Eternal Faith - Book 4 (The Ruby Ring Saga) (10 page)

I
was now seven months pregnant. Victor was so excited to be a father, and I was
thrilled to have someone so supportive. He even went with me to all of my
appointments with Dr. Meyers at the Immortal clinic. I tried to eat healthy,
take walks outside, and do anything I could so I’d be prepared for the baby’s
arrival. Being a mother was going to be a huge responsibility, and I took it
seriously. As every day passed, I anxiously waited to meet my little guy, my
precious son.

Victor
and I snuggled on the couch under a blanket, next to a crackling fire. We had
watched a few popular sitcoms, and I couldn’t help but smirk at some of the
jokes he didn’t understand. They just flew over his head since he still wasn’t one
hundred percent familiar with everything. It was kind of like being with a man from
another country; as I pondered that, I realized just how true it was, and I
laughed at myself.  

When
the evening news came on, the reporter mentioned that another person had gone
missing: “Police are seeking any information that might lead to the recovering
of twenty-year-old Tina Arler,” the blonde reporter said. “A search party of
500 volunteers has been organized, and searches have begun in—”

Grabbing
the remote, I turned off the television in a panic, wondering if we should choose
another place to raise a child after all.

“Don’t
you want to watch the news?” he asked.

“It’s
too depressing. So many people have gone missing, and the thought of some
killer out there gives me goosebumps.”

“Yes,
it is very unsettling, but your police are working hard to solve the puzzle.”

I
shuddered. “I don’t want to think about it. Let me whip us up a snack, and we
can just talk.”

His
blue eyes crinkled around the edges as he laughed. “Oh no! A snack?”

“What?
You didn’t like the last one?” I retorted.

He
cocked a brow. “Pickles dipped in peanut butter? You’ve made me try lots of new
foods since we arrived here, but that one was just hard to stomach.”

“Okay,
okay. I get your point, but I can’t help it. I just get these weird food
cravings.” I let out a sigh. “Sometimes pregnancy sucks.” I pulled at the shirt
that was glued to my big stomach. “You know what I wish?”

“What?”

“I
wish I could throw on a pair of skinny jeans and tuck them into high-heeled
suede boots and—”

“But
you look beautiful just the way you are,” he softly said with heartfelt
sincerity.

“Thanks,
honey. No more complaining from me, I guess. Let’s just have fun. I can teach
you how to play
Angry Birds
if you want.”

He
chuckled. “So much technology. It is amazing that you have all of these little
gadgets and gizmos, Smart-thises and i-thats. I don’t know if the people of
Tastia will ever know of all these miraculous things.”

“If
your world had television, do you think we’d be on the news and in all the
newspapers and tabloids?” I asked.

“Most
definitely.”

“I
can imagine the news reporting all the details of our lives and all the
pressing matters in the kingdom. Of course, it could do some good. Imagine
having a reporter in the village of Lato to cover the story of those poor,
starving children. People from everywhere would unite and help.”

“I
have seen that some of your movie stars are surrounded by mobs brandishing
cameras and shouting out questions whenever they go out in public. I’m not sure
I’d want that kind of popularity.”

“Ah,
yes, the paparazzi. They are the people taking all those pictures, chasing the
stars around Hollywood and the royal family around England. I suppose we would
be stalked constantly, since we are the royals of Tastia.”

He
smiled. “No Tastia TV then.”

I
shrugged. “We have enough of our own drama anyway, like a soap opera of our own.”

“Oh
no! Please don’t make me sit through
General Hospital
again.”

“But
I love that show, sweetie.”

He
laughed, and I playfully nudged him.

“I’ve
got an idea,” I said. “Take me to Hawaii.”

“Hawaii?
Let me Google that.” He reached for his Smartphone as if he was an old pro at
using it.

I
laughed.

“What?”

“I
just watched the king of a mighty, medieval kingdom pull out a Smartphone to
Google something.”

He
smiled. “I must learn your ways if I am every to live here and function
properly.”  

I
playfully nudged him. “Do you remember when I first met you and snapped a
picture?”

He
blinked. “Yes, you took it with a camera.”

“Your
knights thought I was wielding great and mighty magic.”

