“We should,” she turned to the computer, her fingers already flying. “What kind of room?”
“Your finest,” he replied. Speaking to her again was setting his heart afire already. He had dreamed of this moment since he found her dead last time. Being back in this town made him shiver in memory. It was three incarnations ago, just after the Second World War. There would be no one alive to remember him now; and if they were, they surely wouldn't be taken seriously if they recognized him. He couldn't believe she had reincarnated in the same spot. “Money is no objection.”
“I have a suite on the top floor,” she replied, looking up. “It's currently $300 for the night.”
“That will be fine,” he said. “If you think it's your finest?”
She laughed, and he had to smile.
“It's great,” she said. “What's your name?”
“Spencer St. John,” he replied, and he saw her pause. Did she recognize it? Did it alert her to a memory?
“Sorry?” she asked. “S-t? Or S-a-i-n-t?”
“The former,” he said, and then tried an old conversation trick. “Have we met before?”
“I…uh…” she looked up at him. “I don't think so. Have you stayed here before?”
“I've been to town before,” he answered. “I used to live here.”
“Oh,” she replied, cocking her head. “That's neat. Like, how long ago?”
“A very long time ago,” he smiled as she handed over the room key. “Thank you. Do you work here all the time?”
“Pretty much! My parents own it,” she said with a shrug. “So, if you have any questions, you can let me know, and I should be able to answer them.”
“I'm looking for someone to give me a tour of town, actually,” he said. “Show me the way things are now, because I feel like they are quite…different.”
“I don't know. Things haven't really changed around here,” she gave him a small smile. “But I can do that if you want. I'm studying tourism so I was thinking of starting to give tours.”
“That would be lovely, Katianna,” he said, and she paused.
“Sorry, my name is Bethany.”
He shook his head, as if he made a silly mistake.
“Of course. Bethany,” he replied. She always had a different name, but she always came to remember her real one before it was over. “When can we arrange that? I can pay for the service, of course.”
“Oh, um…tomorrow?” she said. “I'll see if I can get a group together from here. Around three o'clock, if you don't have plans?”
“That's fine,” he replied, taking his room key. “I'll be looking forward to it.”
“See you then,” she turned back to the computer and began typing. He wanted to linger so much. After all, it had been so long since he had seen her. But he knew that, especially at the start, he had to be careful.
Spencer made his way to his room just as his phone beeped again. This time, it was Cole, the youngest dragon prince. He handled everything to do with witches and magic, seeing as he was half-witch himself.
Earth dragon, do you know this face? Cole asked, sending over a picture. Spencer rolled his eyes. Cole had a habit of doing this when he was at a dead end, asking everyone on the planet for help.
No, Spencer said after briefly looking at the picture. I'll be there soon enough to help you.
Awesome, the youngest dragon prince responded, and Spencer threw his phone on his bed. He knew he had a duty to the princes, and he did plan to return to them soon enough. Hopefully, though, it would be with Katianna in tow.
Waiting until three o'clock the next day and not constantly inventing excuses to go downstairs was a nightmare. He didn't want to go out because he knew she was in the building, and he wanted to feel close to her.
Three o'clock felt like an eternity, but he managed to curb himself until two forty-five the next day.
At two forty-five, she was already waiting downstairs, looking adorable in a dress that he thought could have belonged to her mother. Her style this time around was vintage, as if she was reaching for the last time she had lived.
“Hi,” she said. “It's just us, if that's all right.”
“Of course,” he replied. “Can I pay for the service?”
“No, just give me a good reference if anyone calls,” she said with a smile on her face. “It's my first time, so go easy on me. But I have lived here all my life, so it shouldn't be that difficult. What would you like to see first?”
“I'm quite a fan of history,” he replied. “Perhaps you have some historical ruins around here?”
“History? Sure,” she said, and turned to a young man who was working the desk. “I'll be back in an hour, all right, Brian?”
“Sure,” Brian shrugged, intent on typing. “Bye.”
“Thanks for caring,” Katianna said, as she smiled. “Sorry. My brother. He's a jerk.”
“You have a brother?” Spencer asked, in surprise. “You didn't used to.”
“I'm sorry?” she asked, confused. He practically bit his tongue in frustration.
“I mean, you didn't mention it before,” he replied. “Sorry, English isn't my first language.”
She seemed to accept this excuse with a shrug.
“What else do you speak?”
He was grateful that she didn't ask his first language, because that would be difficult.
“I can also speak Spanish,” he replied. “And French.”
“Oh, that's lovely,” she said. “I've never been outside this town, so it's always nice to hear from travelers. This is the oldest buildings in town, by the way.”
He was hit in the face with a memory like it was a tidal wave. She was right; it was the oldest building in town. The library once housed a military barracks, and he had a memory of standing in the doorway with her, holding her hand. It had been pouring rain, and it was the simplest moment, debating whether to wait it out.
