Chapter 1
One Month Earlier
"All my life, my heart has yearned for a thing I cannot name."
Andre Breton
My mother has always said that "For every end, there is a beginning," and somehow, on some level, I knew that my entire life was about to change in ways I never imagined possible. Nothing would or could ever be the same.
I do not know what would bring about this change, but I knew it would happen, and soon. I looked out on the rolling hills of Blueridge Stables, lit by the brilliant sunset. It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen here in Maine. The sky was painted in brilliant shades of gold, peach and pink while the swirled clouds were purple.
After the last rays of light left the sky and the bright red sun hid behind the mountains, I stood and made my way downstairs to the grain room where breakfast for all thirty horses was already prepared, then out the door into the main aisle of the Stables. I looked up at the stars through the skylights set into in the thirty foot peaked roof as I walked on the flagstone floor towards the exit.
I looked back down to my surroundings, to stalls made of dark stained oak with iron bars that lined the walls, and the wall sconces that lit up the aisle perfectly. A few horses whinnied as I passed and I smiled to them. I glanced at the only empty stall in the Stables as I passed by; a new horse would fill it in the morning. The horse's name Vrontos was already engraved onto a silver nameplate on the door. Vrontos, meaning 'Thunder' in Greek. I could not help but wonder what this new horse and his owner would be like.
Before I left the Stables through the large barn doors, I shut the lights off and the Stables went dark. The moon was bright enough that I did not need the lights to see. I took in a deep breath of the fresh air, then out of the corner of my eye, I saw the light of a cigarette. I sighed, this would not be the first time I found Nell smoking.
I walked over to where she sat on a bench by the side of the Stables, I could see her easily enough in the moonlight. In a dark way, she was beautiful. Her long black hair was pulled back with a hair band, showing off her beautiful sharp features and pale skin. Most think Nell is cold and uncaring, but I knew better, I knew that there was something hurting her, especially tonight.
"Those things will kill you, you know." I said to Nell when I stood before her.
"If only." Nell said wistfully before taking a long drag. She looked at me and rolled her pale blue eyes. She threw the cigarette down and stomped it out with her boot.
I sat down next to her on the wooden bench. She has been talking to her father, I understood immediately. She is always in this kind of a dark mood after she speaks with him.
"Be grateful for everything you have Mera, not all of us lead such happy lives." Nell said bitterly.
"Things can change." I told her. "The future is not certain." She laughed once, darkly.
"My father has had my whole future planned out since before I was a day old." She said with disdain.
"You still have a choice." I said, Nell shook her head.
"Not in this Mera." She said, her face showing no emotion.
I wanted to ask her what was wrong, but I knew she would not tell me. She has always been a private person. Even though she trusts me more than anyone else, I do not even know what country her father lives in, or what happened to her mother.
I noticed Nell was wearing a new necklace. It was a pendant made out of a black stone carved in the shape of a dragon. It hung on a silver chain that shone brightly in the moonlight. Nell always wears something like that, a black stone carved into the shape of a dragon, as either a charm or earrings or a ring.
"I like your necklace, is that new?" I asked her. Nell picked it up in her hands and looked at it with disinterest.
"It is black jade, a gift from my father, 'for protection,' he says." Nell told me.
I met her father once; even though he seemed nice enough, there was something about the man that made me uneasy for a reason I did not know. It was in the way he looked at me, as if he knew something that I did not. There was a plan evident in his eyes, one that made me uneasy for a reason I could not explain.
"What did he do to make you hate him so much?" I asked her. Nell looked out on the dark landscape, her eyes coming to rest on the nearly full moon.
"You would not believe me if I told you." Nell said quietly.
"Try me." I said, hoping she would open up to me. If she did, then perhaps I could help her.
"Mera, I know what you are trying to do." Nell said, with no smile. "Don't. You cannot help me in this. We are not even supposed to be friends."
"Why not?" I asked her. She looked at me without an answer. There was a knowledge in her pale blue eyes, one that haunted her. She looked away, back to the glowing moon. We sat there for a few moments in silence. "My friends and I are going to The Morilana tonight. Why don't you and Hunter join us?" I offered, hoping that going out with her boyfriend would put her in a better mood. Hunter always puts her in a great mood; the only time she ever truly smiles is with him.
"I am going to break up with Hunter." Nell said, which shocked me more than I could say.
"I thought you liked him." I said, though I knew she felt something more powerful than 'like' for Hunter Smith.
"I did, more than I should have." She said. I could hear the sadness in her voice before she masked it. "My father found out and ordered me to end it. My father is a powerful man, not one to be crossed, least of all by his own daughter, as he reminded me. He said that if I cared for the boy at all, I would never see him again." She said.
"Why would he do that?" I asked her, appalled. What kind of father would keep his daughter from someone who makes her that happy?
"Because he has already chosen a husband for me." Nell said.
"A husband?" I asked in shock. "An arranged marriage in this day and age?"
"He is... old fashioned. I have been promised to the man since my birth." She said in a sneer. "My father treats me as if I am nothing more than some reward to be given away for loyalty." I could see how much this hurt her, it twisted within me to see my friend hurting and knowing I could do nothing about it.
"I am starting to understand why you hate him so much." I said to her, feeling my own upset. She nodded as she took a deep breath. "And the man he has chosen for you?" I asked her.