“They
thought you to be a witch.” He chuckled.

“You
thought the camera was a weapon.”

His
cheeks blushed. “In my defense, I had no idea. I’m from the Stone Age,
remember?”

“My
FLIR and camera was nothing but good old technology.”

“Well,
now, if I ever again meet a beautiful, enchanting woman in the woods carrying
strange equipment, I’ll know better.”

I
laughed. “Back to Hawaii. Can you take me there?” When he cocked a brow, I
continued,  “I mean with your dream power. Back in those cliffs, when I was
running from you, you put me in a dream.”

He
shot me a beaming smile. “I can.”

I
gripped his hands. “Then let’s go.”

“It
has to be somewhere I know or something in my imagination. If I’ve never been
to the place, I can’t conjure up the image.”

“What
an awesome way to spend a Friday night. Just surprise me then. Give me
something with a fantasy twist.”

“Your
body will go into a trance-like state.”

“I
remember very well.”

Gripping
Victor’s hands, I closed my eyes and drifted into that familiar fog, but this
time, I wasn’t scared. The first time it happened, it completely freaked me
out. Back then, I was just a woman running from him, but now I felt safe and
secure in his arms, completely without fear.  

My
eyes fluttered open to the sound of birds chirping happy songs, and everything
was bright. I gasped, my mind reeling. The sky was the perfect shade of blue,
the sun shone brightly, and white, fluffy clouds drifted overhead. I stopped
and inhaled deeply. The air smelled sweet, like perfume. I lifted my head and
let the soft breeze caress my skin as I watched a nearby blooming bush sway in
the wind, but the scent wasn’t coming from there. I peeked ahead through the
tangle of vegetation and saw a glimpse of heaven, an explosion of color
painting the lush green grass. I felt laughter bubbling in the back of my
throat.

“It’s
beautiful,” I said in awe.

He
wrapped an arm around me. “This way, my love.”

Pushing
low branches aside, I burst through toward the beckoning meadow. Swarms of red,
blue, and orange butterflies danced above thousands of big, tulip-like blooms,
stretching out as far as my eye could see. I gasped when sounds rang out in the
distance like bells. I stood still for a moment and pulled my hair up over my
ear. “I hear...windchimes.”

“It’s
coming from the flowers,” he said.

“I
love your imagination.” I dropped to my knees in the vibrant garden. With my eyes
wide and my mouth gaping, I gingerly touched a blue petal. I put my ear close
to a big, pink blossom. It
was
coming from the flowers. I stood, amazed.
Clear as day, I could hear the soft, tinkling echo coming from the bulb.

He
smiled and gave me a quick squeeze, and I bent down and poked at a red flower.
It made a high-pitched melody. When I touched an orange one, it made a
low-pitched noise. I caressed a turquoise flower, and it made a different
twang. Cocking an eyebrow, I ran my hands up and down an entire line of blooms;
they sounded like a xylophone. Each flower was tuned to a specific pitch, like
a musical scale
.

Victor
picked a big bloom, as yellow as the sun, and put it in my hair, just above my
ear. He flashed me a smile, showing off his perfect white teeth. “This flower
represents all the light you bring into my life.”

“Thank
you, My King.” I kissed him on the lips, basking in the undeniable spark, that
connection between us that we could both feel. I grinned widely.

He
looked so handsome as the wind blew his hair around that I couldn’t possibly tear
my gaze away from him. He was absolutely striking, from his muscular frame and
exquisitely sculpted face to his strong jaw and piercing blue eyes. He wore a
blue shirt that stretched across his wide shoulders and powerful chest and a
pair of faded blue jeans.

I
glanced around, completely amazed. “This place
is
beautiful. How long
can we stay here, in your dream?”

“I
can hold on to it for roughly an hour,” he said.

A
gentle breeze caused the flowers to ripple. I reached out to pick a purple-red
bloom when a butterfly landed on my hand, tickling my skin. I laughed. The
luminescent, metallic blue reflected by the sunlight shining on its wings took
my breath away. I stood and stretched out my arm. The butterfly slowly opened
and closed its delicate wings. With each flutter, it lightly sprinkled silver
glitter into the air.

