The Heart-Shaped Emblor (The Ewlishash Series) (12 page)

“Damn it, Aislinn! Don’t you understand how serious this is?”

I was stunned into silence as Hope’s shout came through the phone. Who did she think she was yelling at me? Part of me wanted to tell her off and slam the phone down, but I didn’t. In my heart, I felt she knew more than I did about the situation, so I sucked it up and continued talking.

“No, I guess I don’t. But what does any of that matter, really? Isn’t the most important thing here that Evan got what he needed? He actually gave me a huge hug and thanked me. Right now, I have empowered him to do the right thing. To be able to help others, without letting himself get out of control. Whatever Alexander may have done wrong, together, we helped someone in need. That is far more important than anything else.” My voice embodied confidence. There would be no arguing with me. I’d made up my mind. We did what was best for Evan. Nothing else mattered.

Hope didn’t respond. My earlier disappointment over having to stay behind now felt like my saving grace. I felt thankful I didn’t have to share a room with her while we were both so angry.

“Look, Hope.” I softened my voice. “I understand that maybe some rules were broken, but you want me to trust myself, and I did. When you react like this, when I think something wonderful has happened, it makes it difficult for me to trust my gut. I’m proud of myself for being able to help, and now you make me think I’ve done something terrible.”

“I’m sorry, Aislinn. I may have given you the wrong impression. It’s not you I’m upset with,” she explained.

“I may not understand completely what Alexander did wrong, but does it matter as long as he helped me?”

“I’m afraid it does matter. That was your test, and he interfered. His actions could alter your entire existence.”

“That was my test?” My heart skipped a beat. “There was no opportunity for self-gain. The situation had nothing to do with me!” Panic shot through me as I finally understood why Hope had been so upset.

“You’re wrong, Aislinn. There was something in the situation for you. It may not have been wealth or power, but it was Evan. You had knowledge that you could’ve used to take him from Mel. Or you could have let him cheat and give her an STD. Rather than let that happen, you protected the ones you love and didn’t take advantage of the situation. You were on the right path, whether you would’ve asked your guides for help or not. Your intent was clear, to help Evan. Now that Alexander interfered, I’m not sure what the outcome will be.” Hope’s words sent a shiver of dread through me.

All that should have mattered was that Evan got help. What were all the dumb rules for anyway? What good was having gifts if I couldn’t use them to help people? Plus, before Mel, I could have had Evan any old time I wanted him. That didn’t feel like something I could have gained.

“Hope, let’s go to bed. I’m getting really irritated.”

“Why?”

“Look, I understand that you follow all these rules and such. That’s fine for you, but what Alexander did was enable me to finish helping my friend, so if that’s wrong, then I’m not sure I want whatever all this is. Helping Evan is more important than me being some ‘special person’ with abilities. I would gladly trade it all if what happened today truly changes Evan’s life.

“If you think what happened on Alexander’s or my part is so terrible, then you take a look at Evan tomorrow. See how good and sure of himself he feels. Then you tell him that none of that matters, because we broke the rules. Do it your way, but I want no part of that.” My words were icy; there would be no more debating.

Hope’s silence didn’t surprise me. Finally, she responded. “Okay, Aislinn. Maybe I just need to think things over. I want to talk to Kiera. I’ll call you if I find anything out. Will you call me when you finish your interview?”

“Of course.” I breathed easier knowing she wouldn’t abandon me as a friend just because we didn’t agree on something so major. “Goodnight, and thank you for all you’ve done to help me.”

“Goodnight, Aislinn.” Hope hung up the phone loudly. I could tell she was still upset, but I needed to rest my head. My thoughts felt like daggers. I fell asleep right away, and had one of the most vivid dreams ever.

***

I was at a council of some sort, sitting at a U-shaped table along with about thirty other people. My seat was in the dead center. I had donned a flowing white gown. Everyone wore white. The room was so bright, it seemed like there were lights shining at me from every angle. I had to squint in order to see anything.

The men and women kept looking at one another, then at me. I could see Alexander outside of the U of people. He leaned on a pillar with his hand in his pocket, one leg pulled up behind him. He seemed to be waiting for someone, maybe me.

The council members shook their heads, some back and forth, some up and down. I felt completely under the gun. I had no idea what was happening or why these people were staring at me. One man finally spoke.

“But the rules were broken. We cannot allow that to happen.” His voice sounded like thunder. The bald-headed wrinkly man stared deep inside me. I had a feeling I didn’t have any secrets from this group.