"He is far older than me and a brute. Not only do I not love him, I loathe that being." Nell sounded passive as she said this, but I could hear the pain she tried to hide.
Nell has never been one to show pain, not on her face, only in her eyes is her pain ever visible. But even more evident than that pain, was her hatred for her father. She said that he has never laid a hand on her in one way or another, but there was obviously something seriously wrong with that man.
"You should get away from your father. You are eighteen, he cannot force you to get married." I told her. "Call the police, call someone. There must be someone who can help you." I could see her thinking on that for a moment, then she shook her head.
"No, they cannot help." Nell said, she looked at me then. "I have accepted this, I leave tomorrow morning."
"If there is anything I can do to help, please tell me." I said to her. Nell nodded with a sad smile, her eyes watery.
"Thank you Mera. You have been a good friend to me, even though I do not deserve it." She said. "I wish you all the luck in the world, may the gods protect you well." She took a deep breath and looked back to the moon before speaking again. "For your own sake, forget me Mera." Nell begged. "Do not try to find me, or help me in anyway. Promise me you will not come after me, no matter what happens."
Once again that knowledge was within her eyes, as if she was trying to tell me something but was unwilling or unable to spell it out for me.
"Is that what you want?" I asked her.
"Yes, it is. You do not know my father. I would never forgive myself if he harmed the only friend I have ever had." She told me. "I will be okay." Nell added, though perhaps not as convincingly as she had planned it to be.
"I shall do as you ask." I said. It was not an easy promise to make. Nell hugged me, it was the first time she has ever done so.
Nell and I have been friends since my first month at Blueridge Prep. I was one of the few people that were kind to Nell. I would say hello to her everyday with a smile even though she said nothing in return. A few months later, some of the popular girls at school were making fun of me because I am here on a scholarship. It did not bother me, money has never meant much to me. The girls hated that they could not get a rise out of me and so they began creating rumors. A day later they found hundreds of spiders in their lockers. Even though the spiders were not poisonous, you could hear the girls' screams across campus. When I went to see what all the commotion was about, Nell was there, and somehow I knew that she had put the spiders in their lockers. The rumors were never heard again after that incident and Nell and I have been friends ever since.
Nell pulled back from our hug and I watched her walk off into the darkness. I knew it would be the last time I would see her for some time. In truth, I did not know if I would ever see her again.
I sat there deep in thought for a time. I wished there was some way I could help her, but how can you help someone who does not want to be helped?
I said a silent prayer for Nell, praying that help would come to her and that she would accept it. Or if not, that she would find some kind of happiness with the man that her father has chosen for her.
I walked to the parking lot and called my boyfriend Aaron to tell him I was ready. Ten minutes later I saw his halogen headlights coming down the long drive and I smiled. Aaron pulled up in his silver Lincoln Navigator SUV. I got in the passenger seat and looked at my boyfriend. At eighteen years old with his sandy hair, tan skin, sage green eyes and muscles, he was something to look at. Not to mention that he is the quarterback for Blueridge Prep's Football Team.
"Hey beautiful." Aaron greeted.
"Hello handsome." I said as I leaned over and kissed him. I sat back in my seat as he pulled away from Blueridge Stables.
"How was work?" Aaron asked.
"It was great, I have missed the girls." I told him, trying not to think of the friend I had just lost. "How was football?"
"It was great!" Aaron began describing some play excitedly and talked about the strategy for a few minutes. "Then boom! We tackled him and touch down!" Aaron exclaimed, I laughed.
"Sounds like a good play." I told him. I turned on the radio and let the night air blow across my face from the open window as we drove down the road.
It was not long after that when Aaron turned onto the long, oak lined, paved road that lead to my dorm. I smiled when my dorm came in sight. It is a beautiful Victorian Mansion that to me looked like a cross between the Palace of Versailles and an English Castle. The grand mansion stood majestically behind an acre of elaborate gardens filled with intertwining pathways, lined with rose bushes, trellises with climbing vines and seating here and there.
My dorm is over three hundred thousand square feet in size and has fifty apartments, each of which have two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a shared living area. The mansion is one of many dorms on the Blueridge Prep Campus, each as grand if not more so than the one before. Aaron drove around to the back of the mansion where the parking lot was, and after parking we walked through the stained glass double doors into my dorm together. The rear foyer was a large room with Victorian decor and colors. In front of us was the grand staircase with its dark wood and red carpeting. We walked up to the landing where ten feet in front of us the stairs went back down to the first floor, and to our left and right were two other staircases, one leading to the second floor and the other leading to the third.
Aaron and I took the stairs to the third floor and down three different hallways to the apartment that I share with Margret Petrova, my closest friend. Margret was on the white couch kissing her boyfriend, Jack Franklin, when Aaron and I entered. Judging by the way they were holding each other, I was grateful we had not walked in five minutes later. They did not seem to notice our entrance, for they were far too lost with each and every kiss they shared. Jack's hand was tangled in Margret's brown hair as they clung onto each other like their lives depended on it. I blushed and looked away.
"See? What did I tell you?" Aaron said to me, Jack and Margret stopped kissing and looked at us with smiles, their faces flushed. "You cannot leave these two in a room alone together, they are liable to burn down the building with that kind of heat."