He missed those simple moments where they were just normal. It didn't seem fair that everyone else could walk down the street, holding the hands of their sweetheart, and he was stuck waiting for twenty-year periods. Dragons had a long life span, but they weren't immortal. Sooner or later, time would run out for them. He had no idea how many times she would be reincarnated, either. Would it continue after she was gone?
The one person that could probably answer that question was Cole, on Umora. He was an expert on all things magic, and he enjoyed impossible problems. Spencer had been away so long that he had never brought it up. This time around, he felt an urgency, as if time was running out. He needed to reveal his secret and have his answers quickly.
Chapter 2
It was only a week before he felt like she was starting to remember. They were getting on as if they had known each other all their lives, which Spencer knew he just had to convince her that they had.
She was doing so many things that he recognized: a twitch of the eye, a smile, the way she straightened her skirt.
On the seventh day of his stay, he asked for another tour; this one of the cemetery. After the first tour, they had simply chatted at the desk, sometimes for hours or more. She was friendly and smart. He did notice that, despite her chosen profession, she seemed to be a bit more timid this time around. She could smile and give tours, but her body language was more closed off. He wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that she died so harshly the last time around; she was now afraid of things she couldn't explain.
“The cemetery?” she said. “Sure, it's historic. I should have asked you if you wanted to see that beforehand. Is that what you do for a living?”
“Visit cemeteries?” he asked, with a smile.
“No. Do you work in history?” she asked as she shut down the computer. Being a family owned hotel, they had limited check in hours, and he had figured out when she could leave the desk unattended. She was so beautiful in the dying light with the sun glinting off her eyes.
“Sometimes,” he replied. He wondered how much she had suf
fered for those beautiful eyes of hers in this lifetime. He thought they were enchanting, but he knew not everyone felt the same way. She had been accused of being a witch for them in one lifetime, which wasn't entirely untrue.
“Cool, let's go,” she said as she grabbed her purse. She made sure to lock the front door behind her, knowing that any guests could just key in the code. She was much more curious in this lifetime as well, and he wondered if that was just a product of her time. In past lives, she was often obedient, submissive even. This time, she was much more independent.
He wondered when the right time would be to tell her that he was a dragon. They had talked about everything else already. He thought it wouldn't be that much of a surprise, After all, she was born to be with him.
The cemetery was basking in the dying sun as she pushed open the creaky old gate, looking around. There wasn't a soul in sight, just the white tombstones, some of them tumbling down.
“Which is the older section?” he asked. It was an experiment, but she seemed to know the way.
“This way,” she said as she led him down rows of graves. “These are all last generation, and then these here should be two generations ago.”
“Yes, I see that,” he said, his eyes scanning the tomb stones.
She saw it before he did: a once great grave that had tumbled. He had made sure it was grand and decorated before he had left town last time; with gilded gold paint, and wings sketched into every corner. They were dragon wings, a bit obscure, but dragon wings all the same.
It sent a shiver down his spine to stand there at her grave, remembering how he lowered her body into it, and then seeing her standing right beside it.
“This one is…different,” she said, crouching down. She reached her hand out, and he sucked in a breath.
Katianna reacted like she had been shocked when she flew backward. It was like she had been hit by the same tidal wave that he knew all too well.
“What the…” she said, softly.
He didn't move, not wanting to frighten her.
“What is it?” he asked softly.
“I feel like I've been here before,” she said, turning to him. “Isn't that weird?”
“I don't think it's weird at all,” he said. “I think we've all lived past lives.”
Katianna said nothing for a long moment, her hands running over the name on the grave. He waited with baited breath, hopeful. She turned to him, her eyes confused.
“Do I know you?” she asked.
“Yes,” he managed. “You do.”
For a long moment, she didn't move. Crouched by the grave, it was as if she was frozen. But finally, she stood up on shaky legs.
“Do you think that's me?” she asked.
“I know that's you,” he replied, and she took a giant step back.
“Who are you?” she asked. “What do you want with me?”
“Katianna…” he started, and her eyes widened.
“That's the name on the grave!” she cried. “Is this what you think? Is this what it's about?”
“Look inside yourself,” he tried to stay calm. “Look inside and see what you remember. Don't you feel like you know me?”
“I…” she couldn't deny that. She looked from him to the grave, and back again. “I do, but I…This is creepy. How do I know you aren't trying to scam me?”
“Why would I do that?” he asked. “What have I done that would give you that impression?”
She was shaking, but to her credit, she didn't run. Instead, she turned toward the grave, her eyes reading it again.
“She died young.”
“Yes,” Spencer replied, “she did.”
“Was she sick?”
He took a deep breath.
“Not that time,” he replied. “She was hurt.”
Katianna said nothing for a long time, reaching out again to trace the top of the grave. She closed her eyes, searching her mind. She was looking for something – anything that would trigger this moment.
“Was it an accident?” she asked softly.
