Page 56 of Curse of Immortality
As they left the tranquil spot by the lake, the fox kept sitting and observing. He had heard and understood everything. Looking left and right, he made sure that he was alone before he shifted into a bird and lifted from the ground. For a while he followed Althea from above as he had on occasion for the past forty-five years. She was singing a sad tune and looking straight ahead as she sat on the small bench in the front of the wagon as it moved forward.
He had been tasked by the Cobra to keep an eye on Althea. That she was Maeve’s twin sister was hard to understand because they were as opposite as two people could be. It had been seven years since her friend Annabel died and he saw how she still grieved. It had touched his cold heart to hear her express how she longed to be touched and Damon would have happily hugged her himself if things had been different. For now, he would watch her from a distance in the same way people caught butterflies in a glass jar and observed one's beauty without ever touching its wings.
Chapter 22
A Powerful Spider
The creaking of the floorboards made Maeve look up from the papers in front of her. She was one year from her seventieth birthday but hadn’t aged a day since she took the crystal of immortality at twenty-four. And yet, her eyes revealed the decades of cynical ploys for power that she had indulged in.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said with disappointment when Damon walked in.
Giving a polite bow, he straightened up and explained in a calm tone, “Charles asked me to share my report on your sister with you.”
Maeve scoffed. “I honestly don’t know why he insists on keeping an eye on her. All she ever does is trot around with that horse from one muddy and miserable village to the next.”
“She’s near the highlands in Scotland now. I saw her yesterday.”
“And?” Maeve shook her head a little as if his disturbance was annoying.
“There’s not much to report. She’s still alone after Annabel died.”
“Who?” Maeve cocked an eyebrow.
“The woman she traveled with until she died seven years ago.”
“Ah, yes, right.” With a dismissive wave of her hand, she pushed the papers away. “I really shouldn’t have told Charles about splitting my crystal with Althea. It’s a waste of everyone’s time to do these reports on her. So what if she’s immortal like me? It’s not like my sister would ever do anything remarkable or be a danger to anyone.”
Damon kept his tone even. “I can see why Charles insists on keeping an eye on her. She has the same level of power and immortality as you do, after all.”
“Hmm… and does she still look young?”
“As pretty as ever,” Damon said, and it somehow provoked Maeve’s vanity.
Getting up from her chair she moved around the desk and got closer to Damon. “You and I never…” Her voice had turned a bit seductive as she looked deep into his eyes.
Stiffening slightly, Damon shifted his balance a tiny bit. “With your connection to the Cobra, I prefer not to get involved.”
“Charles doesn’t own me like he owns you and the other Faders. I can sleep with whomever I want to.”
Fixing his gaze on a statuette on her desk, Damon kept quiet. He had no desire to sleep with Maeve but didn’t want to upset her either.
“So, you think my sister is pretty, do you?” she asked, watching his facial expressions closely.
“Mmm,” he answered with his lips pressed together.
She moved even closer. “Prettier than me?”
Damon had been thirty-three when he accepted Charles’ offer to become a Fader. From his poor upbringing in Poland, he had used his sharp intellect and charm to climb above his rank. When Charles came along and spoke to his ambition of climbing all the way to the top and getting back at the people who had wronged him, it had been too hard to resist.
Looking at Maeve, he knew what she wanted him to answer, but despite her ruthless nature and position as one of Charles’ favorites, he wouldn’t be pressured to deliver empty flattery.
“Your sister can’t compare to you when it comes to fashion or style. You have access to the finest seamstresses while she wears simple and ill-fitting dresses. Her hair is either hanging loose or arranged in a messy braid while your hairstyle is always impeccable. It shows that she’s outdoors all year round when she rides from town to town. Her complexion is that of a farm girl, while yours is that of a fine lady.”
Maeve placed her hands on her hips. “You must think me an imbecile, Damon. I asked you a question and you’re pointing out the obvious without answering me truthfully. Do you think Althea is prettier than me?”
With a disarming smile, he clarified, “You are both beautiful women. She doesn’t have your elegance, but if I had to choose between being with one of you, I would pick her.”
“Why?”