I laughed and shook my head, knowing he was probably right. Jack rolled his dark blue eyes and looked at his girlfriend's beautiful face. His brown shaggy hair was disheveled from their kissing. Jack is 5'10, lean muscled and quite good looking. He is also Aaron's best friend. They are both on the Football Team, and are roommates.
Jack and Margret have been dating for over a year now, ever since Jack got up the courage to ask Margret out, and it is more than obvious that they are crazy in love. Margret looked at Jack, her warm brown eyes smiling into his, then they laughed for no reason at all together. There was so much to the way they looked at each other. I felt a pang of jealousy and decided to excuse myself.
"I am going to get ready." I told them.
I went into my bedroom and closed the door behind me, taking a deep breath as I looked over my bedroom. The walls were covered in vintage wallpaper with white and off-white designs. Dark wood crown molding went around the room at the baseboard and the ceiling while the floors were a patterned ash wood. To my right was my favorite place to read, a large picture window with a window seat beneath it. The room is easily four times the size of my room back home in California. All the furniture, from the queen sized bed and the nightstands, to the carved desk and chairs were all made out of ash wood. The white wood looked beautiful against the dark raspberry upholstery and drapes.
I went into my marble bathroom and turned on the shower before getting out of my dirty clothing and into the hot water. My thoughts were somewhere else, in my mind I saw how Margret and Jack look at each other. I have no feelings except for friendship towards them both, it was the love that they share that I envied.
Aaron and I have been together for two years now, we have always been there for each other. Aaron held me as I cried for hours when my grandfather died, crying is something I rarely ever do, and I held him when his father died a year ago.
For months now I have felt that something was missing between Aaron and I, some element that should be between two people that love each other. I have said nothing to Aaron about this because I could not bear to hurt him, for him to think that he is at fault here, when the fault lies with me.
I do love Aaron and I cannot see a reason to leave him, I know how much he loves me. I just wish we could be as in love as Margret and Jack clearly are. I tried not to linger on that thought or on the confusion inside of me as I got out of the shower and blow-dried my golden blond, wavy hair.
I went into my enormous closet. It is the size of my bedroom back home, perhaps larger. I could never afford to fill it but I did have some clothing in here. I chose a knee length, black strapless dress that hugged my perfect curves beautifully, then slipped on a pair of black high heels that were a gift from Margret along with gold earrings that were another gift before picking up a black purse. After dressing, I went back out to the living area where Margret, Jack and Aaron were all watching TV.
"Wow." Aaron said when he saw me.
I smiled and with that we were off. Margret and Jack took her car, and I rode with Aaron in his SUV. An hour later we reached the Morilana. It was a large warehouse that had been beautifully renovated into an incredible nightclub. Most of the students from Blueridge Prep come to the Morilana to dance and let loose. The four of us went in together. The club was loud with good music that pulsed through me and crowded with dancing bodies. I followed my group up to our usual booth. It was a white velvet semi circle with black woodwork and a low black table in the center of it. How they kept the velvet white was a mystery to me.
"Let's dance." Aaron said to me not long after we sat.
I set my purse down and followed him to the crowded dance floor and let the music flow through me and take over. My body began to move, my hips began to sway. The music became a part of me as I danced with Aaron, it felt wonderful to let go. Aaron and I danced for an hour or more, Margret and Jack eventually joined us and we all danced together before returning to the booth for water. We were laughing and of course Margret and Jack were all over each other, they stopped when Aaron loudly cleared his throat.
"What?" Jack asked.
"Did you hear about the dyslexic Satanist?" Aaron asked over the music in all sincerity, I knew the joke was coming.
"No." Jack said.
"He sold his soul to Santa." Aaron said and we all burst into laughter.
"I have to give it to you," Margret said. "That was a good one."
I looked out to the dance floor at all the people dancing, some of whom I knew. I nodded my head to the music, enjoying the song that was being loudly played. Aaron moved my hair behind my shoulder, his fingers gently brushing over my neck. As he did so, I looked at him, his sage green eyes were tender. He leaned in and kissed me, one sweet soft kiss, then another kiss.
"Okay, okay, break it up love birds." Jack said.
"You're one to talk, Jack." Aaron said, then continued to kiss me.
"Earth to Mera." Margret said. I turned and looked at her, blushing. Margret rolled her warm brown eyes.
"Sorry, what were you saying?" I asked.
"I was saying that we have to go soon if you want to be both awake and coherent in the morning." She replied with a laugh.
"Do you have to go?" Aaron asked with a fake pout. "This is our last night before school starts again, we are supposed to be partying."
"Damn right!" Jack yelled, we laughed.
"I am afraid I must," I told Aaron. "We have a new horse coming to the Stables in the morning, which means getting up at 5am to be there at 5:30."
"Is Olivia working with you and the girls tomorrow?" Margret asked.
I rolled my eyes and groaned. Olivia Rosenberg is the spoiled daughter of some prince who is thirty-third in line for the throne on some remote island in the North Pacific, and she seems to thinks that makes her better than the rest of us. Her father is having her work with myself and the other girls at the Stables to teach her some humility, the lesson has obviously not sunk in yet.
"Olivia? Work? Are you kidding?" I asked then shook my head. "She does not know the first thing about horses and I am quite certain that she hates them. She thinks she is too good for the work and worse yet, she thinks that she can order us to do her work for her." I smiled then. "So in turn I come up with crazy and idiotic jobs for her to do. I swear that girl does not have a brain in her skull." I had to laugh when I thought of the tasks I have set her upon.
