Forgotten

by Sarah J. Pepper

  I reached up and took his hand in mine. My smallest finger brushed over the scar, and it began to move like it was being blown off his skin. After separating itself, the scar danced in the wind, as if it were a piece of thread. The young man sang softly, as he spun me in his arms. The scar wrapped around us as we danced. He pressed his chin gently against my head. I closed my eyes as he lifted my chin. His silk lips found mine.

  The vision made me smile. One day, I’ll be happy, I repeated to myself. If only it matched my reality now. I turned the door handle and jumped slightly, when I noticed Jace waiting just outside.

  “Something’s bothering you,” Jace said.

  “So not only do you claim to know my ambitions, but you also have a direct connection to my internal turmoil?”

  I side-stepped him. He grabbed my arm, stopping me. This time he didn’t let go. Instead, he showed me just how strong of a grip he had. I told him to let go, unless he wanted a fight.

  “Tell me what happened just now, Gwyneth. I know you were in distress, so stop shying away from me!”

  “You attracted more flies with honey, than vinegar,” I said, wincing from the pressure in my arm. I jabbed him in the gut; my fist didn’t fazed him. He made no indication that I’d hurt him.

  “The fly doesn’t like my honey,” he said, squeezing tighter.

  The pain brought me to my knees; he didn’t let go, even as I kneeled in front of him. I’d certainly lose in a fight with him. Words would be much more effective and potent than my fist.

  “I get it. You’re ticked at me. I would be too,” I admitted. “I don’t trust you, but then again I don’t trust myself. It’s hard for me, so can you give me an inch?”

  He relaxed his grip and muttered an apology. Too completely consumed with Jace, I hadn’t noticed Elsie until she kicked Jace in the shin and told him to leave me alone! My keeper was finally finding her voice.

  “Butt-head?” Jace said smoothly, repeating the foul word Elsie had called him. He relaxed his grip on my arm only to help me back up to my feet. “Do butt-heads usually help people back up, when they trip?”

  “Winnie?” Elsie asked to confirm his story.

  “Promise,” I said, taking her hand instead of Jace’s, and letting Elsie lead me to the kitchen “I just tripped.”

  “You trust him?” she whispered after looking back at him.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “The pretty ones are good liars.”

  “He is pretty, isn’t he,” I admitted, but my voice didn’t carry affection; it held distain. Yes, the butthead, as Elsie so kindly put it, had to be pretty.

  Elsie stopped walking and tugged my hand down to her. She asked in a whisper, “How do you know what people look like?”

  “I get a general picture from my hands,” I said and touched my face, showing her how I saw. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to get a better look. I squatted so she wouldn’t have to strain her toes. “Would you let me see you?”

  “Ummm, can you show me with someone else first – like him?” Elsie asked nervously, pointing back down the hall at Jace who was now directly behind me. How Jace could easily cross distances without me hearing him, unnerved me.

  “Gwyneth and I haven’t really advanced to face-feeling yet. We’re still trying to master being in the same room with each other,” Jace said quietly.

  “Afraid I’ll find out how ugly you are?” I teased, looking affectionately at Jace, like he was my boyfriend. We had a show to put on, for my family, right?

  Jace chuckled, then full out laughed and finally agreed to Elsie’s request. His laugh sounded like I imagined heaven would, to my ears. I dropped to my knees, which wasn’t as dramatic as it sounded since they were only a few inches from the floor.

  “He sounds nice,” Elsie whispered.

  I couldn’t help but smile. I stared, in awe of how his white silhouette fluctuated with his laugh. “That he does.”

  Martha held off on supper so I could show Elsie how I see. I guess we were all eager to do anything to make her feel like this wasn’t a scary place to live, even if it meant pushing supper back a little longer. John put the food back into the oven to keep warm and busied himself so Elsie wouldn’t get spooked, with so many people watching. Jace sat in the dining room chair. Elsie was on his right, while I stood in front of his left.

  “Sometimes it’s easier to feel the way a person looks by standing behind them,” I said, pulling out a chair beside Jace.

  Elsie stood on the chair. I took her hand and placed it on his forehead. I took a deep breath and started. With my hand, I showed her how to let her hands trickle down until she reached his eye brows. I doubled check – no unibrow. I showed her how to measure the distance between the hairline, which was as soft as silk, and his chin. I then showed her how that measurement should be the same size of a person’s hands. She followed my lead, mimicking my actions, on the opposite side of his face.

  “Let the tips of your finger, go over his eyelids, and pay careful attention to how deep the eye socket is, in relationship to the formation of his brow.”

  I gently slid my fingers to the sides of his eyes. I informed Elsie to feel for any skin abnormalities or bumps, when I felt it. A dimple. It was perfectly buried in his cheek. I swallowed before letting my fingers trail along his jaw line, which was hard and straight. His facial hair was shaved to the skin, but started to prickle. He probably needed to shave daily to keep up the smooth skin. My hand trembled as my adrenaline surged. It was ridiculous how much I enjoyed the feeling of his scruffy face. I started to pull away when he reached up. He held my hand gently, against his face. He rubbed his thumb over the backside of my hand, encouraging me not to pull away. I heard myself gasp when his thumb rolled over my smallest finger. Immediately, the vision of the perfect lips jarred me from my thoughts. I regained my composure quickly. I wanted to see Jace so badly, instead of showing Elsie how I did it. I bit my tongue to keep from asking her to move over so I could see how to picture him in my mind’s eye. Barely controlling myself, I showed her how feel for the contours in his face.

