Europa Awakenings

True to her word, Europa remained upstairs when she awoke the following morning. Misso brought her breakfast, lunch and dinner, enabling her to enjoy her meal without the sight of Jeanip’s face. Throughout the day she heard Jeanip’s voice below in the house and reaffirmed her commitment to avoid him. Triton sat next to her and wondered how long she was going to remain upstairs, although her self-confinement made it easier on him to become Earon and help Jeanip plan for their move.

  Evonic paid her a visit early in the morning to check on how she was doing. He gave her a clean bill of health and advised her to take some vitamin supplements for the next two weeks to help her body regain its strength. If she started to get headaches or became ill, he asked her to have someone notify him right away. He thought best not to tell her he was confined to the estate and would be staying at Minnos for a while.

  Europa spent the morning reading a book, making a list of items to bring with her to college, another list for items she needed to buy and, finally sitting at her window overlooking the ocean, listening to the music on her MP3 player. She could see the dolphins not far from shore playing in the surf and wondered if Jack and Jill were amongst them. How she wished she could go swim with them now, but that would mean going downstairs and possibly seeing Jeanip.

  Still believing her mother was alive when she arrived at the accident, she began to go over the events as she remembered them. She was sure her mother had spoken to her, had taken her hand. But both Jeanip and Evonic swore her recollection was false, that her mother was already dead when she arrived. She had always trusted Jeanip, yet something inside her said he was lying. And for some reason Evonic was backing him. She reached her hand up to her head and felt around for soreness. She found nothing; no tender spots, not scabbed over cuts, no nothing. If she had hit her head hard enough on the pavement to knock her out and cause a concussion, wouldn’t there be a wound or some bruising? Somehow she had to find out the truth. But how?

  Before she knew it the afternoon sun was starting to send its warmth through the window, making it too warm to continue to sit there. She walked over to the bed and picked up the book she had started to read before Terrance occupied her free time, but she could not get re-interested in the subject matter. Terrance! With all that had happened since waking up, she had forgotten about Terrance. She knew he must be going out of his mind with worry. Perhaps Jeanip, or someone else from the estate, had told him what had happened. But if that was true, why wasn’t he there at her bedside? She knew nothing would keep Terrance away from her if he knew she had been injured. Had Jeanip banished him from the estate because she disobeyed her mother and went with him? She needed to call him, to let him know she was alright, and to see if he was okay and still at the inn. The accident had happened almost a week ago – perhaps he wasn’t even in town anymore. Perhaps he had gone to Michigan with his father, or worst yet, back home to Australia. She desperately needed to call him, but the only phones were downstairs and downstairs was where Jeanip was. She would have to think of another way to contact Terrance that did not involve going downstairs. Finding no solution to her problem, she thought it might be helpful to relax for a while. Picking up Triton’s ball she stepped into the hallway to see if he had returned from his trip downstairs. As she looked down the empty hall, her breathing stopped for a moment when she saw her mother’s bedroom door. Instantly, she felt it calling to her, beckoning her to come and find the secrets hidden inside. Without hesitation or thought, she walked the few steps down the hallway to the room. Standing before the ornate door, she reached out her hand and entwined her fingers around its door knob and quietly opened the door. As the door opened, the smell of her mother’s perfume washed over her, making her grab onto the door frame to keep from collapsing. Waves of grief cascaded over her as she flipped on the double light switch and staggered over to the bed.

  “Mother,” was all she could say as she collapsed onto the bed, a flood of sorrow engulfing her soul. She crawled up to the head of the bed and grabbed her mother’s pillows, pulling them tightly to her as she breathed in her smell. Burying her face into their sweetness, she allowed her tears to freely flow until there were no more tears to be shed. Still holding on to the pillows, she sat up and wiped her eyes and face with her pajama sleeve, looking around the room at her mother’s belongings. Each object held a vivid and cherished memory of the times she and Medaron spent together in that room discussing the exciting news about what happened in school that day, or why some boy was not worth her tears when he broke her heart. Who was going to be there for her now? She had no relatives, except for Jeanip, and she certainly had no intention of confiding in him. Perhaps this was all a dream, and she would wake up any minute to discover her mother was still alive, was still there for her. It was hard for her to accept her mother’s death since she never got to see her body, never got to kiss her goodbye, but the emptiness of the room confirmed she was awake and her mother was truly gone.

  Europa sat on her mother’s bed, too emotionally drained to leave, too numb to be aware of time passing or of happenings outside of the room. It was not until the sound of a soft whine bringing her back to reality did she see Triton sitting just outside the room in the hallway staring at her. She had been in such a state of detachment, she did not hear him come up the stairs or walk down the hall looking for her when she wasn’t in her room. Not wanting to leave the room, or the smell of her mother, she patted the bed signaling for Triton to join her, but instead, he gave her a confused look and barked, evidently not wanting her to be inside the room.