Another man stood up, and a woman too.

“The girl has proven herself. She has done well. No rules were broken.” The woman spoke, and the man nodded in agreement.

“On the contrary.” A man with long, skinny fingers stood. “The rules were broken, and there has to be a consequence. We can’t let just anyone—”

“Enough!” The large figure at the head of the table stood.

I couldn’t tell if it was a male or female, or both at the same time, though it appeared slightly more male. He moved like the breeze, and with great authority. Whoever he was, he nodded once and left the table.

The others began to follow suit. One by one, they all left. I sat dazed in the center. I looked around desperately for Alexander. He was still leaning on the pillar, his smile wider than the Grand Canyon. Kiera stood with him, the corners of her tiny mouth curling upward.

***

I woke with an overwhelming spin in my head. My heart pounded, as if the dream had been terrifying. It took several hours to fall back asleep. Images of strange figures in white lingered in my head.

INTERVIEW

D
amn… Where is it?
I crinkled the directions in my hand, trying to read them while I turned the steering wheel. The Google map was far from accurate. For the last twenty minutes, the one-way roads of the city had had me circling hopelessly. Realizing my interview time was fast approaching, I called her.

“Hello, Ms. Tounsy, this is Aislinn Moore. The directions to your studio that I found online seem to be inaccurate. I just wanted to let you know that I am close, and I will be there as soon as I can. Thank you for the opportunity, and I will see you soon.”

A few blocks up, a parking attendant was just coming on shift. The moment he slipped into his tiny building, my fingers crossed. Grabbing the address, I rolled down my window to greet the man.

“Excuse me, sir? Do you know where I can find this studio?”

The man took the paper from me and pointed up the street. “The third left up ahead.”

“Thank you!”

I plunged the gas pedal to the floor despite the remnants of snow lingering on the road. I had only two minutes to get to the interview. My shoulders sank the moment I pulled into the parking garage. The sign read, “$10 per day. Parking pass required.” Ms. Tounsy hadn’t said anything about paid parking. I took the ticket from the booth in hopes that I would find a cash machine somewhere inside.

The garage circled up three tiers, so I followed until I finally found an open stall. I had no chance of making the interview on time. Ten minutes passed by like a blink, leaving me running for the door.

The inside of the building did not look like what I had envisioned. The walls were old and falling apart. The floors were lumpy, as if they had been left wet at some point and the boards had warped severely. The smell reminded me of an old courthouse.

The hall was long and lined with many studios and offices, all belonging to people and companies I did not need. Finally, the last door on the left belonged to the Geory Studio. In my hurry, I inadvertently flung the door open. My pace was brisk as I approached the receptionist.

“Hello,” I spoke, out of breath. “I’m here to see Wendy Tounsy.”

The receptionist’s eyes rolled up to me. She was clearly annoyed. “You’re late.”

“Am I?” I suppressed a sigh. “I called and left a message for Wendy. My directions weren’t accurate, but I’m here now.”

“Do you really think that matters?” The young woman stuck up her nose at me, reminding me of Jaden.

“Well,” I argued. “I
did
call. I didn’t have your number, or I would have called you too.”

She laughed mockingly. “I don’t care if you would have called the Queen of England. ‘Lates’ don’t make it through the door. No exceptions.”

“What do you mean? Ms. Tounsy told me to Google the address, but Google was wrong!” Rage filled me. I’d missed my vacation, couldn’t be there when Evan needed to deal with Paula, and had jumped through too many hoops to be denied for something that was beyond my control.

A door opened from the left, and a tall woman dressed in sleek black clothing approached me. “You must be Aislinn.”

“Yes.” I tried to calm myself. “Are you Wendy Tounsy?”

“That is correct,” she huffed. “You are making a ruckus. Is there a problem?”

“Yes,” I admitted. “I called you on the way here to tell you that I couldn’t find your studio with the directions you told me to use, and I asked for you to please note that I was on my way. But your receptionist is being very unprofessional. She refused to let me see you, because I arrived late.”

“My receptionist is doing her job. I do not allow late people into my studio. Ever.” The woman was ice cold.

“Why? What if I had been in a car accident?” I tried to reason with her.

“That would have been unfortunate, but if you can’t even make it to the interview on time, who’s to say you’ll make the show on time? The point is you weren’t in an accident. You were just late.”

“But…” My confidence began to break. “I used the directions you told me to use. That doesn’t matter to you?”