"Tell them about the one with the blankets." Aaron said. I chuckled and nodded and turned to Margret and Jack.
"I told Olivia that after it rains she has to dry the horses' blankets with a hair dryer or else they will freeze." I told them, they laughed.
"In the beginning of September?" Margret asked.
"It can get very cold at night." I said innocently before I cracked a smile.
"And doesn't each horse have two sets of blankets so that one can dry?" Margret asked.
"Oh, I think I might have neglected to mention that." I said with a sheepish grin, my friends started laughing.
"What else did you convince her to do?" Jack asked.
"Once, I told her that she has to blow dry the horses coats before she puts any blankets on them." I told them.
It would have been much easier if Olivia had just put a wool cooler on a wet horse to wick away the moisture, but if she was going to try and treat me and my friends in that manor then why should I make things easier for her?
"You're kidding! Did she do it?" Jack asked, I nodded.
"It was the funniest thing I have ever seen." I told him, laughing at the memory. "I thought that she would know I was being sarcastic. I honestly do not know how I kept a straight face. I walked by the stall and had to do a double take when I saw her standing there blow drying the horse's coat. She even had a comb that she was using to lift up the fur so it would dry more quickly." We all began laughing again. It was a good thing that Olivia did not try that on Thomas, that horse would have flipped out at the sound of the blow dryer and she could have gotten hurt. "I know I should not tease her so." I said.
"Are you kidding?" Aaron asked. "She deserves it. She can't keep treating people the way she does." I smiled a thank you to him.
"Well, since that happened, she has stopped asking us to do her work for her, so I guess my little scheme worked." I said with a shrug. "I really should be going though."
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow." Aaron replied. I leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips then got up. "Love you babe." Aaron said with a smile.
"Love you too." I gave him one last smile.
I turned to see Margret in Jacks arms as they kissed goodbye. I smiled, I am happy they have each other. Margret deserves to have someone like Jack in her life.
"Margret?" I said after a few moments, when it was clear that they had no intention of letting each other go.
They finally stopped kissing, both of them smiling and breathing heavily. Margret turned to me, her cheeks stained with a deep blush.
"Sorry." She said, then she turned back to Jack. I turned back to Aaron, giving them some privacy. He smiled to me and I returned the smile as best I could with all that was on my mind.
"I love you." I heard Jack say to Margret, his voice ringing with the deep truth of his words.
"I love you too." Margret replied, her voice softer but no less true.
I turned around, hoping they were done. Jack placed a sweet kiss on Margret's forehead then they held each other for a moment and finally let go. Margret smiled to me and nodded towards the door. I followed her outside of the club and to the parking lot, her brown hair and my golden hair blowing in the wind as we made our way to her white Jaguar XJ. The car was a birthday present from her parents. The silence of the night was welcomed after being in the loud club for so long.
"That was fun." Margret said as we buckled in, she sounded like she was still floating upon cloud nine. I smiled a little.
"It was." I said, trying to sound convincing.
"Are you okay?" Margret asked, her brown eyes showing concern when she looked to me.
I took a deep breath and shook my head, tears wanting to come to my eyes. This confusion ran rapids throughout my soul, as it has, as I searched for an answer to the missing piece of my destiny. If I could only ask for one thing in life, I knew what it would be; a purpose, a life that I know is meaningful, significant. This deep desire for more has harangued my soul for what seems like a truly long time; I could not have said where it started, or when, perhaps it has always been there, trying to fight its way to the surface. How do you explain to those you love that you want more than the life they have to offer? I guess I should be thankful to be born into this day and age, when a woman is encouraged to make her own way in the world, find her own destiny. In truth, I do not know what I want out of life; so how do I know the answers are so close?
"Are you?" Margret asked, shaking me from my thoughts as I turned my head to meet her eyes.
I could not stop thinking about her and Jack, just how madly in love they are and just how much I wanted that. To feel a devotion beyond words; to be a half of a whole was another thing I desperately wanted... and I had no idea who could provide that. If I worked at it with Aaron, would our relationship become what Margret and her adored share? I knew how much I needed answers, so I took another breath as I looked upon my closest friend. If there is anyone I can talk to about this, it is her. When Margret knows a secret, she becomes a vault; she has never shared a single secret I have shared with her. There was only one question I could ask.
"How do you know when you are with the right person?" I asked her. She smiled.
"If you have to ask, then you are not with the right one, your one." She replied.
"It cannot be that simple, can it?" I asked her, knowing my purple blue eyes were wide with need for the answers.
"It is that effortless, knowing I mean." She told me with her smile. "I knew that Jack is the only one for me long before our first date. And the first time he kissed me..." Margret smiled and blushed at the memory. "It was as plain as the nose on your face. I cannot explain it except to say that when you know, you know."
I shook my head and looked down at my hands in my lap. I have so much. I have a wonderful father and mother, great and beloved friends, a boyfriend who loves me, and by some stroke of luck I have a full scholarship to one of the best and highly prestigious prep schools in the country. My family has never had much money, but that has never bothered me. Our bills have always gotten paid and there is always food on the table and love in our hearts, and that is, or at least that was enough for me. I have been so lucky... so why do I feel this emptiness, this longing? I just wish I knew what it is that is missing. I knew I should feel awful for not being as happy as I should be with all I have been given... yet all I can focus on lately is this need for more, for something... destined. I looked over to Margret when I noticed how silent she had been; her feature held one of her looks I would know anywhere when it came to her.
