Soren
On the Sunday Marcus was supposed to meet Juliet for the first time, I waited for him in the bookstore… He never came. The army had come home too early, like in the previous timeline, and I thought it was because things would turn out the same in some ways. Or that he remembered and in some supernatural way the four men or even Juliet would've known... He didn't. Marcus was on the compound and hadn't contacted her… No, something else happened, and the one small change in this new timeline had set me at ease. I was the only one who knew.
At the end of the day, I sat for almost an hour taking it in. I wouldn't need to get rid of him or play games. Fate wasn't going to figure out some other way for them to meet, and might even be on my team. The future was open to me… Let's see… 'What do you want, Soren?'
I want: Juliet.
Walking toward Juliet's house, weaving through the neighborhoods, I still tried to wrap my head around it. I had all these useless plans if he did know: To hide her. To stay out of his way. In the shadows. Walk around the whole compound to Juliet's house so no one knew I went to visit. I would make sure he didn't think it was me who changed the timeline.
I no longer had to do any of it.
It would sink in eventually. The whiplash was real, living one life, and suddenly having so many possibilities ahead. Juliet wasn't branded. Not infected. However, I still had a lot of work to do with her. I had to make sure this time around that she saw them for who they really were. I would need to spend a lot of time planning how we would protect ourselves against the coming storms.
Nevertheless, I could relax. Breath. And settle into this new beginning. I knocked on the door and didn't even look up and down the street, worrying. Juliet opened, "Hi."
"Hello!" I lifted a stack of books in my arms, "I brought you some new ones."
"You did! Thank you. Come in."
"Are Liam and Cindy here?"
"Dad, is Soren allowed to come in?"
"Sure… We're about to eat, Soren. Come on in."
***
During dinner, I let it drop, "The militia is back."
"They are?" Liam asked, curious.
"Yeah, Qadir's son came by."
"Do you know him?" Juliet asked.
"No, he reads there."
Liam and Cindy had the appropriate response. They wouldn't let her ever go again.
"Dad, I think I should give it a skip… Soren brings me books here, and if he's allowed to visit, I'd at least have someone to talk to."
"Very clever, my dear… We don't want to go advertising your puberty."
Juliet chuckled, "Ewe." Her cheeks lit up with red spots.
"You should bring her some biology books?" Cindy joked. The table erupted in laughter. Juliet playfully hit me on the arm. I stared at the place her hand landed. It was a relief. She was still the same old Juliet. She hadn't changed.
"Juliet!" Liam chastised.
"No, it's okay… I just thought you'd hit harder… but I won't do it out in public. Might not be a good habit to adopt."
Juliet pulled her hands in under the table, "Okay, I won't again… Sorry."
Liam and I made eye contact, and he gave me an approving nod. Grooming Juliet to be a little more patient and a little less passionate would be my only problem. I couldn't give her fewer guards in their street. Or an outlet of a trampoline.
Juliet and I cleaned up and washed the dishes. I dried the last plate and handed it to her. "Hey, can we go build a fire outside?"
"Sure," Liam answered.
"Why do you want to sit outside?" Juliet asked.
"I want to see if you have any survival skills. Have you ever built one from scratch?"
"No."
"Well, if you get it going, I'll bring you some sweets."
"A challenge! You know me too well."
I closed the door and let her go at it the best she could think to do it. The only thing on my mind was how to keep her busy and make her fall in love with me. Small things like this. What we would need when I took her to Mirach and find Vittore… Little hints at a future we had to work hard for. How long would it take to prepare her and find this guy on Palmyra who could be our third? We would be unstoppable, and her second would be a dheka… An ittoqure would be nice, although we didn't need it. If I could help it, they would stay hidden this time.
I sat watching her, fantasizing about our life. I'd have to take it slow… A lot of paper caught fire and smoked heavily. I chuckled at how determined she was. Juliet coughed, waving her hand through the air. "Ready to give up and let me teach you."
"No!"
"Use the stick to separate it; it will die down; try again."
***
Sometime Later.
Liam had still not talked to me about the branding. It was her sixteenth birthday, and I was still not fully trusted. Why was he not budging? Did he not know about it in this lifetime? Was it even a thing? I wanted my life with Juliet! If we didn't make the bond, what would've been the point? I wanted to know if she really loved me. Whether the two of us could make this work. Maybe Liam was scared Ahasuerus would kill us. He would. Marcus was the only reason he couldn't… He was the only change. And Juliet had calmed down so much with this Liam, who wasn't in such a rush. With the stone, we could teleport, get out of there, right now. It burned my chest on a daily basis. Itched to be used… No! Calm down. Tipping off the authorities too early would surely be the end of our story.
