by Diana Nixon
“You’d better be right,” I muttered. Evan grimaced at my comment, but said nothing.
We had been going around in circles for hours, and I truly hoped we would find the right road soon. First, I needed to call Eileen to make sure that she was okay and second, my stomach demanded food.
“I don’t remember this,” Evan said, passing by the ruins of something that apparently used to be a church. I cursed mentally, but didn’t say anything aloud, knowing how nervous my best friend already was.
I liked Scotland with its beautiful seas, kilts and Edinburgh’s music festivals. It was probably one of those places I always enjoyed visiting, except for this time.
It was getting dark outside. Evan and I were awfully tired of driving, and when we thought we would stop at some hotel to take a rest, we saw the lights of Aberdeen.
“Thank God.” I sighed with relief.
“Huh, I told you we would find it!”
“Yeah, you told me that about 24 hours ago.”
“But now we are here, and that’s the only thing that matters.” Evan was a hopeless optimist, even when it came to travelling all over the country to visit his beloved grandma.
Abigail Stevenson, or Abby as Evan called her, lived in New Aberdeen — the former fishing village that took the south part of the city. Her house was situated in a very picturesque area that even at the beginning of January looked beautiful. The temperature was about four degrees above zero. Not my favorite season of the year. And the only place I really wanted to be in now was my room in Dever, with a burning fireplace, and Eileen, curled up by my side. Too bad I couldn’t afford any of the above at the moment, because I was hundreds of miles away and stuck in the company of my best friend, who was trying to get himself ready for the meeting with Abby.
“She always criticizes me,” he said the moment we stopped at a one-story white house. “She never approved of the way I looked, and she always said that my magical talents left too much to be desired.”
“Sounds like you liked spending time with her.” I chuckled at the face my friend made in response.
“Very much.”
We got out of the car and headed for the entrance that was carefully guarded by a huge dog.
“I didn’t know this tiger was still alive,” Evan said, patting the fur of a barely breathing tiger. I didn’t know if the dog was too lazy or too old, but she barely opened one eye to see who was touching her.
I rang the doorbell, and a few seconds later a woman appeared at the threshold. She stared at us in surprise and then exclaimed, “Holy Dolly! That’s my chubby boy came to visit his grandma!” Then she locked Evan in her embrace, knocking the air out of his lungs.
“Easy Abby, you are going to kill me!” Evan groaned, trying to break free. “I’m glad to see you too.”
“Shut up, I haven’t seen you for ages!” The woman pinched my friend’s cheek. “And that’s a Fairey kid with you! I’m Abigail,” she said, smiling.
“And I’m Christian.”
“Nice to meet you, young man. Come on in, guys. You must be hungry and tired.”
My point exactly, I thought to myself. “She’s nice,” I said to Evan, following his grandmother to what turned out to be a spacious kitchen.
“Yeah, she is. First ten minutes.”
“So, what brought you here?” Abby asked, making tea. “There must be something really bad if you trudged across the country to see me.”
“You are right as always, Grandma.” Evan played his best smile. “We need to know more about Cameron’s protective amulets.” A kettle Abby was holding in her hands froze half-way to the cup.
“What mess did you get your smart ass into?” She stared at Evan. The woman obviously knew how to get straight down to business.
“Uh, Abby why don’t you give me a little more credit?”
“Because you are just like your father! And he ended up with egg on his face too many times.” I tried to hide a smile. Evan was right — there was no love lost between his father and Abby.
“Okay, yes, we do have some problems. And we need all the help we can possibly get to save ourselves from the mess we got into.”
“Just spit it out, Evan. What’s going on?”
We told Abby everything. She wasn’t surprised to hear about Evan’s father heading the Dragons brotherhood. She knew the truth. And she shared our doubts about his accidental death. Just as our friend, Marion Blanche, who also used to be Dominic’s right hand and personal guardian, Abby was sure that Evan’s father was killed by someone who wanted to take his place in the brotherhood.
“You know I didn’t approve of my daughter’s choice, but I never wished your father anything bad. The day Elizabeth found out the truth about him, she called me and told me everything. Your grandfather was the only person who could save Dominic. But unfortunately, he wasn’t there with us anymore. Cameron knew everything about the dark magic your father got addicted to. He could feel the traces of darkness on everyone. And he knew how hard it was to stop using dark spells. They were always the strongest ones. People who ever tried to use them, or those who were marked by them, were predestined to die young. Their youth was a sacrifice they had to offer up to save their souls. Your grandfather died when he was twenty-eight years old. And you said that Eileen’s grandfather died in his early thirties.”
“But my Dad wasn’t that young, when the accident happened,” Evan said.
“True. But he had very good protection. Not everyone is that lucky to have a living creature as a personal amulet. And Marion was that amulet to him. Her life energy was a guarantee for his safety.”
“Do you know how your husband met Eileen’s grandpa?” I asked Abby.