  “Silent, Triton” she softly said. She knew if Triton started barking again Jeanip would surely come upstairs to investigate the cause. She rose and slowly walked across the floor toward the door, breathing in her mother’s smell deeply as she prepared to exit. She flipped off the light switch as she left, not realizing there were two switches needing to be turned off. As she closed the door she saw a light shining through the wall. Where was it coming from? She turned to look at the light switch and realized she had not turned one of the switches off. She reached up and turned the second switch off and watched as the light behind the wall vanished. Wanting to make sure she really saw the light, she turned it on again and the light reappeared. Intrigued by this mysterious, unknown light, she began to step back in the room to investigate when she heard Misso coming up the stairs with her dinner. She turned off the second switch and closed the door, reaching her bedroom just as Misso arrived at the top of the stairs.

  “Your Majesty, I’m glad to see you are up and walking. Are you feeling better?”

  “Yes, thank you, Misso. My legs are still a little unsteady, so I thought I would do some walking in the hallway for some exercise. ”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Misso said. “Since you seem to be getting around better, would you like to eat downstairs this evening? I can help you down the stairs if you would like.”

  “No, Misso, I will eat up here. I still have no desire to go downstairs.”

  Misso sat the tray on the small table in Europa’s room and left. Europa sat down, suddenly realizing she was very hungry. As she ate she thought about that strange light in her mother’s bedroom. Perhaps there was another room that branched off from her mother’s bedroom she was not aware of. But if that were true, why had her mother never shown it to her? The house had many secrets and she believed she may have stumbled upon one of them. Now, with a new sense of purpose, she spent the remainder of the evening formulating a plan of investigation to learn where the light was originating. She allowed her imagination to run wild as she conjured up what secrets an undisclosed room might hold. Perhaps that was why Triton had not wanted her in Medaron’s room. He was protecting whatever was behind the wall. She needed to time her next visit just right, a time when Triton would be outside for at least an hour and neither Birea nor Misso would be coming upstairs. Emotionally drained from the ordeal in her mother’s room, her pl
ans of adventure soon turned into dreams of her mother as sleep overcame her.

  Europa awoke early the next morning, showered and got dressed while going over her plan in her mind. She knew Misso brought her breakfast at eight each morning and impatiently watched the minutes tick by. Finally, she heard Misso’s footsteps upon the stairs and hurried to the door and opened it.

  “Good morning. I am glad to see you are up and prepared for the day,” Misso commented, as she walked through the doorway, surprised by Europa’s sudden appearance. “I hope you slept well.”

  “Yes, thank you,” Europa replied. “It looked like such a beautiful day I thought I would rise early and get some reading done.” Thinking her opening of the door might have caused undue attention to herself, she quickly added, “I hope I did not startle you by opening my door. It is just that I woke up starved this morning and could not wait until you brought up breakfast.”

  “You should have rung for me, Miss,” Misso replied. “I would have brought your meal up earlier if I would have known.”

  “Actually, I had just finished getting dressed when I heard you,” Europa stated, as she followed Misso over to the small table and sat down, ready to eat. She watched as Misso poured her a cup of coffee and uncovered her plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns, toasts and grits. She began to eat her breakfast to confirm her story of being extremely hungry.

  “My, you are very hungry,” Misso said, smiling at Europa’s returned appetite. “It is so good to see you have your appetite back. If you are still hungry after you finish that I can bring you up some more.”

  “You are going to make me fat,” Europa teased. “I am sure this will be more than sufficient.”

  “Very well. If you have no further need of me, I will take my leave,” Misso stated. “Come, Triton, it’s time for you to go outside.” Misso swung her hand through the doorway, motioning for Triton to go downstairs.

  With the sweetest look she could muster, she looked at Misso and said, “Misso, I am sure Triton is getting tired of staying up here with me. I believe he would enjoy a few hours outside chasing a rabbit or two. He certainly can use the fresh air and exercise.”

  Triton hesitated, wondering if Europa was trying to get rid of him for a while, then decided it was a ludicrous idea. What trouble could she get into up here? Besides, fresh air sounded a lot better than another boring day watching Europa read or sleep. Plus, a couple of hours outside would give him a chance to talk with Jeanip about their move to Saint’s Isle. Not waiting for a second invitation, he eagerly ran down the stairs.

  Europa continued eating her breakfast until she heard the side door open and close. Grabbing her breakfast food, she carried it into the bathroom and flushed it down the toilet. After returning the dishes to their tray, she ran over to her bed and stuffed pillows under her covers, giving her bed the appearance she was beneath them. She knew if Misso came back before she returned, she would think Europa had fallen back asleep and would not disturb her.

