In All of Infinity (13 page)

“Who?” Reverie answered and looked at him.
“Who are you? Why am I on the ground?”

Suddenly, she remembered what had happened
and stood up. As they followed suit, she stared at them, then over
at Mona and Brornar, wondering why they were looking at her as if
she’d been brought back to life. All of them looked as if they were
well acquainted, because the battle from earlier was over. She also
realized that no one was wounded. How long had she been on the
ground? Had she been unconscious?

She looked at the young man with light brown
hair and realized he went well with the dress she chose for the
evening. He had a genuine smile on his face, which made him
charming and naughty all at once. Suddenly, she remembered Otis and
knew she still had to save him. Was he still alive?

“I wish I could stay and talk, but I’ve got
to go,” she said, almost as if she were dismissing them.

“You’re not going anywhere,” the young man
stated, still smiling. She could tell by his eyes that he was
serious. Why did he seem so familiar? “Don’t ask why.”

“Why not? Who are you?” she asked, furrowing
a brow. She looked towards Mona. “We haven’t much time, whoever you
are. We have a friend who needs our help.”

Windrew realized the women were staring at
each other and understood they both knew the ‘friend.’ He knew
Isaac had waited long enough to find Reverie, but doubted he truly
accepted that she was different from the girl he once knew. Magic
could do plenty of overwhelming things to the mind, least of all
brainwashing. If Isaac could spend a moment with her, perhaps he
would come to terms with the fact she was no longer the same. He
couldn’t do anything about it. The only way was to find who cast
the spell in the first place, and that sometimes proved a
lifetime’s work. ‘Of course,’ Windrew scoffed inwardly, ‘what do I
know?’

“We will retrieve your friend for you,”
Windrew said assuredly. “The only condition that we have is that
you stay with Isaac. We’re not going to force you, if that’s what
you’re thinking. We just assume, since you are a lady, you prefer
doing as a lady does.”

“Which is what?” she asked, crossing her
arms. “Sitting around and twiddling my thumbs? I don’t mean to be
disagreeable, and I guess you mean well, stranger, but you don’t
understand the situation my friend is in. He is an enemy of the
king and…”

“He isn’t the only one,” Windrew stated as
he walked away. He sidestepped Ash as he ran to his faithful rider.
“We’ll have him back to you in one piece in no time. Come, willowy
one, you ride with me.”

Reverie caught hold of Ash’s reins, and then
watched as Mona walked over to mount the wizard’s steed. She wished
bringing Otis back whole was possible, but knew that wasn’t the
case. Mona’s disheartened expression echoed hers. She didn’t know
these people, especially to trust them with the life of one of her
friends.

She looked at Isaac. “Isaac, is it? What
kind of name is that?”

He smiled even brighter. “At least I have a
name.”

“Oh. Sorry. My name is Ediniah Ojala,” she
said and extended her hand. He looked at it in shock, and she
wondered how much a foreigner he was. Did he find handshaking
offensive?

“No offense, but I’d rather not,” he said
and snatched the reins from her. “Let’s walk.”

Reverie followed him, looking at her hand.
He was obviously acquainted with the custom, but he didn’t seem
easy about it. Why? She had clean hands. Well, she was in the dirt
for a time. How long? Who was he to judge her? Reverie could have
his head for being so cruel to her! With a sigh, she realized that
she wouldn’t. Whenever she was upset, though, she threatened it.
Why was she offended by him?

“What are your intentions, Isaac?”

“My intentions? That’s definitely an
interesting question,” he said and began smiling again. She
realized he was a very happy person. “I think my intentions are
pretty much like any other bachelor.”

“Sex?”

“What?” he blushed. “No.
No. Alright, let me rephrase that: my intentions are pretty much
like any
decent
bachelor. Well, I want to get to know you.”

“They left you alone with me to… speak with
me?” she asked, astonished. “I’m not interested.”

Isaac stopped walking and watched her take a
few more paces before stopping and turning to him. He knew she was
different then, even though he’d had hope that she wouldn’t be.
When she stared at him, she didn’t recognize him, and the thirst
for knowledge and love of nature was gone. She was an empty shell.
Surely there was something he could do?

“Why do you look so familiar? Have we met? I
have the strangest feeling that we have, but I don’t believe that
could be possible. I am usually very good at faces.”

He felt as if his heart had been revived.
“We have, actually. Many years ago. I remember you well.”

“Tell me,” she said and started walking
again, “it will help the time pass. Who, pray tell, is Nadia?”

Isaac walked with her, feeling as if she was
taking in everything he said. He realized, though, that making up
lies would never bring his Reverie back to him. He’d read once,
when he was flipping through pages of an ancient volume of magic
history, that one can only truly live one life. Although Ediniah
was a brilliant conversationalist, he longed for Reverie, the quiet
girl he fell in love with beneath an oak. He couldn’t have both. He
didn’t need both. He only wished he knew how he could bring Reverie
back.

“When do you think they will return?” she
asked at long last.

They were in her bedroom. She was standing
at the window, looking up the road they’d taken. It was still
beautiful out, and she loved the sun on her face. For some reason,
even though Isaac had told her they’d met when she was traveling,
she felt as if she knew him from somewhere else. She wasn’t going
to expose him as a liar, since she did enjoy the lull of his voice,
but she wondered why he was keeping the secret from her.

“I don’t know,” he answered. “Are you sure
your guard can be trusted?”

She looked at him, smiled slightly when she
realized how edgy he appeared. “You have trouble trusting people,
don’t you?”

He met her eyes. “Only certain people I
don’t know.”

“When you say ‘certain’ people, are you
certain you know people you already know? How can you say you know
anyone when you don’t know yourself?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you
mean?”