"What is it?" I asked her. She has always made that face when she is trying to decide to whether say to something or not. She sighed, then met my eyes.
"Have you ever considered, that perhaps Aaron isn't the one for you?" She asked, she was speaking my thoughts to a certain extent.
"Lately I have." I told her, then sighed. "But Aaron and I have been together for two years. He makes me happy when I am with him." If anything was true, it was that he does make me laugh when we are together. "Aaron adores me; he loves me."
"But more importantly, are you still in love with him?" Margret asked, glancing at me again with searching eyes. I did not have an answer to that, though I knew I should have one; a part of me at one time would say yes without a moments pause.
"I love Aaron as I love you, Mera, you know that." She told me. "But a relationship should be more than just a friendship with benefits. It should be about something more, something deeper, something that defies explanation. You deserve to love someone like that. I just want you to be happy, truly happy, like I am with Jack. Everyone deserves this kind of uncontrollable love, it changes you, it... makes you whole." She said with such indescribable wonder within her brown eyes.
I had no words, no reply to all she had said. Margret gave me a smile before she started up her coupe. We were silent for the rest of the ride back to our dorm; after saying goodnight to Margret, I retired to my bedroom. I changed into a soft cotton nightgown, and went to sleep in my silk sheets on my Tempurpedic bed, all the while thinking about the conversation I had with Margret while that urge for everything persisted.
My alarm went off promptly at 5am. I shut it off, sitting up in bed with a yawn. From the moment I opened my eyes, I realized that the feeling of the coming change was even more potent, more powerful and intense, this morning than it had been last night. Whatever is to come, today is the day it will begin, and I did everything I could in to try and manage the uncontrollable curiosity rattling around within my soul. I bit my lip, not able to help it at this excitement flowing through me.
I got out of my warm bed and changed into the shorts and tee shirt I had ready for the morning. I brushed my hair and put it up in a ponytail, then slipped my socked feet into running shoes and grabbed my sweatshirt to tie around my waist. I drank a glass of water and ate an energy bar before leaving the apartment. I made my way outside, onto the campus of Blueridge Prep. It was still dark out, the sun was not due to rise for about another hour. I did my stretches then took off at a jog.
The campus was dark but the path I ran was well lit, thankfully. I knew the path well, I have been running the same way to the Stables almost every morning for the past three years I have attended this boarding school. Within ten minutes I was past the awe-inspiring dorms and on the path through the woods, the lanterns hanging on the trees providing enough light to see where I was headed. Five minutes later, I was out of the woods and at the Stables; there were still three rolling acres of paddocks before I reached the Stables itself. The horses outside whinnied as I passed and I smiled as I went by. I looked ahead and in the distance I was quickly closing, I saw the familiar large white Stables; it looked like three stables put together with dark blue accents and a gray/blue roof, at the top of a small hill. The image was grand and idyllic, which I could only guess was the effect the architect was going for when she was hired some twenty years ago. Not that you could tell; the stable was kept in pristine condition at all times, something I helped in.
I entered into the Stables and was greeted by the wonderful scent of horses; a smell, that after being around horses my whole life, smelled like a home away from home. I turned on the lights to reveal the spectacular interior with its tall ceilings, bold oaken beams, and skylights set into the peaked roof high above my head. The horses whinnied excitedly, giddy with anticipation for their breakfast. Judging by them, one would be likely to think they had not been fed in a year, when in reality they were fed just last night by myself. I laughed, feeling excited myself this morning.
"Breakfast is coming my dears!" I told them as I went into the tack room.
I quickly changed into my jeans and pulled on my tall, dark blue muck boots. The other girls who work with me would arrive soon. I plugged my iPod into the sound system, pressed play, and a moment later the whole place was filled with my favorite music from the weatherproof speakers throughout the Stables. I went to the grain room and began adding beet pulp and hay cubes to the horses' food. It has to be fresh, so I could not have added it when I made breakfast last night. Before I was done, the five other working students arrived. Blue-eyed, blond-haired Marge Taylor; Ella Dawson with her red hair and gray eyes; Olivia Rosenberg who has jade green eyes and dark brown hair; and Heather Ellis who has the look of a twenties movie star with her fair completion, pale blond hair, full lips and almond-shaped chocolate brown eyes.
They looked tired, yawning as they waved me good morning. They all gave me a smile when I said hello, except for Olivia that is, who seemed to be pretending I did not exist. We all pretty much wear the same clothing when we work; a tee shirt or something of the sort, along with either yoga pants or jeans that are tucked into the muck boots we wear, and we have our hair up and out of the way. We are the Barn Girls! As always, Marge and Ella stayed to wait for me to finish the grain while Olivia and Heather throw each of the horses two flakes of hay.
After all the horses were fed, we dumped out the buckets of water from each stall. This has to be done daily so that the horses have fresh water. One thing I love about the Stables, is that all I have to do to fill the water in each of the thirty stalls, is press a button and the water comes out of little faucets in the stall. It is so much easier than dragging around a hose.
