by Raven Steele
Occasionally, she would glance his way and their eyes would meet, igniting every nerve ending in his body. Did she feel the same? He had no way of knowing.
Eve disappeared into the kitchen for several minutes. Her absence made him nervous, and he began to fidget. What if the DSHD was already here?
"Relax," Llona said, resting her hand on top of his fist. A warm light ignited beneath her palm, instantly calming his racing heart. "She's survived this long without you."
He moved his hand away, not liking that she was forcing him to relax. He needed all of his senses to be heightened even if that made him paranoid.
Liam noticed and chuckled. "I told you, Llona. Not everyone likes that."
"Pshh. Only you and apparently him."
Lucien inhaled deeply when a familiar breeze raised the hairs on his skin. He turned toward the kitchen. Eve was walking out, wearing a flowered sundress, her long hair undone and flowing freely. Her naked shoulders, the swoop of her collar bones leading to the small hallow of her throat, made Lucien grow hard. How many times had he kissed that tender spot? Run his fingers across her bare skin?
He slumped into the booth, unable to hold himself up. Everything about her overwhelmed him.
"All set?" Llona said to Eve, sliding out from the bench seat.
"Yup!" Eve glanced over at Lucien, smiling. "Unless this guy needs a nap. Are you sure you're up for this?"
It took all his strength to straighten. "I am looking forward to this evening."
Eve giggled. "Well, aren't you formal?"
"Let's go," Llona said quickly as she moved toward the door. "I'm craving one of those deep fried Twinkies. They'll have them, right?"
"I hope so! They’re my favorite, too." Eve caught up to her, and the two began talking like they were best friends.
Liam stayed back. "Real smooth. Do you need help up?"
Lucien grumbled and slid out of the seat.
"Can you try to act normal?" Liam asked.
Lucien walked past him to keep up with the girls. He could do this. Just pretend this is the first time meeting her, like Liam had said. Focus on finding Eve within her.
They walked several city blocks, most of it in the road because the crowds had swelled. People, mostly humans, were dressed up like all kinds of night creatures. Every monster was personified a hundred percent. Vampires adorned in black capes barred their sharp fangs, werewolves covered in fur waved their pointed claws in the air, and fairies covered their skin in sparkles and wore colored contacts. They were the cartoon version of monsters. A few of the more forward “monsters’ reached to Lucien as he passed, but a single look from him made them stop.
If only they realized the truth.
Real monsters surrounded them at every turn. They required no costumes. Vampires, witches, wolves, fae, spirits. Supernatural creatures wandered the streets in numbers he had never encountered before, at least not multiple species. These were lost souls, united in fear, drawn to a part of the world where they felt safe.
That didn't mean they were cohabitating in peace, however. He encountered many fights. Most could be mistaken for two drunks fighting, but supernaturals knew the difference. The air was full of paranormal energy and where storms brewed, there was bound to be lightning.
Up ahead, he spotted a park full of lights and people. A Ferris wheel rose into the darkness along with many other lit-up carnival rides. He hadn't been to something like this. Ever. Too public, too social, too much of, well, everything.
Liam slapped him on the back. "Try to have fun." Liam walked past him and stepped next to Llona. "Can I win you a teddy bear?"
Her eyebrows lifted. "Can I win you one?"
He laughed. "Fine. Let's see who wins one first."
They stepped up to the nearest booth where you had to flip a coin into one of thousands of shot glasses all stacked into the shape of a pyramid.
Eve moved next to him and eyed him sideways. "Hey I know we just met, but are you okay? You seem kind of tense."
His stomach tightened, but he forced a smile. "I'm fine. I just …" He inhaled a deep breath, trying to figure out his next words. Maybe if he stuck to the truth something familiar would stir within her. "I recently lost the love of my life."
"I'm so sorry," she said. "How long were you together?"
"Not long enough."
She dug her foot into the dry ground. "I hope this isn't too forward, but can I ask if she died or was it just a breakup?"
"Neither, really. She just left."
A clown with a white face and big red smile walked toward him, holding at least a dozen balloons. He offered one to Lucien. He shook his head, but Eve reached out and snagged it instead.
"Thank you," she said and handed it to Lucien. "You could use something uplifting."
He cracked a smile.
"There it is!" she said, laughing. "I was beginning to think it wasn't possible!"
She turned, her smile illuminating her face, as she walked after Llona and Liam who had begun walking down the long row of carnival games. Each of them carried a big teddy bear.
Lucien followed. He had seen Eve happy before but never this carefree. It made him long for this always. She deserved to be free from pain and sorrow.
"So where are you from?" Eve asked him when he caught up.
He dodged a man dressed like a zombie that had no intention of moving out of his way. "Skystead originally, but these days I'm in Wildemoor. What about you?"
For the first time, her smile disappeared. "Blue Ridge. It's a small town outside of Irondale."
"What brought you here?"
"My mom died."
Lucien found this interesting. How much of Reina's past did Eve create? She had always had a rough relationship with her real mother. Maybe creating an alternate reality where her mother had died provided some sort of closure for her. As far as Lucien knew, though, Sable was alive and living in Europe fighting her own internal demons.
