Falling Into Place (4 page)

Liz sighed. Talking wasn’t an option. She
had killed his uncle and she held no remorse. Sure, the bastard
deserved it, but she didn’t believe he could ever understand.

“Want to see your room? I imagine you’ll be
staying with my sister, Emily, but we should check with my
father.”

“Sure.” She followed Robert back up to the
house, and asked, “Where are they? Tremaine said you have a brother
as well.”

He frowned, his eyes sliding back to her.
“Mother took James and Emily into town. Would you prefer to have
company your own age?”

She chewed her bottom lip. “I prefer to be
alone.”

His head tilted to the side. “Only
child?”

“Orphan.”

“Not anymore. You’re part of the family
now.” He smiled back at her and nodded to the house. “Let’s see
where you’re staying.”

* * * *

Mrs. Murdock came back into the library with
a pleasant smile. “Sir, your wife and children have arrived.
Perhaps you would like to make Miss Delacroix’ arrival known.”

Wilhelm nodded. “That is a wonderful idea.
Thank you.” Standing, he turned to Tremaine. “I’ll be a few
moments. Make yourself at home.” Wilhelm hurried out the door.

Tremaine’s attention snapped to the maid. He
had finally remembered where he had seen her. “You were at
Sinclair’s. Were you not?”

“Can you keep a secret?” she asked
softly.

“Of course,” he answered simply.

She took a seat across from him. “I was
there. I made sure everyone else made it out of the estate and to
better circumstances.”

Tremaine shook his head. He remembered her
from a lot further back than that, always on the outside at
important events. “Who are you?”

“Old Lady Murdock,” she winked. “No need to
worry, Tremaine. I’ll keep an eye on Liz for you.” With that, she
hopped up and rushed out of the room.

* * * *

“Robert,” Emily screeched as she came
charging up the stairs.

Elizandra stood at the window. She looked
over her shoulder at him. Her eyes were wide, and there was worry
etched into her expression.

He gave her what he hoped was a reassuring
smile and stepped into the hall, closing the door behind him.

“What is that
girl
doing in
my
room?” Emily’s normally pale face was flaming red, her amber eyes
flashing, her golden curls dancing around her head. She glared back
at Robert. Her hands were balled in the skirt of her fancy
dress.

If his sister hadn’t been so angry, he might
have found humor at the differences between Emily and Liz.

He took a breath, and calmly answered.
“Father invited her to stay with us, permanently. She’s sharing
your room because you are both the same age. Don’t you want a new
friend?”

Emily crossed her arms over her chest and
stomped her foot. “I want
my
room free of the stray.”

Robert snarled, “She is not a stray. She is
a young woman, just like you, and now a part of our family.”

“She isn’t
my
family.” Emily shoved
past Robert and threw her door open.

Robert stepped in behind Emily and looked to
Liz who stood there with a blank expression. He admired her ability
to shut off her emotions at the drop of a hat. Though it was
obvious that whatever happened in his past still haunted her.

She quietly said, “Hello, Emily. Don’t
worry. I’ll make myself scarce.”

“Good,” Emily replied in an icy tone.

Elizandra dipped her chin slightly before
walking past Emily and slipping through the door.

He was about to lay into Emily about how
rude she was being when he heard a gasp.

His brother sounded a little too excited.
“Why, hello. I’m James.”

Robert turned and stepped into the hall.

“Elizandra,” she answered in that dull tone
of hers. “Excuse me.” She started for the stairs.

James reached out and caught her arm but
immediately jerked his hand back. His eyes rounded as he watched
her retreat.

“Did you feel her power? It’s a rush.” He
looked up at Robert with a raised brow. “She will be fun.”
Something in James’ eyes made Robert’s skin crawl.

“You will not touch her,” Robert warned.

James’ eyes narrowed. “I’ll do what I
please.”

“You will leave her alone. She prefers
solitude.” He was willing to bet Elizandra could handle herself
with the way her magic tended to flare, but he didn’t want his
brother anywhere near her.

“You need to learn to have some fun.” James
walked down the hall and into his room.

Robert spun on Emily. “Nice going, Emily.
She doesn’t even want to be here.”