  Looking around the room to assure everything was in order, Europa closed her door, then hurried down the hallway to her mother’s room. As she entered, the smell of her mother once again overpowered her, bringing tears to her eyes. Knowing she had no time for nostalgia, she shook her head to clear it and quickly switched on the second light switch. As before, a light appeared behind the wall, shining through several small cracks. She ran over and began searching for some type of opening or a door, but there was only a wall. Knowing there had to be an entrance somewhere, she followed the wall to her left until she reached the other wall: dead end. Retracing her steps, she followed the wall to the right until it ended at her mother’s walk-in closet. She opened the closet door and saw a dim light visible behind her mother’s clothes. Quickly, she pushed the clothes aside and stared at a secret door now visible in the wall. Excitedly, she reached out and grabbed the door latch and pushed down on its tongue, but it was locked. Remembering her mother always kept a set of keys in her top dresser drawer, she rushed over to the dresser and retrieved them. Holding her breathe, she began trying the keys until she heard the lock open. Once more she pushed down on the latch and pulled the door, rejoicing as she felt it open to reveal a small stairway leading upwards. Dropping the keys into her pajama pants’ pocket, she carefully climbed the stairs, cringing as they creaked under her weight.

  When she reached the top step she stopped and stared in disbelief. Before her was a large, unfinished attic with pairs of wooden beams above forming ‘V’s as they held up the roof. The walls contained no boarding, only bare wooden posts spaced equally apart. The floor consisted of wooden planks nailed together in various directions. There was no window to let in light, only a bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling. How different this room was from the rest of the house, she thought. It was primitive, unfinished, resembling a room that had hastily been constructed. As she continued to look around she was amazed to see a treasure of priceless belongings; the attic was filled with countless antique furnishings, golden statues of Egyptian gods, ornate crystal vases, something resembling a pirate’s chest filled with gold coins, paintings, sculptures, jewel-filled crowns and shelves filled with books and old clothes. She stepped forward and another light automatically turned on at the far end of the room to reveal a round antique oak table on which an Orb, similar to the amulet she wore around her neck, rested, suspended several inches above the table. Forgetting the other treasures filling the room, she walked toward the Orb, feeling almost as if it was calling to her. She stared at the Orb and watched the threads of color swirl within it as it floated above the table. She reached out her hands and, without thinking or hesitation, placed them upon the Orb. Sensing her touch, the Orb began to glow and hum softly, strings of lavender, purple, blue and yellow light flaring out and entwining over her hands and up her arms. Startled, she yanked her hands away and the Orb became quiet once more. Fearing it was one of Jeanip’s security devices, she turned and walked over to a stack of oil paintings and began to look through them, leaving the Orb for future investigations. She shuffled through the paintings noting some were hundreds of years old, according to the signature dates, yet all were of the same two people – either together or alone, a man and a woman. She cupped her hand over her mouth as she realized the woman in every painting was her mother.

  “But that is not possible,” she whispered. “That would make my mother hundreds of years old.”

  She now turned her attention to the man in the picture, wondering if he too was familiar. At first she didn’t recognize him but, as she scrutinized his face further, she thought he resembled the picture of her father her mother kept in the small locket she wore. She came across a painting with a golden engraved plate attached to the lower frame. Unable to read what it said, she lifted the painting out from between the others. It read “1702 - Enok and Medaron Waters”. Enok - that was her father’s name. This man in the painting and the man in her mother’s locket were the same person? Her father? How could her parents be in a painting from 1702?

  Now intrigued by her discoveries, she turned her attention to a nearby box containing three papyrus scrolls. Carefully lifting one out, she began to open it but stopped as it began to crumble in her hand. Realizing it was very old, she carried it to a nearby table and delicately laid it down. With as much gentleness as possible, she began to unroll the scroll but halted when it began to reveal another picture of her mother dressed in a purple tunic with a pyramid in the background.

  “What is going on?” she said. “This has to be hundreds of years old.” She rerolled the scroll and carefully replaced it in the box.

  Not wanting to see any more ancient pictures of her mother, she crossed the room to a pine-wood shelf containing papers and books. She removed one of the papers, unfolded it and saw a detailed map of Minnos showing the cottage and the out-buildings, along with a secret tunnel leading to a cave beside the ocean. She had lived at M
innos all her life and had never seen or heard of a cave or a secret tunnel. She noticed some strange markings on the map and squinted her eyes in an attempt to determine what they were. They appeared to be some form of writing but in a language she had never seen before.

  Feeling the map offered little information, she sat it aside and reached for the next one. It was the deed to Minnos from 1658 with the signatures of the original owners, which read “Enok and Medaron Waters”. Below their signatures was the signature of a witness – Jeanip Smith. She knew Medaron’s and Jeanip’s signatures and there was no doubt the signatures on the deed were theirs. Was Jeanip part of this farce too?