  The tip of my finger caught the tail end of a thin scar following nearly the entire length of his left eye. A deep moan grew in Jace’s throat as I traced it. The sound hit my ears like some glorious echo had sounded.

  We repeated the motion until reaching his nose. I showed her how to follow along the side first so she could get a general picture of the shape of the nose before examining length, depth, and skin health. Jace’s nose was slightly wider than I imagined and had a slight crook in it, veering to the left.

  “Compliments of your younger sister,” Jace muttered.

  “What did you say?” Elsie asked.

  “Ignore him,” I said before Jace had a chance. “He’s not supposed to talk – messes up the features of the face.”

  Jace bounced slightly, while he failed to suppress his chuckle. Just when I wished he’d open his mouth so I could hear its sweet sound, another vision hit me.

  My skin was smooth and youthful, just like his, as I cupped his face in my hands. I brushed back his dark brown hair that fell over his chocolate-brown eyes. Flecks of gold shimmered in them even though dirt clung to his hair, like he took a shower in mud. Smoke filled the edges of my sight as dawn broke. I thanked my sister for not cutting his thread, when he searched the Master’s cave looking for the lost parts of my soul – my Scavengers. I didn’t fight his touch as he traced his dirty finger over my hand. I craved it.

  “Did you uncover their orders?” I asked.

  “Anyone who utters their name will greet death.”

  “They rise as death’s henchmen, disregarding forgotten memories, only to collect the dead.”

  The same man who’d kill me one day held onto me like I was his lifeline. Jace grabbed my shaking hand. I clenched my teeth, trying to make sense of my visions. I died in the arms of a youthful man, who didn’t age as I did. The vision had happened so many times before that it had to be significant, other than
giving me insight to my future and inevitable death. I fought back my tears; now was not the time or place to have an epiphany. My lungs burned, but I wasn’t the one holding my breath – he was. I tapped him, and the clasp on my throat loosened.

  “Gwyneth?” If one word could say so many unasked questions, it was when he spoke my name.

  “Lips are a little tricky, just like the nose,” I said, ignoring Jace’s concern. “Like the nose, outline the lips to get a general picture of the shape. In your mind you can divide them in half, or you can ask Jace to part his lips, slightly.”

  Jace parted his lips before she asked. My skin tingled when I wondered if his lips felt like silk.

  “Are you scared?” Elsie whispered.

  “No.” (I was freaking terrified.) I begged for my hands to steady themselves. “Let’s take turns like we did with the nose, or our fingers might bump into each other and get a bad read.”

  Jace placed his hand over mine when it was my turn to see his lips. His hand burned in mine as I traced his mouth. He slowed my hand down, prolonging it. My breathing became irregular. Keeping my hand on his lush, bottom lip, he spoke. “Have a better picture of what I look like now?”

  I focused on standing. The way his deep voice sounded, made my entire body shiver. I didn’t answer him. I didn’t trust my hands to stop with simply seeing his face. Instead I asked Elsie if I could see her. She changed spots with Jace. He didn’t bother letting go of my hand until I positioned my hands on Elsie’s face. He backed off, but I could feel him right behind me, watching my movements.

  I was able to get a pretty descent picture of Elsie in a short amount of time. Letting my fingers run the motions quickly, I knew she had full cheeks – even after losing her baby fat, would most likely have a round face. Her eyebrows were beginning to fill in, and she had a slight crook on the tip of her nose. It wasn’t broken, but rather the cartilage formed slightly to the left. The space between her eyes was slight, so I figured she had some kind of Asian descent.

  “So, I assume you have beautiful black hair?” I said, running my hands down her shoulder length hair.

  “It’s like you have superpowers!” Elsie said.

  I chuckled, “No powers, Elsie, just lots of experience using my hands to see.”

  Jace blew out a hot breath of air, which trickled down my neck. My throat tightened. A moan grew in Jace’s chest as I slowly took a deep breath in, testing how my desirability affected him. It was impossible, to feel another’s attraction, but just as absurd as it was, I still couldn’t get over the warmth Jace brought me whenever he was nearby. My knees weakened when he stepped close behind me. He gripped the chair’s back, steadying himself.

  “Well, whatever you call it, you’re amazing,” Elsie said, breaking up the intensity in the room.

  “She really is, isn’t she?” Jace said, pushing away, but not before tucking my hair behind my ear. In the quietest voice he spoke, “There is so much about our world you have yet to uncover, dearest. So much to feel and experience, I promise, this is only the beginning.”

  Supper lasted entirely too long. Jace sat next to me and never once let go of my hand. I couldn’t even recall taking a bite of supper. The only thing I could focus on was him. After excusing ourselves, I escorted him to the door, so we could get a cup of coffee and discuss my family’s untimely death. He surprised me, by helping me with my coat. He opened the door for me. And as soon as we walked outside, the cold breeze hit my face.

