Foretell (35 page)

Something stirred from across the room. I heard the sound of tiny footsteps padding their way across a marble floor. A glob of wetness smacked against my face and a curious nose sniffed at my hair.

“Abby?” I asked confusedly.

I wasn’t dreaming. My little Labrador puppy was at my side, showering me with kisses. Her black coat gleamed in the sunlight.

I slowly pushed myself up off from a bedroll surrounded in plush pillows. The puppy wiggled excitedly. I threw my arms around her, thrilled to see she was happy and healthy.

“It’s nice to see you’re awake,” said a familiar voice. Across the room Lola stretched languidly, appearing to also have just been awoken.

“Lola? What are you doing here?” My voice was scratchy from idleness; I must’ve been asleep for a while.

“Are you kidding me?” she asked, yawning. “I would’ve been here sooner if
someone
hadn’t stolen my passport.”

I winced, feeling slightly guilty even though Rex had actually been the thief.

Lola made her way to my side, resting her head against the wall behind us. “How are you feeling?” she asked worriedly.

“I’m fine, I think,” I replied. “What happened? The last thing I remember
was.
. .well it wasn’t this place. Where are we?”

“We’re in the castle,” she explained. “We brought you here last night.”

I held my hands to my foggy head, pressing my fingers against my temples. “Last night I was at a council meeting for the Order of Dracul.”

A spark gleamed from her blue eyes. “I heard all about it,” she said. “Seems you’ve been
very
busy since I last saw you.”

“It’s not funny,
Lo
,” I said seriously. “They had Rex with them. If they found out he was lying to cover for me--”

“Rex is fine,” she cut me off. “He’s here in the castle. I kicked him out of the room about an hour ago because he hasn’t eaten or slept since yesterday. He refused to leave your side.”

I stared at her blankly. None of this was making any sense. “Rex was with the Order,” I told her. “He lied to them. I think maybe to protect me, but-”

She cut me off again. “He wasn’t lying, Essie.”

“What do you mean he wasn’t lying?”

Lola smiled brilliantly. A wealth of emotion took over and tears glittered her eyes. She looked so incredibly happy,
more happy
than I’d ever seen her. “You did it,” she breathed.

I tilted my head to the side. “I did what?”

A new voice took over where Lola had left off. “You broke the curse, babe. Congratulations.”

I turned to face the doorway, sighing in relief at the sight of Rex casually leaning against the doorframe. I wondered how long he’d been standing there.

Verifying Lola’s claims, Rex appeared to be tired. Exhausted, actually, but nonetheless handsome. His hair was mussed and his face held traces of a five o’clock shadow. The long, black cloak I’d seen him wearing in the forest was gone. He was dressed in normal clothes, loose-fit jeans and a gray t-shirt.

Lola moved to stand up. “I’ll give you both some time to talk. Rex can probably explain better than me, anyway, since he was there.” She bent down to whisper into my ear. “Go easy on him. I’ve never seen him act this way before.”

Go easy on him? What was that supposed to mean?

Before I could stop her, Lola left the room, leaving Rex and me completely alone. I couldn’t help but remember the last time we’d been left alone with each other and what that had led to. I blushed in memory of it, wondering what would’ve happened if Xavier had never walked in on us.

Rex left his post at the doorframe and kneeled down next to me by the bedroll, resting his back against the wall in the same manner Lola had. He sighed loudly, linking his fingers together as if he were tense.

Suddenly very self-aware, I began fidgeting with my hair, combing my fingers through the knots. I wasn’t prepared to ever see Rex again. I had no idea what to say or how to act. He noticed my fidgeting and stopped me, taking my hand into his. “Can I show you something amazing?” he asked.

I slowly nodded, wondering what was going on.

He said, “I want a million dollars.”

I waited for him to continue or explain. But he did neither.

I was positive I looked like a deer in headlights. “What’s going on?” I asked, frustrated. “I really need someone to tell me what happened.”

“This is what happened,” he said. “You found a way to break the curse.”

“Yeah right,” I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes for emphasis. “I didn’t break it. All I can do is delay it. I’ve been training with your mother, actually, for a few weeks now.”

“I know about the training,” he told me. “I was the one who suggested it.”

My brows raised in surprise. “You were? So why did you send Aurelia?”

He looked downwards, guiltily. “Would you have wanted to see me?”

I hesitated, which we both recognized as an answer within itself.

“I just held your hand and told you I want a million dollars. Do you feel anything?”

Now that I thought about it, he was suspiciously right. There was no nausea, no blurred vision,
no
tingling sensations-- nothing! I widened my eyes, feeling my lips part in disbelief.

“What’s going on?” I asked, trembling. “Don’t mess with me, Rex. I would never forgive you.”

“I’m not messing with you,” he promised. “You never gave Dimitri his answer. You didn’t admit to being the oracle. Not one word escaped your lips. I think you broke the curse right then and there.”

A strangled sound of excitement was torn from the back of my throat. Tamping down my urge to scream like a maniac, I asked Rex, “How is this possible?”

“You tell me,” he said, smiling.

I thought back on that night, wondering how I’d managed it. I’d put up a hell of a
fight, that
was for sure. But it shouldn’t have mattered. The curse always beat me no matter how hard I fought against it.

I remembered not wanting to out Rex in front of the Order and his princess. The thought of hurting him sickened me to my core. I also didn’t want Dimitri to succeed, not after knowing what the Order had done in the past. I’d rather die than participate in an agenda that could lead to disaster for the Romany gypsies. Somehow, those reasons had driven me enough to break the curse. I’d found the will and strength all on my own.

“I’m happy for you, Estelle,” Rex told me. His tone was sincere. “You deserve this.”

It was just so hard to believe, so hard to take in. Did I really free myself from this nightmare? I wondered.
God, how I hoped so.