“Then she should go,” she smirked.

He practically shouted, “What do you have
against her?”

Her mouth turned down. “Daddy wouldn’t stop
talking about the beautiful young woman I’m supposed to share my
things with. It’s not fair. I don’t want to share with some stupid
little orphan girl. Mother will get rid of her.”

Oh, no she wouldn’t
. Robert was sure
of that. Shaking his head he hurried down the stairs to track Liz
down.

* * * *

Elizandra managed to slip out of the house
and started for the river. Maybe she could follow it as far away as
it flowed and wind up far away from here. It wasn’t like anyone
would miss her.

Before she made it past the stables a
familiar face came around the corner.

“Oh, Liz, dear. Are you all right?” Old lady
Murdock asked, scaring Liz half out of her skin.

She hadn’t seen Mrs. Murdock since the night
before Sinclair’s death. She’d been beaten and bloody, all because
she had insisted Liz hide from Sinclair.

“You’re okay?” Liz whispered.

Miss. Murdock nodded. “Of course. That old
bastard could never keep me down.”

Liz took a hasty step back, guilt washing
over her. “You didn’t have to take my beating.”

Mrs. Murdock pushed a stray lock of hair
behind her ear and smiled softly. “I did. Without Tremaine, you
would have been lost. Now here you are in a beautiful home, with
people who will care for you.”

“You’re wrong. They don’t want me.”

Her brow arched. “I know for a fact that
Wilhelm believes you will help Emily finally find her worth.
Robert, that boy is smitten by you.”

“Emily doesn’t want me here.” She took a
deep breath. “I don’t belong here.”

“You do, so please, stop thinking about
running away. Tremaine would only track you down, and it would ruin
your path as well as everyone else’s.”

She didn’t have time to consider what the
old woman meant because Robert called out, “Elizandra.” There was
panic in his voice.

Her eyes slid shut as she turned to face
him. Liz found her voice. “I thought maybe Emily needed a little
time in her room without me.”

Robert slowed his pace, but kept coming
until he was standing a few inches in front of her. “My sister will
have to accept you. It may take a little longer.”

“I don’t blame her.” Liz sighed and looked
away. “I get it. A total stranger with no discernible past stepped
into her life, into her family, and into her room. I don’t want to
take anything from her.”

His eyes flashed, and his tone was harsh.
“You haven’t, and you won’t. She needs to learn to accept what life
hands her.”

“I’m not holding my breath. I’ll do my best
to stay out of her way.”

“Liz,” Tremaine called. Her breath caught in
her chest. She knew this moment was coming, and he was the only one
she trusted. “Elizandra,” he called again.

She forced a smile and hurried back up to
the porch. Liz started to pull his jacket off.

Tremaine gently took her hands. “No, don’t
you dare. Consider the jacket yours.” He knelt down and looked into
her eyes. “If staying here ever gets to be too much, I want you to
take this worry stone and rub it as you close your eyes. I’ll hear
whatever you need me to. I promise.”

He turned her hand over and placed a flat
turquoise in her palm before closing her fingers over it. She could
feel his humming through the stone.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“If you ever need me, you let me know.” He
let her go, his big brown eyes searching hers as the wind blew his
tangled dark curls across his face. She couldn’t help thinking of
him as her avenging angel.

Liz nodded and he stood. She threw her arms
around his waist, wishing she could follow him away from this
place.

“I’ll be back, doll. Don’t worry about that.
You need time to get used to your new home, and I won’t be much
help with that.” He squeezed her back before stepping away. “Take
care, Liz.” Tremaine turned and Emily stood there staring at him
with wide eyes.

“Your hands, what did you do to your hands,
Tremaine?” Emily asked with a high voice. “Here, let me see.”

Tremaine shook his head as he looked down at
the scars. “They’re healed, Emily. Don’t worry about my hands.”

Emily shook her head and looked up at him.
“I can take the scars away.”

He looked back at Liz with a warm smile.
“Sometimes, you need them to remind you of the important things.”
With that, Tremaine waved back at Liz and left.