There was at least one thing I could do to let them know how serious I was. Around the table, she opened small gifts from us all. On my last run outside the compound to buy more stock, I found something she might or might not like. She unwrapped it. Liam and Cindy froze.
"What is it?" She opened the box. "A ring?" She picked it up and tried it on all her fingers. It would fit on only one. Finally, she had it on her ring finger. The sight evoked so many emotions: A love finally realized. Freedom. Mine at last. I had to gather my strength to meet the parents' fixed gazes on me.
"Okay, I'm not stupid, but you guys will have to spell it out for me."
"Liam, I think it's time…" I ventured. "Even if it's only a discussion for maybe the next—."
"Five years," Liam replied.
I smiled bright enough to light the dark house up. He was thinking about it, watching me. Now my only concern was Juliet. Would she fall in love with me?
Juliet finally looked at me, "You're asking me to marry you! You like me, like me?"
I couldn't stop the stupid grin on my mouth, "Yes, I'm here every day…"
"I don't think I want to get married," she said, softly spinning the ring around her finger. My smile fell. Would this be my punishment for meddling in cosmic events?
"Why, Julie?" Cindy asked.
"I… You guys said I'd have to go up for auction—like a frickin horse at a show. What if someone else buys me… I'd do it if there was some way I could be sure to end up with Soren." She pulled off the ring. My heart skipped a beat; it wasn't me. Juliet placed it back in the box.
I took it from her and picked up the ring. I held out my hand for hers. She shook her head, pouting her lips. "It sounds as if you like me a little… And would consider it…" Juliet blushed from her chest to her cheeks. "Hey, your father and I will sit down right now and come up with a plan—," She wanted to say something, "One you can approve." She kept quiet and smiled. "If I'm not one hundred and ten percent sure, I will take you off that podium… Or we could leave the legal aspect and be married like in Braveheart."
Her nose wrinkled. "That didn't end well."
"No, but here you live with your parents… And I come here… I can buy a house across the street and—." Juliet threw her arms around my neck. I looked at Liam to see if he had any issues with our proximity. He flicked four fingers at me to go ahead. I gave her a tight hug, and she kissed my cheek. "Ow!" I yelped.
"What?" She let me go. "I wasn't hugging so hard." Yes! The Furrows whooped and clapped. We all cheered and stood to make a fuss. Juliet ran to her room, "No! No! I don't want it. Look at me." We followed her and sat down on the bed. "I can't drink blood, it's gross! I never have… I don't even kill ants, how will I kill humans… I hate it!"
"I'll allow you to get drunk if you will." Juliet spun around. "I'm serious… But Juliet… Now we'll have to add you to the… food registry. The compound will know you exist."
"No one here knows I'm alive?"
"We, do," I said, "Joe, his wife, my parents, my sister."
"I guess… Why does it matter to you that I get on the registry?"
"It means at some point you'll have to get on the podium or your mother and I will always have to share a meal."
***
While Cindy had some more time with Juliet, Liam and I went outside to sit around a fire she had built by herself. Together we were determined to keep her busy...
Cindy brought us some beers and said, "What will we do when her lust kicks in after she has blood the first time?"
"I volunteer," I raised my hand. Liam chuckled and got up to walk around the fire, somewhat preoccupied. He stared at it for a while, blowing on the flames at intervals. What was his hesitation with me? Was I not important enough? There was no way they planned Marcus… "Liam—" I said.
He held up a hand, "I know you were joking."
"It's not about her lust… I do want your blessing… I kinda thought I had it." I looked up at Cindy.
"It's not you, Soren… It's something else…" Cindy sat down. "Liam has a brother… Samuel… He lives off the compound, and so much happened you guys know nothing about."
I also took my seat and sipped at my beer.
Liam looked inside at Juliet, who was doing the dishes. He wanted her to leave the compound. I could make it happen if he were on my side. He had raised her to be something. Without me, she might never be or do what they wanted her to. I still had those dreams for her. Even if we had to start over. Juliet and I could do it.
Liam looked at his wife, "What do you think? Is it time?"
"She manifested, Liam. We can't wait any longer."
"Juliet!" She quickly looked our way, and Liam called her to join us. "Sit with us. I have a story to tell both of you."
Finally.