I stepped closer and put my hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn and look at me. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me?” I whispered.
“Just know that the universe will never be right if you don’t follow you heart. I followed fear and lost so much; don’t make the same mistakes that I’ve made.”
“Drake said that fate brought me here,” I alleged.
“Fate may have brought you here, but I fear that fate will take you just as swiftly.”
“Why?” I asked.
“There’s a reason for everything...no matter how painful it might be,” she continued.
I looked down, realizing that she was never going to give me a straight answer.
Beth walked over to my painting and stared at it with absolute disbelief. I walked to her side, inspecting my own work; the daylight had brought out a few hair strokes that I wasn’t fond of. “I’d be honored if you ever wanted to paint me,” she said, looking back at me.
I smiled warily at her, then a sharp pain suddenly ripped through the center of me; it caught me so off guard that I couldn’t hold back the scream that came out. I fell forward, and Beth caught me. I was panting, feeling another one come. I squealed through my teeth, and sweat was all over my skin.
“Drake! Alamos!” Beth screamed.
As another pain ripped through me, I squeezed her arm, trying to remember to breathe. I felt sick as I watched the room spin. I heard a stampede of footsteps charging toward me, then my relief came; Drake’s arms were around me as he rocked me back and forth, sending a warm rush through me, filling me with a sense of peace. As my breathing slowed, the adrenaline rush left me limp. I wept silently on his shoulder. With my arms wrapped around his neck, I pulled him closer, fearing the pain would strike again.
“It won’t be much longer, love; I’ll take all this pain away from you,” he whispered.
Drake picked me up, carrying me to one of the chairs, then sat me on his lap so every part of me was touching him. I closed my eyes, still feeling Beth’s horror lingering in the room.
“I need you to stay with her tonight. We have to go home and retrieve all that we need,” Drake said to Beth. I could feel her sorrow; she was trying to find a way to stop him from whatever he was trying to do, but her courage seemed to escape her. I felt myself drifting into a blissful sleep, but I was quickly rocked awake.
“You have to take your medicine before you fall asleep,” Drake said, adjusting me to a sitting position.
As I opened my eyes, I saw Alamos standing in front of me with five pills in his hand.
“Five?” I questioned.
“We’re giving you a supplementary pain pill,” Alamos answered. I studied the pills, noticing that three of them were identical and that the other two were different from one another. I took them one by one, memorizing what they looked like and fearing that they were a veil over my very being.
As I lay back down on Drake’s chest, Beth covered us both with a blanket and sat in the chair next to us. I stared at her, questioning everything. She was so remorseful. Then, I felt her make a promise to me; she showed me her intent, which was to help me in any way - no matter what it might cost her. The grief that that promise cost her brought a tear to my eye. I nodded in her direction, and she smiled warily back at me. My eyes felt heavy, and I lost the battle to stay awake.
Chapter Fourteen
I was kissed awake again by Drake, and I remembered my role and played my part - kissing him back. I opened my eyes and found myself lying in my bed.
“You need to take your medicine, and you need to eat something,” he said with a degree of authority.
I let my face show my defiance. He chuckled and pulled me into a sitting position. I stretched my senses out and found that Beth had left the room but was close by. It was dark outside.
“Where’s Stella?” I asked, panicked.
“She’s monitoring the others downstairs while they stock what they brought,” he answered, winking at me. “Alamos.”
Alamos walked in the room with a glass of water and reached his hand out with the same five pills that he’d given me before. I sighed deeply and took them one by one.
“Have them bring her food. I want to make sure she eats,” Drake said to Alamos.
Alamos bowed his head, then turned to leave. Drake slid himself beside me on the bed, wrapping his arm around me and kissing my forehead. “I have to leave tonight,” he whispered.
I looked quickly up at him, protesting; I knew that whatever he was doing, Beth didn’t approve of it. I trusted her. Drake smiled, thinking it was his absence alone that caused that reaction in me.
“Don’t worry, love, we’ll be back by the dawn. My mother will give you your medicine throughout the night. We’re giving you more so you won’t feel any pain in my absence.”
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I have to go home for something I need – it’ll take your pain away forever,” he said as sympathy for my agony filled his eyes.
“Isn’t your home on the other side of the world? How will you be back before the dawn?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t being too forward.
“I’ll show you how – when the pain is gone – the universe is at our beckon call,” he whispered.
The woman who had served me for the past few days entered the room, and her shock, embarrassment, and confusion was apparent on her face when she saw Drake holding me. She quickly regained her composure, though the emotions still ran through her. Drake reached for the tray, letting the weight of it rest on him. The woman bowed her head, then left in haste. Drake cut small pieces of meat for me. The only thing that I’d eaten since I had been here had been bread; I feared anything more would cause me to be sick. I made a face, only to find him laughing under his breath.
“Come now, I can’t fight this battle on my own; you must at least to try to keep your strength up.”
“I really feel like you’re fighting a losing battle,” I said quietly.
“I’ve been there before,” he said.
I questioned him with my eyes. He raised a fork with a small piece of meat to my mouth; I opened and slowly ate. It did taste good. He didn’t force me to eat the whole tray. I lay back down, feeling my stomach trying to digest the food; it had given me a sense of energy that I hadn’t had all day.
