Chapter 24
ERDIKOA
The next morning, Lauren stood at the bottom of the stairs with her arms crossed, stopping Rory in her tracks. “You said you wouldn’t leave.”
Rory didn’t bother lying. “It was an emergency, and how did you know, anyway?”
“You don’t look hurt,” Lauren accused, blocking her path to the kitchen. “And I know everything. Please do not make our jobs harder than they need to be. If there is somewhere you need to go, ask me.”
Rory threw her hands up. “Sam wouldn’t even tell me what an Aeternum was! He wouldn’t have taken me to buy an illegal memory recovery potion.”
She expected Lauren to be pissed. What she didn’t expect was for the guard to say, “It’s a Royal’s eternal mate.”
Rory’s mind took a second to catch up to her words. “What?”
Lauren turned and beckoned Rory to follow her into the living room. “An Aeternum is a Royal’s eternal mate. Two souls made for each other at the same time.”
Rory let the information sink in. Caius said she was his Aeternum, but it was impossible. “Caius is hundreds of years older than I am.” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s weird that I am—was in a relationship with someone hundreds of years old.” Especially when they look like sex on a stick.
“Who else would he have a relationship with?” Lauren asked. “His siblings are the only other immortals, and seeing as you are the only person he can marry for life, that leaves him no choice but to date a woman with a significant age difference.”
“It’s still odd,” Rory muttered. “But if our souls were made at the same time, how am I only twenty-five?” A thought occurred to her. “Have I been alive before?” Cora read about this once in a book. What was it she called it? “Reincarnated?”
Lauren smirked. “Reincarnation doesn’t exist in these realms.”
Her wording irked Rory. Did it exist in other realms? “Then how is it possible?”
Lauren shrugged. “Your soul rests with Moira until your mate needs you the most.”
Who the hell is Moira? “How can we share dreams?” There was more to being an Aeternum than Lauren was saying, and Rory needed to know everything.
Lauren leaned back and crossed her legs with her arms spread wide along the back of the couch. “When you are both asleep, your souls meet in a soulscape. To simplify it, you share a dream that’s real.”
Rory thought back to Caius’ hands on her and shivered. It felt real, all right. “And what else?”
“When one of you is in danger, the other will get a vision. You see through the other’s eyes.
” Would Caius be in danger in Vincula? “Aeternums are born with grey-scale sight, and when they meet their mate, they see them in color. Skin-to-skin contact lifts the grey-scale sight permanently, confirming the bond.”
Touching her cheek, she frowned as a memory tried to push through. Red. “The bowl was red,” she whispered.
Lauren dropped her arms and straightened. “What are you talking about?”
She chewed on her lip, unsure where the words came from. “I don’t know, but there was a red bowl. I think.”
“Caius thinks because you are Seraphim-blessed as an Aeternum that it’s possible the memory magic doesn’t work the same on you,” Lauren commented, more to herself than Rory. “I think he’s right.”
Rubbing her eyes, she groaned. What a mess. “Why was I released early?”
Lauren hesitated. “That is not my story to tell.”
“Cora had grey-scale sight, too,” Rory said, standing. If she’d fallen for his lies, she would never forgive herself. “Was she his real Aeternum, and I took her place after she died? Did he really kill her?”
“No,” the Angel said quickly as she rose from the couch. “She was not his Aeternum, and he didn’t kill her, but that is something I can’t explain to you. You need your memories back; otherwise, you’ll do something stupid.”
Rory bristled. “You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do,” Lauren countered with a snort, making Rory purse her lips.
Irritation bubbled in her chest. “Either you can help me get them back, or you can stay here while I do.” She brushed past Lauren toward the kitchen for a much-needed coffee.
“Open the front door,” Lauren said to Rory’s retreating back.
She regarded the Angel as she rerouted to the foyer and opened the door.
Lauren followed behind her and pointed outside. “Throw your attitude out, and then we’ll talk.”
She stood stunned before laughing. When she regained her composure, her shoulders slumped as she massaged her temples. “I’m sorry, Lo. This whole thing has me on edge.” She looked at Lauren’s shocked expression and realized what she said. “Why did I call you Lo?”
