“You’re bluffing!” Lucas yelled.
“Lucas please!” Sacha begged. “Don’t let them kill me.”
“They won’t, sis.” Lucas tried to assure Sacha.
Suddenly the circular imprint of the imaginary tight rope began to crumble making a circular platform where Sacha stood. It was obvious to everyone what was happening. Sacha was caving into the floor of the mine, as the platform dropped to the point where the part surrounding her was up to her knees. She was being dropped into a hole. Bertrand stepped forward and fire shot out of his eyes, and lined a circle of flames around Sacha.
“NO!” Sacha and Lucas screamed simultaneously. Tears streamed down Sacha’s face as she tried to stand on her tip toes to avoid being scorched by the climbing flames.
“I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you where he is.” Lucas promised. “Stop! Stop! Don’t burn her.” He demanded. Sacha looked at her brother, and cried hard shaky sobs.
Evan raised his hand and the fire disappeared from Bertrand’s eyes, but the flames that wrapped around Sacha continued to climb. She coughed uncontrollably, and her body could barely be seen through the circular wall of fire. She looked as if she was being lowered into the fiery pits of Hell.
“Well… let’s get on with it” Bethany snapped at Lucas. “It feels like an inferno in here.”
Lucas finally spilled the beans. He described three different dens where Victor isolated himself. Bethany doused the flames into pungent smog. Sacha was now strung up against the wall opposite the one her brother was shackled to. She was complaining that her eyes were burning from the smoke.
Everyone but Lucas ignored her. Evan immediately dispatched Olympia, Bertrand, and Julius to gather three small armies for the ambush which he planned to lead. The members were satisfied, and dispersed. Only Evan stayed behind.
“I told you were he is. You have to let us go.” Lucas demanded as he rattled the chains, and beat his back against the dirt wall. He looked like a restless animal.
“I never said anything about letting you go.” Evan reminded Lucas as he brushed off the imaginary lint on his tailored suit.
“Bastard!” Lucas seethed.
“Bastards,” Evan said, smirking as he eyed Lucas. “Or beauty,” Evan said, turning to Sacha. “They’re both seen through the eye of the beholder.” Evan added. “Besides, I know who my father is.” Evan snickered.
He then turned to walk away, but stopped and turned and faced Sacha. “You’d better hope your brother has told me the truth, or I’ll take great pleasure in watching my sister tear you one limp at a time.” Evan said, and then turned to Lucas. “And if you’ve lied to me about the locations, or somehow send a message to warn Victor ahead of time, I promise you Lucas Hayden, you will beg the Gods for mercy while I kill you with my bear hands. This time it will be permanent.” With that Evan followed the tracks out of the mine and vanished into the interior.
Sacha looked at her brother and began crying. “Luc, please tell me you told him the truth.” Lucas looked into his twin’s tear glazed hazel eyes, gulped, but said nothing.
Sun Paw woke me, and I immediately started coughing, smelling the smoke as if I had been inhaling it. I remembered every moment of the dream as if I had participated in it in some way, and it was an actual memory of an actual event. It had been intense; as intense as the dream of being chased by werewolves with Evan.
I sat up, and stretched my arms out. It was the day before the Masquerade Ball and I would do anything for the power to fast forward to the day after the Ball. I should be able to use my powers to do that; forward time. In that case, I’d forward myself right back to the future. My gut did flips and whirls like a pro gymnast. A very cool breeze blew in through my windows. I instantly looked for Winston, but his ghostly frame never appeared. I realized that the temperature this morning was a lot cooler than usual. I bathed, dressed, and hurried downstairs to breakfast.
Everyone was chatting incessantly at the table, except for Evan, who gazed out into the garden, appearing to be far off somewhere, and Nikolas, who was eager to fill that bottomless pit of a stomach he had. Nikolas chomped away at his breakfast, the one meal where he drank something other than wine. For breakfast it was coffee. I was greeted with the customary ‘Good Morning’ from everyone, then everyone went right back to their lively conversations regarding the Ball.
The topic of the day was the Masquerade Ball. Bethany and Alexandria discussed the gowns, and the specially custom made, matching hand fans and masks. Thaddeus and Nikolas were animated as they explained to Christopher and Phoebe how exciting it will be for them when they are old enough to attend the Masquerade Ball.
