Authors: Nicole Grane
I put Rain in his stall and walked slowly back to the castle. Raymose had gone to meet Marcus. He promised to return the next afternoon, and I’d better be here or he threatened to come get me and drag me kicking and screaming back across the ocean. He also informed me that we wouldn’t be traveling by plane! I believed him. It was easy to agree to stay another day—I didn’t have my plane tickets yet, and since Marcus wasn’t here, I was in no immediate rush.
“Miss Rose,” Richard yelled out when I came in. “How were your lessons?” he asked a little out of breath.
“Fine.”
“This came for you by messenger.” Richard handed me a box that was from Dr. Andersen’s office.
“Like I need this,” I muttered under my breath.
Richard looked as though he were going to be sick. It was the first time I could recall him being fidgety. “Lord Ashworth has asked me to inform you that the jet is ready when you are. However, if you should feel the need to stay . . .”
I closed my eyes and repeated over and over in my head: don’t shoot the messenger Phoebe. Don’t. Shoot. The messenger. I forced a smile. I could feel my blood boiling.
“Thank you, Richard, but I wouldn’t dream of using his jet!” My voice rose with each word until I was shouting. “As for me feeling the ‘need to stay,’” I snapped. “He needn’t worry!”
Richard took a step back. My sudden outburst was unexpected to say the least.
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry Richard; you’re not the unfeeling jerk.”
“Thank you, Miss. Shall I have Charlotte fix you something to eat?” Richard was always so polite. It almost took my thunder away.
“No thank you, I’m not that hungry. I’m going up to my room to make flight arrangements. I shouldn’t impose on you for more than a few days.”
“We don’t want you to leave, Miss, and neither does Mr. Marcus.” Richard’s eyes were full of concern. “He’s worried for your safety here. That’s all. He doesn’t want to lose you again.”
“Right, if only that was true, Richard.” I smiled flatly as I turned towards the stairs. “I’ll be in my room.”
Time is a funny thing, I thought. When you’re watching, it seems to slowly tick by, each minute blending into the next. But, when you look away from it, time slips through your fingers like sand through a sieve.
I’d been at Ashworth Castle now for nearly two months. Raymose had made sure to guilt me into staying day after day under the guise of: he’d never broken a promise to me. If I left now, he’d never be able to teach me to sword fight—again, which, according to him, I was in desperate need of learning.
Although Marcus had made himself clear he wanted me to leave, I kept coming up with excuses for myself why I couldn’t. It all came down to this being the only place I felt close to him. I wasn’t as willing to let go as he was.
I was working half-heartedly on a necklace at the table in my room, something I’d grown accustomed to over the weeks. I looked up at the empty chair across from me. I hadn’t seen Marcus for over six weeks.
I pushed myself away from the table and went out on the balcony. I closed my eyes as a soft breeze kissed my face. I tried to remember his scent, what his lips felt like on mine. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold on to the memory . . .
My phone ringing in the bedroom startled me. I ran to it.
“Hi Kim!” I was so thankful to hear Kim’s voice. “Did you get the box?”
Kim gushed over my new designs. She said Leah was so excited; she couldn’t wait to distribute them.
“I’m glad. I’ve got a few more pieces to send,” I added quickly.
Kim prattled on and on about things back home. My little house was just fine. She’d been watering my plants and collecting the mail for me. Leah had picked up my car and had it brought home a few weeks ago. God I missed them. It was time for me to go home.
“Kim, I think I’ll be home in the next few days. I miss my little house, and all of you.”
Kim picked up right away that something was wrong. I tried to down play it.
“Nothing’s wrong. Marcus has been away on business, and I’m just lonely, that’s all.” It was the truth.
She accepted it and asked me to hurry home.
Being without Marcus for so long had helped me to snap back into the real world. The real world for me was back in Trinidad. I called the airlines and made a reservation for the next day. I knew Raymose would be upset, but he’d just have to deal with it. After all, he’d had six weeks with me, and I’d done tremendously well—considering I was a girl. It was time for him to let go, too.