We then switched the horses, bringing the ones that were outside in and putting the ones that were inside for the night out in the paddocks. When that was done we started on the stalls. We talked, joked around, sang and danced to the music while we cleaned the stalls. We always have fun together.
Twenty minutes into it we heard Olivia yell "CRAP!" and we all laughed. When someone says 'crap' or anything of the sort around a barn they mean it literally. It turned out as I guessed, Olivia had been dumping a muck bucket full of shavings and horse droppings into the trailer when the wind blew towards her and the dirty shavings blew back on her, which was what made her yell. That kind of thing happens all the time, after a while you just get used to it and thank god for showers.
We finished the stable work within two hours of starting. We are a well-oiled machine. We hung out for about a half hour after we finished, like we always do, then they went back to their dorms to get ready for school and I waited for the new horse to arrive. I looked at myself and saw that I had some bits of shavings stuck to my skin and a few smudges of dirt here and there. I brushed off what I could and checked my watch to see that I still had another hour before the new horse, Vrontos, would arrive with his owner. I would clean up more before then.
I unplugged my iPod from the dock that connected it to the speakers in the Stables and plugged in my headphones, putting the iPod into my arm band to keep it with me. I went into the tack room and sat down for ten minutes to take a break and drink some water, then went to look for something to do. I found that there were a few bridles that needed to be cleaned so I got out the tack soap, a sponge and a small bucket of water. I wet the sponge and began to sing as I cleaned the bridles.
My hips swayed to the music, and I began to sing louder as a song came on that I loved. I started dancing and spinning around like a fool while admittedly having a great time. Soon I was I singing at the top of my lungs, belting out every note in my mothers voice. I spun around in my little dance and stopped in shock, glued to the spot I stood, transfixed at the sight before me. A man was leaning up against the doors frame with one shoulder, his muscular arms crossed over his well built chest, a crooked smile in place, flashing his perfect white teeth.
How can anyone be so... beautiful? The man was tall, around a few inches over 6', with short black curly hair that stood up an inch above his head and possessed a healthy sheen. His cinnamon skin seemed to hold a slight glow to it; while his bright, sky blue eyes stood out in such a stunning and stark contrast to his perfect skin. He looked to be about twenty-five or thirty, fully mature but before wrinkles.
I could not take my eyes off of his face, enraptured by every inch of it, every detail. His chiseled features held such elements of perfection to them that I hardly thought it possible for him to be anything further than a daydream. His straight nose, his strong jaw, those high cheekbones, and his perfectly shaped full lips; his crooked smile and flawless white teeth were also perfect, for lack of a better or more fitting definition. They were looks that super models would sell their souls to possess, yet he possessed them and radiated a confidence that many could only dream of bearing.
The beautiful man before me was wearing a button down shirt of sapphire blue silk, the sleeves rolled up just below his elbows. A few of the buttons were undone at the top, reveling a limited and yet very appealing glimpse of his smooth chest. With that, he wore a pair of well tailored almond colored dress pants with a warm brown leather belt, and Italian leather shoes. He is the very essence of perfection and try as I might, my eyes refused to look anywhere else but upon him.
I am embarrassed to admit how my body reacted to the sight of him. My heart fluttered as a warmth spread through me, a blush making an appearance upon my cheeks, and a feeling, something I do not quite know how to explain, became all too evident deep within me as I looked into this man's sky blue eyes, shocking me with the intensity of it. Yet there was something different about his eyes, and I could not put my finger on what exactly it could be.
The man stood up straight and started walking towards me, my heart beating faster with every step he took as he drew closer to me. His stride had an air of confidence to it; his beautiful head held high, and his muscular shoulders low and back. He could have easily been from some old line of royalty. He stopped two feet away from me. I looked up into his stunning eyes, my head tilted back to peer up into them. The bright, sky blue drew me in, in an inexplicable way. His eyes looked old, as if they have seen things most have not, ancient eyes; and there was something more in them, a sadness that appeared a part of him, as if he had carried it around with him for such a long time he had forgotten how it was before he bore it. I wondered about that sadness and its cause.
In the following moment, the beautiful man raised his hand and with a smirk, he took my left headphone from my ear and let it drop. I had all but forgotten I was still listening to music, lost as I was in his nearness. I chuckled in embarrassment and removed the other earpiece, tucking it into my back pocket. I realized a moment later that I was unintentionally gawking at him, I blushed but I could not look away from him. Then, wonder of wonders, he spoke.
"I called to see if there was anyone here, then I heard your singing. You have a lovely voice." The man explained, my blush grew deeper, not only from the complement, but from the tenor of that voice.
How can such a sound exist? So kind and deep; it was sweet but it held strength to it, and a smoothness, almost as silk. His voice was like a symphony composed to please my ears alone. For some reason his voice reminded me of the gentle rumble of a thunderstorm in the distance. It has that calming quality, like a lullaby, while at the same time held an element of power that excited me. I wondered if his voice could also sound like a loud thunderstorm raging overhead if he were angry?
"I am sorry, who are you?" I asked after I more or less got over the shock of his voice.
"Forgive me, I am Ariston Crete, I am boarding my horse Vrontos here." He introduced himself. What a name, it certainly suits him. I smiled to him.
"Oh, of course, Jenna told me you were coming. We have a stall waiting for your horse." I told him. I wiped the saddle soap that was on my hand onto my jeans and held it out to shake his. He noticed my doing this and chuckled once, but there was something missing to the sound. "I am Mera Vandenberg." I introduced myself, leaving out my middle name as I always do.