A
startled gasp escaped my lips. “Did you just see that? It’s spraying silver
stuff everywhere.”

His
face beamed as he watched me squeal in amazement. “You asked me for a fantasy
twist.”

“And
you delivered. It’s awesome. I love it!”

I
smiled as a sense of harmony washed over me. Striped, spotted, and
squiggly-lined butterflies floated over the flowers, leaving long trails of
sparkling glitter in their wake. Steven Spielberg himself couldn’t have asked
for better special effects. As if on cue, a butterfly landed on my nose. For a
split second, it lingered there, then flew off toward the flowers, leaving a
glittering trail behind as it passed over the sea of chiming blossoms.

Wide,
velvet wings fluttered and shimmered everywhere, landing on my head, face,
arms, legs, and clothes. Soft music echoed all around me, and I couldn’t help
but smile. I leaned against him until I could feel the warmth of his skin
against my racing heart, and I lifted my arm to touch his cheek. He smiled and
kissed my fingers where they touched his lips.

His
eyes fixed on my lips, and he moved closer. His mouth lowered onto mine. Our
lips connected in a slow, gentle touch. I closed my eyes, savoring his sweet
taste. Goosebumps rippled my skin as his strong hands wandered down my back to
my middle, drawing me unbelievably closer. More sweet, romantic kisses on the
lips followed. His arms squeezed me more tightly, but his touch remained soft,
like the butterflies fluttering on the nearby blossoms.

The
way Victor sparkled in the bright sunlight, I could have sworn the make-up and
costume artists from the
Twilight
set had dumped an entire bottle of
glitter into his hair and all over him. It wasn’t just his skin; it was
everything, from his clothes to his hair. When he shook his head, sparkles
landed on the nearby grass and flowers, the air around us glistening like Heaven.
Even his eyelashes were beaded with the shiny stuff.

“Why
did you choose butterflies?” I asked. “I love them, but what made you pick
them?”

“Butterflies
symbolize change. You came into my world and changed me, changed my whole world
and my whole outlook on life. You didn’t change who you are, yet you accepted
my customs and tried to fit in and adjust the best way you knew how.”

“And
you came into my world and tried to change for me.”

“Ah,
yes. I am still stuffed into these most uncomfortable denim bindings, aren’t I?
I could’ve easily changed into something far more to my liking, but I am
wearing this for you, milady.”

“You’re
trying, Victor, and I’ve gotta give you that. Change isn’t like a light switch
that you can turn on and off. It’s a process, and it takes time...for all of us.”

Butterflies
circled above as the song of tingling bells hung in the air.

Victor
held my gaze through the cloud of glitter falling softly upon us and wrapped
his arms around my waist, drawing me closer. “Change and transformation are
inevitable, my love, but it need not encumber one with stress, anxiety, and
fear.”

I
cupped his cheek. “We might be from two different worlds, but I’m never going
to let you go. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work, Victor,” I said, my
words dripping with emotion.

His
lips crashed into mine, sending shivers down my spine as he claimed my lips,
his own way of sealing the deal. I knew right then and there that he would also
do everything in his power to make our marriage last. He stared into my eyes as
I gasped for air after the amazing kiss. “The butterflies also stand for a new
life, a new beginning,” he softly said. “You, my beautiful angel, were deprived
of the wedding you wanted, with all of your friends and kin present, and—”

I
touched his face, stopping him at the thought. “I don’t care about that. I have
you, and that’s all that matters now.”

“No,
Sarah. When we had that horrible argument outside, you mentioned your regret
that your wedding was not as you’d hoped, not the event you’d been planning for
your entire life. It pains me that I took that away from you. You mustn’t give
up on your dreams so easily, for me or anyone else.”

I
tucked a strand of stray hair behind my ear. “All little girls dream of a grand
wedding ceremony, Victor. I supposed I’d been planning my special day since I
was five years old. It was just...a childhood fantasy.”

He
touched my face and winced. “Perhaps, but I took it from you, and to make
matters worse, the ceremony you did endure was more torturous than fantastic.”

“It
was different than I’d ever imagined, that’s for sure.”