“Nothing,” she said and turned back to the
window. “Why don’t you shake hands?”

“That’s really bothering you, isn’t it?” he
laughed.

Reverie lunged at him and took his hand in
hers, shaking it heartily, then stepped away and walked back to the
window. She tried to remain serious but began laughing, slightly at
first but then uproariously. Without warning, she stopped and
looked around her, blood pouring from her nose. Isaac reacted
quickly when he realized she was falling, and caught her only
inches from the floor.

Reverie looked at him, searching his eyes.
“Isaac, have you seen my father?” She looked around her, then back
at him. “Where am I? Why am I bleeding?”

***

Wrenwood remained pleasant and peaceful even
when the rest of Magaren, the land to the west, seemed to be
falling into a darker realm of chaos with each passing year. The
people were different once they came into the society, when they
were pulled in by Madame Frost or by one of her twelve council
members. Since they couldn’t do anything without her approval, and
Wrenwood could only house so many, the congregation met after
breakfast every day.

Emmanuel became a council member only two
years after coming there unexpectedly with Truth, even though some
thought it wasn’t fair that he was able to join. He wasn’t from the
Cathene Continent. He wasn’t even from the same planet nor was he
even as powerful as those who held such a prestigious post. Instead
of taking it offensively, he would merely sit in the temple and
accept their criticism, while Madame Frost looked on. Everyone knew
that he was her favorite, which was why she spent her other power
to assist him instead of building up defenses against dark magic.
Within the first year, he had realized there was more at stake than
himself, wife, and daughter. He began to see what was around him
instead of what was in front of him.

Draven Ovile, the candidate who had been
overlooked, became the first person ever to go against the council
and Madame Frost. He was banished when he tried to use his powers,
which had grown considerably darker since he turned twenty. He
threatened to return, and, though his presence hardly ever
concerned Madame Frost, it began doing so shortly after Emmanuel’s
second year.

When Madame Frost gave her newest friend a
third of her power, the borders around Wrenwood became susceptible
to darkness. She knew her sacrifice of power would be beneficial in
the future, since she’d been told he had powers yet to be
unleashed. She didn’t know when, and that caused her to fear
Draven.

Emmanuel began realizing he had feelings for
Madame Frost one morning only months after he’d been selected as a
council member. The temple, which was located in the center of
town, was as private a place as any to reveal his emotions. It was
beautiful, made of marble, circular with a cone-shaped roof, and
reached up several floors. The furniture inside was made of strong
wood and held rich red cushioning, with the floors the same color
and quite plush.

As everyone began leaving their chairs,
which were positioned around a circular table that took up most of
the room, he looked at her as she continued sitting. The light from
the small windows that were placed all around them shone on her,
revealing how beautiful she was, making him wonder once again why
she was called such a title. Was that her real name? He never
asked. He could tell at this moment, though, that she was stressed
by what had been said. A vein on the right side of her forehead had
shown itself, just as it usually did when they told her that
Wrenwood was falling into pandemonium.

She looked at him, speaking only after the
others were gone. “Aren’t you going to follow them? Or do you
prefer to stay here and watch me plan to do nothing about
Draven…about everything?”

“I never agreed with them.”

“You never do,” she spat, her blue eyes full
of rage. “You never do!”

He blinked. “I thought you’d be proud of me
because of that, Frost. Draven is going to get his comeuppance
sooner or later. As for doing nothing, I’m sure you do plenty. Why
don’t you trust my word? Because what I say isn’t important?”

“I didn’t say that!” she exclaimed and
stood.

Emmanuel smiled at the form of her body, how
it curved in the right places. She always dressed wonderfully,
mainly in white, so he wondered if she was as saintly as she tried
to be. He looked into her eyes, and then at her mouth, which was
candy apple red and kissable. He hadn’t kissed a woman in so long,
and Madame Frost looked so much like Esme! She seemed to sense his
intentions and began walking away.

He stood and followed her, caught her arm
before she reached the door. She didn’t turn to him, so he turned
her slowly and smiled at her. There was a loose bang in her eye, so
he put it behind her ear with his finger, feeling the warmth of her
skin.

“Why do they call you Madame Frost?” he
asked, realizing she was afraid of him.

“You won’t do anything,” she stated coldly.
“You love Esme, remember?”

He ignored the fact she didn’t answer his
question. “How do I know she still loves me?” He ran a finger
across her mouth and then trailed it along her jaw. “I’m not sure
that she’s even alive.” He lost himself in her eyes, and then
wrapped her in his arms, feeling the warmth of her body as it
pressed against him. He locked the door and began undoing the back
of her dress.

“You don’t want to do this,” she said almost
inaudibly, gasping for breath. She jumped when she heard the door
lock behind her, then felt his large hands on the small of her
back. “You can’t do this.”

Emmanuel undressed her until she was wearing
only her chemise. When the cool wind of early spring came through
the window, she shuddered and he wrapped his arms around her. He
stared at her dress on the floor around her feet, then ran his
hands down her back and pulled up the fabric until he felt the
warmth of her buttocks. She moaned when she felt his hands there,
found her heartbeat increase.

“This is wrong,” she said and pushed herself
from him.

He pulled her back and, though she pushed at
his chest, she wasn’t as strong as he was and surrendered to his
embrace. He pressed his mouth softly to hers and she felt a hunger
unlike any other come over her. She began undoing his clothes,
slowly unbuttoning his shirt to reveal his muscular stomach. He ran
his hands through her hair, and she reacted to his touch by closing
her eyes. Sensing her pleasure, he kissed her passionately, moving
his tongue within the confines of her mouth, meeting hers over and
over. Frost returned to removing his clothes until he stood naked
with a breeze surrounding him.