Precious Anathema (6 page)

“
I am ok Xander, I am sorry
if I scared you I was just getting used to my new room.” He
scratched his head and then put his hands in his pockets; honestly
I wasn’t sure they would fit. He was killing me and in that moment,
the way he looked at me I realized he knew it.

“
This is going to be your
room?” I smiled and nodded. He pointed over the hedges and I could
see a beautiful little house. “See that open window over there?” I
saw it and smiled back at him, “That is my room. Maybe some night
we can take a walk and I can show you the grounds of the estate.” I
began to blush and he noticed right away as the glare from the sun
washed his face from my sight and black dots came for a moment, I
had to put my hand over my forehead as a visor to see him again,
and smiled as he waved and walked back to the lawn mower. He went
back to work but every few minutes he would look back up at my
window. I don’t know how long I stood in place watching him, he was
the most incredible man I had ever spoken to, and he liked talking
to me.

*

Walking away from her window, I wanted
to scream. What was it about this girl I had just met made me want
to turn my back on everything I had trained for, and lived to see?
I turned and saw her looking back at me again; as she smiled I felt
the heat on my skin as if the sun itself had just kissed me,
leaving the burn of her sweet face on my heart. Maybe it was all a
trick, maybe Freya knows what I am supposed to do and this was her
way of making it harder for me. Freya had been a mother to me in
secret all my life and I loved her like my mother, all the while
knowing what I must do and feeling my heart grow colder with each
passing day. No woman had ever turned my head before today, no
breasts ever had me twitching to touch them, no smile had ever made
me want to kiss the lips that lie behind it, none before today. I
needed to know more, I looked back once more to see her face and I
couldn’t help but smile back, not because I had to earn her trust
but because I wanted to earn it.

*

I heard a knock at the door and Eris
stood with two cups of hot coffee, walking past me she plopped on
my bed and handed me a cup.

“
I took the room across
from you, it’s purple and I love it” I smiled at her and sat down
beside with my cup.

“
Thank you for the coffee
Eris, I really need it.” Her eyes scanned my room and then she saw
him out my window and smiled at me.

“
I would have picked this
room too.” She said with a smile and a wink.

“
No, I didn’t know he was
outside when I picked it and certainly didn’t know he lived on this
side until he told me, I swear.” She put her cup down and looked me
in the eye.

“
You talked to him?” I
smiled and put my cup up to my mouth hiding my smile, she quickly
moved it and her eyes became intense.

“
I was watching him and he
kicked up a rock which almost took me out, so yes that sparked a
conversation.” She began to laugh as I realized how I must look to
him, stalker girl came to mind.

“
You are so sweet Ella, he
wants to do dirty things with you and you are so innocent you don’t
even see it.” The truth was I wanted to do dirty things to him as
well, but I had never had thoughts like that about a real person,
and it made me feel uncomfortable.

“
Eris, do you think it’s
weird that I picked this room and his room faces across from it?”
She laughed and took my cup from me, forcing me to show her my
face.

“
Ella, you may not have
known his room was there, but the house does.” I looked at the
walls of my room feeling suddenly claustrophobic. “Do you think it
is coincidence that our rooms are across from one another with our
favorite colors, and yet Selene has a room in the north end?” I
shrugged my shoulders; it could be just luck, but then a wash of
panic struck me when I thought, what if she was right?

“
Are you telling me that
you believe the house thinks for itself?” I laughed as I said it
out loud. Eris didn’t laugh as she looked me in the eye.

“
Remember my mom telling
you that none of us but Freya had ever been here? And that Freya
was only here for a short time as a girl?” I nodded. “First of all
that is a lie, but you will understand why she lied later, it’s
because of the curse and this house.” I rolled my eyes and she
grabbed my hand. “The original spell was cast in this house, and as
it went bad so did the grounds. The Grace women are not the only
things stricken by the curse and living this hell.” I stood up to
get away from her words, she was just trying to scare me now and it
was pissing me off, as I opened my mouth to tell her to get out she
pointed out the window to Xander. “This house has secrets hiding
everywhere, and knows everything as you have seen with your room
being strategically placed here. Yes, believe me or not but there
are traps as well, and the scariest of all can send you into the
labyrinth in the basement. That’s what the stories say anyway.” I
picked up my coffee cup. This was too much; my heart skipped a beat
as I heard the mower outside cut out again. Everyone knows that
things like that don’t really exist, right?

“
Eris, even if there were a
labyrinth in the basement this house isn’t that big and we would
get out so you can stop trying to scare me ok.” Eris laughed at
me.

“
Ella, The labyrinth if it
is real was a spell cast to trap men by our ancestors. It is big
and no man has ever escaped. I told you our family was bad Hun, I
am sure that Freya will tell us everything we need to know to keep
us safe, just stay on your toes and out of the basement ok?” Of
course I was going to stay out of the creepy ass basement; she
didn’t have to tell me twice. A loud bell rang and I jumped so bad
I spilled my coffee all over my bed, Eris and I both laughed as we
tried to wipe it up.

