by Diana Nixon
Christian’s jaw tensed and he looked angrily at Evan. My foolish pride was celebrating – Evan had a point about his friend’s feelings. I chuckled and turned away to hide my happy face.
“Why don’t you take Tara with you,” Patrick suggested. “She was going home anyway, you could stop by there on your way back from London.”
I nearly choked over my chuckle, knowing that Evan didn’t have any reason to refuse that offer. Well, at least not in the presence of others. He would kill me for such a suggestion, but fortunately I wasn’t the one to say it aloud.
“Serves you right,” I whispered sardonically, paying him back for all those jokes about me and Christian.
Smiling darkly in response, he said, “Of course, if she doesn’t have any other plans.”
“She doesn’t,” Patrick said.
“Christian, would you mind looking after Eileen in my absence?” Evan asked innocently.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her.”
“So who’s the lucky winner now?” my friend mouthed, enjoying himself and his brilliant ideas. He had the last word.
“This is a black mark against you,” I hissed.
We spent some more time with Patrick, talking about our plans and strategies and then Evan left to find Tara, taking Darcy and Anna with him. Patrick wanted to show Marion the surroundings, so Christian and I were left alone. He headed for the door and I followed him.
“So what would you like to do?” he asked with a slight smile playing on his perfect lips. My cheeks turned pink. Was there some hidden meaning in his question? Stop it Eileen, I commanded myself. It was just a usual question.
“Um… I don’t know. Don’t you have classes or something?” I asked nervously, adjusting my step to match his.
“Nah, Dad let me have a small break,” he said. “How about a walk?” He lowered his head to my ear as if he was asking me to do something forbidden. “I want to know about everything that was going on in my absence.”
Good Lord! Please help me to live through this!
“Sure. Let's talk about your absence,” I replied dryly. That was probably the last thing I wanted to talk about now. Or ever.
Christian smiled sadly.“I know that you would like to forget about that, but.…”
“Actually, I thought that Evan and Amanda had already told you everything."
“Well, partially, yes.” He nodded. His expression became suddenly worried. “But I want to know how you have been all these weeks,” he said, looking into my eyes. My heart melted with joy. He wanted to know more about me! He still wanted to know how I felt about his absence. Somehow his words made me happy and I relaxed a little.
“I’m sure I will never be able to describe my days as colorfully as Evan and Amanda did. I don’t have their talent to comment on things so vividly,” I said, recalling all the previous conversations with my friends. They were amazing in everything they were doing or saying.
“Why are you looking at your watch all the time?” Christian asked, noticing the way I was rubbing my wrist nervously.
“I don’t know anything about Catherine. Dad went to Norfield yesterday, but I still haven’t heard any news from him. Does Patrick know anything about them?” I asked him, hoping to hear something good.
“No.” He shook his head, smiling apologetically. “But I’m sure she’s fine. Don’t worry, Frederick will find her.”
“If only it was that simple,” I said quietly. “We don’t even know where she lives now. Chris, or to be exact, Walter Blake bought her a house not far from Norfield. But I’m not sure if it’s true.” I turned away to hide the tears, suddenly pooling in my eyes.
“Your father will never let anything happen to her.”
“I hope you are right.”
“Evan told me that you almost died saving my life,” Christian said, changing the subject. “Now I owe you one, forever.”
“You are here and nothing else matters.” I sighed.
He stopped abruptly, blocking my way and said, looking into my eyes, “Thank you, Eileen. For everything. And you know what? Despite the fact that I don’t remember you, I can feel something between us. Trust me, I want my memory back. Badly. And I would be really grateful if you wouldn’t push me away and you would help me to get through this mess.”
“I would have never been able to leave you again Christian,” I said in a barely audible voice. “I love you too much to forget everything that we shared,” I added, feeling one of those telltale tears running down my cheek. I didn’t want to hide my love anymore and I didn’t care if my words were too scary, I just couldn’t hold them back any longer. “And I promise to do my best to help you remember me. Even if I have to spend the rest of my life trying.”
Christian didn’t say anything in response. He was watching me thoughtfully and I felt my heart breaking apart slowly, as at that very moment I so wanted to find myself in his embrace. Swallowing my impulses, I took a step aside and continued walking down the road.
“I noticed that Evan and you have become very close.”
“Yes, we have.” I nodded, watching his reaction out of the corner of my eye. He nodded too. “Evan has helped me a lot and now I feel like I owe him one. I would never be able to do this without him and he sacrificed a lot to save your life and to bring you back. So we both should be grateful for his help.”
“I know. It’s just so… weird to see you with someone else, knowing that you belong to….”
“It’s not what it seems,” I interrupted him. I didn’t want to hear what he was going to say, as his every word hurt like hell. “We are just friends. Besides, Evan’s heart belongs to someone else.”
“You mean Tara?” Christian asked, relaxing visibly. Probably my words about our friendship with Evan were something he really needed to hear.
“He never stopped loving her.” I smiled. “I know this for sure. But it’s not as easy as it seems. Though, I truly wish them both to be happy. Even if they won’t share this happiness with each other.”
