Soren
Barely awake, fast asleep. In and out. Wanting to think but being denied. The memories of what happened vivid and snatched away. I wanted to feel it so much, to sit in the knowing.
I willed myself not to drift off again, stay awake for the last time, and all I could think was, different. Completely different. All those girls I had tried it with. Meant nothing!
I had picked up the poker. The stand scraped against the cement. Juliet's whole body went wild, anticipating even before Cindy had pulled her pants down. Liam adjusted his weight, and the two Furrow men smiled. The moment was sealed with one gesture. Recognition of a supernatural connection. Consummation. I tried to be gentle, to do it with precision, as if it would've mattered, although the fulfillment had made it impossible to consider anything else. Juliet loved me. She always had. She knew. I knew. We were—in some place—this place—meant for one another.
My eyes had closed with painful excitement.
Now, I could smell her in bed with me. "Soren, don't sleep again. Please," Juliet said, a little fragile, and wrapped an arm around me. She slowly climbed onto me. I pulled her in and wept. Unrestrained. Yet softly. Enjoying the meaning I had longed for, searched for. And got.
Between the tears, I spoke, "You love me… You always have."
"I do," she said matter-of-factly, "And I had a lot of pain and evidence to prove it."
My laughter came out choked. "I'm sorry."
"I hope it will be worth it… Sam said Ahasuerus won't find out, but idk."
In the smallest ways, she wasn't anything like the previous Juliet. But some things wouldn't change. I thanked the stars for it. "Julie… You love me."
She kissed me. A few slow kisses. "I do," her voice full of meaning now.
It would've worked. In our timeline, I would've been let in if I hadn't left. And then Marcus could've shown her his true colors. The way he was right now… What and how he was meant to be. Without her, he was nothing. What I had become. Without hope. No vision. Marcus would've given in to his shadow side… Yet, I couldn't stop picturing all the ways this could've gone wrong. The one thought I wanted to expel had to be addressed. What would I have done if it didn't work? I would've… I would've—broke. I'd have gone back to what I was. Darker. Rage. No restraints.
"Soren, I'm scared."
She did have a way to pull me out of my negative thoughts and into reality. Protecting her. Moving forward. I wiped my nose with the sheet and held her even tighter. A warmth spread behind my ribs, quiet, steady.
"Two weeks I've been alone in this house. Sam had to sneak the two of us out. All on his own. I don't know how he did it. My parents are still there, I think. No one's talked to me. Will I ever see them again? My mother and father will be in trouble when it comes out," Juliet rambled.
She cared so much about silly things. For now. I was too old. Have gone through so much. "Thank you for taking the reins for a while and taking care of me… I wouldn't have been able to live my life without you."
"You sound so sure when you say things like that."
I worked us both into a seated position so she could face me. I wiped away the last tears. Juliet couldn't hold my eyes as she tried to hide the smile tugging at her lips. "It's okay… I know I'm a little emotional… You're allowed to laugh at how much I love you."
"No! I'm laughing at the doubt."
I kissed her. Lovingly and for as long as she wanted. There would never be a rush to get somewhere again. Do something. Or fight anyone.
Juliet pulled away, much quicker than her last personality would've, leaving me pouting. "Don't—" I said before she could. "You know the plan. Sam and I made sure your parents disappeared." I air-quoted the words. This amused her, and she smiled the same way she used to. "They will join us in the next few days."
She jumped to her feet on top of the bed. I'd forgotten how much energy she had at this age. Up and down she went. I gave myself over to the infection. Chased her around the mattress. She jumped off the bed and slowed her pace, walking out. "I'm running a bath," her voice barely a whisper. So shy in this life.
I tumbled onto my hands and knees and crawled off the bed. Stumbled trying to get to my feet under me and run after her. She shrieked as I caught her and swung her in circles. We turned and turned. I stopped abruptly, seeing a figure in the corner of a room. "Sam!"
"Uncle. What happened?"
"Nothing, my dear… Why don't you go run the water and let me have a word with Soren."
She scoffed. "Okay, but I'm not going to be a mindless vamp wife who waits face down on the floor."
"Heaven forbid! No, I just want to talk logistics. Finalize our exit strategy. Nothing you'll be interested in, right?"
