Enticed: An Immortal Chronicles Story Page 7

  “Careful there,” Lome moved to hold her shoulders, helping her regain balance. “You may be a little dizzy from the trip.”

  “A little?” she returned, the room still not entirely in focus. The feeling made her uneasy. She did not feel that way the first time Lome used the method of transportation on her.

  Lome chewed his lip. “Des?” He turned and gestured to his brother. Eshe could make out the man’s form, but details were hazy. “Can you stay with her for a minute? I need to find Thane.”

  Des agreed and Lome promptly faded from view. He literally faded into thin air. Eshe knew her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her. It was another one of his abilities. She closed her lids and breathed in her nose, trying to keep nausea at bay.

  “You get used to it.”

  Eshe opened her eyes and met Des’ semi-focused face. The corner of his lips turned up. “I am surprised you did not vomit.”

  She released an incredulous laugh. “It was close.”

  His smile grew. With a start, Eshe realized it was the first time she’d seen the man look anything but stoic.

  He should smile more often, Eshe thought to herself.

  Since meeting the brothers, she would always describe Lome as the most attractive of the pair. Seeing Des looking happy, though, made her think she may have to reconsider who was the better-looking brother.

  Seconds passed. Slowly, Eshe’s vision returned to normal. Finally able to see details of a portrait on the far wall, she blinked and turned her attention to Des.

  “Better?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Lome should be back with our brother at any moment.”

  “Thane?”

  Des nodded. “Yes. He is the oldest. You might consider him our keeper,” Des said and gave Eshe an uncharacteristic wink. “Lome and I are always keeping him on his toes.”

  It couldn’t be helped, Eshe smiled. Des’ jokes and expressions were effectively distracting her from her nerves.

  “You and my husband are in need of a keeper?” Eshe was surprised how easily the title rolled off her tongue.

  “Probably more than one,” Des said. “Lucky for Thane, the job fell to him.”

  “Maybe I will offer him assistance,” Eshe said. “I helped wrangle two brothers of my own, after all.”

  Des’ laughter filled the room around them, bouncing off the walls and towards the high ceiling. “I am positive Thane would be overjoyed by the offer.”

  “What offer?” an unfamiliar voice questioned from the far corner of the room.

  Des and Eshe turned to see Lome walk in behind a stranger. It took her one second to conclude the newcomer was Thane. The brothers shared enough features that a resemblance was easily seen.

  “That is my cue.” Des approached Eshe and surprised her, yet again, when he placed a small kiss on her right cheek. “Good luck, Eshe. Welcome to the family.”

  Speechless, she could only watch him walk towards his brothers. Des gave each a firm pat on the back before vanishing through the doors behind them.

  “You must be Eshe,” Thane stepped forward and introduced himself, distracting her from the departing man. “It is a pleasure to meet you. My brother is very lucky to have such a beautiful bride.”

  Eshe dipped her knees slightly, lowering her head. When she stood back up, Lome was at her side.

  He smiled down at her, looking completely overjoyed. “Ready?”

  The nerves returned full force. “What, exactly, should I be ready for?”

  Lome took her arm and looped it around his. They started walking towards the doors Des used moments earlier. “A ritual to alter your mortality.”

  Eshe knew it was coming. She did not forget how Lome professed they would be together forever, but hearing him say it made the reality of her situation hit her with full force. She stumbled. Her husband quickly righted her.

  “Do not worry. It will be over quickly.”

  “Will it hurt?” she asked. Surely extending someone’s soul for an eternity would hurt?

  His lips turned down. “I do not know,” he said with regret. “It has never been done before.”

  Her heart pounded. “But Des…” She trailed off. Didn’t Des love someone?

  Then, it hit her. Lome said the woman Des loved was dead. An impossible state for an immortal.

  She gripped his arm with her other hand. Lome immediately covered it with his own. “I will not let anything bad happen to you,” he said with fervor. His eyes shined with truth. “I promise.”

  Unable to doubt him, knowing she could not escape what was to come, Eshe nodded. She looked forward to where Thane walked, leading them out and into a different room.

