“No, you don’t understand.” Scarlet pointed at him. “I’ve been living like a ghost for two years. Walking around trying to figure out who I am and where I came from. I’ve been lost, Gabriel. My identity has been lost. And you stroll into my life with answers and don’t bother to tell me?”
“I know, it seems unfair—“
“For starters!”
“But there’s a reason—“
“There’d better be!” Scarlet was yelling now. The quiet voice she’d used with Tristan was long gone, replaced by one of anger, fear and hurt.
Tristan, standing off to the side, said to Gabriel in a low voice, “Have you told her anything?”
Gabriel shook his head.
Tristan cursed and rubbed the back of his neck for a moment. “You have to tell her, Gabe. Now.”
Scarlet realized, even though she knew nothing about him, she trusted Tristan more than Gabriel. Because, so far, Tristan hadn’t lied to her.
And his jaw line was delicious.
Gabriel nodded. “Right.”
Scarlet took a deep breath and tried not to panic.
Gabriel knows who I am. Gabriel knows who I am.
Gabriel took a seat across from her on the other couch, but Tristan stayed at the far end of the room.
“Please, Scarlet. Sit down. Let me explain.” Gabriel cleared his throat.
“Explain what? Your reasons for lying?” Scarlet snapped.
Gabriel swallowed and wrinkled his brow. “No. I want to explain your past. Where you came from…and why you don’t remember.”
A moment passed, filled only by the sound of a nearby clock.
Tick…tick…tick….
Scarlet had no words.
All she’d wanted for the last two years was to know her history and Gabriel had the answer this whole time? And kept it from her?
She wanted to throw something blunt and heavy at him for deceiving her.
But she also wanted answers.
Rage and curiosity battled inside her as she eyed Gabriel coldly.
Tick…tick…tick….
Scarlet decided answers were more important than chucking objects at Gabriel’s head. She’d find a crystal candlestick or a metal wrench to bruise him with later.
Right now, she wanted the truth.
Scarlet narrowed her eyes. “I’m listening.”
“Please,” Gabriel said again. “Sit down.”
Scarlet sighed and lowered herself onto the couch. “This had better be good.”
Gabriel nodded as he nervously fisted and flexed his hands.
Scarlet glanced around the room. Still stoic in the back corner, Tristan crossed his arms in front of his chest.
It was weird to see the twins in the same room. Like looking at two Gabriels. Except the real Gabriel looked desperate, and the other Gabriel—Tristan—looked mad.
What did he have to be mad about? Scarlet was the person who’d been lied to.
“Now…,” Gabriel said, swallowing. “This is going to sound crazy. So, just…stay with me.”
Scarlet shifted in her seat.
“Okay,” Gabriel started, clasping his hands together. “You were born a long, long time ago.”
He waited.
“Okaaaay..?” Scarlet said.
Scanning her face, Gabriel slowly said, “Like…centuries ago.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Gabriel, this isn’t a joke. I don’t have time for—“
“Shhh.” Gabriel held up a hand. “Just listen to me.”
Scarlet stopped talking, but raised an eyebrow at her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.
Did he just shush me?
“Scarlet,” he said, looking at her intently. “You were born in the 1500s.”
Scarlet scoffed, waiting for Gabriel to follow up with some- thing like just kidding! Or gotcha! Or even I’m a pathological liar!
But he didn’t. He just sat there, looking at Scarlet, a serious expression plastered to his face.
He swallowed. “I know it sounds crazy, but...you were born in 1523.”
Scarlet pursed her lips, frustration swelling inside her. “You’re right. That does sound crazy.”
It sounded crazy. It sounded ridiculous. It sounded….
Click.
Scarlet’s eyes blurred as a memory expanded in her mind….
She was a little girl with her hair in a braid and holding hands with a beautiful woman—her mother? They were in a forest and wearing long dresses as they walked into a clearing where villagers bustled about wearing medieval garb and spoke with funny accents. In the far distance was a giant structure…a castle?
