To Live In Revelry

by M L Adams

  Eden's eyes had been immediately drawn to a young man leaning casually over the wooden railing of his raised balcony, an empty mug dangling limply from his fingers. The sun touched upon his auburn hair, turning it into a kaleidoscope of colours. Below the balcony stood another man. He had seemed broader than the first and less relaxed. His long hair was black as midnight, turning almost blue in the light.

  It had seemed to Eden that the dark-haired man was involved in a heated conversation with two black-and-white birds. Entranced by her discovery, Eden had watched on. She had wondered if the birds were the infamous Mocking Brothers. Quill and Flit were, in fact, magpie brothers, named for their jokester ways (to the increasing annoyance of the real mockingbirds). The magpies tended to mean no harm, but their inquisitive and sarcastic ways weren’t to everyone's liking.

  The black-haired man had stopped arguing and turned away from the birds, seemingly reaching the limit of his patience. He had looked up at the auburn-haired man, who was still watching from the balcony, before shrugging dramatically. The man on the balcony had mimicked the shrug and nonchalantly hurled his mug in the direction of the birds. Eden had gasped at this. With a ruffle of feathers and indignant squawks, the birds took to the sky. Eden knew the mug had not been thrown in an attempt to hurt the birds, only to shoo them away, but never before had she seen an animal treated with such disrespect.

  That evening she had run home and not said a word, savouring the excitement of the new discovery that thrummed in her veins. It was the only secret she had ever had, and she found it exhilarating. Eden wanted nothing more than to return and watch them again, for she had never met another human soul apart from her family, but she had been too scared. What would she say to them if they spotted her? Were they friendly? Or would they try to do her harm?

  Two weeks later, while Eden was helping her mother watch over her brothers, her father had returned from tending to their crops — accompanied by the two faces that had plagued her mind constantly. Micah and Luca Serafin had introduced themselves. The brothers had been tall, far taller than her father, and possessed wider shoulders than Adam’s compact and wiry frame. Up close they were two of the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen. Luca’s rich auburn hair reminded Eden of a fox’s mane. Her brothers were transfixed by it too. Micah, on the other hand, possessed large upsweeping eyes bracketed by angular cheekbones. His blue-black hair would have made even the most humble raven swell with pride. Where Luca was long and lean, Micah was broad and set with muscle. The contrast was so striking it had made Eden reflect on her own lack of resemblance to her family. Eden had seen how her brothers were a perfect splicing of their mother's darker colouring and father's piercing blue eyes, but Eden realised she shared none of that. She supposed she'd inherited her father's blue eyes and blond hair, but that's where the resemblance ended. Eden's skin was as pale as her mother's was dark. It was strange how she had never noticed it before.

  Now, it had been nearly four years since she had first laid eyes on the brothers. They regularly met up with Eden’s father to tend to their joint crop fields, and they had shared many meals together since then. Though the brothers never spoke of it, Eden guessed they too had travelled to Revelry to live a life of peaceful simplicity, but she had never built up enough courage to ask.

  ‘Eed? Eden!’

  Startled, Eden turned to see Luca jogging towards her. ‘Luca?’ Eden stood quickly and wiped her hands on her clothes, groaning internally at the state of her dress. ‘Oh, come on!’ she muttered faintly. If she thought her day couldn't get any worse, it had just proved her wrong. Her heart began to race at the mere sight of the man approaching her. Eden tried to straighten out her dress, which made no improvements whatsoever and plastered a smile on her face. ‘You look as if you’ve been running all morning,’ she said, trying to distract him from her appearance. ‘What in Heaven is going on? Is something wrong?’

  Eden brushed her hair out of her eyes, but the sight of Luca’s broad chest rising and falling stirred an unknown feeling deep within her. She dropped her gaze, finding it easier to focus on the throbbing persistence of her toe, but her eyes snuck up again of their own accord. Luca was just too striking to ignore. His fringe was standing up on end, trained by the many times he’d pushed it away from his eyes, and his high-set cheeks were as flushed as his perfect complexion could allow. Eden mouth went dry.