I met Raymose for practice that afternoon in the garden. He was eager to start, as usual. He looked forward to my lessons more than I did. Raymose was a skilled swordsman, and he enjoyed any opportunity to show off his talent. Secretly, I suspected his greatest achievement with me had been training me well enough to block his advances without shedding any blood. Not an easy feat.
“I thought we’d work a little on foot, then end on horseback today,” he said as he readied himself.
I raised my sword. “Raymose, I’m leaving tomorrow.”
Clank, clank
.
“Why?” he demanded as he attacked me again, with more vigor this time.
Clank, clank, clank.
“Marcus doesn’t want me. There’s no reason for me to stay here any longer. I miss my friends, my house,” I explained as I blocked the barrage of advances he made.
Clank, clank
.
“I’m going with you.” He swung his sword at my back. Then, like out of some sort of ninja movie, I jumped on a bench and flipped backward to miss the blow—I yelped in pain.
Raymose dropped his sword and caught me before I hit the ground.
I laughed a little between the stabbing sensations.
“Did I get you?” He looked paler than normal. “I don’t smell any blood.”
“No, I think I pulled something in my side.” It hurt to laugh. “Ow! I guess I’m getting too old,” I teased.
“
You’re
too old?” he laughed lightly.
“We’d better call it a day,” he said as he started carrying me up the castle steps.
Richard looked as pale as Raymose did when he saw him carrying me through the door. “Miss Phoebe!”
“She’s pulled a muscle Richard. You wouldn’t have a heating pack around would you? I hear they help strains.” Raymose looked the picture of cool.
“I’ll ask Charlotte right away.” Richard rushed off toward the kitchen, giving me an anxious second glance.
“I can walk Raymose, really. Its feeling better already,” I assured.
He set me down carefully.
“Thanks, I’ll see you tomorrow before I go?” I gave him a hopeful smile.
“I’ll be here and ready to go with you.” He brought my hand to his lips and kissed the top of it softly.
“No, Raymose. Luther will come looking for you. I don’t want you to get into trouble over me. I’ll be fine.”
“Now you let me worry about that, my lady.” He smiled convincingly and moved out the door before I could protest any further.
I looked around me. I was alone. I took a deep breath, held my side, and with all the strength I could muster, I slunk back to my room in pain.
I went straight for the bathroom. I needed a hot shower, and Tylenol. What was I thinking flipping like that? How
did
I flip like that? On the other hand, I couldn’t have avoided it. If I hadn’t, I would be on my way to the emergency room right now . . . or dead on the ground having caused Raymose to revert back to drinking from a human. I shivered at the thought.
I started the shower and took my clothes off. I went to the medicine cabinet, opened the door, and paused. My eyes landed on the little box Dr. Andersen had given me months ago.
I stared at it, mesmerized for a moment. Suddenly, a sinking feeling had formed in the pit of my stomach—too much time had passed. I started to think when my last period was. One, two, three . . . I counted in my head. Six weeks ago? No. That can’t be right! I counted again. It was right! My cycles hadn’t been irregular since my last trip to London—courtesy of Damen I now knew. But still . . . I should have had
one
by now. Shouldn’t I?
I grabbed the box, tearing it open frantically. I’d asked Dr. Andersen for a pregnancy test—discreetly of course—just in case. It seemed simple enough to use—one step and wait—I took the test.
I got in the shower to relax. I was not going to needlessly upset myself. I took the longest shower I could until the water started to go cold. I tried to justify being late due to the stress I’d been under, the exercising, and the lack of sleep I’d had since Marcus had left. If I threw in the fact that I was partially werewolf and they
couldn’t
conceive—therefore,
I
couldn’t conceive, the absence of my period was completely normal. So why did I have a sickened feeling in the pit of my stomach?
I got out of the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. I dried completely off before I went over to the counter to look.