He reached forward and took my hand in his. I gasped when our skin touched and gazed into his eyes in a kind of shocked wonder, my eyes wide. His hand was smooth and warm, a few degrees warmer than it should be, and that heat sank into me, but it was not his heat that made me gasp. It felt like a storm resided within his skin and the moment our hands met, the storm and heat went raging through my veins, leaving my skin tingling and my heart fluttering while also making my blush deeper. It was like heat lightning, flashes of brilliance without sound that told of an impending storm. It awakened something within me, something I did not know existed, and took what little was left of my breath away.
We stood there for a moment in a stunned silence, looking into each others eyes. He looked at me with a kind of wonder and incredulity in his sky blue eyes, like he was searching for something, for a mere instant, then it was gone. Did I imagine such a look?
Ariston came out of that daze before I did and instead of shaking my hand, he brought it up to his lips and kissed just below my knuckles. His warm lips felt indescribable on my skin, leaving a tingle, and making me take a deep breath in. My whole body felt warmer, and it was a minute before I realized I was gawking again.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Vandenberg." He said, with a hint of that same crooked smile.
"And you, Mr. Crete." I said with a slight smile, still breathless, then added. "By the way, you may call me Mera."
"And you may call me Ariston, Mera." He said to me. I smiled, I like the way my name sounded on his lips.
"Ariston." I like the way his name felt on my lips too; he smiled a little bit bigger and my smile grew. I was still lost in him, trying to understand what it was I was feeling, but I did what I could to think clearly. "Where is your horse?"
"He is in my trailer, this way." Ariston said, realizing then that he still held my hand. We both looked down and he let go of my hand, though somewhat reluctantly.
Ariston and I walked out of the tack room and through the Stables side by side, with him a foot away from me. His hands were clasped behind his back. My hand still tingled from where he held, almost as if he were still holding it, and the spot where he kissed felt as if it were burning. I could not for the life of me describe the energy that was radiating between our very souls, even as we simply walked side by side. I could only wonder if he felt it too. It was so new to me, so unlike anything I had ever felt. I looked up to his face as we walked, he smiled as he met my eyes.
"Where are you from?" I asked him.
"Thessaly." Ariston answered with pride.
"Greece?" I asked, an excitement within my voice. He nodded with a smile. "I have always wanted to go to there, it looks so beautiful."
"It most definitely is; I love my home." I could hear in his voice that he did.
"Were you born there?" I asked him.
"On the isle of Santorini." He replied. "And you? Where do you come from?"
"A little town on the California Coast called Pescadero, I was born there." I told him, smiling at the thought of it.
"Did you enjoy it there?" Ariston asked, studying my face in a very distracting manor.
"Yes, I miss my mom and dad, and the ocean." I told him. "I used to go to the beach everyday with my friends, and on the weekends we would have bonfires." I smiled at the memory then shook my head. "I almost forget how much I miss it until I speak of it." Ariston smiled.
"I know exactly what you mean." He told me. "Why did you move all the way to Maine then? If I may ask?" Ariston asked, he seemed truly curious.
"Well because of my good grades and some insane luck, I got a full scholarship to Blueridge Prep when I was fourteen-years-old, and I have been living here for the last three years since. I go home for the summers and holidays though." I told him. Ariston smiled to me.
"Well then, it seems I am your new history professor." He told me.
I looked at him with surprise and a strange feeling of joy. Knowing that I would be seeing this beautiful man on a daily basis made me very happy and optimistic, nearly giddy, for a reason I could not name. He smiled in return.
Just then we walked out of the Stables. Ariston's trailer was backed up to the entrance with the windows open, I could see the back-end and flowing tail of a large white horse. The trailer itself was made of a beautiful, bright metal, engraved here and there with designs in gold. Ariston went to one side and undid the bolt and I went and undid the other to let the back of the trailer down. We let down the back ramp together; I kept looking at Ariston, I could hardly take my eyes off of him. He glanced at me and smiled a little. It seemed that whenever he looked into my eyes, dozens of emotions would run through his eyes in a matter of moments. I turned my attention back to the trailer, inside of which was the most beautiful stallion I have ever laid eyes on.
When the butt bar was let down, Ariston made a clucking sound and the horse backed out until he was off of the ramp, then stood there while Ariston took hold of his leather halter and attached a fine leather lead. There was something ethereal about the way the horse's pure white coat, hair and dark eyes shined. The horse had a strong and noble face with kind eyes, much like his owner. The beautiful stallion must have been at least 17 hands if not more, his withers were as tall as I am. His mane was long, white and wavy, so was his full tail.
"He is beautiful." I said in utter amazement. "How do you keep him clean?" Ariston laughed.
"Now that takes work!" Ariston jested, making me laugh with him. "He keeps himself rather clean, unless I have just washed him."
"I hate how they always roll the moment they get into their paddocks." I said with a shake of my head.
"It is the horses prerogative I suppose." He said, electing a laugh from me.
I went up to the horse and let him sniff my hand. His ears were forward so I gently stroked his neck, his fur was so soft.
"He likes you." Ariston said. I glanced at him and smiled.