“This is a competitive studio, Aislinn. At least thirty other art students have applied for this position, and of those, at least ten have interviews. You should have driven out here yesterday or at least a couple hours early this morning. That is customary when seeking a high profile job. Had you done that, you would have had plenty of time to find us. You lack the drive we are looking for, and just won’t fit our studio.” Ms. Tounsy crossed her arms impatiently, long white fingers curling over her biceps. It turned my stomach. “The receptionist will give you a voucher for parking. Have a nice day.” Just like that, she was back in her office, door closed.

My heart thudded with disappointment and frustration. I could hear the receptionist snickering at me. My fists clenched.

I knew that if I turned to get the voucher, I might deck her. The door would be the safer route, so I headed for it. There had to be an ATM somewhere in the building.

I ran too fast over the lumpy hallway floor. I almost tripped on the way out. The closer I got to the garage, the angrier I became.

I flung the door to the garage open, thankful that there had been no one on the other side of it. My chest ached from running so fast. I had to lean over and rest my hands on my knees to catch my breath.

Why had I canceled my trip? This interview had been worthless. I missed out on time with my friends for nothing. They would be leaving first thing tomorrow morning, so the drive up there now would be pointless.

Solemnly, I shuffled to the car. When I saw my driver’s-side door, I thought my vision had betrayed me. Leaning against my car with a larger-than-life grin stood Alexander, one hand in his pocket and the other tossing a coin. I stared breathless for a moment before approaching him.

“Hey,” he began. His voice was like soothing magic to my ears. “Sorry about the interview. You’ll get something. Don’t worry.” He reached for my cheek, gently touching it.

My eyes closed into small slits as his fingers made me tremble.

“How did you know?” I managed to mumble out.

“Hope called me and said you had an interview here at eleven. Seeing that you were only in there for five minutes, I’m assuming you didn’t get the job.”

“No.” I muttered profanity under my breath. “I didn’t.”

“Cheer up, Aislinn.” His tender voice gave me a flicker of hope. “Come on, I have something to tell you.”

“Wait.” I put my hand up. “How did you get here? I don’t see your car.”

“That is part of what I want to tell you,” he admitted. “But first, we need to get into the car. Then you need to call Hope. I will take care of parking for you.” Alexander paused, his face serious. “In fact, why don’t you let me drive? You look a little too upset to be behind the wheel.” Alexander reached for my keys, and I handed them over without a second thought. He unlocked the car and opened the passenger door for me. “Hop in.”

I got in and pulled out my cell. I scrolled through my contacts until I got to Hope’s number, and hit send.

“Aislinn! Why weren’t you answering?” Hope’s enthusiasm obscured her words.

“I had my phone off while I was on my interview,” I replied gruffly.

“Oh,” she said softly. “How’d that go?”

“Not well,” I admitted. “My directions weren’t right. I called ahead, but the woman refused to see me. She said I had no excuse for being late. That’s what I get for trusting someone Mr. Wellner didn’t suggest.” My words broke off as the ache in my throat took over.

“Don’t worry. Something will come your way. If the lady wouldn’t even see you, you probably wouldn’t have been a good fit for the job anyway. You are late a lot.”

“Thanks, Hope,” I spouted. “I really didn’t need that reminder.”

“Sorry.” Though I couldn’t see her, I could sense that Hope cringed at my response.

“So what was it you wanted?”

“I have wonderful news.” Her voice lightened instantly.

“What?”

“Is Alexander there?”

I looked up at Alexander. His wide smile gleamed in the cold air.

“Yes.” My mood began to turn for the better. “What did you want to tell me?”

“Well, I talked to Kiera this morning—”

Hearing Kiera’s name reminded me that I’d dreamed about her, and I cut Hope off. “I had a dream about her the other night. I forgot she was in it,” I admitted.

“You did?” Hope sounded irritated.

“Yeah, why?”

“Why didn’t you say anything? I’ve been so worried.”

“I, uh…” I fumbled over my words, confused as to why it mattered. “I didn’t think about it. The dream was kind of
weird
. I shrugged it off.”

“Aislinn.” She let out a long breath. “When are you going to understand that your dreams mean something? Even the strange ones?”

“Give me a break, Hope,” I griped. “I’m dealing with a lot right now, and this is all new to me. Why are you so worked up?”

“Because… You
did
pass!”

“Passed what?”