"I'm sorry," he said, and reached to embrace her, but quickly stopped himself.
She laughed again, a sweet sound he could never tire of. "I could use a hug if that's what you were going for."
"I was afraid I would frighten you."
"Have you seen this city? It takes a lot more than a hug to scare me."
He narrowed his eyes. "Why do you do it?"
"Do what?" She stopped to wait in line at a food truck selling all kinds of deep fried food. Llona and Liam were just up ahead.
He chose his words carefully. "Live here. The people here are different, almost dark."
"I ask myself that every day. At times they scare me, especially since all the monsters I grew up thinking were fictional are actually real. The President’s recent message really freaked me out, like it did everyone. And yet, I know this may sound strange, but I sort of feel like I'm needed here."
"Needed?" It was an interesting word choice. Was she remembering how she used to help people with her abilities?
She averted her gaze. "Maybe."
The air grew heavy as he contemplated asking his next question. It might be too soon and would scare her off. Or she might remember more. He decided to go for it. "Can I ask if you are a supernatural?"
She shoved his arm and grinned wide. "Why, do I frighten you?"
He stared into her eyes, not caring how intense his gaze might be. "You could never scare me."
She cleared her throat. "Ha! That's just because you don't know me yet." She stepped to the front of the line and ordered a deep fried Twinkie. "Do you want one?"
He shook his head, watching her closely as she interacted with the sales clerk. She seemed so relaxed and comfortable as she joked with the man, who took an immediate liking to her. Lucien thought everyone who met her probably liked her. There was just something so earnest and good about her. Eve shared these same qualities, but she had never been so relaxed about it before.
"Hey, about your ex-girlfriend," she said, turning around suddenly with a Twinkie in her hand. "May
be something really bad came into her life, and she just needed time to heal. And maybe she needed to do that alone."
He startled a bit to hear Henry's same words come out of her mouth. Maybe Eve's consciousness was closer than he thought. "But why alone? Isn't it easier with someone you love?"
"Not always. Sometimes the pain is so great, you're afraid it might carry over to the ones you love. The last thing I would ever want to do is hurt someone I love."
Lucien's whole body tightened, and his breathing quickened. "But her leaving did hurt me. It caused me more pain then she will ever know."
She looked at him with eyes full of compassion. "I'm so sorry. I'm sure if this woman knew how you were going to suffer, she might've made another choice. Sometimes people get stuck in such dark places that they will do anything to survive, much like an animal trapped in a snare. It's sad really, because if they would only take a moment before making rash decisions, they might see that someone is already there, trying to free them."
Lucien watched at her as she began walking again. He wished Eve had realized he had been trying to help her. Or maybe she had, but it hadn't been enough. He clenched his fists and hurried to catch up to her.
"Are you happy here?" he asked.
She swallowed the bite in her mouth. "For a long time, I didn't think I could be happy again after my mother's death, but about six months ago, I finally let go of all the pain. She would want me to be happy, to live my life, so that’s exactly what I'm doing."
From everything he had seen so far, Eve was doing a great job of doing just that. Probably for the first time in her life. This realization stung his heart. He didn't want to be the one to tear this happiness from her.
Eve bit off a part of the Twinkie and handed the last of it to him. "Want a bite? I don't have cooties."
This time he accepted it and popped it into his mouth. He could taste part of Eve in that sweet bite, and he moaned. It made him remember his body over hers, her legs spread. Her scent, her touch.
"I really do like it here," she continued, bringing him back to the present. "I have some great friends, a great job. In the fall, I'll be going back to school to become a nurse, and I'm planning on running a marathon in a few months. What more could I ask for?"
He stopped walking, her words knotting his insides.
"What's wrong?" she asked him.
"Nothing," he said a little too quickly. He began walking again. "We should find Liam. I need to be getting back."
Her face fell. "Oh, okay."
He hurried though the crowds of people, focusing on Liam's scent. What had he been thinking? Eve was happy, truly happy, and he wanted to take that away from her? He couldn't imagine a time where she had ever been this carefree and hopeful for the future. In the supernatural world, one always had to be on alert. There was very little "normal." But she had that here.
This realization hurt the most. She was happy without him, or really Reina was, but how much of a difference was there between them? At this point it didn't matter. As it was, he didn't see a place for him in her life. If he could somehow protect Eve in this bubble she had created, he was going to do it.
Liam's scent ended at the Ferris wheel. Lucien glanced up. Liam and Llona sat close together in a carriage on its way back down from the top.
"Is everything all right?" Eve panted when she caught up to him. Her breathlessness made him realize he had been walking faster than he’d intended.
He avoided eye contact, afraid he would change his mind if he stared too long into her all-too-familiar eyes. "I just forgot about something."
When Llona and Liam exited their carriage, Lucien motioned his head back the way they came. "I need to go back."
Llona frowned and looked between him and Eve. "Are you sure? We just got here."
He nodded, wanting desperately to leave. He couldn't be this close to Eve if he was to let her continue living this seemingly perfect life. Somehow he would find another way to find the necklace. There had to be a way that didn't involve Eve.
