DESIRE (11 page)

“Is that why you founded Arcadia?”

Pim was silent a long moment. He sat more comfortably on the corner of his desk and gestured for Liam and me to take a seat. “War can sometimes bring out the good in some people, lead them to help one another, bring them to safety. But sometimes it can bring out the devil; greed, selfishness, cruelty. I wanted Arcadia to be all the goodness I remembered, all the cherished memories; the smell of spring flowers, the clear blue ravines and lakes, the prettiness that had been my hometown before war ravaged it. I wanted peace and harmony among the people.”

“But why the Committee?”

“Nineteen years ago the area was quite different from what it is now. It was an ugly time and starting a new town was complicated. During the war, it seemed the youth had lost all sense of direction. They were lost. So many of them turned to crime. Distinguishing good and bad was difficult for most. I wanted to set them back on a path that would lead them to a bright future, the best future they could have. When I recruited the Committee, I wanted men and women who saw Arcadia the way I saw it. I chose people who had foresight, vision and the ability to spot the talents and capabilities of youth.”

“Nothing was left to chance,” Liam added with a cynical grin.

Pim nodded. “We couldn’t afford it. The war was barely over and we feared the greed and savagery of that period would return if we didn’t keep everyone in place. Statisticians, behaviorists and analysts were in high demand.”

“Then where did all those statisticians, behaviorists and analysts go wrong?” Liam reached across to me and took my hand. “How could they overlook the love we have for one another?”

“Something unusual has happened with Kama’s Life’s Plan.”

“I’ll say.” The bitterness in Liam’s comment was amplified by his tight squeeze of my hand.

“I’ve only seen this sort of thing once or twice before, but the Committee had conflicting information.” Pim ignored his son’s harsh tone. “Things didn’t add up in your file, Kama. Perhaps it was just a flawed source or a mistakenly titled document that ended up in your file.”

I looked at Liam, a ray of hope finally glowing over our dismal situation. If this mistake could be found and rectified, perhaps we could be together after all. 

Chapter 13

T
he sun never rose too early that spring as I anticipated every morning spent with Torrid. Sneaking out of the house became second nature and tracing the path that led to the meadow was like heading home.

“Today I want to work on the subtleties of magic,” Torrid said.

Sitting on a pretty swing for two he’d conjured up, we sat together for our morning lesson. I had so much catching up to do, learning at 18 what the young Magical Ones learned at eight. But Torrid insisted I was a fast learner and I was now near the level of education I should be.

“Subtleties?” I asked as I ran my hand over the fine wood of the swing. The intricate work on the backrest could have adorned the finest home. Flowers, birds and bees were carved into the wood, down to the tiniest detail. “Like all the work and details you put into this swing?”

“This degree of intricacy and precision takes a lot of practice. You’ll get there one day.” With one knee propped up between us, he sat facing me while his long leg anchored us to the ground, pushing us up and down in a light lull.

I leaned back on the armrest, looking at him. He was so talented, I wondered if I would ever reach his level of precision. He was so good-looking, I wondered if I’d ever get past it. Concentrating on his lessons was at times impossible as my mind wandered off to intimate places. I blame my raging hormones and the fact I waited for so long for Liam and I to get together. Following the separation from Liam, I was feeling more and more attracted to Torrid.

“But I’m sure you’ll notice a flaw.”

I looked up. For all the intricacies of the swing, it was roped up to a thin and frail branch that couldn’t possibly hold our weight, yet it did.

“There are times when you can do the most outrageous, outlandish magic and no one will bat an eye, notably other Magical Ones. However, there are times when you want the magic to simply go unnoticed. This swing, for example. The intricacy of the woodwork is plausible, but were a mere mortal to pass by and see us hanging on a branch barely strong enough to hold a raven, our trickery would be exposed.”

“So you want the magic to always have a degree of reality.”

“When in the presence of mortals, yes. Of course this is important to the Magical Ones living inside Arcadian boundaries. Their magic must always go unnoticed. The few who’ve slipped up over the years have had to pay heavily.”