The Angel debated internally before gesturing for Rory to follow her outside. Lauren stood in the front yard, and within seconds, shifted into a murderous-looking panther.
Shrieking, Rory pressed herself against the front door, but recognition quickly replaced her panic when she met the panther’s gaze. Lauren shifted back and waited.
“You’re a cat,” Rory said lamely.
“I’m a panther, and you used to pet me.” She smirked when Rory’s jaw fell open.
“You don’t seem the type to let someone pet you,” she mumbled as they walked back inside. “Besides, what does that have to do with me calling you Lo?”
“Lo is what everyone calls my panther form.”
“You named my new identity after your cat?” Rory asked incredulously.
“Panther, and yes.” She guided Rory toward the kitchen. “I know everything is overwhelming, but I will not hesitate to lay you out if you continue to speak to me the way you did.”
“Or eat me,” she said under her breath.
“I heard that.”
After pouring them both a cup of coffee, Rory slid onto a stool at the island. “Sera and I went to the underground market for memory potions,” she admitted. “They didn’t work. I’m not sure what else to try other than asking a Munin, but I refuse to involve an innocent person.”
Lauren tapped her red nails on the side of her mug. “You’re nicer than you look. Dumber, too. Never go to the underground market without me again.”
“I’m going to call Kordie,” Rory announced and put her cup down to grab her phone. “I need to get my hair cut.”
Lauren eyed Rory’s long locks. “Why?”
She ran her fingers through the ends of her hair. “I don’t know, but I have to.”
The Angel blinked, and then a look of understanding crossed her face. “I think I might have an idea,” Lauren said, glancing at Rory’s hair again. “You always wore it down or in a long ponytail.”
Uneasiness raced through Rory’s body. “How many times was I attacked?”
“A few.” Lauren hiked a shoulder nonchalantly.
Rory shuddered and lifted the phone to her ear. She all but yelled, “I need a haircut today,” when Kordie answered.
“Hello to you too,” the Alchemist returned. “Come in whenever. I’ll fit you in between clients.”
“See you soon.” Ending the call, she stood. “Can we leave now?” Her anxiety over her hair was higher than ever after hearing Lauren’s admission.
She rushed across the kitchen, cleaned the coffee maker, reloaded it, and programmed the auto setting to start around the time her father woke up for work. Their schedules were so different that they rarely saw each other during the day.
He’d kept her grounded since returning from Vincula, and the least she could do was make sure he had coffee.
Rory and Lauren walked into the salon, and when Kordie spotted them, she squealed and flitted across the room. Her hair was a deep blue today, and it looked great.
“I just finished my last client, and I have half an hour before the next arrives.” She directed Rory to sit in a nearby chair and ran her fingers through Rory’s hair, placing it in front of her shoulders. “How short did you decide to go?”
Lauren sat in the waiting area flipping through a magazine and, without looking up, said, “Short enough that it’s harder to grab when she’s running or fighting.”
The blood drained from Kordie’s face, and she leaned forward to whisper in Rory’s ear. “Is she serious?”
“I can hear you,” the Angel informed her. Kordie jumped slightly and widened her eyes when they met Rory’s in the mirror.
Rory shifted in her seat and stared at her reflection. “Yes. Cut it to here.” She motioned slightly below her shoulders. “Can you change it back to my normal color?” Rory liked the black, but she wanted to see what her natural brown hair looked like now that her grey-scale sight was gone.
“If someone grabbing it is what you’re worried about, why don’t you just wear it in a bun?” Kordie mused.
“It’s doubtful I’ll be prepared for a fight at all times,” Rory pointed out. “I’d rather not wear a bun every day.”
Her friend nodded and clapped with a giddy smile. “Perfect. I’m going to give you waves too. It will look great with your new length.”
Lauren ran to grab a new cell phone, claiming her old one broke while Rory sat in Kordie’s chair for an hour. She returned shortly before Rory stood from the chair with a satisfied smile to examine her hair. It was a shiny dark brown and hit just below her shoulders in soft waves.