Evan’s expression was frustratingly unreadable. I tried unsuccessfully to seize his gaze several times, and was utterly ignored. This was very odd. Evan was always watching me when he thought I was unaware of him watching me – not in a creepy stalker kind of way, more of a ‘are you ok?’ kind of way.
After a week of constant attention from him, you’d expect that I might be at the point of elation, with this many pairs of eyes averted away from me, but I wasn't. Why was no one talking to me? Was I invisible? Hardly yet, nobody would make eye contact with me. All of a sudden Thaddeus, as if he was reading my mind, and I’m sure he wished he could, spoke and his voice shook me out of my thoughts. I was forced to look in his direction in rapid reflex. I hoped that he wouldn’t commence with a long history lesson on the Ball.
“Cordelia,” Thaddeus said, evenly as he looked at me guardedly. I felt the nausea begin to build in my stomach, and I wanted to push my plate of uneaten fruit away. “Today is a day of solace. We prepare for our new dawn and the festivities planned for tomorrow evening. It is the Ischeros’
celebration of our New Year and your anointment, and everything must go as planned my dear. We must preserve our energy for the ceremonies of the day ahead. You are expected to stay in your chambers for the remainder of the day to rest as we all will be resting. Tomorrow we will begin our festivities at dusk.”
“New Year?” I directed my question to Evan, who didn't seem to be listening to what his father had just vaguely explained. I put my fork down, and waited for someone, to break down this whole New Year thing to me. I wasn’t surprised when Thaddeus spoke up again. He seemed to relish having the floor. His deep voice lightly growled forward like a steam train leaving the station.
“I would have thought my son might have shared this information with you since you have yet... to recall... very much.” Thaddeus expressed slightly icily.
So he was upset with my lack of recollection. As if I had something to do with the lack of it. It wasn't my idea to erase it in the first place. They had all predicted that I would regain all that I’d ever known by now, yet I sat here with already a week gone by remembering close to nothing. I really don’t need this sarcastic windbag looking down at me. The nerve of him. Remembering was all I wanted, if you didn't count my desire to speed time up a hundred and twenty years. I simply wanted to be at peace with my life, whether it would be taking place now or a hundred years ahead. I still needed to know more. I needed to somehow contact Winston.
I caught Evan watching me, and he sort of smiled. Ok, so he wasn’t mad at me. He then made a grimace at his father, who seemed oblivious to it, as well as everyone else. The silly expression caught me off guard, and I muffled a giggled. Most of my efforts were now spent on trying to mask what was surfacing between Evan and me. I hoped no one in attendance at the table had taken notice. I doubted it this morning, with all the discussion about the Ball, but trying not to stare at Evan was most difficult. I would forget about concentrating on my memory once his face came into view. After the time we spent together yesterday and all that was spoken between us, I couldn't focus on anything. How pathetic of me I thought for a moment, letting this boy occupy so much of my mind, but I just couldn’t help it. Being consumed with a boy was so unlike me, but then again, I’d never felt such an intense lure to anyone before… Evan.
My eyes were drawn to his flawless and exquisite face – the perfect bone structure mixed with delicateness. Evan’s hair was the perfect shade of auburn, and gently curled upward at his collar. I had the most uncontrollable urge to run my fingers through the waves. His muscular build, armor like in his cream colored shirt and chocolate pinstriped vest, made me want to wrap myself up in him. Evan caught me staring at him, and I turned away, a bit too abruptly, which must have revealed what I was feeling. I forced my mind back to the discussion taking place at the table. I knew that he was watching me now, making up for the time he’d lost when I first sat down. I took a quick peek at him, pretending to peer over at Nikolas, and saw that he was still gazing at me, admiringly.
I ate quickly, wanting badly for this meal to end. I was so nervous that I bit my tongue twice. Thankfully, the pain subsided almost instantly. After breakfast, I headed up the stairs to my bedroom, where I would spend the rest of the day, sequestered. I was instructed to remain there in order to avoid an unexpected attack, and also to rest in anticipation of my anointment at the Masquerade Ball. I couldn't fathom how staying in my room – the same room where Victor had paid me a visit only a few days before – could be innocuous. The abdicable idea of Victor sent a creeping Nordic chill up my spine. I tried with every grain of my being to shake it off. I relaxed, and let my mind wander.
