Forsaken (Fated Saga Fantasy Series Book 8) (23 page)

“Never. I’d have waited until my dying breath. You are the only woman for me, Juliska Blackwell.”

She sank into his side, wishing they could just disappear. For weeks. She wasn’t ready to face reality yet.

“Look, um…” Eddy took a breath. She sat up a little. “You should know, your mother…”

She pulled back to better see him.

“She’s fine, she’s just been… she’s not been well. But I think seeing you will help a lot. She’s been so worried.”

“So you’ve met her then?”

“Yes. Everyone in your family. Accept for Amelia. She’s been… busy.” The way he said it insinuated he had more to say but was holding back. “Anyway, your mother did not so easily hold out hope of your return and I think between the loss of her husband, and then you, it just took a toll on her. She’ll be okay now.”

Juliska nodded that she understood, however the reunion with her mother was more painful than she expected.

First, her younger siblings barraged her with questions she had no intention on answering. She was told that Alex was stuck at home with the new baby, but relieved beyond words that she was home. But the entire time, Juliska could not take her eyes off her mother. Was it even the same woman she’d left six months ago?

She was nearing sixty, but she looked worn down and much older. In just her first thirty minutes there, Juliska got the sense that her mother did not handle her message three months previous nearly as well as Eddy.

Guilt. It consumed Juliska instantly.

She should have written it better. Taken her time to think it through.

She’d not been taken by her choice. But by the end, it was. She wanted to stay, and learn everything about her past, her parents… everything Fazendiin could teach her. And then the traveling… she’d been off
finding herself
and her poor mother was home, suffering.

And because she felt this guilt, and although she was hardly interested, she asked about Amelia. It was more obligation than anything, but no one had mentioned her yet, which seemed odd.

The room went silent and her mother’s eyes filled with unshed tears.

“What?” asked Juliska, eyeing them all. Her younger siblings got up and left without saying a word.

Eddy grasped her hand. “A lot has happened in the six months you’ve been gone.”

“That’s becoming painfully obvious, but what is it you don’t want to tell me?”

Eddy continued, as her mother was unable. There was a sadness in her aged smile that had nothing to do with what had happened to Juliska.

“I have yet to meet your sister,” reminded Eddy. “She was a few years ahead of me in school and I sort of recall her, but anyway… she’s been stirring up a little mayhem.”

“That’s putting it nicely, Eddy,” said her mother. She shot him a gentle smile.

At least my mother has taken a liking to Eddy. But what on earth has Amelia done now?
Juliska waited while they explained. Perhaps not all her mother’s sorrow was caused by what had happened to her. It didn’t make the guilt lessen any though.

“After the quest ended, so abruptly, and we came home, the idea of relocating to a new home, or expanding, was called off. At least for the foreseeable future,” explained Eddy. “We put together a hunting party to search for you. We searched, for weeks. But every trail we caught on to just led nowhere. We hit dead end after dead end. I think it was all false trails. We assume that after Fazendiin took you, the other Grosvenor stuck around long enough for him to cover his tracks.”

She kept a smug grin to herself. That sounded just like something he would do. 

“After a few weeks, there just wasn’t anywhere else to search. We did not want to give up… I did not want to give up.” There was tremendous guilt in his voice.

She reached out and grasped his hand.

“There wasn’t anything you could have done. If Fazendiin didn’t want me found, there was nothing any of you could do.”

“I still had to try. Anyway,” he cleared his throat, his breathing uneasy. “About a month after you were taken, and the search was officially called off until we had some new evidence to follow, a large group of Svoda caught the Banon off guard and demanded to be let off the island. To form their own clan.”

“What? Really?” Juliska couldn’t believe it.

“Yes. Everyone had heard the rumors, the whispers amongst friends about people getting restless, but it turns out it was more than just talk and chatter. This group wants to break away and form their own group and live by their own rules.”

“Can they? Can they just leave like that?”

“It’s never been tried before,” her mother spoke coarsely. “The Banon is not pleased and disagrees with the idea. But he doesn’t want a war breaking out, either.”

“You think it will come to that?” she asked. “Wait… what does all this have to do with Amelia?”

Her mother begged Eddy to say it with a single tortured gaze.

“Your sister is at the head of this rebellion. She is their leader,” he obliged.

“Amelia? Oh… wow,” she breathed out. “That’s um… wow.”

“Yeah, exactly. She’s been swaying people to her side though. People that want change. That want a different life. Not necessarily even the life
she
wants, but they’re so desperate they’re willing to try anything that’s different.”

“Please tell me she’s not still on this whole returning magic to the world kick.”

Eddy lifted an eyebrow and gave her a short shrug. “She just can’t let it go. And she’s brought many others into the cause. Milo Jendaya…”

Juliska let out a puff of air in total disbelief. “He seemed interested in the idea during the quest,” she remembered. “But to actually agree and side with her…”

“I don’t think many of them actually believe it will ever happen. I think most of them see it as a way off the island. A way for a fresh start. Amelia’s gotten them riled up enough to take action.”

“She does accede at that,” Juliska jested cooly. “Six months… I never realized how much the world could change in just a half a year.” And they didn’t even know about
her
adventures…

“Amelia refuses to give up or give in. Things over the last month or so have heated up a little. She claims she’s got half the island on her side and if the Banon does not peacefully allow them to leave… they will fight their way off.”