Her face fell slightly. What would Caius think?
She ignored herself. He could fuck off if he didn’t like it.
“Smile,” Lauren said, snapping a picture when Rory beamed into the camera.
A disgruntled client sat in the waiting room with several chairs between him and Lauren, but when Kordie apologized for running late and offered him three free haircuts, he seemed fine.
Not wanting her friend to lose out for helping her, Rory hid enough moedas to cover ten free haircuts in Kordie’s purse.
“We should go to a Phantom House tonight,” Kordie said deviously as she walked the other two to the door. “It’s been a while since we’ve been.”
Rory smirked. Phantom Houses were fun houses where Eidolons tried to scare people, and their group usually went once or twice a year. “I’ll call Dume and Sera, and you tell Keith.”
Kordie nodded. “We’ll meet at the Phantom House on 13th at sundown.”
Rory grinned. This should be fun.
Sera bounced on the balls of her feet. “I haven’t been to a Phantom House in ages!”
Dume, who had looked disgruntled until then, glanced at Sera fondly when he thought no one was paying attention.
“These places are for kids,” Keith grumbled. “Let’s go for a drink instead.”
Lauren looked bored, and Rory thought the Angel would scare the Eidolons, not the other way around.
After paying for their tickets and waiting in line for half an hour, they finally entered the dark hallway filled with artificial fog. A dim red light lit their way, and the air filled with screams, banging, and evil laughter.
As they made their way through the dark maze lined with creepy props, Rory’s heart raced at the prospect of Eidolons popping out at any moment.
The girls forced Dume and Keith to the front of the line, and when they turned a corner, an Eidolon fell through the ceiling with a loud screech. Dume jumped a foot in the air, and Keith screamed like a child.
The girls all doubled over with laughter until Rory’s side hurt. Seeing the boys scared shitless never got old.
Rory caught Lauren videoing them on her phone and waved. “Text that to me. I want to remember that scream for the rest of my life!”
“It’s not fucking funny,” Dume hissed from the front, causing them to laugh harder.
“I hate you all,” Keith shot over his shoulder at the girls.
Clapping as she laughed, Lauren said, “This is the best idea you all have had yet.”
Another Eidolon crawled through the wall and stood with a wicked grin. Dume slammed into the opposite wall with a terrified look, Keith froze, and the rest of the group bumped into him from behind.
“How much longer is this stupid thing?” Keith griped. “This is ridiculous.”
When they made it to the end of the house and stepped outside, a masked man with a chainsaw ran around the side of the building.
Keith and Dume hollered and took off running, leaving the girls behind. It didn’t matter how many times they came; it was funny every single time. Once the girls rounded the corner to the front of the building, they found both men with crossed arms and sour expressions.
“We’re not doing this again,” Dume informed them gruffly.
Reaching up to pat his cheek, Sera wore a sugary sweet smile. “Yes, we will.”
Dume tried to look annoyed but failed.
“Can we get a drink now?” Keith griped. “I deserve one after that torture.”
Kordie snaked her arm around his waist and leaned her head against him. “It was worth it.”
He pecked his girlfriend on the lips, and Rory’s heart warmed. It made her feel such a deep longing that it almost took her breath away.
Lauren fell into step beside her and nudged her shoulder. “You’ll see him again.”
Hot tears prickled the corners of Rory’s eyes. “I don’t remember him, and all I can think is, what if I never do?” She stopped and turned to the woman, who was becoming a close friend. “Even if I get them back, how will I get back to Vincula to see him?”
Lauren placed both hands on Rory’s shoulders and pulled her down to eye level. “There isn’t enough magic in either of the realms to keep him from getting to you.”
“But there is,” she whispered back. “Otherwise, he’d be here.”
“Do not underestimate the power of Caius’ love. He will break out of Vincula, and when he does, the entire realm will feel his wrath.” Lauren released her and joined the others as they chattered away, leaving Rory standing in the dark, wishing her words were true.