  The image of a man’s full, perfect lips bombarded my mind again. I craved him, addicted to his touch. Everywhere his hand caressed me, my body ignited in a fiery passion I didn’t want escape. I leaned into him, begging for a kiss that would never come.

  The vision quickly slipped away when Jace spoke my name. He grabbed my arm to keep me from losing my balance. “What just happened, Gwyneth?”

  Instead of answering, I pushed him up against the side of the house next to the door. He moaned in exhilaration when I reached up for his face. His body warmed me even though the wind insisted on cooling me. I ran my fingers through his hair while he gripped my waist. He pulled me close, encouraging me to do whatever I intended. I never felt someone’s hair as soft as his. It was longer than I suspected, three or four inches, but it was styled. Tracing my steps backwards, I followed along his jaw line, up to his lips. His skin was rough from his facial hair but perfectly smooth otherwise. I couldn’t find a single flaw. The tips of my fingers tingled as I focused on getting an accurate picture of him. His dimples hid from me, but after relocating the one on his left, I found it on the right. Placing my palm over his eyes, I felt his eye lashes flutter again my skin. With the distance between my hand and his face, I knew his lashes were long and curled.

  Pressing myself against him, so he didn’t try moving away, I let my hands fall from his face and onto his throat and shoulders. I attempted to quickly get a descent picture of his muscular development, but each bulge in his arm kept slowing me down. He wasn’t huge but clocked quite a few hours in the gym. He was exactly how I imagined him to be.

  I skimmed his arms, until his hands found mine. His pulse jumped with mine, as our fingers slid around each other. He leaned into me while pulling me closer. I kept my head down even though I wanted to feel his lips on mine. So badly, I wanted to feel the hot air come from his lungs, and breathe life into my body. I bit my lip.

  He released one of my hands and tilted my jaw up towards him. He leaned into me. I parted my lips. His body was shaking against mine, barely containing his anticipation. My skin tingled and burned as he started to lose control. He spun me around faster than humanly possible so my back was against the house. He pressed himself against me, holding me exactly how he wanted me. He leaned forward again, but it wasn’t to kiss me. He trailed his nose along my forehead and pulled me in closer with the arm he had wrapped around my waist.

  He whispered in my ear. “I want you.”

  He leaned back, like he was memorizing exactly how I looked. With the hand that was on my jaw, he rubbed his thumb over my lips. They burned with desire, as his thumb trailed over them. His skin was as hot as I felt. My body tingled and tightened. He leaned in closer and dropped his hand, enough that he didn’t block his way to my lips. I gasped, taking in the hot air he breathed. I wanted him, needed him. As I stepped on my tip toes to close the gap, he backed away, just enough to not give me what I craved...

  Instead, he lifted my hand and placed the longest, sweetest kiss on my hand, before releasing me. He walked down the steps, to his car. My skin drained of heat the further he went. It took me a ridiculous amount of time to get my bearings, in order to make it to the car. Jace rested his arms against the top of the car door, watching me carefully walk down the steps to the driveway.

  Neither of us spoke a word as I climbed into his car. He opened his door, slid into the driver’s seat, backed out of the driveway, and drove to JJ’s, without any directions from me. The purr of the engine didn’t compare to what Jace had just done to me. Once there, he opened my car door and offered me his hand for assistance. I couldn’t take it fast enough. Still not having spoken a word yet, I let him maneuver us into the coffee shop. Bells chimed upon our entrance, and the rich brew filled the air. He led me to a booth in the back and left to order. It took a few minutes, before the coffee was ready. Apparently, the new staff was having a difficult time figuring out how to make two black coffees. By the time Jace returned, I’d come to the conclusion I was being a mute moron. Passive aggressive wasn’t usually my style.

  “I want –”

  “Me,” Jace interrupted. “I’m acutely aware.”

  “Answers,” I insisted, ignoring his comment.

  “I can’t tell you what I am,” he said, and sipped his coffee. “If I speak it, the horde will come for me.”

  “Which sister of mine punched you in the face?” I asked, playing his game. Lily, in my mind was still my only sister, but I needed his help, so throwing him a bone sounded like a good idea.r />
  “She switches names like it’s a game,” he answered. “Most of us prefer to address each other by our duties anyway.”

  “Which is?”

  “The Cutter,” he said blandly.

  “Where does she live?”

  “Location unknown.”

  “And my other sister?”

  “The Prophet,” Jace said, leaning in closer to me. “Her whereabouts are just as mysterious. You three have been hiding for quite some time and have gotten to be perpetually good escape artists. Every time we think we are getting close to one of you three, you leave town. Finding an orphan with a paper trail shouldn’t have been so difficult, but yet you hid for years.”

  “What did you do to instigate the broken nose?” I said, focusing on what I could understand.

  “I told her you were the pretty one,” Jace chuckled. “But the Cutter was maturing into a complete psychopath at the time, so I wouldn’t put much weight in her actions.”