“Can I ask you something?” Christian looked at me curiously. I nodded. “Would you ever be able to be with someone else… I mean besides me?”
God, how could he not notice how much his questions hurt? It was like losing him again. Over and over.
“I don’t want to answer this question,” I said, shaking my head. “One day you will understand why,” I added, praying silently for that day to come before old age catches up with me. No, scratch that, because even then I wouldn’t stop hoping to hear about Christian’s memory coming back.
Our tense conversation led us to the very gazebo where we used to spend so much time together.
“My favorite place,” Christian said.
“I know,” I replied, suppressing another impulse to escape. Too many memories were left there and all of them were about those days when we didn’t have to hide our true feelings and could simply enjoy our love and each other’s company.
“Did we come here together?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said quietly.
That place was very special and being there with him again felt like travelling back to those days when everything was so different. And so much easier.
“Tell me something about us,” Christian asked, sitting on the bench with his hands on the wooden table. “What were we usually talking about? What were we usually doing together?”
Oh, no! No, no, no! I couldn’t talk about us. It was beyond my patience. I groaned again.
“Do you really want to hear that?” I asked, sitting in front of him and still hoping that he would change his mind. But apparently, luck wasn’t on my side today.
“I need something to start with,” Christian replied, smiling. Yes, hope springs eternal, I thought angrily.
“Okay.”
I took a deep breath, thinking about something that didn’t end up with our kisses and other intimate moments. Choosing a few innocent memories I started telling him about the day I came to watch his preparations
for the Festival of Arts.
Chapter 15. Lost Treasures
Evan
It was raining cats and dogs and our ride to London took more time than we expected. All the flights to the city were delayed, waiting for the weather to get better, but we didn’t have time to wait that long. We took my car. Tara and I were taking turns driving, stopping every few hours to rest.
No matter how surprising it seemed, her presence didn’t bother me. Almost all the way we talked about my trip to France and of her staying in Dever. Tara also told me that Frederick called Patrick this morning and said he still hadn’t found Catherine. Eileen didn't know anything about her father's call. We didn't want to upset her. The house that was supposed to be Walter’s was empty and now we had no idea where he could be hiding Eileen’s mother.
Eric’s apartment was located in one of London’s central districts. It was guarded by the Keepers and we had to visit the Council first to get the permission to enter it.
The inside of the apartment remained as it had been when the previous owner had lived there. The furniture and decorations were in their original places.
“What are they going to do with this flat?” Tara asked, touching the smooth surface of a snow-white grand piano.
“I think it will pass into the Council’s ownership, as Eric hasn’t left a will and his only legal heir is on the run.”
“It’s very beautiful here. No doubt Eric liked the apartment.”
“Maybe.” I shrugged indifferently. “But I don’t think he had enough time to enjoy it. Especially considering the number of years he spent spreading his dirty tricks around. Look, even his clothes are still here. I wonder what the Keepers need it for? Will his trousers go to charity or something?”
“Wow! So many jewels!” Tara exclaimed in surprise, coming to the bureau. “Are they his family jewels?" she asked, opening the massive mahogany box.
“Most likely they are. No wonder he had enough money to afford this apartment.”
The energy in the apartment seemed okay. I didn't feel any unusual vibrations, but I had a feeling that something was wrong. “I can’t believe our ride was pointless!” I muttered, looking around. “There should be something that Alexis needed.”
“I doubt she came here just to take a few old brooches,” Tara said. “She could take all the jewelry. Together they cost fortune!”
“You are right, she must have been looking for something else… wait a second, why did you mention brooches?”
“Eric had the entire Perriart collection,” she replied, pointing to some silver pieces.
“What is a Perriart collection?”
“You’ve never heard about it, have you? Perriart is a famous jewelry collection that consists of seven different pieces. There are two rings, three brooches and two pendants here. All of them have a green stone symbolizing power and perfection. There’s a legend about this collection. It says that it was created many years ago by an old witch who dedicated it to her children. Each of her two sons got a ring, a brooch and a pendant that they were supposed to give to their future wives, and the third brooch was her own. It was sun-shaped. She had been wearing it all the time, until the day her first granddaughter was born. Then she gave it to that little girl. It’s amazing that Eric managed to find all the pieces, as they have been considered lost for centuries.”
“Yeah, looks like we didn’t know him at all,” I said thoughtfully, looking through the jewelry. Then suddenly I remembered Marion’s words about the Cup of power. “You must be kidding me!” I whispered, stunned.
“What’s wrong, Evan?” Tara asked, looking around nervously.
Madam Blanche’s words were ringing in my head. “The Cup was created by the woman. It goes from mother to daughter.” And then I remembered Eileen’s words said in Eric’s dream. “Only the true owner of the Cup knows what it looks like.”
“It can’t be possible!”
“Evan, will you tell me, please, what you are talking about?” Tara asked, touching my hand.