  His lips curled in a knowing grin. It was times like these when Eden found Luca's beauty too great to look upon. His white cotton shirt contrasted well with his sun-kissed colouring, and the tan trousers he wore hugged his thighs and calves perfectly. She pulled her eyes away from his lean frame to find him watching her. She quickly tilted her head away, feigning interest in her generous harvest of mushrooms, allowing time for the sudden blush to leave her cheeks. She had always found the full force of his gaze to be too intense.

  ‘I came looking for you,’ he said. The soft candour in his voice slipped over her skin.

  Suddenly, Eden's vision was filled by the top of Luca's copper head as he fell to one knee before her. She would have jumped back in shock if it wasn't for the way Luca stared at her foot.

  ‘I was down the Sloe collecting water when I came by a young dragonfly. She told me that you saved her from the waters. She seemed to think she was responsible for an injury you sustained and begged me to seek you out.’

  Both their heads were bent over her foot as if it were some strange offering. Eden felt a laugh build in her chest at the absurdity of it. ‘It's only a scratch, I promise. You didn't have to run all this way.’

  Luca glanced at her, clearly confused. Frowning, he chose not to question the source of her amusement and motioned towards her foot. ‘A scratch? I can see blood on your slipper! Have you even looked at it yet?’

  Eden bit her lower lip and shook her head. ‘I hadn't seen the point in looking at it until I’d returned home.’

  Luca’s intense green gaze sought hers for a moment before quickly breaking away.

  ‘May I?’

  It was Eden’s turn to frown until she caught his meaning. ‘Oh! You mean…? You would like to…’ She tried to hide the sudden wave of irrational fear that crept over her.

  ‘Only to see if you've sustained a serious injury or not,’ Luca went on hastily.

  ‘Um, sure? Okay…’ The thought of Luca's hands upon her bare skin sent an unexpected shiver up her spine. Eden turned away fast enough to almost knock him over. ‘Just, let me find somewhere to sit.’ Eden made a show of looking about them, while desperately trying to wrestle her traitorous body under control. Just don’t look at him! She ordered herself. She came across an impressive oak tree with roots big enough to support her comfortably. ‘Here,’ she said and pointed a bit dramatically. ‘This should be okay. We can look at this toe, and both be on our way. My mother will be wondering where I am if I'm not back soon.’ Now you're blabbering; she chided herself.

  Eden seated herself upon the root before she could embarrass herself any further. She felt a moment of panic as Luca approached. Her imagination likened his movements to that of a prowling cat, sure of its kill. Eden guessed she was right on that account; she had long since fallen into his clutches.

  She was as pale as the first morning rays and slender of form, the epitome of ethereal beauty — though Luca was aware she knew little of these things. Luca approached her slowly, cautioned by the way Eden’s sapphire eyes watched him like a panicked deer. It was clear to him that she'd been spooked by something today. If Luca was being honest with himself, he felt much the same.

  Luca, once more, dropped to his knee before her. When he’d first seen the red stain showing dark against her silk slipper his heart had failed to beat. How did she wield such power over him? Looking up briefly, he caught a glimpse of her delicate jawline. His fingers curled involuntarily with the need to touch her there. Luca clenched his jaw and instructed himself not to look at her; he could barely control the strange effects she had on him when he did.
Luca knew he was coming dangerously close to doing something forbidden.

  He breathed deeply to steady himself before taking Eden’s injured foot in his calloused hands. Eden’s slipper had been made from the silk of the palest rose, complementing the once whiteness of her torn dress and the youthful flush she wore upon her cheeks. Luca was gentle with her; only the softest of touches met with her skin as he cradled the heel of her foot in one hand and delicately undid the laces with the other. The slipper slid free. Eden didn’t move, nor did she voice the pain it must have caused her. He smiled at the sudden pride he felt swell in his chest, and for a moment he let himself savour the warmth of her as it soaked into his skin. Maybe, if he just held on long enough, she could re-kindle the dying parts within him.

