The Gathering (41 page)

Darla had barely made it on time and had feared she was late.
 
She was nervously winding her fingers around her thumb.
 
She looked around and then she saw him and smiled.

"Oh, Elian, I'm so glad you came."

Elian took her hands and kissed the back of each one.

"Of course, My Dear.
 
After I received your note, how could I stay away?
 
But what feelings could you possibly fear?"

Darla pulled Elian back in the corner and behind a wall of hay.
 
He shook his head and looked at her quizzically.

"My feelings for you, Elian.
 
I love you."

Elian felt a smile cross his lips and he brought her hands to his chest.
 

"I had always hoped you would feel for me as I do you, Sara."

"Oh, Elian."

Elian held her closely and then began to think.
 
He pulled back and looked at her.

"Have you told the atheist how you feel about me?
 
You looked very close last night."

Darla looked at the ground and blushed.

"I told him this morning, before I came here.
 
He was so angry.
 
I was so afraid, but he finally left and then I came here to meet you."

Elian smiled and touched her face again, then he leaned in to kiss her; however, as his lips touched hers, he had a sense of foreboding.
 
He opened his eyes and for that split second he saw that her eyes were brown and not blue.
 
Were his eyes playing tricks on him?
 
He continued to kiss her, then pulled back and frowned.

"Sara, Precious, does Coeli know?"

Darla's heart was beating wildly.
 
She looked around and smiled.

"Of course she knows…she's my sister."

Elian smiled and nodded.

"Then she's happy for us?"

"Like I said, she's my sister, of course she's happy for us."

Elian nodded and smiled.

"Wonderful!"

Darla began to see she was losing her grip on him.

"Is there something wrong?"

Elian regained his composure and shook his head.

"No, no…I just forgot that I promised my father that I would help with services today.
 
Because of all that's happened, we are worshiping in our own areas."

Darla nodded, as Sara would have.

"Yes, my mother told me.
 
So you have to leave now?"

Elian touched her face and smiled.

"Alas, yes, the Lord waits for no man, Sara, but you know that, don't you?"

Darla smiled and nodded.

"When will I see you again?"

Elian looked at his watch and kissed the back of her hand.

"Dinner I think.
 
How does that sound?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Elian?"

"Yes?"

"Will you meet me back here before dinner?"

He lifted an eyebrow in question.

"I just want to spend some time with you alone, that's all."

He laughed and leaned in to kiss her again.
 
She touched his face and he pulled back smiling.

"See you here, then.
 
Around seven?"

Darla nodded and smiled.
 
She kept smiling and watched Elian walk off towards the castle.
 

Darla's heart was still beating.
 
She had never been kissed before.
 
Now she knew what she had been missing and she felt her eyes well up.
 
Then she heard the feet upon the gravel and she turned, still wearing the glamour.
 
There was Rona, smiling in that slanted way, her hands on her hips.

"Great job, Dee.
 
You can't even get a kid who's in love with the glamour to put out."

Darla looked at Rona, hiding the hatred that had been growing inside her for some time.

"Tonight at seven.
 
He had to help his father."

Rona looked in the direction where Elian had gone.

"Are you sure that he doesn't suspect anything?"

Darla lifted her arms and spun around.

"Do I or do I not look like Sara Stark?"

Rona turned and smiled at Darla, but Darla could see what was coming.
 

"Yeah, how did it feel to be pretty?"

Rona turned back around and laughed as she walked back in the other direction, away from Darla and the stable.

Darla felt her anger grow as she watched Rona walk away.
 
She bit the inside of her lip to stop the tears, as she began to walk in the same direction.

When Elian had left the stables he walked quickly back towards Keystone House.
 
There was something amiss.
 
He knew that whomever he had been speaking to, it was not Sara Stark.
 
He could have mistakenly believed that her eyes were brown in the light, but to tell him that Coeli would be happy about their union, he knew that to be an out-and-out lie.

He knew that Coeli Stark disliked him.
 
As he rounded the corner and started to walk up the steps to Keystone, he heard a familiar laugh.
 

He turned and saw Sara, arm-in-arm with Scott Forrester, walking towards the castle.
 
Elian nodded and watched as they laughed and flirted with one another.

"Now this evil is targeting me."

"And Father."

Elian jumped as Albion walked over and stood next to him on the stairs.

"Do you know something of what's going on?"

Albion nodded and shrugged.

"I can tell you what I know, but I think when we're done, we should go talk to Sara and Scott.
 
They should know about someone impersonating her, you know?"

Elian looked at his hands and then at his brother.

"You saw me at the stables?"

Albion nodded.

"Do you know who it was?"

Albion shook his head.

"No, whoever it was kept the disguise going, but I saw them talking to someone, only I couldn't see who that was either."

Suddenly it occurred to Elian that he and Albion were talking.

"You trust me enough to share what you've seen?"

Albion shrugged and sighed.

"I don't have much choice really.
 
Everyone else would think I was crazy."

Elian smiled.

"And I don't?"

Albion let a small smile through and started to walk up the stairs.

"C'mon, I'll tell you what I know."

Elian nodded and began to follow, allowing himself one more look at Sara.
 
He finally knew in his heart that they would never be together.
 
It was almost a relief.
 
Almost.

53

Chelsea and Coeli were strumming the strings of their mandolins.
 
Chelsea looked over at Coeli and bit her bottom lip, then stopped strumming.
 
It took a few moments, but Coeli realized and looked over at Chelsea.
 
Her large charcoal eyes fixed on her friend.

"What's wrong, Chels?"

Chelsea smiled sadly and shrugged.

"Things are changing.
 
It seems like I haven't seen you at all this Gathering and we were inseparable six months ago.
 
Now you're spending all your time with Sam and…well, that's not a bad thing…it's just that…well…"

Chelsea let a tear roll down her cheek.

"He's staying isn't he?"
 
Chelsea asked.

Coeli felt her own tears welling up as she nodded.

"He told me he wants to stay.
 
I want him to stay.
 
I love him, Chels."

Chelsea smiled and nodded.
 

"I know, I can see it when you look at each other.
 
Like I said, things are changing.
 
I'm seeing Tanner."

Coeli's mouth dropped open.

"When did this happen?"

Chelsea smiled and shrugged.

"Officially, this morning.
 
He kissed me… right after he told Tanya Hogar that he was with me."

Coeli smiled and held her instrument, slightly rocking it back and forth.

"I'm glad."

Chelsea continued to smile and then held out her hand.
 
Coeli took it gently and they stared at their hands.
 
Chelsea then looked at Coeli.

"I'm glad too, but…look, I know you want to spend all this time with my brother and that's great, but it's my only time to see you too and even though I want to spend time with Tanner and Hannah and Rebecca and Rachel, I want to spend time with you and Sara, too.
 
You know, just girl stuff.
 
Like we used to, you know?"

Coeli put the mandolin down and grabbed Chelsea into a hug, holding her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Chels…I'm so sorry."

Tears fell down Coeli’s face and she sniffed and held her friend.

"I've been so caught up in Sam that I forgot you.
 
I'm sorry."

Chelsea hugged her friend back and smiled.
 
She pulled back and wiped the tears off of Coeli's face.
 
Chelsea sighed.

"That's ok, I mean if you play your cards right then maybe I get you for a sister, huh?"

They laughed.

"Or maybe I get you for a sister.
 
How weird is it if we married each other's brother?"

"How weird is all of this?
 
I mean it seems like just yesterday I was playing with dolls and making mud pies and now I'm dating and people our age are getting married.
 
Your sister is only three years older than we are…don't you think it's weird?"