  Almost afraid to open the third paper, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw a diagram of a large Complex containing many houses and buildings, as well as gardens and walkways. And something called an Exit Chamber. She noticed the diagram was very detailed, indicating everything in the Complex, no matter how minute, yet there were no trees or streets indicated. She also noticed it contained the same strange writing she had found on the Minnos map. Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of an old, worn diary which had been buried beneath the papers. She sat the Complex diagram aside, staring at the name inscribed on the cover – Medaron. Her hand trembling, she removed the diary from its hiding place. Of all the items she found so far, this item filled her with the most anxiety. She feared what secrets her mother had recorded in this diary, what unknown information would be revealed. Taking a deep breath, she opened the book and recognized her mother’s handwriting, but it too was in the same weird language. She sighed and allowed her shoulders to drop, disappointment displacing her sense of foreboding as she gazed at the strange writings. Whatever secrets were contained in the diary would remain so unless she could discover a way to decipher the words. She began to thumb through the pages seeing each contained the same strange writing. Then, suddenly, the writings turned into English. She stopped and read:

  February 27, 4051-3 Arrived at Minnos. Enok remains at the Complex. Believed to be safe here – no Terrians seen for 500 years. Europa to be born human in 6 months. My son will be her guard.

  Born human? What did that mean? How else would she be born? Her son? What son? Did she have a brother?

  Europa felt faint. She was still weak from her extended sleep and the discoveries she had just stumbled upon were making her head spin. She needed to sit down but was now suddenly afraid of being found in the attic, afraid someone would see her with the diary. Quickly, she grabbed the maps and the land deed, along with her mother’s diary, and hid them underneath her pajama top. She rushed down the stairs, not worrying if they creaked or not. She closed the door, returned her mother’s clothes to their original position, closed the walk-in closet door and exited her mother’s bedroom as swiftly as possible, being sure to switch off the second light. She quietly closed her mother’s door and turned to return to her room. As she turned she almost dropped her hidden belongings when she saw Triton lying outside her closed bedroom door. When he saw Europa exit from Medaron’s room, he stood and stared at her, then approached her and began to sniff around her pajamas, as if he suspected she had something hidden under them.

  Europa thought she heard a voice inside her head ask, “What were you doing in Mother’s room?” Afraid to look into Triton’s eyes, she walked down the hall past Triton acting as if nothing was out of the ordinary. She entered her room and closed her bedroom door, barring Triton from entering. Knowing she would have only minutes before she would have to let Triton in, she quickly ran to the bathroom, searching for a secure place to hide her treasures. Seeing nothing sufficient for hiding things, she reached down and pulled out the bottom vanity drawer. As she hoped, there was just enough space between the drawer guide and the floor to hold the items. She carefully placed her attic treasures inside and then replaced the drawer, feeling confident they were safely hidden. She then scurried to her bed and pulled out the pillows and blankets that had served as her sleeping body while she was gone. Looking around to make sure everything looked normal, she walked to the door to let Triton in. To her surprise he was gone. Several minutes later Misso brought Europa her lunch.

  “Misso, have you seen Triton?”

  “I believe he went outside with Jeanip a few minutes ago.”

  Triton returned an hour later and hopped onto the bed while staring at Europa, as if he knew something. She wanted to read more of her mother’s diary, but she couldn’t take the chance of someone seeing it. Plus, for some reason unknown to her, she felt uncomfortable with Triton in the room watching. It was almost as if he was spying on her, which she knew was impossible. She tried to find things to occupy her time, but her thoughts kept returning to the diary and the passage she had read. She thought of sending Triton outside again or barring him from her room, but she feared such actions might arouse suspicion or, even worse, bring Jeanip upstairs to investigate her actions. Grabbing her book, she sat on the bed and pretended to read while trying to think of a way to get time alone to do more reading of the diary. After several minutes she realized the solution was very simple - all she needed to do was indulge in a leisurely bath. That would give her time alone to scan through the diary’s pages and no one, not even Triton, would think it odd after what she had been through lately. She waited until Misso returned to retrieve the dirty luncheon dishes and told her she thought she would soak in a luxury bath for a while. Misso thought it was an excellent idea and went to run a warm bath for her. While Misso was busy in the bathroom, Europa quickly grabbed a pen and secretly slid it inside her pajama pocket.

  “Your bath is ready, Your Highness,” Misso stated. “Would you like me to bring you a cup of warm tea to enjoy while you soak in the tub? Or perhaps a warm glass of milk?”

  “No, thank you. I think I am just going to lay in the water and enjoy its warmth,” she replied, as she stepped inside the bathroom, Triton following right behind her. “Where do you think you are going?” she asked. “You know this is the one place you are not allowed. Now go wait for me on the bed.” She held out her hand, pointing toward the bed. Giving a snort with his nose, Triton turned and left the bathroom, hearing the door close and lock behind him. He had never known Europa to lock the bathroom door before. She definitely was acting peculiar and he was sure she was up to something.

  Europa retrieved the diary from its hiding place and carefully slipped into the water, being sure not to get the diary wet. She skimmed past the pages written in the strange language, stopping once again when she reached the first English written page. She bypassed the pages she had read earlier regarding her mother’s arrival at Minnos and skimmed past the passages describing the daily activities of Minnos. She stopped on August 19th and read:

  August 19, 4051-3 Europa to be born soon. Earon remains in human form until she is born, then he will transform. I will miss having my son to talk to. He has been such a comfort.

  Remains in human form? What form would he be in? What did “he will transform” mean? Transform into what? She read on.