"I like him too. His name is Vrontos?" I asked, Ariston nodded. With some difficulty I took my eyes off of Ariston and looked back at Vrontos. "Thunder." I said.
"You know Greek?" Ariston asked, though he did not seem surprised.
"Only a little." I told him. He smiled to me.
"Where shall I put him?" Ariston asked, his beautiful voice kind and patient.
"This way." I said, jerking my head towards the barn.
We began to walk with Vrontos in between Ariston and I. A part of me was glad for that; when I see Ariston or look into his eyes, I cannot seem to think straight and words do not come right away. But another part of me felt the opposite of glad, because I could not see him. I brought them to the open stall that has been waiting for Vrontos for the past week.
"In here." I told Ariston.
Ariston brought Vrontos into the stall and took his leather halter off. I went in and helped him take the horse's green shipping boots off. I removed the two on my side and Ariston took the other two off.
"Thank you." Ariston said as I handed the pair to him, I nodded. "Where should I put my things?" He asked.
"This way." I told him.
After locking Vrontos' door, I guided Ariston to the tack room, where a place was ready for his things. After carrying bags of grain and supplements for Vrontos to the grain room and bringing in his blankets to the blanket room, we went back to Vrontos' stall.
"Do you need help with your tack and brushes?" I asked him.
"No, I will bring in the rest later." Ariston said with a smile. "Thank you though." Vrontos stuck his head out of the opening in his door and Ariston laughed once and stroked his horses pure white cheek. "I will see you later, old friend." He said quietly to his horse; there was a moment that passed between them as they looked into each other's eyes, then the horse nodded and Ariston laughed again and kissed his horses head, right between his dark eyes. I could not help thinking how beautiful that was. Ariston looked to me for a moment before speaking. "I really must be going; where may I park my trailer?" Ariston asked.
"There is a covered space on the side of the Stables where the other trailers are parked. There should be more than enough room." I told him, he nodded.
Truth be told, I did not want him to leave. I wanted him to stay a while longer so I could learn more about him. I looked into Ariston's eyes and then, to my great embarrassment, my stomach growled and gurgled loudly. He glanced at it before meeting my eyes again.
"You are hungry." Ariston stated.
"A little," I admitted. "I am going to eat something before school starts. I can survive until then."
"Nonsense, I have something in my truck." Ariston said right away.
"That isn't necessary," I tried to tell him.
"I will be right back." Ariston said, it was obvious he was not going to take no for an answer. I smiled and nodded. He turned around and walked out of the Stables. I watched him go to his black Range Rover, open the door and lean inside. He walked back with something in his hand, his eyes on mine. "A Chicken Caesar Wrap." Ariston announced as he handed it to me. I took it and shook my head before smiling up to him.
"Thank you so much, it is my favorite." It truly is one of my favorite things to eat.
"It is one of mine as well." Ariston replied. He raised his hand, hesitating and eying my hair for some reason. "May I?" He asked, I nodded.
A part of me hoped he would lay his hand upon my cheek, but he reached to my hair and came back with a piece of hay about three inches long. I closed my eyes, I was embarrassed to say the least.
"I have hay all in my hair don't I?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. I opened my eyes when I heard him chuckle.
"I am afraid so." Ariston said with some humor in his sky blue eyes.
"Occupational hazard." I said with a shrug, he laughed once and I joined in.
Ariston dropped the piece of hay and held his hand out. I placed mine in his, and once again I felt the storm as he kissed my hand softly.
"Thank you very much for your help, Mera." Ariston said, and again I enjoyed the way it sounded.
"You are very welcome." I said, somewhat softly. He still held my hand, I smiled a little at that and felt breathless. In all honesty, I felt as if I had completely forgotten how to let go of his hand.
"I will see you in class, enjoy the wrap." Ariston said with a smile.
He let go of my hand, turned and walked for the exit. Vrontos stuck his head out and I stroked his cheek while I watched Ariston walk away. Ariston glanced back to me once for a lingering moment, we shared a smile, then got in his car and drove away. In that one look I could see his sadness, even from this distance. For some reason, the knowledge that he had pain within him twisted at something inside of me. I wished more then anything that I could do something to take that pain away, and replace it with happiness and laughter; I wanted to see a smile in his eyes in the place of that pain.
"Sadness does not belong in his eyes." I said, then turned to the beautiful white stallion. "I do not suppose you would know what has hurt him so?" I asked the horse, Vrontos whinnied a bit. I smiled and then made a decision in that moment. "I am going to help him if he will let me. I do not know how, but I am going to help him." I said to Vrontos, meaning every word.
I opened the wrap and took a bite, it was absolutely delicious, with just the right amount of dressing, the grilled chicken juicy and still warm, with a bit of crispiness here and there from the grill, and the croutons were crisp and perfectly seasoned. It was fresh, as if it had just been made. I was a lot hungrier than I knew, and the first bite proved to what extent. I smiled and took another bite while walking to the tack room. I would need to get back to my apartment to prepare for the first day of school... not to mention my future encounter with that incredible man I just met; just thinking of him made me giggle.
Author's Note: So? Thoughts? I always do adore feedback! And thank you WriteMuse for posting the first review for the rewrite! I LOVED what you said and can only hope you will enjoy the rest!
I hope to have the next chapter out soon, I just need to go over it and that could take time, but I will try to make it sooner rather than later. ;)
Much Love, Jasmine.