Juliska had no response. She’d seen her sister moody before. Precocious, stubborn, persistent. But ready to start a war? She tried to see her sister’s point of view, but it was difficult considering what she was willing to do. Part of her did understand Amelia’s desire to leave the island and explore or find a new home, but there had to be a better way.

Guilt. A lot more of it. So much guilt Juliska wasn’t sure there was enough room for it all.

If she hadn’t been taken, none of this might have happened. They’d have come home and the Banon would have chosen a new place to expand to. Form the sounds of it though, this would not have appeased Amelia.

But to threaten the safety of those on the island. Which seemed to include her own mother… this was an Amelia she did not recognize.

Eddy reached over and caressed her cheek. “Sorry. I didn’t want to overwhelm you so fast. But you would have heard about it soon and I thought better from us.”

“You’re right. It is better this way. I just feel so…” she was at a loss for words.

Her mother reached out and touched her arm.

“Go home. Get some rest. Don’t worry about all this pesky mess we’ve gotten ourselves into,” said her mother. “You’re home now. There’s plenty of time to catch up later, once you’ve had a chance to get settled again.” She eyed Eddy knowingly.

“I’m taking her there now,” he responded, overjoyed.

Her mother had been in on it too. She should have known.

Eddy went out to wrangle the carriage while Juliska and her mother said goodbye.

“He is a good man,” her mother said. “Reminds a little of your father. I never would have thought it, with what I’d heard about him,” she laughed. “But he absolutely adores you and that’s all a mother can hope for.” She stopped for a second. “Do you love him?”

“I didn’t think I ever would, but yes. I do.”

“I know it hasn’t been easy, with what you are and what people expect from you.”

“But he’s not like that.”

“No. I can tell he’s not. Now… go home. And just be together. I’m so happy for you.”

Juliska hugged her. She did miss her mother. She just didn’t realize how much until just now. It was hard to leave, and yet Juliska was relieved to get out of the house and breathe the fresh air.

Her poor mother had endured so much in the last eighteen months. She’d lost her husband. Had a daughter taken, and had another daughter starting a rebellion. It was more than any adoring mother should have to put up with.

Juliska wanted to go home and be alone with Eddy.

Just the two of them away from all this chaos.

She needed to collect her thoughts.

There was so much to discuss.

He helped her back inside the carriage and thirty minutes later, they pulled up in front of a brown shingled cottage covered in a frosty sheen. She imagined in the summer it would have been in full bloom, with loads of flowers. Eddy got out and helped her out.

“What do you think?”

“This is ours?”

“Yes.”

“I still cannot believe you did this. For me. For us.”

“There’s a wonderful garden space in the back. The house itself needed some upkeep but I’ve had some time on my hands so…”

“It’s perfect,” she whispered. “If it’s ours, it’s perfect.”

Eddy insisted on carrying her over the threshold and she obliged, holding back a giddy laugh. He placed her gently on a sofa and lit up the fireplace.

“I could do that in a snap,” she reminded.

“I don’t want you to lift a finger. Just let me. At least for today.”

“Well how can I turn that down?” She let out a heavy sigh.

He got the fire roaring and joined her on the sofa. He took a seat near the right-hand side and motioned for her to lean back on him.

It was perfection. She could have stayed just like this all night long.

“I don’t want to let go, or lose you again,” he whispered.

“I’m not going anywhere, Eddy.”

“Good, because curse the man who tries take you away from me now.”

She turned her head to see his face. “I love you.”

“I love you.”

She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Everything you went through after I was taken. It could not have been easy for you.”

“No. It was…
hell
. Those first hours and days…” he couldn’t even speak of it. “But I’m not concerned about me right now.”

“I’m fine. Really I am. I was never mistreated. Not once.”

“To see you looking so beautiful and to hear you say that, gives my heart peace.”

“I just want to disappear. I’m not ready to face everyone yet.”

“Just let them try…” his tone warned no one would bother her on his watch.

She snuggled up against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. Even as perfect as it all was, there was a restlessness she could not get rid of. She lifted her head.

“Eddy.”

“Yes.”

“Will you show me around our house?”

“Hm, yes. Let’s do that.” He helped her off the couch, but never let go of her hand. “Obviously, this is the living room.” She laughed. He took pulled her into the kitchen.

“It’s… magnificent.” She looked at him quite seriously. “I did tell you I’m not a very good cook, didn’t I? I won’t win any awards for anything that comes out of this kitchen.”

“Good thing I know my way around a kitchen then.”

Next he showed her into the study, which took up the backside of the house. Through the back was also a cute little yard. She imagined waking up and having coffee in that yard. It would have to wait until spring now.

“Where’s this door go?” It was at the end of the hall before the stairs leading up.

“That, my dear, leads down to the basement. It’s fully finished and when I saw it, I thought it was the perfect spot for you.”

“For me?”

“For you and all your candles. You told me you needed a private space to work in. You’ll love it.”

“My own candle room. That’s… actually very exciting.”

“That’s nothing…” He pulled her up a flight of stairs. “Bath, to your left. Spare room to your right. I have some thoughts on filling that room.”

“Do you now?”

“Yes. It starts with the last room. It takes up the entire backside of the upstairs.”

He opened the door for her.

“Oh my. Eddy, this is… this is really ours? I didn’t think we were up high enough to a view like this.”

“The outside of the house is a little deceiving. It’s much larger than it first appears.”