  August 23, 4051-3 Europa born. Beautiful human girl. No complications, no breathing problems or side effects that can be detected. I pray JeffRa’s curse has been avoided. Jeanip travels to inform Enok. Wish he was here.

  So her father was not present for her birth. Was he at sea? Why did her mother mention her being human again? What was this curse? Had one followed them from their homeland that caused birth defects?

  She bypassed the entries regarding her childhood and how much her mother missed her father.

  January 15, 4053-3 Jeanip returns from the Complex. Enok sends his love. Breathing problem still not corrected so he is unable to join us, but hopes to do so soon.

  September 8, 4054-3 Jeanip summoned urgently to Complex. Returns with devastating news. Complication in treatment for Enok’s breathing problem resulting in his passing. How do I continue for years on this planet without him?
Europa and Earon are now my only source of joy.

  Complications in treatment? Her mother told her that her father died at sea searching for treasure. What does she mean by “‘this planet”? What planet should she be on? And why does she keep mentioning this Earon? Did he die also?

  After her father’s death, there were several entries over the years, mostly about the daily activities of Minnos and a couple references to how much she missed Enok. Then, it appeared as if her mother started writing again several weeks ago.

  August 1, 4112-3 Europa soon to be 20. The leadership of our people should revert to her as I step down. It cannot. How can she govern a people she does not even know exists? She has no idea of who she really is.

  “Who I really am? Who am I?” Europa wondered. “And what people? I thought most were wiped out during the war.” She continued to read.

  August 9, 4112-3 Should be planning a gala event for Europa’s birthday with dignitaries and state officials, not a small family gathering.

  Dignitaries and State Officials? Why would they be invited to her birthday celebration? She thought perhaps in her mother’s country birthdays were a much bigger deal than they were in the United States.

  August 21, 4112-3 Woke with uneasiness. Something is wrong but I cannot tell what. Jeanip has us on high alert.

  August 23, 4112-3 Europa’s friends report a deer with strange eyes being seen in vicinity. Europa also saw it and thought its eyes glowed red. Glowing red eyes mean only one thing – a shape-shifter. I know of no Waters who would be in transformation without mine or Jeanip’s knowledge. I fear somehow one Terrian still survives. Are my children in danger?

  Shape-shifter? Why would her mother think that? Such creatures do not exist. What children? There is only she and no one else!

  August 24, 4112-3 Jeanip and males have gone to discover if the deer is Terrian. I am afraid.

  Afraid? Her mother had never been afraid a day in her life. Why was she so spooked by this deer down from the mountains?

  Europa turned the remaining pages only to find they were blank. Then she realized the last entry was the day her mother was killed and there would be no more entries. Suddenly, stricken once more with grief, she dropped the diary. It landed with a plop on the floor and fell open to a page containing numerous numerical entries. She reached down and picked up the diary, carefully reviewing the page. She gasped as she realized the entries were the names of banks, account numbers, passwords and dollar amounts all written in her mother’s handwriting,

  “This cannot be” she said, looking over the dollar amounts. “There must be several billion dollars listed here.”

  She closed the diary and placed it on the floor. Closing her eyes, she slipped down into the warm water. The diary did not give her answers, only more questions, questions having impossible answers. She needed answers, but whom could she go to. She thought of contacting one of her girlfriends, but she was becoming paranoid and unsure if she could even trust them. The only person who could help her would be someone who was impartial, someone who didn’t know her past, someone like Terrance. Sitting straight up in the bathtub she said out loud, “Somehow I must see Terrance. He is the only one I can trust to help me find out what this diary means.”

  Europa stepped out of the bathtub and quickly dressed. She knew the only way she would be able to see Terrance was to go into town. She would go under the pretense of buying things she needed for college. She had already written a list earlier, so it was a plausible reason. She knew Triton would have to accompany her so she would have to find a way to talk to Terrance without Triton realizing what she was saying. She still did not believe it wise to trust the canine.

  As she exited the bathroom, Europa heard footsteps in the hallway. She looked out and saw Birea returning from her mother’s room, a key in her hand. Had she locked the door? Her mother’s room had never been locked in twenty years. Had Jeanip somehow discovered she had been in there? But how? No one saw her in her mother’s room except . . . Triton!

  “Birea, could you come here for a moment?”

  “Did you need something, Your Majesty?”

  “I was wondering if I might borrow your car?

  “My car? Is there somewhere you wish to go?”

  “I thought I would drive into town and purchase some of the items I need for college. There is only a few weeks left to get everything packed and ready. Since my truck was demolished, I thought perhaps you would not mind if I borrowed yours.”

  “We still have plenty of time for all that,” Birea stated, looking a little nervous. “I am not sure you should overexert yourself. You’ve only been up for a few days.”

  “Oh, I am feeling so much better,” Europa responded, while wondering why Birea was resistant to her going into town. “I thought the fresh air and change of scenery would do Triton and me some good.”