Scarlet blinked herself back to the present, breathing unevenly as she tried to wrap her mind around what she’d just seen in her head. Her eyes felt hot.
A memory…her own memory.
Impossible.
Scarlet tried to reason the memory away, but something inside her fell into place.
Something real and undeniable. Like a piece of her mind, waking up for the first time.
Scarlet’s hands started shaking.
Because deep within her being—in the hollowness of her soul where memories floated in blackness—Scarlet knew Gabriel was telling the truth.
Which meant she was almost five hundred years old.
W…T…H…?
21
I was born in 1523.
It couldn’t be.
But it was.
Scarlet could feel the truth sinking into her and she was terrified. Letting out a shallow and shaky breath, she felt lightheaded.
Scarlet said nothing as she stared at a small tear in the couch Gabriel sat on, unable to breathe.
“Scarlet?” Gabriel voice was far away. “Scarlet, can you hear me? I want to explain everything.”
She concentrated on the tear and started shaking her head, her lungs burning from lack of oxygen.
She didn’t want him to pull her back to reality.
She didn’t want him to explain everything.
She wanted to go home.
Back to Laura and her high heels.
Back to Heather and her incessant fashion tips.
She didn’t want to be born in 1523.
She didn’t want to be—
“Scarlet.” Tristan’s voice brought her back to the cabin’s living room and she looked up to meet Tristan’s gaze.
“Everything is going to be okay.” His green eyes sank into her, warming her core and bringing breath back to her lungs.
She nodded, bobbing her head up and down as she inhaled, and felt a peace come over her.
She kept looking at Tristan until her hands stopped shaking.
Something about him…his presence…his motionless form standing guarded and dark in the corner…something about him made her feel settled—and brave enough to look back at Gabriel and push words from her mouth. “I…don’t understand….”
“Did you just have a flashback?” Gabriel leaned toward her.
“I think so.”
“And…did you remember everything?” Gabriel eyed her carefully.
Scarlet scrunched her face. “Everything? I remembered being a little girl and walking with a woman in a village. By a castle.”
Wow. I sound stupid.
Gabriel and Tristan exchanged a look before Gabriel turned back to her. “Is that all you remember?”
Scarlet blinked as she thought. “Yes. That…that’s all.”
Gabriel let out a long exhale. “Okay. Um….well, hopefully, you’ll have more flashbacks soon. In the meantime…uh, everything is going to be okay.”
Scarlet stared at him.
I’m having memories from five hundred years ago?
Everything is not going to be okay!
Scarlet tucked her lips in. “I’m confused.”
A concerned look crossed Gabriel face. “Me too. I thought you would remember everything once I told you what year you were born. That’s how this usually works.”
Scarlet raised her eyebrows. “This? What
are you talking about?”
Gabriel looked back at Tristan again, but his twin just shrugged.
Gabriel rubbed the side of his face. “Okay. Scarlet, I’m going to tell you some stuff that will sound insane, but it’s true. I need you to just…listen. Okay?”
Scarlet nodded, because anything else—like running from the cabin screaming with her hands in the air—required her to stand up.
Which she couldn’t do because her legs felt like Jell-O.
Gabriel took a deep breath. “Scarlet, you were born in 1523, and we,” he gestured between himself and Tristan, “were born in 1521.” He rubbed his palms on his jeans. “Tristan and I are…immortal.”
Scarlet blinked. “You’re what?”
“Immortal,” Gabriel said seriously, pursing his lips.
Clearly, Gabriel was insane.
Scarlet foldedng her hands together and shrugged. “You’re immortal. Sure.”
Gabriel leaned toward her. “Have you ever heard of the fountain of youth?”
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Gabriel, please—”
He held up his hand again. “No, I’m serious. Just…just listen to me.” He took a breath. “The fountain of youth supposedly gives people eternal life if they drink from it, right?”
From the corner, Tristan scoffed.