Drake rose from the bed, then leaned in and kissed me softly, wrapping his arms around my frail body. I took in the mesmerizing hum, hoping I wouldn’t need it throughout the night; the memory of the pain was terrifying.
“I have to leave now,” he said, pulling away from me. He walked over to the door, then said, “Mom,” in an elevated voice.
I felt Beth approaching; she was still trying to find the strength to stop him. She walked into the front room. “She’s sleeping across the hall and will wake you throughout the night to give you your medicine,” Drake said to me.
Beth smiled at me, then Drake walked over and kissed my forehead. “I’ll be back soon...I love you,” he whispered, staring into my eyes, waiting for me to respond.
Beth’s fear gave me the courage to stay silent, not to lie to him. Drake looked away slowly and walked over to his mother, then kissed her cheek; I could see her eyes pleading with him, only to be ignored.
She followed him out of the room, and I was all alone. I looked forward and saw a new canvas waiting for me. I slowly rose from the bed, checking my balance and finding it well. I knew what I wanted to paint; I wanted to see the sun. I grabbed the brush without hesitation and began to paint an elaborate display. I filled the top of the canvas with the colors of a sunrise, a sun behind a blue sky, and a perfect sunset full of purples and oranges. On the bottom, I painted a clear night sky with a full moon and crystal clear stars.
I was admiring my work when I felt someone approaching. I was almost sure it was Stella; the only confusion I had was that she was near euphoric, as if she were in love. I stared at the door and listened as she got closer. I could feel someone el
se with her; they felt the same way, but they felt familiar as well. One of them stopped entering another room, and the one I thought was Stella walked closer. She crossed the threshold of the doorway, and a smile filled her face; she was even more beautiful now. I smiled at her and stepped closer. I knew then what Beth was trying to tell me: if I loved Drake, I’d feel the way Stella was feeling now. It was so beautiful coming from her, and I regretted that my life wouldn’t be long enough to feel the way she was feeling now.
“You’re in love,” I said to her.
Her eyes brightened. “You can feel it inside of me?” she asked, surprised.
I walked over to her and hugged her tightly. I knew that I’d served my purpose and had bridged the gap between the real Evelyn and the one who’d be able to take care of her for the rest of her life.
“Who is he?” I asked.
“I met him early this morning while I was waiting on the boats to arrive. Evee, the first time I saw him and he smiled at me - I lost my breath. He walked to my side, and we talked for hours. He’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met. I can’t explain how amazing this feels,” she said.
“You don’t have to; I can feel it. Are you going to introduce me?” I said, tilting my head in his direction.
“Is it safe? Is it true that Drake and the priest left?” she asked
“It is. He’ll be back by the dawn. His mother is across the hall,” I warned.
“Perodine is here?” she asked with a panic I could feel coming from her.
“Her name is Beth,” I corrected.
Stella was immediately confused. “Are sure she’s his mother?” she asked.
“That’s how he introduced her. I can feel her; she can be trusted,” I promised. “Go...I want to meet him,” I encouraged.
Stella smiled wildly, then walked to the door, looking out cautiously in both directions before leaving. A moment later, she came into the room. The young man was very attractive with perfect features and dark brown eyes. As I stared at him, I had the flash of a memory of him, with others laughing, full of joy...I felt as if I loved him - not in the way that Stella loved him, but like a brother, someone that I trusted and respected. He looked deeply into my eyes, and his smile lessened a little, almost as if he saw something he recognized there.
“Evelyn, this is Marc; Marc, this is my older sister, Evelyn,” Stella said, proudly closing the door behind them and pulling a chair to block the doorknob.
I nodded hello, still questioning who he was. He looked past me at the painting I’d just completed. Stella followed his eyes, and I could feel the surprise coming from both of them and the joy coming from Stella as she gazed at the sun. She walked over to get a closer look, shaking her head in disbelief. Marc was at her side.
“And you’ve seen the sun before, too, I can assume?” Stella said.
I could feel her grief as she recalled our conversation earlier that day; she still had the same sorrow, but the love she was feeling filled the hole it had made.
“You did this?” Marc questioned me, looking deeply into by eyes, doubting himself. I nodded.
“Evelyn and I were caught out in the storm two days ago. She hit her head twice; it took her memory but left her unique senses,” Stella explained.
Marc’s fear rose, and his eyes widened as he looked at the painting, then back at me. “What do you mean, ‘senses?’” he asked.
“Well, I certainly hope you have no intent on lying to either of us – she’ll be able to see it. She can also feel people,” Stella answered.
I could easily feel how much she trusted him. Marc swallowed; he was immediately nervous. “You feel emotions?” he asked.
“It’s flawed; I can’t feel everyone.” I answered.
“You can’t feel Drake, can you?” he questioned.
“Um...not in that way...I can’t feel the ones with hoods either,” I summarized.
Marc walked closer to me. He looked sincerely in my eyes, then past the surface. “Do you dream?” he whispered.
I shook my head no. “The medicine I have to take prevents them,” I said quietly.
