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.Was I being intrusive by attempting too? Sadly, I didn’t have any control over it at all.It just came and went.The fact that it comes is mindblowing.But it seems like every time I display some form of power, it’s not within my control.I sighed with frustration.I had to avert my eyes from Evan, so I looked up at the vines that intertwined with the strips of iron which made up the top of the gazebo.I felt Evan take my hand, and turn it palm side up.I couldn’t breathe as I watched him lower his head.He placed a kiss as delicate as a warm breeze on my wrist, and then gently kissed the palm of my hand.They were innocent, yet sensuous kisses that sent ripples of soft waves throughout my entire body.Evan wove his smooth fingers through mine, and we sat there like that, quietly, for what seemed like a long time.All the while I felt totally comfortable with Evan, for the first time.It was as if his kiss had the power to calm my nerves.I watched him out of the corner of my eye and he stared forward, seeming to take in the lovely landscape of the garden.I refused to read his thoughts the entire time and more importantly, he couldn’t read mine.I wasn’t sure what I felt for him, but what I was sure of at that very moment was that I didn’t want to let go of his hand, so I didn’t.It felt right, as if our hands belonged intertwined, as if nothing was ever going to be powerful enough to pry them apart.Perhaps, it was the comfort of being intimate with someone that clouded my mind.I didn’t know for sure, but I enjoyed sitting here in this romantic gazebo with Evan.I wondered if he could sense that.We left the gazebo, with our hands still interlocked, slightly swinging our arms to and fro.Upon entering the house, it was quiet.Too quiet, like no one was home, and Evan and I were alone in the world.Realizing that two hours had gone by; Evan said that he needed to catch up with his father and Nikolas.With a languid kiss on my hand, Evan was up the stairs and out of sight.There was no doubt in my mind that they would be discussing a strategy to stop Victor and that Apolluon Vampire named Matthias.I felt so helpless, and guilty of the mess I had made of things.I decided to stay in the sun room for a while.I listened to the only sounds in the room; two love birds swinging separately on two mini swings.They swung in unison in their oversized, gilded cage.I walked over to the cage, and peered at the two birds, wondering if they were truly smitten with each other.EighteenTown TripAfter only a few solitary minutes, Bethany dashed into the sun room with an invitation that I couldn’t resist.A trip into town.I was pleasantly surprised that she would want to venture out after the strict reprimand she and I had received for the early morning ride, but she was ready to go.Bethany had on a matching bonnet, and was fastening the single pearl button at the wrist of her lace gloves.“We’re going into town to choose the fabric needed to have our Masquerade Ball gowns made.” She ignored my look of concern and fear.“Oh don’t worry.Night Wind will escort us.”“No, it’s not that, well it’s not only that.I don’t think that I’m ready for my anointment as the Empress of this empire.”“You will be.” Bethany assured.“Shall we?” She prompted me, impatiently as she motioned to the archway leading out of sunroom and into the foyer.I ignored her.“No I don’t think so.My memory, whatever it is that I’m supposed to recall, hasn’t returned.” I argued, and unconsciously grabbed my medallion.Somehow it always seemed to calm me with its cool temperature.“Your memory should be restored by then.” Bethany said, smoothing her dress.“How do you know that?”“Look, blocking it, won’t help, Cordelia.Please allow it to happen,” Bethany snapped.Maybe she was right.Maybe I was blocking the memories.Maybe, unconsciously, I didn’t want to remember.No, that’s not true.I was desperate to remember.She’s wrong.Bethany’s dead wrong.I’m not the reason that I can’t recall anything from my past.Something else must be blocking it.“Just don’t think about it, alright,” Bethany advised.That was easier said than done.Impossible really.Bethany summoned Night Wind, who besides being the stable hand, was also our driver.She instructed him to bring the carriage around, as Sun Paw brought me my matching accessories; a bonnet, a pair of lace gloves, and a parasol.In no time, we were seated in the dim, yet lush velvet interior of the completely enclosed carriage.The ride was fairly bumpy due to the uneven sandy terrain of the dirt road.Behind the fringed velvet curtain, I spied the busy town below.I felt consumed by an eerie feeling.It was hard to believe how different and how similar the streets looked compared to how they will look a century later.As we made our way down the road, I kept my nose pressed to the carriage window.I stared out at all the houses, remembering how aged and deteriorated they were in the future.I was surprised at how pristine they all looked now.People were sitting on their porches drinking beverages, and standing in their front yards waving as they watched us go by.Our carriage made its way onto what could be considered the main street.I noticed some of the town folk gawking at our carriage, and it felt like we were an overly attractive float in a parade.This town, in the future, had been somewhat preserved with minor renovations for a recent revival to showcase Nickel City's historic lore.But it was impossible to fully capture the atmosphere I saw now.The town was bustling with people coming and going into and out of the mercantile, the post office, the bank, the saloons, the restaurants, the hotel, the lumber yard, and the tinsmiths.It was like being in a whole different town not just era.I don’t remember ever seeing this much traffic by foot or by car on C Street.“I can’t believe this many people live in Nickel City,” I said with my nose still pressed up to the carriage window.There were more people in town now than there was when the tourist would flock here for the tours on the weekends.“It’s as my father had explained, we, put silver in the mines and they came.Indeed, they came in droves,” Bethany said, eyeing the town folk skeptically.“It will be better once we prevent Victor and the Apolluon from destroying this town and the entire west.”“Everything looks so… brand new.”“Everything is brand new.I remember when Nikolas and I arrived in the future, shortly after you did.We were immediately saddened by the ruins.It’s a shame really.” Bethany sighed.I’d been so depressed, being stuck in this unfamiliar time, but seeing the town now – all brand new and busy – just knowing how much it will changed for the worse was even more depressing [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]