Scarlet looked at Gabriel with impatience. “That’s a legend.”
He nodded. “You’re right. It is legend. And the legend is wrong. It doesn’t give you eternal life if you drink it. But…if you drink it while you’re pregnant—like our mother did,” Gabriel gestured between himself and Tristan again, “it gives the baby—or babies—immortal life.”
The clock on the wall sounded into the silent room again.
Tick…tick…tick….
Scarlet raised her eyebrows and shook her head. “Well, that’s just not possible.”
Tristan muttered, “I wish.”
Gabriel turned to look at his brother. “You’re not helping, Tristan.”
Scarlet dropped her face into her hands with a frustrated groan. “What’s going on?” She looked back up at Gabriel. “Are you just making up some stupid story so I won’t be mad at you for lying to me? The fountain of youth, Gabriel? Really? Worst lie ever.”
“No.” Gabriel’s eyes looked sincere. “I promise I’m not lying to you. I’m just…I’m just trying to help you remember…that’s all.”
Scarlet turned her palms up. “So…what, then? Am I supposed to believe I’m immortal too?”
“Not exactly.” Gabriel hesitated. “You’re…semi-immortal.”
“I’m…semi-immortal?”
All aboard the crazy train!
Gabriel’s expression was serious. “Yes, you’re semi-immortal.” He swallowed. “You keep…dying…and then coming back to life.”
…And the crazy train has officially left the station.
“Sure.” She nodded. “That makes total sense. I die and come back to life. Perfectly normal.”
She was about to crack a joke about zombies when….
Click.
Something in Gabriel’s words struck a chord in her.
It felt right. It felt…true.
Nope. No way.
Gabriel was a lunatic.
But still, something within her…almost…believed him.
She inhaled through her nose, confusion, hopefulness, and anger warring inside her.
No.
It was too crazy.
She couldn’t accept something so preposterous simply because Gabriel’s pretty mouth had said it. His pretty mouth had said a lot of things lately.
Scarlet leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “Tell me something. Do I keep coming back to life in the same way…your house is being fumigated?”
Gabriel dropped his head into his hands. “Okay, that was a lie. You caught me off guard today.” He looked up. “But I’m not lying about this.”
“Right.”
She didn’t believe him.
Yes, she did.
No, she didn’t.
Yes, she did.
No, she didn’t.
It sounded insane, but her instincts told her it was true.
Agh!
She didn’t know what to believe and her head was starting to hurt.
Not to mention her heart was hammering away like a toddler with a mallet.
Scarlet shook her head and stood up. “I can’t do this right now. I think, um…I think I’m just gonna go.”
She was so confused by Gabriel’s secrets and lies, she couldn’t listen to some silly story about being immortal, or semi-immortal, or whatever—even if it was true.
Which it wasn’t.
She’d barely risen from the couch when Tristan spoke.
“Scarlet, wait.” His words drifted across her skin and floated into her pores, making her insides hum in pleasure, and hammer even louder.
His voice was powerful, familiar, and connected to her in a supernatural way.
She could almost…feel it.
And she wanted to feel it.
But, then again, she wanted to feel a lot of things.
Like Tristan’s biceps.
“Please, Scarlet,” Tristan continued, beseeching her with his emerald eyes. “Please sit down. Hear Gabriel out and let your gut decide. If you think we’re crazy or dangerous or lying, then you can leave. And Gabriel,” Tristan shot Gabriel a dirty look, “will never bother you again. I promise.”
Scarlet eyed the twins for a moment.
Trust her gut?
Her gut was currently telling her to run her hands through Tristan’s dark hair.
She wasn’t so sure her gut was reliable.
Scarlet looked at Tristan carefully. He had no reason, as far as she knew, to lie to her. He had no reason to string her along.
So, why did he care if she stayed?
Tick…tick…tick….
Scarlet slowly sat back down. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.” She eyed Gabriel. “But no lying.”
Gabriel nodded. “No lying.”