"I forgot about something I need to do for work."
"Huh. Okay."
Liam touched Llona gently on the elbow. "Why don't you stay here with," he hesitated briefly, "Reina. Lucien and I will secure the hotel rooms. I'll text you with the address."
"Perfect." Llona leaned on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. His eyes widened, and he attempted to stifle a grin, but it came anyway.
Lucien wanted to be happy for them, but he couldn't stop thinking about what he had to do.
"It was nice to meet you, Lucien," Eve said, her voice soft. "Can I get that hug now?"
His breathing hitched. She stepped toward him, but he met her half way and took her in his arms, nearly crushing her. His body filled with heat, and he inhaled everything about her. He didn't know how long it might be until he saw her again.
He opened his eyes. Llona was behind Eve, glaring at him and dragging her finger across her neck. He cleared his throat and let Eve go. She stumbled back.
"You don't do anything halfway, do you?" Eve asked, chuckling uncomfortably.
He eyed her intently, trying to memorize every detail. "Maybe I'll see you again. Take care, Ev—Reina."
He walked away and let the crowd swallow him. Never in his life did he think he would walk away from Eve, but it was for the best. She was happy, truly happy. He saw it in her smile, the way she moved, and even the way she breathed so lighthearted. But the moment her memories returned, all of that would go away.
A strong hand tightened on his upper arm and spun him around. "Where are you going?"
Lucien shook his head at Liam. "I can't do it. She's in a good place, and I don't want to take that away from her."
"But what about the DSRD? They will find her. It's just a matter of time."
"I haven't thought that far ahead yet. Maybe I can find a way to keep Eve out of all of this by finding the necklace myself."
"And in the meantime?"
Lucien stared above the heads of hundreds of people. "I'll keep an eye on her from a distance. Eve's life will continue as is, and I'll kill anyone who tries to take it away from her."
Chapter 8
Llona paced back and forth in the small hotel room, wearing a path in the already worn carpet. "I don't think this is a good idea. Hansen isn't going to stop searching for Eve and that necklace."
Lucien stared through the glass window to the street below. People were still celebrating, soaking up as much of the night as they could. "I didn't say I'm going to leave her unattended or that I'm going to stop searching for the necklace. I'm just going to find another way."
"But—"
"Eve is happy. I will not take that away from her," he said, his voice firm.
"But are you happy?" she snapped. "Because I don't think I've seen someone so miserable."
Lucien closed his eyes, trying hard to ignore the pain in his heart.
Llona kept speaking. "What Eve has here in Rouen is an illusion. What she had with you was real. It's time to bring Eve back into this world to face the mess she left behind."
His eyes flew open. "You don't know what—"
"She's been through?" Llona finished. "You're right, I don't. But I do know running away is never the answer."
"For Eve it was, and now she's happy. I don't think I can take that away from her."
"At least take more than a night to think about it," Liam said. He sat on a yellow, crinkled bedspread sprawled across a queen-size bed. "This is a big decision and both options have consequences. Whatever you decide, be prepared to live with the repercussions."
Lucien closed his eyes again in frustration. Liam was right, of course. Both choices proved difficult. If he helped Eve recover her memories, she might run away again or she could hate him forever. She clearly needed time to heal and this was her way. By him forcing her to remember, he was taking that right away from her.
However, if he didn't help her remember, there was the likely possibility that he would
n't be able to find the necklace without her. There were only a few places he thought he could search, starting with the Deific office in Wildemoor, but if he left to search for it, he would be leaving Eve alone. Maybe he could call Rick, the vampire he had met in Ireland. He was one of the few good ones.
"I need to clear my mind," he said and headed toward the door. They didn't stop him as he left the room.
The night was warm and humid, making him squirm in his own clothes.
He avoided the busiest streets as long as he could until he had to turn down River Street where Eve worked. He stepped over a splatter of vomit, then pushed between a crowd of about ten people who were stopped in the middle of the sidewalk singing Metallica's “Enter Sandman” at the top of their lungs. Three of them were supernaturals, but not dangerous ones from what he could sense.
Most of the shops were closed. Only a handful of bars and nightclubs remained open, people spilling from them continuously like drops from a leaky faucet. Eve's café had closed a few hours ago, but he could still smell her, faintly. She had said she lived nearby.
He turned the corner, the faint aroma of lilacs guiding him through the darkness. After three blocks, the scent grew stronger, and he turned right. The street was quiet, dead almost. Only a few lights remained on in all of the dozen or so duplexes.
Lucien walked to a bright green home with yellow shutters against the windows. Navy-colored flower boxes hung from a second floor metal railing. Eve was inside. Her scent was so strong now he could practically feel her against his warm skin. He ducked down a narrow walkway between her home and another and concentrated on the sounds inside.
He could hear the rustling of material being pulled over her flesh. He was familiar with these sounds, the details of every night with her burned onto his heart. She must be getting ready for bed.
But instead of more rustling as she slid under the covers, he heard the soft breath of a door quietly opening, and her footsteps lightly padding down the steps to the front door. What was she doing at this late hour? It was just after three.