“Your test, silly. You passed! Didn’t you know?” Hope’s voice was light with laughter. My silence gave her the answer she sought. “Oh! You really didn’t know! Kiera said that, in your dream, you went to the Jarwin. The one at the head of the table was the leader of the Jarwin. His nod meant that you passed.”

“My dream really happened?” I asked in disbelief. “I… don’t understand. How could I travel somewhere in my sleep?”

“Nope! Can’t tell yet; that’s for Alexander.” She radiated pleasure. “I was wrong about your actual test. I thought it was helping Evan. So when Alexander interfered, I anticipated you failing. But that wasn’t the test.”

“Then what was my test?”

“When you told me it didn’t matter as long as you helped your friend. That was the test, whether or not you would give up your gifts to help someone in need. And you passed with flying colors!” I had to pull the phone away from my ear. My head hurt from the stress over my interview, and Hope’s exuberant loudness wasn’t helping.

It took a moment for what she said to sink in.

“So, I passed? I did it?” My voice got louder as my excitement grew. Maybe the day wouldn’t be so devastating after all.

“Yes!” Hope shouted. “Although how I could have gotten it so wrong is beyond me, but what does that matter now that you passed?”

“I knew you were wrong when you said I could have taken Evan for myself. I’ve had that opportunity many times now, and I didn’t need this experience to change that.”

“Really? Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Um, hello? Did you forget that I don’t know what I’m doing?”

“Oh, I guess you’re right,” Hope said with a bubbly disposition. “Well, all is good now. I’m so glad I called Kiera. I wondered if I’d missed something, and I needed assurance. Boy was I right! When she called me back, she filled me in on everything. Kiera was at the council meeting with you and Alexander. He’s yours now, and you’re his.”

For some reason Hope’s last statement sent a shiver of dread through me. “What do you mean he’s mine
,
and I’m his? I knew we would have a chance together, but not that we had to be together.” In my shock, I forgot Alexander was sitting right next to me, listening to every word I said.

“Don’t worry, Aislinn, everything will be fine. You’ll see. If you don’t want to be together, then you don’t have to. It’s just that you two are more perfectly matched than anyone else. Don’t worry about it just yet, okay? This is a time for celebration!

“I have to go now. This is Alexander’s time with you. He’s been waiting as patiently as he can for me to tell you all of this. Let him tell you what you want to know.”

“Okay, Hope.” I had been so eager for answers for so long that now that I had what I desired, nervousness filled me instead of anticipation. “I’ll talk to you later, then. Thanks.” I hit end and turned to Alexander.

My heart began to pound. I was getting my chance with the mysterious, intelligent, kind and protective Alexander. The moment I saw his deep-set dimple, I felt absolutely at peace.

“Thank you for being here.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled again, his head lowered slightly, as if he were embarrassed about something. “You looked surprised to see me.”

“I didn’t expect you to be here. I mean, I know we are supposed to be together, but…” I decided to be quiet before I put my foot in my mouth.

“Hope didn’t tell you much, did she?” he asked, seeming somewhat annoyed with her.

“No, not really,” I admitted. “All she said was that it was your turn, that you would explain the rest.”

“Ah.” He started the car. “Shall we?”

“Um, all right.” I buckled up and let my gaze wander past the window, trying to suppress my nervousness.

“You know,” Alexander began, “I’m only here for you, so you can relax. I do wish Hope had told you a bit more, so you wouldn’t be so nervous right now.”

Alexander put the car in drive and pulled out. As promised, he took care of the parking. I’d never let anyone else drive my car before. Either I’d gone nuts, or, somewhere inside me, I knew I could trust him.

“Alexander, I want you to understand something.” I took a deep breath and turned to face him. “I’m only uncomfortable because of everything that happened this weekend. First off, you called me while I was in the middle of a private conversation and knew
exactly
what I’d discussed with Evan. Then I dreamt about you, in circumstances that Hope told me actually happened… Now, you show up at my interview, with no car, and I don’t even know how you knew where to find me. It’s nothing personal. Just the sheer fact that too much seems to be happening too fast is enough to set my nerves ablaze. I really am quite happy to see you, despite the nervousness.” Blood rushed to my face while I tried to explain myself.

The corner of Alexander’s mouth curled upward. “It’s okay, Aislinn. You can’t help what you don’t know.” He patted my leg as he pulled out of the parking lot. My discomfort turned into desire as he kept his hand there, despite the slicing pain that always lingered with his touch.

“So,” I began. “What are you doing here? And how did you get here?” I thought if I started with the easiest questions, it might help me get the nerve to ask the harder ones.