Arik
Chapter Twenty-Three
Iwatched Claire’s face, searching for any sign of emotion, anything that would give me a clue to what she was thinking.
Her heartbeat was erratic, pounding in her chest like a drum, the only thing I could truly feel from her at that moment.
I knew I had just shattered her world, and I desperately hoped that I had not shattered her spirit along with it.
“Holy shit,” she muttered, her eyes wide with a mix of amazement and disbelief.
I could see the wheels turning in her mind, trying to piece together everything I had just told her.
She questioned, “And your family, the business, the village?”
I nodded, knowing she needed answers. She needed to make sense of the chaos I had unleashed.
“As you have seen, I can handle invaders. The men who work here for me, my conti, their families have served me for hundreds of years. They are my security, my confidants, the ones who keep my secrets. They were there when the invaders came, and they are here now, watching over everything.”
“So, Sam?” she asked.
“Sam is young,” I explained, trying to keep my voice steady.
“He has been with me for two years, ever since his father…retired.” I paused, saving the details for another day.
“In each family, the men serve me until their eldest son turns eighteen. Then the son takes over. It is a tradition that has been passed down through generations. They are compensated extremely well and are some of the most affluent families in the region.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, the weight of her next question heavy on her lips. “So…if I were to stay here, with you, what happens to me? What happens to my life?”
I felt a pang of guilt as she asked, knowing that I had hoped to ease her into this reality, not thrust it upon her all at once.
“That’s honestly why I wanted to spend more time with you, getting to know you, before you found out about all of this,” I said, trying to make her understand just how badly my plans had gone awry.
I forced a small smile, hoping to convey some semblance of reassurance.
“I wanted to make sure you felt the same way before asking you to give up your entire life.”
She did not respond immediately, and I could see the conflict in her eyes.
How could she? How could anyone?
I spoke to her, staring into the distance beyond the glass doors. “For me, I know you are who I am supposed to be with. We are destined to be together. But you cannot see what I see. You have not been waiting over three hundred years in isolation and loneliness.”
I watched as the weight of my words sank in, her shoulders slumping slightly under the burden of it all.
“I understand,” she said quietly. “But we are where we are. What are you asking of me?”
“You would have to become like me…eventually,” I admitted, the words tasting bitter as they left my mouth.
“Be here with me. We could travel. You could still see your family—for a number of years at least, until your appearance and the age you should be starts to become an issue. Luckily, your parents are older, so that is not as much of a concern.”
“But my sister…” Her voice cracked as she mentioned her sister, the bond they shared evident in her tone.
“Yes, that would become a problem. Unless you told her, which I do not recommend,” I advised.
“Why not?” Her voice was stronger now, more insistent, as if she were grasping at anything that could make this decision easier.
I sighed deeply, searching for the right words. “If you told her, she would probably ask you to change her. Maybe not now, but eventually. I have never changed anyone, Claire. I would not wish it on anyone. Life is meant to have a beginning and a definite end.”
“Except for me?” There was a hint of accusation in her voice, but also an underlying sadness that cut through me.
“We are destined for one another. We are supposed to spend eternity together.” I looked down, unable to meet her gaze. “Or…you can go home, and I can live out eternity in excruciating pain while you walk this earth apart from me. Then in pure loneliness after you are gone.”
Claire’s eyes dropped to the floor, her mind clearly racing to process everything I was telling her. I felt the twinges of guilt and fear bubbling beneath her come exterior. I wanted to reach out, to hold her, to tell her that everything would be okay. But I knew I could not make that promise.
“I know what I am asking for is a lot,” I added softly, hating myself for putting her in this position.
“Wait.” Her eyes snapped back at me, a sudden thought lighting them up. “You’ve never changed anyone? Do you even know how?”
“Not exactly,” I admitted, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me. “I have never wanted to know. Never wanted to put someone else through this.”
“The Island. The man you met. The one who changed you. Did you ever go back?” she questioned, curiosity peaking in her voice.