  A touch lit upon his shoulder, freezing him in place. Luca quickly blanked his features before glancing up at her, noticing it was becoming harder and harder for him to act indifferently towards her.

  ‘Your face…’ She started, looking away from him as she spoke. They both knew they were precariously close to some unspoken boundary they’d set between them. ‘Could you move it, please? I’d like to see.’

  Luca felt his heart drop for reasons he didn't understand but complied and ducked his head to the left, allowing Eden a clear view of her bloodied sock. He let his eyes flicker briefly over her face, noticing the frown that had formed on her brow. He cleared his throat and rolled the sock down her fine ankle to the arch of her foot, catching Eden’s sharp intake of breath when her sock snagged on the crusted blood. ‘Sorry!’ he said quickly. ‘I think if I just wet the material enough to free it...’ He reached for the water pouch he kept tied to his side and removed the cork with his teeth. He decanted a little water onto Eden’s sock until he was satisfied it was saturated enough, then replaced the cork and dropped the pouch to the ground. ‘Now…’ He looked for reassurance in Eden's face. ‘Are you ready to try again?’

  Her jaw muscles flickered before she nodded. She held his gaze for a blessed moment before he tugged her sock free.

  ‘Oh!’ A look of startled amazement broke upon her face. ‘I never knew that could happen.’

  Luca watched as Eden’s expression turned to a frown and dared to follow her gaze. ‘Oh!’ he echoed, his eyebrows shooting upwards. Eden's big toe was red and swollen, and blood had collected under her toenail, turning it black. ‘I think you crushed your toe. How does it feel? Are you okay? Shall I carry you home?’

  Amusement coloured her voice. ‘I promise you, Luca, I’ll live. It's only one toe — I have nine others.’ She picked her slipper up from the floor and made to put it back on, but Luca stopped her before he knew what he was doing.

  ‘What kind of a person do you think I am, Eed?’ he said, trying to lighten the tension that stretched between them. ‘I’m not going to let you put that back on, not without protecting that toe of yours first.’

  Confused, Eden reached for her wet and bloodied sock.

  He grimaced, pushing her hand aside once more. ‘No, not with that either!’ He chuckled. Placing her foot gently upon his knee, he tore a thin strip of material from his tunic. Eden let out a gasp of shock but didn't stop him from wrapping her foot and toes as best he could.

  Once Luca had secured the last knot, Eden slid her damp slipper back on, lowered her foot from his knee and rose without looking at him. If only he could see into her mind… Did she feel the same unknown force linking them? For now, he had to be content in the knowledge that the cloth, still warm from his skin, was protecting her in some small way.

  Luca rose bringing their bodies precariously close together, too close for Luca to think clearly. He even imagined he could smell rosemary upon her skin.

  A flurry of movement in the forest interrupted Luca’s thoughts. He stepped away from her. The sun had moved overhead and illuminated Eden’s hair, spinning it into a halo of gold. It wasn't a surprise to see that the forest was humming with life now; it happened whenever Eden was around. Deep within its leafy depths, he spotted Rye, a male fox, with his wife, Willow, and their three cubs, who were currently engaged in a game of tag with a raven’s newly fledged youngsters. Swift, the parent of the young ravens, regarded his fledglings with great pride as they ducked and swooped amongst the dense branches. Luca watched Eden loose herself to their world of feathers and foxtails. He regarded her as she laughed at the young ones, calling out warnings of ambush and chiding those she felt were being too boisterous. Bracken, one of the resident golden weavers, alighted upon Eden’s shoulder to lend his sweet voice to hers. His golden plumage rose and fell with excitement as he shared in this moment of joy.

  The unmistakable feel of soft fur brushed against Luca’s thigh, startling him. Parda, a leopardess, blinked up at him with her extraordinary eyes, daring him to insist she hadn’t just caught him staring longingly at the girl. Luca had no idea how long Parda had been waiting there. Her rich coat of amber blazed in the filtered sunlight, blurring its spots with her surroundings. Only the tiny sparks of her jewelled eyes stayed constant.