  The lighting was much the same, but Eshe found herself blinking to take in the scene before her. Not because it was bright, but because of the people standing inside it staring at her. Their beauty and brightness was breathtaking. With her knowledge, Eshe guessed the room’s occupants were immortals. Her knees threatened to give out beneath her.

  Lome tightened his hold and leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Do not cower. Not in front of them.”

  When the shaking moved to her torso, he added, “You will be stronger than all of them. They know it. You need to know it. Do not look weak.”

  His words were strange. Eshe did not know what to think of them. How could she be stronger than men? She was skinny from years of barely having enough to eat. Try as she might, she could not make sense of his meaning.

  Lome continued to escort her past the group of immortals. Each one lowered their eyes in deference as they moved. Some even bowed or curtsied. Eshe could not help but observe each of them, taking in their striking features and skin that seemed to glow. The women in the group were the most beautiful she had ever seen. The men were just as good-looking.

  One blonde male met her gaze and gave her a flirtatious wink. That was all it took to wash away her curiosity. She returned her concentration to the safety of Thane’s back and beyond it. They were approaching a dais. Pillars stood behind it, adorned in flowers and vines similar to those from their wedding ceremony. Eshe was unable to take comfort in the familiarity.

  An older man in robes stepped out from behind the pillar. At least, Eshe believed he was old. The hood of his robe covered his face and hid any features from view, but he hunched over like a man whom the years had worn down.

  Des and Thane flanked the man’s sides. Gone was the friendly expression from Des. He looked stoic and distant, and he did not meet her gaze.

  Lome tapped her hand, drawing her attention. “Ready?”

  Eshe swallowed, silently despising his repetitive question. Of course she wasn’t ready, but with the room full of immortals capable of stopping any attempt to flee, she didn’t suppose she had much of a choice. With the last bit of strength she had, Eshe allowed Lome to walk her up to the foot of the dais.

  The hooded man raised his arms and chanted. The words were unfamiliar. They sounded… old.

  The hair on her arms raised when the old man held one palm over her head. His tone deepened. His voice morphed as it grew in strength. Whatever power he called upon, it now pressed down onto Eshe’s shoulders. It filled her nostrils and clouded her lungs.

  Before Eshe could react–before she could struggle for breath–the room grew quiet. Eshe slowly drifted away from the man’s chanting and into blissful darkness.

  13

  Singing.

  Eshe heard singing.

  In an instant, her legs went into motion. She rushed out of her home and followed the beautiful sound around the back of the clay building. She stumbled against pebbles on the ground but refused to slow down. It was not often she heard her mother sing, and she did not want to miss a moment of it.

  Rounding the corner, she quickly halted and tucked behind the nearest cart. Her mother stood above a basket, pulling out the washed items and hanging them on string to dry in the sun. Her voice carried on the wind, filling Eshe’s ears with the angel
ic pitch. The song was in Greek.

  After the scandal with the foreign man, her mother stopped conversing with her daughters in Greek. Nebet and Eshe continued to practice, but they had to be careful. Their mother was just as likely to shout as burst in to tears when she heard the native language of the man who broke her heart. Eshe did not know what inspired her mother’s song, but she was glad of it. The words were beautiful as they rolled off her mother’s tongue. Though Eshe could make out the words, she did not recognize the tune.

  Wait…

  Eshe stilled as she continued to listen to her mother’s voice. Except, it no longer sounded like her mother. The lyrics grew muffled and masculine. They stopped sounding like lyrics.

  The scene before her disintegrated.

  Eshe sat straight up, gasping for breath as she frantically tried to figure out where she was. She looked at the fine fabric covering the bed, the soft silk brushing against her skin, and remembered she was in Greece at Lome’s family home. She fell back onto her pillow.

  A canopy filled her vision. Eshe could see the sheer threading and counted each tiny line crossing the expanse of the fabric. With a confused frown, she rubbed her eyes. She could never see so well before.