“I don't think so,” he replied. “They said that it was, but–”
“It was murder,” she answered, crouching down. “Unsolved?”
“Yes.” He didn't delight in bringing back these memories. “I know it was committed by those things which were trying to take you away from me. This was the best way to hurt me. And I'm so sorry.”
She went to look at him again, her lip trembling.
“On my head?”
“Your neck,” he said. “You broke your neck, falling down the stairs.”
Her hands trembled, and she reached up to the back of her neck as if she could feel the pain.
“Spencer,” she whispered. “This isn't right. This isn't–”
“You don't have to believe me right away,” he replied. “You usually don't. Please, I don't want to hurt you. Take your time and think about it. If you search yourself, I'm sure that you will find that I speak the truth.”
She stayed a moment more and then took another step back.
“I'll see you later,” she said, turning and taking the path on the other side of the cemetery. He wanted desperately to follow her, but he didn't.
Instead, he crouched down by the grave, touching it lightly.
“Don't make it difficult this time, my love,” he whispered. “We have to get our answers, and soon.”
Closing his eyes, he tried to remember as much about this lifetime as he could. If she had reincarnated in the same town, it was possible that the same tactics as before would work. He assumed that she would take a few days to settle to the idea and then ask more questions. That was how it always went, especially with the similarity to the body that had been here before. That girl had been learning to be brave and afraid of her future. She had no idea that her life was going to be cut so short, all because they wanted to threaten a dragon lord.
He stood up, about to return to the hotel. He would stay as long as it took to convince her. It didn't matter whether it was days or weeks; his chest ached for her.
He didn't expect to spin around and find her right behind him.
“Katianna,” he blurted out in shock. She must have circled around, creeping up behind him while he was lost in thought.
“How do I know this is real?” she asked, her chin raised high. “How do I know that this isn't just some trick?”
This was not a question she had ever asked before. It startled him, and he searched for an answer that he had given before, that he knew had worked. She had a defiance in her eyes that he didn't recognize
“What proof would you like?” he asked, softly. “Anything in my power, I can show you.”
She paused.
“I don't deny that I feel a connection to you like no one else. From the second we met, I felt like I knew you. And this past week has certainly been intense. But that could just be life. You are talking about reincarnation, about magic, about things that humans don't know.”
“Yes,” he replied. “I am speaking of all those things. It is more than humans, though. The entire galaxy would be perplexed by you and your case. You are unique, Katianna.”
“There is no one else like me?”
“Not as far as I know,” he answered. “But I was hoping that in this lifetime, we could find that out together.”
He held out his hand, his palm upturned. They had held hands before; it would be nothing new. Even in this lifetime, their hands had brushed as they walked down the street. He had squeezed her hands in thanks, and she had seemed unburdened by it.
This time, she held her ground, which confused him. Katianna had never shied away from touch before.
“So, show me something I can believe,” she said, her palms clenched at her sides.
“I don't know what I could…” he started, and then he stopped. He could show her what he was. It would either work or have her running for the hills. Earth slowed their magic, but he probably had enough in him to convince her it never happened if s
he was too frightened. “There is one thing.”
“What?” she pushed. He took a deep breath, looking around. The graveyard was empty, and the hills hid enough of the view from the street. It was getting cold and starting to rain outside; no one was likely to come now.
“Step back,” he said, and she raised an eyebrow.
“Why?”
“Just take my word for it, my love,” he replied. “Step back.”
She considered this for a moment, and then decided it was better to step back then move forward.
In her pocket, she had her hand on her cell phone, just in case.
Spencer took a deep breath, the magic swirling around his palms. It was faint at first, but then it changed to bright yellows and golds.
He closed his eyes as he heard her gasp.
Dragon transformation wasn't painful, but it was jarring. His dragon brain wasn't as clear as his human one. Impulse control was lessened, and his thought process was slowed. He heard her shift another step backward as the process was complete, her body tense.
Even sight through dragon eyes was different, and she looked different in his yellow-speckled orbs. Everything was different except for her eyes: two different spots of clarity.
Katianna looked upon him without fear. She was nervous; she was curious; and she was uncertain. But he didn't smell fear on her. That was different from every other time as well. This version was brave, and maybe it was exactly what they needed in order to figure out what was happening.
He could not shake the feeling of time running out and of impending doom. Whatever Katianna thought, he hoped it was positive, or at least open to his heart.
Chapter 3
“Who was I?” she asked. It was late, but she didn't care. They had come to sit by the grave, his back resting against it, and her at his side. She was playing with grass; ignoring the blackness of the night as they talked. “Last time?”
“Last time was not here,” he said. “You were my wife; we married when you were eighteen.”
“Eighteen?” she said in shock. “That is not common, even for that generation.”
“You're right, it's not,” he said. “But you were sick. You didn't expect to see nineteen, let alone the twenty-three you did see. So, we married and got five glorious years together by the sea.”
Evander (Stratham Shifters Book 4) Page 46