What the heck was I going to do, a prisoner in my room, all day? It’s not like I could watch TV or go online. Sadly I’d have to wait nearly sixty years to watch television and a hundred to use a computer. I wondered how I would go about occupying my time.
I pulled out the stack of little leather bound journals from their hiding place. I sat at my desk and took out the small bottle of pungent black ink and pen.
I opened the last of the diaries to the first blank page following the last entry, and began writing.
Oct. 30,1891
Dear Diary,
I couldn’t think of anything else to do so I decided to write to you. I have no one to talk to. I haven’t a friend in the whole wide world who could possibly understand what I’m going through. Is there anyone out there in this great big universe who could honestly identify with the anguish and fear I’m feeling right now? I really doubt it. I’m pretty sure that there isn’t another soul who’d been killed then reborn at the exact age, and then told that they are a demigod, with no memory of their existence as one, and hunted by evil beings and forced to live in another point in time. I’m not just sure that there isn’t another soul out there; I’d be willing to bet the empire on it. Diary, I’m so afraid of every hour of each day that I live in this point in time surrounded by so much that I don’t remember. I seem to be hitting road blocks every time I try to find out about my past and about the empire. I don’t trust anyone a hundred percent. Not even Bethany. There seems to be quite a few secrets hidden from me and I don’t understand why they are hidden from me when I am the empress of the empire. I do believe that I’m what they say I am; a demigod. I’ve seen small amounts of proof that totally makes this all too real, yet I’m still very cautious of what I may remember when I finally do…hopefully do. Also I think that I’m falling in lo –
Suddenly, there was a light rapping on the door. I quickly closed the journal and put it away along with the rest, back in their hiding place. The light rapping seemed too delicate for a man, so I expected to see Bethany or Sun Paw, but it was Evan – divine and statuesque. He stood before me towering, but not overpowering. I gulped, and felt my heart pounding in my chest as it began to race.
“Hi.” I invited him in, and sat down on the comfortable chaise lounge. I removed my shoes and put my feet up. I didn’t realize how good my feet felt now that I’d taken those narrow satin pumps off.
“Hello.” He said, as he took a seat in one of the large ivory velvet chairs across from me.
“You look so… delicate there; I wouldn't believe you fostered the powers you do, had I not been exposed to them before.” Evan said. getting up unexpectedly, and walking toward me. His alluring smile was contagious, and made me weak, but I had to smile back. Once he was in front of the chaise, he gently lifted my feet and slid onto the open end of the chaise, lowering my feet on his stone hard lap. There was more than enough room for the both of us on the chaise lounge. I adjusted myself and leaned back onto the arm of the long chair. As he tenderly rubbed my stocking clad feet, the tingling feeling rose upward from my toes to my calf muscles to my knees then to my thighs. By the time the feeling reached my chest, I was completely relaxed. It had to be the most sensual moment I had ever experienced. All the while Evan massaged my feet, he would peer at me with the slight curl of the corners of his mouth, making me want to kiss him. I tried to keep my eyes on his hands, which worked effortlessly to calm me, but found myself drawn to his penetrating eyes. He continued to gently rub my feet for a while before he finally spoke.
“I believe that things will be different after tomorrow night.” Evan said.
“Because of the New Year, right?” I asked.
“That does have something to do with it.” He turned his gaze to me. The intensity in his eyes burrowed into my soul. For once I didn’t feel nervous with him looking at me as if he could read my thoughts.
“I believe that your crowning may in fact bring your memory back.” I tried to focus on Evan’s words, and not the tenderness of his touch. The confidence in Evan’s voice wasn’t contagious. Although, I was kind of low on faith these days, I was intrigued by the notion. Maybe, finally, this nightmare would be over.
“Really?” I knew Evan detected the skepticism in my voice.
“Indeed, I do.” Evan said, as he caressed my feet.
“How will it make me remember?” I couldn’t shake the doubt in my voice.
“I can’t tell you that. I just believe that your crowning is essential.”
“But I thought I needed my memory in order to be crowned an empress.” I reminded Evan.