Scarlet folded her hands again and eyed her boyfriend. He looked desperate, hopeful and afraid, all at once.
She sorta felt bad for him.
She knew he cared about her and wanted her to believe him.
But could she do that? Could she trust him?
Should she trust him?
“Let me start over.” Gabriel cleared his throat. “In the 1500s, the three of us,” he twirled his finger around, pointing to Tristan, Scarlet and himself, “lived in England. And you and I,” he nodded at Scarlet, “were engaged to be married.”
“What?”
Gabriel’s immortal? Sure, no problem.
She and Gabriel had been engaged?
Back. Up.
Gabriel nodded. “But in 1538 you…died.” He swallowed. “Then you came back to life—”
“I’m sorry,” Scarlet held up a hand and shook her head emphatically. “I feel like you glossed over a few details. Like the whole you-and-I-were-engaged thing.” She shrugged. “And how did I die? And how in the world did I come back to life? If you want me to believe this ridiculous story, then you at least have to give me more information.”
She’d been engaged to Gabriel…five hundred years ago…before she’d “died”…and come back to life?
Agh.
Her alleged life sounded so stupid.
It’s true…her instincts said.
Shut up, instincts. You sound ludicrous.
Gabriel nodded. “Right. Let’s try this again.”
Tristan sighed and uncrossed his arms.
Looking over his shoulder at Tristan, Gabriel said, “Do you want to try and explain this to her?”
Tristan slanted his eyes at Gabriel. “Now, why would I want to do that when you’re doing such a fantastic job all on your own?”
“Shut up.” Gabriel turned back to Scarlet. “Anyway…we were engaged—”
“And then you died,” Tristan interjected, in a matter-of-f
act way.
Scarlet’s eyes shot to Tristan.
Gabriel looked at his twin. “I thought you didn’t want to tell her.”
“I changed my mind.” Tristan shrugged, then looked at Scarlet. “You and Gabriel were on your way to happily-ever-after and then his crazy ex-girlfriend shot you with an arrow—”
“Your ex-girlfriend killed me?” Scarlet looked at Gabriel.
Gabriel turned back around. “It’s a long story—“
“No, it isn’t. I’ll sum up.” Tristan took a step forward and crossed his arms in front of his chest again. “Gabriel was courting a girl from a nearby village named Raven—”
“I was not courting her,” Gabriel snapped.
“Whatever.” Tristan rolled his eyes. “So, Raven assumed Gabriel would marry her. But then he met you.” He shrugged again. “Suddenly, Gabriel no longer cared about Raven. So, what did Raven do?”
Scarlet’s mouth parted. “She…killed me?”
Tristan nodded. “And she also cursed the arrow that killed you.”
Scarlet whipped her attention back to Gabriel. “What?”
There were curses involved now?
Immortality…the fountain of youth…curses….
What next, dragons?
“I’m cursed?” Scarlet looked at Gabriel.
“Not exactly.” Gabriel made a face. The curse wasn’t directed at you, but you still suffer a ... side effect of the curse. Because of the arrow.”
“You see,” Tristan took a step forward, “Raven, being the little witch she was—“
“She wasn’t a witch.” Gabriel sighed.
Tristan raised his eyebrows. “She cast a curse, Gabe. That’s something witches do. They ride on brooms, play with cats, and curse people.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Why do you always do that? Why do you have to argue with me about every single thing? It’s like every time we….”
The brothers began bickering and, suddenly, Scarlet’s head started spinning with color and sound.
Click.
A memory burst inside her mind.
She was a teenager, and wore a long dress. She wasn’t in Georgia, she was somewhere far away. Somewhere colder…and dense with trees. Her hair was longer, and she was holding hands with someone….
So as not to disturb the unfolding memory, she whispered, “I remember something….”
The boys immediately went silent and turned their full attention on her as she tried to soak up more of the vision. She was holding hands with…. Her eyes traced up the hand and arm next to her and met a pair of familiar brown eyes.