  ‘A while,’ Parda confirmed, answering his questioning look with her purring voice. ‘She has that effect on all of us, Luca — do not be ashamed.’

  The vibrations from Parda’s chest pulsed up through Luca’s leg, deep into his body. She'd always had the ability to quiet him.

  ‘She is our sun. She carries its rays for us to look upon on the darkest of nights,’ Parda continued. Her beautiful gaze turned towards Eden and smiled. Thick, throaty purrs harmonised with the forest’s song.

  You have no idea, Luca thought as he nodded in understanding. He found that he too needed this girl as much as any creature did. He lifted his head to the sky. How did his Father expect him to resist one such as this? Eden stemmed the rising horror he felt brewing beneath his skin. He needed her to remind him of the simple beauty of the world around him, to halt his urges to change and conquer, to divide and to create, which were all forbidden.

  A sharp, piercing cry splintered through the air. As one, all the creatures dispersed on wing and paw. A deadly silence never heard before encompassed them and the air thickened with its density, chilling Eden to the bone.

  ‘What was that?’ she whispered.

  Luca gestured for her to be quiet with a finger to his lips. His body was as still as the trees around them, waiting, listening to the forest for clues. Eden struggled to breathe as her heart beat out a furious rhythm, wanting to escape from its ribbed confinement. She cupped a hand over her chest in a feeble attempt to absorb some of its strain. With the other she reached out behind her, offering it up to be enclosed by strong fingers. Luca made hardly a sound as he came to stand beside her, linking them together. Some unknown instinct buried deep inside warned her to stay silent, to become invisible. Luca squeezed her fingers reassuringly.

  ‘Luca?’ she whispered again. She could hear the fear in her voice and hated it.

  A cry, louder than the first, burst out from the deepness behind them, but Eden knew it wasn't the same voice as before.

  ‘Come!’ Luca urged, doubling the strength of his grip. He pulled both of them into motion. They ran forwards, ignoring the well-worn paths that cut cleanly through the forest for the less-travelled routes back towards the river, where Eden had been earlier that morning.

  The sound of a tree being uprooted behind them instantly set Eden's world into hyper-focus. She was going to get them out of here.

  With surprising speed and agility, Eden doubled her pace and quickly overtook Luca, missing the shocked look on his face. She knew Luca intended to lead them to an area where the river broadened, flanked on either side by great water gum trees. They were the only trees that offered an unbroken view across the forest.

  A second splintering crack of a newly felled tree echoed around them. ‘Faster, Luc!’ she urged before his pace increased to match hers. They had to let go of each other's hands to fend off the vines that clawed at their faces and pulled at their clothing. ‘Quickly!’ she cried. ‘We'r
e almost there!’

  The forest settled back into silence, unwilling to lose its secrets. Only their huffed breaths and footfalls could be heard.

  Finally, they broke free from the clinging foliage and stood for a moment, deciding what to do. No other plants appeared to thrive underneath the heavy branches of the water gum, making the way clear for them to walk freely amongst them. All they had to do was make it to a tree.

  Eden looked up at Luca, but her words died on her lips. Luca’s eyes, usually so clear and green, were now devoured by dark shards of copper, set in the face of angles and bones. Fear enveloped her. Who was this?

  ‘Hey! Eden? Can you hear me? Are you okay?’

  Eden blinked up to find Luca watching her with amusement. His eyes were back to the minty color she loved, and the sarcastic tilt to his lips seemed just as prevalent as before, as were the tiny creases at the corners of his eyes as they gazed down at her. Eden took an unsteady step away from him, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her. She must be going mad. With a reassuring smile, she swept her hair from her face and tried to steady her heart.

  Luca let out a soft laugh. ‘That was some running you did back there. I never knew you were so fast!’

  Eden could see her stare was making him uncomfortable. She offered him a sheepish grin and shrugged. ‘Maybe that’s because we've never been chased through the forest before.’