Noooo! This had to be wrong. I took another test from the box and repeated the process, making sure I followed the instructions to the letter. I waited anxiously, rubbing my arms with vigor as a large plus sign appeared—again!
I slumped to the floor in a heap. I couldn’t be pregnant. Marcus said I was half human, but I was also partly werewolf now . . . that had to counter any probability of me being able to have children. Besides, Marcus was gone, and I was alone. He didn’t want me!
“I can’t have a baby,” I said firmly as I stood up and looked at myself in the mirror. I didn’t look pregnant. I didn’t feel pregnant. Not that I knew what that felt like. But I did know I didn’t feel any different than usual. Well, aside from my acrobatic injury . . . and being tired . . . and slightly hungrier. But that was because I’d been training so hard. Wasn’t it?
“What am I going to do?” I mumbled under my breath. My mind spun wildly, trying to form a plan. I needed to go home, before Marcus decided to come back. I couldn’t let him find out. If he came for me, I wanted it to be for me. Not because he felt some sort of obligation to me.
I got dressed quickly, despite the screams of pain from my body. I began collecting my things around the room. I had just finished my packing when Richard knocked on the door.
“Excuse me Miss, but there is a cab outside?” He paused. His eyes wandered over to my suitcase answering his question.
“Are you alright Miss? You look a little flushed.” He looked me over carefully.
“I’m fine, Richard. The shower was a little too warm, that’s all.”
“If you need to be escorted, Miss, I would be glad to take you anywhere you need to go.”
“Thank you Richard, but I’ve got a ride.”
“Tonight?” He glanced at his watch, a troubled look hung in his eyes. “There’s a full moon expected tonight Miss.”
I froze; then grew a backbone. “I’ll be fine. Please give my apologies to Raymose.”
“Very well, Miss; if you’ll excuse me.” Richard ducked out of the room quickly, not even bothering to say goodbye . . .
“He’s probably ready to get rid of me too,” I grumped, fighting back the lump in my throat.
I stood at the door, taking one last look around the room. I couldn’t afford to let my eyes linger too long. I had to leave. This part of my life was over. I shut the door and made my way downstairs to the waiting cab.
“Where to, Miss?” the driver asked when I entered the cab.
“The airport.” I spoke with authority, not bothering to take one last look behind me as we drove back up the long driveway lined with trees.
“Would you like me to turn on any music, Miss?”
I looked up into the rearview mirror, meeting his stare. His eyes were those of an older man, his mid-sixties perhaps. His hair had already gone completely gray from what I could see in the limited light.
The sun had already gone down, not even a hint of it lingered in the sky— another bleak hour of driving to look forward to before we reached the slightest bit of civilization.
“If you’d like.” I finally answered.
I caught him glancing at me periodically through the mirror, perhaps checking to see if I was still there. I was absorbed in my own thoughts, deliberating whether or not I was making the right decision. Part of me felt guilty for not at least leaving a note, or saying goodbye to Marcus. But he’d asked me to leave. I sat up straight, my heart hardening. I was definitely doing the right thing.
The car swerved violently, screeching the tires. Profanities flew from the driver’s mouth at a rapid pace. Something heavy hit the top of the car, denting the hood in slightly. I held onto the seat in front of me, trying to steady myself as the car resumed its normal path.
I could see beads of sweat across the driver’s forehead through the mirror. His hands, white across the steering wheel, were clenched tight.
“My apologies Miss. Some bloody animal just ran right at the car.” I could see from the mirror he was still quite shaken.
“What sort of animal?” My voice was guarded.
“I couldn’t tell for sure, a dog maybe? No, it was bigger than a dog. I really only saw its eyes.”
My heart fell. “Its eyes?”
“Yellow as gold. It must be dead now. Look at the size of that dent.”
My eyes drifted up. I swallowed loudly. I looked toward the window. It was keeping pace with the car. Just barely out of sight to the human eye, carefully staying hidden from the moonlight—I wouldn’t be going to the airport tonight.