“Have any Arcadians ever noticed something fishy?” I’d never heard anyone comment on the possibility of magic in Arcadia. Everything we saw and heard seemed perfectly natural and normal.

“I’ve heard of three cases. Fifteen years ago a young Magical One mended a broken down lamppost too quickly. A resident in a nearby home happened to be looking out the window when the lamppost magically rose and stood upright. The Magical One was quietly and discreetly accused of sorcery and banished, but the Arcadian resident who’d witnessed it all mysteriously disappeared.”

I suddenly remembered a flash flood that had destroyed a few stately homes by the river.  “The flood two years ago,” I said, the news story flashing before my eyes.

Torrid nodded. “Pressure was put on the Magical Ones to fix the damage quickly. This time it was the Arcadian Committee who was unrealistic. Of course when the homes were reopened only days later, good as new, many residents suspected something was up. The Magical Ones and the inquisitive residents were rounded up and never heard from again.”

For the next hour he had me conjure up a variety of objects, guiding and correcting me along the way. He taught me tricks that helped my concentration, had me seeing objects in a clear and elaborate fashion.

After my third failed attempt at making an ornate antique vase appear, Torrid took my hands in his and pressed them together.

“You may be over thinking it too much,” he said.

At that very moment all I could think of was the heat of his hands. Huge and strong, his fingers enveloped mine and I couldn’t help but think of those fingers running over my skin. I could feel the tickle of his touch on my arm, the arousing flutter of his fingers along my neck and the sensual contact of his palm to the small of my back.

I glanced up at him. Was he deliberately transmitting these sensations to me? His smile gave nothing away.

“Close your eyes,” he said.

I did so, but the image of his face, his soft smile contrasting with his brooding eyes, remained clear.

“Let your mind go to the object you want to create. See it so clearly you can almost touch it.”

No matter how hard I tried, all I could see was his face, strong, appealing and calling to me. His fingers traced over the back of my hand, lending to the difficulty of the task.

“Now, make that antique vase appear.”

I saw the porcelain, fine and pure, delicate blue flowers hand painted along the scalloped rim. The base was line in gold and the form and curves of the vase feminine and soft.

But when the vase appeared, it was painted with Torrid’s face.

He chuckled and I reddened.

“You're right there in front of me,” I argued defensively. “When I close my eyes, it’s the last image behind my lids. It’s only normal to…”

“You are an adorable creature,” he said, his chuckle still resonating. He reached up to brush the back of his fingers along my cheek. “Perhaps it’d be best if you turned away.”

Despite his words, his touch kept me right where I was. I closed my eyes, reveling in the touch of his fingers and loathing the thought of turning away. I wanted to get closer, to feel more of his skin against mine.

Though I appreciated all the time he was spending with me every morning, diligently teaching me all I had to know about being a Magical One, it was torture being so close to him, yet unable to get closer.

Kiss me
. The thought escaped before I could subdue it. Could I have the power to make him do as I pleased?  Would he succumb to my wishes?

I opened my eyes to face him. His smile told me he’d captured my thought, but the resolve in his eyes told me it wasn’t going to happen. He grasped my shoulders and turned me away from him.

“Concentrate,” he whispered into my ear.

Determined to show him that I could indeed think of something other than his fine features and strong physique, I conjured up the perfect antique vase, detailed right down to the artist’s initials inscribed at the bottom.

“Bravo,” he exclaimed. “I’m pleased to see how you’ve improved in so short a time, Kama.”

“You're a great teacher.” I turned to face him.

“Tomorrow we’ll have a look at piercing through someone’s mind barrier, getting to their thoughts despite their blocks.” He stood.

I didn’t want him to leave. I still had so much I wanted to know and the morning hours with him flew by so quickly.

“Where do you go?”

“When I leave you?”

I nodded, eager for an honest answer. 

“Outside of your world.”

“How do you get there?”

“That lesson will come when you're ready.”

“I want to see my father. I’d like to see where I come from… where I belong.”