  “Oh… right,” Eshe murmured into the empty room.

  After fainting at the ceremony full of immortals, Eshe recalled waking up to Lome’s concerned face hovering over her unconscious body. Relieved to see her awake, he explained the ceremony was complete and asked how she felt. With awe, Eshe had realized she felt fantastic. Her body felt healthy and nourished, her limbs were flexible and strong. She felt… invincible.

  And her sight… Eshe now had the vision of an immortal. She quickly got out of bed and moved to the window. She could see for miles. She watched a goat climb a distant rocky hill as if she stood ten feet away.

  Male voices trailed towards her. She turned and recognized the sound which interrupted the dream of her mother. Using her newfound immortal hearing, Eshe determined one of the voices belonged to Lome.

  Taking a silk robe from the back of a chair, Eshe wrapped the soft cloth around her and tied the belt at her waist. Checking her reflection and taming any stray hair, Eshe deemed herself presentable and moved to the hallway connecting her to the source of the noise.

  Following the voices, Eshe took three turns and passed by several doors before she arrived at one standing slightly ajar. She was moments away from pushing the door in and announcing her arrival when she heard the sound of her name leave someone’s lips.

  “I am happy for you, brother. Eshe is beautiful and has a good soul. I hope you two are happy.”

  Peeking through the opening, Eshe could see Lome’s back. He lifted a glass filled with amber liquid. “Thank you, Des. I am very fortunate to have found her.”

  “I am more surprised you managed to convince her to marry you,” a third voice stated. Eshe watched Thane appear at the edge of her vision. “From what Des told me, she was not very welcoming of your advances.”

  “Eshe is cautious,” Lome explained. “She did not know what to make of me.”

  She couldn’t help but nod in agreement. He was absolutely right. I still don’t know what to make of you.

  “Do you believe she felt the connection?” Des asked out of sight.

  Lome nodded. “Yes. I could feel when she recognized something pulled us together, but she fought it every time.”

  “You are lucky that her family was in need of assistance,” Thane said, pausing to take a sip of his own beverage. “Otherwise, your courtship may have lasted much longer than desired.”

  Lome chucked. “Luck had nothing to do with it.”

  The room grew quiet. Eshe held her breath, not wanting to be heard. She knew she should not eavesdrop, that she should either announce herself or turn around back to her room, but she was rooted in place. Something inside her willed her to stay. Some unknown instinct told her she needed to listen to the brothers’ conversation.

  One of the immortals cleared their throat.

  “What do you mean?” Des asked.

  Lome swirled his glass. “Theshan Akil was growing desperate, but not desperate enough to actually agree for his eldest daughter to marry the rich merchant. I realized he needed a little push.”

  Eshe’s knees wobbled. She quietly placed her hands against the doorframe for balance.

  “Explain yourself, Lome,” Thane’s voice was tinted with disapproval. “What did you do?”

  “Don’t look at me like that,” Lome practically growled. “You were the one telling me to hurry, urging me to claim Eshe and have the ceremony to turn her immortal to ensure no one harmed her like…”

  “Ambrosia,” Des finished for his brother. Eshe couldn’t see him, but she could hear the lifelessness in his words. “Thane did not want Eshe to meet an end like Ambrosia.”

  Eshe did not recognize the name, but she knew it belonged to Des’ lost love. The way he said her name revealed it all.

  “Exactly,” Lome said with a nod. He turned back to Thane. “You were rushing me. I didn’t have much choice.”

  “To do what?” The eldest brother questioned, repeating himself. “What did you do?”

  Lome shrugged. “I found the storage for the family’s latest harvest and got rid of them. I gave Theshan no choice but to settle with Nebet’s suitor.”

  Eshe couldn’t move. She couldn’t see… couldn’t hear.

  Blackness fell upon all of her senses as she listened to the man she married only hours ago reveal the treachery he used to entice her to marry him.

  “You manipulated Eshe to get your way,” Des stated, not attempting to hide his condemnation. “You knew she would never allow her sister to marry the merchant if she could help it.”