  Seeing no way to avoid telling her the truth, Birea said, “I’m sorry, Europa, but you cannot go into town. No one is allowed to leave the estate, or enter it.”

  “What do you mean no one can leave or enter?” Europa demanded, shocked at what Birea had said. “Are you telling me I am stuck here?”

  “That is correct. All the gates have been locked and the fences have been electrified.”

  “By whose orders?” Europa yelled, already knowing the answer.

  “Jeanip issued the order immediately after your mother died.”

  Europa froze for a minute. Birea said “died” not “killed”. Granted, Birea was not from this country, and sometimes had trouble with the English language, but she didn’t believe that was the case here. “Died” indicated that her mother HAD been alive for an unknown time period after the accident. And that meant she remembered correctly - her mother was alive when she arrived at the accident scene.

  “Where is Jeanip?” Europa demanded, a tone of authority Birea had never heard before in the young woman’s voice.

  “I believe he is in the kitchen. Would you like me to ask him to come up to see you?”

  “No,” Europa stated, marching past Birea, heading downstairs to confront Jeanip.

  “Wait, Europa. I’ll tell him you need to speak to him,” Birea said, trying to avert Europa from going down to the kitchen.

  Europa said nothing, just continued down the stairs and stomped straight into the kitchen. As she entered she saw Jeanip sitting at the kitchen table, but he was not alone. Sitting with him was a young man, probably in his late twenties, with dark curly hair and green eyes. Startled for the moment, Europa stood there saying nothing, staring at the young man. Strangers never came to the cottage, even in good times. Who was this man? As she continued to look at him she was shocked to realize he had her mother’s features, especially her eyes. If she had not known better she would have thought it was her mother’s eyes she stared into, not a stranger’s.

  “Europa,” Jeanip stuttered, standing up from the table, clearly startled by her sudden appearance. He saw her looking at Earon. Thinking hastily, Jeanip said, “Europa, I’d like you to meet your cousin, Earon Waters.”

  Earon stood up also, extending his hand to Europa. “Nice to see you again, Your Majesty. It has been many years.”

  Earon Waters? My Cousin? She had always been told they had no living relatives. And wasn’t the name Earon supposed to be the name of her unknown brother? But she had no time for this nonsense now.

  Ignoring Earon’s outstretched hand, Europa turned her gaze to Jeanip. “Jeanip, I want to go into town to purchase some items I need for college. Birea tells me no one is allowed to leave the estate. Is this true?”

  “Yes, Europa, that is true,” Jeanip answered, the look of a commander on his face. “You cannot leave the estate.”

  “Are you telling me I am a prisoner here?”

  “No, not at all,” Jeanip replied. He could see the anger in her eyes and knew he needed to carefully pick his words. “Yo
u are behind a wall of protection to ensure you remain safe.”

  “Safe? From who? Or what? “Europa screamed at Jeanip, glaring at him. “Are there more deer running around out there, waiting to jump in front of my car?”

  “I’m sorry, Europa. It is for your protection and nonnegotiable. You must remain behind these walls.”

  “We will see about that,” Europa said, walking to the telephone to call someone, anyone, to help her. When she lifted the phone to her ear she was met only with silence. The telephone was dead. “What’s wrong with the phone?” she asked, staring directly at Jeanip.

  “So the family may have time to grieve properly, the telephone has temporarily been disconnected.” Jeanip answered, his voice totally without a hint of emotion.

  Europa threw the phone down. She turned and headed for the front door. She was leaving even if she had to jump off the cliff and swim to town. She turned the door knob, but it did not budge. It was locked.

  “As your queen, I order you, Jeanip, to open this door,” she insisted with as much authority in her voice as she could manage. She remained standing at the door, her back facing Jeanip.

  “Once again, I’m sorry Your Majesty. Security protocols already in place, as decreed by both your parents, takes priority over and supersedes your orders. Therefore, the door remains locked and I cannot permit you to leave the protection of the cottage. You must remain inside until I determine it is safe for you to go outside.”

  “You cannot do this,” Europa screamed, turning her head toward Jeanip, her eyes on fire with rage. “You would never do this if my mother was here.”

  “But she’s not,” Jeanip softly answered. “And I have to assure you will be.”

  His statement stunned Europa, sending a wave of grief shivering through Europa’s body. She turned and ran upstairs, sobbing.

  “And Europa, your mother’s room is off limits for the time being.” Jeanip heard her run down the hallway and slam the bedroom door behind her.

  “Jeanip, you need to tell her something,” Earon said, looking at Jeanip. He could see the hurt starting to show on Jeanip’s face. Unlike Europa, Earon knew Jeanip was only following Medaron and Enok’s orders, orders that were making Europa hate Jeanip even more. He also knew the sorrow Jeanip was feeling for causing Europa so much pain and anguish. “Jeanip, you cannot keep silent any longer. You have to tell her the truth.”

  Jeanip turned to face Earon. “That is not my decision to make. I have been given a set of instructions to follow which will assure her safety. I cannot deviate from them.”