“Once,” I said, the memory of that desolate place sending a chill down my spine. “I sailed back to the island, only to find it abandoned and uninhabitable. The path to the cabin was gone.”
“Can we at least try to go back? Maybe he knows something. Maybe he can help.” Claire’s voice was pleading now, desperate for any hope that there might be another way.
I looked into her eyes, seeing the desperation there, and it tore at me.
Could I deny her this request? After everything I had asked of her, could I refuse to give her this one chance, however slim it might be?
But what if it only brought her more pain, more heartache?
Could I live with myself if that happened?
I took a deep breath, reaching out to take her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine. “We can try,” I whispered, knowing that whatever the outcome, I could not bear to see her suffer.
“But whatever happens, I need you to understand…I cannot lose you, Claire. Not now, not ever.”
She nodded, tears glistening in her eyes as she squeezed my hand. “I’m scared, Arik,” she confessed, her voice trembling. “But I don’t want to lose you either. We’ll figure this out together. We must.”
As I looked into her eyes, I felt a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way for us to be together without destroying the very things that made us who we are. But as I held her close, I knew that whatever came next, it would change both of our lives forever.
With a quick motion, I grasped Claire’s hand into mine.
I could feel the strong pumping of her veins on her palm against my own, except mine were still.
Claire’s eyes scanned the view of the sea as we descended the staircase, the salty air whipping warmth against our faces.
She walked in tandem with me until the last step, when finally, our feet met the loose, damp sand below.
We walked silently, our footsteps sinking into the sand with each step, until we reached the dock.
Hidden just north of the villa, behind a jagged cliffside and dark cove, sat my dock.
The sound of an engine cranking filled my ears, causing Claire to jump.
Poor thing must have been deep in her own thoughts until the crank of the engine pulled her from the sea of anxiety and confusion that radiated from her body.
“All aboard!” Sam shouted in our direction.
Picking up body language cues and reading facial expressions was a fleeting skill that always seemed to come and go at the worst times. Judging his current demeanor, he probably thought we were going out for a romantic afternoon boat ride.
Sam took Claire’s hand to lift her into the boat before quickly letting it go. Our eyes locked. His blue eyes widened with fear as he stepped back from the aft onto the maple wood planks of the speedboat.
“Wise choice,” I murmured low before jumping into the boat and reaching my hand out for Claire’s.
She looked at me, and something inside me ripped in half.
Her eyes, round and filled with fear, fought against a smile that she plastered across her perfect face.
I could feel her mind and heart at war, and I wanted nothing more than to be fighting on the front lines for her.
As the ropes freed the boat and the engine calmed to a low purr, I flicked my wrist in Sam’s direction.
“You sure?” he asked, confusion cutting through his brow. Claire’s eyes rounded as she shot a look at me.
“Yes. The island only shows itself to those who seek it. Even more so, those who have a purpose to seek it. Sam does not have a purpose,” I replied plainly as I walked toward the captain’s chair.
“Arik…” Claire gasped. “That was rude.”
I rolled my eyes as my gaze fell onto the horizon. “Rude? It is true.”
I felt the weight of Sam’s body lift from the boat as he disembarked. Claire’s footsteps pattered in my direction until her body slid next to mine. Her demeanor was off, distant, searching. But who was I to judge, as mine was radiating a mirror image, despite my calm exterior.
Perhaps we would make it to the island and find nothing.
Perhaps we would navigate the sea for hours and come back empty with every question still unanswered.
Or we would find everything. At this point I was not sure which of the three would occur, nor which of the three would result in the best outcomes.
My hand slipped to Claire’s bare thigh as the sea breeze floated the hem of her dress up from her knees. I leaned back into the firm leather seat and let out an exhale as I gripped her soft skin firmly.
“Are you ready to do this?” I asked, my voice was low and comforting, bringing a stillness between us that was desperately needed.
Claire paused, her lips parted as if she was struggling with how to answer. “I think so. I don’t know what we’re doing, but whatever it is, it must be done.”
My eyes locked into hers. Gold glistened as the sunlight hit her eyes exactly right, pulling me into her sparkling pools of honey once again.