Page 41 of Curse of Immortality
The dirt was smeared into the water leaving her burnt skin as she walked out into the lake until her body was under water and the flames were extinguished. Spreading her arms and legs she swam to the middle of the lake where the golden evening sun was shining through the trees and onto her body, which had already healed itself of all the burns.
Maybe if Maeve had found the humility and strength within herself to find her sister and make amends her life would’ve taken a different course. But like so many other survivors of great tragedies, Maeve became bitter and cynical. Stuck in a victim’s mental attitude, she could only see darkness and hatred, and in that way, she became her own worst enemy.
As she swam back toward the shore and slowly walked out of the lake, her legs felt too heavy to drag through the water and she was too tired to let out the scream of frustration that filled her chest. Falling to the ground, she couldn’t even muster the energy to cry although on the inside she was sobbing. Maeve’s inner world was inflamed, and her demons were back to poke their fingers into her sore and infected mental wounds. But on the outside, her face remained numb and cold and only a single tear escaped her dead eyes.
Slowly she let go of her plan of killing herself and replaced it with another ambition. “If I’m forced to live in the same world as humans, then I’ll do it on my terms,” she whispered in a raspy voice. Her thoughts were too foggy to think of anything that could make her happy, but at least she knew that she wouldn’t tolerate seeing others display their joy. She would make sure that the evil humans were as miserable as she was.
As she looked toward the last rays of sunshine for the day warming the trees, other dreams took shape. She dreamt of killing Zosia. Oh, the satisfaction it would bring her to destroy the creature that had ruined her life. But with Zosia having no physical body that was impossible. Maybe setting fire to the forest around her would hurt Zosia, but Maeve knew that the trees would regrow because nothing was stronger than the will of Mother Nature. There was nothing she could do to get her revenge on Zosia – she was the earth itself, and no one could compare or compete with her. But as Maeve’s angry mind spiraled, she thought of the one creature on Earth that Zosia viewed as a threat. The man Zosia had sent Maeve to kill.
If I’m cursed with immortality, then he can’t kill me,she thought as she rose from the ground and set out to find the Cobra.
Chapter 16
The Charming Man
Althea and Annabel walked down the narrow staircase in the smoke-filled inn. The wooden steps showed signs of decades of use and felt uneven to step on.
“How did it go?” the barman asked them with a look of concern.
“Your wife is resting now, but she took well to our healing,” Annabel said and held a hand to the wall for support as she descended the last step.
The barman raised his gaze as if he could look through the ceiling to his bedridden wife upstairs. “Will she be all right?”
“Aye.” Annabel gave him a comforting smile. “We’ve given her some salves to use for the back pain but it’s a matter of too much hard work from too early an age. Her body is worn down and she needs a rest.”
“But what about the guests? I cannot do all the work myself.” He dried his hands on a rag and threw it to the counter.
“Oi, barman, can we have another round over here?” someone called from the bar in a tipsy voice followed by his friends loudly agreeing.
Althea, who had been behind Annabel, now stood beside her, looking around the room. There were tables and wooden benches under the six paned windows toward the front of the room. The windows looked smudgy and in desperate need of a cleaning. One of the windows stood open, letting some much-needed fresh air into the dusty, dark room that had a smell of tobacco, sweat, and beer.
Looking through the open window, Althea saw the muddy road and the stable where Tobias waited for them. “I’m coming,” the barman shouted to his customer and muttered to the two healers, “Let me get ye some food and drink as we agreed on.”
The room wasn’t big and out of the nine tables that were spread out, only two were occupied by guests. The rest of the patrons stood at the bar. Annabel chose a table in the corner with privacy. Dusting crumbs off the chairs, she sat down with a sigh and gave her friend a tired smile. It didn’t take long before the Innkeeper called out to them and pointed to two plates on the counter.
Annabel was just about to stand when Althea placed her hand atop her wrist and softly said, “It’s alright, I’ll get it, you stay here and rest.”
Annabel nodded with a soft gaze. It had been a difficult few days with little rest for either of them and without a magical crystal running through Annabel’s body, she was much more exhausted than Althea. Annabel leaned her head back and closed her tired eyes, which had dark circles under them from too little sleep.
When Althea rose to fetch the food, she felt all eyes on her from the seven people standing at the bar. One of them seemed to be the center of attention as he made two women and a man laugh but when Althea approached the bar, he shifted his attention to her. With a charming smile, he walked over to stand close enough for her to hear him and said, “I hear you’re a healer.”
Remembering what Annabel had tried to teach her about interacting with humans, Althea steadied her nerves, suppressed her fear, and looked into his dark brown eyes.
He was tall enough that she had to lean her head back, and with his symmetrical features, strong jawline, and defined eyebrows he could only be described as handsome. The strangest calmness fell over her and for a moment she lacked words. Unlike most humans she had met, this man’s energy wasn’t fast or stressful. Nor was it as loving and melodic as an Earthen’s energy. It was like nothing she had ever experienced, and the closest comparison Althea could think of was the slow and steady energy of an oak tree without a care in the world.
“You’re speechless. I would like to say that I have that effect on women, but I’m afraid that’s rarely the case.” He grinned and leaned closer with a spark of humor in his eyes. “I assure you I’m not as dangerous as I look. I rarely bite… unless, of course, you want me to.”
“Ehm…” Blinking her eyes, Althea finally managed to answer. “Yes. No. I mean, yes, I’m the healer, but no, I don’t…” She trailed off unable to remember what she had been saying. Her gaze had gone to his mouth as she thought about his offer to bite her. It had seemed like an invitation to something sexual, but having no experience in flirting, she couldn’t be sure. During these past weeks that she had traveled with Annabel, Althea had seen hundreds of people, but with the intense sparkle in his captivating eyes and his strong physique, this man stood out.
Lowering his voice to almost a whisper, he let her know, “I could use a healer.”
Althea angled her head and looked him over. She didn’t pick up on any sickness but asked, “Are you in pain, sir?”
The man placed a hand on his chest, and his lips and eyebrows drooped as he said, “Not physically, but emotionally. I feel lonely, and could use your help.”
Althea lowered her voice, “I’m not sure how I could help with that. I only heal physical pain,” she explained.
“I think you could help me better than anyone else. I’ve heard healers have a magical touch, and I know I would feel a lot better if you and I went upstairs and you healed me with your magic.” There was mirth in his tone, but Althea still picked up on his intentions and flushed crimson. Widening her eyes, she gave a breathy “Oh.”