  “Then at least tell her why she is being kept behind locked doors, why she cannot go outside,” Earon instructed. “I give you permission to tell her that. Tell her about the possibility her mother was deliberately killed. Perhaps even tell her the assassin was really after her, not her mother. Give her something to hold on to, or I can assure you, you will lose her forever. And even worse, I fear, Jeanip, she will find some way out of this house and she will run. And if she runs we may never find her before the Terrians do. At this point, the only way to keep her safe is to tell her a little bit of the truth.”

  “You sound like your father,” Jeanip replied. “I can see Enok’s teachings in you. He always said that, in a difficult situation, someone is more apt to follow your instructions if they understand the reason behind them. And I believe your assumption of her running is correct. I cannot protect her if she goes outside these gates. Therefore, I will take your advice and accept your authority to give me permission to tell her why she must remain here and something of who she really is.” Standing, he added, “You are going to make a great leader someday, Earon. As great as your father.”

  A sense of pride swelled in Earon upon hearing Jeanip’s words. As Jeanip turned to go upstairs, Earon added, “And while you are at it, you might want to tell her college has been cancelled for at least this year.”

  Without slowing his step, Jeanip responded, “Aren’t you supposed to be a canine?” When he reached her bedroom, he knocked, then entered. He was actually surprised the door had not been locked, barring his entrance. Upon entering, he saw her laying on her bed, crying. “Europa, I need to speak with you.”

  “Get out,” Europa whispered, too drained by emotions to say more.

  Jeanip sat down on the bed. “Europa, I know this has not been easy for you. And I know you do not understand why I insist you remain inside. I am not doing this out of meanness, or any desire to hurt you. I am doing it because I love you and want to protect you the only way I know how. But I do understand you deserve an explanation, so please hear me out.”

  Jeanip took a deep breath, then said “Do you remember when you were little your mother always called you her little princess? She told you that you were the daughter of a king and queen from a land where a great war had been fought for centuries, which resulted in your great-great-grandparents having to settle here at Minnos. And, even though it was believed it was safe here, there was the possibility their enemy still existed and would find them one day. To keep their little princess safe, your parents enacted strict security protocols and rules, along with the stipulation someone would be with you every moment to protect you. That someone was Birea and your guard dog, Triton. Do you remember your mother telling you these things?”

  Europa’s sobbing lessened. Jeanip heard her utter a faint, “Yes, I remember.”

  “What your mother told you is true, but not the entire story.” Taking another deep breath, Jeanip continued. “I am going to tell you the complete story so you can understand your past and realize why we have such severe security rules.”

  “Many, many years ago there were two royal brothers who were the best of friends. But the younger brother began to feel left out, unappreciated and became very jealous. He plotted to destroy his older brother and take the crown for his own. The younger brother’s plot was discovered by their father and the younger brother was exiled to a hostile place to live out his days. His life was hard and each day he lived it made him hate his brother and father more, blaming them for his misfortune. Those two brothers were your great-great-grandfather and your great-great-uncle. Your great-great-uncle retaliated by raising an army and declaring war on your family, promising to annihilate every Waters alive or born. He waged war on us for many years, until our homeland was destroyed and uninhabitable. Your great-great-grandparents were forced to flee with the survivors who remained, but our enemy pursued them, vowing to never stop until every last Waters was dead. For years our people fled from country to country, fighting off each attack until it was believed our enemy had all been eradicated. Feeling it now safe to settle somewhere, your great-great-grandparents moved here and began a new life. Several generations later, that new life produced you. But, always hanging over us was the possibility that somewhere out there the enemy still hunted us, still endeavored to keep their leader’s promise of the complete annihilation of our family. To assure this never happened, severe security measures were put in place to protect the monarchs, as you’ve seen on this estate. Your parents knew, as did your former grandparents, that the one person they would most want to assassinate would be the next leader of our people, which in this case is you, Europa. You are the next monarch.”

  “Me?” Europa said, sitting up and looking at Jeanip in disbelief.

  “Perhaps we became too complacent in believing our enemy no longer existed, that we were safe, that you were safe. But our belief was in error. I was in error. We did not know at least one of the descendants of our enemy, your great-great-uncle, was still alive. Even though your great-great-grandparents had covered their travels, he somehow managed to trace your family here to Minnos. He set out to fulfill his great-great-grandfather’s vow of ending your family’s dynasty by ending your life.” Europa held her breath, hoping what she was starting to fear would not be confirmed by Jeanip’s words. “We did not know he was here, watching you, w
aiting for his chance. His chance came the day your mother took your truck to town. On her return she encountered him on the road where the bend is. He believed it was you in the truck. He attacked, causing your mother’s accident and her death.”

