"Thy mind is ever moving
In regions dark to thee;
Recall its useless roving-
Come back and dwell with me
~ Emily Bronte
Two seekers buzz over my head scanning for any unauthorized movement. The light from their mechanical eyes creates dull shadows on the marble floor. As they move around the room, I watch the shadows grow larger than diminish again.
Darkness is a funny thing. One could consider it a completely abstract entity that really has no form. In its essence, darkness represents an inability to make out details. A scene does not change in the dark only one's access to the image. However, crouched behind this giant stature of Khivar waiting for the seekers to leave, I have to disagree. To me, perception is everything.
The seekers let out a low whistle and then flutter out the room. Doing my best impression of Sydney Bristow, I dart from statue to statue. It's funny.
The things I can remember. I can picture Michael Vartan's deep blue eyes, recite the elements of the periodic table, and definitely tell everyone that the Star Wars prequels do no justice to the originals. It's like my mind is bag of M&Ms. Where someone has eaten all the colors except the brown ones. And no matter how hard I try; the package can never be refilled.
The echo of footsteps on the marble floor causes me to hide behind two columns.
"Well Vilandra, how do you like your new home?" Khivar's voice booms.
Vilandra.
He's found Vilandra. My heart sinks for her. Since my time here, I've heard stories upon stories about how Vilandra was a great beauty, had a voice like a nightingale, and no other woman could compare to her. Trapped in the past, Khivar never considers she might be different. Instead, he firmly believes that he can switch on the light and his image of her will still be the same. I peek out from the statue to get a look at her. Clad, in her black pants and tank top one word comes to mind.
Normal.
She hardly looks the image of the haughty princess.
"Vilandra," force now slips into his tone.
"Answer him," I whisper.
"My name is Isabel," comes the clipped reply.
A spasm of anger crosses his face as he clinches his fists at his side. Roughly he grabs her by the arm, and shoves her into an adjoining room and slams the door.
Yeah, that's one way to win her over. I stare at the door for a long time, but finally leave. There's nothing I can really do for her. We're all his prisoners, and the sooner she learns that the better.
As I enter my room, Claudia, my cat presses against my leg. Picking her up in my arms, I listen to her purr. That's when I see her prone figure sleeping on my bed. Her bushel of blonde hair lies limply on my pillow. Rushing over to her, I press my hands to her face. Her skin feels cool to the touch. I let out a breath I never knew I was holding. I always talk about how I have no one, but maybe I'm wrong about that.
Her blue eyes open groggily. "I'm fine, don't worry," Tess mutters. "I…" She doesn't finish.
From the puffiness of her eyes, I can see that she's been crying and there is only one thing that ever makes her to do that.
Nasedo and his dammed Destiny Prophesy.
The bed sinks as I lay down while Claudia stretches herself out between us.
"I see Silas found you," Tess states looking at my swollen mouth.
"Yeah, you think that I if I'm supposed to bare the golden, spawn that Khivar would at least let me pick the daddy."
"That's what he is afraid of," she states firmly. "Silas is weak. You've got more powers than he does but if you were to pick someone stronger there's no telling what the child could do."
"Tess, don't start about Zan and me. I don't even know him."
"What if you knew him before?"
"That's a pretty big if. Besides I don't date my friend's reincarnated husbands." I joke trying to keep things light, but from the sniffling coming from beside me I seemed to have failed in that department.
"Nasedo and his prophesy is all a bunch of crap," she sobs.
"Tess you don't mean that."
"Khivar found Vilandra. I was there when he brought her in. I always thought when he found the others I would have a family. That I would belong to someone, but you should have seen her. She looked right through me and screamed at me like I was something hideous."
"She was under a bit of stress," I tried.
"No, I know I could never be friends with her. I finally realize something. Life is not fated; it's what you make of it. The thing is," she adds. "I always held on to the whole prophecy thing because it gave me a feeling that once I met them I would belong. I wouldn't be lost anymore. It sounds stupid I know."
I want to tell her that there's nothing stupid in that, but she will not let me.
"Let me finish," she begs as she grabs my hand. "I'm not very good at talking about my feelings and I need you to understand something. I always believed that I needed their acceptance to belong." A large tear drips down her face. "But the truth is I'll always be nothing where they're concerned." Tess shakes her head, "But I don't need them, because I have you. You're my family." She squeezes my hand. "You're crying."
Yeah, I am. I'm not one to get emotional, but I can't help it. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever told me."
"I mean every word. From day one, you've always been there for me." Her blue eyes stare at me intently. "I would have died if it hadn't been for you."
" Tess. It wasn't …" I attempt to downplay my role but before I can get the words out Tess places her fingers on my arm and our first meeting unfolds before my eyes.
Instantly, I feel a searing pain wracking her body but even worse the feeling that no one seems to care. Left alone in a solitary room, she knows they are waiting for her to die. Through a haze of drugs, she first seems me standing over her.
"What's happening to her," I hear myself ask.
"Her pod was damaged in the crash. It's just a matter of time," Nasedo replies coldly. "You should go."
She wants to tell me to stay with her, but she doesn't have the strength to speak. Unable to watch another figure retreat out the door, she closers her eyes. She can barely believe it when she opens them a day later, and I'm still there. She tries to say thank you but all that comes out is a shrill scream. A wave of warm energy from my fingers stops her pain. When I try to heal her again, she places her hand over mine. "It will kill you," she mutters. I ignore her. The image flies away, and I'm back in my room.
"Never discount what you did," her voice stresses. "Do you understand me?"
I nod my head too choked up to speak.
"And that's why I've always wanted to help you find your answers. So you would not be lost anymore."
"Tess, I'm not lost."
"Yes, you are," she affirms unwilling to listen to anything to the contrary.
"It's in your eyes, the emptiness, and it's growing."
I start running my fingers through Claudia's fur silently praying that she will stop. She's getting a little too close for comfort.
"And I finally know who can fix it," she announces triumphantly.
My eyes immediately rise up to her face. Has she really found the key?
"Zan."
My face drops. Oh well, so much for hope. " You've lost your mind if your Ex is going to help me get my memories back."
"That or help you make some spicy new ones," her eyes twinkle ruefully.
I hit her playfully on the shoulder with my pillow while her eyes fall on my pack. "What's that?"
Carefully, I pull the book out from my bag. It may have a worn leather cover and folded back pages but to me it's like gold.
"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Tess reads off the spine. "It's a good one. Have you ever read it before?" Immediately, her cheeks redden realizing her mistake.
The book suddenly feels heavy in my hands. " I don't know," I whisper.
Her arms wrap around me in a protective hug. "We're going to fix it, I promise."
And for some reason, I believe her.