Juliet's nose wrinkled. "No. Guess not. When are we leaving?" she asked over her shoulder.
"Today."
Juliet shrieked again and ran. "Yippee."
No. Some things would never change. To see her exuberant. Young. Untouched. Made it all worth it.
The door shut. Sam was waiting for me to look at him. I sensed his eyes on me. I didn't know him that well, and things might still go wrong somewhere. "Soren. Are you sure?"
"Positive." In the end, I had to tell someone. I told him. Everything, embellished with a lot of lying. "Vittore is there—"
"That isn't what I'm talking about," he cut me off, "Juliet—might not understand—you sharing her. She might feel you're selling her for this power. Just so you'll be able to protect her."
He was probably also looking for the ripple. But this wouldn't be one. The smile came first—followed by a chuckle meant only for me. "I don't think it will matter. He will touch her once, and she'll be—Juliet."
"Are you sure you'll be—"
"Again positive. I've seen and heard her with multiple men."
"Was it so bad… Why do it again?"
"We're not. Juliet's life was filled with hurt… You saw what Louis and Marcus turned into… If she finds out what I've done— That will be more of an issue than her accepting two husbands. Tell me, have you spoken to Brylee? We need her to agree."
"She's actually coming to Earth. Can you believe it?"
My chest locked for a heartbeat because Brylee was unpredictable. New. "Don't tell her too much."
"No, I won't."
"And Ian? He's our biggest obstacle. Don't underestimate his reserve. Or that sister Marcus has in his bed."
"If we can have the water stone, Ahasuerus and Ira will be in our pockets, and all will be well. Oh, that reminds me." Sam pulled the leather strap from around his neck and held out the teleportation stone.
I'd forgotten about it. So consumed. Distracted. It made me think of something. "Why didn't you give Juliet an ability this time?"
"I did… Used the stone on her the day she was born."
"How is the stone triggered?"
He averted his gaze, rubbing fingers together. "Blood from the recipient."
"You cut a baby!"
"It's not magic. Tiniest cut. Anyway, what's her ability?"
"Invisibility."
Sam slammed his hands together, full of glee. "Now she just has to be pushed to display it."
"Why do you have the stone?"
"Stole it." I laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, walking away, ready to join my wife in the water.
***
Between the four of us, preparing for the branding had taken masterminding to the extreme. Running. Hiding. Figuring out how we would get to Mirach with a plate and the intergalactic teleporter. And I wanted to do it before the news reached En-gannim. Be as far away as possible and by using the stone as little as possible.
I didn't even know where the coordinates would take us. But standing on my knees with my hands in the air, there was no mistaking the building the moment we arrived, nor could I forget the deaths that took place there.
Only one young man guarded, in my opinion, the most dangerous place in the universe. He spoke—a lot—in a foreign tongue.
"Romero. I need to speak to Romero."
His torrent of words cut off, hearing the name. He watched us for a moment and walked to the wall to pull a rope bell.
It wasn't long before all our faces turned to the entrance, hearing sandals flopping on the stone floor. A man running. The only way I knew it was Romero was because of the book. His eyes scanned us from left to right as he came to a stop. Out of breath, he asked, "Which of you got branded?"
Juliet raised her hand.
He took two slow steps to stand in front of her. "You may rise… My name is Romero. Please, may I see your faces?" His eyes flickered over her, intently taking in her human appearance. He stuck out his hand.
This Juliet didn't have the confidence the other one had, and she wavered before clutching his. "Nice to meet you, my name is Juliet." The royal dignity in his manner gave way to a vibrant smile, and he shook vigorously. She laughed lightly, the fear flushed away.
Every idea I had about what would happen collided with the recognition on his face. Something I didn't predict. He knew her. How? Or was this his personality?
"We had seen the branding in our room and wondered, debated for weeks about who it was… What happened and what would happen."
My body loosened by a degree. This might all be about the branding. "Have you maybe spoken to Ahasuerus about it?" I asked.
Romero carried a seriousness around his eyes, not giving away too much, and only shook his head. "No… I decided against it."
We all sighed with relief, sharing glances. Juliet took my hand. "We were hoping you could grant us asylum… Maybe hide us with the raiders." Sam ventured.