“It looks like we have just broken the centuries’ secret!” I said, excited, taking her hands in mine. “Alexis wasn’t looking for anything, she came here to leave this,” I added, nodding toward the sun-shaped brooch. And then I told Tara everything I knew about the Cup of power and all the missing pieces of the puzzle took their places at once.
Knowing that Eric had kidnapped Christian, Alexis was getting ready to pierce into his dream too. But she was still waiting for Eileen to appear there. Maybe Alexis always knew that Eileen would never be able to put the matter of saving Christian into someone else's hands and would try to find him herself. The only thing that Alexis needed to do was to come back to Dever and join Eric in his dream. There was everything she needed to get Eileen’s powers. But the main part of the spell was the Cup of power that in reality was one of the Perriart brooches.
“Why did she leave the brooch here?” Tara asked, confused.
“It’s a good question,” I replied thoughtfully. “Will anyone notice if we take the jewelry with us? Something tells me that there is a good reason for this brooch to be back here.”
“Are you sure they won’t arrest us for stealing the jewelry?”
“I’m sure that Patrick and Frederick would be able to get us off the hook. Especially when they find out the real reason for the theft.”
Tara rolled her eyes in response and shook her head disapprovingly. “Do you remember what Marion said about the bond that Eric and Alexis shared? If she’s the sole owner of the Cup she can feel its energy, and if she knows that it has been stolen, we are about to be so dead, Evan!”
“I haven’t thought about that. But we can’t leave it here, anyway,” I said, thinking about the way to hide the jewelry.
Wrapping the pieces of the Perriart collection in Tara’s silk neckerchief, we left the place of our minor crime hurriedly. Seeing the official search-warrant, the Keepers didn’t see anything suspicious in our behavior and let us out without a word. But the further we were moving from London the more intense was my inner worry about being followed.
“Tara, could you please dig in your visions to see where Alexis is? I think I have a persecution mania,” I said, looking in the rear view mirror nervously. Something was wrong and I could feel it with every inch of my body.
“Sorry, Evan but you have to rely on your own intuition, because I can't foresee her actions. Just as it was with Eric. I wish I knew how he managed to mask his true intentions. Speaking of which, did you find out how Eileen masked hers?”
“No. She refuses to answer that question,” I said, remembering my stubborn friend and all her secrets.
“But we need to find it out! Maybe then I will be able to follow Alexis’ movements.”
“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” I suggested. “She will never tell me the truth. I could have asked Christian to talk to her, but considering the circumstances, I doubt he will be luckier than me. There’s no harm in trying, anyway.”
“Evan, watch out!” suddenly Tara screamed, covering her face with her hands.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, horrified.
“There… there was something… on the road,” she whispered, breathlessly. “Stop the car!”
I pulled over and we got out of the car.
“Nothing,” I said, looking around. Everything was all right. The road was clear and I didn’t feel anyone’s presence in the surroundings. “What did you see?” I asked, coming to Tara. She was still shaking, rubbing her forearms nervously and her face was pale.
“I don’t know,” she said in a trembling voice. “I saw someone jumping in front of our car,” she added, pulling instinctively into my embrace. I put my arms around her shoulders and pressed her to my chest, feeling her body relaxing in the waves of my aura.
“Maybe it was just an animal,” I said quietly.
“Maybe, but I was sure I saw a human shadow there.”
“You must be imagining things.” I smiled. But my smile faded
quickly when I remembered how terrified she really was.
We got into the car and continued our journey. The rain stopped, making the driving easier. Tara was quiet, looking out the window absently. The colors of her aura were dim and I knew that she was still scared.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked, touching her hand lightly.
“About what I saw,” she replied, without turning around. “I wasn’t imagining things, Evan. There was a shadow on the road.”
“What do you mean?”
“Alexis knows that we have the brooch.”
“But how? Do you really think that she has some bond with the Cup? Wait… saying a shadow you mean….”
“Yes, Evan. I mean Alexis’ shadow. There is some energetic bond between her and the brooch with the help of which she always knows where it is.”
“Damn it! What do we do now?”
“Drive as fast as we can,” Tara said, looking at the jewelry in her hands. “The sooner we get back to Dever the better. I will call Patrick and tell him that we are in danger.”
“I doubt he will be able to help us,” I muttered.
“If you stop commenting on everything I'm saying and drive the car faster, we won’t need his help,” she hissed in response. “Patrick’s out of reach,” she added, disappointed.
“Leave him a message. And what’s wrong with my driving?”
“Come on, Evan! Get this buggy moving faster or we won't get home until tomorrow!”
“Do you want to take my place? I would take a nap gladly,” I said, but then I thought twice about my words. “No, scratch that, I’m not sure if I’ll be able to close my eyes knowing that you are going to crash my baby.”
“Men, you never grow up, do you? No matter how old you are, the only thing you really care about is your car! Whatever, I have to do something,” Tara said, taking a few small multicolored bottles out of her jacket pocket.
“What’s this?”
“Something that will help us to hide the jewelry's energy,” she replied, unwrapping the pieces. “Darcy showed me a few tricks with the liquids she used in her classes. I don’t know how strong the energy is, and I’m not sure if my experiments will help.”