the nagging voice at the back of my mind grew louder. My parents had shown me with their lives that nothing came without a price.

  “When I was close to twenty, I met John. He was the youngest son of a very wealthy English nobleman. We fell madly in love and wanted to be married. I didn’t think Raul would object, and John knew of my past, so I expected to live happily ever after.

  “John went to see Raul in his study while I waited in the parlor. I grew impatient after twenty minutes and went to check on them. Raul told me that John had changed his mind once he was informed that I would not receive a dowry. He said that John had left and would not be returning. I was devastated, and Raul comforted me.

  “Time passed, and my broken heart was mended, though it remained deeply scarred. I was considering joining a convent to escape from the world and my disappointed dreams. Raul then asked for payment on his years of devotion. I didn’t feel I had the right to refuse him, so we married.”

  “Wait. You and Raul were married?” I asked in disbelief. The thought of two people remaining in contact let alone on good terms after a divorce seemed impossible to me.

  She snickered. “We have a complicated past. Anyway, I was relatively happy for the first couple of years, and minus a rather severe illness during the beginning of our marriage, I was surprisingly healthy.”

  I tried not to interrupt her again so soon, but I had to ask. “Your illness… he infected you?”

  She nodded. “He never told me. He never explained it to me. He certainly didn’t ask. It was one of his first lies, but not his last. He lied about his hunting trips with Ethan. He concealed the fact that I would never be able to have children. The biggest deception was John. I discovered that John had never returned home and had gone missing about the same time he had requested my hand. I thought per
haps Raul had given him money to leave, but then I remembered the night John had rejected me.

  “I had been unable to sleep and was up wandering the halls. I heard muffled cries coming from one of the corridors and went to see what was going on. I came to a wall and noticed a small beam of light coming from a slit. I leaned against the stone and thought I saw John on the floor. When I asked Raul about it the next day, he told me I had a nightmare.

  “When I realized the truth, I couldn’t stay with him any longer, so I packed my trunk and left. Terrified and nearly penniless when I landed in England, I kept looking over my shoulder. A young gentleman who smelled surprisingly refreshing stopped and offered his assistance. It was Thanos.

  “He explained everything about Immortals and what Raul had done to me. I didn’t believe a word of it at first, but as time went by, I realized he had told me the truth. As unbelievable as it sounds, he was the first person to be honest with me.”

  “I’m a little confused. You have all of this baggage and yet you kept in contact with Raul?”

  “It’s complicated, but I have my reasons for keeping in contact with him.”

  “Do any of those reasons have something to do with why we came here?”

  “They’re the only reasons we came here.”

  “You’re not going to tell me what they are, are you?”

  She shook her head. “Not right now, at least.” She stood and stretched. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted, and I’m sure we’re going to have a long day tomorrow.” She covered her mouth and yawned for emphasis.

  I wanted her to answer a few more questions about her and Raul, but I was too tired to continue.

  Rejection

  I tossed and turned for over an hour before I finally gave up on sleeping. Lucina’s story kept playing in my head, and I couldn’t stop wondering why we had come to Raul’s house. I knew we were there to experiment, which I wasn’t very keen on to begin with, but it felt as if something was being hidden from me. Considering everything I’d been through since entering the Immortal world, I was probably just being paranoid.