  “Be fair, Des,” Thane interjected. “Our brother only wanted to ensure nothing bad happened to prevent the marriage and ceremony from taking place.”

  Eshe’s mind raced. Lome stole the crops. He was the driving force behind Nebet’s undesirable betrothal.

  How could he do such a thing? How could his lips profess his affection for her one moment, when at the same time he nearly doomed her beloved sister to a fate with an unfavorable man?

  A fierce fury flared in her chest as Eshe realized the risk Lome took with the game he played. Her new husband had no assurances Nebet would have been saved from the undesired match. He hoped, accurately as it turned out, but Lome had only hoped the ability to save Nebet from Benipe’s bed would convince Eshe to marry him. He gambled with her sister’s life for his own selfish purpose.

  The air around Eshe whirled and a gust of wind whipped past her, blowing the door open. The three brothers turned to look at the entrance. Each of them stilled as they observed her.

  The immortals were shocked, but Eshe only looked at Lome. Her husband met her eyes with remorse but, also, resolve. It was like she could sense his thoughts as they continued staring at one another. Perhaps it was another side effect of their marriage, Eshe did not know. Nor did she care. Eshe watched Lome as his apologetic thoughts passed through her mind.

  While he continually conveyed remorse that she found out about his actions the way she did, it was obvious Lome was not ashamed of what he did. Eshe wanted to laugh.

  How foolish she was. To think Lome was anything more than an entitled foreigner willing to take what he wanted no matter the consequence to anyone else.

  Eshe could not stomach his presence. She turned on her heel and briskly walked back to her room. Ignoring Lome’s calls to stop, she entered her room and slammed the door shut behind her. She flipped the lock on the handle, knowing it would not keep the immortal out, but she need to add the extra barrier between them.

  How could she be so stupid? She gave up everything: her family, her friends, her home, her mortality… Ani.

  Unwillingly, Eshe’s mind traveled back to the last heart wrenching conversation she had with her childhood friend:

  “Please,” Ani choked out. Bewildered eyes scanned her
face, looking for any crack in the armor she donned. “Do not do it.”

  Ani stopped by her house less than a week after Lome proposed. The visit was unexpected, but Eshe supposed she should have seen it coming. The news of her betrothal traveled fast amongst her family’s circle of friends. It was only a matter of time before Ani heard.

  “Lome is a good man,” she said. “He is kind and generous. He has offered to help my family.” Eshe wanted to both reassure her friend and help him understand her decision. They both knew she was not the type of woman who would agree to marry the first man who asked. Ani should suspect she had a good reason to agree to wed the practical stranger.

  “I believe I will be happy,” she added at last, trying to wipe the disbelief from her friend’s face.

  Ani shook his head in denial. “No. NO! You cannot marry him, Eshe. I love you. Don’t you know that?”

  It felt as if a knife lodged itself in her gut, and each of his proclamations was like someone twisted its grooved handle. “Ani-”

  “No,” he shouted, trembling with emotion. “Do not dismiss me. I love you, Eshe. I have loved you for years. I know I never said anything, but now I know I should have. Forgive me.”

  Her eyes softened. “There is nothing to forgive.”

  Ani spoke as if he did not hear her, “I want to marry you, Eshe,” he fell to his knees. “Marry me, Eshe. Not him. Marry me and let me help your family.”

  Eshe only shook her head, not permitting herself to swallow the knot in her throat. “Your father would never allow it. Please stand up, Ani.” She reached to help him rise, but he just grasped onto her hands like a drowning man.

  She tried to ignore his desperation and her own sorrow. Despite his words, both Eshe and Ani knew that without his father’s assistance, there was no way Ani could provide for a wife or help her family. Even though it caused a deep cut in her heart, Eshe could not encourage Ani’s despairing proposal. No matter how much her soul begged her to.

  “I kn-know,” Ani choked. “I know you care for me, Eshe. Please… don’t marry that man. You hardly know him. We grew up together. I will honor and cherish you all the days of my life. Choose me. Marry me.”