“Ask me something else,” I demanded of Rex. “Your family already has lots of money. Ask me for something you really want.”

I wanted to test the curse. Maybe a hundred times over, just to make sure it was well and truly gone.

Rex took my hand again, pausing to think. A pained expression crossed his face, surprising me. “You would never believe me if I told you what I want.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Softly, he said, “The one thing I want,” he paused, looking down at his hands as they held mine. “Is you.”

Rex’s words stole the breath from my chest. I stared at him, unblinking.

“You don’t have to say anything.” He raked his hands through his mussed hair, sighing. “I’m pretty sure you only have choice words for me after Vancouver. But there are some things I would like you to know.”

I waited, unmoving, for Rex to finish. He’d managed to capture my complete attention.

“I came here looking for Tatiana, but once I found her, I realized it was a huge mistake. The only reason I stayed here these past few weeks was because I found out about Tatiana’s involvement with the Order. She told me they were looking for the oracle-you. And I knew they had Salazar’s cooperation. I just couldn’t leave after that. I had to stay and pretend with Tatiana, pretend like we were starting over again. But none of it was real.

“I was trying to steer the Order away from you, Estelle. And the way you looked at me last night…” He paused, taking a deep breath. “As if I betrayed you, it was like a knife in my heart.”

“Once you lied for me, I realized what you were trying to do.”

“But you assumed the worst,” he said, shaking his head as if he didn’t fully believe I grasped the entirety of his statement. “I just need you to believe me. I need you to know I would never hurt you like that. I would never betray you.”

I squeezed Rex’s hand. My voice was low, barely audible, but somehow I managed to say, “I know.” It sounded more like a promise.

He finally accepted my answer though, nodding as if he believed me.

“But,” I said the word slowly, letting it linger in the air while I debated whether or not I should admit my feelings to him once again. I decided to be honest. “You still hurt me.”

Rex’s face instantly contorted into a mixture of emotions. He didn’t know what to say and I didn’t want his pity. I didn’t want him knowing I almost cried at the sight of him and Lettie sitting together on the picnic blanket. I didn’t want him knowing I’d missed him every day since we parted.

But I couldn’t just pretend like what he’d done didn’t affect me, either. He needed to know he hurt me.

A knock sounded at the door, distracting us both. Lola peeked her head inside. “I brought some scrumptious food,” she said, smiling. “Who’s hungry?”

I smiled, welcoming Lola’s light, worry-free presence. I wasn’t sure how to deal with the heaviness surrounding Rex. I needed to get a clear head before I spoke to him again.

“I am a little hungry,” I admitted. “Starving, actually.”

The next few hours I spent happily testing the curse, verifying its absence again and again. I was continually delighted each and every time I felt nothing in response to being exposed to someone’s desires.

“Come on, Gabe,” I cajoled Lola’s fiancé. “It has to be something you
really
want.”

“Fine,” he humored me. “I’d like leads on the top ten most wanted list.”

I waited a few moments before I cheerfully shouted, “No!”

He stared at me blankly.

I flashed him a huge smile. “Isn’t it great?”

“Sure, it’s spectacular,” he agreed dryly. “Why wasn’t I charged an admission price to witness this?”

I rolled my eyes, realizing Gabe shared his sense of humor with his brother. But nothing could burst my bubble. I wasn’t a huge threat to the world anymore. I was simply…
me
.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. There was still one little effect left over from the curse. If I looked hard enough for it, my sight still delved into other’s desires. I could still see what people most wished for. However, I couldn’t think of a reason why that would harm anyone. My voice didn’t speak of its own accord anymore. I couldn’t tell people
how
to get what they wanted anymore, not even if I tried. All I could do was give advice.
Like a normal person.

I felt like I could breathe again. With that in mind, I was ready to go home and reclaim my life. Now I could look through my college acceptance letters in a whole new light. I’d be able to choose a university with the intention of attending. That thought brought tears to my eyes.

Unfortunately, the Gabor King delayed us from leaving. I discovered he had summoned Lola for questioning. Apparently, years ago he’d ordered her to contact him if she ever obtained my location. Since she clearly disobeyed those orders, she was potentially facing huge consequences within the Royal Courts. They didn’t take disobedience lightly.

Considering the circumstances, we were all hoping Lola’s meeting with the King didn’t result in actual punishment. Someone mentioned this particular king was more lenient than the others, which could work out in her benefit. On the other hand, her offense was personally directed towards him, specifically. She’d openly defied the king. If pride was an issue, Lola might not get away unscathed.

None of us were allowed to leave until after King Gabor met with Lola. I had a sneaking suspicion it was really just me they wanted to prevent from leaving. The Royals who were in residence watched me carefully. I suspected they were debating for themselves whether or not I was the oracle, which Lola and Gabe steadfastly denied.

Still, for being held as so-called prisoners, they treated us extremely well. We were allowed to roam the castle at will. Our accommodations were lovely and decadent. Even though there was no real furniture anywhere, every room was still luxurious in décor and amenities. The kitchens were stocked with plenty of delicious foods, and the chef would fill the dining room with his creations every three to four hours. On top of everything else, we’d been invited to attend a dinner party amongst the Royals tonight.

However, there was still one uncomfortable presence that couldn’t be ignored: Rex.

After he’d told me he wanted me, all I really wanted to do to fall in his arms and forgive him for everything. Yet I couldn’t. I didn’t want to be
that
girl.
The girl chosen second.

There was definitely a conversation to be had between us, but I was dragging my feet. I simply wasn’t ready for it. I still didn’t know what I’d say or how I felt. If I talked to him now I was afraid I’d lash out on him, still hurt from that night in Vancouver when I’d seen another girl in his eyes.