“Yes. I remember that day. He brought him to our house, saying that Steward was kind enough to give him a lift from the port, where they met at the exhibition, dedicated to some shipbuilding stuff. But I knew better, because the darkness surrounding our guest was so thick, I wanted to vomit. As it turned out later, Steward’s darkness was the result of his great love for his wife. Yes, he died because he loved her so much. He bought her a ring with a black diamond that was a rare and a very expensive gift. And black diamonds are very dangerous. People wearing them have no idea about their true meaning. They are the symbols of dark magic and evil. And if they are charmed, they can kill their owners in seconds. The one Steward had, was charmed too. And if it wasn’t for Cameron’s protective amulet, Eileen’s grandfather would have died much sooner. As far as I know, her grandma never got that ring, but the darkness it brought, stayed. The plate given to Steward was supposed to stop that darkness from spreading to his family.”
“What about the symbol, drawn on the plate?” Evan asked. “Is it just a sign of protection?”
“No, it’s not. It’s a symbol of blood — a red river that conquers and washes away evil.”
“I’m speechless,” I said. “How does that symbol connect with the spell we are looking for?”
“Blood is always the last element of most of the spells that include different ingredients,” Abby said. “My guess is that the spell you need to find was cast with a mixture of magic and natural elements, such as herbs, flowers and blood. If you know the ingredients, you can make an antidote. Or simply destroy the last element, locking the spell’s circle. If it’s blood, you need to find a material object containing it. Wizards never use pure blood. They use something that symbolizes blood or red color.”
The information we got from Evan’s grandma, was priceless. Though we still didn’t know what the spell we were looking for consisted of.
We were too tired to go back to Dever, so we decided to stay overnight at Abby’s. Evan finally let me call Eileen who was very happy to hear from me.
“Thank God, Christian! I thought something had happened to you! Why didn’t you call me earlier?”
“I’m sorry, Baby, our phones refused to get a signal. But we are fine and we are coming back tomorrow morning.”
“Good, I can�
��t wait to share the news we have. And I miss you a lot.” I smiled happily, enjoying the way Eileen’s words warmed my heart.
“I miss you too. And I can’t wait to see you, and lock you in my arms.”
“Sounds like a very good plan.”
“Is everything okay in Dever?”
“Yes. We had a very busy day. We managed to decipher a few more symbols from the map, but I will tell you everything when you are back. How’s Evan?”
“He’s fine. And now I know whom he took most of his sarcasm from.”
“Seriously? Is his grandma as amazing as our friend is?”
“You can’t even imagine how much alike they are. I also wanted to ask about the last night. Did you have any more nightmares?” I didn’t like leaving Eileen alone, and though I knew that there were a lot of people ready to protect her if necessary, none of them could feel her as well as I could.
“No, no nightmares this time.”
“I wish I could be with you right now.” I sank back against the pillows and closed my eyes, trying to imagine how Eileen looked at the moment. She must be wearing one of those sexy nightgowns I like so much.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked.
“You. And the way I could kiss you if I were in Dever now.”
She giggled. “And here I thought I was the only one imagining kissing you.”
“No matter where I am or what I do, I always think about you.”
“Same here.”
“Well, I guess it’s time to say good night.” I didn’t want to do that, but I knew that we needed to sleep. “I’ll see you soon. Love you.”
“Love you too,” she said, sending me imaginary kisses through the phone.
Eileen and I had gone through a lot to be together. And we still had to do a lot to live without thinking about saving each other’s lives every moment of the day. I loved her, and I knew that she loved me too. It was amazing. She was amazing, in every sense of the word.
I couldn’t stop myself from sneaking into her room when I knew my sister wasn’t there. The nights we spent in Norfield were pure torture for both of us. I was staying at my parents’ house, and Eileen was staying at her own place. But sometimes we managed to hide from everyone to spend some time together. And every one of those times was special.
We matched so perfectly that sometimes I was afraid to let her out of my arms, so as not to break the beautiful dream she took me to, endowing me with her endless love.
I couldn’t stop wondering how one person could love someone so much. And it felt like our love was getting stronger with every passing day, and with every passing second.
The way she kissed me, the way she touched me, the way she was giving herself to me, was the best thing I could have ever dreamed about. And every time we made love, it wasn’t just a physical contact, no. There was something so much more than that. It was as if our souls were drinking in each other’s love, feelings and thoughts….
Chapter 6. An Arrow
Our way back to Dever was surprisingly silent and peaceful. Evan and I didn’t talk much, lost in our own thoughts. His grandmother confirmed my father’s words about the language of symbols used on the map — there wasn’t any alphabet we could use to decipher them.
And we didn’t have much time, because with every passing day the Dragons were getting closer to Dever, and to Eileen. And all those people she was bound with.
We all were in danger.
“I can almost hear your thoughts, Christian,” Evan said. “Have you ever noticed that the flames of fire you keep inside appear every time you concentrate too hard?”
I haven’t. But now when Evan mentioned it, I looked at my palms and saw a few barely noticeable red sparkles.
“You are going to burn my car.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know I could do that.”
“The control they teach us to maintain is not always helpful.”
Sometimes my friend seemed much older and wiser than any other person of his own age.
“The powers we possess can’t be controlled. They break the walls we build and take control over us.”