“One day. Be patient, Kama. For now the protective shield around Arcadia is still too strong. But the day will come when you will be able to cross that barrier.”

“And my mother?”

“And your mother as well.” He nodded reassuringly.

“Since you’ve opened my eyes, I feel an urgency I’ve never felt before. The need to get out and see more than what Arcadia offers intensifies every day. I deserve to know what lies beyond Arcadia.”

“You will.” He brushed his fingers through my hair and vanished.

Chapter 14

T
he outdoor mall was pleasantly crowded with people, and I realized for the first time how crowds were never a problem in Arcadia. People rarely had to wait in line longer than a minute or two. How did the Magical Ones coordinate us all to shop at intervals that prevented crowds?

Lines at the banks were unheard of. The checkout line at the grocery was always reasonable, and any event that came to Arcadia always had just enough room for everyone who wanted to attend.

It was all so much work; I wanted to know how they succeeded time and again in rendering life in Arcadia so pleasant and cordial.

“My mom mentioned a pretty hand-painted scarf she’d like to have,” Sarah said as she headed to a boutique filled with beautiful and original fashion accessories.

Her mother’s birthday was around the corner and she wanted to surprise her with something special.

“How’s your mother doing these days?” I didn’t want to start the whole Life’s Plan thing again, but I still retained a degree of hope that I’d one day have an answer.”

“Still busy. Still mysterious and uncommunicative. Still skirting your Life’s Plan issue.”

As she fingered a bright orange scarf at the door of the boutique, I tilted my face to the perfect sun that kept us at a comfortable temperature. While some days were slightly cooler than others, the weather was never an issue. Rain fell only at night, the wind was never stronger than a refreshing breeze and the humidity level was never uncomfortable.

The few slip ups that had happened in the past, a hail storm or sudden heat wave, were written off as flukes, but I now realized it was a novice Magical One who’d been unable to completely grasp the controls where the weather was concerned.

“I think she might really like this one,” Sarah said. “It’s so soft.”

I grunted a neutral response as I opened my eyes to see Torrid in the distance. Outside of our morning lessons, I never saw him in Arcadia. The sight of him sent a jolt of conflicting emotions through me. 

Seeing him always shot a thrill through my entire body, but the fact that Sarah was right there beside me diminished the thrill. Part of me felt a tad possessive, wanting to keep Torrid and the knowledge of his very existence to myself.

“Hey, Kama,” Torrid said when he stepped up.

“Torrid,” I said, unsure how I should react.  “What a surprise seeing you here.”

Sarah turned to him, her eyes instantly flashing with interest. “Well, hello.” Her fingers released the silk scarf and no doubt purchasing her mother’s birthday gift was now far from her thoughts.

She glanced at me expectantly.

“Sarah, this is Torrid.”

With an appreciative grin and a slow and deliberate once over, she fanned her heated cheeks. “I’ll say.” 

Her hand shot out to grasp his and I couldn’t shake the adolescent jealous streak that took hold of me.

“Here I am minding my own business, when, poof, out of nowhere steps this Greek God.” Sarah’s grin verge on silly and I was eager to come between them.

“It’s a pleasure meeting you,” Torrid took her hand, squeezed it warmly and brought her fingers to his lips.

“This is more than just torrid, it’s downright…”

“Sarah,” I cut in.  “His name is Torrid.”

“And well-deserved.” She frowned briefly as Torrid released her hand, but quickly flashed her most dazzling smile. “Are you going to Pierson College next year by any chance?”

“No, he isn’t.” I turned to Torrid, my gaze apologetic for my friend’s reaction to him.  But I knew that my gaze also held more questions about his interest in my friend than I cared to expose. 

“My Life’s Plan says I’ll meet a tall, dark and exceedingly handsome man and you sure fit the bill.”  Sarah brazenly took a step closer to Torrid.

I grabbed her by the elbow and nudged my way between them. “Like I said, he’s not going to Pearson College.”

My heart raced and I suddenly felt I had so much to lose. Torrid wasn’t even mine, in any way, shape or form, yet I felt inexplicably possessive of him.