“
First night here and I am
already ruining precious family heirlooms.” We walked out of the
room and headed down the hall to find our way back to the parlor.
Getting lost twice, we found a gorgeous study and what we could
imagine was a reading room before we made our way to the correct
stairwell. We all ate dinner together and it was a lavish meal with
courses and people waiting on us. Carna said that Freya had hired a
caterer from out of town for the special event, since no one in
town would come to the house, the night was special indeed. We all
told stories and laughed as we drank wine and ate the most
delicious food. Selene even spoke and laughed a little, I was
starting to have some faith that she would get used to me and we
could be close with one another, as long as lots of wine was being
poured of course. After dinner we realized we had been drinking and
talking till almost ten and after another half hour of hugs and
good nights I took Eris by the arm and the two of us giggled and
staggered as we headed back upstairs to our personal apartments. As
I opened the door a strange light lit my room and I felt warmth I
hadn’t felt in here before. My fireplace had been lit and it was
gorgeous. I was too drunk to question how it happened, and lay on
the rug in front of my bed just watching the flames rise higher and
higher. I realized that we left so quickly we hadn’t shut the
windows in my room; I got up and noticed another light. Xanders
bedroom window was lit up, and as I began to daydream about what he
may be doing the light began to turn on and off, as if he could see
me standing in the light, he was talking to me. I ran to the door
and started turning my light on and off to answer him. I ran back
to the window and his light went out. I closed my window and
thought that might be the best good night I had ever gotten as I
climbed into my giant bed that swallowed me up in feathers and as I
closed my eyes the slow spin of wine eased my mind and I fell
asleep to the crackling sounds from the fire.

*

“
Good morning beautiful.” I
roll over and smile before I even open my eyes; I take in the smell
of fresh bacon and a man’s cologne and realize it may be the
greatest combination of smells I have ever encountered in the
morning. This really is the best way to wake up. I got lost in my
thought and quickly opened my eyes. He was standing before me with
a smile, I was still in bed and I had a man in my room, serving me
coffee and bacon. Not just any man either, he was
the
man. I scrambled to
cover myself and moved closer to my headboard before he could say
another word.

“
Xander, how in the hell
did you get in here?” I must have snapped from my embarrassment
because he backed up a little. I sat up higher, making sure to keep
the covers pulled up. “I get lost around here and I
know
where my room is.”
He smiled a little smaller and set the plate and cup of coffee down
on my side table.

“
Delilah, I have had free
reign of this house since I was born, I know every way in and out
of here, Freya thought you may like breakfast in bed and since I am
paid to do whatever she asks I thought it was a win and obviously I
was mistaken, so if it’s a problem take it up with her, but you’re
welcome.” He turned to walk out of the room and I felt terrible, I
had to do something quick.

“
No, Xander please wait. I
was startled that’s all, I never meant to offend you, in all
honesty I have just never had a guy in my room before and I felt
embarrassed that’s all. Thank you so much for this, I love it.” He
smiled and winked at me as his eyes traced the outline of my body
through the blankets before shutting the door behind him. I covered
my face with the blanket and wanted to hide all day.

*

“
That could have gone
better Xander, next time remember to knock.” Talking to myself had
become an art I had perfected over the years of being alone in this
prison. As I walked down the hall I could hear a door slam behind
me, sure it was Eris wanting all the dirt I smiled and put my hands
in my pockets. In all my research I had not been able to find any
writings about Delilah that didn’t have anything to do with the
curse. Nothing was written about the fact that she was not like the
others in her heart. She was a good person and the more I saw her
and spoke to her the more I wanted to know her, I had chores to do
and fantasizing about the one person I was supposed to hurt wasn’t
helping my concentration. There had to be a loophole in the
prophecy and I had to find it before it was too late and I was
forced to make a choice. I looked back at her door and took a deep
breath, there was no one I could trust with this. My father would
die if he knew that I was questioning my destiny, and Freya would
surely condemn us to hell if I told her our secret. I was a man
without a country and had fallen for the enemy.

*

I heard a door slam in the hall and
then my own burst open, there stood Eris, a grin as wide as all New
England as she ran and leaped onto the bed with me.

“
Oh my gosh Ella, I just
saw Xander leave your room, I want all the details!” I laughed and
pointed at the serving tray beside my bed. She looked confused.
“You had fun with food?” I laughed again and threw my pillow at
her.

“
No, he brought me
breakfast, and I was so embarrassed I think I offended him and he
left. How is that for details?” I pulled the covers back over my
head and tried to hide, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Pulling the
covers off my face and shoving her finger into my nose she clearly
had my attention.

“
Look little miss
new
witch, you
have
no
idea how
powerful and unique
you
are and I think it’s time we teach you so get
your
pouting
ass
out
of
this bed and meet me downstairs, and I am
not
asking either.” I groaned as I
slid my face under my pillow, but it didn’t stop her from scolding
me more. “Unless
you
want some of what Selene got last night from Freya you
will
be downstairs in
ten minutes too.” She giggled and ran out of my room as quickly as
she came in. I dragged my
pouting
ass out of bed and snuck a piece of bacon as I
grabbed my coffee cup and walked to my closet. I had an entire
wardrobe inside already and thought I would at least take a look;
to my surprise all the clothes were really nice. I grabbed a tank
top and a pair of jean shorts, gathered up my mop of hair and
actually made a pretty cute messy bun before stepping out into the
hallway. I took the long way around to see what hidden treasures
were left to find in this end of the house. A smaller staircase led
me down to a wing I hadn’t been in yet, and I found myself standing
inside the most beautiful music room I had ever seen. Windows were
everywhere letting all the natural light of the morning shine in on
the grand piano in the center of the room. Mom had always wanted to
get me a piano; we could never seem to save the money for one. The
car was always breaking down or a toilet was busting. I laughed to
myself as I thought of Mom’s face every time she had to tell me we
needed the savings for something else, like I would be angry at
her. I walked to the middle of the room and put my hand on the
piano, it glistened in the sunlight and I set my coffee on the
floor before sitting on the bench. I took a deep breath and started
to play, the beauty filled the room like I was in an auditorium. I
closed my eyes and lost myself in the music. I never heard anyone
walk in but after about ten minutes I stopped and heard clapping,
slow, sarcastic clapping. I opened my eyes and there stood Selene
resting her shoulder on a pillar. Her glare was cold like ice, even
her eyes seemed a shade lighter as she shook her head and started
to walk towards me.