  “No,” Europa whispered. “He killed her thinking it was me?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so, Europa. I know this is not an easy thing to hear.” Jeanip watched Europa, seeing she now realized what had happened, that she had been the assassin’s target, not her mother. “Our sworn enemy was also killed in the accident. Unfortunately, with his death ended the possibility of finding out if more of his kind still exists. They may still be out there waiting to finish what he started out to do – to end your life. Until I can confirm if our enemy still hunts us, still hunts you, the only way I can assure your safety is to keep you here inside this house, to keep the estate on lockdown. I am working on a plan to take you somewhere where I know you will be safe. It is another estate your parents built called Saint’s Isle.”

  “Saint’s Isle?”

  “Yes, Saint’s Isle. Your parents built it when your mother discovered she was pregnant with you. They built it as a safety precaution, a place to go in case our enemy ever reappeared.” Europa sat up in bed, looking at Jeanip for the first time since she had awoken to learn of her mother’s burial. “Europa, remember you are no longer a princess, but the Head Monarch of your people. As the only living female child of your parents, you became Supreme Monarch the day your mother died. And I am bound by my duty to protect you and keep you safe, no matter what it takes. I failed your mother. I will not fail you too.”

  “My mother died because of me,” Europa said in a monotone voice that sent a shiver down Jeanip’s spine. She lowered her eyes once more as the feeling of responsibility swept over her. “If only I had not disobeyed her and gone into town.”

  “No, not because of you. Never think that, Your Majesty.” Jeanip reached out and gently held her chin in his right hand, raising her head so he could look directly into her eyes. “Europa, do you hear what I am saying? You were not responsible for your mother’s death in any way. Because you were his target and he got you and your mother mixed up does not make her death your fault. Europa, do you understand that?”

  “Yes,” Europa answered, removing Jeanip’s hand from beneath her chin. Keeping her gaze on him, she asked, "How long will I have to remain under security? Is there any chance I will still be able to attend college this year?”

  “No, not this year. But, hopefully, you will be able to attend next year. If our enemy still lives, trust me, they will be hunted down and destroyed. You will be able to return to a normal life, I promise you. But for now, I need you to abide by my decisions, to do as I ask. Will you do that? Will you remain inside where you are safe? Will you be the monarch I know you can be and put your people’s needs above your own?”

  Europa looked at Jeanip, still angry with him for her mother’s burial, but she could not dispute his reasoning. He was right – as Supreme Monarch she needed to survive. She stared at Jeanip, a part of her beginning to remember how much she loved this man, this soldier who was trying so hard to protect her. No matter what he had felt compelled to do, she had no doubt he loved her as much as he had loved her mother.

  “Thank you for telling me the truth, Jeanip,” Europa stated. “Knowing the reason for my confinement does not make it easier, but it does make it tolerable. Why didn’t Mother ever tell me more about our past and the fact that someone might be out there wanting us dead?”

  “She didn’t want you burdened with the knowledge these people may be out there hunting you, especially since we believed they were all dead. Your mother wanted you to have as normal a life as possible, a life free of war, free of worry, free of being afraid. She hoped you would never have to know the horrible truth of our past.”

  “Since I am the last living monarch of our people, I will do as you ask and remain inside. Now, if you would, please leave my room. I still have no desire to be in your company.”

  “As you wish,” Jeanip stated, standing up and giving the customary salute to his monarch by placing his hand to his forehead. “I take my leave of you, Your Majesty.” Jeanip walked toward the door, noticing Triton had been sitting in the hallway observing the conversation. “Looks like Triton is waiting to resume his mission of protecting you.”

  Triton entered the room and jumped onto the bed to sit next to Europa. As Jeanip began to close the door behind him, Europa thought of a question she needed an answer to.

  “Jeanip, one moment please.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty?” Jeanip said, reopening the door.

  “I was wondering if you could tell me what any of my grandparents’ names were.”

  “Yes, of course. Your great grandparent’s names were Tyrigg and Meeleena Waters. And your grandparent’s names were Enoquin and Messor Waters.”

  “Do you know the name of my great-greatgrandparents that settled on Minnos?”

  “I believe their names were Treenok and Medaron,” Jeanip replied. “But your great grandfather became known as Enok. Your father was named after him.”

  “And what country were my great-great grandparents from?”

  “From a country that no longer exists.” With that said, Jeanip closed the door and left.

  Europa smiled, reached down and scratched Triton on the head. “So, you really are for my protection, you silly dog.” Triton licked her hand and wagged his tail. It was good to see Europa smiling again.

  Jeanip gave Europa a lot to ponder. She tried to mentally match up the information Jeanip gave her to the items she had found in her mother’s attic, especially the entries in her diary. Still fearing Jeanip would take the items away if it was discovered she had them, she decided not to bring them out into her room. Nor could she use the excuse again of taking a bath in order to spend a lengthy amount of time in her bathroom to study them. Wanting to be sure she would not forget her grandparents’ names and the history of her family, she quickly retrieved a notebook from her desk and entered the facts Jeanip just told her. Jeanip’s information at least gave her the answer to one part of the puzzle. Her grandparents, who had settled Minnos, had the same names as her parents. It was their names on the land deed, not her parents. At least that was what she made herself believe.

 

  SHAPE-SHIFTERS