Page 54 of Curse of Immortality
Though she didn’t consider herself an Earthen anymore, Maeve still performed the ritual which she’d grown up doing every time she had come across a dead animal. Just as Rose had taught her, she placed her hands above Edith’s chest and valued the life that had been lived.
“May you finally be at peace,” Maeve whispered.
With a hand still on Edith’s chest, Maeve used the compass once again and transported her and Edith to Charles’ office.
Edith lay dead on the floor while Maeve stood beside her. It felt comforting to be back in the luxurious room with the thick carpet, books, and the delicious smell of leather and mahogany.
With a glass of whiskey in his hand, Charles turned from the tall window he had been looking through. “Welcome back,” he said and took a small sip while glancing at Edith before letting his gaze settle on Maeve.
“I’m impressed. You had the chance to escape with the compass, yet you returned.” Charles sounded pleased.
“We had a deal, and I delivered my end of the bargain. Now it’s your turn to do the same,” Maeve answered and stepped over Edith to approach Charles. With a flirtatious smile, she took his glass from him and drank the last of the contents.
His eyes were sparkling with intrigue as he watched her closely. “I think we can help each other a great deal.”
Maeve smiled. “I think you’re right.”
Chapter 21
Eternal Youth Brings Loneliness
Annabel became as close to Althea as family. She had sharp instincts, a good sense of humor, and great skills when it came to healing. Compared to the quiet life in the forest that Althea had been used to, the first five years with Annabel felt like an adventure. They visited villages and towns all over the country and never stayed long enough to draw suspicion.
Most nights, they slept under the stars or in the small wagon, but sometimes, they were offered lodging in exchange for their services.
On a summer night in Scotland, Annabel and Althea were staying in a cozy little inn. Coming back from the lake where they had been swimming, they were chatting happily. It wasn’t until they were in the small room that they had been given for the night that Annabel turned quiet.
“What’s wrong?” Althea asked when she sensed the shift in Annabel, who stood staring into the small mirror on the wall.
Taking a step closer to the mirror, Annabel touched her skin and hair. “It’s been a long time since I last saw myself in a looking glass. I didn’t realize how old I’ve become.”
Althea threw herself down onto the hard bed and wrinkled her nose at Annabel. “You’re not old. Why would you say that?”
“My hair used to be blond and now there’s so much gray and look…” With both palms to her cheeks, Annabel pulled her skin back to straighten her wrinkles.
“You’re beautiful,” Althea assured her friend with love shining from her expressive eyes.
Ignoring Althea’s compliment, Annabel turned around and asked, “How is it possible that you haven’t aged a day while I’m beginning to look like my grandmother?”
Picking at the fabric of her dress, Althea looked down but didn’t know how to answer. She was well aware that she didn’t age and why.
With slow steps, Annabel walked over to sit next to Althea on the bed, touching a lock of her long wavy red hair. “Your hair color is still vibrant with a beautiful glow, and I can’t find a single strand of gray.”
“That’s because I’m younger than you,” Althea pointed out but still didn’t meet her friend’s eyes. She was happy when Annabel dropped the subject, but as the years went by without Althea aging at all, it became impossible to hide her secret.
Once she finally confided in Annabel how she and Maeve had been given eternal life by Zosia, Annabel’s expression changed into a look of pity.
“Now you know why I don’t age,” Althea whispered after telling how she and her sister had shared the crystal of immortality.
“Oh, ye poor lass. I can’t imagine why Zosia would burden anyone with such a cruel destiny.”
Althea frowned. “She wanted us to go on some quest and help her with something, but that was the day Rose died and Maeve…” Trailing off, Althea still found it hard to speak about the disturbing events that had caused her sister to spiral into madness. “She never told me the details and I wouldn’t know where to start even if Zosia answered when I call to her. Now I’m left with stronger powers and a body that doesn’t age.”
The two women sat close, and Annabel placed her arm around Althea. “Life on Earth is hard enough to bear for one lifetime. I can’t imagine having to wander these villages and towns forever.”
“I try not to think about it too much, but there are days when I get sad about the fact that I might survive you too. I’ve lost too many already.”
For a while they sat in silence with the bonfire in front of them and their lunch cooking in a pot. Leaning forward Althea stirred the vegetable soup and heard her stomach growl. “It smells good.”