“What about a man’s voice in your head?” he asked.
As her fear piqued, Stella took a protective step toward us. I knew that Marc meant no harm, though, and I let my eyes tell her so.
“How did you know about that?” Stella asked
“You do hear him,” he said, briefly excited.
“I heard someone just after my accident, but the pain medicine has shielded that, too.”
“Do you remember anything before you hit your head? Anything?” he asked, now panicked.
“She has flashes of memories...blue eyes,” Stella answered for me.
Marc gasped, then stepped back and started to pace the floor. He was making Stella nervous, but I was calm. He was a good guy; he would use whatever he knew about me to help us, and I was beginning to think that he was the key to help unlock my memory.
Marc stopped and looked at me. “Willow...” he said bleakly.
My expression couldn’t shadow the shock that I felt. At this point, I didn’t know how demented I might be...I just knew that only one thing mattered: getting Stella away from this place. I knew I could lead him to believe that I was, and if I did - would he take Stella away at my request? Or, if I told him I was demented – would he run away from her? The stress was washing me away.
“You’re scaring her, Marc; she’s too weak for this,” Stella said, reading my weak expression. She walked to my side to brace me from falling.
Marc walked over to help her, and they led me to one of the chairs. He then reached for Stella’s face and cradled it with his hand.
“Listen, I have to go home,” he said quietly.
“What?” Stella protested.
“I have to make sure that someone is OK. I think there’s been an accident,” he explained.
Stella started to cry, shaking her head no as he spoke; her grief was stronger for him than it was for Evelyn. “You can’t leave us here; you have to protect us,” she complained.
Marc leaned in and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her urgently. He then pulled her away, searching her face. “I’d never leave you; I’ll run the whole way, and I can be back in less than two hours. I’m going to bring the best doctor in the universe here,” he promised.
“Take us with you,” she pleaded
“I can’t risk your life; I’ll need help to get you both home.”
He kissed her again, then looked down at me with disbelief coursing from him. He left the room, closing the door behind him. Stella fell to her knees and laid her head on my lap, crying without pause.
“He meant it, Stella. He has every intent of coming back for you, and he loves you immensely. You found your soulmate,” I said quietly.
As Stella cried on, I caressed her hair, hoping that the two hours would pass by quickly, wishing that Willow would come and help us both. The door opened again, and Stella’s head shot up, expecting to see Marc - but it was Beth. She was holding a glass of water and my pills, and she immediately had sympathy for Stella. Stella rose, wiped her tears, and bowed her head.
“Is everything alright? Did someone hurt her?” Beth asked me.
“She’s fine; her heart is just lonely,” I answered, knowing Beth would understand.
Beth walked over to Stella and looked at her carefully, then smiled slowly. She reached her hand out and laid it in the center of Stella’s chest. Beth hesitated for a moment, then her smile grew as she slowly pulled her hand away. “It’s a beautiful thing to find the one that completes your soul,” she said, wiping away Stella’s remaining tears.
Stella was afraid and ashamed of her composure. Beth turned to me and opened her hand; five pills rested there, and she pointed to the three that were alike. “These are for the pain; take them first,” she said. “And these are for your other ailments.”
I took them, afraid that if I didn’t, I’d lose her favor. As I swallowed them, she lowered her he
ad, and sorrow coursed through her. When she looked back at Stella, though, her hope rose; her emotions were confusing to me. She walked over to a bookcase that lined the wall, then pulled down a big book and handed it to Stella. “Reading passes the time and doesn’t allow your mind to call forth the yearning,” she said quietly.
Beth turned to leave, stopping at the painting and looking across it at all the color.“I’ve forgotten how...” she stopped, then looked back at us, smiled, and glanced at the painting once more before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
“She’s amazing,” Stella said.
“I know; she’s a good woman,” I agreed.
Stella took the seat next to me and opened the book Beth had given her. She drummed her fingers across the arm of the chair. I reached my hand and placed it on hers, closing my eyes and remembering the love I’d felt coming from her and Marc. Her emotion shifted to bliss, and I opened my eyes to see her smiling at me.
“How did you do that?” she asked, amazed.
I smiled back and closed my heavy eyes, sorting through all the lost memories I’d found over the last few days; my only hope was to remain as sane as possible.
Chapter Fifteen
I didn’t know how much time had passed before I felt Marc approaching. He wasn’t alone; there were two others with him, both peaceful people with every intent on keeping us both safe. I opened my eyes and saw Stella lost in the book she was reading.
“Stella,” I said, smiling. “He’s back,” I said, proud of my prediction.
Her excitement was immediate. “I thought I felt him,” she muttered.
I found her words confusing; how amazing it must be to feel the one you love. The void that Drake had approached my memory, and I sighed deeply. Stella stood and walked to the door, then cautiously opened it and looked down the hall. I could feel that she saw him. I sat up a little straighter, trying not to look so frail.
Marc walked in the room with two older men. One had blue eyes and dimples, the other had hazel eyes that were tinted brown. When their eyes met mine, I had another flash of them somewhere else, happy; I felt like I loved them and trusted them.