Liz had her own set of scars, all on the
inside, but she would never forget the kindness he gave her.

* * * *

Emily was startled awake by the cry across
the room. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. Elizandra tossed and
turned, pulling Tremaine’s coat tighter around her as she whimpered
and cried in her sleep.

Then Elizandra screamed and screamed. Emily
curled up in a ball, covering her ears as all of the pain and fear
in the world flooded her mind.

Robert burst through the door in his flannel
pajamas and sat down beside Liz. He took her shoulder, gently
rocking her back and forth.

“Wake up, Liz. It’s only a dream, wake up,”
he didn’t sound so sure, and Emily could feel Elizandra’s emotions
churning. She was terrified in her dreams, in pain.

Elizandra threw her arms up, knocking
Robert’s hands away. She saw her brother wince, but he brushed the
back of his knuckles down Elizandra’s cheek. “Wake up, Liz. You
need to wake up.”

Her eyes came open before she scrambled away
from Robert, onto the far corner of her bed as she pulled that
filthy coat tight around her.

“It was a dream,” Robert murmured. He
shifted his position to crawl to her.

“Don’t,” Elizandra whimpered, her head
shaking. “Don’t, please don’t.”

He scooted off the bed and took a step back.
“I’m sorry. I only wanted to wake you.”

“I’m awake. I’m fine,” she answered
quickly.

Her brother looked so pained. “I’m in the
room across the way if you want to talk.”

She shook her head again. “Go, I’m
fine.”

He gave her a weak smile. “Good night,
Liz.

As soon as the door was shut, Emily asked.
“Do you need to talk?”

“No,” she answered simply. “Go back to
bed.”

Emily wasn’t sure she could at that point.
She watched Liz, who stayed curled in a ball, but all expression,
all emotion was suddenly gone.

Emily yawned as sleep settled over her.

Two weeks had gone by. Liz had been enrolled
into Mystra’s Academy. It was the school all Mage children attended
in the United States. Luckily it wasn’t far from their home, which
meant Emily didn’t have to stay in the dormitory. She had tried to
convince Father to send Liz there, but he wouldn’t, claiming the
girl needed to have a real home.

Emily sat at her desk, watching as Liz
erected a dazzling shield that flickered with smoke and flame. It
was common to see shields with one obvious element, but two was
unheard of for a young mage.

Their instructor eyed the display carefully.
He pulled his hands up and a fireball formed. “I must test to see
if this holds up, but I swear to you I will not let the bolt hit
you.

Liz never offered any kind of argument.
Their instructor slung the spell and it bounced back. She whipped
her hand around and her magical wall wrapped back on itself to trap
the fireball within the circle, bouncing back and forth until it
burned out a few seconds later.

Everyone gasped, even Emily, who hated
herself for it. Every single day Liz showed off, replicating each
spell and adding her own spin on it, her brand of magic even more
powerful than their instructors.

It wasn’t fair. Emily could only heal.
Everything else Emily attempted was weak, ineffectual, if she could
even do it at all. She felt like a failure, especially with Liz
standing there, no expression on her face as she stared at the
ground.

Instructor McLeod shook his head but there
was a big grin on his face. “Would you all give me a moment? I’ll
be right back.” He didn’t wait for an answer before rushing out the
door.

With a sigh, Liz dropped the spell and
slipped back into her seat next to Emily.

“Aren’t you pleased with yourself, Lizard?”
Emily sneered.

She didn’t respond. Instead, she folded her
hands on her lap and stared at the chalk board.

James snuck up between them and laid his
hand on Liz’s shoulder. Liz ducked away. The air crackled and his
hand was flung back. He took a step away, his brow arched.

He used his best smarmy voice. “Come on now,
Liz. I only want to congratulate you on showing everyone what we
should strive for.”

Liz didn’t say word, and she never looked
back at James.

“Oh, that’s hardly playing fair.” He pouted.
Then he squeezed Emily’s shoulder. Her skin crawled, but at least
James paid attention to her. No one else seemed to. “Don’t worry.
She thinks she’s special because she’s ahead of us. That won’t
last.”

Liz gaze never strayed from the front of the
classroom.