Romero's features clouded with confusion as he stuttered, "You—want to—take two women into our raider camp?"
"Yes…" I said, hesitating, wondering how to get around this. "We thought—it might solve all our problems. Hidden away for the rest of time… No one will know where we are, and you won't have to worry about us."
"Mm." Romero's heavy eyebrows almost touched. "Why may I ask, did you do it if not to use the powers it grants?"
Juliet and I looked at each other. "To test our love," I said without thinking. Happy for the diversion.
Romero chuckled. "I think you are lying—" My eyes went back to him. He lifted a hand before I could speak. "I also think she does not know, correct?" Romero looked the other four of us in the eye one by one. Searching.
"I don't know what?" Juliet interrupted Romero's evidence gathering because, no, she didn't know. "What powers are you talking about?"
Romero nodded, receiving the answer he wanted. "It is no cause for worry." He turned around, lifting a hand in the air to keep us quiet. Thinking.
With a smile, he faced us. "Very well. Best I take you to Vittore myself. He is my brother, and I will be able to define the limits lest they overstep with the five of you. Yes, that will be wise."
Juliet released a sardonic laugh. "What's wrong with your brother? And why were you so shocked?"
"Rape. Women there mean very little… Whoever can take whatever they want."
Juliet let go of my hand. "You want to take me there? Why?"
Every time I faced her like this. The old life was what it was, a painful reminder. All I had left was patience, a resolve to make her not hate me this time around, make her life easier. And the love ran so deep that I would do anything for it. "Qadir is going to take over Earth… It will be the same thing, only worse; no talking; no going outside; no life for us… En-gannim is even worse. Stuck on an island for the rest of our lives or in a prison if you don't conform. Torture until you behave… Or death because we left. There is nowhere else we can go."
"Can't we live here? Will you take us in? I don't want to go to the raiders… What's the difference between being stuck there and on Earth? At least there we know our way around."
Romero slowly shook his head. I frowned. Why would he say no? There were a million places he could hide us. And if I could keep her to myself, I would. "Forgive me. Our way of life on Mirach is sacred. Any influence will—how do you say—blur the lines."
Juliet had nothing more to say.
"Good. It is settled. My brother knows his place, and it is a well-populated city… Who knows, they might have mended their ways."
"What will we do all day?" Cindy asked. "Juliet and I will live in fear all the time… Will they accept us?"
"My love, we'll be there. And we can figure those things out once we're settled… We'll have so much more freedom than what we've endured over the last two hundred years… If they ever find the three of us, Qadir will kill us." Liam tried his hand.
"Unfortunately, it is true," Romero said. "Shall we go and have a look? If you do not like Eldra'Khaz, we will seek another path."
It took Juliet and Cindy a few minutes to decide before Romero gave us a tour of the building. Our rooms for the night, and to wait for his family to meet us.
Miriam seemed sweet. Meeting her and all his brothers and sisters filled me with remorse. I shut down the emotions and kept my face steady. She was still alive. Everyone was.
"Anything wrong, Soren?" Romero asked.
I shook my head, barely forcing my expression back into place. "Just a lot to get used to."
Romero led us outside into the glaring sun. Everyone exclaimed at the strangeness, the beauty, and the magnificence. And it was. Everything and more. I took a deep breath to calm myself and accept what I had done and the new life I created. The rest was up to fate.
"Excuse me," Romero said from behind us. We all looked back. "This fell on the ground." I schooled my features to an inch of my life.
"Hey, that's yours, Soren." Juliet reached out to take it from Romero.
This specific hair-tie belonged in the old timeline. Juliet had pulled it from her own hair and tied mine; the first day she and Louis were in the bookstore together. It was marked, fixed so many times over. And the one I wore the day I killed his brother. In the scuffle, it had to have come undone. Fallen out. Romero knew.
"Why does it have this red string wrapped around it?"
I looked at Romero and held his piercing stare. I had to say something. "It's a reminder of what one can lose if you're not careful."
Instead of confronting me right there, he smiled. "All we can do is move forward."
His acceptance of what I had done was unexpected. But I would leave it for now.
"Come meet my parents."