“That’s a philosopher talking inside of you.”
“Have you ever asked Eileen how she feels about her powers?”
“Of course I have. Why?”
“Because it feels like her powers are very quickly getting stronger. As if someone is making her concentrate her energy on something we can’t see.”
“What?” Personally I didn’t notice any of the above.
“Even though she’s too far away from me at the moment, I can still feel that crazy energy radiating from her. And this is not good.”
I didn’t know what energy Evan was talking about, because no matter how hard I tried to concentrate on Eileen’s feelings, and feel something through the bond we shared, I never felt anything unusual. Maybe what Evan felt had something to do with the magic I didn’t possess....
It was almost two in the morning when we crossed the border of Dever. I headed straight for my room, as I knew that Eileen was with Amanda, and that she was okay.
I opened the door, took off my clothes and slipped into the warm bed. Warm? Wait a second….
I turned on the lamp on my bedside table and saw Eileen. She was sleeping, half-covered with my blanket. She never stayed for the night. She didn’t want people to talk about us, and the fact that now she was there, meant that something had happened while I was away….
I moved closer and put my arm around her waist, inhaling the fruity scent of her hair. Not only was that, but everything about her was too intoxicating to stay calm, holding her in my embrace. A silky nightgown was clinging to her upper body and hips. I couldn’t help myself, I slid my palm down to the line where the fabric ended, and her bare skin burned my fingers. I tried to breath, but the angel in my arms was so beautiful, I couldn’t make myself do anything, but stare at her silhouette, half illuminated by the dim light of the lamp.
I still couldn’t get used to the way our hearts were beating whenever we were together. And the beat of her heart always sounded just like mine. I smiled to myself, burrowing my face against her neck, taking every moment in. The love I felt for her was the most amazing thing I’d ever felt. And I didn’t care what I would have to do to keep her by my side. There was no way I would let her go, ever. She was mine … just like I was hers.
Finally Eileen felt my presence, and rolled onto her back. “Hey,” she said, smiling slightly, her eyes still closed.
“Hey,” I said in response, brushing her lips with mine. “What a pleasant surprise to see you here.”
She turned to the right, so that now she was facing me. “I couldn’t fall asleep.”
I instinctively pressed her closer to my chest. “You know you are always welcome here.”
“And your bed is much more comfortable than mine.”
I laughed quietly. “Really? I didn’t know that. So why don’t you move into my room?”
“Are you sure you are ready to face my father’s fury?”
The answer came immediately, “I don’t think so.”
“So I thought.” She giggled. “That’s why I don’t want him or anyone else to see me leaving your room in the morning.”
“What about tomorrow morning?” I asked, knowing that I wouldn’t let her out of my room any time soon.
“I will be careful.”
“It contradicts everything you said before.”
“I don’t care.”
“Good, ‘cause you are not leaving me alone tonight.”
“I actually wanted to talk to you about the spell.”
“Later,” I said, before I moved, covering her body with mine.
The next morning did not start the way I expected. The spot beside me was empty, and Eileen was nowhere around. Apparently saying, ‘I’ll be careful’ meant leaving me without a good-morning kiss. I sighed, disappointed. Then I took a shower, and went to see my runaway girlfriend. But the next disappointment was w
aiting for me right around the corner. My best friend materialized out of nowhere, wearing his usual devil-may-care smile.
“I need your help,” Evan said, and turned around, heading for the building’s exit without waiting for my response.
“Morning to you too,” I muttered, following him. “Where are we going?”
“To the dungeon.”
“What for?” I asked, puzzled. Dever’s dungeon wasn’t at the top of the most exciting places to see. It served as a local prison and a temporary retreat for people who couldn’t control their powers.
“One of its inhabitants, the fire user, tried to escape, burning the iron bars. The guards stopped him, and put him in the other ward. But there was Francesco Destefano. Remember him?”
“The guy who helped us to find out the ingredients of Alexis’ protective amulet?”
“Yes. He saw a symbol on the half-burned bars and called me, saying it was the very symbol Alexis always used at the end of her signature.”
“Does he know what the symbol means?”
“An arrow. And we saw that symbol on the map.”
“Okay, so what do you need my help with?”
“You need to finish the crazy man’s work. Melt the bars.”
“What for?”
“To see what the arrow points to. Maybe it will give us another prompt.”
Evan’s words sounded kind of strange. But that was Evan after all, and no matter how crazy his ideas sometimes seemed, his actions always made sense.
When we came to the bars he wanted me to melt, we saw a guy standing there. He was about Evan’s age, and he had Fairey’s emerald eyes.
“Hi,” Evan said. The stranger nodded and walked away without saying a word.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
“Have no idea.” Evan looked at the guy suspiciously. “Okay, never mind. Let’s get to work.”
Melting bars wasn’t easy. They were charmed, so as not to let the prisoners escape the dungeon. They could be destroyed only with the help of magical fire, which was a combination of a real fire that my friend couldn’t create himself, and the spells he was so good at casting. Evan wasn’t Fairey, and the only natural power he possessed was the power of the earth.